The one on the right, LOL!
NorthAmericanDarrell
NorthAmericanDarrell
Can you really live on $500 USD a month? ☑️
My travel budget runs about $2,000–$2,500 USD a month, and I have all the time in the world. That combination turns out to be a cheat code at 53.
On that budget, I can slow travel through most parts of the world quite comfortably. I can’t help you with time—but I can help you with the money part. If you’re willing to embrace the slow-travel, nomadic lifestyle (full-time or even part-time).
It’s a great way to escape the snow, prepare for retirement… or better yet, escape your nagging EX.🙌
Slow travel lets you actually live somewhere instead of just visiting it. You immerse yourself in a new culture, eat local food, make questionable transportation choices, and become a legend—at least in your own mind like me. 😆
I’ll be the first to admit it’s not for everyone, but then again, neither is the constant bullshit in North America.
I was introduced to slow travel through YouTube and eventually stumbled onto Dan’s website and YouTube channel. I was immediately hooked. How could someone travel so inexpensively and visit so many incredible places? It sounded impossible.
Turns out—it’s not even close to impossible!
The video below shows Dan interviewing someone who’s living on under $500 USD a month and genuinely loving life. That level of minimalism isn’t for me—and it might not be for you either—but it’s still impressive as hell.
If this lifestyle intrigues you, Dan has 900+ videos covering everything from retiring abroad to cutting costs and choosing destinations wisely.
I actually chatted with Dan, and he gave me permission to share information from his site. You’ll see it pop up in other posts too—so you might as well go straight to the source. Go get the milk from the cow and bookmark him.
Below is Dan’s website and YouTube channel with TIPS on dozens of countries. If you would like to see more interviews of people living on the cheap, he also has a lot of interviews on his website.
Alice the camel has … go Alice go!!!
One of my goals in visiting the United Emirates was to ride a camel just like my favorite cartoon!
I did not get to ride a camel but did visit a camel farm on the outskirts of Abu Dabhi. I was just like the movies; the camels in the Desert are for real, they were everywhere!
I never pay for an excursion anywhere in the world as it goes against my life-like aspirations.
My Uber driver told me, you’re a dumbass and I will cut you a deal. Fair enough, I can be a dumbass trying to save money. He did cut me a deal for the day to find a camel farm.
It was awesome as they are such interesting animals, and my driver gave me a great tour explaining their importance locally. We also visited a camel racing track where these guys will run 8 km with big money betting from the rich culture within the area.
Those were to good days and if you think this is silly …
Bugs Bunny is smarter than most of us!
Koh Phi Phi, Thailand! 🌴🥥
I consider my six-week trip to Thailand in 2022 to be free!
It was my fifth anniversary working for PayPal, and I was eligible for my four-week sabbatical. I tacked on two weeks of vacation and also rented my AZ condo on Airbnb the entire time. How sweet a deal was that setup!
In January 2021, Thailand was reopening for tourists after COVID-19. There were so many strict rules, but as always 90% of the stuff we worry about never happens.
Bring a negative COVID test within 48 hours of departure.
Buy travel insurance that covers COVID.
Take a COVID test once arriving at the hotel in Bangkok.
Locked down in a hotel until the test came back negative in 48 hours.
I would be fed three amazing meals a day delivered to my door.
Allowed to wander around the hotel grounds during lockdown.
Pretty amazing time-out to take care of the 14-hour time difference and jet lag!
Once I received a clear email from the Thai government, I was off to tour Bangkok for two days before leaving. I would be back on my way home to finish touring the city.
I left for my island, hoping for adventures in the following days: Koh Samui, Koh, Phangan, Koh Tao, Phuket, and the topic of this post, my absolute favorite island in Thailand, Koh Phi Phi Island!
Unsure whether or not to jump! Damn right, that was a long way up for a big boy!
Watch for the body, UGH my shoulder, that’s a long way up for a big boy, LOL!
This was an amazing boat ride I took to tour the islands around Koh Phi Phi. We snorkeled and visited several bays in the area, including the famous Maya Bay where the movie “The Beach” was filmed. Although it was closed for swimming due to preservation, it was beautiful!
The water taxi (Panga) is a staple for locals in Asia. Here are a few variations of the boat as seen during my travels.
I took these underwater pictures on a panga snorkeling tour just off the Phi Phi islands.
FB travel memories mashup!
Facebook memories will often share mash-ups of my travel memories!
This is a great mashed-up memory that covers so many amazing posts around the world.
Puerto Vallarta, Lake Paddle/Hawes hiking trail, amazing sunsets, camping with my rooftop tent, Kona/Honolulu, Rocky Point and Lima sunsets, Philippines ferry ride, Vienna, Austria walk, and the last one is the spectacular Dubai harbor.
Seeing them all together makes me realize how fun it is to share my amazing travels!
I am a pretty lucky schmuck!
All-inclusive vacations – I do not get it?
I’ve never been a fan of all-inclusive vacations—and it’s not just because of the eye-watering cost.
Here’s the standard script:
You head to the airport, grab a few drinks in the lounge, and convince yourself the vacation has already started.
You land in Puerto Vallarta, get funneled into a van, and delivered straight to a stunning resort.
You mostly mingle with people from your own country, overeat at the buffet, and optimize drink size so you can tip less.
If you’re lucky, you score one reservation for steak or lobster.
Anything outside the gates costs hundreds of dollars.
Seven days later, you’re back in the van, back at the airport, back home.
And the only thing you really learn about Mexico comes from the resort staff.
Now—to be clear—the resorts are amazing. If your goal is pure relaxation, zero decisions, and floating between pool, bar, and buffet all week, I get it. There’s nothing wrong with that.
But here’s the question I keep coming back to:
What if you did it a little differently?
What if instead of being delivered somewhere, you arrived somewhere?
What if you stayed long enough to learn a neighborhood, find a favorite coffee spot, recognize faces, and build a routine?
What if your days weren’t scheduled—but unfolded?
That’s the difference between vacationing at a place and actually being in it.?
A Different Way to do it!
You still start the same way—airport lounge, a couple of drinks, the usual pre-flight ritual.
Then things change.
You land and grab local transport or an Uber to your Airbnb. No vans. No wristbands. No schedule was handed to you at check-in.
For about $0.50, you take the bus—or spend around $10 on an Uber—downtown. You unpack in one of hundreds of Airbnbs for $50–$75 a night, or well under $1,000 a month if you stay longer.
You eat where locals eat: $2 tacos from street carts, $2 drinks from the OXXO on the corner. Nothing fancy. Nothing curated. Just good, normal food.
Most mornings, you wake up and hop on a bus to explore different areas—letting curiosity, not an itinerary, decide the day.
And if you want the resort experience? Take it in small doses. Buy a $50 day-pass, float in the pool, eat the buffet, enjoy it—then leave. No long-term commitment required.
It’s not anti-resort.
It’s a “pro-choice”.
Travel bank fees, I hate them!🏧💸
Imagine this for a second: banks charge you fees to access your own money… while they earn interest on it.
ATM fees 
Monthly “maintenance” fees unless you park $10K earning garbage interest
Wire transfer fees
Foreign transaction fees
According to a Bankrate.com survey, more than 25% of Americans with checking accounts pay an average of $24 a month in banking fees. And I can promise you—I pay a lot more than that while traveling. It feels like a rigged game.
Here’s how it usually plays out on the road:
Wells Fargo charges me $5 for using a non-Wells Fargo ATM
Except… Wells Fargo ATMs don’t exist outside the U.S.
The ATM owner then slaps on $3–$10
Then the bank adds a foreign exchange fee to “hedge” my money
That’s $15–$22 gone before I even see my cash.
You always get f#cked in the ATM drive-thru. 
Sure, there are ways to reduce the damage—pull out more cash at once and eat fewer fees—but that means carrying more money and increasing the risk of getting robbed. I hate carrying cash. I travel with backup cards for a reason.
Recently, I found a partial solution: banking with Charles Schwab in the U.S.
They never charge ATM fees
They reimburse any ATM fees you incur worldwide
It’s not perfect. The downside is that moving money into Schwab can take up to two business days, which can hurt in an emergency.
So yeah—win some, lose some.
But for fuck’s sake…
It’s my money.
Fishing in Kona, Hawaii! 🎣
Meeting my first mate, Sue, and her husband Steve at Planet Fitness during my first week in Kona in the fall of 2022 was such an amazing sequence of events. I was there for two months, and it could not have started any better.
I found fishing buddies, and they were good at it too!
It would make my fishing dreams come true the following week, catching a 350 lb+ marlin, pictured above, getting weighed at the harbor. I remember it like it happened yesterday, and it was the largest fish caught on Captain Tom’s boat Honu Hua “at the time.
In the Summer of 2024, they broke my record with a 550 lb+ marlin, giving me reason to keep going back.
Look at the size of that marlin!!
Back to my fish story! Sue picked me up at crack ass so we could leave the docks at 6 AM. I walked up to the boat, and Sue introduced me to Captain Tom, Aunt Tootsie, and Uncle Bobby.
(Uncle/Aunt is a Hawaiian term of respect when introducing someone older than you.)
The first thing I said was that it was a dream to catch a marlin and watch it jump while reeling it i, and holy shit, did I ever! The first thing I remember reeling her in is seeing her jump, I said to the crew, Look at that Marlin jump way over there and the unanimous reply was;
“That’s your fish, dumbass, REEL”.
It took me about 90 minutes to reel her in, and we have some great videos below. I was not handing off the rod and had to crank with two hands at times. We laughed a lot as the marlin made it to the boat and took off a few times, with me yelling at her the whole time.
First things first, I caught a Mahi Mahi right off the hop in the first video! So awesome tasting too! After that, all hell broke loose with my marlin madness! Enjoy!!
What a fricken’ beauty, Marlin and Captain Tom! Reach out to fish if you are in Kona! Tell him NorthAmerican Darrell sent you, as he will share some of our fun time, guaranteed!
We went to Captain Tom’s and smoked her in an old shack behind his house, making the best-tasting fish jerky! It was marinated for days and hung on hooks for four hours!!
Here are some videos and pictures from another trip with other awesome peeps! The laughs and cruising are almost as fun as the catch, every single trip. We landed a double marlin, two on hook at the same time, which was total mayhem for about 15 minutes!!
I was able to reel mine in, but we lost the other one. Rookies, LOL!
I could literally share hundreds of pictures and videos of my fishing trips!
Here are 50ish, and you can find more on my YouTube, LOL!
If you’re planning on being in Kona and would like to meet Captain Tom and first mate Sue for an amazing and cost-effective fishing experience, send me an email or a WhatsApp message from the homepage, and I can work out the logistics. Hell yeah!!
I catch myself saying that the marlin was 350lbs, busted! 338 is the official weight, and I have that paper too!
The picture of Captain Tom pointing to the hole in his shirt was my marlin nearly taking him out, so close! That is his favorite fishing shirt, and he wore it the next two times we went out for a good laugh.
On the right, you will see Tom and his family’s process of smoking the marlin and packaging the marlin. I cannot remember how many pounds they sell for, but I took a couple of pounds home, which is so amazing!
The Cabo, Mexico Wabo!!🌴🍻🎸
One of the biggest photo opportunities in Mexico is the arches in Cabo, Mexico.
It is a quick, inexpensive flight from Phoenix! Some EXPATs claim that Cabo has the best weather in Mexico year-round.
Less humidity, bugs, and 80F/26C! 😎🏝️
I took a tourist boat tour to get a closer look from different angles. It was pretty incredible to see up close, especially on the day I went, as it was very windy, and the water was crashing, making the arches look even better.
I put my GoPro underwater as part of the boat ride as the captain through bread out to attract the colorful fish.
I only stayed a few days as there was not much else that interested me. Cabo is known for its sport fishing, arches, and Sammy Hagar’s Cabo Wabo cantina. I was able to cover all three in one day during my short visit. I found a great Airbnb that was within walking distance to the Cabo San Lucas marina, which is where all the action is in town.
I visited Sammy Hagar’s famous Cabo Wabo Cantina, saw the arches up close, and I have already caught a few Marlin in Hawaii. Those are the biggest reasons to visit Cabo IMHO, other than the great weather year-round, so maybe I will go back one day again.
Keeping up with the Joneses! 💳
There was a time in my life when I was one of the Joneses.
I had a truck, a Jeep, and a Cadillac
An amazing boat.
A side-by-side UTV
A house in Georgia.
Three acres in North Carolina.
A condo in Mesa, Arizona.
Trailer for my mom in Yuma, AZ
All at the same fucking time.
From the outside, it may have looked like success. On the inside, it felt like maintenance—constant, expensive, and exhausting. The more I bought, the more I worried. The more I owned, the more I was owned by it.
It took me longer than I’d like to admit, but eventually it clicked:
None of that stuff was buying me freedom.
It was giving me stress.
Letting go wasn’t a loss—it was a release.
A Cadillac CTS, a Ford F-150, a Jeep Rubicon, a Sea Ray 220 boat, utility trailers, and a Polaris side-by-side UTV—all lined up like some personal dealership. Add in three properties, and it turned into a private parking lot paired with a full-time insurance nightmare.
At the time, it felt like progress. Like proof, I was “doing well.”In reality, it was just layers of obligation—payments, maintenance, insurance, storage, stress—stacked on top of each other.
Nothing about it felt light.
Nothing about it felt free.
The pictures below aren’t nostalgia for me anymore—it’s a reminder of how easy it is to confuse accumulation with success, and how heavy life gets when everything you own starts owning you back.
I’m grateful I figured it out earlier than most: I didn’t actually want stuff—I wanted freedom, and travel was the clearest path to it.
I watch so many people stuck in the same cycle I was in before. Month to month. Payment to payment. Always chasing the next thing, yet somehow there’s never enough. More income just leads to more obligations, and the finish line keeps moving.
That pattern isn’t unique to one place. You see it everywhere—especially in Canada and the United States, but plenty of other places too.
Once I stepped off that treadmill, things got lighter. Less ownership, fewer anchors, more flexibility. I stopped measuring progress by what I accumulated and started measuring it by how freely I could move.
For me, choosing travel over stuff wasn’t about sacrifice.
It was about choosing the life I actually wanted.
I have downsized substantially, keeping only my Jeep in AZ, my truck in Mexico, an eBike, and a scooter.
It’s a hell of a lot less stressful having time-freedom flex instead of just more stuff.
Stuff demands attention.
Time gives it back.
One ties you down.
The other lets you move.
I’ll take time—every single time.
The American dream – Dual citizenship!🦅🦫
Canada: Don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out!
100+ Airbnb stays and growing fast!
I have spent 90% of my stays at Airbnb properties and about 10% at hostels. I’ve been having great luck renting studio rooms within hostels, so that’s one of the first things I check when visiting a new city.
Below are some of the Airbnb properties that I have stayed at over the years:
Running your own Airbnb is basically like running a business.
You need to ensure your guests are happy, and if there is an issue, it needs to be addressed ASAP. I had an issue with maid service once. I refunded the cleaning fee and bought them a gift certificate for lunch.
I ended up getting a good review, which is always my goal.
Here is blog my Airbnb if you would like to take a closer look!
My Airbnb in Mesa, AZ – NorthAmericanDarrell
45 Countries pinned so far! 📍🌏
I’ve got a world map on the wall of my condo in Arizona, covered in pins marking everywhere I’ve been. It’s equal parts decoration, motivation, and a gentle reminder that the map still has plenty of space for adventures.
Choosing my next adventure usually breaks down like this:
75% cost
25% the satisfaction of dropping a new pin and sharing the story
If these blogs do anything at all, I hope they inspire a few of you to stop overthinking it, pick a spot, and take the leap.
If you’re waiting for “someday,” you’re waiting on a date that never shows up.
Pick a day.
Make a plan.
Drop the pin.
Someday isn’t a destination—
It’s an excuse.
I believe I have visited 38 of 195 countries in the world. I do my best to reach as many cities as possible, too:
North American (Darrell – Lived in all three)
Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
Central America:
Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Costa Rica, St. Croix USVI, Jamaica, and Bermuda.
South America:
Peru, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil.
Europe:
France, Hungary, Austria, Greece, Bulgaria, Italy, Turkey, Portugal, Poland, Germany, Switzerland, Iceland, the Czech Republic, and Spain.
Ireland/UK/Australia
Asia:
Thailand, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, Cambodia
Middle East:
United Emirates
Africa and Antarctica:
Nada
Upcoming trips:
Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines.
(I will continue to add to this list as my adventures continue)
Filling that empty space on my map. 
Buy me a beer or don’t! Cheers!! 🍻
I set this up for folks who choose to support my adventures by purchasing a $5 beer. I will accept one donation or recurring monthly donations, but no higher amount than USD $5.
Venmo, PayPal, or Patreon links on the homepage!
Cheers!
Darrell
Saving money booking one-way tickets! 🤑
I recently found a flight from home in Phoenix, AZ, to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, using this method.
See examples below if you want to save money!
Have you even considered flying home from a different airport to save money? I use this strategy to check if booking two one-way trips is cheaper than a round trip every time I book a flight. It works!!
Example: You’re flying from Phoenix to Dallas.
(Remember, Dallas has two airports to save even more money.).
Check the one-way flights each way instead of a round trip. Maybe you want to visit Austin and San Antonio. Fly to Austin and home from San Antonio, as they are a short distance apart. Use the money saved to rent a car!
This theory also allows you to take advantage of using different airlines each way, too, as round-trip travel booking normally uses the same airline. Keep in mind, some airlines have better baggage rules, too, which may also change the overall cost.
I wrote a blog on how to book inexpensive flights here.
My favorite search tool is Google/travel https://www.google.com/travel/flights/
Make sure you change it to one-way and leave “where to?” blank and click explore to see the maps. Add your dates if they are specific, or leave them blank to display the best dates to travel for the lowest price.
I recently found a flight from home in Phoenix, AZ, to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, using this method:
The direct flight from Phoenix to Saskatoon was $53 USD
I booked my return ticket from Edmonton back home to Phoenix for $109 USD!
That is about $165 USD return, and I get to visit two cities!
If I had booked a round trip to either city, it would have cost a lot more money.
Education/Work experience:
1986-1989 – High School – Archbishop O’Leary
2003-2005 – Post Secondary – Telecommunications Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT)
1996-2014 – Northern Telcom/Nortel/Ericsson
2015-2016 – Travel
2017-2024 – PayPal/Venmo
2024-XXXX – Solo slow traveler, vlogger & geoarbitrage at NorthAmericanDarrell.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@northamericandarrell
#NorthAmericanDarrell
Cover letter and resume available upon request
Volaris all you can fly (AYCF) pass!✈️
Why the Volaris Pass Is My Favorite AYCF Pass
The Volaris Annual Pass is my favorite all-you-can-fly option—and honestly, it’s not even close. I mean… it’s Mexico. And who doesn’t love Mexico?
This was the second AYCF pass I purchased (after Frontier Airlines, and alongside Wizz Air), and it’s the only one I’ve kept. At $200 per year, it can easily pay for itself with just one or two flights.
I did renew my Frontier AYCF, as it dropped down to $299.
You can read that blog by clicking
I’m currently on my third year using the pass—and it’s the only AYCF pass of the three that I’ve renewed. The value, the geography, and the flexibility just work for how I travel.
Volaris Annual Pass — The Basics
Includes all domestic and international routes (subject to seat availability)
Domestic flights: book up to 24 hours before departure
International flights: book up to 3 days before departure
The earlier you search, the better your chances of finding seats
Flexibility with routes and dates greatly improves availability
Valid to book flights on any day of the year
Flights include one personal item only (no carry-on or checked bag)
One-way, nonstop flights only (no connections)
Flights must be booked via: www.annualpass.volaris.com
Seats are always subject to availability
You pay taxes and fees on every booking
It’s not a luxury product—it’s a flexibility product. If you understand that going in, it’s incredibly powerful.
Where the Volaris Pass Has Taken Me
Using the Volaris pass, I’ve flown to:
Puerto Vallarta (3×)
Lima (2×)
San José (2×)
Guatemala (2×)
Cancún (2×)
Mexico City
Guadalajara
Tijuana
Querétaro
That’s real use—not theoretical value.
GoWild! Frontier all you can fly!✈️
This was the first all-you-can-fly (AYCF) pass I bought back in 2023 and 2024, and I paid $499 USD for it. Solid value—but when the price went up, I decided not to renew for a third year. I just wasn’t using it enough to justify the increase.
Then… plot twist.
UPDATE: The pass went on sale for $299 for 2027.
At that price?
No spreadsheets.
No internal debate.
Renewed. 🙌🏻
Sometimes the best travel decisions are the easiest ones—especially when the math suddenly starts working very hard in your favor.
A full summary of everything covered here can be found at the link below.
GoWild! All You Can Fly Pass™ | Frontier Airlines
Below are the destinations that I visited with the pass:
Los Angeles 5X
San Diego 2X
Las Vegas 3X
Baltimore
Denver
Dominican Republic
St. Croix, BVI
Cancun, Mexico
2024 Rocky Point bike Rally!🏍️
As the Rocky Point bike rally wraps up, my landlord makes all her guests menudo, tacos, and coffee to prepare for the long ride home. Some guests came from as far as 19 hours away in Mexico for the rally. What an amazing experience!
Who is NorthAmerican Darrell?🤓
A Legend in My Own Mind
“A Legend in my own mind” is probably the best way to describe me. I’ve always looked at life a little differently than most people.
I was born in Edmonton and raised in the late 70’s and early ’80s, when life felt a lot simpler. We rode our bikes all day, played outside until the streetlights came on, and grew up without the internet or cell phones dominating every second of life.
Back then, Canada was the only world I knew—until my first big trip to Southern California, Las Vegas, and Mexico as a teenager. I still remember falling asleep under the Christmas tree holding my airline ticket after reading it hundreds of times. Real paper tickets with carbon copies for every flight segment. Hard to imagine now!
Just like today, I couldn’t stop talking about the trip to anyone who would listen (which honestly wasn’t many people then—or now). California, Las Vegas, and Acapulco, Mexico sounded like another planet to a kid from Edmonton. We drove all over Southern California, made our way through Las Vegas, and eventually flew to Acapulco.
Those memories stayed with me forever. That trip sparked something in me, and I fell in love with travel, America, and Mexico almost instantly.
What I never could have imagined back then was that I would eventually live in Southern California, Las Vegas, and Mexico. These days, when I’m not traveling, I split my time between Mesa, Arizona, and Rocky Point, Mexico.
Looking back now, it feels like I had a plan all along—even if I didn’t fully understand it at the time. No matter what happened in life, I was always going to chase freedom, travel, and a different path than most people around me.
The makings of a solo traveler.
After high school in Edmonton and a few false starts, my first real break came when I enrolled in Telecommunications at NAIT. It took me three years to complete a two-year diploma—largely because I wasn’t exactly a model student and my favorite bar, Ezzies, was just across the field.
A week before graduating in December 1995, I interviewed with Northern Telecom, Canada’s largest company at the time. Considering I was in the bottom half of my class, it was a miracle. Somehow, I crushed the interview!
Overnight, I went from making $5.50 an hour PT to $13.80 FT career.
Life was good!
I relocated to Calgary in January 1996. Within a couple of years, I was traveling regularly to the company’s Richardson, Texas headquarters. I was boarding planes in freezing Calgary and stepping off three hours later in shorts. I was falling hard for the American dream.
Then I met a flight attendant—another sign of things to come.
Eventually, I was offered a job in Texas, given a work visa, and started traveling full-time. Work had me crisscrossing the U.S. and eventually traveling internationally. My girlfriend followed along and could fly me anywhere, anytime.
Holy shit—my dreams were happening.
That relationship didn’t last, but I still thank her to this day (especially when I jokingly ask for free flights). She’s built a great life raising twin boys, and I’m genuinely happy for her.
Those years permanently warped my brain. I became a travel junkie—unable to stay put, always chasing the next deal. I was turning into North American Darrell.
My next chapter came after 18 years at Northern Telecom, when I landed a job at PayPal. Great company, brutal call-center role. I learned a lot about money management—mostly by dealing with people who didn’t have any. I could have moved up, but I didn’t have the piss and vinegar left. I already had health insurance, investments, and one eye firmly on my Freedom50 travel dream.
Then it happened again.
Laid off.
Northern Telecom in 2014.
PayPal in 2024.
Twenty-five-plus years of service—gone.
There I was in 2024: 52, single AF, unemployed, but financially stable enough to travel whenever and wherever I wanted. I started looking back at my life choices.
Almost everyone I knew had followed the script: marriage, kids, grandkids, 9–5 jobs, one-week vacations, summers at the lake. There’s nothing wrong with that life—but it was never mine.
Statistically, men die at around 73. That leaves maybe 5–10 years of retirement if you’re lucky and healthy. I watched coworkers grind their whole lives only to barely enjoy the end. I lost family members far too young.
Should I have kept my houses in Edmonton, Atlanta, and Charlotte?
My first Edmonton house was 2,400 square feet, custom-built, and mortgage-free. I didn’t even use one of the three bathrooms before selling it.
Who walks away from that? 🕺
I could’ve settled in Calgary, Dallas, Southern California… or one of the many places I lived temporarily—Las Vegas, Austin, San Antonio, Mexico City, Acapulco, even Brazil.
Corporate condos, friendships, relationships, opportunities. Sometimes I wonder if my life was just a mirage interpreting the way I want as we get get older.
Instead, I chose something different.
In 2015, I settled into a small, turnkey, mortgage-free condo in Arizona, which I Airbnb and use as a home base along with my studio apartment in Rocky Point, Mexico
This is my second attempt at blogging about a life shaped by travel, work, and personal wins and loses. This time, I’m keeping at it trying to ignoring the critics.
I want to share what I’ve learned and continue to learn about slow travel, inexpensive living, and geoarbitrage—living well while spending less by choosing where and how to live.
Slow travel is about staying longer, living like a local, and letting your dollar go further.
Welcome to my crazy blogging dream:
and
www.YouTube.com/@NorthAmericanDarrell
LFG!!
Kona, Hawaii – Island life on the cheap!🏝️
Back in late 2022 and early 2023, I worked remotely from Hawaii for four months, which was absolutely awesome.
It was also mildly stressful, considering there’s a three-hour time difference between Hawaii and Phoenix—and my company had no idea I was in Hawaii.
Early mornings? Brutal.
Sunsets on the beach after work? Worth it.
I just adjusted my calendar, smiled on Zoom, and pretended palm trees were a very convincing virtual background. 🌴😎
Remote work hits different when your biggest daily problem is deciding which beach to “work from” next.
Imagine flying from the West Coast to Hawaii for about $100 USD.
Sounds fake. It’s not. I’ve done it several times.
I even grabbed a Hawaiian Airlines Mastercard that basically said, “Congrats, you’re going to Hawaii again.” Four flights for $5.60 each after one purchase? Don’t mind if I irresponsibly do.
35,000 points.
$5.60 out of pocket.
Seattle to Tokyo.
I have paid more for an airport coffee many times!
Another example of why people think I’m annoyingly cheap. 🤑
I spent the first two months in Kona staying at a concentration camp Airbnb.
It can only be described as a maximum-security Airbnb.
Seriously—this place had more rules than a parole agreement. I’ve never experienced anything like it. I was stuck, so I adapted… but wow. The hosts clearly hated each other, and their mood swings directly affected the rulebook. And yes, the rules changed. Daily. Based on vibes.
At one point, there were 28+ rules, which I had to shrink to a microscopic font just to fit on one page. Think less “vacation rental” and more “choose your behavior wisely.”
I made the best of it by treating the place like a charging station:
Work. Sleep. Leave immediately.
If I wasn’t working or unconscious, I was gone.
The second two months were spent in Honolulu on Oahu, which felt like parole had finally been granted. I wrote a separate blog about that stay, which you can read HERE.
Lesson learned:
Not all Airbnbs are created equal.
Some are destinations.
Some are endurance tests.
Despite the Airbnb being one mood swing away from solitary confinement, it worked out great—I met some amazing people who completely saved the experience.
The second two months were spent in amazing Honolulu, Oahu, in a spectacular place that felt like a complete reset. I wrote a separate blog about that chapter, which you can read HERE.
It still worked out great, because along the way I met some incredible people who turned it into a genuinely local experience.
We went deep-sea fishing and caught my dream fish—a marlin over 350 pounds. The captain later invited us to his home to smoke the marlin, which was unreal. The best way I can describe it is fish jerky with the texture of beef jerky, finished with a lightly spicy marinade. Absolutely next-level.
We fished three times during my first two-month stay and returned twice more on later trips. I also wrote a separate post focused entirely on those fishing adventures, which you can read by clicking HERE.
I was working four days a week, which left me with three full days off. Most mornings, I’d walk to the gym, shower there, and then spend the rest of the day bouncing around town using the downtown Kona trolley, which is completely free. That routine introduced me to Kona in a way that felt natural, not touristy.
I’ve now been to Kona four times:
Once at what I now lovingly refer to as Auschwitz Airbnb (details below),
Once at another Airbnb where an earthquake woke me up, and
Twice at the Kona Beach Hostel, run by a Ukrainian woman who somehow always upgraded me for free.
That hostel is now my go-to whenever I’m back to fish.
If you want an introduction, let me know. Thanks, Victoria!
I spent most days riding the bus around the island, visiting Hilo and a bunch of smaller towns—mostly because I was rarely home and had nowhere better to be. The local Kona trolley deserves special recognition though. It’s one of the best free features on the island, running end to end through Kona and stopping at all of my soon-to-be favorite spots.
Including Kona Brewing Company—which we’ve all tried back home, but hits a little different when you’re drinking it where it’s actually made. Fresh, local, and dangerously easy to justify as “cultural research.”
Kona Brewery – we all have tasted it, but I was getting it right from the tit!
O’la Seltzer Brewery – they used all of the island flavors to create seltzer magic that went awesome with poke!!
Willie’s Hot Chicken – the absolute best chicken fingers and live music on the island.
Two-Step diving – Just like the name, there are two steps into the water, and you’re in snorkeling paradise.
Foodland Poke Bar – I would get the absolute best poke lunch and dinner for under $10.
Quinn’s almost by the sea – This was where I found the absolute best one, the absolute best tasting fish.
Harbor House restaurant – this is where in the marina where we would often go after fishing, as it was in the marina.
The whole time I was in Kona, there was an active volcano. You could see it across the island, and we even visited to get a closer look a couple of times.
During my two months there, the active volcano lit up the night sky like something out of a sci-fi movie. The photos above were as close as we could safely get—and of course it was cloudy that day—but the drive home at night was unreal, with an orange glow stretching across the horizon.
I also visited Hawaii Volcanoes National Park before the eruption to see it up close. You could clearly see how the earthquakes had torn up sections of the road, a reminder that the island does whatever it wants, whenever it wants.
Even crazier—you could see the glow from across the island at night, right from my Airbnb. Hawaii doesn’t ease you into moments like that. It just casually drops them into your evening and says, “Yeah… this happens.”
Hawaii doesn’t ask for your attention—it just reminds you who’s in charge, then goes back to erupting like it’s no big deal.
I’d watch the Edmonton Oilers play hockey while an active volcano lit up the sky outside.
Hard to beat that for an intermission show.
Costa Rican adventures!🐵🦥🌧️🌴🩴
The closest airport to Tamarindo is Liberia which is about 30 minutes and Tamarindo is accessible by bus. In my opinion, Tamarindo is more of a party town with more nightlife but there is nothing wrong with visiting.
Jaco is about a two-hour bus ride from the San Jose airport, and it was a lot more my style.
It is slower-paced, and I found a lot more to do in the area, including Manuel Antonio National Park. The park is located near Quepos, and it can be reached by local bus from Jaco in about an hour. In Quepos and especially the park, you will find tons of monkeys and, with a keen eye or a tour guide, sloths.
Both monkeys and sloths are synonymous when someone brings up Costa Rica, along with the breathtaking beaches and rainforests. Both monkeys and sloths are mysterious creatures in many different ways. Monkeys in my opinion as little assholes, I have experienced their antics in Thailand and Costa Rica. They will steal right from your hand, throw their shit at you and howl like crazy giving you the creeps at night.
I have seen it all happen, which can be maddening if they get your phone, wallet, sunglasses, or nail you with a deuce. The howling monkeys were next to my Airbnb in Tamarin, which was wild.
Costa Rica is not that expensive if you do it right. I have stayed in the La Hacienda in Jaco twice, and this sweet Airbnb in Tamarindo that had an amazing patio with a hammock.
I rented a room in both places for about USD 35 a night, but you can get a hostel bed for under $20 a night in Jaco. It is a short walk from the bus stop that drops you off in San Jose, and the bus that takes you to Manuel Antonio Park via Quepos.
I also have had the absolute best hamburger in my life at Ridiculous Burgers and the most amazing Coconut flavored beer and wings at Puddlefish Brewery both times I have visited. You’re missing out if you do not hit all of these places in Jaco!
The below is the hostel, so amazing to catch the Oilers game from the pool too!
My visit to Tamarindo was awesome and I got to experience the howling monkeys. This was a park next to my Airbnb first thing in the morning. They woke me up every morning so I wanted to see if I could catch a glimpse of them.
They were so loud and a bit creepy to see and, especially hear them doing their thing!
Top Islands in Asia! 8 of 10 visited!! 🏝️
There is not a more amazing, budget friendly, beautiful travel option than the Islands in Asia!
I have visited 6 of 10 so far! 
1-Samui, 3 Boracay, 5 Phu Quoc, 6-Palawan, 7- Phuket and 8-Cebu.
2-Lankawi, 4-Sri Lanka, 9-Bali, and 10 Siargao are all on the radar! 
Top 15 travel spots! 11 done!!✅📍🌍
When I first thought about creating a website, I had a few simple goals in mind:
Document past travels
Share current travel experiences
Highlight cost-effective ways to travel
Inspire people to get out and go
Visit as many places as humanly possible
So far, it’s working.
Bucket List
Countries I have visited from the list (11 of 15 completed)!
1-Thailand, 2- Greece, 3-Indonesia, 4-Portugal, 7-Peru, 8 Italy, 10-UAE, 11-France, 12-UK, and, 15 Spain.
Remaining 4 on bucket list (I have zero interest in going to India)!
5-Sri Lanka, 6-South Africa,13 Bora Bora, and 9-India.
Vietnam – Pho, coffee, tea and me!🍜
One of the best parts of traveling—anywhere—is street food and trying the local beer.
I don’t care if you’re in your hometown, a different province or state, checking out a new food truck, or traveling internationally and ordering food from a cart that looks like it might be pulled by a donkey. It all counts. And it’s all worth trying at least once.
Street food tells you more about a place than most restaurants ever will. It’s fast, cheap, local, and honest. You’re eating what people who live there actually eat—not a polished version made for tourists.
For me, it all started with Mexico and street tacos. That was the gateway. I still try new taco stands every chance I get, and I’ve got favorites in cities all over the map. The same goes for street noodles, skewers, soups, and whatever else is sizzling on a cart when I walk by.
Pair it with a local beer, stand on the street, watch life go by—that’s the good stuff.
Some people collect souvenirs.
I collect meals.
EDIT: I loved it so much that I’m heading back at the end of 2025 to explore Northern Vietnam in more depth. When a place pulls you back that fast, you listen.
I definitely found my favorites, but I still make it a point to try at least one new spot every day. That’s easy to do when most street food meals cost a few dollars—or less. The risk is low, and the reward is usually high.
On my very first morning, I stumbled into a small neighborhood coffee shop in Hanoi. I’ve gone back every single day since, and today is day five. The owner knows exactly what I like—iced coffee and tea—and keeps refilling them as needed for the same price: 87 cents.
Yesterday, I sat there for three hours, listening to a hockey game and surfing the internet. My total bill?
Under a dollar.
That’s not just cheap—that’s a lifestyle
The cold tea was so addictive! This was my favorite, lemongrass! It was $1-$2 at a nice cafe, but a lot cheaper at the street vendors. I enjoyed both!
Below is an outdoor food court with hundreds of choices—rows of stalls cooking everything imaginable, all in one place. You can walk for ten minutes and change your mind 20X on lunch.
This is where indecision becomes part of the experience… and where pointing at what looks good is often the best strategy.
This place does not mess around—and you can tell immediately from the video and the photos. The scale, the energy, the nonstop cooking… It’s organized chaos in the best possible way.
If there was ever a place where “just one more bite” turns into a full-blown food crawl, this is it.
My Airbnb in Mesa, AZ! 🌄🌵🌞😎
The heated pool, hot tub, and neighborhood are perfect for snowbirds or those looking to escape the cold!
The link to my amazing condo:
Airbnb 
Make sure you check out the weekly 10% and monthly 20% discounts.
Gated community living at its finest with two pools (main pool heated), a hot tub, and a business center with a common area for printing or playing pool.
Check out the website for the exact location and more information on the property:
Click here : Solana Luxury Condominium Rentals | Apartments in Gilbert, AZ
Perfect for working from home!
Ergonomic sit/stand desk
Ergonomic desk chair.
High-speed internet.
Black and white laser printer, shredder, and water cooler in the office area.
Guest access:
One covered parking spot.
Additional uncovered parking for guests.
Keyless entry to the complex and the condo.
Other things to note:
(Below links are from 85206 zip code)
Walking:
Safeway/Fry’s/Sprouts 10 minutes
Walmart 20 minutes
Restaurants near me – Search
A canal trail system for walking/biking is 5 minutes away – Search
Driving:
Sky Harbor airport: 30 minutes
Mesa Gateway Airport: 15 minutes
Suns/Mercury basketball: 30 minutes
Valley light rail station: 15 minutes
I have stayed in over, click below to read my blog:
➡️100 Airbnb’s around the world⬅️
I try to use my experiences to pay it forward with my guests.
There is no better feeling than ensuring my guests have a great stay!
I pride myself on a five-star rating!
Here are some recent guest comments:
A happy guest is a potential repeat guest!
One Of The Best Places For Retirees In 2025 Is A City In Arizona With Unparalleled Hiking And Outdoor Activities
Scottsdale is generally 20-30% higher than Mesa, AZ, for accommodations, so why pay the extra money?
Data provider Niche released its 2025 rankings of top places to retire, with Scottsdale, Arizona, topping the list. Scottsdale earned an A grade for its public schools, benefits to families, and its nightlife. Also, when you consider that Arizona had one of the best economies in 2024, it’s no wonder that the city has a median income that exceeds national rates. Scottsdale boasts a median income of $107,372, whereas, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the national median income was $80,610 as of 2023.
Aside from the economic potential in the city, Niche also points out the bars, restaurants, and outdoor benefits of living in Scottsdale. The city not only provides a good blend of urban and rural offerings, but it also offers beautiful desert views that can add scenery to golfing, hiking, and arts and cultural experiences. As a bonus, per the U.S. Census Bureau, a retired person living in Scottsdale would have a hard time being lonely, considering 26.2% of the population is age 65 and above. With that in mind, there can be some financial considerations to keep in mind.
The cost of living can ultimately be a deterrent for some retirees hoping to move to Scottsdale. Per a Mortgage Bankers Association release, the national median mortgage payment for new buyers in the U.S. was $2,173 per month as of March 2025. And, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the median sale price for homes in the first quarter of 2025 was $416,900. Meanwhile, the median asking rent in the 50 largest metros in the U.S., per March 2025 data from Realtor.com, was $1,694 per month. In Scottsdale, the median sale price of a home is closer to $941,000, well above the national median for the sale price of a home in the U.S. Meanwhile, according to Zillow, the average rental rate in Scottsdale was a whopping $3,090 — or between $1,800 to $2,500 for a one-bedroom.
According to Arizona-based Berkshire Hathaway realtor Michelle Miller, home values rose 14.4% in 2024. Similarly, she estimates that the average monthly expense for a single person in Scottsdale was around $3,639 in late 2024. Utilities, including internet, cost between $300 to $450 per month, while transportation costs were roughly $200 to $250 with insurance per month. Not to mention, a month of groceries costs between $300 to $400. However, you will avoid the cost of crime that comes with living in some of America’s most dangerous cities, since both violent and property crime in Scottsdale fall below national average rates.
While you will pay more for the benefits of living in Scottsdale, there are many benefits to enjoy. For one thing, it’s sunny almost every day of the year, with temperatures averaging around 69 degrees Fahrenheit in January, with highs of 105 degrees Fahrenheit in warmer months like August. The city also offers many free to attend events, like the Scottsdale location of the Arizona Community Farmers’ Market.
Meanwhile, you can also take advantage of day trips to nearby Old Creek Canyon, the Grand Canyon, or even the San Francisco Peaks. You can also consider renting a cabin at Kartchner Caverns State Park, with guided tours of nearby caves. The Sonoita/Elgin area is considered Arizona’s wine country, where wineries like Sonoita Vineyards offer regular tours and tastings. These natural amenities make Arizona one of the best budget vacation destinations in the U.S.
