finalepisode39

Singapore Airlines SQ37 – 17 hours!

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E39: Singapore Airlines SQ37 – 17 hours!

Eleven hours down. 

Six more to go… and now time really starts to drag. 

I look at the flight map in front of me. 

Miles flown. Miles remaining. Time since Los Angeles. Time until Singapore. 

That little Airbus A350-900 plane icon has been crawling across the screen for what feels like days, even though the real airplane is cruising at roughly 560 miles an hour.

The Singapore Airlines flight attendants are still gliding through the cabin in their colorful sarong kebayas, perfectly groomed, calm voices, looking like they just started their shift. 

Meanwhile, I look like I’ve been held hostage. 

They’ve fed me. 

They’ve watered me. 

I’ve watched movies, listened to music, started an audiobook, eaten another meal… and somehow there is still a Tiger beer involved. 

Breakfast? Dinner? Tomorrow’s lunch? 

Who the hell knows. 

This flight has more entertainment than I could ever finish. 

Then I make the mistake of checking the map again. 

Six hours and forty-eight minutes remaining. 

Six hours? 

After I’ve already been flying forever? 

Welcome back to the NorthAmericanDarrell Podcast, Episode 39. This one is about SQ37 — Singapore Airlines from Los Angeles to Singapore. 

Roughly 8,800 miles nonstop across the Pacific. Around 17 to nearly 18 hours on one airplane, depending on schedule, winds and routing. 

And I’ve taken it five times in the last four years. 

Why? 

Because apparently I have a short memory… 

and because SQ37 gets me pretty damn close to places I want to be. 

The first time was exciting. 

I was headed to Bangkok. 

I wasn’t thinking about being trapped in a seat. 

I was thinking Bangkok. 

Street food. Heat. Chaos. 

The flight was part of the adventure. 

Then Vietnam got me twice in 2025. LAX to Singapore, then Ho Chi Minh City. 

Later… basically the same thing again. 

Singapore to Hanoi. 

Vietnam must be great! By then I had another problem. 

I watch airfare constantly. 

I know what SQ37 normally costs, and when the price gets cheap enough my finger books the flight before my brain has approved the trip. Click. 

Confirmation email.

Oh. I guess we’re going back to Asia. 

Then came the Philippines. 

One trip continued to Cebu. 

Another continued to Manila. 

Singapore was never my destination. 

After nearly 18 hours, I’d finally escape SQ37, stretch my legs at Changi Airport… and then board another airplane for another three or four hours. 

And my journey didn’t even start at LAX. 

Sometimes I started in Mesa. 

Other times from Rocky Point, Mexico. 

That could mean a shuttle, another flight and plenty of waiting before the monster even began. 

Some trips pushed past 40 hours of total travel. 

At that point you’re not really traveling anymore. 

You’re just moving through airports accepting food from strangers. 

And you’re not alone. 

The A350-900 can carry up to 253 passengers. 

Add the pilots and cabin crew and you’re looking at roughly 270 people crossing the Pacific together. 

And somehow the flight attendants still look perfect eleven hours in. 

The rest of us? 

Not so much. 

But SQ37 taught me something. 

You cannot think about it as an 18-hour flight. 

That will break you. 

You have to play mind games. 

Okay… I am NOT checking the map until this movie is over. 

Two hours gone. 

Now an audiobook. 

No map. Music. 

Another meal. 

A Tiger beer. 

Walk around the cabin. 

Go to the bathroom because standing up has somehow become entertainment. 

Another movie. 

Maybe a nap. 

And whatever you do… 

do not check that damn map. 

Because the trick is convincing your brain you’re not on an 18-hour flight. 

You’re on a two-hour movie. 

Then some music. 

Then dinner. 

Then maybe three hours of sleep if you’re lucky. 

Then an audiobook. 

Then another movie. 

You break the monster into little pieces. 

Maybe I won’t check again until we’re under seven hours. 

Finally, I give in. 

Tap the screen. 

Six hours and forty-eight minutes. 

YES! 

Under five! 

I have beaten the mind game, this time! 

Of course I haven’t, five more hours and more mind games ahead. 

On SQ37, you take your victories wherever you can get them to feel progress. 

That’s what changed after five trips. 

At first, SQ37 meant adventure. 

Thailand. Vietnam. Cebu. Manila. 

Eventually, one of the longest flights in the world became routine. 

I knew the plane. 

I knew the meals. 

I knew the entertainment. 

I knew I’d stare at that little airplane on the screen way too often. 

And I knew the real challenge wasn’t the distance. 

It was outsmarting the clock. 

Movie by movie. Meal by meal. Beer by beer. Mile by mile. 

Until finally, after nearly 18 hours, that tiny airplane reaches Singapore. 

You stand up, your legs remember how to work, and for one glorious moment you think… I did it. 

Again. 

 And then you remember. you still have another flight.

E38 single

Fifty plus and never married …

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E:38 50 pus year old Uncle that never married …

I came across an Instagram post about that 50-plus-year-old uncle who never got married. 

You know the guy. The weird one. 

The stubborn one. 

The guy everybody assumes couldn’t keep a woman because he wouldn’t change his ways to fit somebody else’s idea of life. 

Basically… me. 

And yes, I am kind of an idiot. But after reading this thing, I started wondering if maybe some of you married people are too. [

Society has a funny little checklist. 

Get married. Have kids. Buy the house. Settle down. Keep up with the Joneses. 

Go into debt, work your ass off for decades, finally retire for a few years… and then die. 

Hell of a sales pitch, isn’t it? 

The post takes a pretty aggressive view of marriage: losing freedom, money, peace, and sometimes a whole lot more after an ugly divorce. Now, I don’t buy every word. 

I actually envy a lot of power couples who built great lives together. 

But I also thank God I’m not in some situations I’ve watched other guys go through, where they came out feeling financially, emotionally, and completely screwed over. 

Sometimes people live the life everyone else expects… except the life they actually want. 

There isn’t one correct way to live. 

Maybe that so-called idiot uncle didn’t fail at life. 

Maybe he simply wanted something different. 

Maybe being single gave him peace. 

Maybe it gave him freedom. 

Maybe it allowed him to save, invest, travel, and control more of his own time. 

Maybe he can wake up, book a flight, disappear to Southeast Asia for a few months, or change direction without anyone else’s permission. 

Sounds terrible, doesn’t it? 

Maybe some people judging that lifestyle don’t actually think it looks so terrible. 

Maybe there’s even a little envy mixed in. 

Freedom looks pretty attractive after decades of answering to bosses, bills, schedules, obligations, and everybody else’s expectations. 

And having a little money in the bank doesn’t hurt. 

My mom used to say, “Money cannot buy happiness, but it sure the hell helps.” 

Damn, I miss arguing with her. I really wish I could tell her… 

Mom, you were right. 

I’ve never experienced real marriage, although I’ve come close enough to occasionally consider myself a self-proclaimed expert. It’s my podcast. I get to make the rules. 

But what really stuck with me wasn’t whether marriage is good or bad. 

Why do we assume everybody needs the same destination? 

Being unmarried at my age doesn’t automatically mean lonely. 

Traveling alone doesn’t automatically mean lost. 

Moving around the world doesn’t mean I’m running away from something. 

And refusing to change who I am to satisfy somebody else’s checklist doesn’t make me an idiot. 

At least not for that reason. 

 I’ve built my life around experiences, travel, freedom, curiosity, financial independence, and doing things while I’m still healthy enough to do them. 

Somebody else’s dream might be marriage, children, a house, and the white picket fence. 

Good for them. 

Their life isn’t wrong. 

And neither is mine. 

Maybe criticizing someone else’s choices makes people feel better about their own. 

Maybe the guy they thought was weird ended up with something they wish they had more of. 

Freedom. Time. Money in the bank. 

And the ability to decide what happens next. 

At the end of the day, I’m the one who has to live my life. Not them. 

And that’s the bigger message. 

Stop letting other people define what a successful life is supposed to look like. 

There really isn’t a normal. 

Most of us are just figuring this shit out as we go. 

So if that makes me the weird, stubborn, unmarried, fifty-something idiot uncle… 

Well… 

We all have our regrets. 

Mine just came with more plane tickets, fewer compromises… and somehow I still ended up with money in the bank. 

Maybe the idiot uncle didn’t screw this up quite as badly as everyone thought. 

So to the people who still want to judge guys like me from the comfort of the life they chose… 

Don’t worry about me. I’m doing just fine. 

Live life to the fullest.

 
Episode32

I am a Philippine resident alien!

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E32: I am a Philippines resident Alien!

The Philippines Made Me an Official Alien. 

Because, its no fun being an illegal alien!

After more than twenty-five years of international travel, I am officially carrying another immigration card. 

This time, it is an ACR I-Card from the Philippines—an Alien Certificate of Registration Identity Card. Yes, the Philippine government has officially classified me as an alien. 

I have been called worse without receiving a card in my home Country of Canada but, that is another story! 

This ICR card does not make me a Philippine citizen or permanent resident. It does not give me permission to work, and it does not allow me to remain forever. 

It identifies me as a registered foreign national and records my current immigration status while I stay in the country under the proper visa rules. 

This is not my first immigration card. 

Before receiving my American green card, I carried another United States resident document. 

Over the years, I also held work-visa cards in Brazil, Taiwan and Mexico. 

Every country used different forms, interviews, fees and rules, but the purpose was similar: identify me, document my legal status and help immigration officials maintain accurate records.

Apparently, governments enjoy collecting photographs of me almost as much as I enjoy collecting passport stamps. 

The difference is that my passport pictures keep getting older and fuglier while I remain incredibly youthful in my own imagination and this website and podcasts. 

Growing up is a trick, suckers!! 

Going through these systems shaped how I view immigration. 

I support legal immigration because I have personally benefited from it. 

The United States gave me opportunities that changed my life. 

Brazil, Taiwan and Mexico allowed me to work legally. 

Now the Philippines has allowed me to stay longer, follow its process and become a registered visitor. 

I am grateful for every one of those opportunities. 

But gratitude for immigration also means respecting the rules behind it. 

A card is not citizenship. It does not automatically provide voting rights, permanent residence or permission to ignore the conditions attached to it. 

I became politically active because I spent years completing applications, paying fees, attending interviews and waiting for approvals. When the public believes immigration rules are being ignored or enforced inconsistently, frustration and anger grow quickly. 

But this does not need to become a political screaming match. 

The principle can be simple: welcome people who follow the process, treat everyone with dignity, decide each case under the law and enforce the final decision fairly. 

A system without enforcement is not really a system. 

At the same time, enforcement should not mean forgetting that real human beings and families are involved. 

If someone violates immigration law, there can be serious consequences—including losing the right to remain in that country. 

That is difficult, but consequences are part of every immigration system I have experienced.

I knew that if I ignored my own visa dates, the Philippines would not accept “NorthAmericanDarrell lost track of time at the beach” as a legal defense. Although I still think it deserves consideration. 

My new Philippine card represents something positive. 

It means I stayed long enough to complete another process properly. I submitted the paperwork, paid the fees and respected the country’s requirements. 

It also makes me feel a little more connected to a place that has given me affordable adventures, welcoming people, beautiful islands and enough stories to keep this podcast busy for years. 

I am not becoming Filipino. 

I am not moving permanently. 

And I am definitely not running for office. 

American politics is already more than enough for me to want to leave this shitshow. 

I am simply thankful that the Philippines continues to welcome me—and proud that I followed the process required to stay. 

That is how immigration is supposed to work: clear rules, fair opportunities, accurate records, human dignity and consequences when the rules are deliberately ignored. 

hammock episode

Hammock camping in St Croix throwback

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E37:Hammock camping in St Croix throwback.

October 4th, 2023. I’m hanging between two trees on St. Croix while a tropical storm is trying to launch my rain fly into the Caribbean. 

Wind. Thunder. Lightning. Sideways rain. 

Everything I own is wet. 

And somewhere in the middle of all this, I’m thinking… 

Well, at least the flight was cheap. 

This was my very first trip using the Frontier Airlines All-You-Can-Fly pass — about fifty bucks one way, roughly a hundred dollars round trip to the Caribbean. 

No resort. No itinerary. No master plan. 

Just a hammock, a rain fly, a few camping supplies, and the confidence of a man who clearly had not checked the weather hard enough.

Hammock Camping St. Croix — Cheap, Unplanned and Completely Insane. 

St. Croix almost looks fake. 

Turquoise water. Palm trees. Old island buildings. Beach bars sitting in places where nobody should ever be in a hurry. 

Cane Bay has postcard-blue water and famous diving. 

Frederiksted gives you calmer beaches and sunsets. 

Buck Island sits offshore with white sand, reef and water that looks Photoshopped. 

It’s the kind of place that already has its own soundtrack. 

Kenny Chesney helped make the Virgin Islands feel familiar to millions through songs and stories tied to nearby St. John. And Jimmy Buffett? 

He didn’t just sing about island life. 

He actually flew around the Caribbean in his own planes, including that giant Grumman Albatross seaplane, bouncing between islands like the rest of us run errands. 

Meanwhile, I arrived and decided my contribution to island culture would be sleeping in a hammock. 

My setup was simple. Hammock. Rain fly. Running water. Flushable toilet. And, most importantly… 

A beer fridge. 

This wasn’t exactly roughing it. 

This was Living Life to the Fullest with a side of poor planning. 

The first night, I convinced myself that “tropical storm” probably meant some heavier rain. 

That was adorable. 

The rain came sideways. 

The wind hammered the tarp. 

Thunder cracked overhead. 

Lightning lit everything up. 

And my cheap tent pegs started losing the argument with Mother Nature. 

My rain fly was snapping around like it had filed for independence. 

If I had brought proper pegs, I probably would have been fine. 

Instead, I spent part of the night soaked, cold and shivering, wondering why I keep putting myself into situations like this. 

Then I remembered. 

Because this is the stuff you remember. 

Nobody tells stories for ten years about the perfectly normal hotel room where nothing happened. 

The next day, I fixed the setup and moved into a better protected spot near the fort. And just like that… 

The storm disappeared. No more rain. No more wind. The whole trip flipped. 

Suddenly I’m lying in the hammock listening to the forest, feeling the breeze, and thinking this might be one of the best places I’ve ever slept. 

From miserable to magical in about twenty-four hours. 

That’s travel. 

St. Croix also has one little twist for an American island. 

They drive on the left side of the road. 

Thankfully, I wasn’t renting a car and trying to retrain fifty years of instincts. 

I used cheap local transportation to get around, which kept the trip simple, inexpensive, and probably safer for everybody involved. 

The beach was about a thirty-minute walk from camp. 

Which gave me a sophisticated Caribbean fitness program: 

Walk thirty minutes to the beach. 

Order a beer. [dry] Undo the entire walk. 

Then sit at a beach bar staring at that ridiculous blue water and wondering how this adventure cost so little. That first 

Frontier pass opened up a different kind of travel for me. 

When a Caribbean flight can be around fifty dollars each way, you start looking at the map differently. 

You stop asking, “Should I take a vacation there?” 

And start asking… 

“What happens if I just go?” 

Sometimes what happens is paradise. 

Sometimes what happens is a tropical storm trying to electrocute you in a hammock. 

Sometimes you get both. 

And that’s why I still love the unplanned trips. 

They’re not always comfortable. 

But they force you to participate instead of just watching somebody else live. 

I got beaches. Cheap beer. Local transportation. A hammock under the trees. One absolutely brutal night. And then several days that made the brutal night worth it. 

Round-trip airfare was roughly a hundred bucks. 

Hotel bill? Zero. 

Tropical storm? Complimentary. 

The story? I’m still telling it. 

And yes, I would absolutely hammock camp in the islands again. I’d just bring better damn tent pegs. 

 
train street

Hanoi, Vietnam throwback – the first trip!

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E35: Hanoi, Vietnam throwback – the first trip

The City in Vietnam I Had to Go Back to Visit. 

Before we get into Hanoi, I should explain something. 

This was actually my second trip to Vietnam in 2024. 

Yes, I’m telling the second trip first. 

Which somehow feels completely normal in NorthAmericanDarrell logic. 

Don’t worry, I’ll get to the first trip in another episode. 

That one was a blast — Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, Da Nang, Hoi An, Hue, the Dragon Bridge, and plenty of questionable decisions. 

I am full of stories. And occasionally, full of shit. 

That first trip was movement. Trains. New cities. Constant exploring. 

At one point, I spent more than sixteen hours on a train. 

It was amazing and awful at exactly the same time. 

I wanted Vietnam outside the window — rice fields, little towns, everyday life. 

Inside the train was a cultural experience I wasn’t ready for. 

Let’s just say Vietnam has a much more relaxed relationship with feet than I do. 

Feet on chairs. Feet on windows. Feet near my seat. 

I saw toenails that looked like they had survived several wars. 

Mix sixteen hours of train smells with food smells, and I actually got sick. 

I remember thinking, “Why the hell do I keep putting myself in these situations?” 

Then I remembered. 

Because this is the part you don’t get sitting on your couch watching YouTube. 

Sometimes you find somewhere you can’t wait to return to. 

Sometimes you learn a lesson and never go back. 

Either way, you lived it. 

This trip was different. 

This was slow travel. 

I planted myself in the Hanoi area for a month and tried living there instead of racing through it. 

Okay. Back to this trip. 

Focus, NAD. Focus. 

On that first trip, I only made it as far north as Hue. 

By then I was done with trains, so I flew back to Ho Chi Minh City and eventually left Vietnam. 

But I never made it to Hanoi. And it bothered me. 

I loved Vietnam — the food, the people, the coffee culture, the energy, and especially how affordable it was. 

So naturally… I booked another damn flight. 

My journey started in Rocky Point, Mexico. 

Four-hour shuttle to Phoenix. 

Fifteen hours from L.A. to Guangzhou. 

Another three hours to Hanoi. 

Plus about eight hours of layovers. 

Basically an entire day of questionable decisions and airport coffee. 

But here’s where Vietnam gets ridiculous. 

My flight was about $572 return. 

My apartment in an eco-park complex near Hanoi for an ENTIRE MONTH? 

About $263. 

A month. 

And this wasn’t some mattress behind a noodle shop. 

I had a pool, gym, games room, and a river view. 

That’s why I keep talking about geoarbitrage. 

Sometimes the flight hurts — but once you arrive, your money suddenly remembers how to behave. 

Hanoi itself is over a thousand years old. Ancient temples, French architecture, cafÊs, skyscrapers, and seventeen billion motorbikes fighting for the same piece of pavement. 

It shouldn’t work. Somehow it does. 

I also went to the famous water puppet show and scored front-row seats for around twelve bucks. 

Yep. Flew halfway around the world to watch puppets dance in water. And I loved it. 

But the highlight? Hanoi Train Street. 

The concept is completely insane. 

Put cafÊs beside railroad tracks. 

Give everybody beer. Pack them into a tiny alley. 

Then send a full-sized train straight through the middle of it. 

What could possibly go wrong? 

You’re sitting there with a beer when the café owners tell everyone to pull in their chairs. 

The ground starts vibrating. 

Conversation stops. 

Then the train appears. 

And your beer immediately becomes an emotional support animal. 

That thing comes ripping past so close you can feel the wind hit you. 

Your brain says you’re probably safe. 

Every other part of your body says… 

THIS WAS A TERRIBLE IDEA! 

A minute later, it’s gone. 

Everybody cheers. 

Phones come back out. 

And apparently I didn’t learn anything because…

I went back and did it again. And again. 

I had already seen Train Street a hundred times on TV and YouTube. But watching somebody else do something is not the same as standing there yourself. 

Some things only make sense you show up. 

You can watch the videos, read the blogs, and tell yourself you’ll go someday. 

But there is no replacement for being there. 

Feeling that train roar past. 

Eating Vietnamese food on a plastic stool. 

Drinking coffee while motorbikes fly by. 

My first trip left Hanoi unfinished. So I went back. 

And I’m damn glad I did. 

Don’t worry, we’ll rewind again soon for that first Vietnam trip. Again, 

I’m full of sht-ories.  

Some of them are even interesting.

episode34

Limerence and Peter Pan sysndrome

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E34: Limerence and Peter Pan syndrome

Am I Chasing Freedom, Perfection or Neverland? 

At fifty-four, I’m single, semi-retired and travelling the world in a bucket hat. 

Apparently, I may still be deciding what I want to be when I grow up. 

Before anyone starts diagnosing me, neither Peter Pan syndrome nor limerence is a medical diagnosis. 

They simply made me examine my choices and say, “Well… some of that sounds familiar.” 

Peter Pan syndrome is a popular label for adults who avoid responsibility, commitment and growing up. 

That sounds concerning—until you remember I worked for decades, built investments, own two properties and insure practically everything. 

I’m not Peter Pan. I’m Peter Pan with a retirement account, an HOA payment, travel insurance and a bucket strategy. 

But I have never married or had children. I retired early, rejected the traditional script and now travel whenever an affordable flight appears. 

I once travelled forty-one and a half hours to save a thousand dollars. 

That isn’t childish. 

That is an adult making an extremely questionable spreadsheet decision.

I have talked about Freedom Fifty-Two, geoarbitrage, 

Die With Zero and all-you-can-fly passes. 

I downsized, built bases in Arizona and Mexico and learned how to live almost anywhere. 

So am I avoiding adulthood—or designing adulthood to fit me? 

Some people think my life looks like a fantasy. 

This episode is my reality check. 

There are lonely stretches, money worries and badly blown budgets. 

My life is far from perfect. 

I’m simply playing the cards I was dealt—and trying not to roll craps over and over again. 

There may be a deeper reason I value freedom so intensely. 

I met death far too young. 

My father died by suicide. 

My sister and nephew died in a fire. 

My only brother died in a car accident. 

Those losses shaped me more than I usually admit. 

When people disappear unexpectedly, permanence stops feeling permanent. 

Maybe that is why I keep moving. 

Maybe freedom feels safer than attachment. 

Maybe searching for perfection gives me the illusion of control.

 Or maybe I simply learned early that life is too short to spend waiting. 

In the last episode, I explained why my mother always said, “Live life to the fullest.” After losing her, 

I finally understood. 

Her philosophy pushes me forward, sometimes toward the next person, place or perfect moment. 

Limerence describes intense infatuation built around idealizing somebody and wondering whether they feel the same way. 

In NorthAmericanDarrell language, somebody sends one encouraging text and my brain starts researching retirement visas for both of us. 

The irony is that I am nowhere close to perfect, yet I still catch myself looking for a perfect person. 

That makes this whole situation even crazier. One minute I’m having coffee with someone. The next, my brain has selected a country, calculated our monthly budget and checked whether the condo has a gym. 

Completely normal first-date behaviour—if you are insane in the membrane. 

That connects directly to my paralysis by analysis. 

I can spend so much time seeking the perfect person, destination or decision that reality never gets a fair chance. 

Real people have flaws. 

Real places have traffic. 

Even paradise needs a hospital plan—and apparently a relationship plan. 

Peter Pan keeps every door open. 

Limerence imagines perfection behind one door. 

Anxiety studies every door, focusing on the cons instead of the pros. 

Then Frontier announces a cheap flight—and I leave the building entirely, with my bag already waiting by the door.

 Problem solved. 

But choosing an unconventional life is not the same as refusing to grow up. 

I handled careers, layoffs, property, money, insurance and retirement planning. 

I simply decided marriage, children, a large house and working until sixty-seven were not the only definitions of adulthood. 

Maybe growing up means understanding why I make my choices, accepting what those choices cost and sleeping in the bed I made for myself. 

Freedom brings adventure, but it can also bring loneliness. 

Keeping every option open can prevent me from building something real. 

Chasing perfection can make me miss something very good. 

I may always overthink relationships, research flights like a criminal investigation and believe the next destination could change everything. 

But as I grow older, I’m asking whether I’m moving toward something—or simply moving.

I’m still an absolute legend in my own mind. 

Just a slightly more self-aware legend—with an emergency fund and a boring podcast. 

episode 33

Live life to the fullest

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E33: Live life to the fullest!

I want to wrap up my Philippines adventures by talking about the reality of travelling—and what it means to be so far from home when something goes wrong. 

I end every episode with the same words: Live life to the fullest. 

That saying came from my mom. 

During the final years of her life, she said it constantly. 

Honestly, it annoyed all of her kids. We would roll our eyes and think, “Yes, Mom. We heard you the first hundred times.” 

Then we lost her unexpectedly in July 2019. 

Suddenly, those words weren’t annoying anymore. 

They became some of the most meaningful words she ever gave us. 

My mom enjoyed nearly twenty great years of retirement. 

She travelled, spent her winters in Yuma and enjoyed the life she had worked and saved for. 

She didn’t spend retirement sitting around waiting for someday. 

She reached retirement—and then she actually lived it. 

That is something I think about as I take my own run at early retirement. 

There is a fine line between preparing for tomorrow and forgetting to live today. 

We need savings. 

We need a plan. 

We need to be responsible. 

But none of us knows how much time we have left.

Life can end unexpectedly. 

Or we can receive news that changes everything and makes travelling—or doing many of the other things we dreamed about—impossible. 

Everyone has a different financial situation, a different story and a different plan. 

Mine is connected to the idea of Die With Zero, which I discussed in an earlier episode. 

The goal isn’t to blow every dollar like an idiot.

I am still far too cheap for that. 

The goal is to use the money I spent a lifetime earning to create experiences while I am still healthy enough to enjoy them. 

Two moments during this Philippines trip brought that message home. 

The first was my flight into Caticlan on the way to Boracay. 

I was sitting in seat 1A, directly across from the flight attendants. 

The turbulence was rough, the visibility was almost zero and our first approach didn’t work. 

We circled around and tried again. 

On the second attempt, we came through the wind and clouds and finally hit that short runway. 

The pilots braked hard—and when the plane safely stopped, the entire cabin erupted in cheers. 

A short time later, I was looking at the white sand and turquoise water of Boracay. 

That is travel in one simple story: fear, relief and paradise—all within the same hour. 

The second moment happened while I was travelling by ferry from Cebu to Siquijor.  

That same day, the MV June Aster caught fire near Coron near the end of its journey from Batangas. There were 128 people aboard. Only 43 survived. Seventy-seven people died, and eight were still missing in the latest official count. Survivors described a loud explosion near the cargo hold. Strong winds helped the flames spread so quickly that some people jumped into the water without life jackets. 

They had boarded expecting a routine ferry ride. 

Instead, their lives—and the lives of their families—changed forever. 

I had missed calls from my sister and niece. 

They knew I was travelling around the Philippines, but they didn’t know exactly where I was. 

When I finally saw their messages, 

I understood why they were so worried. I was safe—but I still had two more ferry rides ahead of me before getting home.

 The odds of something like this happening on any single trip are incredibly small. 

But small is not zero. 

Terrible things can happen on an ordinary day, during an ordinary journey, when nobody expects them. 

Adventure carries risks. 

But staying home doesn’t guarantee us unlimited tomorrows either. 

I don’t want fear to stop me from living. 

But I also don’t want to pretend travel is always cheap flights, beautiful beaches and perfect Instagram pictures. 

Sometimes it is turbulence, fires, worried family members and the realization that you are thousands of miles from home. 

My mom understood something that took the rest of us longer to appreciate. 

Saving for the future matters—but the future is never guaranteed. 

So I will keep planning. 

I will keep watching my budget. 

I will keep trying to make my money last. 

But I will also keep travelling, creating memories and enjoying the freedom I worked for while I am still able to do it. 

Now you better understand why I end every episode with those same words—and why they mean so much to me. 

Episode32

I am a Philippines resident alien!

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Here is E32: I am a Philippines resident alien!

The Philippines Made Me an Official Alien. 

Because, its no fun being an illegal alien! 

After more than twenty-five years of international travel, I am officially carrying another immigration card. 

This time, it is an ACR I-Card from the Philippines—an Alien Certificate of Registration Identity Card. Yes, the Philippine government has officially classified me as an alien. 

I have been called worse without receiving a card in my home Country of Canada but, that is another story! 

This ICR card does not make me a Philippine citizen or permanent resident. It does not give me permission to work, and it does not allow me to remain forever. 

It identifies me as a registered foreign national and records my current immigration status while I stay in the country under the proper visa rules. 

This is not my first immigration card. 

Before receiving my American green card, I carried another United States resident document. 

Over the years, I also held work-visa cards in Brazil, Taiwan and Mexico. 

Every country used different forms, interviews, fees and rules, but the purpose was similar: identify me, document my legal status and help immigration officials maintain accurate records. 

Apparently, governments enjoy collecting photographs of me almost as much as I enjoy collecting passport stamps. 

The difference is that my passport pictures keep getting older and fuglier while I remain incredibly youthful in my own imagination and this website and podcasts. 

Growing up is a trick, suckers!! 

Going through these systems shaped how I view immigration. 

I support legal immigration because I have personally benefited from it. 

The United States gave me opportunities that changed my life. 

Brazil, Taiwan and Mexico allowed me to work legally. 

Now the Philippines has allowed me to stay longer, follow its process and become a registered visitor. 

I am grateful for every one of those opportunities. 

But gratitude for immigration also means respecting the rules behind it. 

A card is not citizenship. It does not automatically provide voting rights, permanent residence or permission to ignore the conditions attached to it. 

I became politically active because I spent years completing applications, paying fees, attending interviews and waiting for approvals. When the public believes immigration rules are being ignored or enforced inconsistently, frustration and anger grow quickly. 

But this does not need to become a political screaming match. 

The principle can be simple: welcome people who follow the process, treat everyone with dignity, decide each case under the law and enforce the final decision fairly. 

A system without enforcement is not really a system. 

At the same time, enforcement should not mean forgetting that real human beings and families are involved. 

If someone violates immigration law, there can be serious consequences—including losing the right to remain in that country. 

That is difficult, but consequences are part of every immigration system I have experienced. 

I knew that if I ignored my own visa dates, the Philippines would not accept “NorthAmericanDarrell lost track of time at the beach” as a legal defense. Although I still think it deserves consideration. 

My new Philippine card represents something positive. 

It means I stayed long enough to complete another process properly. 

I submitted the paperwork, paid the fees and respected the country’s requirements. 

It also makes me feel a little more connected to a place that has given me affordable adventures, welcoming people, beautiful islands and enough stories to keep this podcast busy for years. 

I am not becoming Filipino. 

I am not moving permanently. 

And I am definitely not running for office. 

American politics is already more than enough for me to want to leave this shitshow. 

I am simply thankful that the Philippines continues to welcome me—and proud that I followed the process required to stay. 

That is how immigration is supposed to work: clear rules, fair opportunities, accurate records, human dignity and consequences when the rules are deliberately ignored. 

WhatsApp Image 2026-09-18 at 10.52.54 PM

Cebu to Phoenix the long way!

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Here is E31: Cebu to Phoenix the long way!

I left Cebu at two in the morning on September seventeenth. 

My route took me through Manila, Singapore and Los Angeles before a Greyhound bus carried me the final three hundred and seventy miles to Phoenix. 

By the time I reached home around seven in the morning, Phoenix time, the journey had taken roughly forty-four hours. [amused] Nearly two days of planes, airports, movies, buses and questionable financial decisions. 

The one-way trip cost under four hundred dollars. 

That was the good news. 

The bad news was that I had turned myself into international cargo for two days. 

My long Singapore layover was surprisingly painless because Changi Airport has a free movie theater. I watched two movies instead of sitting in an uncomfortable chair, buying overpriced food and checking the departure board every six minutes—as if staring at it would make the plane leave sooner. 

Singapore gave me free movies. That is how an airport earns repeat business. 

Next came the seventeen-hour flight to Los Angeles. 

I sat down, closed my eyes and slept for about fifteen hours. 

I woke up twice to eat and immediately went back to sleep. 

I essentially ate two meals while unconscious and woke up near California. 

That may be my greatest travel accomplishment yet. 

After landing in Los Angeles, there were no practical flights left to Phoenix, so I boarded a Greyhound bus. 

The bus looked like it had bars across the windows. 

It felt less like public transportation and more like something used to transfer prisoners. 

I was definitely in the minority, but everyone got along great. 

I started wondering whether Phoenix was our destination—or whether I was about to be assigned a number. 

Then the most intimidating-looking guy on the bus bought me a pop and a bag of chips. 

I had quietly decided he might be the person to avoid. Instead, he became the kindest person on the bus and had my back. I gave him my leftover travel supplies because he was continuing to Dallas for the rest of the day. 

Travel has a funny way of exposing your assumptions. 

Sometimes the person who looks the scariest is the first one to show you kindness. 

I still took my luggage into the restroom with me. 

Let’s not get carried away. 

After I booked this adventure, a buddy found a seven-hundred-dollar flight with only one stop that would have saved me about ten hours for three hundred dollars. It was too late to change everything, but I learned something for next time: book a one-way flight going over so I can keep my options open coming home. 

That extra three hundred dollars still feels pretty good in my pocket—especially combined with what I saved getting to the Philippines. 

Of course, it will probably go directly toward a massage and chiropractor. 

Knowing how things work out for me, saving three hundred dollars will somehow cost me five hundred for a tune-up. 

That is NorthAmericanDarrell travel math. 

When the Greyhound reached Phoenix, I ordered an Uber for the final ride home. 

I was no longer calculating connections, checking departure times or wondering where my luggage might be. 

I watched familiar Arizona streets pass by and realized the extra time had saved me real money. 

More importantly, I was almost home. 

Walking through my own door felt incredible. 

The Philippines gave me another month of adventures, memories and stories—and helped solidify my future plans. 

Arizona gave me my own bed and the relief of knowing I had no more connections to catch. 

After nearly two days of travel, I swore I would never do this to myself again. 

No more marathon layovers. No more seventeen-hour flights followed by a jail bus through the desert. 

At least until the next incredible deal appears. 

Then I’ll look at the price, forget every promise I made and ask: “How bad could it possibly be?”

Epis30

The scary landing before paradise!

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Please feel free to read the below blog but, I added the podcast version for audio.

All of my podcast link can be found on the homepage! 

E30: The scary landing before Boracay paradise!

Boracay is a small island in Aklan. Long before resorts and beachfront Starbucks, 

it was the ancestral home of the Ati people. 

Tourism took off in the 1970s, turning a backpacker escape into a world-famous destination. White Beach became famous for powdery sand, clear water and spectacular sunsets, while the island added water sports, restaurants and nightlife.

 Popularity came at a cost. In 2018, the government closed Boracay for six months for environmental rehabilitation.  

Even paradise eventually needs plumbing and a serious timeout. It reopened cleaner and may now offer the Philippines’ most complete island vacation. 

I found a last-minute flight and an amazing hotel deal, so I booked four nights. The low prices came with one small detail: it was rainy season, with cyclones affecting the region. Paradise was having a storm-season clearance sale. I accepted the risk. 

I did not expect one of the scariest flights of my life—and I have taken hundreds. 

I was sitting in seat 1A with two flight attendants directly in front of me as we began our approach into Caticlan Airport. The turbulence was bad and visibility was zero. The attendants stayed professional, but I studied every expression on their faces for clues. 

We seemed very close to landing when a huge jolt hit the plane. I still could not see the ground. 

The captain immediately aborted the landing and climbed back to a safe altitude. 

That will wake you up faster than airport coffee—or hearing a ladyboy say hello in a voice deeper than mine. 

The captain said landing was unsafe, so we would circle. 

Twenty minutes later, he said conditions were improving and we had enough fuel. 

Hearing “fuel” while circling in a storm created questions I had not been asking. 

Ten minutes later, he announced another approach. 

This time I could see the ground, but the wind was still intense. 

The captain kept the plane level, touched down on Caticlan’s short runway and slammed on the brakes. 

We slowed down. 

We were safely on the ground. Once he released the brakes, the mainly Filipino crowd erupted in cheers. 

It was the sound of an entire airplane realizing we had survived the same landing. When the captain came out to use the restroom, everyone cheered again. 

I wondered whether he needed to puke—or had shit himself during the landing. 

No judgment. 

The man had put us safely on the ground, and at that moment he was a fucking hero. 

Outside, wind howled beneath low clouds. 

I had never been happier to feel ground under my flip-flops. 

From the airport, I took a twenty-minute shuttle, then a fifteen-minute ferry to Boracay. 

A light rain was falling when we arrived, but we unloaded directly onto a beach with white sand beneath us and turquoise water all around. [relieved] 

I was officially in paradise—and could finally check my own shorts. 

Apparently that last colonoscopy did its job. 

All clear! 

One final ten-minute tuk-tuk ride brought me to my hotel in Station 2, 

Boracay’s most popular area. 

I dropped my bags and immediately headed to the beach for a badly needed drink. 

After that landing, I had earned it. 

When I returned, the staff upgraded me to the hotel’s best room: a two-level loft normally worth over one hundred dollars a night. I paid thirty. 

They gave me a welcome champagne and upgraded accommodations on my beer budget. 

The hotel also sat between two of the island’s best beaches. On the quieter side, I met several expats—ironically, most of them from British Columbia. I travelled halfway around the world and found a tropical branch of Canucks fans running from the fact that their team never wins anything. 

The other side had beautiful sand, restaurants, bars, Starbucks, McDonald’s and endless trinket shops. 

Each morning, I started at the beachfront Starbucks on Banana Bay. The coffee cost more than in America or Canada, and the internet was shady at 

The things I tolerate so nobody can read my blogs or listen to my podcasts. 

The weather forecast was accurate. It rained hard several times, but the showers passed and left plenty of time to enjoy the beaches and explore. 

As I finish this, my four days in Boracay are almost over. 

Tomorrow, I return to Cebu before heading home to Arizona in a week. 

I am still not ready for the bullshit America-versus-Canada jabs. They can figure it out without me while my elbow heals. 

Rainy-season Boracay was not perfect. 

But it was still paradise, still an incredible bargain and absolutely worth the landing that nearly scared the shit out of me.  

Live life to the fullest!

E29 island peace

Island peace or Cebu healthcare?

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Here is E29: Island peace or Cebu healthcare?

I have already explained why I carry travel medical insurance in my “Don’t Leave Home Without It” episode. 

This is about the cost, speed and quality of healthcare in Cebu compared with life on a smaller Philippine island. 

My problems started after a few too many rums sent me ass over tea kettle. I injured my elbow and expected it to improve on its own. It did not. 

While visiting Bantayan Island, 

I also had a toothache and a sore throat. 

That gave my imagination three separate problems to combine into one medical disaster. 

I wondered whether my tooth was infected and causing my sore throat. Then I convinced myself the infection might have spread to my injured elbow. From there, my mind jumped directly to septic shock. 

Doctor Google really sucks sometimes. Instead of spending my final day relaxing on Bantayan, I returned to Cebu one day early to get real answers. That decision showed me the biggest difference between small-island life and living in a major city. 

Bantayan gave me peace and beaches. 

Cebu gave me immediate access to modern medical services. 

I walked into a medical center without an appointment and received X-rays almost immediately. 

No insurance approval. No waiting list. 

The X-rays cost approximately twenty U.S. dollars. 

Twenty dollars—with zero wait. 

I gave up a day in paradise for a twenty-dollar answer. 

Considering Doctor Google already had me preparing for septic shock, it was money well spent. 

The doctor also ordered a ten-panel blood test. Because it required fasting, I returned the following morning. The panel checked my cholesterol, thyroid, uric acid, blood cells, organ function, testosterone and possible signs of infection. It cost approximately one hundred sixty-five dollars. 

I also visited a dentist to investigate the toothache that started my septic-shock conspiracy theory. The dentist examined my tooth, took a dental X-ray and cleaned my teeth. There were no serious problems, and the entire visit cost less than fifty dollars. 

The blood work, X-rays and dental examination gave me the answers I needed. There were no signs supporting the infection nightmare Doctor Google had helped me create. 

The doctor prescribed medication for my sore throat and the inflammation in my elbow. 

Within about a day, the worry was lifting, treatment had started and I was back on the road to recovery. 

If you are listening from Canada and thinking, “My healthcare is free,” I understand. 

If you are in the United States thinking, “My insurance pays for that,” 

I understand that too. 

But consider the waiting time. 

How long would it take to receive blood work, dental care and X-rays? 

What would they cost if you wanted answers immediately and paid out of pocket? 

Free healthcare can still involve waiting. 

Insured healthcare can still involve deductibles, referrals, provider networks and approvals. 

In Cebu, I could pay an affordable cash price and receive these services on a walk-in basis. 

In my personal experience, Cebu’s private healthcare has been as good as—and sometimes better than—care 

I have received in Canada and the United States. 

The facilities have been modern, the services up to date and the medical professionals thorough. Most importantly, I did not have to wait while my worry continued growing. 

Not every Philippine clinic is equal, but Cebu offers private hospitals, laboratories, specialists, dentists and diagnostic imaging. A smaller island may offer basic care without the same equipment or immediate options. 

That creates a real lifestyle decision. 

Island life offers beautiful beaches and a slower pace. 

Cebu offers traffic and noise—but also affordable walk-in healthcare. For routine appointments, blood work, X-rays, prescriptions and dental care, I can pay cash. For a serious emergency, I have travel medical insurance and possible evacuation benefits, subject to my policy. 

Pay cash when care is affordable. 

Use insurance when the emergency is much larger. 

I still recommend travel medical insurance for every international trip. But insurance does not replace access. 

The best policy cannot provide services that are unavailable where I am staying. 

Perhaps the answer is balance. 

Enjoy island life when I am healthy. 

Return to Cebu when I need testing, specialists or quick peace of mind. And always know what medical services are available before I need them. 

Live life to the fullest!

Paradise Has Traffic_ Choosing Cebu (1)

Paradise has traffic – Cebu City!

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Here is E22: Paradise has traffic – Cebu City!

Paradise Has Traffic—Could I Actually Live in the City of Cebu?

It looks like paradise in my island videos. What the videos don’t show is me sitting in city traffic, sweating through my shirt, wondering why the beach is two hours away.

Metro Cebu is the Philippines’ second-largest metropolitan area behind Manila, with about 2.9 million people—and more than five million across the province and surrounding islands.

I’ll save island hopping for another episode. That completes the experience for me: big-city life with tons of islands waiting.

Settling into my condo in Cebu Business Park has been fantastic.

The building has a beautiful pool and an incredible gym.

My $450 USD studio feels like home and keeps me comfortably within budget.

More importantly, Ayala Center Cebu is about a three-minute walk away.

Slow travel isn’t a vacation for me—it’s living life somewhere different.

The mall gives me groceries, movies, a huge food court, international brands, and affordable local alternatives.

I have endless Filipino choices—or a taste of home at TGI Fridays, Chili’s, Texas Roadhouse, and nearly every fast-food restaurant imaginable.

Nothing says cultural immersion like flying across the Pacific for Texas ribs and a cold beer while “Achy Breaky Heart” plays in the background.

Cebu gives me city life for a fraction of the North American cost. I can live here for $2,000 USD a month, including a couple of island trips.

The weather is warm, everything is nearby, and both terminals are about ten minutes away—when traffic cooperates. 

“When traffic cooperates” is doing a lot of work in that sentence. I’ve learned to leave super early for scheduled trips.

From the ferry terminal, countless islands are within reach.

From the bus terminal, I can travel to beach towns in every direction.

That combination makes Cebu work for me: a comfortable city routine—and an island escape whenever boredom takes over.

Before my three-month trip ended in mid-April 2026, I had booked two more visits: this summer month and four months to begin 2027.

I’m not declaring Cebu my permanent home.

I’m testing whether it could become one for several months each year.

Visiting and living here are different, and I’m still working through that.

City life means traffic, humidity, healthcare, banking, transportation—and immigration.

Island life means the beach seven days a week. It sounds amazing, but even that can get boring for me. 

Immigration here also taught me an expensive lesson.

I’ve always supported countries enforcing their immigration laws.

It’s easier to have strong opinions from a distance than to navigate another country’s system yourself.

For eligible visa-free travelers, the usual starting point is 30 days of authorized stay.

To remain longer, I must apply for an extension before it expires.

The first visa waiver adds 29 days—not 30.

There is no rounding up, birthday exemption, or lap-dance workaround.

After that, extensions can continue in one- or two-month periods.

Longer stays may involve an ACR I-Card and other requirements.

Many extensions are available through immigration offices or the official online portal.

Fees vary, so I check the Bureau of Immigration rather than trusting an old blog—including mine.

Immigration officers rarely accept, “But some guy on the internet said…”

On my earlier trip, I visited Hong Kong and re-entered the Philippines, receiving a new period of authorized stay.

I later purchased the 29-day waiver but planned my April 15 flight as though I had received 30 days.

My passport and extension dates left me one day short.

One day. I could risk arriving at the airport without valid status—or purchase another extension.

I paid roughly $175 USD and stayed legal for the extra day.

Shitty math on my part!

That extension covered far more time than I needed, but immigration does not sell single days like cellphone data.

My lesson was simple: Count the authorized dates in my passport.

Apply before they expire. Plan international trips and flights around those dates.

And never assume 29 means 30 because the calendar looks close enough.

I won’t make that mistake twice.

Cebu isn’t perfect. Paradise has traffic. It has humidity, paperwork, costs, and frustrations.

But it also gives me a comfortable condo, walkable city life, warm weather, affordable choices, friendly people, and islands beyond the ferry terminal.

Could I live here permanently?

I don’t know yet.

Could I happily spend three to four months here every year?

Only God knows, but how I answer Episode Twenty-One’s question—“Who’s your daddy?”—will be a big part of the equation.

Keep travelling, keep adapting, follow the immigration rules—and live life to the fullest!

DIE

Die with zero

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Here is E20: Die with zero

I recently travelled from Arizona to Cebu, Philippines.

More than forty hours. At one point, I wished I had flown first class. Clearly, I was hallucinating.

My estimated and actual travel times were almost identical—just over forty hours.

Every flight and connection went exactly as planned. I downloaded a Netflix series about an over-the-hill president and his vice president.

Joe, get out of the coconut tree!

Honestly, after forty hours in economy, I wasn’t sure whether Biden was confused—or I was.

Apparently, I travelled halfway around the world to escape American politics—then downloaded American politics.

I also downloaded the audiobook Die With Zero by Bill Perkins, and that really hit home.

I’m tired of American politics, and I was laid off at fifty-two.

Now I’m taking a run at early retirement on a slow-travel, geoarbitrage road trip.

One story reminded me what I’m escaping: politics.

The other challenged me to decide what I’m working toward: retirement.

The idea behind Die With Zero is simple: Money is a tool. It isn’t the final score.

If I spend my healthiest years accumulating money I never use, I may have traded irreplaceable time for a larger number on a statement.

That doesn’t mean emptying my accounts and hoping my final check bounces.

It means asking a harder question: When do I have enough?

I spent decades saving, investing, and preparing for retirement.

Preparation gave me options. But endlessly moving the finish line would turn preparation into procrastination.

There is always another dollar I could save. There isn’t always another healthy year when I can carry a backpack, walk ten thousand steps, or spend months exploring Asia.

That’s what the book calls timing experiences. Life comes in seasons.

The trip I can enjoy at fifty-five may feel very different at seventy-five.

Money can wait.

My gout may have another schedule.

It has already started submitting formal complaints.

Another idea that stayed with me is the memory dividend.

I pay for an experience once, but the memory can keep paying me back for years.

I remember ordinary mornings in Hanoi and island days in the Philippines.

Those memories don’t sit in a garage, require insurance, or call me at midnight because the water heater failed. 

Experiences have never charged me an HOA fee either.

My earlier episodes explain the machinery behind my plan.

The bucket system helps protect me from selling long-term investments at the wrong time.

My travel budget keeps freedom from becoming financial chaos.

Geoarbitrage helps me create more life from each dollar.

And stepping away from the Joneses stopped me from confusing accumulation with success.

The repair bills already have their own episodes.

The point is that all four ideas now work together.

The buckets protect tomorrow.

The budget controls today.

Geoarbitrage stretches my choices.

Ignoring the Joneses keeps me from spending tomorrow’s freedom on something shiny today.

Die With Zero supplies the reason behind all of it: Use money deliberately to create the best life I can while I’m still able to live it.

The book also made me think differently about risk. Taking a risk earlier gives me time to recover, adjust, and try again.

Waiting for certainty may feel responsible, but the opportunity may leave first.

My retirement experiment is a controlled test, not a permanent vacation.

I can travel slowly, monitor my spending, and change direction when life changes.

That isn’t abandoning financial discipline. It’s finally using it.

I don’t have children waiting for an inheritance, so my plan is personal.

I want enough for healthcare, housing, and surprises.

I want to help people while I’m alive and can see the difference it makes.

And I want to spend the rest creating memories instead of protecting a number simply because bigger feels safer.

I’m not trying to become the richest man in the cemetery.

The neighborhood amenities are terrible.

Maybe I won’t die with exactly zero. Getting that number perfect would require suspiciously good timing.

But zero is a direction, not a prediction.

It reminds me not to sacrifice every good year for a future version of myself who may have more money but less energy.

My real goal is balance.

Enough security that I can sleep at night.

Enough discipline that I don’t blow the plan.

And enough courage to spend time and money before both lose their value to me.

That’s what Die With Zero means in my life.

Not dying broke.

Not spending recklessly.

And not waiting so long to live that living is no longer an option.

Keep travelling, keep adapting, and live life to the fullest!

episdoe28

It’s okay for some people not to like you!

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Here is E28: It’s ok for people not to like you!

Not Everyone Has to Like You.

I have a website, blogs, YouTube videos and these podcasts. And some people I know don’t pay attention to any of them.

Not even a sympathy click for a health check. 

Apparently, NorthAmericanDarrell isn’t required viewing. 

Who knew?

I thought I would be famous!

What I share isn’t a highlight reel or an instruction manual, so not watching makes sense.

It’s an imperfect retirement experiment: what worked, what failed and what went over budget, with a few back stories along the way.

But I’ve learned something important:

Not everybody who ignores your work dislikes you.

Sometimes it doesn’t fit their life. A few years ago, I was very politically motivated.

I defended Donald Trump and upset a lot of people—especially in Canada.

As I explained in the last episode, I had no idea he would turn on Canada.

But I can’t change the past.

I made that bed, and now I have to sleep in it.

I don’t have to defend every decision forever, but people remember what I said and how it made them feel about Canada.

Some people practically have a maple leaf tattooed on their ass and believe Canada can do no wrong.

When I point out Canada’s flaws, it can be taboo—as if I bailed and joined the dark side.

I understand the loyalty.

I can own my choices, learn from them and keep moving forward.

Politics isn’t the only reason my story may not connect.

My life of slow travel, early retirement, geoarbitrage and the Die With Zero mindset isn’t for everybody.

I never married or had children, and being laid off at fifty-two gave me an exit from working life—an option many people don’t have.

That helped create my freedom, but my life is far from perfect.

Most people have careers, mortgages, medical issues or family members who need them.

Those responsibilities don’t disappear because a flight looks affordable.

It’s hard to contemplate geoarbitrage when the hockey game starts in twenty minutes and nobody can find the car keys.

My freedom might look exciting, unrealistic or like bragging.

It may even create envy. Neither of us is wrong.

We’re living different lives, and that should be okay.

Some people are also stuck in situations they never imagined. An unhappy marriage. Crushing debt. A painful family relationship. Grief or regret they keep private.

I carry grief too, and telling these stories helps me move forward.

When someone is trying to survive their own reality, watching me wander through Southeast Asia in a Hawaiian shirt may feel annoying as fuck.

It may remind them of everything they believe they can’t do.

I don’t judge them.

Life can be hard for everyone.

I just haven’t written the loneliness blog yet.

And then there’s the simplest explanation:

People are busy.

The internet is overflowing with content and people shouting, “Look at me!”

I’m just one guy in a bucket hat asking people to check it out.

Nobody owes me attention because we shared a friendship—or even a last name.

Believe it or not, a few people have told me I inspired them to make a change.

That’s enough to keep me going!

Everyone else can keep scrolling. We can still care about each other.

There’s a line that makes me laugh:

“It’s okay for some people not to like you. Most people don’t even like themselves.”

It’s funny, but there’s some truth underneath it.

If someone isn’t happy with their own life, feeling happy for somebody else can be difficult.

People react through whatever they’re carrying. So do I.

Their silence may not be rejection, and their criticism may contain something I need to hear. But neither one makes my journey less worthwhile.

I’m not building NorthAmericanDarrell for universal approval.

If that were the plan, I picked the wrong fucking project.

I’m documenting the life I built from the cards I was handed—successes, blown plans and questionable travel budgets.

If it helps somebody imagine a different future, fantastic.

If it isn’t for you, that’s okay.

Creating it helps me understand my own life.

The goal isn’t to make everybody like me or my story.

The goal is to become someone I like better, tell the truth about my road and leave room for others to walk theirs.

We don’t all need the same politics.

We don’t all need the same retirement.

And we definitely don’t all need the same life goals.

We just need enough grace to accept our differences.

Live life to the fullest!

ChatGPT Image Aug 11, 2026, 01_53_45 PM (2)

The bucket savings system.

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lease feel free to read the below blog but, I added the podcast version for audio.

All of my podcast link can be found on the homepage!

Here is E8: WTF’ing my way through retirement.

This Isn’t a Victory Lap. I’ve Blown Plenty of Tires. I share a lot of my life online. 

My travels.

My retirement experiment.

My budgets.

My mistakes.

My homes.

Even some dating adventures—which may eventually require their own legal disclaimer.

I understand how that can look from the outside.

When I talk about months in Southeast Asia, renting my condo, or trying early retirement after a layoff, some people may hear bragging.

That isn’t why I do it.

I don’t share because I believe my life is more important than anyone else’s. I share because my life didn’t follow the traditional route, and someone may need to see that another route exists.

I never married. I don’t have children. At fifty-two, I was laid off, and the career I expected to continue suddenly ended.

That could have felt like a failure. Instead, it forced me to ask a different question:

What could I build with the life I still had?

Apparently, my answer involved a passport, cheap apartments, too many airports, and enough questionable decisions to support a podcast.

My retirement plan isn’t a magic formula. I saved for years, kept a small mortgage-free home base, reduced many of my fixed expenses, and learned that my condo could earn income while I travelled.

I also discovered geoarbitrage—living well in places where my money stretches further.

None of that makes me smarter than everyone else.

It means certain choices and fortunate breaks eventually created options.

I’m grateful for that.

I also know many people work just as hard without receiving the same timing, opportunities, or safety net.

That is why I share principles instead of account balances.

Keep fixed costs manageable. Create income where possible.

Save something for emergencies.

Protect your health.

Understand your entire budget—not merely the inexpensive apartment you found overseas.

And stay flexible because every brilliant plan eventually meets real life.

Mine certainly has.

I’ve blown travel budgets, forgotten home expenses, miscounted immigration days, questioned where I belong, and learned that paradise can have traffic, humidity, loneliness, and paperwork.

Those stories matter just as much as the beaches. Maybe more.

Social media usually shows the sunset—not the missed ferry, bad math, delayed flight, or sweaty idiot dragging a suitcase through Cebu traffic.

I want NorthAmericanDarrell to show both.

I’m not selling a fantasy about permanent vacation.

Slow travel still involves groceries, laundry, healthcare, banking, boredom, and dinner.

It is simply normal life somewhere unfamiliar—with better stories when things go wrong.

I also share because I’m still learning. Every traveller teaches me something about freedom, fear, money, relationships, or how little I need.

Writing and speaking make me examine those lessons instead of losing them among thousands of forgotten pictures.

This shitshow has become a record of who I was, what I tried, where I screwed up, and how my thinking changed.

Maybe someone listens and realizes they can travel longer by moving slower.

Maybe someone nearing retirement asks a better question about housing, spending, or what they want their remaining healthy years to look like.

Maybe someone who loses a job understands that an ending can also create an opening.

And maybe nobody listens. My audience is still small.

Some weeks I spend more time producing an episode than my audience spends hearing it.

Apparently, I found a business model even worse than early retirement.

But numbers aren’t the only measure of whether something matters.

If one person hears a story and sees another possibility, then it was worth sharing.

If nobody does, I’ve still created an honest record of this strange chapter of my life.

This also works as therapy for me. Turning chaos into a story helps my mental health, so even if nobody listens, creating it still matters.

I know talking about travel and financial freedom can sound fortunate—because it is.

I don’t want to hide that good fortune, and I don’t want to parade it around like a trophy.

The honest place is somewhere in the middle: Grateful for what worked. Honest about what didn’t. Aware that my choices won’t work for everyone.

And willing to share what I learn without pretending I have life figured out.

I don’t.

I’m still just WTF-ing my way through retirement with a spreadsheet, a passport, and a beer in my hand.

That’s why I share my life.

Not to say, “Look at me.”

But to say,

“Here is what I tried.

Here is what happened.

Maybe something in it can help you.”

Keep travelling, keep adapting—and live life to the fullest!

ChatGPT Image Aug 12, 2026, 10_38_34 AM

Top 20 Countries to visit – 14 done!

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Please feel free to read the below blog but, I added the podcast version for audio.

All of my podcast link can be found on the homepage!

Here is E15: Top 20 Countries to visit – 14 completed!

I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to a lot of countries over the years, and people sometimes ask me…

What’s the best country I’ve ever visited?

[amused] That’s almost impossible for me to answer, because my answer keeps changing.

Today? Probably the Philippines.
Last year? Vietnam.
The year before? Thailand.

Apparently my favorite country is whichever Southeast Asian country I’m thinking about moving to next.

That’s what I love about travel. Every country gives me something different.

So I took Google’s list of twenty countries worth visiting and compared it with my own travels.

I’ve visited fourteen. Six are still waiting for me.

Let’s go.

Number one — Japan.

I visited Tokyo in 2026 and it felt like another planet. The trains, food, cleanliness and organization amazed me. Even getting around became part of the experience.

Number two — Vietnam.

I’ve spent months here, from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi and places in between. Two-dollar pho, banh mi under a dollar, and apartments I’ve rented for under $300 a month.

And the scooters?

[laughs] Crossing the street can feel like a real-life game of Frogger.

Number three — Italy.

Rome. Naples. The Vatican. History. Pizza.

[amused] Do I really need to keep selling this one?

Number four — Thailand.

I’ve visited several times. Bangkok, Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Koh Phangan gave me different experiences. Great food, islands and inexpensive living keep pulling me back.

Number five — Argentina.

Buenos Aires was fantastic. I loved the energy around La Boca and the football culture.

And the steak?

[excited] I ate it almost every day for under ten dollars.

Number six — Portugal.

I’ve been there, and the Algarve is one of my favorite areas in Europe.

Just don’t expect me to join the locals for sardines.

Number seven — Indonesia.

Bali gets plenty of attention, and I understand why. But I enjoyed getting beyond the obvious tourist areas too. Transportation made exploring surprisingly affordable.

Number eight — South Africa.

I haven’t made it to Africa yet. Cape Town, the Garden Route and a safari put this very high on my list.

Number nine — Turkey.

Istanbul fascinated me. It’s one of those places where I could actually feel Europe and Asia coming together.

Number ten — Colombia.

Still on my list. MedellĂ­n, Cartagena and coffee country all sound like my kind of adventure.

Number eleven — Spain.

I’ve been there. Great food, great cities and a completely different lifestyle.

Number twelve — Greece.

Athens alone gave me enough history to keep my head spinning.

Number thirteen — Peru.

I’ve spent time in Lima and found it to be a great example of geoarbitrage. Good food, affordable living and plenty to explore.

Number fourteen — Mexico.

Definitely been there.

Mexico has been part of my life for years, so for me it feels like much more than a vacation destination.

Number fifteen — New Zealand.

I haven’t been yet. Cost has probably been the biggest reason, but a South Island road trip is absolutely on my bucket list.

Number sixteen — Brazil.

I’ve been there, and it’s enormous. It deserves much more than a quick visit.

Number seventeen — Malaysia.

Kuala Lumpur was easy for me to navigate, relatively inexpensive, and a great jumping-off point for Southeast Asia.

Number eighteen — Croatia.

Still waiting for me. The Adriatic coastline and islands look incredible.

Number nineteen — Morocco.

Another one I haven’t reached. Marrakech, the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara would be completely different from most of my recent travels.

And number twenty — Georgia.

The country… not the state.

I haven’t been yet, but Tbilisi, inexpensive living, the food and the Caucasus Mountains have my attention.

So that’s Google’s twenty.

I’ve experienced fourteen, which leaves six on my list:

South Africa. Colombia. New Zealand. Croatia. Morocco. And Georgia.

Sounds like I’ve got some work to do.

But travel keeps teaching me there really isn’t one “best” country.

A place I love might not work for you. Maybe you want beaches, history, nightlife or mountains.

That’s why I share my experiences rather than tell anyone where they should go.

So here’s my question for you…

If you could choose one country and leave tomorrow, where would you go?

And what’s stopping you?

The funny thing about my bucket list is that the more places I cross off…

the longer the list seems to get.

Hopefully I never finish it.

ChatGPT Image Aug 6, 2026, 06_03_12 PM

Would You Travel 41 Hours to Save $1,000? Here’s Why I Did.

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This ChatGPT beauty deserves a zoomed picture! 

Relax and enjoy the four flights

Thousand bucks saved  ..

5 airports – 4 flights – 3 stops!

Your forgot Lovey!

A three-hour tour…

A three-hour tour…

Only this one lasts 41½ hours! 

GILLIGAN!

Take the time to read the blog below

or listen on the

NorthAmericanDarrell podcast.

E14: 41½ Hours of Travel to Save Over $1,000!

Departing 11:30 AM  August 16th, 2026

Arriving 6:10 PM August 18th, 2026

Along the way, I’ll cross **15 time zones** and lose an entire day and gain it back on the way home.

About 24 hours spent in the air.

~10,976 miles

See more travel stats in the blog below!

Most people think I’m absolutely crazy when they see the way I book flights.

The rest of them…

Know that I am.

They’re probably right.

The difference is…

I have more time than money these days, so..

here I go again on my own… 

Just like Whitesnake reminded us back in the ’80s. 

This adventure starts in Phoenix, Arizona and ends in Cebu, Philippines for another month-long stay from mid-August to mid-September 2026.

Home in time for hockey season!

Go Oilers!! 

I returned home about from Cebu four months ago.

Apparently…

Three months of island life wasn’t long enough.

Now, it’s time to experience the Philippines rainy season Incase I ever want to stay year round.

ChatGPT says, it’ll take about **41½ hours** from the time I lock my condo door in Arizona until I unlock my condo door in Cebu.

Along the way, I’ll cross **15 time zones** and lose an entire day and gain it back on the way home.

About **24 hours** of that is spent in the air.

As the old saying goes…

“This trip circles my elbow twice just to get to my a-hole.”

For comparison…

If there were a direct flight from Phoenix to Cebu, it would take about 18 hours.

Unfortunately, there isn’t one.

Even with a normal connection through Los Angeles, the trip would still take close to 30 hours.

The other **17½ hours?**

Exploring Los Angeles…

People watching in Singapore…

And wandering around Manila Airport waiting for my last flight.

Honestly…

I wish I had more than ninety minutes in Singapore.

I’ve been there several times, and it’s still my favorite airport in the world.

There’s an incredible indoor atrium with a waterfall…

A free movie theatre…

Amazing shopping…

International food courts serving just about everything imaginable…

And a duty-free store so big you could probably get lost in it.

My first layover…

That’s where **The Amazing Race**  NorthAmericanDarrell begins!

I have twelve hours in Los Angeles, so instead of sitting at the airport, I’m heading to Venice and Santa Monica beaches.

The best part?

My flight from Phoenix to LAX cost me **five bucks** using airline points.

Not a bad way to start another island-hopping adventure.

Here’s my itinerary.

Phoenix to Los Angeles…

A quick ninety-minute flight.

Then twelve hours at the beach, including the local bus ride.

Los Angeles to Singapore…

About seventeen hours.

That’s the heavy lifting.

Thankfully…

It’s on my favorite airline.

Singapore Airlines.

Free food.

Free drinks.

Free movies.

And enough time to question every life decision I’ve made since kindergarten.

Then it’s another four-hour flight  from Singapore to Manila.

A four-hour layover gives me enough time to switch terminals before my final flight to Cebu.

I land around six o’clock in the evening in Cebu with a thirty minute taxi to my condo.

Perfect arrival time!

Unpack.

Grab a massage.

Get a good night’s sleep.

Would I recommend this itinerary to everyone?

Absolutely not.

But here’s why I do it.

By staying flexible…

Using airline points…

And accepting a few layovers…

I saved **well over one thousand U.S. dollars**.

If I were flying business class like the Joneses…

The savings could easily be two or three thousand dollars.

That thousand dollars pays for my apartment for the entire month.

My groceries…

And still leaves enough money for an quick island-hop.

When you look at it that way…

Those extra twelve hours hanging out on the beach in Los Angeles don’t seem so painful.

Well…

Maybe after a massage in Cebu.

People ask me all the time…

*”Isn’t your time worth something?”*

Of course it is.

But taking a run at early retirement has taught me something.

Right now…

Time is the one thing I have plenty of.

Money?

I’d rather stretch that as far as I can while I’m still young enough to enjoy the adventure.

Planning the trip is part of the adventure.

I enjoy putting these ridiculous itineraries together almost as much as taking them.

Maybe I’m just weird…

And a cheapo.

Actually…

I know I’m weird and a cheapo.

And I’m perfectly okay with both because…

I don’t have to go back to work on Monday like the cool kids. [Laughs]

So let me ask you…

Would you spend **41½ hours** traveling to save over a thousand dollars?

Or would you pay extra to get there sooner?

Neither answer is wrong.

Most people choose the shorter trip because they have more money than time.

I’m taking a run at early retirement.

So for now…

**I’ll gladly trade one extra twelve hours getting there…**

**For a free month of adventure once I arrive.**

Because…

**That’s what taking a run at retirement looks like to me…

Until next time…

Live life to the fullest.

Cheers!! 

Great White North Podcast Episode 12 (1)

Canada – it’s still my roots, still my team!

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Please feel free to read the below blog but, I added the podcast version for audio.

All of my podcast link can be found on the homepage!

Here is E12: Edmonton, AB Canada … My roots

I left Edmonton for what would be the last time as my home at the beginning of 1996.

I had just graduated from college and accepted a job with Northern Telecom in Calgary.

Like so many young people, I figured I was simply moving to another city.

I had no idea that one decision would eventually lead me to living in the United States…

Mexico…

And traveling to dozens of countries around the world.

For years, Edmonton was always the place I came back to visit.

But it never quite felt like home anymore.

That changed a little bit during the summer of 2026.

I had a great time catching up with everyone!

After four years away, I flew into Edmonton, and my brother-in-law picked me up from the airport…

Just like he has so many times over the years.

The forty-five-minute drive to my sister’s house always seems to fly by.

Not because of the scenery…

But because we spend the entire drive solving the world’s financial problems.

Well…

At least our own.

Our conversations usually turn into a friendly competition over who’s cheaper…

And more importantly…

Who’s right about being cheaper.

Canada versus the United States.

Who got the better deal?

Who found the cheaper flights?

Who paid less for groceries, gas, or hotels?

I keep telling him…

He still has a lot to learn about finding cheap flights.

Neither of us wants to lose.

I think if there were an Olympic event for being frugal…

We’d both be standing on the podium arguing over who deserved the gold medal.

Eventually, we pulled into my sister’s driveway.

I grabbed my bag…

Walked downstairs…

And there it was.

The couch.

The same couch that has faithfully welcomed me home for years.

Some people check into five-star hotels.

I check into my sister’s basement.

The price is right…

The coffee is always on…

And unlike a hotel, I know my sister won’t charge me a resort fee.

Although I’m still keeping an eye on my brother-in-law.

After a couple of days exploring Edmonton, including watching my beloved Edmonton Eskimos…

Yes, I know…

They’re the Elks now.

We headed to my other sister’s lake in Saskatchewan.

Another amazing homecoming.

There was homemade baking…

McBaba’s legendary breakfast sandwiches…

Hamburgers…

Steaks…

And fresh-caught fish that I actually reeled in myself.

Best of all, I got to spend time with my nephews, nieces, and now their kids.

You can only be the crazy uncle on Instagram for so long…

Eventually they get to experience you in person.

After a few days of fishing, laughing, eating, and making memories…

It was time to head back to Edmonton.

A couple days later, I was riding transit to the airport for my flight back to Arizona.

Something surprised me.

For the first time in as long as I can remember…

I wasn’t extremely excited to leave.

Usually, by the end of a visit, I’m ready to hit the road.

This time…

It was different.

For the first time in thirty years…

Edmonton felt like home again.

Not because the city had changed…

But because I had spent time with the people who made it feel like home in the first place.

Catching up with my family was amazing!

As I drank my airport beer, I made myself a promise.

No more waiting years between visits.

From now on…

I’ll come home at least once every six months.

Because no matter how many countries I visit…

Or how many places I call home…

Edmonton will always be where my story began.

Thanks for listening to the NorthAmericanDarrell Podcast.

Until next time…

Live life to the fullest.

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What I have learned from Travelers!

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Please feel free to read the below blog but, I added the podcast version for audio.

All of my podcast link can be found on the homepage!

Here is E11: What I have learned from travellers!

One of the most rewarding parts of my journey has been meeting fellow travelers from all over the world.

Many of them travel with a level of freedom and confidence that genuinely amazes me.

Some don’t have every detail planned.

They simply figure things out as they go.

As someone who has always been a planner…

It’s been fascinating to watch.

One of my favorite travel buddies from Germany I met in Thailand goes home once his ATM card quits working.

I have asked him to share his share his travel stories here many times as he is so interesting.

Over time, I’ve realized there’s value in both approaches.

Planning provides security.

Flexibility provides freedom.

The sweet spot is probably somewhere in the middle.

I try to prepare enough that I’m safe…

But stay flexible enough to enjoy the unexpected moments.

Because, let’s be honest…

Those unexpected moments usually become the best stories.

I’m not here to tell anyone how they should live.

Everyone’s path is different.

What works for me may not work for you.

But I can learn from people who are comfortable embracing uncertainty…

Just as I hope others can learn something from the importance I place on planning for the future.

That’s one of the biggest reasons I created this website.

I simply want to share my experiences and show people they may have more options than they realize.

I learn something from fellow travelers almost every time I hit the road.

Young or old…

Everyone has a story worth hearing.

I’ve also learned that retirement doesn’t have to follow the traditional path if it doesn’t fit your goals.

Maybe your answer is downsizing earlier.

Reducing your monthly expenses.

Living part-time in a lower-cost country.

Traveling differently.

Or simply rethinking what you truly need to be happy.

I’m not trying to convince anyone to live exactly like I do.

That isn’t the point.

My goal is simply to encourage people to ask better questions.

Could I retire earlier?

Could I design a different lifestyle?

Could I trade a few material things for more freedom…

More experiences…

And maybe even a little more happiness?

If my story helps even one person realize they don’t have to spend their entire life following someone else’s plan…

Then sharing it has been worth it.

To me…

Retirement isn’t about leaving work behind.

It’s about creating a life you’re excited to wake up to every morning.

I’ll also be the first to admit…

I haven’t figured everything out.

And maybe I never will.

But I can promise you one thing…

I’ll spend the rest of my life trying.

credit meme

Why I keep a good credit in retirement

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Please take the time to read the blog below.  If  you would rather listen, I have also provided an audio version below.  Thanks for visiting NorthAmericanDarrell.com

I have only been taking a serious run at retirement for the past two years, but one thing has become crystal clear:

Maintaining good credit is just as important after retirement as it was while I was working.

My credit score has consistently remained between 750 and 775 for as long as I can remember. I am glad I made good credit a priority, and I continue to keep a close eye on it.

I regularly monitor the information reported by Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, along with my available FICO scores, so there are no major surprises.

A strong credit history takes years to build, and I have no intention of letting mine slip simply because I am no longer collecting a regular paycheck.

I am paying myself now.

Retirement does not mean my financial reputation retires with me. In many ways, good credit becomes even more valuable when I no longer have traditional employment income.

It gives me options.

And options are important when I am still figuring out what retirement really costs.

Good credit continues to make my life easier. It can help me qualify for better credit-card offers, lower interest rates, higher limits and certain rentals.

One tool I have used is a promotional credit-card balance transfer.

Ideally, I would not need one. But if a bank offers me temporary flexibility at a reasonable cost, why would I automatically refuse to consider it?

I am still learning what consistent retirement spending looks like. There have been times when I have used credit more than I probably should have while adjusting to travel expenses, home bills and the loss of a paycheck every two weeks.

Occasionally, one of my credit-card companies sends me a balance-transfer offer worth considering. It normally includes a promotional interest rate for a specific period and an upfront transfer fee.

A balance transfer is not the same as a cash advance.

Cash advances usually come with high interest rates that begin accumulating immediately, along with additional fees. A promotional balance transfer may offer a much lower rate for a set period.

I still read the terms carefully because checks, direct deposits and transferred balances may be treated differently by each credit-card company.

Used responsibly, a balance transfer can provide temporary breathing room.

Used without a payoff plan, it can become another expensive pile of debt.

Here is a real example.

I received a balance-transfer offer with a $3,000 limit and a 5% transfer fee. I wanted the transfer and fee to remain below that limit, so I requested $2,850.

The math looks like this:

Balance transferred: $2,850
Transfer fee at 5%: $142.50
Total balance: $2,992.50

I am paying $142.50 for up to twelve months of financial flexibility. Broken down over one year, that is approximately $11.88 per month.

As long as I follow the terms and pay the entire balance before the promotional period expires, that should be my total financing cost.

I understand that I am spending $142.50 that I could avoid by using my own cash.

In one sense, I am flushing it down the toilet.

However, compared with the size of my investment portfolio and what it has recently been earning, $142.50 is a flyspeck. Leaving $2,850 invested for another year may earn more than the fee, although there is no guarantee.

The market could fall.

My investments could earn less than 5%.

Taxes could reduce the return.

If I miss the payoff deadline, the strategy could become considerably more expensive.

That is why this only works if I already have a repayment plan.

My plan is to use Airbnb income to pay off the balance within the twelve-month promotional period. That gives me time to slow my spending, catch up on expenses and refine my retirement budget without immediately withdrawing more from my investments.

Is it ideal?

No.

Is it free money?

Definitely not.

Is it a strategy everyone should use?

Absolutely not.

But for me, it can be a useful short-term tool. I am paying roughly $12 per month for flexibility while learning what my retirement lifestyle truly costs.

A balance transfer does not fix overspending. It does not create income, and it does not make debt disappear.

It simply gives me time.

The danger would be using that time as an excuse to keep spending. My goal is to tap the brakes, pay down the balance and tighten my budget.

That is the lesson for me.

Good credit gives me options, but those options still still require discipline.

After spending decades building my credit, I want it working for me in retirement—not against me.

This is not financial advice or a recommendation to borrow money. It is simply an honest example of how I am managing my transition into retirement.

I am still learning.

I am still adjusting.

And I am still figuring out what retirement really costs.

But strong credit gives me more flexibility while I work through it.

Live life to the fullest—but read the fine print first!

Many promotional balance transfers, interest isn’t necessarily retroactively charged, but once the promo ends, the remaining balance is subject to the regular APR.  

The difference would be tragic if you were left with ~$700 in interest plus whatever remaining  amount is left on the loan.

That is why retail store often do to their Customers!  

Eventually a $3000 couch, TV etc is $3800, OUCH!!

As with any financial tool, the key is understanding the fine print and having an exit plan before you ever sign up.

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USA Social security – 62, 65 or 70 …

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Please take the time to read the blog below.  If  you would rather listen, I have also provided an audio version below.  Thanks for visiting NorthAmericanDarrell.com

The right time to take government retirement benefits is different for everyone. It also varies by country, with some systems more generous than others.

I have a small Canada Pension Plan benefit waiting for me in Canada. I contributed for more than ten years at lower wages, so I need to understand both my Canadian and American options before making an educated decision.

This blog focuses mainly on my United States Social Security choices:

Age 62: early benefits at a reduced amount.

Age 67: my full retirement age.

Age 70: my largest monthly benefit.

The decision depends on health, finances, family history, retirement plans and whether someone still enjoys working.

Some people need the income immediately. Others can wait to increase their monthly benefit.

There is no one-size-fits-all answer.

Like most retirement decisions, it comes down to my situation and what helps me sleep at night.

I am always transparent on NorthAmericanDarrell.com, so I do not mind sharing my Social Security estimates.

The Social Security website would not allow a screenshot, so I took a fancy picture instead.

Very high-tech retirement planning!

The first step is confirming that I have worked long enough and earned enough credits to qualify.

I did not enter the United States workforce until 2000, when I was about twenty-eight. As a Canadian who moved to the United States later in life, earning the required credits was an important milestone.

Before deciding whether to collect at 62, 67 or 70, I needed to confirm that I qualified.

Understanding my work history, estimated benefit and claiming options is an important part of my retirement plan.

The difference between those ages is significant in my case.

According to my current estimates, waiting from 62 to 67 would increase my benefit by approximately $1,000 per month.

Waiting from 67 to 70 would add approximately another $700 per month.

That makes the difference between 62 and 70 roughly $1,700 per month—about a 75% increase for waiting eight years.

These are estimates for illustration purposes. They can change, and everyone’s numbers will be different.

My current plan is to start Social Security at 67—if I make it that long—or sooner if another retirement bucket dries up.

That “if I make it that long” part is what makes retirement math so cheerful.

Waiting produces a larger monthly payment, but it can leave money on the table if I do not live long enough to benefit.

Health, life expectancy and available savings matter. So does receiving smaller payments for more years instead of larger payments for fewer years.

Medicare is a separate decision and generally begins at 65. Starting Social Security at 62 does not mean health insurance starts at the same time.

That gap matters for anyone hoping to retire before Medicare eligibility.

I also have to consider my Canada Pension Plan benefit. CPP can begin at 60, has a standard starting age of 65 and can be delayed until 70 for a larger payment.

My contributions were made for a shorter period and at lower wages, so my CPP benefit will be small—but small does not mean useless.

It becomes another bucket.

Diversification and multiple buckets of money were the keys to making early retirement possible for me.

My plan includes investments, cash reserves, Airbnb income, Social Security, CPP and the option of selling my Arizona condo if needed.

Each bucket becomes available at a different time. That keeps me from depending on one account or government benefit to fund everything.

I explain my bucket system and early retirement journey in the links included with this blog.

Geoarbitrage is another important part of the plan.

The definition is simple:

Taking advantage of cost differences between two geographic areas while maintaining the same—or an even better—quality of life.

In my case, I take a strong U.S. dollar to the Philippines and other parts of Asia, where my purchasing power and retirement budget go much further.

That does not mean everyone should move overseas or retire early. It means retirement may require less money when I am flexible about where and how I live.

None of this guarantees success.

Benefit estimates can change.

Markets can fall.

Living costs can rise.

Health can change the entire plan overnight.

That is why I keep checking my estimates, reviewing my spending and adjusting my retirement buckets.

I do not need one perfect answer today.

I need enough information and flexibility to make the best decision when the time comes.

For now, age 67 remains my target.

But retirement has taught me that plans can change—and sometimes they should.

Keep planning.

Keep checking your numbers.

And most importantly…

Live life to the fullest!

ChatGPT Image Jun 7, 2026, 06_58_08 PM

The making of NorthAmericanDarrell

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Please feel free to read the below blog but, I added the podcast version for audio.

All of my podcast link can be found on the homepage!

Here is E2: The making of NorthAmericanDarrell

Here is the blog version:

Every time I use the bathroom in my little casita in Rocky Point, Mexico, I’m reminded of the off-the-wall life I’ve lived.

And I literally mean “off the wall.”

Hanging on the bathroom door are license plates from places I’ve called home over the years. Alberta. Texas. Georgia. North Carolina. Arizona. Each one represents a different chapter of my life.

Above the toilet hangs my favorite vanity plate:

“Mexico – USA – Canada”

Three countries that have shaped who I am today.

I was born in Canada. Built my career in the United States. And now spend part of my retirement in Mexico.

Most people decorate their bathroom with seashells, paintings, or fancy towels.

I decorated mine with reminders of the journey.

Every plate tells a story.

A promotion that led me south.

A layoff that pushed me west.

A condo purchased during the housing crash.

A little casita by the Sea of Cortez.

A retirement built around travel, adventure, and taking chances.

Sometimes I sit there and laugh.

Not because of where I am today, but because there is no way I could have planned this life.

If you had told that young kid growing up in Edmonton that one day he’d be sitting in a bathroom in Mexico, looking at license plates from across North America while planning his next trip to Asia, he would have thought you were crazy.

Then again, that’s kind of the point.

The best parts of life are often the ones you never see coming.

Every license plates was one of my personal plates over the years—except the top plate. That one belonged to my Mom. 

The one that got the story started and supported me along the way!

It represents more than miles traveled. It represents a lifetime of cars, trucks, boats and trailers.  All of the relocations, road trips, career changes, adventures, and the freedom to build a life on my own terms. 

From Edmonton to Calgary, Dallas, Atlanta, Charlotte, Arizona, Mexico, every plate tells part of the story. 

. Each plate represents a different chapter of my life. 

This is a strong section. I’d tighten it up slightly for flow, grammar, and ElevenLabs narration while keeping your voice intact:

Most “normal” people spend their entire lives in the city where they were born. Some never even leave the same neighborhood.

I went in the exact opposite direction.

For whatever reason, I spent most of my life chasing a crazy dream that had me moving from city to city, country to country, and eventually collecting passport stamps instead of getting married and starting a family.

I’m 100% convinced I would have ended up paying child support and alimony like so many people from broken relationships. That’s not being callous—it’s simply my reality. I was always looking toward the next adventure, the next opportunity, and the next destination.

Along the way, I worked countless short-term assignments in different cities and countries. Between work trips and vacations, I eventually filled a world map with pins in more than 50 countries.

Looking back, diversification didn’t just shape my finances.

It shaped my entire life.

Edmonton, Alberta (1972–1995)

I was born and raised in Edmonton, graduating from high school in 1990 and later earning a Telecommunications Engineering diploma from NAIT in December 1995.

Within weeks of graduating, I packed my bags and headed to Calgary.  I was permanently leaving Edmonton and I would never move back again!

Calgary, Alberta (1996–1999)

I was fortunate enough to land a job with Northern Telecom, Canada’s largest company at the time.

It was the start of something amazing.

Calgary became my home for the next few years as I built a career, earned real money, and discovered there was a much bigger world beyond Alberta.

Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas (1999–2003)

After several years in Calgary, work began sending me regularly to our U.S. headquarters in Richardson, Texas.

I quickly fell in love with America.

Escaping a Calgary winter and landing in Texas a few hours later felt like magic.

Eventually, I was offered a full-time position and moved south before Y2K.

For the next several years, I lived on the road, traveling throughout the United States and internationally while building my career and banking money.

Edmonton, Alberta (2003)

Like many people, I eventually thought it was time to move home.

During my travels, I designed and built what I believed would be my dream home—a 2,400-square-foot house on a corner lot in northeast Edmonton.

I paid cash for it using money saved during my years on the road.

Then I sold it before spending a single night there or even using one of the three restrooms.

To this day, it remains one of the most talked-about decisions of my life.

North Atlanta, Georgia (2003–2010)

Instead of returning to Edmonton, I moved to North Atlanta and spent seven years managing customer support operations during the early growth of Verizon Wireless’ 3G network.

During that time, I continued investing and purchased a one-bedroom condo in Mesa, Arizona, during the 2009 housing crash for just $52,500 cash.

That condo would eventually become my home base.

North Charlotte, North Carolina (2010–2015)

My next promotion took me to North Carolina, where I helped manage Verizon Wireless operations across North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee during the rollout of 4G technology.

I purchased three acres of land near Lake Norman and continued expanding my investments. Part of the property was rented out to help cover the mortgage.

At one point, my North Carolina property, my Georgia house, and my Arizona condo were all producing rental income.

The same tenant lived in my Georgia house for more than ten years before eventually purchasing it in 2022.

For over a decade, they helped pay down my mortgage, and when the time came, I sold the house at market value without ever having to list it.

After nearly two decades in telecommunications, my journey took another unexpected turn.

In the fall of 2014, I was laid off after experiencing massive burnout.

Years of high-pressure situations, constant responsibility, and nonstop travel had finally taken their toll.

It was obvious to everyone.

Including me.

Mesa, Arizona (2015–Present)

It was time to liquidate my North Carolina property and start downsizing.

After accepting a generous layoff package, I moved into the condo I had purchased years earlier in East Mesa, Arizona.

The timing turned out to be perfect.

I worked for CenturyLink for less than a year before accepting a position with PayPal.

What I thought would be a short stop ended up lasting seven years.

Then history repeated itself.

In February 2024, just days before my 52nd birthday, I was laid off once again.

After more than 25 years in corporate America, I was done.

Rather than chase another promotion, another title, or another round of corporate politics, I decided to see if retirement was actually achievable.

Rocky Point, Mexico (2017–Present)

Not long after settling in Arizona, I discovered Rocky Point, Mexico.

In 2017, I began renting a small vacation studio just four hours from Mesa.

As I write this blog on June 8, 2026, I am sitting in that very studio.

It isn’t fancy.

In fact, it’s incredibly simple.

But for about $150 per month, it gives me everything I need.

When my Arizona condo is rented, I already have a fully furnished place waiting for me. When I feel like a change of scenery, I can be sitting by the Sea of Cortez just a few hours after leaving Mesa.

Today, I divide my time between Mesa and Rocky Point whenever I’m not traveling.

Being able to rent my Arizona condo to snowbirds for several months each year has helped supplement my attempt at retirement and provided the flexibility to spend more time exploring the world.

Discovering Asia

Looking back, 2023 was the year everything changed.

PayPal awarded me a four-week paid sabbatical after five years of service.

I added two weeks of vacation time and headed to Thailand.

At the same time, my Mesa condo was rented on Airbnb.

The result was essentially a paid vacation that ended up changing the direction of my life.

That trip opened my eyes to a completely different version of retirement.

A version that didn’t involve sitting still.

Over the next two years, I spent months exploring Asia.

I lived in Vietnam for nearly three months in 2025.

I spent another three months in the Philippines in 2026.

And I already have plans to return to the Philippines from January through April of 2027 to see whether it becomes a permanent part of my annual routine.

After traveling through much of the world, the Philippines appears to check almost every box for the lifestyle I want.

Affordable.

Friendly.

English-speaking.

Warm weather.

And endless opportunities for adventure.

Freedom

Looking back now, that second PayPal layoff was probably one of the best things that ever happened to me.

It forced me to stop and reevaluate what I actually wanted from life.

For decades, I had been chasing the next promotion, the next opportunity, and the next paycheck.

What I eventually realized was that I had been working toward something entirely different all along.

Freedom.

The freedom to travel.

The freedom to choose where I live.

The freedom to wake up without an alarm clock.

The freedom to spend time doing things that actually interest me.

That realization eventually led to the creation of my YouTube channel and NorthAmericanDarrell.com, where I document my past, present, and future adventures.

Some days I still wonder what the hell I’m doing.

But if I’m being honest, that’s pretty much been my life in general.

And somehow, it has worked out just fine.

Maybe someday all of these blogs, stories, and adventures will come together in a book.

If they do, this chapter will simply be one more reminder that diversification didn’t just shape my finances.

It shaped my entire life.

CLICK HERE to read more about my autobiography plans.

world cup

World Cup 2026 – Mexico USA Canada hosting!

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It is painfully obvious, most people stop reading my blog after the first few sentences.

Honestly… I don’t blame them!

These blogs can be dryer than a popcorn fart!

Here is the condensed audio version of this blog!

Here is the blog version:

I have to admit, I was never much of a soccer—football to most of the world—fan.

But with the 2026 World Cup being hosted by my three home countries—Canada, the United States, and Mexico—I’m genuinely trying to get into it and cheer them all on.

I even had a little help along the way.

Between ChatGPT and borrowing a few observations from the television commentators, I can almost sound like I know what I’m talking about!

The more I watch, the more I appreciate just how passionate the rest of the world is about this sport.

Will I ever become a die-hard soccer fan?

Probably not.

But I have to admit, watching World Cup matches with thousands of passionate fans—especially in Mexico—has been a pretty amazing experience.

So, for the next few weeks, you’ll find me cheering for Canada, the United States, and Mexico.

And if I accidentally sound like a soccer expert…

Just remember where I got my coaching!

I Watched Three Full Soccer Games… and Somehow Enjoyed It, kinda!

Anyone who knows me knows I can barely sit through a full soccer game.

Yesterday was different.

I watched three complete World Cup matches.

I guess miracles do happen as all three of my teams advanced to the round of 16.

I keep updating the blog too!!

Round of 64 Knockout stage:

Canada✅ vs. Switzerland

I’ve followed the progress of the Canadian men’s team for several years now, and I knew the entire country would be tuned in.

One of Canada’s biggest stars, Alphonso Davies, is from my hometown of Edmonton, Alberta, which makes it even easier to cheer them on.

Canada lost the match, but they sure made it exciting at the end after conceding an unfortunate go-ahead goal earlier in the game.

The good news is they’ll be playing their Round of 32 match in Los Angeles, and Davies is expected to return from injury soon to give the team a huge boost.

Just reaching the Round of 32 is another milestone for Canadian soccer.

It almost sounds like I know what I’m talking about.

Truth be told, I’m mostly repeating what the television commentators told me!

Brazil✅ vs. Scotland

Brazil was up next.

Whenever Brazil plays, they’re usually the favorite, so I figured it was worth watching.

They won 3–0, and after watching them play, I completely understand why they’re considered one of the world’s best.

Their pace, skill, and ball movement were on another level.

Mexico✅ vs. Czechia

This was the game I was looking forward to the most.

After all, I was in Mexico.

You could feel the excitement all over town.

People were wearing jerseys everywhere, and the atmosphere was electric.

Of course, I never need much of an excuse to head down to my favorite local watering hole.

Watching Mexico play while sitting beside the ocean with an ice-cold Indio in my hand sounded like a pretty good way to spend the evening.

I’ll admit it…

The first half reminded me why I don’t usually watch soccer.

Nil-nil.

Not much happening.

Then the second half started.

Mexico came out flying.

You could almost feel the energy from the home crowd in Guadalajara pushing them forward.

Before long, Mexico scored.

Then they scored again.

Final score…

Mexico 2.

Czechia 0.

USA✅ vs. Turkey

Sorry, no sorry but, I do not need to hear about the miracle on ice again this year! 

Somehow, they find a way to slide it into every single game no matter the sport.

Round of 32 Knockout stage:

Canada.

The United States.

And Mexico.

All three of my home countries have advanced to the Round of 32.

Canada✅ vs. South Africa

Mexico✅ vs. Equidor

USA✅ vs. Bosnia

Round of 16 Knockout Stage:

Canada vs. Morocco✅

Mexico vs. England✅

USA vs Belgium✅

The excitement was building as all three goat teams continued their World Cup journey while doing an incredible job hosting the tournament.

All three failed to advance to the round of 8. 

What an incredible journey for all three host Countries.

🇺🇸🇨🇦🇲🇽

ChatGPT Image Jun 16, 2026, 11_23_20 AM

Health insurance cancelled!😳

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Please take the time to read the blog below.  If  you would rather listen, I have also provided an audio version below.  Thanks for visiting NorthAmericanDarrell.com

If you are like me—retired before Medicare eligibility and without a pension—finances are only part of the equation.

Health insurance is just as important.

My retirement goals are simple:

Good health.

Freedom.

Access to a doctor.

And one million dollars in medical coverage.

One million is not enough? How about one hundred BILLION?

—Dr. Evil

Think big. Scheme bigger!

Health insurance, medical costs and inflation are constantly changing. I do not fully understand every detail yet, and I am still learning as I go.

Fortunately, I have knowledgeable advisors helping me stay on course:

Wilde Wealth Management

Roberts Accounting & Tax

Brett LaMar—Expat Insurance

You can also read my overall insurance blog by clicking here.

I had never knowingly gone without adequate insurance—until one expensive lesson taught me how easily it can happen.

An accident, medical emergency or prolonged illness can cost far more than your health. Without proper coverage, one serious event can wipe out a lifetime of savings.

That is especially frightening when you retire early and no longer receive a regular paycheck.

I learned that lesson during the first part of 2026, when I unknowingly went without health insurance in the United States.

My American policy had been cancelled for nonpayment while I was travelling in the Philippines. I still had travel medical insurance for emergencies outside the United States, but that was not a replacement for coverage at home.

The premium changed for 2026. Because I was not carefully checking my physical mail or spam folder, I completely missed the notices.

I did not discover the cancellation until I returned from the Philippines on April 15.

I am still unsure whether that makes me Shrek or just the donkey.

Either way, I screwed up.

My new policy did not begin until June 1, leaving me uninsured in the United States for approximately six weeks.

If you know me, you know I stress the fuck out over this stuff.

During those six weeks, I kept a low profile and tried to reduce my chances of getting hurt. I avoided unnecessary risks and tried not to think about needing a doctor—even though I needed prescription refills.

I could not afford to have an accident.

Of course, hiding at home is not a health-insurance strategy. It was simply the uncomfortable reality I had created for myself.

Ironically, I saved approximately $1,200 in premiums and never needed a hospital visit. I also had travel insurance as backup while I was outside the United States.

But let’s be honest:

That was not clever financial planning.

It was accidental gambling with my health and retirement savings.

Somehow, I dodged the bullet. One emergency could have cost far more than the premiums I unintentionally avoided.

The experience gave me a simple insurance checklist:

Set up automatic payments.

Review my policy and premium every December.

Confirm the first payment for the new year was processed.

Check my spam folder and insurance portal regularly.

Use a service that scans and emails my physical mail while I travel.

Verify that my domestic and travel policies are active before leaving home.

Travel insurance protects me while I am abroad, subject to the policy’s terms and exclusions. My American health insurance protects me when I return home.

I need both policies working together—not a six-week gap filled with crossed fingers.

Retiring before Medicare without a pension requires more than investment accounts and a travel budget. It requires a plan for protecting everything I spent decades building.

Health insurance may be expensive, confusing and frustrating, but being uninsured can be considerably more expensive.

My coverage is active again, my stress level is lower and the lesson has been permanently added to my retirement playbook:

Check the policy.

Pay the premium.

Confirm the coverage.

Then go live life to the fullest!

ChatGPT Image May 15, 2026, 09_29_43 AM

What are you still doing in America?🫵

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  • If yo would prefer to listen, here is a trimmed down version.

Staying healthy matters more to me now than ever before. I am not trying to become a bodybuilder or qualify for the Olympics. I simply want enough strength, mobility and energy to keep travelling for as long as possible.

The thought of spending my retirement hobbling around a beach in compression socks and flip-flops after completely giving up on my health is nightmare fuel.

Watching people quit on themselves physically is one of my biggest reminders to never give up on myself.

You can read more about my collection of health experiments, treatments and occasional gimmicks by clicking here.

Life Time Fitness has something for nearly everyone: a massive gym, pickleball, basketball, a rock-climbing wall, waterslides, indoor and outdoor swimming lanes, a steam room, saunas and my personal favorite—the cold plunge.

It also has plenty of retired people who arrive in the afternoon, including people like me who suddenly have more control over their schedules.

A few weeks ago, I met a gentleman in his mid-seventies. I now see him almost every day.

We started talking about retirement, travel and my part-time lifestyle between Arizona, Mexico and Asia. I told him how much I love the Philippines and admitted that I have become completely exhausted by American politics.

It feels as if everything in the United States has become political.

The news is political.

Sports are political.

Social media is political.

Even buying a fucking beer can somehow become a political statement.

I am tired of the anger, division and constant pressure to choose a side on every issue. I am tired of people treating friends, relatives and neighbors like enemies because they voted differently.

I love America, and becoming an American citizen remains one of the proudest moments of my life.

But politically, the American dream I once imagined feels over.

My new gym buddy listened to all of this and asked me a very simple question:

 

“What are you still doing here in America?”

Now he asks me the same question nearly every day.

Apparently, my Life Time Fitness membership includes access to the gym, sauna, cold plunge and a daily retirement interrogation.

A Question I Cannot Answer

The uncomfortable part is that I honestly do not know how to answer him.

Some days, I wonder what the hell I am still doing here too.

Other days, I am perfectly content with my laid-back part-time lifestyle. Arizona gives me a familiar home base. Rocky Point gives me an affordable escape in Mexico. The Philippines gives me a completely different life on the other side of the world.

Maybe I am a little too chickenshit to push all my chips into one pile.

Or maybe I have finally realized that I do not need to choose only one pile.

I like having options.

I like being able to call Arizona, Mexico and the Philippines part-time homes without pretending any one of them is perfect.

Arizona gives me my condo, gym, Jeep, familiar doctors and financial infrastructure.

Mexico gives me my little casita, the beach and an inexpensive lifestyle close enough to reach by truck.

The Philippines gives me warmth, energy, adventure and a quality of daily life that can be difficult to reproduce in the United States without spending considerably more money.

That combination may not look like a traditional retirement.

That is precisely why it appeals to me.

Why I Keep Returning to the Philippines

The Philippines is not perfect.

The traffic can be brutal. The humidity occasionally makes me feel as if I showered without taking my clothes off. Some islands are far from advanced medical care, and everyday tasks do not always happen as quickly or efficiently as they do back home.

But I love it anyway.

I love the people, warmth, food, energy and sense that something interesting is always happening around me.

I can rent a comfortable apartment, eat out regularly and live an active social life for far less than the same lifestyle would cost me in Arizona.

More importantly, I feel alive there.

That does not mean I am running away from America.

It means I am running toward a lifestyle that currently makes me happier.

There is a difference.

Geoarbitrage Gives Me More Life

Geoarbitrage sounds like a complicated financial term, but the basic idea is simple:

Earn, save or invest money in a stronger economy—and spend part of it somewhere that offers better value.

My American dollars can buy considerably more lifestyle in the Philippines than they can in the United States.

That does not mean choosing the cheapest apartment, eating instant noodles or living like I am broke.

For me, geoarbitrage means using the same retirement budget to create a better life.

It can mean a furnished apartment, affordable meals, regular massages, inexpensive transportation and enough money left over to keep travelling.

It gives me more freedom without requiring me to become considerably wealthier.

Instead of waiting until I have some magical amount of money that makes every fear disappear, I can use location to make the money I already have work harder.

Geoarbitrage will not solve every retirement problem.

It does not eliminate inflation, healthcare costs, market risk or my impressive ability to destroy a travel budget after too many island trips.

It simply gives me another tool.

And in retirement, options may be more valuable than almost anything else.

My Die With Zero Philosophy

The book Die With Zero helped reinforce something I was already beginning to understand:

Money has no value to me unless it eventually becomes security, freedom or experiences.

I do not have children, and I am not trying to leave behind a giant estate.

I want to use my money responsibly during my lifetime—especially while I am still healthy enough to enjoy it.

That does not mean blowing everything tomorrow and hoping the government adopts me at eighty.

Die With Zero does not mean live with zero.

I still need investments, insurance, emergency savings and a realistic long-term plan.

But I also do not want to protect every dollar so aggressively that I reach the end of my life with a large portfolio and a small collection of memories.

Travel experiences have a shelf life.

There are trips I can comfortably take in my fifties that may become much harder in my seventies. I can replace money. I cannot replace healthy years once they are gone.

That is why I keep asking whether another year of waiting will actually make me safer—or merely one year older.

What Older People Can Teach Us

My gym buddy keeps telling me that life is too short not to do what makes me happy.

He reminds me of Diogo Jota Jared, someone I follow on Instagram who regularly talks about not waiting for the perfect time to live your life.

Give Diogo Jared a follow too!

I sometimes get the feeling my gym buddy wishes he had gone all-in on his own dreams much earlier. Maybe I am projecting my fears onto him, but there is something in the way he talks about time that makes his advice difficult to ignore.

He moves slowly now, and I rarely see him smile.

I do not judge him for that. If anything, seeing him makes me think more seriously about the years I still have in front of me.

Older people can give us an important view of retirement because they are looking backward while the rest of us are still looking forward.

Their advice is not theoretical.

They know which worries eventually became irrelevant—and which opportunities never returned.

So, What Am I Still Doing Here?

For now, I am still in Arizona because I am not ready to eliminate every safety net.

I like my condo.

I like having a familiar place to return to.

I like spending part of the year in Mexico and part of it in Asia.

Maybe my version of going all-in is not selling everything and permanently moving to the Philippines.

Maybe it is building a life that allows me to spend more time there without giving up every option back home.

I do not need to prove my commitment by making the most extreme decision possible.

But I also cannot let comfort become an excuse to postpone the life I already know I want.

The next time my gym buddy asks, “What are you still doing here in America?” I may finally have an answer:

I am getting healthier.

I am protecting my options.

And I am preparing to spend a lot more time living where I feel happiest.

The Philippines is not my escape from life.

It is increasingly becoming part of the life I am trying to build.

Geoarbitrage helps make that life affordable.

Die With Zero reminds me not to wait forever.

And American politics keeps giving me another reason to book the next flight.

Live life to the fullest—before somebody turns that into a political argument too!

WhatsApp Image 2026-05-15 at 9.06.01 AM

I’m a little crazy but, the world’s insane!

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We all have our own version of crazy.

ChatGPT just happens to make me a little better-looking while I’m sharing mine.

I simply throw my crazy out onto the front lawn here at NorthAmericanDarrell.com.

Most people keep theirs hidden under the bed while blowing smoke and pretending everything is perfect.

I’m just trying to have fun playing the cards I was dealt. I also just tend to double down on crazy along the way. 

if he walks like a duck and talks like a duck… he’s probably one blog away from quacking up. 😂

I get a laugh when I hear this song!

knowin’ I’m a little crazy but, the worlds insane!!

OH, once you get to know me

I’m a coyote in a field of wolves

I’m a house on a hill where the lightning strikes 

Kids ride by scared on their bikes 

I’m screaming at a TV that ain’t ears

On anti-depressants and lukewarm beers 

I do it every night but the news don’t change

Guess I’m a little crazy but the world’s insane

Yeah, the only thing keeping these tracks on the train 

Knowin’ I’m a little crazy but, the worlds insane!!

WhatsApp Image 2026-05-11 at 8.49.30 AM

Cebu, Philippines – 2027 budget!

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Travel planning is something I’ve always enjoyed. I spend countless hours researching ways to save money, but once I arrived in 2026, that carefully planned three-month budget quickly went out the window as I was still not prepared.

It was paradise and I was having too much fun!

I also found that many EXPATS I met operate on budgets far bigger than mine.  

Just like me, they busted their ass their entire life and are now living the good life on their terms!  Our budgets just did not align and I had some debt when I got home.

I just know better that I cannot keep up with the Joneses!

Lesson learned; even if the post-mortem cost analysis ended up being tough to comprehend when I got home. I just needed to get off my high horse!

So my 2027 strategy is already in motion:

• January 1st, 2027 arrival using points; $85 out of pocket
• Prepay January through April rent: $1,800 total
• ~$300 USD per week loaded onto a prepaid debit card
• Use cash and avoid using credit cards
• Most importantly… focus on one Filipina at a time which killed my budget 😅

I will spend a month in Cebu in the Summer of 2026 to test my 2027 longer term plan. I would expect the need to tweak this plan again when I get home.

In my opinion, dating works pretty much the same in most parts of the world. 

To make a relationship work long term, you need to be able to provide stability and support for your partner.  Since I have basically lived the Gypsy life, it was not the answer longer term on both ends of the relationship.

Sex life also needs to be on point so both don’t go elsewhere.

Everything is just upfront and a lot more obvious where you stand in the Philippines. I talk about his because I learned it is a big part of budgeting. 

I have “dated” several women there trying to better understand of the landscape.  

When I put my wallet away, I could tell that that it was all about the money with most of them.  If they messaged me back, I knew they wanted what they had.  I just remind them not to ask me for money and I will take care of them.

 On the other hand …

Can you imagine paying ~$250 for a date in other parts of the world?

Now, can you imagine dating someone that may not have the same luxuries that we enjoy every single day?  A comfortable bed, AC, three square meals a day and a hot shower are just a few examples of some of the challenges in the Philippines..

I hear dating stories all the time of these situations:

Having her first margarita on a date!

Going to a movie and had popcorn for the first time! She ate an entire large bag and was so sick afterwards.  She was in heaven and gorged. 🍿

Visiting their home; hose for running water, outhouses, dirt floors …

I want to be clear, I am not judging as these are real life dating stories.  

The ironic part is that most of the Filipinas seem happier than western women.

In general, their life is not based entirely on material items!

It just takes time to ensure that everything is in the open just like all relationships should be anywhere in the world.  We all know guys that lost it all in a divorce due to being used.

Sorting it out might be the hardest part to move forward as they are so kind.

A buddy once said: 

“I can’t believe you essentially pay for sex”.

I asked him:

“Mortgage on her dream home, new iPhone every year, designer handbag, car payments, maxed credit card bills and being on first name basis with your Amazon driver is “free”?

All the bull shit aside, I just need to focus on my life and budget!

freedom52

Retirement won’t happen overnight!

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Please take the time to read the entire blog but, his is the  audio version blog.

I have discussed some of these ideas on my podcast, but this is a different story. The complete written blog below includes additional details and helpful links.

I also learned a great deal by watching my mom.

She worked incredibly hard and endured more loss than anyone should have to carry. But when it came to retirement, she absolutely nailed it.

She spent nearly twenty years as a snowbird before passing away at eighty-four.

She showed me that retirement was not only about accumulating money. It was about building a life you could enjoy while you were still healthy enough to live it.

I have discussed some of these ideas on my podcast, but this is a different story. The complete written blog below includes additional details and helpful links.

[reflective] I have planned for retirement for as long as I can remember.

In 1996, during the same week I started my telecommunications career, I walked into a Royal Bank in Calgary and met with a retirement planner.

I was twenty-four years old and opened my first R.R.S.P.—a Registered Retirement Savings Plan, somewhat similar to an American four-oh-one-kay.

That was the first time anyone explained tax-sheltered retirement savings to me.

I remember asking, “You mean I have to wait until sixty-two to retire?”

[amused] The planner laughed and told me retirement age would probably be much older by the time I got there.

He was right. My full Social Security retirement age in the United States is now sixty-seven.

So I asked a better question:

“What do I need to do if I want to retire early?”

His answer was simple.

[explanatory] Diversify.

Do not put every egg in one basket. Build several financial supports so one bad year, one lost job or one struggling investment does not destroy the entire plan.

That advice stayed with me for the next three decades.

I contributed between ten and eighteen percent of my paycheck to tax-advantaged retirement accounts whenever I could.

I always tried to contribute enough to receive the full company match.

[amused] If a company offers free money, I am willing to suffer the inconvenience of accepting it.

I bought and sold rental properties to build additional wealth before retirement. I paid off my home, kept my lifestyle fairly modest and worked toward a retirement that would not require an enormous monthly budget.

Compound growth did much of the heavy lifting, but it needed time.

That is why starting young mattered more than starting rich.

[conversational] My own plan was never perfect, and some parts of it were simply personal circumstances.

I never married and never had children.

[amused] Marriage is, after all, the number-one cause of divorce.

Joking aside, that meant I never had to manage college expenses, child support or alimony. Plenty of people build successful retirements while raising families, but my path gave me fewer financial obligations and greater flexibility.

I also made choices that suited the life I wanted: a mortgage-free condo in Arizona, a small place in Mexico, rental income when available and a slower travel lifestyle in countries where my money stretches further.

[serious] Then, in 2024, PayPal eliminated my job.

I was fifty-two.

The layoff was not how I expected my career to end, but because I had spent decades saving, investing, diversifying and lowering my expenses, it did not become a financial emergency.

It became my exit.

[pause]

The retirement planner in Calgary could not have predicted PayPal, Airbnb, geoarbitrage or the strange collection of countries I would eventually call home.

But his basic advice still worked.

Diversify.

Save consistently.

Take the company match.

Avoid unnecessary debt.

Let compound growth work for as many years as possible.

And build a retirement around the life you actually want—not the lifestyle other people expect you to finance.

[reflective] Retirement is still an experiment for me.

I continue to adjust my spending, travel plans and investments. I am learning what this lifestyle truly costs and how much security I need to sleep comfortably at night.

But I did not suddenly retire at fifty-two because I got lucky after losing my job.

I was able to retire because a twenty-four-year-old kid walked into a bank in Calgary and asked the right question.

“What do I need to do to retire early?”

[upbeat] More than thirty years later, I finally know the answer.

Start early.

Diversify.

Keep your expenses under control.

And never ignore free money from a company match!

Be sure to read the complete earlier blog below for the full story, helpful links and additional details. You can also listen to my podcast for more of my retirement experiences and lessons.

Live life to the fullest—but give compound growth enough time to help pay for it!

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2025/26 Edmonton Oilers – RIP 😞

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Let’s just say my 2026 spring plans didn’t go as planned. 

There also may have been a tear/Oil drop in my coffee this morning after my Edmonton Oilers lost in five games in the first round of the NHL playoffs.

The last two springs had set a bit of a tradition—I’d come home from my travels just in time for a long run of Edmonton Oilers playoff hockey. With back-to-back Finals appearances, I’d grown used to games every other night, stretching deep into June.

I lived in Edmonton for a dynasty making me a fanatic for life!

5 Stanley Cups in 7 years!

The Edmonton Oilers won the Stanley Cup five times in their franchise history, all within a seven-year span during their 1980s dynasty: 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, and 1990.

Here is a breakdown of the dynasty:

Lost to 4X Cup Champions New York Islanders 1983:

Defeated New York Islanders1984: 

Defeated Philadelphia Flyers1985

Lost to Calgary – own goal 1986

Defeated Philadelphia Flyers 1987

Defeated Boston Bruins 1988

Lost to Gretzky’s LA Kings 1989

Defeated Boston Bruins 1990

All five championships were won after joining the NHL in 1979.

They have been close a few more times:

Lost in game 7 to Carolina 2006

Lost in game 7 to Florida 2024

Lost to Florida in game 5 2025

Lost this year in the first round to Anaheim 2026

 

Edmonton is always a different city during Edmonton Oilers playoff hockey. 

Spring is in the air, the energy is high, and the party basically ran non-stop for two months. It is a shame it was cut short this year!

Game nights are locked in, and on off nights, everyone turns into an armchair coach or GM. And of course—no matter what’s happening—fans can always find something to complain about running players out of town.

Well, the fans got what they wanted. They pushed too many players out of town who might have made a difference in 2026 and beyond.

Worse yet, the replacements didn’t measure up—2026 wasn’t even close to the 2024 or 2025 teams some people complained about.

I used to say, “Enjoy the game,” because you never know when it might be their last real run. After all, we waited almost 20 years for another shot at the Cup.

The craziest part?  Win or lose:

Every season, it’s the same story with Edmonton Oilers fans calling for change:

#TradeXYZ
#SignXYZ
#FireXYZ

New management basically ripped apart teams that were a goal (2006/2024) and 2 games (2025) away from winning it all!

I am no different, I blame President of Hockey operations Jeff Jackson and Dennis Sundar for pretending to be the smartest people in the room.

Let’s just say that these latest changes have the Edmonton Oilers Stanley Cup winning window is closing faster than my blogging career. 😂

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June 2,1935 – July 1, 2019💔

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You don’t realize how much your mother anchors your world until she’s gone. 

After that, everything changes. The world keeps moving, but it never feels quite the same without her in it.

There are so many memories and moments of relentless loss.  There are also so many things that I wish that I could say so many things just one more time.  

I just thought she would live a lot longer! 

So naive as she was 84.

That analogy couldn’t have been more correct when it comes to me. Since losing my mom, everything has changed, and life has never been the same.

I used to ask her “Are you bragging or complaining”?

I am complaining Mom!

Towards the end, my Mom had a way of being memorable to people she met.

Good and bad as she did tell a fair share of people to kiss her ass.

She also found a way to be just a wee bit annoying. 😇

 

Awesome, arrogance, and annoying – we really do take after our Mom! 😁

So many memories I could share!

 

After I left Canada; I wanted a tattoo of a Canadian Leaf.  She never wanted to be left out so she got a tattoo of a butterfly on her ankle for a daughter she lost in a fire.  

Darlene had a butterfly tattoo. 

I eventually covered up my shitty leaf tattoo and Mom got a second butterfly tattoo on her BIG TOE.  She lost her toenail and always hated it so she got a tattoo there! 😂

“Live life to the fullest” was her saying!

My Mom did not have an easy life. She endured more loss and heartbreak than any one person should ever have to face.

She lost a husband/my Dad (suicide), a daughter (mentioned above) and grandson (fire), a son (car accident). She also lost her closest grandson Ryan to another car accident. I say favorite as Mom always stuck for Ryan when no one else would.  I was old enough to see the pain of her losing Ryan and it hurt her so badly.

I just remember her saying graveside: “Its not fair, it’s just not fair” 😭

I often wonder how she found the strength to keep going.  

I always told myself that someday I would try to make it up to her after she put me through Collage. I was probably the only twenty something year old that had a packed lunch everyday! 😂

I wish I knew how lucky I was to have her here in AZ all those years.

(Just knowing she was three hours away in Yuma meant the world).

When Mom was close to retirement, she used all of her accumulated sick leave to come visit me while I was working in California. Little did I know that first visit would turn her into quite the traveler.

She once took a five-day bus trip from Edmonton to Atlanta to visit me. 

She visited several other cities where I worked, including throughout Southern California, Las Vegas, Nashville, Myrtle Beach, Acapulco, and Mexico City. 

She loved to explore and spend my money while on expenses! 😇

She made 16 trips from Edmonton to Yuma as a snowbird, The above picture I posted was her last year.  I wish I knew that when I posted it.

Every year I would ask, “Do you want to take the bus or fly to Yuma?” She would always reply, “Take the bus… but if there’s a cheap flight.”

I knew exactly what that meant: book the flight and don’t forget to request a wheelchair. 

She didn’t really need a wheelchair, but it escorted to her next gate and helped with her luggage to get to me waiting. I always asked if she pushed the wheelchair. 

So many more stories I can tell …

When I moved to the United States, I dated a flight attendant who was able to get my Mom on flights for next to nothing. I still laugh when I think about her getting upgraded to First Class and acting like such a big shot. 

She was convinced everyone sitting up there was famous. She would ask for first class everytime going forward. 

I could tell stories about her for days—and someday I probably will.

There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about her. The hardest time of year is late Spring. The six-week stretch right now between Mother’s Day, her birthday on June 2nd, and the anniversary of her passing on July 1st.

I was the MC at my niece Amber’s wedding. Since they considered a destination wedding in Mexico, I had one request: anyone who came up to speak had to wear a sombrero.

Most people wore it because they had to.

My Mom wore it like felt like she’d finally achieved her lifelong dream.  Becoming Mayor of Algodones, Mexico where she visited weekly while in Yuma.

Hug your Mom, even if she sometimes drives you bat shit crazy!

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An auto biography with Chat GPT? ⌨️

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I have always wanted to write an autobiography and starting NorthAmericanDarrell.com was a great start!  

In January 2025, I just started writing about my travels and my crazy life adventures in general. Setting up my website layout, navigating technology and my suspect writing skills are a work in progress but, I have come a long way.

My biggest challenge would be taking criticism and keep writing if not one reads. 

Admittedly, i am definitely no Einstein when it comes to creativity and, I am not great at taking criticism.

I just enjoying telling stories about my life but, some people are envious.  EXPATs and like minded travelers tend to give positive feedback while the stool pigeons judge.

I even reached out to a book publishing company that put an outline together and would edit my book along the way for me; $2500 USD+.

“A Legend in my own mind – A Macumentary”

You can read my blog on that process by CLICKING HERE.

It turns out publishing companies also use ChatGPT so why can’t I?!

I asked “ChatGPT plus – the paid version” if it would help me write my autobiography:

(It basically spit out the same outline as the publisher);

Absolutely. Based on your website, blogs, travel stories, humor, philosophy, and personal history, you already have the foundation for a very readable autobiography. (NorthAmericanDarrell)

Your story is bigger than “travel.” It’s really about:

Freedom

Early retirement

Reinvention

Solo travel

geoarbitrage

risk-taking

identity

refusing the traditional script

humor mixed with anxiety and self-awareness

That combination is what makes it compelling.

A strong autobiography for you would probably read somewhere between:

travel memoir

financial freedom story

comedy/self-deprecating reflection

anti-traditional life philosophy

Honestly, your voice is already the strongest part. The humor and honesty are what normally make people keep reading. 

 

Here’s the outline, structure and summary I’d recommend:

North American Darrell

Legend in My Own Mind

A Mockumentary About Freedom, Travel, Geo arbitrage and, Poor Decisions

PART 1 — THE MAKINGS OF A SOLO TRAVELER

Growing up in the ’80s

Simpler life

First exposure to travel

California, Vegas, Acapulco

Falling in love with movement

NAIT, Bars & Telecommunications

School struggles

Ezzies

Northern Telecom interview

First real paycheck

Discovering corporate America

PART 2 — CHASING THE AMERICAN DREAM

Texas Women & Travel Addiction

Richardson HQ

Work visas

Flight attendant relationship

Constant travel

Becoming “North American Darrell”

Houses, Careers & Layoffs

Northern Telecom

PayPal

Building wealth

Freedom50 mindset

Layoffs in 2014 and 2024

Realizing traditional life wasn’t for you

PART 3 — FREEDOM 50

Arizona, Mexico & Airbnb

Mortgage-free condo

Rocky Point

Airbnb strategy

Geoarbitrage

Slow Travel Philosophy

Cheap flights

Hostels

Budget travel

Asia vs Europe

Living longer in places

“Poor decisions and absolute freedom”

PART 4 — THE PHILIPPINES

Relationships & Reality

Dating abroad

Limerence

Financial imbalance

Learning hard lessons

Emotional honesty

Happiness & Simplicity

Why people with less often seem happier

Materialism

Western expectations

Gratitude

PART 5 — THE COST OF FREEDOM

Health Insurance

Retiring before Medicare

Fear of illness

No guaranteed income

Market stress

Freedom vs security

Gym, Aging & Identity

Fear of giving up physically

Staying active

Compression socks and beaches

Longevity mindset

PART 6 — LEGEND IN MY OWN MIND

Why the Blog Exists

Travel is not that expensive

Living life to the fullest

Blogging as therapy

Nobody reading it… and not caring anymore

YouTube

AI

Humor

Reinvention

Final Philosophy

Travel while you still can

Life is short

Take the shot

Don’t die wondering

“Trying not to roll craps”

The key thing:
DO NOT over-polish it.

Your audience will connect with:

raw honesty

self-awareness

humor

contradictions

admitting fear

admitting mistakes

weird/random observations

That’s your brand. (NorthAmericanDarrell)

You already have enough material for:

a full autobiography

a travel memoir

a blog-to-book conversion

audiobook narration

YouTube storytelling series

And honestly?
The title “Legend in My Own Mind” is excellent. 

 

It fits perfectly as you start to add to the below summary.

North American Darrell

‘A Legend in My Own Mind’

A Mockumentary About Freedom, Travel, Geo arbitrage and Poor Decisions

Absolutely. Based on your website, blogs, travel stories, humor, philosophy, and personal history, you already have the foundation for a very readable autobiography.

Your story is bigger than “travel.” It’s really about freedom, early retirement, reinvention, solo travel, geoarbitrage, risk-taking, identity, refusing the traditional script, and humor mixed with anxiety and self-awareness.

That combination is what makes it compelling.

A strong autobiography for you would probably read somewhere between a travel memoir, a financial freedom story, a comedy filled with self-deprecating reflection, and an anti-traditional life philosophy.

Honestly, your voice is already the strongest part. The humor and honesty are what make people keep reading.

PART 1 — THE MAKINGS OF A SOLO TRAVELER

The story begins in Edmonton, Alberta, growing up in the early ’80s when life felt simpler. Bikes, streetlights, no internet, and no cell phones. Then came the first exposure to travel: California, Las Vegas, and Acapulco. Those early trips created a lifelong obsession with movement, freedom, and escape.

After high school came NAIT, bars, telecommunications, and figuring life out the hard way. School struggles, nights at Ezzies, and somehow landing an interview with Northern Telecom despite not exactly being a model student. That first real paycheck changed everything and opened the door to corporate America.

PART 2 — CHASING THE AMERICAN DREAM

The next chapter moves into Texas, corporate travel, and full-blown travel addiction. Richardson headquarters, work visas, airports, hotels, rental cars, and a relationship with a flight attendant that made constant travel even easier.

This is where “North American Darrell” was born.

There were houses, careers, investments, relocations, and years spent building wealth while chasing the Freedom50 dream. Northern Telecom. PayPal. Layoffs in 2014 and again in 2024. Twenty-five-plus years of service erased with a few meetings and severance packages.

That period becomes the turning point where the realization finally hits: the traditional life path was never really the right fit.

PART 3 — FREEDOM 50

Arizona, Mexico, Airbnb income, and slow travel become the foundation of a completely different lifestyle.

A mortgage-free condo in Arizona becomes home base alongside Rocky Point, Mexico. Geoarbitrage enters the picture: learning how to live well while spending less by choosing where and how to live.

Travel changes too. Cheap flights, long stays, budget travel, hostels, Airbnb experiments, and discovering that Asia often makes far more financial sense than Europe.

The philosophy becomes simple: freedom over status.

Poor decisions and absolute freedom.

PART 4 — THE PHILIPPINES

The Philippines becomes more than a destination. It becomes an emotional education.

Relationships abroad, dating culture, limerence, financial imbalance, emotional honesty, and learning hard lessons become central themes. Some funny. Some painful. Most expensive.

At the same time, there’s a growing realization that people with far less materially often seem happier than many westerners. Simplicity, gratitude, and perspective begin changing how life itself is viewed.

The blogs become less about destinations and more about understanding people, expectations, loneliness, aging, relationships, and identity.

PART 5 — THE COST OF FREEDOM

Retiring before Medicare without a pension introduces an entirely new reality.

Health insurance, financial uncertainty, market stress, fear of illness, and the realization that one bad medical emergency can destroy a lifetime of savings.

Freedom suddenly has responsibilities attached to it.

At the same time comes the obsession with staying physically healthy. The gym becomes routine. Aging becomes real. Fear of becoming the guy walking around beaches in compression socks and flip-flops after giving up physically becomes motivation.

Health, freedom, purpose, access to a doctor, and enough money to survive all become interconnected.

PART 6 — LEGEND IN MY OWN MIND

Eventually, the blog itself becomes part therapy session, part comedy routine, and part autobiography unfolding in real time.

The humor, self-awareness, bad decisions, AI cartoons, YouTube shorts, random observations, and brutally honest reflections all become part of the brand.

Nobody may fully understand it except the person living it.

And maybe that’s the point.

The final philosophy is simple:

Travel while you still can.

Life is shorter than most people want to admit.

Take the shot.

Do the thing.

Don’t die wondering what might have happened.

And above all else…

Try not to roll craps along the way.

Dance like no one is watching or reading!

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Jeep roof off – AZ blue sky & cool weather!

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I have been home in Arizona for ten days after spending almost four months traveling.

The weather has been fantastic as it is  normally over 110F/30C this time of year

“Warming expected over the next 6 days”. 

No kidding!

I will enjoy it as this amazing weather is normally taken by my Airbnb guests all winter long. These are averages, I expect the summer will be a lot hotter.

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Travel budget review! One MILLION …

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One MILLION Philippine pesos = ~$16,000 USD

Easily five to six plus months living in the Philippines, it lasted me four months.

I mismanaged my home expenses and overspent in Paradise!💃

(Property/income taxes, health insurance and Jeep/condo repairs).

Every time I come home from a long trip, I spend the first couple of weeks reviewing my budget. The goal is to see where I could’ve saved money—and after three months in the Philippines, let’s just say I gave myself plenty of expenses to review.

I signed up for an budgeting app called “Rocket money” and its pretty apparent that I overspent on every single category three months straight

I could use Count Dracula right about now!

I am always able to recover but the time has come to stick to a budget.  

The part that makes me comfortable is that my AZ expenses are low. The Philippines also makes it a lot easier to budget than most Countries I have visited.

Here is a quick look at my income plan for 2026/27:

Mesa Airbnb: $10K – $15K income.

Investments: $24K – $36K distributions.

(~$3K a month / ~$36K budget)

I will have -$50K available as a buffer.

It sure feels good to be home in AZ watching sports!

Here is my 2026/27 AZ Airbnb expenses:

$320 HOA

$109 utilities 

$60 internet and TV

$60 home insurance

My AZ property will run for about ~$500 a month.

(HOA, internet, utilities and insurance)

Running my Airbnb comes with extra expenses. 

I rent a storage unit to keep my belongings while the place is occupied.  I also maintain a place monthly in Rocky Point, Mexico (four hour shuttle/drive).

I always have somewhere to store my stuff. I also have a place to stay when rented and I’m not traveling. Plus, I also have a pad in Mexico 365 days a year!

My rent in Cebu, Philippines is $450 so accomodations is basically a wash.

I lower my Jeep insurance cost to offset travel insurance. I also put my gym membership on hold as new members pay $190 a month.

Travel insurance is less than $5 USD a day depending on deductable.

You can read my travel insurance blog by CLICKING HERE.

You can checkout your travel health insurance cost using my agent by CLICKING HERE:

I get that question a lot—how did you retire young? Honestly, I just send people to my blog if they’re curious how I’ve made this lifestyle work.

I’ve made plenty of mistakes along the way, but that’s where most of the lessons learned.

The truth is, it didn’t happen overnight—and it definitely wasn’t all luck.

All the hard work, planning with a sprinkle of luck feels good!

My 2026 three month trip to the Philippines taught me so much about my future travel budget. After years or roaming the globe, I have found a place that I to return to yearly.

You can read about my setup in Cebu by CLICKING HERE.

That is huge win for me but the numbers speak for themselves:

~$600 round trip flight or points to get from AZ to the Philippines.

$425 month rent in an amazing area of Cebu.

$250 – $300 weekly budget / ~$1000 monthly

My goal has always been $2K for my travels.

Realistically,, I will need $3K to cover home and my travels.  

Unfortunately, I have had $3K+ months traveling within the Philippines.

I will need to pay more attention to stay on budget now that I have a solid plan.

If not, do you want fries with that? 😳

PXL_20251108_195011900

Home sweet AZ home! 🌵

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After three and a half months of travel—and hosting three Airbnb guests along the way—I returned home to Mesa, Arizona, on April 15, 2026. There’s something especially satisfying about coming home after being gone that long.

I was lucky enough to have my sister and brother-in-law visit from Canada right after I got back. Even through the haze of jet lag, their company was exactly what I needed—and the timing was perfect with the Toronto Blue Jays in town and Oiler playoff hockey starting.

I went to the first two games with them, and they rounded out the series by catching the last game on Sunday afternoon with a big win.

My sister has never been a big traveler, but she’s definitely caught the bug. She’s now been to Las Vegas twice, Mexico, Arizona in the last six months—and she’s headed to Paris in May.

Dropping them off at the train station felt strange. She’s such a confident traveler—navigating airports, figuring out the city train system to get to the games, and even making her way back to the airport on her own.

It was also the start of the NHL playoffs, and we got to watch the first game together. We’ve always been big fans of the Edmonton Oilers, so that made it even more special.

Here is a taste of Edmonton Oilers playoff hockey!

As much as I love traveling, there’s something about coming home and resetting that feels just right. I’m planning to stay close for the next month and get my feet back under me.

Not for too long though—my Rocky Point, Mexico pad is already calling.

Until then, No Mas travel …

extension

Philippines Immigration!💸

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I won’t do the same stupid thing twice with Philippines immigration.

I’ve always believed in the importance of strong immigration systems—not just in America, but around the world. It’s something I’ve spoken about often, and with conviction.

Going through the immigration process in the Philippines has made me realize that I didn’t fully understand it the way I thought I did. And that realization has been frustrating. Not because the system is necessarily wrong—but because I assumed I already knew enough to avoid an unnecessary extension while spending unnecessary money.

The truth is, every country handles immigration differently. What seems simple from the outside can quickly become complicated when you’re the one navigating the process. Paperwork, fees, timelines—it all adds up, and not always in ways you expect.

And there’s a cost to that lack of understanding.

We all pay for our mistakes. In this case, it’s not just mistakes—it’s ignorance. And systems like these don’t let that slide. Whether it’s time, money, or added stress, nothing comes free when you’re learning the hard way.

It’s a humbling experience, but also an important one.

Because it’s one thing to talk about immigration from a distance—and another to live it as …

 “nothing in life is free”.

Here’s how it actually works and there is no lap dance workaround …

When you enter the Philippines, you’re granted a free 30-day visa on arrival.

After that, you need to extend.

Your first renewal gives you a 29-day extension, which costs around $80 USD.

(This was where I made my mistake, I thought it was 30-days)

Once that period ends, you can apply for either a 30-day or 60-day extension—and that jumps to about $175 USD.  This is needed even if you need only needed one more day like me.

Step by step, extension by extension, the process becomes more involved—and more expensive so ensure you take advantage of the full visa and not just one day.

The key to all of this is simple: count your days—and plan your out of Country Road trips and  home flights accordingly.

That’s where I went wrong and you can CLICK HERE for more on Philiippines immigration. 

Below is the current extension and fee summary:

QUICK SUMMARY:

  • Eligibility: 30 and 59-day visa-exempt nationalities and 9A tourist visa holders
  • Duration of extension: 1 or 2 months per extension, up to 36 months for visa-exempt nationalities and 24 months for the rest
  • Extension Fee:
    • The first 29 days for visa-exempt travelers: 4,060 PHP
    • First time after 59 days of stay: 9,830 PHP for 2 months
    • Second time after 59 days: 5,080 PHP for 2 months
    • Beyond 6 months of stay: 5,270 PHP for 2 months

In my case, I didn’t realize that the second extension is 29 days, not 30. And that one-day difference cost me.

Here’s how it played out.

I arrived in the Philippines on January 23rd, 2026.

My initial 30-day visa would have expired on February 25th. Based on that timeline, I knew I would need two extensions—a 29-day extension and then a 30-day extension—bringing my total stay to 89 days.

But I had a plan to avoid that second, more expensive extension.

Instead of staying continuously, I decided to leave the country briefly and re-enter. The idea was simple: reset the clock with a new free 30-day visa, then apply for one 29-day extension. That way, I could avoid the third—and most expensive—visa until later.

So I booked a birthday trip.

I flew to Hong Kong on February 10th and returned on February 12th. On paper, it seemed like a smart move but, I needed to stay one more day.

But here’s the mistake: I assumed the second extension worked the same as the first free—30 days upon entry.

It isn’t – It’s 29 days.

That one incorrect assumption left me short by a single day.

My 29-day extension ended on April 13th. My flight out of the Philippines was scheduled for April 15th.

A day late and now $175 short …

That meant I had no choice: either pay a fine at the airport and deal with the hassle there, or purchase another visa extension.

In the end, I paid for it!!

One extra day turned into a $175 USD mistake.

That new extension now carries me through May 16th—all because I was off by one day.

Lesson learned: in immigration, one day matters more than you think.

My Favorite Island Hop Adventure (1)

Bantayan Island, my favorite island hop!

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Please feel free to read the below blog but, I added the podcast version for audio.

All of my podcast link can be found on the homepage!

Here is E26: Bantayan Island, my favorite island hop.

I made it back to the spectacular Santa Fe Beach on Bantayan Island in the Philippines during the first week of April 2026. 

I visited in 2024 during my first trip to the Philippines, and it was one of my favorite road trips.

It was a memorable 36-hour adventure.

Once again, this beach proved to be another one of the most beautiful in the Philippines.

It was even better than I remembered, which is a recurring statement.

Unfortunately, I made the mistake of visiting during one of the busiest weekends of the year—Holy Week.

What should have been a quick escape to paradise turned into a lesson in bad planning… and even worse execution.

And the crazy part? I always seem to land on my feet!

I arrived in an absolute, hands-down, ten-bell, five-star paradise—Santa Fe Beach on Bantayan Island. 

As long as I came out alive, it was an amazing road trip from Cebu.

The tide pool and sandbar in front of my beach hotel was amazing!

Logistically, it’s actually a simple—and surprisingly easy—trip from Cebu.

~$2 taxi to the North SM bus terminal.

~$4 three-hour ride up to the northern tip of Cebu Island.

~$10 90-minute ferry over to Bantayan Island.

And finally, a quick, couple-dollar tuk-tuk ride straight to Sante Fe beach from the Bantayan ferry terminal.

I paid ~$30 a night for a simple,, clean room at YooneeBeach Resortrt.  This was during Holy Week,, which was double the normal price. CLICK HERE to review and book this simple, yet amazing resort.

(Much fancier and more expensive beach hotels can be found by CLICKING HEE).

Coming home, I took an ~$8 faster van. It was a perfect connection with the ferry getting me home in 6 hours.

Easy. Affordable. Almost effortless.

At least… that’s how it’s supposed to go …

If this sounds awesome—and it actually was…
just not without self-inflicted sideshows that could seemingly only happen to me.

Let me try to lay it out as it actually happened.

First—picture Holy Week travel.

Think Thanksgiving traffic in the U.S, but scooters, tuk tuks, buses, ferries, and Cebu’s insane traffic exacerbated.

Crowds. Delays. Prices up. Everything is moving more slowly than it should. Which I did not think was possible in the Philippines.

That’s where things started to go sideways.

The first speed bump? The bus ride.

What should have been a three-hour trip turned into over five hours, with two rest stops and heavy traffic the entire way.

Not ideal, but still manageable.

The real problem came next.

Because of the delay, we rolled into the port at 5:45 PM…

…and missed the last ferry by 15 minutes.

That’s when I knew—I had officially screwed up.

So instead of arriving in paradise that night, I found myself sitting in the ferry terminal… waiting for the next available boat at 1 AM.

Arrival time: 3 AM.

And just to make things more interesting?

I hadn’t booked a hotel.

Why would I? I figured I’d just walk back into the same amazing beach spot I stayed at in 2024.

Did I mention this was the busiest weekend of the year?

Yeah.

Then—because life always balances things out—I met an amazing Filipina woman sitting in the terminal. She sat next to me,e which always blows me away here.

We ended up talking for five hours, which honestly made the time fly by.
She was fun, easy to talk to, and even invited me to hang out with her cousins and visit a lagoon the next day.

For a moment, I thought… Okay, things are turning around.

She was genuinely great.

And that’s where that storyline paused.

It was time to board the ferry.

We had beds on the overnight ferry so we could finally relax …

Anyway…

We finally arrived.

Her cousin lined me up with an overpriced hotel and gave me a ride there on her scooter, while her friends took her on another scooter. They even helped me check in.

And somehow, after all that… we were about to head to the beach at 3 AM.

That’s when I bailed!

She called—I missed it.

I tried calling her the next day… nothing.

And just like that, an amazing encounter was over due to my ignorance.

Which is too bad, because Santa Fe on Bantayan Island really is incredible, and I could have used a tour guide.  

But that moment set the tone for the whole trip.

Relax.

Drink beer and rum.
And maybe… take a break from being so damn awkward!

The setting?

Unreal.

Crystal-clear water. Soft white sand. Hardly a cloud in the sky.

It’s 10 AM the next morning… $2 beers are already flowing while watching the hockey game, and I slip in a bloody Mary/Caesar with breakfast… and for a brief moment, it feels like life is finally back under control.

At least… temporarily as the Oilers lost and I misplaced my tablet.

Luckily, the staff at the hotel had it waiting for me when I returned for it.

Sometimes traveling, everything feels like a complete disaster…

I am not self-aware of the situation, or confident,

I still catch that break to get me back on track!

Plus, I am also always learning about myself from the mistakes I make along the way.

Another amazing adventure, traveling, and life lessons in the books/blogs!

Living Life to the Fullest, one adventure and mistake at a time!

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Happiness is spending time at the beach!

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My entire adult life, I’ve chased time at the beach.

If I’m being honest, I couldn’t even begin to list all the incredible beaches I’ve visited around the world. What I do know is this—whenever I choose a destination, there’s almost always a beach involved… or at least one close enough to find.

It’s never really been optional. It’s just part of how I travel—and how I live.

For the past eight years, I’ve even kept a small studio rented in Rocky Point, Mexico. Anytime I felt that familiar pull, I knew I could be on the beach within four hours—door to sand.

You can read my blog on my Rocky Point casita by CLICKING HERE.

That beach feeling… it never really goes away for me.

It just gets stronger.

Below is a picture I took on Siargao Island, Philippines, in March 2026. It was a $60 RT flight from my home base in Cebu.

Have you ever considered that you might actually be doing beach life wrong!?

Not because you don’t love the ocean—but because you’ve been sold the same destinations your entire life.

Florida. California. Mexico …

And sure… all-inclusive vacations are great!

But they’re not even close to the best experience IMNSHO!

(IMNSHO – In my not so humble opinion) 🤓

I’ve spent years chasing beaches around the world—Australia, Bermuda, Costa Rica, Greece, Italy, Hawaii—and what I discovered in SE Asia changed everything:

The most beautiful beaches aren’t the most popular ones…
They’re just the ones most people never consider going to.

And here’s the part nobody talks about—

What if you could wake up to clearer water, softer sand, and crowds that are basically nonexistent…

While spending 50–75% less than you would in California, Florida, or even Mexico.

Same ocean experience.
Better adventures.
Way lower cost, longer term.

At some point, you have to ask yourself:

Are you traveling for convenience…Or for something unforgettable?

Here is another picture I took at Alona beach, on the island of Bohol, Philippines which is a two hour ferry trip from my homebase in Cebu.

Below is Santa Fe beach in Bantayan Island, Philippines which is about 6 hours away from my homebase in Cebu.  I visited during the first week of April for the second time.  Like all the other beaches I’ve shared in this blog, it is also amazing.

Most beaches in Southeast Asia are some of the most incredible I’ve seen in my life.

Places like the Philippines, Thailand, and even Vietnam offer clearer water, softer sand, and scenery that feels almost untouched compared to what most people are used to.

My Philippines homebase in Cebu, Philippines—there are many other short, inexpensive flight, ferry, or bus trips away—open up access to islands and coastlines that completely change your expectations of what a beach should look like.

And yet, most people will still book the same yearly trip to Mexico!?
Spending similar money for a completely repetitive experience.

Not bad—just not even close to the best.

Here’s what my numbers look like for my next trip in August 2026.

Flight from Los Angeles to Manila: $600 round trip

Monthly rent: $425 (that’s about $15 a day)

Perfect weather with a side of rainy season to cool off!

Island hopping: $15–$50 to access some of the most beautiful beaches you’ve ever seen 

I know… Mexico is a shorter flight.

You’ve got limited time. Limited vacation days. And more importantly, limited money.

That’s real. And honestly, you might be right.

But let’s look at this from a different angle to prepare you for a longer vacation and/or retirement.  Maybe even early retirement!?

Let’s make it even more real and let this sink in for a second.

You can fly halfway around the world…
live comfortably for a month…
and explore multiple islands…

For about what most people spend on a single week in Mexico.

Flights. Hotels. Restaurants. Drinks. Excursions.

$2,000–$4,000… gone in seven days.

Or—

You take that same budget and completely change the experience.

The Philippines has many things to offer the visitor: a mixture of the old and the new, a diversity of art and culture,e and a warm, friendly people. Blessed by nature, the Philippines has something to offer every sportsman too . . . extraordinary dive sites, forests to roam, mountains to climb, caves to explore.

Wake up every day with access to over 7,000 islands stretching the length of the Philippines—and trade the same old vacation for something unforgettable.

Slow down. Breathe. Actually live there.

That’s the shift most people never even consider—
not just for a vacation, but for upgrading their entire lifestyle… even their retirement.

They’re not choosing a worse experience…

They’re choosing a shorter one—
at a higher price.

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Cebu, Philippines – the city life!

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“Settling into my condo in Cebu Business Park has been fantastic! The building features an incredible gym with views over a beautiful pool, and best of all, everything I need is just a short walk away at the mall.

“Cebu Center Mall is just a three-minute walk from my condo and offers a wide variety of stores and restaurants, many of which you’d find in Canada and the United States.”

“There’s a movie theater, a grocery store, and an incredible food court offering just about anything you could crave from back home—along with some fantastic local gems.

A few of my go-to spots for a taste of home include TGIF, Chili’s, and Texas Roadhouse, perfect for enjoying some classic American comfort food and a cold beer.

The mall also has nearly every store you can imagine, from familiar international brands to local Philippine versions, which are often much more affordable for off-brand options.”

⬆️Above is a tour of the mall⬆️

⬇️Below is Cebu City life after 6 PM⬆️

“City life at a fraction of the cost, beautiful weather year-round, and just ten minutes from the ferry terminal—ready to whisk me away to countless stunning islands.

I have already booked two trips back; one month in the summer and four more months to kick off 2027.  It is such an amazing place to spend four months every year.

I often find myself quoting my mom in these blogs. I miss her every day.

‘If they don’t like it, they can kiss my ass!’

I’d always laugh and ask, ‘Are you bragging or complaining, Mom?’
And she’d say, ‘If it’s the truth, it’s not bragging.’

I am 100% tell the truth in my blogs plus a bit of bragging too!

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ShenanAgain in the Philippines!

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There’s something peculiar about living in the Philippines, and the word I keep coming back to is shenanigans. Not because anything is outright dishonest—far from it—but because so many everyday experiences carry a subtle sense that things aren’t unfolding quite the way you expect, and ignorance is bliss.

It’s hard to explain at first. Nothing is necessarily wrong, yet something feels slightly off-script. 

Processes that seem like they should be simple somehow develop extra steps, like ordering, food for example. Instructions shift depending on who you ask and you might get 5 different answers. Timelines stretch, contract, and occasionally disappear altogether. You start to wonder: is this how it’s meant to work, or is everyone just improvising?

Over time, you begin to realize that what feels like inconsistency is actually a different kind of rhythm. Life here often runs less on rigid systems and more on flexibility, relationships, and quiet negotiation. There’s an unspoken understanding that not everything needs to be exact to still work. “Close enough” is often exactly enough.

Communication, too, plays its part. Direct answers can be rare, replaced instead with softer, more indirect responses. A firm “no” may become a “maybe,” and a “maybe” might quietly mean “probably not.” It’s not deception—it’s a cultural preference for harmony over confrontation. But for an outsider, it can add to that lingering sense of uncertainty.

Answers are often relayed through facial gestures:

🙁 Frown means no

🤨 Raised eyebrows could mean yes but, that’s all you see

😗Puckered lips means, look that direction

And yet, beneath the surface, things do work. Not always in the way you expect, and not always on your timeline, but they move forward nonetheless. What initially feels like disorder slowly reveals itself as adaptability—a system shaped not by strict rules, but by people finding ways to make things work despite limitations.

So yes, “shenanigans” is still the word that comes to mind. But it’s not a criticism. It’s more of an observation, even a kind of appreciation. Because once you settle into it, you start to see that this apparent chaos has its own logic—one that values resilience, patience, and a uniquely human way of getting things done.

I’ve always been a people-watcher when I travel, quietly observing the rhythms, habits, and little human moments that unfold in unfamiliar places. And if there’s anywhere that rewards that curiosity, it’s the Philippines. There’s a constant flow of stories playing out in real time—some heartwarming, some baffling, and some that leave you shaking your head in disbelief.

What’s especially fascinating is watching how people’s journeys evolve… or in some cases, unravel. You’ll see confident arrivals slowly give way to confusion, overconfidence turning into costly missteps, and assumptions clashing with reality in ways that are as eye-opening as they are predictable.

One obvious pattern that stands out is how quickly emotion can override judgment. 

There’s a kind of romanticized optimism that takes hold—a belief that this place, or the people they meet here, are somehow different, more genuine, more meaningful than anywhere else. And while the Philippines is undeniably warm and welcoming, that idealized lens can sometimes lead people to ignore the usual caution they’d exercise back home and more importantly, common sense.

It’s not so much about naivety as it is about being caught up in the moment. The environment, the attention, the sense of escape—it all blends into something that feels personal and significant. But from the outside, as an observer, you can often see the disconnect forming long before they do.

And that’s what makes it so compelling to watch. Not in a cynical way, but in a deeply human one. Travel has a way of amplifying who we are—our hopes, our blind spots, our desire to connect. Here in the Philippines, those qualities don’t just show up… they tend to play out in full view.

It’s a reminder that while the setting may change, human nature rarely does. And sometimes, the most interesting journey isn’t the one on the map, but the one unfolding in people’s expectations versus reality.

One of the more uncomfortable things you notice, especially if you spend a lot of time observing people, is how easily perception and reality can drift apart.

You’ll sometimes see older travelers pairing up with much younger women, carrying themselves with a kind of renewed confidence—almost as if they’ve stepped into a different version of their lives. On the surface, it can look like happiness, even reinvention. But from the outside, it often feels more complicated than that.

There’s frequently an unspoken transaction at play. Companionship, attention, and affection on one side; financial support, stability, or opportunity on the other. Neither party is necessarily unaware, but the balance of expectations isn’t always equal. One person may be grounded in practical realities, while the other leans into a more romantic interpretation of what’s happening.

That gap—between what is hoped for and what is actually being offered—can be difficult to watch. Not because connection itself is a bad thing, but because it sometimes rests on assumptions that don’t quite hold up under scrutiny longer term.

It’s less about judging the individuals involved and more about recognizing a pattern that shows up in many places, not just here. Travel, distance, and unfamiliar environments have a way of amplifying desires—for connection, validation, or even a sense of importance. And in that heightened state, it becomes easier to overlook the more pragmatic side of human relationships.

In the end, it’s a reminder that people often see what they want to see, especially when it feels good to believe it. And sometimes, the line between genuine connection and mutual convenience is thinner than either side might admit.

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Summer in the Philippines – why not!?

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If you’re anything like me—and most people—you care what others think. It’s human nature. We’re wired to want acceptance, to feel like we belong somewhere and always looking for the perfect moment to get off the hamster wheel of life.

But what happens when you’re chasing that acceptance in the wrong places… from the wrong people or worse yet, let that moment pass?

What if getting to that place—the one where you actually feel contentment—was cheaper than you think? 

I just booked a flight back to Cebu for a month this summer for $600 USD return on Singapore Airlines which is amazing!

Sure, I’ll still need to grab a commuter flight, but the heavy lifting is already done. ✈️

What if you could start doing things again that you never thought possible?

Wearing shorts, flip-flops, and a t-shirt every single day.

Choosing from hundreds of stunning islands to visit, each one better than the last.

Finding someone to spend your time with that accepts you the way you are now.

And taking care of your body and mind without breaking the bank sparking your fountain of youth—you can read more about that in my self-care blog by CLICKING HERE.

What if you actually laughed more than you worried again?

Not just once in a while—but every single day.

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Death, overthinking & Limerence!

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I have wanted to write some personal background stories since day one of NorthAmericanDarrell.com 

Since this will eventually be an autobiography, I want to start getting a bit personal!

You can read my blog on my “Mockumentary” ambitions:

CLICK HERE for publisher option

CLICK HERE for ChatGPT option

 

“NorthAmericanDarrell – A Mockumentary”

If you could pack up right now and leave…

Where would you go?

I was introduced to death younger than most people!

Dad; Suicide

Sister and her Son (nephew); Fire

My only Brother; Car accident

All of this happened at a young age while I was trying to figure out life!

I rarely admit it but, death 100% shaped the person that I had become.

I admittedly spend too much time looking for perfection due to loss!

“Paralysis by analysis” with no perfect moments!

Ironically, I am infinitely far from perfect myself!

Deaf in one ear, blind in one eye, broken trap door physically. Capable of being an train wreck emotionally with sprinkling of general anxiety disorder.

Overthinking everything and an inability to commit!

One term I came across was Limerence. 

The more I read about it, the more a few things in my life started making a lot more sense on how my mind is wired on relationships.

When I meet someone, I almost immediately start planning the future!

I put the cart so far ahead of the horse, so quickly, it is ridiculous!

I have tried therapy; I always felt like I was the second craziest one in the room with them all wanting me to dig up my extremely painful my past.

Honestly, I tried their recommendations and its not going to happen.

Too long ago, too much pain and it needs to stay under the rug.

My ‘workaround’ is doing my best to take care of myself physically and financially which often takes care of the emotional part.

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Philippines – Health gimmicks!💸

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Please take the time to read the blog as it has links for these treatments and hilarious pictures of them putting lipstick on a pig! LOL

Below is an audio summary:

Spending time in the Philippines is kind of like living in the Twilight Zone, as nothing really makes sense.

Young, beautiful women prefer older men with their money and security, while some of the best-looking “women” are transgender, which can make for horrible drinking games!

Trying health gimmicks to stay feeling younger is a big part of life as we age. There is no better place to do it than here in the Philippines, where prices are lower. 

I have already blogged about my first experiences; you can CLICK HERE to read it

I keep finding more inspiration through our local crew!

This is Matthew, a local expat I see most mornings at our neighborhood coffee shop.

For the longest time, we never really talked. But he’s one of those guys you notice right away. The kind of person who quietly owns the room with confidence without even trying.

Once we finally started chatting, I realized he’s also one of the most impressive people I’ve met here.

Matthew is 15 years older than me, a cancer survivor, and I’m pretty sure he could knock me on my ass in just about any athletic competition… except maybe a drinking game.

He plays pickleball several times a week and recently introduced me to a place called Summit Recovery, a wellness and recovery spot I hadn’t heard about before.

It is just like my LTF gym/spa routine at home in AZ, and now I’m intrigued.

Matthew goes there every weekday at noon for something called contrast therapy, and I’m hoping to start joining him—not just for the recovery benefits, but also for the chance to sit around and talk about life.

What Is Contrast Therapy?

Contrast therapy alternates between heat and extreme cold to stimulate circulation and recovery.

At Summit Recovery, that means moving between:

🔥 Sauna

♨️ Hot tub

🧊 Ice-cold plunge

💆 Massage

🦵 Compression recovery boots

The rapid switch between hot and cold creates a powerful change in blood flow, which helps:

Flush out toxins

Reduce muscle soreness

Increase circulation

Improve joint mobility

Speed up recovery time

It’s one of the most popular recovery methods used by athletes and wellness enthusiasts, and apparently also a tough expat hanging around my local coffee shop in Cebu, Philippines.

Honestly, if it helps me keep up with Matthew… I’m in.

I guess you could say I’ve tried just about every wellness gimmick in town.

The funny thing is, when you’re living here, experimenting is part of the fun. Almost every treatment, class, or recovery therapy costs a fraction of what it would back home.

So why not give it a shot?

Some things turn out to be incredible. Others… well… make for a funny blog later as there is one born every minute (sucker) and I look goofy before and after! 🤓

Either way, it’s all part of the adventure of living and trying to stay healthy while traveling. 💪🌴✈️

The RF ultrasonic slimming treatment took about 16 minutes and cost $10 USD per session.

A lifetime worth of chubby cheeks getting some love! 😂

RF ultrasonic cavitation is a non-invasive body contouring treatment that combines ultrasound waves to break down fat cells with radio frequency to tighten and firm the skin.

Quick, simple, and another one of those things I figured was worth trying while living here.

But the real standout was the anti-aging package below.

For just $12 (4 pack price), you get a 90-minute session, which is pretty incredible when you consider what similar treatments cost back home. Ninety minutes of cream, masks, and steam are designed to help an old man’s skin recharge.

At these prices, it’s hard not to keep experimenting with all the wellness options around town.

Plus, I get to pretend that I am taking great care of myself all the time!

I just tested these three treatments as I try to keep up with my local hero, Matthew.

Honestly, I never would have imagined myself trying things like this back home. But when the prices are this affordable, it’s hard not to get curious.

At these prices… I will keep trying! 

If our beautiful Filipinas do their best to look great, it is the least I can do to try to put lipstick on a pig!  😂

Worst case, it makes for a great travel story for a few bucks!

Best case, I might actually feel comfortable in the same room as Matthew. 💪😄

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Philippines visa renewal-Bohol Island!

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I have always been a big believer in strict immigration and visa processes. Countries have every right to control who enters and how long they stay.

If you’re curious about my own experience going through the United States immigration system, you can read about it in my blog by CLICKING HERE.

Because of that experience, I’ve developed a real appreciation for countries that take immigration enforcement seriously.

During my trip to the Philippines early in 2026, I took a quick 36-hour island hop from Cebu to Bohol. If you’d like to read about that short adventure, you can check out the full story by CLICKING HERE.

But the real cherry on top of an already amazing trip was how smoothly I was able to renew my tourist visa.

Sometimes, the smallest victories while traveling end up being the most satisfying.

The Panglao regional immigration office is just a short tuk-tuk ride from Alona Beach, where I was staying. Once I submitted my application, the entire process took about 30 minutes.

Quick, simple, and painless.

The only issue turned out to be my own math skills, as my visa expires two days before I leave the country on April 15, 2026. 

I had taken a quick trip to Hong Kong for my 54th birthday, returning to the Philippines on February 12th for my first renewal. Since the first actual visa renewal is only 29 days, I apparently miscalculated somewhere along the way.

Let’s just say I’ve been taking some friendly abuse for not being able to count properly.

The good news is my options are all perfectly fine… they just could have been avoided.

Option 1:
Take another quick trip out of the country—Vietnam, Hong Kong, Thailand, Japan, etc. When you re-enter the Philippines, you automatically receive another 30-day visa on arrival.

Option 2:
Extend the visa for 60 days, which costs about $200 USD.

Option 3:
Do absolutely nothing and risk paying the overstay fine at the airport, which is only about $20 USD per day… though that does mean rolling the dice with immigration.

None of these options is a disaster, but a little better math on my part would have saved me the decision.

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Panglao, Philippines – Alona Beach!

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I spent about 36-hours on the island of Bohol to get away from the city on March 11th, 2026.  It was my second time here, as I spent a few days there in 2024, which you can read about by CLICKING HERE.

Sometimes when you return to a place you loved, it doesn’t quite live up to the memory. But this time, the opposite happened.

As soon as I arrived back at Alona Beach, I remembered exactly why it stood out to me the first time.

The beach has that perfect mix of clear turquoise water, soft white sand, and a relaxed island vibe that makes it incredibly easy to slow down and just enjoy being there.

And within minutes of walking along the shoreline, it all came back to me.

I stayed at the very modest Alona Guest House, paying about $18 USD a night.

It was exactly what I always look for when I’m island hopping: clean, comfortable, and inexpensive.
Honestly, when I’m traveling like this, the room is just a place to sleep and shower. I’m rarely there long enough to need anything fancy.

But during the day, I found a great way to upgrade the experience.

Just down the beach is the beautiful Henann Resort Alona Beach, which offers day passes for around $25 USD.

For that price, you can spend the day enjoying the resort — and it’s pretty incredible.

Most of my time there was spent in the pool, relaxing on a lounge chair, and floating over to the swim-up bar. It felt like a luxury vacation… without the luxury hotel price.

The day pass also included an excellent buffet, which made the deal even better.

If you prefer the full resort experience, rooms start around $200 USD per night.

But for me, this was the perfect travel hack: budget room + luxury resort day pass.

And I have to say — it’s one of the nicest resorts I’ve ever experienced in my life. 🌴🍹

I also treated myself to an amazing surf-and-turf beach dinner right along Alona Beach.

Fresh seafood, steak, the sound of the waves, and a warm tropical evening — it’s hard to beat that combination.

Add in a few rum and Cokes, and the whole experience came to about $40 USD.

For a beachfront dinner like that, in a place this beautiful, it felt like an incredible deal.

Moments like that are exactly why quick island escapes like this are so worth it. 🌴🍹

Before wrapping up my short—but incredibly sweet—trip, I also took care of renewing my stay in the country for another 29 days. From what I’ve experienced so far, the process seems much easier on the smaller islands, and after this visit, I’d have to agree. Everything felt a little more relaxed and straightforward than dealing with the same process in a large city.

If you’re curious about how the process works, you can read more about renewing a visa in the Philippines—along with a few lessons I learned along the way in my blog—by CLICKING HERE.

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Hikari drip – anti aging IV treatment! 💪🏻

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When I turned 54 on February 10, 2026, I started taking advantage of the affordable personal care treatments offered in the Philippines. One of my favorites is a weekly anti-aging IV drip, administered by a nurse and costing about $30 USD per session.

The Hikari drip IV offers a range of benefits, including skin lightening, anti-aging effects, and immune system support, primarily due to its high concentration of glutathione and other antioxidants.

Key Benefits of Hikari Drip:

Skin Lightening and Brightening:
The Hikari drip is known for its skin-lightening properties, primarily due to glutathione, which inhibits melanin production. This can lead to a brighter and more even skin tone, reducing hyperpigmentation and dark spots.

Anti-Aging Properties:
The formulation includes ingredients like Vitamin C and collagen, which are essential for maintaining skin elasticity and firmness. These components help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, promoting a youthful complexion.

Immune System Support:
The antioxidants present in the Hikari drip, such as glutathione and Vitamin C, play a crucial role in boosting the immune system. They help neutralize free radicals, which can damage cells and lead to various health issues.

Detoxification:
Glutathione is often referred to as the “master antioxidant” and is vital for detoxifying the body. It aids in liver function and helps eliminate harmful substances, contributing to overall health and wellness.

Rapid Absorption:
Administered intravenously, the Hikari drip allows for 100% absorption of nutrients directly into the bloodstream, bypassing the digestive system. This ensures that the body receives the maximum benefits of the ingredients quickly and effectively.

Conclusion
The Hikari drip is marketed as a comprehensive beauty and wellness treatment, combining skin-enhancing and health-promoting properties. While many users report positive results, it is essential to consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment, especially intravenous therapies, to ensure safety and appropriateness for individual health needs.

There are potential side effects to consider:

Heart problems, kidney problems, and liver damage
Hikari Premium side effects:

The Hikari Premium Japan Glutathione supplement has been associated with several side effects, including heart problems, kidney problems, and liver damage. 

These serious side effects highlight the potential risks of using glutathione supplements, especially when taken in high doses or without proper medical supervision. 

It is crucial to be aware of these risks and to consult with a healthcare provider before using any glutathione supplement.

I’m not sure if it’s simply a placebo effect, but each time the drip finishes I seem to feel better. I’ll continue to monitor for any potential side effects with my doctor and move forward carefully.

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Dating in the Philippines – who’s your daddy?!

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Many older men come to Southeast Asia looking for love after relationships back home didn’t work out.

Every story is different—and to be fair, plenty of those past relationship failures involve mistakes on the men’s side as well. The bottom line is that they are not together anymore and are happier!

As a single man who has never been married and has no kids, it’s fair to say I’ve often been the common denominator in relationships that didn’t work out.

This blog is written from a man’s perspective and life experiences.

So, buckle up, if you’re a fragile liberal buttercup!

Life here in the Philippines is simply different. People tend to value the essentials more—health, family, loyalty, time together, and making the most of what you have, as there are often very few material items.

And that alone can create a completely different world of expectations.

Most of my closest friends and family married their high school sweethearts, which is so awesome.

They started from the ground floor together—figuring life out as they went, building careers, homes, and raising great families along the way. Almost all of them are still together, too!

Sometimes they make tongue-in-cheek comments about how my life turned out. In many ways, they can’t relate.

“How can you live without kids?”
“You need to get laid more.”
“No one wants to live a life like you.”
“You need to adapt to her needs.”

Some of it is joking, some of it is probably fair criticism.

But they’ve shared one life path. Through the ups and downs, there’s never been much background noise—just the two of them building a life around one lifetime lover.

And sometimes I wonder… is that happiness, contentment, settling, or a little of each?

I feel it may also be a bit of ignorance of never knowing a different path like mine.

When people ask why things worked out that way for me.

Even though I am not Religious, I say it was “God’s Plan”.

That takes a bit of heat off an uncomfortable truth.

I would have been divorced three times, and, thankfully, marriage was not forced!

That is why, most days, I am thankful for how my life worked out so far …

 

Dating in the Philippines, it is a whole new life adventure.

A lot of guys have had luck dating on Tinder, so why not right, RIGHT?!  

I literally have matched with the majority of the local Tinder population, and at the time of this post, I have over a hundred likes and tons of messages to sift through after a couple of weeks.

Tinder people on these dating sites all have different objectives.

Personally, I’m just looking for a genuine connection with someone I can move forward with during my time in the Philippines and hopefully beyond.

The challenge is sorting through everything else. A good portion of profiles turn out to be transgender, others are clearly working as prostitutes, and a fair number are just plain scammers or people with very different intentions.

That leaves a smaller percentage of people who are actually looking for the same thing I am.

I’ve also been contacted by more than a few absolute weirdos along the way. At one point, I even added a line to my profile trying to filter them out…

I am ONLY interested in WOMEN! NO TRANS or Lady Boys!

That idea didn’t 100% work, so I’m switching tactics.

Business cards.

Used-car-salesman style!

“Now available: **1972 Cadillac—low mileage, classic model, surprisingly well maintained.” 😂

If someone catches my eye, hand them a card—or if you notice them first, just ask if they’re single… and, you know, not packing a surprise. 😲

Honestly, it’s kind of nice for us older guys to get the kind of attention we’d probably never get back home.

If these business cards still do not make sense, watch the videos above and skim my Tinder profile again—you’ll comprehend that it can be tough out there.

I am just a shy guy wanting to get a conversation started and knowing what is under the hood!

WhatsApp Image 2026-03-04 at 4.26.02 PM

Siagaro, Philippines Island!🏝️

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I took a four-day road trip to Siargao, one of the nicest islands in the Philippines. 

It was a $60 40-minute round trip flight from Cebu on a Dash-8 twin-prop plane.

The Dash 8 is primarily manufactured by De Havilland Canada, which introduced the aircraft in 1984. I had a chuckle, Canada’s chance to take me out!

It had been a while since I last flew on a propeller aircraft.

There’s something about seeing those spinning blades just outside the window that always makes the journey feel a little more adventurous, bumpy, and a little more vulnerable, thinking of the blades stopping mid-flight.

As soon as I landed in Siargao, the island rhythm kicked in. Vans were already lined up outside the airport, ready to scatter arriving travelers to different corners of paradise. 

I hopped into one bound for General Luna — the island’s lively heart — about a 40-minute ride that cost 300 Philippine pesos (roughly $6 USD).

General Luna pulses with youthful energy. It’s where sun-kissed days roll seamlessly into electric nights — famous for its powdery beaches, world-class surf breaks, and a nightlife scene that keeps the music going long after sunset. 

If you’re chasing that perfect mix of ocean adventure and social buzz, this is where Siargao truly comes alive.

I spent the day wandering up and down the main strip of General Luna, soaking in the surf shops, beach bars, and cafĂŠs buzzing with energy. Before long, it became clear that this pocket of Siargao thrives on youthful momentum — backpackers swapping stories, surfers chasing the next swell, and groups gearing up for another lively night out. All young, all good looking – square peg! 🤏🏻

Alright, that’s it… I’m outta here – damn kids, get off my island! 🏝️😂

By evening, I knew I was craving a slower rhythm. The next morning, I arranged for a tuk-tuk to take me north toward the quieter stretch of Tropico — ready to trade neon lights and party playlists for palm trees, open roads, and a more tranquil side of island life.

The contrast was immediate. Where General Luna buzzed with energy, Tropico felt almost suspended in time — so quiet it bordered on surreal. The roads were emptier, the shoreline more untouched, and the only soundtrack was wind through palm trees and waves folding onto the sand.

I settled into an old farmhouse that had been thoughtfully converted into an Airbnb, blending rustic charm with breezy coastal comfort. Weathered wood, wide-open windows, and uninterrupted ocean views made it feel both simple and luxurious. It was, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful beach Airbnbs I’ve ever stayed in — the kind of place that makes you slow down, breathe deeper, and forget what day it is.

After spending 24 blissful hours doing absolutely nothing but soaking up tropical paradise, I made my way back to General Luna for one final island day.

Wanting to see a different side of the area, I hired a tuk-tuk driver for a couple of hours and set off on a laid-back tour beyond the usual stops. We discovered quiet stretches of coastline untouched by the crowds — hidden pockets of sand and sea that felt like a private hidden escapes that only the locals enjoy.

Honestly, I’m not sure how anyone ranks one beach over another here. Each one felt like a perfect 10 — powdery sand, swaying palms, and water in every shade of blue imaginable. 🌊🌴

Thank you, General Luna, and Tropico Siargao — for the sun-soaked mornings, the slow island afternoons, and the kind of beauty that lingers long after you leave.

This little corner of paradise has left its mark on me, and I already know this isn’t goodbye — it’s simply see you again. I’ll be back to wander your palm-lined roads and explore more of your breathtaking island soon. 🌴✨

energy

Feeling young again on the cheap!

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Since landing in the Philippines on January 23, 2026, I’ve accidentally (and thankfully) fallen into an elite squad of EXPAT legends.

You know the type.

The “I know a guy” guys.
Need a visa tip? They know a guy.
Need a mechanic? They know a guy.
Need a couch, a lawyer, a dentist, or someone to explain why your WiFi is emotionally unstable? They know a guy.

There’s a group chat with nearly 100 people in it — and whatever you need, someone responds within minutes.

ÂżThe admin Julio?
All-knowing.
All-seeing.
Probably asleep but still somehow replying.

Some of the best referrals have come from the crew — especially on the Men’s Health front. A little “base maintenance” to keep the engine tuned and the warranty extended.

Let’s just say the group believes in aging… strategically. 💃🏻

And of course, it’s not all responsible adulting.

There’s a healthy (and by healthy, I mean questionable) dose of shenanigans mixed in.🥳

Because what’s the point of building a support network if you’re not also building stories, you probably shouldn’t put in writing?

Support.
Referrals.
Cardio.
Maintenance.
Mild chaos.

Honestly, it’s the perfect balance of everything!

I have been taking advantage of a fraction of the cost (links below):

IV drip to load up on vitamins $30

MounjaroÂŽ (tirzepatide) injection $15

Testosterone replacement therapy $15

Doctor consultations/blood work ~$20

Anti-aging mask $15

One hour chair massage $5

If it flies, f#cks, or floats… chances are, it can be found or fixed in our chat.

Need advice, a hookup, or just a kick in the right direction? Someone’s got you covered.

Seriously, whatever you need to get back on track — whether it’s wings, wings of another kind, or literally floating on a boat — the crew has it.

It’s like a Swiss Army knife… but with more sarcasm and less risk of cutting yourself.

I am also considering NRD and even stem therapy down the road if needed.

Here are the potential benefits and links for each treatment:

NAD+ and resveratrol work synergistically to support cellular energy, DNA repair, and longevity by activating sirtuins and enhancing metabolic function. ~$250 per does but cheaper buying bulk.

Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD+) is a vital coenzyme essential for energy production, DNA repair, and cellular metabolism. According to Dr. David Sinclair of Harvard Medical School, NAD+ levels drop by over 50% by age 50, leading to fatigue, metabolic decline, and cellular dysfunction—restoring NAD+ through therapy counteracts these effects for natural rejuvenation.

Boosts Energy and Mental Clarity

RejuvaNAD+ helps restore NAD+ levels, promoting increased energy, sharper focus, and enhanced memory.

Promotes Cellular Health and Longevity

With RejuvaNAD+, you can support cellular repair and regeneration, helping to slow down the aging process and maintain a youthful appearance.

Accelerates Physical Recovery

Whether from exercise or daily wear and tear, RejuvaNAD+ aids in faster recovery and reduced downtime.

 

Stem cell therapy in the Philippines $3,750 per treatment

Overview of Stem Cell Therapy
Stem cell therapy, also known as regenerative medicine, leverages the unique ability of stem cells to self-renew and differentiate into various cell types such as blood, muscle, or nerve cells. These cells can be autologous (from the patient) or allogeneic (from a donor), and they are often manipulated in a laboratory to specialize into the type of cells needed for treatment. Once prepared, the cells are introduced into the body through injection, intravenous infusion, or local delivery to the affected area.

With all this newfound energy, I decided to channel it …

I signed up for boxing lessons.

Cardio? Yes.
Anger Management Therapy? Also, yes.
Cost? A very reasonable $8 a session.

Now, does it look graceful?
Absolutely not.

Does it look goofy and uncoordinated?
Absolutely

But there is something deeply satisfying about throwing a punch and hearing that thwack echo back at you like,

“Yep. That one landed.”

It may not look like a highlight reel from Floyd Mayweather Jr.…

But landing a combination feels incredible.

As always. It is a work in progress, so far, I feel so much better.