Episode 53 of From Sumplace New is an homage to the friendships we made during our time in Cape Town, South Africa. While some might say eight months is a long time, we left feeling like it wasn't enough. We also left with a heavy heart and shed a few tears because we made great friends -- friends for life, and friends we can't wait to see again. And it's all because we're open to creating connections during our travels. We don't travel with our heads down; we travel with our hearts open. We want to connect, we want to learn and we want to grow through our travels, and being open-hearted is important to creating deep connections. Because we're work from anywhere travelers, we spend 3-4 days a week working at coffee shops. And when we find a place with great WiFi, food and coffee, we're happy to set up shop. Our eight-month stay allowed us to create friendships with baristas, servers, and managers. They became friends we looked forward to seeing. We also connected with people because they were interested in where we were from, and once the conversations start, we're open to where it might lead, and Jon shares several stories about how easy it was to connect with the locals. We've never been somewhere in our lives – yes, our entire lives – that made us feel as connected to the people as we did in Cape Town. We miss Cape Town, and we miss our friends at Bootleggers, Origin, Willoughby's, The Old Biscuit Mill, and the V&A Waterfront, to name a few. We miss Victor and Brandon and Stacy dearly; and we can't wait to see them again.

Links:
Bootleggers
Origin
Willoughby's
Tinariwen

Credits:
Intro/Outro Music: The World at Large by Daniel O'Connor
Intro VO: Laura Welsh

We use SquadCast for recording our podcasts. If you're interested in starting a podcast, Jon highly recommends this easy-to-use, high-quality web app. Click here to start a 7-day free trial!

"I'd rather be at the bottom of a ladder I want to climb, than half way up one I don't" says the Barber of Carlisle (aka Alex Culley), who drops some sage wisdom in Episode 52 of From Sumplace New about not just chasing dreams, but realizing them. After choosing an engineering program at a hometown factory, Alex realized he was on a path that didn't suit his personality and long-term vision. Despite advice from those who "knew better," Alex quit the secure job and began a career he connected with: barbering. Choosing to go against the grain does create challenges, but all can be overcome with the right attitude, determination and commitment. In addition to sharing key insights on how to move through the life-transformation process — such as recognizing who you are, sharing your dreams out loud, and recognizing that the journey isn't going to be easy — Alex also talks about how becoming his own boss opened doors for more travel and, more importantly, meaningful travel. He discusses the trip that changed his mindset about travel and why barbering may actually increase the likelihood of more frequent long-term travel opportunities — something that never would have been possible if he stayed in the "sure thing" job lane. Jon also shares information about his and Karen's upcoming relocation from Cape Town, South Africa, to San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, and why ever-changing travel restrictions may throw a monkey wrench into their plans.

Alex Culley information:
Instagram
Facebook
Profile at Not Just
Not Just Academy
Not Just Instagram

Credits:
Intro/Outro Music: The World at Large by Daniel O'Connor
Intro VO: Laura Welsh

We use SquadCast for recording our podcasts. If you're interested in starting a podcast, Jon highly recommends this easy-to-use, high-quality web app. Click here to start a 7-day free trial!

Episode 51 of From Sumplace New may be the most important episode yet because it focuses on mental health, understanding needs, navigating obstacles and creating solutions while living a travel lifestyle. Jon shares the story behind Karen's decision to step back from the podcast and why he felt it was in the best interest for everyone involved -- especially the Karen and Jon relationship part! The key takeaway from this episode: Overcoming or removing stress takes understanding and support. And in this case, it wasn't clear it was an issue until we started discussing it. If we didn't discuss, the stressors would have continued; but because we did, there was an opportunity to better understand the impact this was having on Karen, on Jon, on our relationship, and on our travel lifestyle. We talked. We listened. We understood. And now we move forward. Speaking of moving forward, we are!!! We are heading to San Jose del Cabo, Mexico on Sept. 4 and will be making an appearance at the Pasadena International Film Festival on Sept. 11. Stay tuned for more details!

Credits:
Intro/Outro Music: The World at Large by Daniel O'Connor
Intro VO: Laura Welsh

We use SquadCast for recording our podcasts. If you're interested in starting a podcast, Jon highly recommends this easy-to-use, high-quality web app. Click here to start a 7-day free trial!