Authentic Food Quest Resources

As we embark our journey, we have been asked many questions about our travel and preparation plans. We have put together this resources guide to help answer some of the most recurring questions.

We will be adding and updating as we go, and if there are any topics missing that you would like to know more about, please send us an email
Disclosure: please note that some of the links below might be affiliate links. If you purchase products through our website link, we will get a small commission at no cost to you. We only recommend products that we use and that we believe will be useful to you. Thank you in advance for your support!

PREPARATION

Selling our stuff

Our travel journey means no fixed location. It also means becoming minimalist, selling our stuff and living out of a backpack. To sell our stuff, we have been successful using these resources.

Craigslist: we have used craigslist to sell furniture for many of our moves and have had good success. One word of caution though: be weary of spammers and people trying to get your money fraudulently. Only accept people who can come in person and pay in cash. For more on the rules of engagement, check out craigslist recommendations.

OfferUp: OfferUp is similar to craigslist except that it is a mobile app. You take a picture directly from your phone and put your items up for sale. People contact you directly via the app and make an offer based on your items and selling price.

Other ways to sell your furniture and smaller items is to check your local flea market. You might be surprise how fast your furniture can sell. Be ready to bargain 🙂

Garage sale or moving sale are also a great way to sell all kind of items though you might need to let go of your stuff at a very low price.

Storing our stuff

Smartbox: For the personal stuff we didn’t want to get rid of, we used a portable storing solution called Smartbox. We considered several options from storage units to portable storage solutions. We decided to go with a portable solution and specifically Smart box. They bring the box directly to you and a few days later, the company comes and picks it up. No need to rent a truck, transport items and then unload and store. We found Smartbox to be very responsive and friendly to do business with.

Travel and Banking

To make banking safe and convenient on the road, we opted for these solutions for easy access, fraud prevention and to avoid paying high fees.

Charles Schwab Investor Checking Account: With this account you can withdraw cash at any ATM around the world, and the best thing is that they will refund any fees paid. We’ve had great customer service, online banking is easy and there is no minimum balance to carry.

CapitalOne360: Online banking is a great way to simplify banking while on the road. We use Capital One as there is no minimum balance on their checking accounts and no monthly fees. The interest rates at Capital One is higher than most brick and mortar banks. It is also a good idea to have an alternative account for payment in case our primary ATM card gets stolen.

ING Direct: For the people outside the US, ING Direct is similar to Capital One 360. Free credit card, low minimum balance, no fees for SEPA transfer.

Trip Planning

While traveling, a little planning can go a long way. However, it is ok to add a bit of spontaneity. We usually research accommodations, food resources and overall country information before we start our travels.

Airbnb: We have used Airbnb on many of our trips. What we love about Airbnb is the convenience of having a kitchen where we can prepare our own meals and try out the local authentic food 🙂 It is also a great way to meet local people and get local tips on where to shop for food, eat and visit.

flightfox: When we book complex or last minute travel, we count on flight fox to find us great deals and save money. Flight fox is made up of a team of experts, who for a small fee, find you the best deals available.

Here are some additional useful links to research your next travel destination:

BootsnAll

Lonely Planet

Kayak

SkyScanner

BUILDING OUR WEBSITE

This is an ongoing learning process and we will continue to build out this section.

We got started by creating our website on WordPress and using the resources below.

Namecheap: Once we found our website name, we registered it and created our domain name using Namecheap. We found their site easy to navigate and we also appreciate their respectful advertising as compared to popular hosting competitors 🙂

Unicon: We chose WordPress to create our website as it is the most popular blog platform. Also, they provide great themes for free. Unicon is the one we chose as it provided the features we needed as well as a simple and sleek design.

SiteGround: We are hosting our site on SiteGround. We chose them is because they have a great customer service 24/7 on emails, chat and phone as needed and affordable prices.

Google Apps: We went with Google Apps to host our email in order to be independent from the hosting company. It is cheap and comes with tools like Google Drive, Docs, Spreadsheets, Presentations and more. We like the functionality and the ease of moving from one app to another. (Check with us for a coupon code if you are interested)

MailChimp: To send our blog posts and newsletters, we signed up with MailChimp to manage our subscriber list. We like the fact that we could start with their free account option. They also have a nice interface and good customer service.

WP Rockstar: We would not be here without Kasia, rockstar designer who has helped us get started with our website. Not only did she design our website, but has been a wealth of information providing lots of great recommendations, finding great apps and plug-ins and orchestrating our social media presence.

INSPIRATION

Along this journey, we seek inspiration from a number of different places. Books and meditation are instrumental in keeping us aligned. We are also inspired by travel bloggers that provide useful tips and recommendations.
Below, is a list of some of our favorite resources.

Books

Jack Canfield – The Success Principles
Paulo Coelho – The Alchemist
Tim Ferriss – The 4 hours work week
Chris Guillebeau – The Art of Non-Conformity
Susan Jeffers – Feel the Fear … and Do It Anyway
Rolf Potts – Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel
Nathalie Sisson – The Suitcase Entrepreneur