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Today’s PrideNomad™ Quiz:

In Today’s Email:

Destinations: Nomad dream or nightmare?

Nomad Hacks: The hidden currency trick

History Time: A must-see movie…

Nomad News: Croatia steps up!

DESTINATIONS:

Life on the Fringe: Why Every PrideNomad Should Be Getting Weird at Festivals

If you've been with PrideNomad for any length of time, you know we're obsessed with theater, cabaret, drag, circus...

Basically anything that makes straight people uncomfortable.

But here's what might surprise you: fringe festivals aren't just entertainment.

They're survival guides for living authentically in a world that wants you to blend in.

What the Hell is a Fringe Festival?

Think of it as live entertainment that gives society's "normal" the middle finger.

Risky. Queer. Glitter-covered. A little too much in the BEST way.

If society is the main stage... Fringe is the afterparty where drag queens, fire-breathers, and storytellers burn down the rulebook.

And since we PrideNomads already live on the fringe ourselves...

Colorful, curious, unwilling to settle for the boring path...

It feels like coming home.

Why Fringe Festivals Hit Different

Here's the thing about most travel experiences...

You're always the OBSERVER.

Standing behind ropes. Taking photos. Staying in your lane.

Fringe festivals flip that script.

You're not just sitting in a seat watching art happen.

You're waiting in line with locals who become friends over cheap drinks...

Cheering until your voice gives out...

Maybe even getting pulled on stage.

(Yes, that happened to me at Absolute Trash in Sydney. And yes, I won their "trashy" contest. Don't ask.)

You're not watching life. You're LIVING it.

Plus... tickets are actually affordable compared to those overpriced theater productions that cost more than your flight.

So you can binge-watch a handful of shows without your bank account staging an intervention.

The Global Circuit of Beautiful Chaos

Edinburgh Fringe every August is the granddaddy of them all.

My personal favorite. And one I'll be back at next summer with PrideNomad Mom in tow.

(She's about to discover what "immersive theater" really means.)

Adelaide runs the world's second-largest.

Melbourne has theirs.

And Sydney just wrapped up their festival... where I caught everything from jaw-dropping acrobatics to a hedonistic experience in a historic building that would make your conservative relatives faint.

The performers? They travel the world chasing this circuit.

At Absolute Trash, I ran into Charlie - who I'd just seen perform in Scotland weeks earlier.

That's the beauty of Fringe.

It's a global village in sequins and spandex.

Why This Matters for PrideNomads (Beyond the Obvious)

Most digital nomads treat cities like a checklist.

Take photo at landmark. Check.

Eat local food. Check.

Post Instagram story. Check.

Fringe festivals turn you from tourist into participant.

Instead of snapping photos outside museums...

You're part of the heartbeat of the community.

Living the night alongside locals and artists.

Sharing stories that you can't Google.

Work your day. Dive into chaos at night.

That's the nomad rhythm... and Fringe supercharges it.

Your Assignment

If you've never experienced a fringe festival... fix that.

Find one. Go. Get weird.

Let yourself get pulled into the beautiful madness.

Edinburgh is the gold standard, but every city's Fringe has its own flavor.

You'll come away with stories (and probably friends) you never could have planned for.

PrideNomad will see you at the next one.

Glitter optional.

Joy mandatory.

Authenticity required.

NOMAD LONELINESS HELP:

Need a Hug?

Speaking of daily doses of beautiful chaos...

You know what? Forget the festivals for a second.

Let's talk about something that happens EVERY morning.

Our Daily Hug.

It's this little daily letter we send out...

Just a quick hit of inspiration to start your day right.

Nothing cheesy. Nothing fake-motivational.

Just real talk for people living authentic lives.

And here's the thing...

It's about to blow up.

Like, VIRAL blow up.

But we need your help making that happen.

(Because apparently algorithms love it when people actually ENGAGE with stuff.)

So if you're not already getting the Daily Hug...

Jump on it. It's free.

And if you ARE getting it...

Share it with someone who needs a daily reminder that they're not alone in this world.

Fair? Fair.

Watch for the big news about the Hug Society later this week (for subscribers to the Daily Hug).

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Subscribe to 1440 today.

NOMAD HACKS:

💸 The Hidden Currency Trick — and the $20 Lesson Everyone Missed

A well-known travel writer once shared a clever airfare hack: he booked the same short flight in Southeast Asia in the local currency instead of U.S. dollars—and saved about $18–$20.

It’s a real trick, and it works. But here’s what he didn’t say:

how long it took to find that deal.

If it took an hour, that’s roughly $20/hour for research time—and that’s fine for a small flight. But the real magic happens when you use the trick where it matters: on big international fares.

Here’s how to do it right:

1. Use Google Flights or the airline’s local site. Scroll to the bottom and change Location + Currency to the destination country.

2. Compare USD vs local currency. On long-haul routes, the difference can be $50–$150—especially when paying in euros, pesos, or Thai baht.

3. Pay with a no-foreign-transaction-fee card. Otherwise, the bank eats your savings.

4. Optional: For fun, try checking fares in Philippine pesos or Thai baht—their local pricing sometimes beats U.S. listings by 15–25%.

So yes—the strategy works.

Just remember: the point isn't to nickel-and-dime your way around the world.

Save your energy for the BIG wins.

$150 saved on a long-haul flight? Worth 10 minutes of your time.

$20 saved after an hour of research? Probably not. 🌏✨

CELEBRATE HISTORY:

🌍 "Army of Lovers" - The Movie Hollywood Will NEVER Make

150 gay warriors who kicked Spartan ass.

And you've NEVER heard their story.

I watched this Sunday and it WRECKED me.

Not because it was sad.

Because it was TRUTH.

The Sacred Band of Thebes.

150 male couples who were so devoted to each other...

They became the most FEARED fighting force in ancient Greece.

These weren't just soldiers.

They were LOVERS defending lovers.

And they demolished the "invincible" Spartans.

(Bet they don't teach THAT in your history class.)

For 2,000+ years, this story was BURIED.

Erased.

Hidden.

Because it didn't fit the narrative.

Gay men as WARRIORS?

Gay love as a SOURCE OF POWER?

Unthinkable.

But filmmaker Lefteris Charitos dug up the truth.

With archaeology. Archives. Animation.

And the result is ELECTRIC.

This is one of the inspirations behind The Excalibur Society.

Because THESE are our ancestors.

Not victims.

LEGENDS.

📅 Free replay: Oct 12 · 2:00 PM EDT

It sold out last week—so secure your spot here…

Watch it.

Remember who you come from.

NOMAD NEWS:

Croatia Just Became Way More Interesting (And It's Not Just the Coastline)

Alright, listen up...

I've been getting BLOWN UP in my DMs about Croatia's new digital nomad visa.

And after ignoring it for weeks...

(Because honestly, I’ve been slammed with Sydney, San Diego and now the Caribbean trips.)

I finally dug into it.

And damn.

This might actually be a game-changer.

Here's What Happened

Croatia just extended their Digital Nomad Temporary Stay Permit to 18 months.

Used to be capped at 12.

But here's the part that made me sit up and pay attention...

They ALSO made it way easier to qualify.

You've got two options now:

Option 1: The "I Have Steady Income" Route
Show them €3,295 per month in recurring income.
Bank statements, contracts, whatever proves you're not broke.

Option 2: The "My Income is All Over the Place" Route
Got €59,310 sitting in your account?
That works too.

(Which is basically saying "prove you can survive for 18 months without working.")

Pretty smart, actually.

Because let's be real...

Most nomads don't have traditional "steady paychecks."

We've got good months and lousy months.

Croatia gets that.

But Why Should PrideNomads Care?

Look, I'm not gonna lie to you.

Croatia isn't Amsterdam.

It's not gonna be your gay paradise.

But here's what it IS...

A place where you can actually afford to live well.

Zagreb's got a solid queer scene.

(Their Pride parade has been running longer than most Eastern European countries have been trying.)

Split's got surprisingly good nightlife if you know where to look.

And the coast?

Absofuckinglutely gorgeous.

Plus... and this is the big one...

Your foreign income stays TAX-FREE while you're there.

So you keep more of what you make.

While living somewhere that doesn't cost you your firstborn child every month.

(Looking at you, Lisbon.)

The Real Talk

Croatia sits at #23 on our PrideNomad Index.

Which... honestly... might be too low.

Because here's what they're offering:

• 18 months of legal stay.

• Tax breaks.

• EU healthcare access.

• Mediterranean lifestyle without Mediterranean prices.

And a government that's actually TRYING to make this easy for nomads.

Instead of treating us like we're trying to scam them.

What You Need to Do

If this sounds interesting...

Don't just take my word for it.

Check with Croatia's Ministry of Interior (MUP) before you apply.

Or find a local immigration lawyer who knows their stuff.

Because while the rules look straightforward...

Different offices sometimes interpret them differently.

(Welcome to bureaucracy, kids.)

But honestly?

For PrideNomads who want more time, less taxes, and a place that won't bankrupt you...

Croatia just became a hell of a lot more interesting.

Just saying.

P.S. If you end up applying for this, hit me back and let us know how it goes. We’relways curious to hear real experiences vs. government websites

Answer to Today’s Quiz

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