Are you the type of traveler who loves to get off the beaten path? Who values experiences over things? Who believes travel goes deeper than a fantastic meal? Then the Postcard Academy travel podcast is for you.
Each week, I interview people who packed up everything to start a new adventure in another part of the world. You’ll get their insider travel recommendations on the best food and cultural experiences in the most interesting places around the globe. You’ll also discover travel hacks to find cheap flights and travel deals, and hear personal expat stories that offer guidance on how to live, work, volunteer, and travel abroad.
I’m your host, Sarah Mikutel, an American who’s been living, working, and traveling around Europe since 2010 (and visiting long before that). Enjoy the show!
Look up #vanlife on Instagram, and you’ll find nearly 3 million photos of perfect couples cruising through the desert or sipping beer on top of their VWs. But there are also many people who couldn't care less about Insta fame — they’re choosing to live in vans or RVs or old bread trucks because they want a simpler life. Fewer things. More experiences. Here's the beginner's guide to van life.
Read MoreHave you ever wanted to try solo travel, but you’re not quite ready? But the idea of group travel sounds too crowded and rushed? The Bolt Collective travel community could be just right for you. Think of it as group travel for people who hate group travel.
Read MoreIf you’ve visited Berlin on vacation, you might think Germany is all hipster coffee shops and fingerless gloves (these are called stulpenand I love them). But go outside the city, and you’ll learn Germany isn’t one big liberal love fest welcoming immigrants with open arms. What I learned from celebrating Easter in former East Germany.
Read MoreThis year’s World Happiness Report just came out and, once again, all the Nordic countries are at the top of the list. The one I haven’t been to yet is Sweden, so I called up Eric Wall, an American artist living in Stockholm, to get his advice on the best things to see and do in Sweden’s capital city.
Read MoreMy friend, Cristal Dyer, aka the Tofu Traveler, and I just spent four perfect days eating ourselves silly in Oaxaca City, which is also famous for its beautiful handicrafts and colonial architecture. We share our ridiculous adventures in this food capital, as well as a detailed travel itinerary for you, in the Postcard Academy podcast episode: Mexican Food Lovers’ Paradise: Oaxaca.
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With its low cost of living, growing economy, and charming landscape and villages, Romania has become a desirable location for expats. Yet, many people outside of Europe know nothing about this country, and those inside Europe, at least in the U.K., have a very low opinion of this former communist state.
Read MoreRomania is the next big thing for expats and travelers seeking to get off the beaten path. Why? To start, you can live an awesome life there for $1,000 a month. Theater, opera, and other culture pursuits are cheap or free and accessible to everyone (Romania's Communist past means less elitism than you find in other European countries). History lovers will love wandering the medieval cities. And then, there's Dracula's castle.
Read MoreJen Glantz, the world’s first bridesmaid-for-hire loved living in New York City, but she didn’t love the expense, and she was stuck in a rut. After she and her boyfriend Adam Kossoff both lost their jobs, they created a life in which they could work anywhere while traveling across the U.S. A few months ago, they moved out of New York and started calling a new place home every 30 days.
Read MoreAs I flew from New York to Italy in 2010, I thought, ‘My Sicilian great-grandparents must be spinning in their graves.’ I’d been to Italy before, but this time I was moving to Reggio Emilia alone to apply for Italian citizenship.
Read MoreThe 1929 stock market crash devastated many Americans. But for single women, the Great Depression that followed was not all a bad story. People were putting off marriage and, for the first time, many single women went to work, lived, and even traveled independently. For guidance, they looked to their favorite guru to the single girl, Marjorie Hillis, a successful author and bachelorette living a glam life in New York. Here's how Marjorie helped a generation of women thrive in the 1930s.
Read MoreAt 18, Cristal Dyer left Australia on her first solo trip, venturing to South America where she volunteered for a year. Since then, she's become a full-time traveler. She shared her secrets to finding the cheapest flights and other travel deals with the Postcard Academy.
Read MoreAs flames lashed the Napa and Sonoma Valley wine regions in October, vineyard owner Amelia Ceja was speaking up for the workers she saw cultivating smoky vineyards without protective masks. Amelia is a Mexican immigrant who built a multi-million dollar wine business, and she was once a grape picker herself.
In this episode of the Postcard Academy podcast, Amelia shares her journey from moving to America without knowing English to owning a multi-million dollar company.
Read MoreSlovenia is a land of fairy tale castles, baby dragons (more on that later), and delicious moonshine. You may also know this former Yugoslavian republic as Melania Trump’s place of birth. But Noah Charney, an American expat and Slovenia resident since 2006, says his adopted country deserves to be known for so much more.
Read MoreI expected to find falafel in Istanbul, but I was fantastically wrong. To set the record straight on Turkish cuisine for other travelers, I asked food and travel writer Robyn Eckhart to come on the Postcard Academy podcast to discuss traditional Turkish recipes and Istanbul food culture. We have a lovely chat about her new cookbook: Istanbul and Beyond: Exploring the Diverse Cuisines of Turkey, and create a food guide for your next trip to Istanbul.
Read MoreIf you like food porn, this week’s podcast guest will have you screaming from the rooftops. Cenk Sönmezsoy is an award-winning food blogger, photographer, and self-described shameless chocoholic from İstanbul, Turkey. He’s also author of the masterpiece, The Artful Baker: Extraordinary Desserts From an Obsessive Home Baker.
Read MoreCoffee, cocktails, and co-working 🙌 London is a hipster's paradise. On this week's podcast, we chat to emoji expert and resident hipster, Jeremy Burge, on London fun and all things emoji 😘
Read MoreFind the most unique gifts made in Paris. Lindsey Tramuta, American expat and author of The New Paris, shares insider tips on her favorite shops and artisans who are reviving traditions and bringing new energy to the city.
Read MoreWhen in Rome, you need to try these traditional foods with a twist. Culinary expert Katie Parla tells us exactly what to eat in the Eternal City.
Read MoreItalian expat and food journalist Veruska Anconitano shares her top tips on what to do in Dublin, and offers great insider advice on where to eat, shop, and go out at night when you travel to Ireland's capital.
Read MoreGame of Thrones, Lord of the Rings...whether or not you’re into those books (or, let’s be real, TV shows/films), you probably admire the breathtaking scenery. If that’s the case, you’ll adore the Isle of Skye, which looks like a fairytale.
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