You’ve seen the YouTube videos. A confident, newly retired couple sells their home, cars and belongings to travel the world full time. For many that sounds like a dream come true, and it is…if both partners agree on the path forward.

But what if you or your partner are not 100% positive you’re going to like traveling full time? Common anxieties…

• Will we miss our comfortable house/condo?

• Will we lose our connection with friends and family?

• How could we possibly live out of a suitcase?

• Will I regret selling my favorite belongings?

• Can we actually afford to travel full time?

• What about healthcare overseas?

• How do I spend 24/7 with my spouse/partner without killing them?

You don’t have to push your chips “all in”

Why not rent your house for months and use the money to offset the cost of your nomad test drive? It’s an affordable way for you to see if you like traveling full time while having someone look after your home.

We have rented our house in Austin for 3 months at a time on several occasions and had good luck doing so. We appreciated having someone occupying the property full time and the extra income that came along with doing so.

If the cost of a three month trial run is one factor holding you back, renting your house should offset some/all of the following costs:

• Accommodations - If you can get $2,000 per month for your house, that reduces your travel costs by $6,000 over 3 months.

• Food - Sure, you’ll eat out a lot when traveling but you’ll be (most likely) staying in an apartment with a kitchen so you’ll buy groceries too. Food costs are generally lower outside the US so you may be able to keep your overall dining/grocery costs about the same (or lower) as you spend in the US even if you eat out more than you would at home. If you choose southeast Asia for your 3 month sojourn, dining out is really affordable.

Renting your house

As for how to go about renting your house for 3 months, here are some common options:

• Short term rental platforms (Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking etc)

• Medium term rental platforms (Furnished Finder, Sabbatical Homes, etc)

• Home exchange and house sitting platforms (Trusted Housesitters, HomeExchange, etc)

Because you’ll be renting your house for only 3 months, this article will focus on medium term rentals as this is your best option if you want to offset the cost of your trip.

FurnishedFinder.com

This our #1 recommendation for this particular situation. This online platform focuses exclusively on medium term rentals (MTR) of 1 month or more and their average length of stay is 102 days. A sizable segment of their clientele include traveling healthcare professionals who typically move from city to city seeking out lucrative 90 day assignments at hospitals. Furnished Finder’s clients also include:

• Corporate travelers (consultants, engineers, insurance adjusters, etc) on temporary assignments who have been given a monthly allowance for accommodations.

• Families relocating to an area for a job who need a place to land before buying/renting a home.

• Grandparents who want to spend 2-3 months in your area to visit family or escape harsh weather (winter or summer heat!) where they live.

• Academics on temporary assignment with local universities.

Personally, we have used Furnished Finder to rent our home on numerous occasions, ranging from 1-6 months. The process is straightforward: take nice photos of your home, write a listing, field inquiries, vet candidates, sign a short-term lease and collect rent. Just keep in mind that you will be renting your home (not doing a home swap) so if your home requires a lot of maintenance (outdoor animals, garden to water, etc.) a renter is probably not going to want to do this.

FurnishedFinder charges an annual $199 fee to maintain an account but does not charge any transaction fee to you or the renter. You keep 100% of the rent you collect. Furnished Finder offers a free ebook for first time landlords. Download it here.

NOTE: We are not sponsored by FurnishedFinder and do not receive a commission on bookings. We simply like their business model.

Airbnb.com

What about Airbnb? As former Airbnb Superhosts for 5 consecutive years, and long time users of the platform, we have a solid understanding of its pros and cons. Yes, theoretically you could list your home on Airbnb but it probably does not make sense if you are looking to rent your house or condo for only 3 months. Most Airbnb clients are looking for short term stays of less than a week and sometimes up to a month. Also, many cities are overrun with Airbnb rentals and have implemented licensing requirements which can be expensive and time consuming to procure.

Although we do not recommend using Airbnb to list your home for 3 months, you absolutely should use it to find places to stay! When searching, adjust your length of stay to 28 days (4 weeks) or more. Staying 4 weeks or more will usually get you a discount of 30-50%, especially during low or shoulder season. Shown below is what a host sees on the back end when setting their prices which is why 7 or 28 days are the magic thresholds to yield discounts. There are certainly many other platforms to search including VRBO.com and Booking.com.

What about a home exchange or pet sitting?

Another popular option is a home exchange or pet sitting, but we do not actually recommend these options. Here’s why. If your goal is to see how you will like full time travel, then you need to experience what it is like to pack up everything and transition to a new city. You need to experience the pleasures and stresses of sleeping in a different bed every month, learning how to use the local transportation all over again, finding a grocery store you like, locating a pharmacy….and do it over and over again. Change is part of the full time travel experience and if you are not energized by change, being nomadic will slowly wear you down.

You’re NOT going on vacation for 3 months!

While some full-time travelers are considered “fast travelers”, most people age 50+ cannot sustain that pace long term, nor can they afford to. Slowing down has numerous benefits. It lowers your accommodation and transportation costs substantially, and because travel days are always the most stressful, parking yourself in one place for a week or month will lower your blood pressure.

If you’re going to do this, mentally prepare yourself to avoid vacation planning. This is a trial run for your new lifestyle and you need to focus on replicating what your future life will actually look like. This is really important if one spouse/partner is hesitant about the whole idea of full time travel.

We recommend that you stay in 3-4 different places over the course of your three month sojourn, preferably on the same continent so you are not taking expensive (and grueling) long-haul flights over multiple time zones.

You can do it

Remember, there are only so many “somedays.” Pick a date, plan it and do it! You won’t regret it.

Are you thinking about doing a full time travel test run? Tell us more about how you plan to do it in the comments.

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Financial institutions, banks, insurance companies, tax offices - they all end up sending physical mail at some point, no matter how diligent you are about signing up for so-called “paperless” delivery. You’ll never be 100% free of legitimate First Class mail so how do you ensure you don’t miss important documents that might not be available online or via email?

Why you need to think it through

A mailing address is not just a physical location where you receive mail. It can be the legal residence where you have established domicile (more on that later), where you are registered to vote, determine health/automobile insurance rates, and more. In addition, many entities legally require a physical mailing address.

• Banks and other financial institutions

• Drivers license renewal and vehicle registration

• Health insurance and Medicare (if applicable)

• Federal/state/county/city correspondence

• Passport/visa renewal and government ID

Get your mail figured out many months before departing

Believe me when I say that you do NOT want to wait until the last minute to set up mail forwarding/handling. Here’s what we did. About 4 months before departing I started keeping track of how much FIRST CLASS mail we received and from whom. You can do this using a simple notepad, your phone or a spreadsheet. Keep track of this for a few months and you’ll have a good sense of how many letters you receive monthly. This will help you determine which level of virtual mailbox service you need.

About 3 months before we departed Austin, I selected a virtual mail provider and started changing all of our addresses with banks, financial institutions, insurance companies etc. Many institutions will allow you to provide your physical address (what you are claiming as your domicile) and - importantly - a mailing address.

Choosing a virtual mail service provider

We do not get paid to recommend any of these companies but these are the ones most often used by full time travelers and nomads (listed in alpha order not by preference or popularity). Most are in the $10-$20 per month range for basic needs.

• iPostal1

• Anytime Mailbox

• Escapees

• PostScan Mail

• PhysicalAddress.com

• Traveling Mailbox

• USA2Me

There are many other providers options so do some research. Here are some things to consider as you evaluate your options:

1. How many monthly envelope content scans are included in your desired plan? Additional scan charges can add up quickly.

2. Does your preferred location open and scan mail or forward all mail to a centralized location to do this? Some companies that advertise thousands of locations rely on partners that simply accept mail but do not process it. This can delay getting your mail by up to a week.

3. Is the online web and app interface clear and easy to use?

4. Does the company offer check deposits? Many do not. (We did not care about this and would simply forward the envelope to someone else if a check was received)

5. Does the company charge extra to shred your mail? Another money maker. (FYI one company admitted to me that they have a service that shreds all mail anyway so the question really is: How does your company dispose of mail?)

6. What is the cost to accept and store packages?

7. What is the cost to forward envelopes and packages?

Recommended order of operations

Step 1: Track your First Class Mail

Do this for a month or so and you’ll get a good sense of how much First Class mail you receive. Take note of how many of those letters you could also view online vs those whose content remains a mystery and need to be opened. Armed with this information, you’ll have a much better sense of which virtual mail service plan best fits your needs.

Step 2: Select a virtual mailbox service

There are MANY ”commercial mail-receiving agencies” that offer virtual mailbox services. We chose PostScan Mail. One important step here is completion of USPS Form 1583 (Application for Delivery of Mail Through Agent). With this form, you are authorizing the virtual mail service provider to accept mail on your behalf. This form must be notarized!

Step 3: Complete USPS Change of Address

The USPS “Change of Address” service is a little deceiving because you cannot count on the USPS to do the tedious work of notifying all of your institutions of your new address. Instead, they will forward your mail to a new address for 12 months (extendable up to an additional 18 months) and during that time you are expected to notify companies of your new address.

When selecting when to make the service active, start it right away and not the day you plan to depart. It takes a few weeks for it to start working. For this reason, we recommend setting up your virtual address and starting USPS mail forwarding months in advance of departing. One less thing to check off your list just before departing!

If you have a sharp eye, you may have noticed that some companies print “Address Service Requested” on First Class envelopes. This service allows companies to be notified by USPS if the recipient has changed their address. Ironically, as a safety precaution, those companies will usually send a followup letter to your old address confirming the change.

Step 4: Contacting important institutions

As much as you might think the US Postal Service will forward every single first class letter you receive, they won’t. Nor will it be quick. It took months for most of our first class mail to reliably be forwarded to our virtual mail service address and even today some inexplicably slip through. This is why you want to start the transition months in advance. As a bonus, your junk mail will not be forwarded!

What about packages and PO Boxes?

Most virtual mail services accept packages from Amazon, USPS, FedEx, UPS, etc. This is important. Why? Let’s say you are traveling overseas and one of your credit cards gets lost, hacked or stolen. Your credit card company will only send a replacement card to a legal street address, not a PO Box. If you elect to get a USPS PO Box, make sure you also select a post office location that offers USPS Premium PO Box Street Addressing service. This service allows you to have an address such as 123 Main Street #456, Austin, TX 78701 rather than PO Box 456, Austin, TX 78701. It’s free with your mailbox rental but you must complete this form when you sign up for your PO Box. Keep in mind that this address cannot be used as your legal residence on legal documents. Again, virtual mailbox providers also provide a street address and far more additional services than USPS so we don’t recommend the USPS option for most full time travelers.

Using a Friend or Family address

Some full time nomads have asked a very close friend or family member to use their address for mail. While this can save a modest amount of money each month, I don’t recommend doing so unless your mail volume is extremely low.

Asking a family member to text you when mail has been received gets old (for them) very quickly. You will be asking them to open envelopes, take photos of contents, and text you the images. If they are willing to do that, then it may work for you. The bigger question is: Do you really want them reading your end-of-year tax documents and results of your colonoscopy? And are they going to toss sensitive documents containing your social security number in their recycling bin or shred them?

Will you be selling (or stop renting) your current residence?

As you consider how to handle your mail you want to keep in mind the issue of domicile, especially if you are selling your home. For example, if you decide to sell your house (or move out of your rental) to travel full time, you will no longer be “domiciled” in that state unless you take action to maintain it.

Domicile is a big deal because it is tied to US state taxes, your eligibility to vote and which courts have jurisdiction over issues such as probate or jury summons. You may only have one domicile at a time. Fortunately, states like Texas, Florida and South Dakota have more lenient residency requirements, no income tax and a robust ecosystem built around full time RVers and nomadic world travelers. This is why most full time nomads choose one of these states to establish domicile. If you were already domiciled in one of the six other states that do not have a state income tax, it may not be worth it to you to switch. Many full time travelers recommend Escapees for domicile and mail handling services (see above).

If you intend to sell your home, a simple virtual mail service may not be adequate to meet legal requirements. Some states - including California and New York - have been known to aggressively audit claimed domicile changes. Regardless of your situation ask a tax professional about any proposed changes in your domicile state, especially if you plan to keep your home and/or rent it.

Like we said, you’ve (still) got mail

Diligent as you may be, you’ll never be completely rid of physical mail but if you plan accordingly, and methodically change your address with senders, you’ll never find out too late that you missed a medical, insurance or tax bill. Happy travels!

Are you a full time traveler? How do you handle mail? Share your experience and insights with others.

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As many experienced travelers will tell you, there is a lot to be said for carrying your bag onto every flight. It saves time. It saves money. And it eliminates the possibility of your bag getting lost or delayed.

But let’s be real - carry on is not practical for every traveler or every airline. And despite the best efforts of airlines worldwide, some bags go astray.

What percentage of checked bags get “mishandled” by airlines?

While you may hear the occasional social media horror story about an airline losing someone’s bag, it’s actually far less common than you might think. According to a 2026 baggage insights study commissioned by SITA, the likelihood that your bag will be mishandled (delayed, damaged or lost) is less than 1%. In 2025, the odds that your checked bag was mishandled on a:

Domestic fight: <0.2% (1.65 out of every 1,000 bags)

International fight: >0.9% (9.12 out of every 1,000 bags)

The Air Travel Consumer Report published by the US Office of Aviation Consumer Protection in July 2026 puts the percentage of domestic (US only) mishandled bags by US carriers at 0.42%. Why are bags far more likely to get mishandled on international flights? Simple. International flights involve more transfers and tighter connections.

Either way, the odds of your bag getting delayed or lost are pretty low, and varies by airport and airline. Of those “mishandled” bags, a tiny fraction are truly lost according to SITA research:

• Delayed: 75% of mishandled bags

• Damaged: 21% of mishandled bags

• Lost: 4% of mishandled bags

These percentages have dropped significantly over the last 20 years due to better airline tracking technology, baggage sorting/transfer systems and adoption of consumer tracking devices (Airtags, etc.).

*Based on 2026 research data from SITA.

What if YOU are among the unlucky?

Ok, the odds are small but let’s imagine you are that annoyed and confused person hopefully staring at the rotating luggage carousel, your bag nowhere to be seen. What do you do?

Step 1: Make your way to the airline Baggage Service Office (BSO) or airline desk and file a Property Irregularity Report (PIR in airline lingo). You’ll receive a tracking code. Do this within 4 hours of arrival. If you received a checked baggage receipt, keep it.

Step 2: Get actual receipts (not credit card statements) of your expenses after you leave the airport. Depending on how long your bag is delayed, the airline may reimburse you for:

• Essential clothing (a few outfits) while you wait

• Toiletries

• Medications or medical supplies

• Laptop/phone chargers (but probably not a new laptop or camera!)

Keep in mind that if the loss occurs on your return trip home, the airline will probably reject the expenses noted above because you will have all these things at home. If your bag ends up being lost, that’s a different story.

When is your bag considered lost?

The Montreal Convention is an international treaty that covers international air travel. It has been adopted by the vast majority of countries you would ever visit. This treaty says that a bag is considered “lost” if it has not been located within 21 days (or sooner if the airline has formally admitted it is lost). After that you are entitled to file a claim for the value of the bag and contents.

According to the Montreal Convention, you are entitled up to 1,519 Special Drawing Rights (SDR) which convert as follows at the time of writing in August 2026. The amount fluctuates daily.

• USD = $2,110

• Euro - €1,860

• UK Pound = £1,600

The limits above are for international flights. The US, for example, has higher maximum limits for domestic flights.

If you leave your Kindle or iPad in the seat back pocket, that’s on you and not considered a “lost” item. Sadly, I did this… :-(

The good news and the bad news

Ok so it’s been 21+ days and the airline has no clue where your bag is. It’s officially deemed lost. Despite the fact that you already filed a PIR, you’ll need to file a loss claim with the airline. Let’s say the total new cost of the contents in your bag (including the bag) is $2,500.

• 40L wheeled backpack - $400

• 2 pairs of travel pants: $75 each

• 3 pairs of shorts/dresses: $50 each

• 6 Merino shirts: $75 each

• 3 other shirts: $50 each

• Undergarments (various): $200

• 6 pairs of Merino socks: $25 each

• Rain jacket shell: $200

• Long sleeve pullover: $100

• Hiking sandals: $150

• Toiletries/accessories: $150

• Other travel accessories: $250

The good news is that you’ll have brand new stuff. The bad news is that the airline is NOT going to pay 100% of the replacement cost of your stuff. In our example above, the airline will depreciate clothing using a proprietary formula. So, your $2,500 loss might only net a $1,500 payment from the airline depending on age and condition of the items. According to the SITA study, the average compensation paid out by airlines for a lost bag is $425.

What is not covered

There is an important difference here. Airlines set their own exclusions for items they will not cover for checked bags on domestic flights. This generally includes:

• Laptops and tablets

• Cameras, lenses, drones

• Fine jewelry and watches

• Collectibles and artwork

• And other items

However, Article 17 of the Montreal Convention does not allow for exclusions. So, if flying internationally, yes, you could theoretically be reimbursed for that laptop, Rolex watch or $1,000 in cash (up to the limits) you stashed in your checked bag. But we also know you’re not that careless. If it’s valuable, keep it in your carry on bag.

Pro Tip: Before you pack your bag (if checking it), lay all contents out on a bed and take a photo of it. If expensive clothing, take a photo of each piece inclusive of its brand label. Save digital receipts of pricier items for future reference.

Will my credit card make up the difference?

Probably not much. Numerous travel-focused credit cards like the Capital One Venture X and Chase Sapphire cards advertise Lost Luggage Reimbursement protection. The problem is that the coverage is secondary coverage and they use Actual Cash Value to calculate the payout much like the airlines.

Using the earlier example, your bag and contents cost you $2,500 new. The payment from the airline was $1,500. Yes you can submit a claim to your credit card to see if they will pay some or all of the difference but don’t expect a $1,000 check. Nonetheless it’s worth a shot to see if you get some additional payout. You’ll need to show proof that you filed a claim with the airline and their settlement/denial letter (plus all receipts) before the credit card will consider your claim. Oh, and if you did not pay for your ticket using that credit card, you’re outta luck.

Bluetooth trackers: the best baggage insurance you can buy

If you use AirTags or another Bluetooth tracker, and you see that your bag is at another airport, you can help speed the process of retrieving your bag by doing the following:

1. Open the “Find My” (iPhone or Mac) or “Find Hub” (Android) app on your phone

2. Select the tracking device that’s in your lost bag

3. Copy the link and share the item location when submitting the Property Irregularity Report with the airline

Sharing this information can dramatically increase the odds of getting your bag back sooner!

Has an airline ever lost or damaged your bag? What happened next? Share your experience with others.

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When my wife and I decided to rent our house and travel full time, we had to tackle the literal elephant in the room: What do we do with all of our furniture and stuff???!!! Sell it? Store it? Donate it?

We knew that being full time travelers was something we were committed to doing for 5+ years, so the idea of spending thousands of dollars to store bulky furniture and personal items was a non-starter.

No doubt, you too are considering selling some belongings and wondering if Facebook Marketplace (FBMP) is a good option. Let’s get to it.

Is FBMP Right for You?

You have plenty of ways to offload your belongings and make some money in the process, including:

• Specialty/focused Facebook groups

• Craigslist

• eBay

• Professional auction

• Professional estate sale

• Garage/moving sale

• Consignment shops

• Pawn shops

• Specialty apps/sites

• Family and friends

• And more….

Of these, Facebook Marketplace may be a good option if you have:

• Time - You should have at least a few months before you plan to depart

• Patience - To list all of your items and respond to insipid inquiries from people who only look at the photo and headline and don’t read the description.

If you have neither, stop reading and consider other options.

What I Sold on Facebook Marketplace

By American standards, our house in Austin was not large at 1,465 sf (136 m2). We had no garage and no basement so (fortunately) we did not accumulate a huge amount of stuff over the 24 years we lived there. Nonetheless we had plenty to purge!

I considered the options above and decided to use Facebook and eBay to sell many of our belongings due to the long runway of time before we needed to move out of our home. Ultimately, we sold 106 items on Facebook which included everything from armoires to vases and everything in between.

Lest you need proof that ANYTHING can be sold on Facebook, behold the 35 year old black toilet that someone gladly paid $20 to take off my hands.

How Much We Made and How Much Time It Took to Sell Our Belongings

We made $8,000+ selling 100+ household items and furniture on Facebook. If you add the older car we also sold on FBMP, the total is north of $12,500. All told, I estimate that it took me an average of 30 minutes per item to sell. This includes the time to list an item, take photos and video, respond to inquiries, and schedule a time for the buyer to stop by. Excluding the car, selling those 100 items took about 50 hours and netted $8,000. That’s $160/hour. Worth the “hassle” to you? That’s for you to decide. I did this mostly in the evenings and weekends over a 9-12 month period.

How to Get Started Selling Your Stuff on Facebook Marketplace!

If selling on Facebook Marketplace seems like a time consuming hassle, it’s really pretty easy. My suggestion is to get started selling a few items and see how you like it. Here are the steps to list an item on FBMP. I have not used Facebook’s new “Seller” app so it may differ. This is how to do it natively within the Facebook app.

Tip: When creating a new listing, you’ll have an option to hide the listing (screenshot 6 above) from your Facebook friends and family. If you have not already told them of your plans, you might want to do this!

What to Expect Next

Once you have listed your first item, Facebook will review it and it will be active soon thereafter. Assuming you have listed something people want, priced it appropriately and added a video and good photos, the inquiries will come!

1. The majority of inquiries will happen in the first few days. Facebook prioritizes new content in their feed and that’s why you may get several new non-serious inquiries initially. That’s also why many of those inquiries are garbage. You want people who are actively searching for your item, not inquiries from impulsive shoppers.

2. Expect some impulsive “window shoppers” with hair-trigger thumbs. These people will send Facebook’s canned inquiry of “Is this still available?” My experience has been that even if you reply immediately, less than half of people will follow up. Don’t bother trying to follow up twice.

3. You may get some lowball offers. If you are asking $100, the occasional low baller may reply with “$30.” These people are often resellers who go through listings and make absurdly low offers, a few of which will be accepted by people in a time crunch. Resist the urge to post snarky replies. Delete and move on.

4. Lazy people will drive you bonkers. Even if you put “YES IT’S AVAILABLE” (which I recommend) at the beginning of each listing, someone (several people) will ask “Is this still available?” because this response is the default initial reply and they are too lazy to actually read and ask a specific question. Deep breaths, happy thoughts…

Pros and Cons of Using Facebook Marketplace to Downsize

FBMP is definitely not for everyone! Again if you have little time, patience or need for extra money, consider donating your belongings to various charities. For every item I sold, we gave away at least 2-3 items which translated into carloads of clothing and smaller household items.

Pros:

• You end up meeting lots of wonderful human beings who are excited to obtain the item you are selling and give it a new home!

• No commissions! You keep 100% of the proceeds

• No hassles associated with shipping

• Easy to list items for sale

• You can hide your listings from friends (if desired)

• Large local audience

• Often easy to search for comparable items to price appropriately

Cons:

• People come to your house (read safety tips below)

• Low ballers are annoying!

• People don’t read your description and can be flaky

• Majority of people will not follow up on initial inquiry

• Can take time to sell more expensive items

That’s not going to fit in our carry on bag! We did not sell any clothing on Facebook and this is just a sample of what we donated to Austin Pets Alive and other worthy charities.

Tips for Success Selling Your Belongings on Facebook Marketplace

Facebook will allow you to add up to 10 photos and one video. Use both to your advantage because most people don’t. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen someone trying to sell a nice piece of furniture but only post 3 crappy photos and no video. The video is especially important. Here are some other tips.

DO:

• Make sure to take good photos and always, always add a short video!

• Be patient! If you are in a hurry to unload your stuff, FBMP will add more stress than the money you make.

• Be realistic about pricing. If you think you are going to sell that “almost brand new” sofa for 75% of what you paid for it 1 year ago, think again.

• Set up a Venmo account. This is the preferred payment method.

• Accept only cash and Venmo.

• Mark your listing as Sold immediately after sale but NOT before the buyer shows up and pays for it.

DO NOT:

• List anything for free. You will be inundated with hoarders who have no “skin in the game” and no urgency or real motivation to show up. Donate it instead.

• Accept Zelle unless you know the person - Venmo is widely used and preferred.

• Deal with people that seem to be in a huge hurry to buy items that have no urgency.

• List anything way below market value. You may think this would help you get rid of it faster but you will be inundated with inquiries and then stuck hoping the first one you agreed to sell to actually shows up quickly.

• Offer to hold something for more than 24 hours without a small Venmo deposit (unless it’s been sitting forever).

• Provide your address until the buyer has committed to a pickup time. I usually added the general location in the listing.

• Allow someone inside your house when you are alone unless you feel good about it or must do so (furniture and large pieces).

• Mark your listing as Pending until the person is on their way to pick up as this effectively stops any future inquiries.

Would I Do It Again?

Yes, with caveats. Overall, if I had a do over, I would use Facebook to sell items that I deemed to be worth $40+ and donate the rest. For me, half of the 106 items I sold were $40 and up, half less. The 53 items under $40 netted us less than $1,200. The 50+ items priced at $40 and up netted $6,900. Same amount of work. However, as my wife says, it’s nice to know that our stuff - regardless of value - went to a good home with someone who will love and cherish it. Ok, maybe…

Have you tried - or are considering - selling some personal items on Facebook Marketplace? Share your insights with others.

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After 29 years of travel to 40+ countries, I still see loads of oblivious tourists embarrassing themselves (and me if they are from the US) while on vacation. Many of these behaviors stem from simple cultural ignorance or hedonistic hubris. I cobbled together this list because these mistakes are all preventable, and at one time or another, I have been guilty of some of these myself! Have others to add? Let me know in the comments.

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1. People who COMPLAIN

We have all heard the naysayers who, despite the incredible privilege of being able to travel, always find something to complain about when they go abroad. The people who…

• Bitch about having to pay €14 for a coffee at a cafe in Piazza San Marco as they absorb one of the most beautiful public squares in the world…for as long as they like

• Moan about the weather when it’s NOT sunny and 75° every day

• Leave a snarky online review about a local Thai restaurant food being “too spicy” or a FREE walking tour being “boring”

• Grumble about the lack of AC in northern locales experiencing unusually warm weather

• Are impatient about the perceived lack of urgency related to restaurant service, especially when getting their bill or desiring another drink

• Expecting all street or market vendors to accept “tap to pay”

• Get upset about not getting ice in their water or “sauce on the side”

2. People who COMPARE

Why do people feel compelled to keep score on everything as it relates to their life in their home country? The people who…

• Make a point of comparing the size of US homes/cars/anything to what’s typical locally

• Assume their own customs are the “normal” or “correct” way of doing things

• Cast negative judgments on local cleanliness, streets/sidewalks and infrastructure

• Always say “Back in (my country) we…” in a manner that positions their home country/way of doing things as superior

3. People who skip CONSENT

Just because everyone has a high quality camera in their pocket does not mean they know how to wield it appropriately. The people who…

• Enter a restaurant or small business with cameras rolling to capture the “authentic experience”

• Take intimate portraits of individual people without their knowledge

• Walk into an artisan workshop and start handling hand-made pieces without asking

• Fondle fruits and vegetables in public markets without any intention of buying anything

• Point their camera inside someone’s home fronting a narrow street

4. People who CLAMOR

It never ceases to amaze me how some people treat sacred monuments and scenic sights like a Disney theme park. The people who…

• Treat sacred sites as exotic photo backdrops or playground structures without any respect for their delicate construction or revered status

• Quickly jump inside cordoned off areas so they can get the best Instagram shot

• Rush to get to the front of the line so they can get the best seat on a bus

• Use selfie sticks on the edge of cliffs or climb out on dangerous outcroppings, causing anxiety and anger among all who see them

5. People who (over) CONSUME

One behavior sure to elicit eye rolls is someone who is all about gratuitous consumption while on vacation. The people who…

• Overtly advertise their wealth with expensive watches, handbags, jewelry, clothing, etc.

• Order insane amounts of expensive food at a restaurant and then end up not eating a significant portion of it

• Leave the air conditioning on while out all day sightseeing

• Spread out on beaches/parks or at outdoor music events when space is limited

• Disregard urgent pleas from local authorities to conserve water during local droughts

• Get too close to wild animals so they can get a selfie

• Place their bag on the seat next to them on a busy metro or airport gate

• Over tip (most common for Americans) or under tip based on local custom

• Fly drones in busy areas where the sound could be disruptive or the privacy of onlookers is a concern

  

6. People who are COMBATIVE

Nobody likes an a**hole and I’ve seen plenty of them while traveling. The people who…

• Are rude or condescending to restaurant or service workers

• Aggressively haggle with local vendors over an amount that accounts for less than 0.0001% of their annual salary

• Challenge tour guides on facts about a person or place

• Get aggressive about queues or personal space

• Complain about how food is prepared to a server or send food back if not to their liking

7. People who are CRASS

Continuing with the theme of #6, nothing irritates me more than people who are generally obnoxious. The people who…

• Talk loudly in churches, museums or at restaurants

• Talk on speakerphone within earshot of others (my #1 pet peeve)

• Play music or videos in their earbuds too loudly on an airplane

• Get drunk and rowdy in a quiet residential area late at night

• Shout or wave down a server to get attention

• Never bother to learn basic phrases in the local language

  

8. People who are CLUELESS

And sadly, the biggest category of them all. The people who…

• Walk while scrolling through their phone and nearly head butt the person coming toward them

• Waddle four abreast on a sidewalk at glacial speed, creating a human zamboni everyone else must dodge

• Stand at a gelato stand and ask for three samples (one at a time, of course) while a line four deep grows behind them

• Take a cheerful selfie in front of a somber memorial site

• Even better, those walking while looking at mapping who suddenly stop, causing someone behind them abruptly swerve to avoid a collision

• Ride an escalator side-by-side with their luggage, preventing anyone from passing

• Wear inappropriately skimpy clothing inside a church or sensitive site where there is a social expectation of respect

• Don’t remove their shoes when entering a mosque, Japanese home, or display the bottom of their feet disrespectfully (Asia, Middle East, North Africa)

• Do inappropriate poses or gestures while taking photos with statues

What are some behaviors you have seen that make you want to smack someone upside the head?

Share it with other Substackers in the comments.

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