This is the first all-you-can-fly (AYCF) pass I bought back in 2023 and paid USD 499. I was working four days a week including weekends which was perfect as there we a lot more empty seats during the week for me.
Frontier did not know what they were getting in to, so they started the price very high. The ran early bird specials at lower prices and gradually raised the price will all passes renewing at $2000. They then started selling Summer and Winter passes for cheaper and eventually dropped the price to $299
This is the least favorite of the three AYCF passes (Frontier, Volaris and Wizz) simply because it does not offer the best destinations. I plan to keep renewing it at $299 as it helps me get to around the United States perfectly and I have had decent luck finding open seats when needed.
Below are the destinations that I have visited with the pass so far:
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!
A legend in my mind is the best way to describe it, I just think differently than most people!
I was born in Edmonton, Alberta Canada, and raised in the early eighties when life was simple. We rode our bikes and played outside, and we did not have the internet like kids today.
Canada was the only thing I knew until my first vacation to Southern California and Mexico in my early teens. My first memory of travel was falling asleep under the Christmas tree with the paper airline ticket after reading it 100s of times. Yes, they used to have paper carbon copies of your actual legs of an airplane return trip, wild! Just like now, I would tell anyone who cared about my travels (most didn’t and still don’t) that I was going to California and Acapulco, Mexico (some things never change, LOL)!
We drove all around Southern California into Las Vegas and then flew to Acapulco with those initial memories engrained in my mind forever. I fell in love with traveling to America and Mexico!
Unimaginable at the time, I would later in life live in Southern California, Las Vegas, and now Mexico.
Looking back, I had a plan, and no matter what happened along the way, I would selfishly follow that plan whether I knew it at the time of my decisions. The makings of a solo traveler!
After graduating high school in Edmonton and trying a few things, my first break happened. I wanted to work with satellites for some unknown reason, so I enrolled in Telecommunications at the Northern Alberta Insitute of Technology (NAIT) in Edmonton. It would take me three years to complete my two-year Telecommunications associate’s diploma. I was not the most dedicated student, to say the least, plus my favorite bar was just across the field, Ezzies.
The week before graduating from NAIT in December 1995, I would interview with Canada’s largest Company, Northern Telecom. Looking back, it was a miracle as I was in the bottom half of my class. I aced the interview, and it was the biggest break in my life! I was going to make $13.80 an hour from the part-time $5.50 I was making in 2005, life was good!!
I needed to relocate to Calgary and started on January 4th, 1996. Within a couple of years, I was traveling back and forth to our Richardson, TX head office which is a suburb in Northern Dallas. It seemed that I was going there every month making contacts while falling in love with the American dream. I would board a plane in freezing Calgary and three hours later, I was wearing shorts! How awesome was that!!
After traveling back and forth, I met someone, she was a flight attendant which again was another sign of things to come. Eventually, I was offered a job in Richardson, TX, given a work visa and traveling full time.
Work would have me crisscrossing the United States and eventually internationally. My girlfriend would follow me and also fly me anywhere I wanted, whenever I wanted. Holy shit, my dreams were happening! I still thank her to this day when I ask for free flights, LOL. Thankfully, she has a great life raising twin boys along the way!
Little did I know but these events would severely warp my crazy traveling mind into what it is today. A travel junky that cannot stay put, and always looking for a deal. I was turning into NorthAmerican Darrell!
My next break was getting a job was PayPal after 18 years at my first job out of college. The job fell in line with my strong beliefs in managing money so I could eventually travel. It was a great company but a shitty call center job, but it showed some money management skills.
I would get yelled at via email, chat, or on the phone by people being broke-ass douchebags not being able to manage their money. I could have also easily moved up and might still be employed, but I just didn’t have the piss and vinegar needed. I had health insurance and investments in place and was burning time for the #Freedom50ish traveling dream. To this day, I get pissed off when people use CAPS in a chat or text.
Fast forward, I was laid off for the second time by a greedy corporation. Northern Telecom after 18 years in 2014 and now PayPal 7 years in 2024, 25+ years of service gone after both cleaned house.
Life started to hit me like a ton of bricks, and it showed. I was living in a messed-up America where politics were eating me alive. I felt it didn’t matter who I voted for in 2000 or 2024 to fix it either. Thankfully, I was satisfied with the outcome of the 2024 election.
Here I am in 2024, unemployed, 52, single AF. I was somewhat financially stable and able to travel whenever and where I wanted, again. I started looking back on previous decisions in life.
Almost everyone had kids, and grandkids, worked 9-5, took their one-week all-inclusive vacation, and spent the summers at the lake. They were living the life we were taught to live by generations. You’re supposed to get married, have 2.5 kids, live in a house with a white picket fence, pay a mortgage, be in debt, retire, and then die.
Statistically, if you’re a man, you die when you’re 73 if I am lucky to make it that far. That gives some people 5-10 years of retirement depending on their health after working their whole life. I watched it happen over and over in my Telecom career while losing so many family members at a young age as well.
Should I have kept my houses in Edmonton, Atlanta, and Charlotte where I had some stability? Instead, I settled into my, small, turnkey, mortgage fee condo that I Airbnb in AZ.
My first 2400-square-foot Edmonton house that I designed and built did not have a mortgage. I was able to pay cash from my work travels. I would have been set with no mortgage surrounded by my friends and family living like a normal person. I didn’t even use one of the four bathrooms FFS!
Who is their right mind to move on from that situation?
I could have also settled in other amazing cities that I worked in long term (Calgary, Dallas, Southern California). What about all the other shorter stops along the way (Las Vegas, Austin, San Antonio, Mexico City, Acapulco, Brazil)? I had corporate condos for months at a time, met some women, and friends, and had a good job opportunity to possibly settle down. I kept on trucking down the road.
Should I have gotten married to a woman that I let slip away? This is how most of my friends, family, and co-workers along the way played life, like generations before them.
There were so many amazing situations in their way and still think about all of them from time to time. I am slowly convincing myself, that as we get older life is a mirage, and see it the way we want.
I have always wanted to blog about my travel years of work and personal travel. This is the second attempt so here we go, again!
What is geoarbitrage? I’ve tried to explain it to family and friends, but I struggle to explain the concept. I am guessing it is probably because you can’t explain something to people who don’t want to understand. It is not a part of their overall plan so why should they care, fair? Why should they be different than everyone else if they are happy? My thought is that they may not don’t know any other which is why I started this website. Some people may want something different if they knew it was possible. I can promise you, it is possible if you put your mind to it just like everything else.
Personal connections, cultural inspiration, and practicality away from home all while saving money! Waking up every day to prices you have not seen in decades and perfect weather. Yes, please!
Short of handing them a copy of The FourHour Workweek – there’s no getting through to some people. I have experienced that life is too short to work, pay bills, retire, and die no matter what happens in between. Again, my life is just “different” but yours can be different too as the sky is the limit!! ✈️
The Basics of Geoarbitrage
In the United States and Canada, we associate cheap with having little value. If it’s too cheap, it’s too good to be true mentality. While we all love a good deal, anything too cheap is generally not worth it or there is a catch. This is a common occurrence around the world, or is it?
Yet, what’s cheap to someone earning in a hard currency, like US or Canadian Dollars, is quite different from what’s cheap for someone earning in a soft currency – like Mexican Pesos for example purposes.
I remember being baffled when my Ukrainian Family balked when I told them how much I was paying for my hotel room when I visited. I felt like I was getting an incredible deal for one night. They thought I was getting ripped off and could live the whole month with that money. We were both really confused!
An Example of Geoarbitrage
Examples are the easiest way to understand exactly what is geo arbitrage. You probably drink coffee. I know I do every morning, two cups. You’ve also probably been to Starbucks, once a year for me.
Maybe you frequented a few coffee shops like Timmys, Second Cup, or the many pop culture internet cafes opening in North America. Often, a decent coffee costs $3-7 USD, a breakfast pastry is $3-4 USD which is fairly standard pricing post-COVID.
I had a favorite coffee shop in Lima, Peru next to my Airbnb in Mira Flores (click links) which is the nicest area of Lima. I went for my walk which you can do comfortably year-round in Lima. I’d start with a mocha and treat every morning as I am not normally a big breakfast person. I’d walk for 2-3 hours to get my 10K daily steps in to start the day along with hundreds of others. Then I’d order my fancy coffee and a treat which could be anything from carrot cake to a cheese bun.
Guess what my bill was every day without tip (~10% in Lima) for a fairly fancy mocha, a small breakfast treat, and often times a fresh-pressed, organic juice. Less than $5 USD depending on the treat!
If you were to purchase the same items at a Starbucks or similar style coffee shop in the United States or Canada, I’d estimate the bill would come out to $14 USD give or take a few dollars. $4 for the mocha, $3 for the breakfast pastry, $6 for the fresh juice, and then taxes and a 20-25% tip as that’s how baristas roll. That’sPaying one-third the price for the exact same goods. You can also have an ocean view and not wear a heavy jacket, or long johns after warming up your car for 30 minutes!
Visiting Lima twice, I never did my laundry or shaved my mug. My weekly laundry was less than two dollars with overnight service folded and ready for the drawer. I had a local barber which I find in every low-cost city that gave me a hot shave and a trim for less than $4 a visit (FOUR USD). Those prices hardly cover the laundry pod or shaving cartridge FFS which allows you to make the worker’s day with a good tip. Win-Win!! (click link).
Taking Geoarbitrage to the Extreme as that is what I do!
I have experienced that the most popular locations for individuals with USD, Euros, Pounds, or whatever currency is strong at the moment to take advantage of geo arbitrage in Asia, Eastern Europe, Central America, and many others listed on the Country’s menu. Many living the lifestyle only live in these areas full or even part-time for Family reasons and a lot of them do it on social security or their CPP, hell yeah!!
Imagine this…
You have a brand-new studio apartment furnished with every amenity you desire is found in your stunning studio: air conditioning, a full kitchen, hot water, and often a great balcony view for your morning coffee or evening nightcap if you choose.
Outside your front steps, your community features a stunning resort-style pool to help endure the hot days. You wake up and walk to the gym ten minutes from your pad. Free weights, machine weights, pool, sauna, steam room – the works as the gym is like a resort, too.
You stop off at a restaurant after the gym to grab a big, garden-fresh salad prepared right in front of you and a freshly squeezed juice that wasn’t shipped two months ago and full of pesticides that cost $25+.
Lunch is downed while you work or take care of whatever else needs to be done even if it is nothing. You walk home to drop off your laptop and then walk to a North American-style or local restaurant for dinner.
After dinner, you meet up with some EXPATs or local friends for drinks at a bar within walking distance of your pad. Depending on the bar, a local or even fancy beer can cost less than a couple of dollars.
Then it’s off to sleep. No alarm clock set. You wake up the next day. Rinse and repeat. You never think about money, and you buy what you want – when you want to. You legitimately can’t overspend your budget. It’s damn near impossible in most of these places as long as you’re not a drunken sailor which again, is another story.
How expensive is this lifestyle?
In a place like Thailand, Vietnam, Peru, Columbia, Philippines (see my list of Countries) you can live like this, like a king, for $1,000 – $1500 USD a month! Many have done it for $700-800 a month if you want to eat and drink your coffee at home and live outside the city. There’s no need to budget or pinch pennies when you can live for less than $1,500 USD a month. That may even be less than your pension for a social security check if you are retired or have a seasonal job back home to go back to half the year.
Another example…
For $500 a month with a 6–12-month lease (slow travel), you can easily rent an apartment in parts of Asia that has a swimming pool, and a gym with top-notch equipment and machines. That leaves $1000+ spending money!
How much for the equivalent in Canada and the USA for this retirement plan? Imagine, you can spend half of your time in your home country and half of your time be a Geoarbitrage. The choice can be all yours!!
Imagine, flying from the West Coast to Hawaii for around USD 100, I have done it three times.
I also got a Hawaiian Airlines Mastercard that would give me four $5.60 trips (17,500 points) after my first purchase. PRO TIP: Use points to get there and buy the trip home returning is often 30,000 points.
I would also meet some awesome friends who ended up making it an amazing local experience. We would go deep sea fishing and catch my dream marlin which was over 350 pounds. The captain invited us to their home to smoke the marlin which was an incredible experience. The best way I can describe it is fish jerky with the same texture as beef jerky and a hint of spicy marinade. We would fish three times during my first two-month stay and return twice more to fish after that. I will write a separate post on the fishing trips and plan to return every fall as long as they take me. Tom is also available so let me know if you would like to meet him to plan an incredible trip for as low as USD 100 per person quad occupancy.
I was working four days a week, so I had three days off. I would walk to the gym on most days, shower there, and spend my day around downtown Kona trolley which is a free shuttle around town.
This would introduce me to Kona, and I have now been there four times. Once at Auschwitz Airbnb (description below), once at another Airbnb where an earthquake woke me up, and twice at the Kona Beach hostel run by a Ukrainian lady who would always upgrade me for free. This is now my go-to when visiting to fish! Let me know if you would like an introduction – Thanks Victoria!
Back in late 2022 and early 2023, I worked remotely in Hawaii for four months which was awesome. It was a little stressful as there was a three-hour time difference between Hawaii and Phoenix and my company had no clue I was in Hawaii.
I spend the first two months in Kona staying at a concentration camp Airbnb. Seriously, I have never experienced such a strict stay in my life, but I was stuck so made the most of it as long as I could.
This is not an exaggeration, the couple hated each other, and it showed every day. Here are the 25 rules that could change at any given moment depending on their moods.
House manual 😈👿 No smoking Not suitable for pets No showering before 6 am or after 9 pm No parties or events Children (0-12 years) are considered on a case-by-case basis Check-in is after 3 PM No sports equipment allowed in the house (you couldn’t store your bike, surfboard, or fishing gear) We have indoor cats – please do not let them outdoors. They may go into our guest rooms if you leave the door to your room open. The cats stunk the house up as the carpet was probably 20 years old.
Terms of the Agreement: We maintain a pest-free home. We can perform an inspection of your room with you when you arrive or shortly thereafter to confirm the condition of the room and indoor environs. If you discover insect pests in your room, specifically bedbugs, at any point in your stay, it will be your responsibility to pay for extermination and the replacement of any items damaged due to the infestation and extermination activities. Thank you for assuring us that your luggage and other belongings are pest-free when you bring them into our home.
Tropical Ohana Hale is a small quiet adult retreat property. We welcome families with children 18 years and older. Younger children will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Tropical Ohana Hale has the right to inspect the room you occupy without prior notice at any time to enforce the terms of this agreement. Should you violate any of the terms of this agreement, the rental period will be terminated immediately. Guest(s) waive all rights to due process if they fail to vacate the premises upon termination of the rental period. Guest (s) shall vacate the premises at the expiration date and time of the reservation.
You agree to maintain the premises as you received them when you began your stay in a tidy, clean, free of strong perfume or other odors, and ready-to-rent condition. You agree to use the premises carefully and lawfully. You will leave the premises in an undamaged condition, defined by Tropical Ohana Hale as being immediately habitable by the next guest(s) except for a bed & bath linen change and trash can content disposal. Guest(s) shall pay for maintenance and repairs should the premises be left in a lesser condition. You agree that Tropical Ohana Hale shall deduct costs of maintenance and/or repair services before refunding the security deposit if guest(s) cause damage to the premises or its furnishings.
You agree to pay for any damage done to the premises over and above normal wear and tear.
No animals or pets of any kind will be brought on the premises.
You will have no more than 2 (two) persons in each room. An exception may be made for infants on a case-by-case basis. Only persons identified in this agreement are included in your party.
You agree to act in a civilized manner and be good neighbors respecting the rights of the surrounding guests and residents. You agree to not create noise or disturbances that disturb or annoy the surrounding guests and residents. Creating a disturbance of the above nature shall be grounds for immediate termination of this agreement and guest(s) shall then immediately vacate the premises. Quiet Hours are from 10 PM -7 AM. Common areas, except the shared bath and accessing the filtered water faucet in the kitchen, are not available for use by guests during Quiet Hours. Use a headset to watch movies, and play video games, no telephone conversation during this time.
There is no smoking, or burning of incense or candles, inside the premises, or on the property.
Tropical Ohana Hale shall provide bath and beach towels, bed linens, shampoo, and conditioner. Other personal hygiene amenities may be available. Please ask for anything you might need.
Your party shall hereby indemnify and hold harmless Tropical Ohana Hale against any claims of personal injury or property damage or loss arising from the use of the premises regardless of the nature of the accident, injury, or loss. Guest(s) expressly recognize that any insurance for property damage or loss that Tropical Ohana Hale may maintain on the property does not cover the personal property of guest(s).
Guest(s) agree to pay all reasonable costs, attorney’s fees, and expenses that shall be made or incurred by the owner enforcing this agreement.
Guest(s) expressly acknowledge and agree that this Agreement is for transient occupancy of the Property, and that guest(s) do not intend to make the property a residence or household.
There shall be no refunds because of weather conditions.
There shall be no refunds due to work, family emergencies, or other commitments.
You agree not to bring or explode fireworks and other hazardous materials in or around the property.
You agree to use the property for legal purposes only and other use, such as but not limited to, illegal drug use, abuse of any person, harboring fugitives, etc., shall cause termination of this agreement with no refund of payments made.
The property has one fire extinguisher in the kitchen. The fire extinguisher was fully charged at last inspection. It is the duty of the guest(s) to inform host(s) immediately should use of the fire extinguisher be required.
Guest(s) are responsible for their security while in the property; lock doors and windows accordingly.
Valuables left behind by guest(s) will be held for the guest(s) and every reasonable effort will be made to contact guest(s) to make arrangements for their return. Guest(s) are responsible for all costs associated with returning items left behind. Any item unclaimed for 2 months or more shall become the property of Tropical Ohana Hale. Tropical Ohana Hale shall not be held liable for the condition of said items.
High-speed wireless internet is provided as a convenience only and is not integral to the agreement. No refund of the nightly rate shall be given for outages, content, lack of content, speed, access problems, lack of knowledge of use, or personal preferences regarding internet service.
Guest(s) will be provided with 1 (one) parking space.
In the event that a pet or person(s) not previously agreed upon as part of your party are found on the premises during your stay, Tropical Ohana Hale has the right to ask you to leave the premises immediately. You forfeit any remaining nights on your reservation.
Laundry: We launder bed and bath linens on a bi-weekly basis. If you would like these washed more frequently, we will perform laundry services for you at our per load cost. Our bed and bath linens are only to be washed in our home laundry. We can also wash personal laundry for you. The cost is $15 per load. There are laundromats in town if you prefer to wash your personal laundry yourself. We realize that accidents do happen from time to time. If our linens get stained we will replace them and send you the receipt so you are able to cover the cost of the replacement and any operational costs we incur in doing so.
Cooking: if you will be cooking in our kitchen, we will review the use of our equipment with you prior to use. Please let us know if you plan to cook. Rather than washing the dishes by hand, please scrape your food waste into the garage garbage can and rinse your dishes and leave them on the counter on the right side of the sink. We will run dishes and eating utensils through the dishwasher. We use the greywater collected in the pitcher for watering our plants.
Eating and food: please refrain from eating in your room. Stray bits of food attract the many creatures who live in the surrounding jungle. You do not want to meet one of these creatures in the middle of the night in your room. If you have food waste, please dispose of it in the garbage can in the garage. We will show it to you. We are vigilant in the kitchen to eliminate food waste and the surfaces in that environment lend themselves to that. Please do not remove kitchen hardware of any kind (dishes, silverware, glasses, etc.) from our home. Thank you
I would end up leaving a week early after ripping them a new asshole. The last straw was Adolph barging into my room asking me why I did not clean the shower drain. I calming asked him what the maid fee was for as the house smelled like cat piss. He later apologized and kissed my ass, but I had enough and flew to Honolulu the next day. I would spend the next two months after Christmas living in Honolulu and I wanted to check out the next Airbnb which was a perfect situation. I would stay there two more times after this two-month adventure but that’s another post.
That story shows you that Airbnb can also be a stressful situation but back to my Kona experience.
I would also ride the bus around the island visiting Hilo and other small towns. The local trolley is one of the best free features as it goes from end to end of Kona making stops at all of my soon to be favorites:
Kona Brewery – we all have tasted it, but I was getting it right from the tit! (top right awesomeness)
O’la seltzer Brewery – they used all of the island flavors to create seltzer magic!
Willies hot chicken – the absolute best chicken fingers and live music on the island.
Two Step diving – Just like the name, there two steps into the water and you were snorkeling paradise.
Foodland poke bar – I would get the absolute best poke lunch and dinner for under USD 10. (bottom left)
Quinns almost by the sea – This was where I found the absolute best one, the absolute best tasting fish. (top middle)
Harbor House restaurant – this is where in the marina where we would often go after fishing.
The absolute best part is the fishing with Captain Tom and first mate Sue who have their own post for making my fishing dreams come true. I landed an over 338-pound marlin along with ono, mahi mahi and even a shark.
There was also an active volcano that lit up the sky while I was there for two months. Above was the closest we could get for some pictures and too bad it was a cloudy day. The night drive home was spectacular though!
I also visited the Volcano National Park to view it closer before the eruption. You can see the earthquake that caused the eruption messed up all the roads in the park. You could see also see it across the island at night from my Airbnb.
I have traveled to Costa Rica three times, I will keep going back too! If sometimes tells you to go f*ck off, this is the place to go. Don’t forget to update your social media so they know you listened and make sure you tell them to kiss your ass too, LOL!
The first time I traveled to Costa Rica was to Tamarindo and then twice to Jaco on my Volaris, all fly pass. Both cities were amazing for different reasons.
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 moneys 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 rain forests. Both monkeys and sloths are mysterious creatures in many different ways. Monkeys in my opinion as little assholes, I have experienced it 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 Tamarindo which was wild.
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 Oiler game from the pool too!
A few months ago, there was a 25% off sale on Europass train tickets. It was only for a few days but jumped at the opportunity. Above is the framework of my train travel!
I chose the ten-day pass over a two-month period for $390 USD. I just saw it on sale through December 17th:
I will be in Europe for 42 days from the middle of March to the end of April. The pass can be used for one 24-hour period from the start of your journey after midnight (0:01) to the end or a new day pass is burned (23:59).
Since I plan to also do a lot of travel by plane on my all you can fly pass, I need to do a lot of Trains, planes and automobile planning.
When I thought about creating a website, I wanted it to have a few basic things:
Document past travel ✅Current travel blogging ✅Cost effective travel ideas ✅ Inspire to travel ✅
I am probably in the top percentile of people my age who use social media. It was a fad that never really went away for me until now. I would constantly post my travels which most people do as well. It just got to a point where I was just tired of the bullshit that came along with posting.
Starting NorthAmericanDarrell.com was always the answer but it was never a reality until January 2024.
The learning curve has been massive for me but I have enjoyed it so that is all that matters. I have broken down my places visited into Continents, Countries, and cities with a few exceptions like “Islands”.
Now that the structure of the site is developed, I can just blog as memories come across my mind.
The below list shows the best Countries to visit; I have been to the following:
1-Thailand, 7-Peru, 10-UAE, 11-France, 12-UK and 14-USA.
My current trip as of January 2024 should take me to:
2-Greece, 3-Indonesia, 4- Portugal, 8-Italy, 13-Bora Bora and, 15-Spain.
That should make it 12 of 15! Big dreamer – let’s see how it plays out!
Missing but achievable except the last one as I have zero interest in going to India!
