Citizens of the World: A Stoic Podcast for Curious Travelers

New year, new you? Hopefully, yes! But forget New Year’s resolutions that feel like a punishment. How about designing a life in which you have the freedom to do what you love? (get started on postcardacademy.co)   I am definitely focusing on this personally, and in 2019, in addition to world travelers and expats, I’ll be interviewing lifestyle experts, authors, and others who can help us live our best lives. To start us off, I’m incredibly happy to share my conversation with this week’s guest, Natalie Sisson.    Natalie is Chief Freedomist of her own company and author of the bestselling books “The Suitcase Entrepreneur,” and “The Freedom Plan.” On this episode, we’ll talk about her ‘perfect day’ exercise (have you given much thought to what your perfect day would look like? are you trying to live this? most people are not!); discuss jobs that are great for people who want to live a freedomist lifestyle; and break down the steps you need to take to start living a more intentional life, and even create your own business.      I’m your host, Sarah Mikutel. Ready to travel? Sign up for my newsletter and get your free guide to cheap airfare.    Thank you so much for listening to this show. I know you’re busy and have many listening options, so it means a lot to me that you’re here. You are the best.   This podcast is brought to you by Audible. Not a member yet? Postcard Academy listeners can get a FREE audiobook and a 30-day free trial if you sign up via audibletrial.com/postcard   This podcast is also brought to you by World Nomads. Need simple and flexible travel insurance? Get a cost estimate from World Nomads using their handy calculator at postcardacademy.co/insuranceDo you ever go blank or start rambling when someone puts you on the spot? I created a free Conversation Cheat Sheet with simple formulas you can use so you can respond with clarity, whether you’re in a meeting or just talking with friends.Download it at sarahmikutel.com/blanknomore and start feeling more confident in your conversations today.

Best of London episode! I realized recently that even though I’ve been an American expat in London for nearly eight years, I hardly ever talk about my favorite city. My website — postcardacademy.co — is filled with photos and travel guides for other places I've visited around the world. I want to share more about London with you, starting with this episode.    Today I’m the interviewee. My friend Cristal Dyer, who you’ve heard on other Postcard Academy episodes, including the ones on Travel Deals; Oaxaca, Mexico; and Volunteering at an Animal Sanctuary; kindly volunteered to play host. I’ll share my very best insider London tips, from restaurants to theatre to live music. Enjoy! *** I’m your host, Sarah Mikutel. Ready to travel? Sign up for my newsletter and get your free guide to cheap airfare.    Thank you so much for listening to this show. I know you’re busy and have many listening options, so it means a lot to me that you’re here. You are the best.   This podcast is brought to you by Audible. Not a member yet? Postcard Academy listeners can get a FREE audiobook and a 30-day free trial if you sign up via audibletrial.com/postcard   This podcast is also brought to you by World Nomads. Need simple and flexible travel insurance? Get a cost estimate from World Nomads using their handy calculator at postcardacademy.co/insuranceDo you ever go blank or start rambling when someone puts you on the spot? I created a free Conversation Cheat Sheet with simple formulas you can use so you can respond with clarity, whether you’re in a meeting or just talking with friends.Download it at sarahmikutel.com/blanknomore and start feeling more confident in your conversations today.

Thank you so much for listening and subscribing to the Postcard Academy this year. If you’re a fan of this podcast and are feeling generous this year, leaving a review of this show on Apple Podcasts would be a wonderful Christmas present to me. Here’s how to leave a review. Or, you could become a patron of this podcast, which I produce voluntarily as a labor of love for you. Supporting the Postcard Academy via the Patreon site for creators and artists gives you access to members-only content and helps sustain the production of the show, which involves many hours of work and monthly fees.   I really enjoy creating this show for you, and I’m very excited for some things I have planned for 2019. This will include more actionable advice to help you travel more, live abroad — if that is something you’re interested in — and to have more freedom, and free time, in your life wherever you choose to spend it. Less work and stress and overwhelm, and more time to enjoy our very brief time on this Earth. I cannot wait to share this with you!   This week, I’m sharing a Ted Talk that I think is perfect for this time of year. Right now, the media is full of summaries of this year’s news — most of it bad news because that’s what they’ve been covering all year. But guess what? The world is actually getting better. When it comes to homicide, war, poverty, and even pollution, we're actually doing better now than we were 30 years ago, according to Harvard professor and author Steven Pinker. This progress is a fact, not an opinion, and he has the statistics to prove it.    Do we still have life-threatening problems like inequality, war, and climate change? Of course. But these are “problems to be solved, not the apocalypse in waiting.” I hope Steven Pinker’s Ted Talk gives you some peace of mind.   ***   I’m your host, Sarah Mikutel. Ready to travel? Sign up for my newsletter and get your free guide to cheap airfare.    Thank you so much for listening to this show. I know you’re busy and have many listening options, so it means a lot to me that you’re here. You are the best.Do you ever go blank or start rambling when someone puts you on the spot? I created a free Conversation Cheat Sheet with simple formulas you can use so you can respond with clarity, whether you’re in a meeting or just talking with friends.Download it at sarahmikutel.com/blanknomore and start feeling more confident in your conversations today.

My guest today is Kaelene Spence, who writes the blog Unlocking Kiki, a very useful resource for anyone thinking of moving or traveling to Iceland — and she puts together travel itineraries, too. Kaelene is an American who now lives in Iceland with her husband and baby boy. On this episode, she shares how she ended up in the northernmost capital in the world; her tips on how to land the job you want in a new country; the best and worst things about living in Iceland, and more.    Of course, you will learn all about the sites you need to see in Reykjavik and beyond; the foods you need to try (fyi, this is a carnivore’s paradise — but there are veg-friendly options); where the locals — including Bjork — go to unwind in the geothermal water; and other off-the-beaten path travel recommendations.    If you are like most people in the world, you do not speak Icelandic and will have no idea how to spell some of the things we talk about here. Thankfully, Kaelene has shared the names and I’ve posted them all on postcardacademy.co as a resource for you.    I’m your host, Sarah Mikutel. Ready to travel? Sign up for my newsletter and get your free guide to cheap airfare.    Thank you so much for listening to this show. I know you’re busy and have many listening options, so it means a lot to me that you’re here. You are the best.   This podcast is brought to you by Audible. Not a member yet? Postcard Academy listeners can get a FREE audiobook and a 30-day free trial if you sign up via audibletrial.com/postcard   This podcast is also brought to you by World Nomads. Need simple and flexible travel insurance? Get a cost estimate from World Nomads using their handy calculator at postcardacademy.co/insuranceDo you ever go blank or start rambling when someone puts you on the spot? I created a free Conversation Cheat Sheet with simple formulas you can use so you can respond with clarity, whether you’re in a meeting or just talking with friends.Download it at sarahmikutel.com/blanknomore and start feeling more confident in your conversations today.

What is an expat, anyway? On this episode, we define what an expat is and how to become one. I hand over the mic to  Gemma Thompson, who interviews me on my travel journey to moving abroad. This interview first aired on Gemma’s podcast: A Girl’s Guide to Travelling Alone.    I featured Gemma on the Postcard Academy’s Solo Travel episode. She is absolutely lovely and I had a great time chatting with her again here.    If you are interested in living abroad, you can find resources on  postcardacademy.co including:  Live Abroad: Where and How to Live a Better Life at Half the Price of the U.S.   How to House-Sit Around the World and Live Rent-Free While Traveling   Working Abroad: 6 Countries that are Great for Freelancers   Workaway: 9 Tips to Live Like a Local and Travel the World Through Work Exchanges     I’m your host, Sarah Mikutel. Ready to travel? Sign up for my newsletter and get your free guide to cheap airfare.    Thank you so much for listening to this show. I know you’re busy and have many listening options, so it means a lot to me that you’re here. You are the best.   This podcast is brought to you by Audible. Not a member yet? Postcard Academy listeners can get a FREE audiobook and a 30-day free trial if you sign up via audibletrial.com/postcard   This podcast is also brought to you by World Nomads. Need simple and flexible travel insurance? Get a cost estimate from World Nomads using their handy calculator at postcardacademy.co/insuranceDo you ever go blank or start rambling when someone puts you on the spot? I created a free Conversation Cheat Sheet with simple formulas you can use so you can respond with clarity, whether you’re in a meeting or just talking with friends.Download it at sarahmikutel.com/blanknomore and start feeling more confident in your conversations today.

Enough with Florence and Siena already. You should be walking the medieval walls of Lucca; eating aperitivo in Pisa; sipping Chianti at Castello di Brolio; or lounging by the sea in San Vicenzo.    On this episode, Toni Mazzaglia, founder of the food tour company Taste Florence, and I recap our recent road trip through Tuscany. After interviewing Toni for the Florence episode of this podcast, we became fast friends (which you’ll hear on this podcast because we’re gigging our heads off).    Find travel guides containing names, links, and photos of the places we visited at  postcardacademy.co    I’m your host, Sarah Mikutel. Ready to travel? Sign up for my newsletter and get your free guide to cheap airfare.    Thank you so much for listening to this show. I know you’re busy and have many listening options, so it means a lot to me that you’re here. You are the best.   This podcast is brought to you by Audible. Not a member yet? Postcard Academy listeners can get a FREE audiobook and a 30-day free trial if you sign up via audibletrial.com/postcard   This podcast is also brought to you by World Nomads. Need simple and flexible travel insurance? Get a cost estimate from World Nomads using their handy calculator at postcardacademy.co/insuranceDo you ever go blank or start rambling when someone puts you on the spot? I created a free Conversation Cheat Sheet with simple formulas you can use so you can respond with clarity, whether you’re in a meeting or just talking with friends.Download it at sarahmikutel.com/blanknomore and start feeling more confident in your conversations today.

Happy Thanksgiving, U.S. listeners! This year about 54 million Americans will travel more than 50 miles during Thanksgiving, and most of these people will be driving, estimates AAA. However, it’s a myth that the day before Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day of the year (that honor actually goes to several weekends throughout the summer). But that’s not the only Thanksgiving myth out there. (Check out these 10 surprising Thanksgiving facts).   Don’t worry, this episode is not about tearing down this revered holiday. Spoiler: Thanksgiving really is a tradition rooted in gratitude and peace. But it’s also a holiday full of surprises that most people don’t know about, which is why I’m happy to share today’s interview with Melanie Kirkpatrick, author of Thanksgiving: The Holiday at the Heart of the American Experience.   We discuss the history of this very American tradition, including why the Pilgrims really came to the New World (it wasn’t to flee religious persecution, if that’s what you’re thinking).   Wherever you’re from, this week I hope you enjoy good food in great company.     I’m your host, Sarah Mikutel, and you can find travel guides and inspiration at  postcardacademy.co Ready to book your trip? Sign up for my newsletter and get your free guide to cheap airfare.    Thank you so much for listening to this show. I know you’re busy and have many listening options, so it means a lot to me that you’re here. You are the best.   This podcast is brought to you by Audible. Not a member yet? Postcard Academy listeners can get a FREE audiobook and a 30-day free trial if you sign up via audibletrial.com/postcard   This podcast is also brought to you by World Nomads. Need simple and flexible travel insurance? Get a cost estimate from World Nomads using their handy calculator at postcardacademy.co/insuranceDo you ever go blank or start rambling when someone puts you on the spot? I created a free Conversation Cheat Sheet with simple formulas you can use so you can respond with clarity, whether you’re in a meeting or just talking with friends.Download it at sarahmikutel.com/blanknomore and start feeling more confident in your conversations today.

Glasgow had a reputation for being a down-on-its-luck former industrial hub for decades. But the Glaswegians worked hard to turn their city into a world-class tourist destination with museums, opera, ballet, and more. In 1990, Glasgow was named the European City of Culture and since then travelers from around the world have visited to enjoy its cozy pubs, great restaurants — which include a lot of veg-friendly options, delicious food markets, designer shops, and, of course, cultural offerings.    On this episode, my guest Kathi Kamleitner and I share the best of Glasgow, plus some great off-the-beaten path places for you to discover in Scotland. Kathi is an Austrian expat who moved to Glasgow for grad school. She loved it so much she stayed and now gives private tours of her adopted home. She also blogs about Scotland at Watch Me See. Find photos and links to the places we discuss on postcardacademy.coDo you ever go blank or start rambling when someone puts you on the spot? I created a free Conversation Cheat Sheet with simple formulas you can use so you can respond with clarity, whether you’re in a meeting or just talking with friends.Download it at sarahmikutel.com/blanknomore and start feeling more confident in your conversations today.

My friends Daniel Bakken and Alinne Fernanda have been traveling the world together for nearly two years. They saved up their money before hitting the road, but its volunteering through a hospitality service called Workaway that’s financially enabled them to keep traveling as long as they have. If you listened to my episode on house-sitting your way around the world and other free accommodation tips, you heard a little about Workaway.   In exchange for a few hours of work a day, the hosts you find through Workaway will give you free room and board. But this experience is not just about scoring free accommodation or providing free labor. This is a cultural exchange in which the hosts and the guest workers get to learn from each other.    On this episode, Daniel, Alinne, and I talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to work exchanges. But it’s mostly good. Fantastic, in fact, according to Daniel and Alinne. By the end of the show, you will know how to travel the world via Workaway. And I’ll share Daniel and Alinne’s top tips for making Workaway a great experience on postcardacademy.co I’ll also share photos of them literally working their way through Europe, and they’ve been to some pretty unforgettable places.    Thank you so much for listening to this show. I know you’re busy and have many listening options, so it means a lot to me that you’re here. You are the best.   I’m your host, Sarah Mikutel. Ready to travel? Sign up for my newsletter and get your free guide to cheap airfare.    This podcast is brought to you by Audible. Not a member yet? Postcard Academy listeners can get a FREE audiobook and a 30-day free trial if you sign up via audibletrial.com/postcard   This podcast is also brought to you by World Nomads. Need simple and flexible travel insurance? Get a cost estimate from World Nomads using their handy calculator at postcardacademy.co/insuranceDo you ever go blank or start rambling when someone puts you on the spot? I created a free Conversation Cheat Sheet with simple formulas you can use so you can respond with clarity, whether you’re in a meeting or just talking with friends.Download it at sarahmikutel.com/blanknomore and start feeling more confident in your conversations today.

New Orleans celebrates its 300th anniversary this year, and since it’s almost Halloween, I thought this was the perfect time to talk about one of America’s most haunted Southern cities. I’m joined by Hope Kodman, a tour guide with French Quarter Phantoms, which offers tours such as Saints & Sinners, True Crime, Cemetery, Ghost and Vampire, among others.   Hope and I talk about the history of the Big Easy; the origins of Mardi Gras; the difference between cajon and creole; what voodoo is really all about and other fun stories. Of course, we’ll tell you where to find the best: food and drinks, quirky shops and museums, burlesque,  jazz, ‘female-owned romantic boutique,’ and more (visit postcardacademy.co for links and photos).     I’m your host, Sarah Mikutel. Ready to travel? Sign up for my newsletter and get your free guide to cheap airfare.    Thank you so much for listening to this show. I know you’re busy and have many listening options, so it means a lot to me that you’re here. You are the best.   This podcast is brought to you by Audible. Not a member yet? Postcard Academy listeners can get a FREE audiobook and a 30-day free trial if you sign up via audibletrial.com/postcard   This podcast is also brought to you by World Nomads. Need simple and flexible travel insurance? Get a cost estimate from World Nomads using their handy calculator at postcardacademy.co/insuranceDo you ever go blank or start rambling when someone puts you on the spot? I created a free Conversation Cheat Sheet with simple formulas you can use so you can respond with clarity, whether you’re in a meeting or just talking with friends.Download it at sarahmikutel.com/blanknomore and start feeling more confident in your conversations today.