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Passions and Places

A travel + outdoors blog

  • Destinations
    • Africa
      • Zambia
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    • Europe
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    • North America
      • Canada
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  • Activities
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    • Skiing
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  • Planning
    • Accommodations
    • Budgeting
    • Gear and Packing
  • Travel Styles
    • Active and Healthy
    • Couples Travel
    • Educational and Experiential
    • Foodie Travel
    • Long-Term Travel
    • Nature and Outdoors
    • Off the Beaten Path
    • Road Trips
  • Responsible Travel

Our 5th Annual Wishlist of Cool Gear from Small Businesses

November 20, 2019 By Ryan Victor 8 Comments

Rows of small bags, piles of folded clothes, and items like a notebook, camera, umbrella, and U.S. passport, on a blue background.

This is our fifth (!) annual post on travel and outdoor gear made by small businesses. As always, these products are unique, sustainable, and high-quality, and shopping them supports entrepreneurs, instead of corporations.

Filed Under: Gear and Packing, Responsible Travel Tagged With: featured, Small Business Saturday, Small Businesses, travel planning

Ski Trip Essentials: A Packing List for Your Next Powder Day

February 13, 2019 By Ryan Victor 2 Comments

Snowy mountains with empty ski runs cutting among pine trees.

If you’re new to skiing or snowboarding, all the gear that’s required can seem intimidating. Here’s exactly what you need for a day on the slopes – plus some tips for finding great gear on a budget.

Filed Under: Active and Healthy, Gear and Packing, Nature and Outdoors, Skiing Tagged With: activities, packing list, ski gear, travel planning, Travel Styles

Shop Small, Go Far: Cool Travel Gear from Small Businesses

November 24, 2018 By Jen Ambrose and Ryan Victor Leave a Comment

In honor of Small Business Saturday, it’s time for our annual post featuring travel and outdoor gear from small businesses. Shopping small means getting unique and high quality products you won’t find elsewhere, plus it supports entrepreneurship and innovation. Win-win!

Filed Under: Gear and Packing, Responsible Travel Tagged With: featured, Small Business Saturday, Small Businesses, travel planning

How We’ve Funded A Year of Full-Time Travel

March 7, 2018 By Jen Ambrose 30 Comments

Full-time travel costs less than you think, especially in regions like Southeast Asia. After a year of traveling and working as digital nomads, this is how we’re funding our lifestyle. We saved up before we left, and remote work in freelance writing offsets some of our travel costs. But traveling on a budget and visiting affordable countries like Thailand and Vietnam keeps our expenses low, and work exchange and housesitting positions cut them even further.

After one full year on the road, here’s everything we’re doing to afford full-time travel and make this lifestyle work.

Filed Under: Budgeting, Long-Term Travel Tagged With: budget travel, featured, housesitting, remote work, Southeast Asia, travel planning, Travel Styles, work exchange, yoga

Our Travel Gift Guide: Gift Ideas for the Travelers in Your Life

November 22, 2017 By Jen Ambrose and Ryan Victor 22 Comments

This holiday season, give the travelers in your life something they’ll really love. From beautiful home decor to super practical gear, these are our top gift ideas for people who travel.

Filed Under: Gear and Packing Tagged With: featured, gifts, maps, travel gifts, travel planning

How Housesitting Is Helping Us See the World

November 15, 2017 By Jen Ambrose and Ryan Victor 24 Comments

Free accommodations in a nice house and cool pets to play with while you travel? Yes, please! Housesitting has been a big part of our journey in Southeast Asia, and become much more than a way to save money.

Filed Under: Accommodations, Long-Term Travel, Thailand Tagged With: destinations, digital nomad, featured, housesitting, petsitting, travel planning, Travel Styles, TrustedHousesitters

Everything You Need to Know About Washing Clothes While Traveling

August 24, 2017 By Ryan Victor 12 Comments

Washing clothes while traveling is a necessity for long-term travel. Whether you’re backpacking Southeast Asia, taking a road trip in the U.S., or traveling elsewhere, here are the best options for getting your laundry done.

When we left the U.S. to adopt a nomadic lifestyle, people asked us about how we’d deal with the mundane things that are second-nature at home – and one of them was laundry. Here are all the laundry options we’ve found on the road, plus our best tips for washing your clothes while you travel.

Filed Under: Gear and Packing, Long-Term Travel Tagged With: featured, laundry, travel planning, Travel Styles

15 Long-Haul Travel Essentials: What to Pack for In-Flight Comfort

May 27, 2017 By Jen Ambrose 14 Comments

For many people, long plane rides are the worst part of travel, especially when you’re in economy class or have a red-eye flight. This packing list has all the airplane essentials you need for surviving long-haul flights. Stay healthy, rested, and entertained on your next trip!

It’s no secret that flying can be pretty miserable, but if you want to travel to distant destinations, there’s no way around it. Fortunately, you can make your next flight at least a little bit more comfortable by packing these items in your carry-on.

Filed Under: Gear and Packing Tagged With: featured, flights, travel planning

How to Eat Healthier and Save Money While Traveling

March 17, 2017 By Jen Ambrose and Ryan Victor 10 Comments

Eating out every day when you travel can get rough if you’re health-conscious or on a budget. Here are some of the best alternatives, including healthy road trip snacks, other cheap travel foods, easy recipes, and a food packing list.

When you’re traveling, eating out for every meal can seem inevitable – but it gets rough on both your wallet and your health. Here are all our best ideas for cheap and healthy travel foods, including grab-and-go snacks, super easy recipes, and things to bring with you.

Filed Under: Active and Healthy, Budgeting, Foodie Travel, Gear and Packing, Road Trips Tagged With: cooking, featured, travel planning, Travel Styles

15 Totally Unique Airbnb Rentals for Under $50

January 6, 2017 By Jen Ambrose 8 Comments

Airbnb is a great option for accommodations when you travel. Staying with a host means getting a more local experience and gaining some insight into the culture, and Airbnb is often cheaper than hotels, making it popular for budget travel. Plus, many properties are really unusual and interesting, like tipis, cabanas, treehouses, yurts, and more. Check out our list of 15 totally unique Airbnb rentals that are under $50.

Airbnb lets travelers stay in all kinds of interesting accommodations around the world. Many of the best-known rentals are outrageously expensive, but there are plenty of great options for budget travelers, too. All the places on our list are completely unique but cost less than $50 a night.

Filed Under: Accommodations Tagged With: Airbnb, featured, travel planning

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Close-up of a white man and woman both wearing black with trees in the background, and an overlaying green banner that says "Welcome!"

Hi! We're Jen and Ryan, an American couple on a journey to travel the world while working from the road. We're passionate about outdoors adventure, ethical travel, and healthy living. Passions and Places is a space for us to share our stories and tips with you, but most importantly, we hope to inspire you to seek your own adventure.

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