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Today’s PrideNomad™ Quiz:

In Today’s Email:

Cultures: Down under surprises

Nomad Hacks: Why hoofing it is better

Destinations: Nepal’s understated appeal.

CULTURES:

Australian apartments kept confusing me.

Not because they were bad.

But because I kept looking for things that just… weren't there.

When I first started bouncing between Airbnbs in Sydney and Melbourne…

I expected certain things to work a certain way.

Big fridges. Garbage disposals. Dryers that actually dry your stuff.

The basics, right?

Except…

The fridge was way smaller.

There was no garbage disposal in the sink.

The dryer — when there even WAS one — clearly wasn't the main character.

Instead? Drying racks. Everywhere.

On balconies. Tucked into spare rooms. Near windows with good airflow.

And the air conditioning?

Split systems. One wall-mounted unit per room.

Not central HVAC blasting cold air through the entire apartment.

At first, I thought I was just staying in budget places.

But then I realized…

This IS the standard.

Australia isn't missing anything.

It just made different decisions about what's normal.

And those decisions? They're based on what things actually cost.

Take electricity.

In the U.S., it's cheap. So Americans built a culture around using it freely.

In Australia? It's expensive.

Which means cooling an empty room feels ridiculous.

Split systems let you cool the space you're actually in… and skip the rest.

That's not sacrifice. That's logic.

Same thing with water.

Australia's had droughts. Serious ones.

Water isn't treated like an infinite resource.

So you won't find garbage disposals sending food scraps down the drain…

Or American-style landscaping that requires constant irrigation.

You'll see drying racks instead of power-hungry dryers.

And smaller fridges… because bulk shopping never became the norm.

These aren't quirks.

They're responses to real constraints.

Americans experience this as: "Why is it only cool in one room?"

Australians experience central air as: "Why are you cooling rooms no one's using?"

Neither is wrong.

They just answer different questions.

Here's the pattern worth understanding:

When a utility is expensive, the culture adapts.

When it's plentiful, excess becomes normal.

Australia built around conservation.

America built around abundance.

That's not a moral judgment.

It's just two different sets of math… leading to two different defaults.

And once you see it that way?

Australian apartments stop feeling strange.

They feel deliberate.

Here's the lens that keeps paying off:

When something feels "missing" abroad…

Ask what resources shaped the system in the first place.

Because a lot of the time?

Your "normal" is just the result of cheap electricity and endless water.

Theirs is the result of paying attention to the bill.

Neither is universal.

And that realization?

That's when living abroad stops feeling like sacrifice…

And starts feeling like freedom.

P.S. The fastest way to misread another country is assuming your defaults are based on logic… instead of luck.

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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NOMAD HACK:

Use this to make your travel life a bit easier.

✈️ How to Tell If Walking Is Faster Than Transit (Before You Waste Time)

 Here’s a mistake almost everyone makes in big cities:

They default to public transportation…
without realizing walking would be faster, cheaper, and easier.

The fix is simple — and once you see it, you’ll never unsee it.

The Double-Check Rule

Before you hop on a train or bus:

1. Open Google Maps

2. Run directions using public transportation

3. Then switch it to walking

You’ll be surprised how often the times are:

• identical

• or walking is actually faster

Why? Because transit time lies:

• stairs down

• waiting on platforms

• transfers

• walking from the station at the other end

I learned this years ago in Boston.

I kept taking the T between two stops on different lines — until I looked at a map and realized they were literally a block apart above ground.

Walking would’ve been:

• faster

• cheaper

• healthier

• and I would’ve actually seen the city

Why this matters

In cities like London, Paris, New York, or Berlin — where subways hide how close things really are — this one habit changes how you move through the city.

Once you learn the city above ground, you stop moving blindly and start moving efficiently.

Bottom Line

Public transit feels efficient.
Walking often is.

Check the map before you go underground.
You might already be there.

DESTINATIONS:

🇳🇵 Nepal (#36): The Himalayan Alternative That Actually Works

After our story on Bhutan last week, a lot of PrideNomads asked the same quiet question:

If Bhutan is beautiful but constricting… is there a place nearby that actually works?

There is. And it’s Nepal.

Nepal currently ranks #36 on the Pride Nomad Index — not because it’s flashy or frictionless, but because it offers something rarer: room to breathe.

I’ve been to Nepal with my mother. We trekked from Pokhara up to Poon Hill, watched the sunrise over the Annapurnas, and then lost ourselves in Kathmandu — its parks, temples, neighborhoods, and daily chaos.

It was one of those trips that stays with you.

A Different Kind of Wealth

What struck me most wasn’t the scenery (though it’s stunning). It was the people.

While trekking, we stayed in mountain communities with no permanent electricity. Power came from generators switched on in the evenings — just long enough for light, basic internet, and guests. Children walked hours each day to attend school. Life was materially simple, sometimes very hard.

And yet — people were happy. Connected. Present.

There was a quality of life rooted in community and resilience that you don’t forget once you’ve felt it. Nepal reminded me that being “offline” doesn’t mean being disconnected — and that’s a lesson many nomads are quietly craving.

The Digital Nomad Reality

Nepal isn’t pretending to be Lisbon or Bali. And that’s part of why it works.

• Internet: Reliable in cities like Kathmandu and Pokhara; weaker but functional in regional hubs

• Cost of living: Low and flexible

• Healthcare: Adequate private options in major cities

• Coworking & cafés: Modest but growing

• Lifestyle: Human-scale, unhurried, and adaptable

You won’t find a polished nomad machine here — but you will find enough infrastructure to build a life without fighting the system.

The LGBTQ+ Reality (Where Nepal Pulls Ahead)

Here’s where Nepal clearly separates itself from Bhutan.

Nepal has:

• Constitutional LGBTQ+ protections

• Legal recognition of a third gender

• A visible ecosystem of LGBTQ+ NGOs and activists

• Pride events and public advocacy, especially in Kathmandu

Is it perfect? No.

Is it affirming, visible, and evolving? Yes.

More importantly: you don’t have to shrink yourself to exist here.

Visas & Staying Longer

Nepal offers

• Tourist visas on arrival (up to 90 days, extendable)

• Long-stay options through renewals or study/volunteer routes

It’s not a formal digital nomad visa — but in practice, Nepal remains one of the more flexible countries for slow nomads who want time, not bureaucracy.

The PrideNomad Verdict

Nepal won’t be for everyone.

But if Bhutan intrigued you and left you wanting more openness…
If you value meaning over polish…
If you want a place where queerness isn’t hidden — even if it’s still imperfect…

Nepal delivers.

Some places are beautifully designed.
Others are deeply alive.

Nepal is alive.

And for many PrideNomads, that’s exactly the point.

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

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