From stitches to staycations... and a life built on travel

Hi ,

Sometimes there are travel memories you won’t forget for the wrong reasons! aka. The catastrophes!

There was that one time in California. Kalyra had just come flying off a hoverboard during our nomadic U.S. road trip.

One minute she was laughing… the next there was blood, panic, and a rushed trip to urgent care.

She was okay. (Thankfully.) But the bill? Not so fun.

At the time, we were deep in our digital nomad years — moving constantly, no fixed base, figuring things out as we went. And that made it challenging for us to get traditional travel insurance. So, we weren’t adequately covered.

I guess trying to figure it out just got too complicated. That was pre-pandemic and a lot has changed since then, including more flexible options that suit nomadic travelers and remote workers (there’s a lot more doing it now!)

One we recently discovered is SafetyWing, who reached out to us for a collab. I really liked what I saw and put together a guide for you. I wish we had this back in our nomad travel days

👉 Best Travel Insurance for Digital Nomads (2026 Review)

Inside I break down their essentials and complete coverage plan and compare options like SafetyWing vs World Nomads so you can make the best choice for your kind of travel.

But travel isn’t always chaos and lessons learned the hard way…

Sometimes it’s slow mornings, fresh air, and the kind of reset you didn’t even realize you needed.

We had one of those moments this past week during a little staycation at the Washington Duke Inn. & Golf Club

Craig was in his element out on the championship golf course — calm, focused, fully in the zone.

Me? I quickly realized golf is definitely a next life pursuit 😂 Even after a golf lesson with a pro helped me actually connect to the ball.

Instead, I leaned into what I love most: sunshine, space, and simply being there. I hit a few drives and putts along the way but mostly drove the golf cart or walked the course.

After that it was patio sips in the sunshine and a delicious dinner.

There’s something about stepping away — even just down the road — that helps you reconnect to what matters.

It reminded me that travel doesn’t always have to be far. It just has to shift your energy.

But yeah, stepping back out of that travel bubble to return home quickly brought upon the travel blues.

Speaking of Travel Stories

I recently had the chance to sit down with Kristy on the Travel Small Towns Podcast — and it turned into one of those conversations that made me reflect on this whole journey.

We talked about:

• How a “five-year honeymoon” turned into a travel business

• What it really takes to build a life around travel

• The sacrifices people don’t always see

• How travel has shaped our family in the most unexpected ways

• And why small towns often hold the most meaningful experiences

(Plus… the story about the town where hippos roam the streets 🦛 — you’ll have to listen for that one.)

If you’ve ever wondered what this lifestyle actually looks like behind the scenes — the messy, beautiful, evolving version of it — I think you’ll enjoy this one.

If there’s one thing I keep coming back to lately, it’s this:

Travel isn’t just about where you go. It’s about how you show up.

Prepared, present, and open to the experience. Whether it’s a big adventure, a small-town moment, or a quiet staycation close to home.

And sometimes… it’s about learning the hard lessons so you can travel a little wiser next time.

Wherever you’re at right now, I hope you’re finding small ways to bring that feeling of travel into your everyday life.

Caz x

P.S. If you’re currently traveling (or planning to), don’t skip the insurance piece like we once did. Future you will be very grateful you didn’t 😉