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Quick question: Which nomad destination are YOU dreaming about? Hit reply and let us know—your dream just might inspire our next story.

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Today’s PrideNomad™ Quiz:

In Today’s Email:

Update: Your help to change hearts & minds.

Travel Ethics: Why we go…

Nomad Hacks: Codeshare realities & more…

Destinations: New Mexico Makes a Stand

UPDATE:

🌍 I need your help building this.

Last week, I told you about World Love Week.

A global activation.
February 8–15, 2026.

No speeches.
No selling.
No grandstanding.

Just millions of small, visible acts of love — shared around the world, in real time.

The response?

Honestly… it’s been overwhelming.

People want this.

They’re tired of feeling invisible.
Tired of wondering if the world still has space for them.
Tired of watching hate spread while love stays quiet.

But here’s the truth:

World Love Week only works if we build it together.

Not eventually.
Not someday.

Now.

Because if this is going to counter rising antisemitism…
If it’s going to push back against anti-LGBTQ hate…
If it’s going to make the world feel safer to live in — and travel through —

Then good intentions aren’t enough.

We need reach.
We need partners.
We need people who can help make this real.

So this week, I’m asking for one thing:

Connections.

Not your time.
Not your money (yet).

Just names.

Who should know about World Love Week?

→ LGBTQ+ or Pride organizations that actually give a damn about visibility
→ Jewish or interfaith groups fighting antisemitism on the ground
→ Community leaders or city partners who want to do something
→ Brands that care about belonging (not performative allyship)
→ Foundations or philanthropic leaders who fund real change
→ Writers, creators, or journalists who know how to amplify human stories

You don’t need to make the introduction right now.

Just reply with a name and why they matter —
or simply say “happy to intro.”

That’s it.

If it helps to see what we’re building, it’s live here:

👉 https://worldloveweek.com/wlw

We’re building this in real time.
Imperfectly. Publicly. Together.

And yes — some of you have asked how to support this financially.

I’ll share that next week.

But for now?

I just need names.

Because World Love Week only works if we build it together.
And building starts with one person thinking of one other person.

So — who is it?

Hit reply and tell me.

With love (and urgency),

Ken 🌈

P.S. If you’re thinking, “I don’t know anyone important enough” — stop.

You know someone you admire. Someone doing work that matters. Someone whose voice carries weight.

That’s who I want to know about.

Don’t overthink it.
Just reply.

TRAVEL ETHICS:

Why We Go — Even When It’s Complicated

Every once in a while, a note comes in that stops me for a moment.

This week, after sharing our short piece on Brunei last week, someone wrote:

I get it.

Hell, I’ve felt that way about certain places.

But here’s where it gets messy.

A lot of what fuels fear — on all sides — is ignorance.

Governments paint LGBTQ+ people as dangerous, immoral, or threatening. That’s ignorance with power behind it. And it’s devastating.

But sometimes we do a version of the same thing.

We assume everyone in a country with brutal laws must agree with them… enforce them… celebrate them.

That’s also ignorance.

Just pointed in another direction.

Here’s what we experienced in Brunei:

Kind people living under rigid systems they didn’t design.

That doesn’t make the laws acceptable.

It doesn’t make the country safe for us long-term.

And it certainly doesn’t mean we should pretend everything is fine.

But it does remind me that most humans aren’t the enemy.

Fear, propaganda, and unchecked power usually are.

Travel, especially as LGBTQ+ people, isn’t simple. The world isn’t divided into “safe, perfect places” and “evil, avoid-at-all-costs places.”

There are queer people waking up in those countries right now. Going to work. Loving who they love quietly. Hoping the world becomes safer — even a little.

They don’t vanish because we boycott a destination.

And here’s something I keep coming back to…

When we show up in places like that — respectfully, quietly, as ourselves — and we meet local LGBTQ+ people, support their businesses, acknowledge their existence…

That can mean everything.

It’s a reminder they’re not alone.

That the world hasn’t forgotten them.

That’s not endorsement of oppressive laws.

That’s humanitarian work — one conversation at a time.

I’ll be honest with you, though.

I don’t have this figured out.

I’ve wanted to visit St. Petersburg for years. But I won’t go to Russia — not while Putin is waging war in Ukraine, not while the regime is what it is.

Does that contradict what I just said about Brunei?

Probably.

I draw a line.

Maybe it’s arbitrary.

Maybe it’s hypocritical.

But it’s my line.

And I’m still figuring out where the others are.

What travel keeps teaching me is this:

Most humans aren’t the problem.

Power, fear, and ideology usually are.

Travel strips things down to the basics.

Person to person.

Smile to smile.

Curiosity instead of assumptions.

That doesn’t make it simple.

But it does make it human.

So let me ask you:

Where do you draw the line?

What countries are off-limits — and why?

What places surprised you with their kindness, despite their laws?

Hit reply and tell me.

Because I’m genuinely curious.

And honestly… I could use the help figuring this out.

— Ken 🌈

NOMAD HACK:

Use this to make your travel life a bit easier.

The “Wear the Weight” Trick

If carry-on weight is tight: wear your heavy stuff.

Jacket + boots + pockets loaded with battery/chargers.

Your bag stays light. Nobody weighs your body (yet). This is especially important when you’re flying discount carriers, who profit from those excess baggage charges.

DESTINATIONS:

Living Well on Less: 9 Places Where Your Money (and Life) Go Further—

Where $50–$75 a Day Still Buys a Damn Good Life

One thing you learn after traveling a lot:
money stretches wildly differently depending on where you are.

Some places drain you with every coffee.

Others quietly hand you a better life — for less than the cost of dinner back home.

A few years ago, a couple I follow traveled the world on $50 per person per day. Not roughing it. Not miserable. Just smart about where they went.

Over the next 3 weeks, we’ll reveal 9 places in 2026 where your budget still breathes, your days feel full, and you don’t feel like you’re constantly “cutting corners.”

This isn’t about being cheap.

It’s about choosing places that want you to live well.

Part 1—Europe Without the Price Tag

🇲🇪 Montenegro

Adriatic beauty without Western Europe exhaustion

Why It’s Affordable

Montenegro delivers Croatia-level scenery at roughly half the cost.

Small towns near the Bay of Kotor offer:

• $60–$100 boutique stays

• Inexpensive local food

• Easy day trips without tourist pressure

PrideNomad Reality Check (31 on the PrideNomad Index)

• Quiet, not flamboyant

• You’re unlikely to see Pride flags — but also unlikely to be hassled

• Best for couples or solo travelers comfortable being low-key

Think “relaxed discretion,” not activism.

Nomad / Lifestyle Notes

• Solid internet in coastal towns

• Slow pace = excellent focus

• Better for weeks or months, not nightlife-fueled bouncing

Best For

✔️ Couples
✔️ Introverts
✔️ Creatives who want beauty + calm
✖️ Party-first travelers

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

Deep culture, incredible food, almost absurd value

Why It’s Affordable

Bosnia is one of Europe’s best value countries, period.

• Full meals: $3–$5

• Apartments: shockingly reasonable

• Transportation: cheap and efficient

PrideNomad Reality Check

• Not a Pride hotspot

• Sarajevo is quietly tolerant and culturally rich

• You’ll feel more human than celebrated — and that’s okay

This is a place for emotional maturity, not performative queerness.

Nomad / Lifestyle Notes

• Sarajevo has good Wi-Fi and café culture

• Costs stay low even if you’re not budgeting hard

• Excellent base for slow, reflective travel

Best For

✔️ Food lovers
✔️ History + meaning seekers
✔️ Travelers who value depth over glitter

🇪🇪 Estonia

Quietly progressive. Digitally sane. Surprisingly affordable.

Why It’s Affordable

Estonia often flies under the radar — and that’s exactly why it works.

Compared to Western Europe, daily costs stay reasonable:

• Comfortable apartments at sensible monthly rates

• Inexpensive public transit

• Food prices that won’t punish you for eating well

Tallinn delivers medieval beauty and modern infrastructure without the inflated “cool city” tax.

PrideNomad Reality Check

This is where Estonia decisively outperforms much of Eastern and Central Europe. It ranks 31 on the PrideNomad Index.

• Same-sex marriage is legal

• Legal protections are in place

• Social acceptance is calm, not performative

You’re unlikely to see rainbow overload — but you’re also unlikely to feel watched, judged, or unsafe.

For many queer travelers, that balance is the sweet spot.

Nomad / Lifestyle Notes

Estonia is one of the most digitally functional countries in the world.

• Fast, reliable internet everywhere

• Cafés and coworking spaces that actually work

• Easy bureaucracy compared to most of Europe

It’s ideal for:

• Remote employees

• Freelancers

• Anyone who wants life to feel smooth instead of complicated

This is a place where systems don’t fight you.

Best For

✔️ Solo travelers
✔️ Professionals working remotely
✔️ People who want safety without spectacle
✔️ Anyone tired of “edgy” destinations with hostile politics

P.S. If today’s issue hit you in a good way, hit reply and just say ‘yes’ — I love knowing you’re out there

Answer to Today’s Quiz