Nomadic Matt's Travel Tuesday

{NAME}, Today, I want to talk about people. Eleven years ago, I went to Ios, a party backpacker island in Greece, and ended up meeting such wonderful people that I stayed a month. I loved it so much I came back the following year. Now, back in Greece, I decided to return to Ios. What would a party island be like during COVID? Was Ios still Ios? And what happened to all the locals I knew? Where did they end up? Well, they were all still there. And everyone I remembered remembered me. Though many moons have passed, we picked up where we left off. Francesco, the owner of the famous hostel that bears his name, is still determined that I see the real Greece, George still makes delicious moussaka, Alex still serves up great drinks, Mario is a handyman now, Nico is still cooking, and Maria (Francesco's wife) is just as hospitable and caring as I remember. Going back made me think of all the other places I've spent extended time in. How many other locals remember me? How many other places could I pop into where people would say "Matt! You're back!"? The lesson, {NAME}, is that we all leave a longer-lasting impression than we realize. That, out there in the world, there are people who DO remember you and would be thrilled if you came back. It was a great reminder that, just as we carry everyone we meet in our travels with us, we leave behind a part of us for them too. UPCOMING FREE EVENTS We continue to host tons of virtual events to help you stay inspired and connect with other travelers. Here's what we have coming up: - [How to Make Your Camping Trips More Sustainable]( (TODAY) - [Dating Abroad: How to Set Yourself Up for Success]( (6/30) - [Travel Game Night]( (7/6) - [Backpacking Thailand Travel Tips & Virtual Meetup]( (7/8) - [How to Get Paid to Travel with Less Than 10k Followers]( (7/13) - [Taste of Asia Cooking Experience]( (7/14) - [What You Need to Know & What it's Like Traveling During COVID]( (7/15) (hosted by me!) For the full list of events (and travel happy hour discussions), [check out TNN's website](. LATEST COMMUNITY UPDATES 1. LAST CHANCE TO WIN A $200 GIFT CARD! This month, we're giving away a $200 USD gift card. To be eligible, all you have to do is be a member of Nomadic Matt Plus! We'll pick the winner on July 2nd. [Click here to learn more about NM+ and join today!]( 2. ANOTHER GOOD CARD BONUS! Not only does Chase still have a 100,000 point welcome bonus on their Sapphire Preferred card but Delta doubled all their bonus offers too! [If you haven't picked up the Chase or a Delta card yet, you should do so now.]( All the point offers will lead to at least a couple of free round-trip flights! And, if you have no idea why this is great, then [download my free guide to travel hacking]( to learn more and get started! 3. WANT TO LEARN ABOUT SCOTLAND? Join us next week, July 7th, as we talk with UK travel writer Helen Ochyra about her book, Scotland Beyond the Bagpipes. It's funny, easy to read, and full of insights into Scotland. [Click here to register for the event.]( COOL STUFF AROUND THE WEB 1. [Amsterdam Tells Rowdy Tourists to Stay Home]( - Amsterdam is trying to change its image. Will it work? 2. [How This Millennial Family Makes Living in Their RV Work]( - Karen from The Mom Trotter shares how her family makes RV life work as homeschooling full-time travelers. 3. [Travel Industry Experts on the Post-COVID Travel Trends Emerging from Bookings]( - Here's a look at the types of trips travelers are booking now that the world is slowly opening up. 4. [The Reality of Van Life]( - Is #vanlife as glamorous as Instagram makes it seem? (Apparently not!) NEW & UPDATED BLOG POSTS We've been busy updating and expanding posts to make sure they're ready for when the world re-opens. Here are some of our most recently-updated posts: - [18 (Easy) Steps to Planning a Trip]( - [The Ultimate Guide to Traveling When You Have No Money]( - [The 5 Best Travel Insurance Companies]( - [The Best Travel Insurance Companies for Seniors]( - [The 7 Best Hostels in Rome]( - [15 Ways to Earn Money Traveling]( QUOTE OF THE WEEK "Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won’t come in." - Alan Alda *** As always, if you have any questions, just let me know and I'll be happy to help. Sincerely, Nomadic Matt P.S. - Are you on social media? Come join me there for whacky updates and pictures: - [Instagram]( for real-time pictures and stories! - [Twitter]( for travel news, insights, and bad dad jokes! - [Facebook]( for longer updates, news, and other cool stuff! [Unsubscribe]( Nomadic Matt Inc., 207 E. 9th St. , Georgetown, Texas 78626, United States