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Today’s PrideNomad™ Trivia:

In today’s email:

Postcard from Columbia: TJ shares his adventure…

Living on the Fringe: Jon us this August?

NomadHack: Bank & card ripoff warning.

UP FRONT:

Postcard from Columbia.

Today, a quick report from TJ from Fort Lauderdale. He’s down in Medellin, Columbia, and is having a hell of a time.

Here’s his side of the text string (note the enthusiasm with all the exclamation points!):

I’m staying at the Click Clack Hotel.  It’s very GenZ! It’s in one of the best neighborhoods of Medellin.

The neighborhood is crawling with digital nomads.

The rich ones are staying at this hotel—Yuppies with laptops everywhere!

Locals complain that all the digital nomads have driven up the price of accommodation [editor’s note: we’ve seen that in Portugal and Mexico—more on that in future issues].

A really nice dinner in a really nice restaurant runs you $20-$25 a person (USD).

This swanky hotel is $200 a night and includes breakfast.

It’s a great place for a soft landing while you find other long-term local accommodations.

My friends Susie and Mary are staying in a 2/2 condo for $40 a night.

The climate here is eternal spring!

Uber is here and they are plentiful and cheap, like two dollars for anywhere you wanna go in the neighborhood. Just $15 to the airport which is a 30-minute ride.

I’m the only freaking table at breakfast without a laptop!

And the place is crawling with gay men!

And they all love older white men! 

I got picked up at breakfast one morning!

Thanks, TJ, for that overwhelming endorsement of Medellin—I think our Daddy-types may be booking flights there now! 

TJ isn’t the only person that loves Medellin… PrideNomad™ Mom was there a few years ago and raved about it as well.

THE BIG IDEA:

Living on the Fringe.

It may be the beginning of March, but it’s time to start thinking about Northern Hemisphere summer. August is the magic month when Edinburgh, Scotland, comes alive with multiple festivals, most notably the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the largest of its kind.

Over the entire month of August, you’ll experience thousands of different performances of cabaret, singing, dance, theatre, comedy, drag, and more.

There’s lots of something for everyone!

It’s one of our favorite weeks of the year, and this year, we’re planning to be there from August 1-14 (with Mom, of course!). As we get closer to August, we’ll publish a user’s guide to the Fringe, but for now, put it on your calendar and plan to be there.

Beware: There’s so much going on during the Fringe, that it can be a challenge to balance work with play—so plan to take some time off during the Fringe so you can fully enjoy the experience!

NOTE: We usually coordinate Scotland with a visit to London for theatre and other parts of Europe as well. Mom will dovetail it with a trip to Italy.

What adventure will YOU create?

This just might be our first in-person PrideNomad™ meetup, and trust us when we tell you—it’s super fun!

Will you join us in Edinburgh?

NOMAD HACK

Money Rip-Off Warnings

The banks and financial institutions are NOT your friend, so beware!

1. If you’re using a card (which is advisable), be sure to NEVER accept the “courtesy option” where they suggest that they convert the charge to local currency. You are guaranteed to get ripped-off.  ALWAYS let your card company do the conversion to get the best rate.

2. Beware of the Mastercard/Visa 1% international surcharge. That adds up quickly and will leave a bad taste in your mouth when you get your statement with extra BS fees. Instead, shop for a card that waives those fees, or at the very least includes them in the conversion.

3. When shopping for a credit/debit card, look for cards that reimburse you for ATM fees. Our favorite at the moment is the debit card from Fidelity Investments (if you’re American). But BEWARE—if you’re more of an expat, Fidelity frowns on overseas-based clients, so bank with a VPN and never tell a phone rep that you “live” anywhere but the USA.

4. As much as you can, use credit/debit cards. However many parts of the world are cash-based, so be mindful of local practices. Years ago I was stuck in Yangon (Myanmar) without enough cash—and at that time they didn’t have ATMs! The only cash they would accept was crisp, new US dollars. 

Bottom line—always do your research in advance of your trip so you don’t have any surprises.

What tips do YOU have on the topic? Reply back to us and we can include it in a future edition. Remember, PrideNomad™ is about YOU!

Trivia Answer

See ya next week!