We're trying not to be fearmongers, but international travel may get much more difficult in the years ahead. Here's *specifically* what can you do about it.
Depressing, but prudent topic. I am Canadian living in Costa Rica and I am beyond words to talk about what is happening right before our very eyes.
However, I am somewhat perplexed by your suggestions around travel relating to the US. First of all as a Canadian, I feel it's my duty to not travel to the US unless it's absolutely necessary. But inevitably, traveling to certain locations will most likely involve transiting through the US. Just when I was getting over my anxiety of travel because of things like PTSD surrounding covid, now a whole new sh*t show :-(.
In one of the pieces of your advice, you suggest deleting social media posts that might be considered anti-trump or anti-US administration. As a gay male Canadian, I just can not fathom capitulating to that level. As a person from a country that feels it's about to be invaded, I feel I might as well just hand them my keys.
I love your blog, with all it's integrity and authenticity. However, I am surprised you would suggest this given your own content is exactly what you suggest we should consider censoring. I guess with you being American citizens, it would be harder to deny you entry or at worst lock you up (not yet anyway).
But us as non-Americans living outside the US, feeling pressured to not share how we are feeling and trying to make efforts to stop the madness spreading beyond the US borders... NOPE! I just can't do it. I have fought to long and hard in my life to just so easily give up just the most basic right of freedom of expression and speech because of pressure of a foreign country and it's leaders.
I realize that ultimately it might result in being denied entry into your country and I would accept that any day then give up this fundamental basic freedom. Hopefully, the worst that happens is that I have to return to my point of departure and does not end up with me put in some ICE cell somewhere under phony auspicious accusations.
I understand people's fear. I have them as well and have lightly thought about this topic. But if I look back at history with our community fighting to survive and then fighting and ultimately obtaining something that resembles equal rights under the law, we did not get there by giving up these most basic rights.
If the good people of the US are lost and don't know what how to fight what is going on, may I suggest they research the groups and initiatives like ACT UP that helped pave the way through the AIDS crisis. They got sh*t done with no apologies.
On a lighter, more postive note, look at what a few acts of resistance and vandalism can do to financial circumstances of one the biggest perpetrators of this atrocities on your country. It's very inspiring and can set a great example of non-violent power we have and how to use it if needed.
I appreciate your response. Upon further reflection, I was looking back at years of traveling and asked myself “Have you ever traveled to a country where you felt you needed to delete your social media posts to avoid possible not being admitted or even worse… Jailed???
I have been to places Russia, Myanmar and while I was somewhat queasy, I did not have this level of fear.
To be clear, I don’t think your suggestion is fear mongering. It could very well be on point in certain circumstances and none of us really know what those circumstances would be.
But more than anything, here we have two smart, rational, seasoned world travelers feeling the need to suggest this possibility and caution people. I am not saying your post was wrong or an over reaction. The alarming part is that it clearly presents that we really clearly have entered a whole new reality when it comes to travel and now what appears to be one of the possible dangerous places as an LGBT traveler is the country I thought was a beacon of freedom and democracy and as a Canadian. Our closest unwavering ally.
Another possible positive as to what is happening in the US for us as Canadians. While we clearly face serious challenges ahead of us, people have united across the country like I have never seen in my lifetime. They are hardly sitting back and taking a “wait and see” approach. They collectively and individually taking concrete measures to now allow the US to engage in a hostile takeover of our country.
As Russia found out. Ukraine was hardly the cake walk they thought it would be. We as Canadians would respond in the exact same manner despite the odds stacked against us.
It is absolutely shocking to me, and frankly, absolutely infuriating that more Americans can't see this for what it is. I am -- and have always considered myself -- fairly moderate, a "try hard to see both sides" kinda guy. But when you're fighting fascism? Please.
Yup, I do think the silver lining to all this is that people who've never been politically active, and always took democracy and "civilization" for granted, I think they will EVENTUALLY wake up. And Trump seems to be uniting the world -- against America, but still.
Yes, I am VERY impressed with Canada right now, how focused and passionate. I suppose you still have national character. We'll see if America still does. Sadly, I have my doubts.
Just to reiterate Brent's point, this is NOT about telling Canadians to not speak out against what is happening.
This IS about keeping Canadians and anyone else entering the U.S. for whatever reason they deem necessary and NOT ending up in trouble with U.S. immigration. If deleting your social media will keep you from being "detained" for who knows how long, then that seems prudent. And I 100% support any Canadian's decision to boycott everything U.S.-related.
I’m a friend of Colin’s here in Costa Rica. I’ve been here for 4 years. I’ve been returning to the US about every 6 months to visit my dad in Colorado. My current plan is not to delete my many, many… many posts on socials that are critical of this administration and the cabinet members, but rather, I’ll just delete all my social apps off of my devices when crossing the border. I’m sure by now, they’ve had their AI crawl all over social media and screenshot anything suspect, so going back and deleting what that probably already have seems like a waste of time. But I have to admit, *even as a US citizen* I am actually worried that expressing my beliefs online might cause problems for me when I return to my home country. And that’s pretty grim.
I was in Vallarta from February 19 to 23. One afternoon walking through the Zona Romántica, I saw an obese American good-ole boy wearing a Trump/Vance 2024 t-shirt. I thought to myself, What a blankety-blank-blank blank. His intention had to have been to antagonize. Why else would he wear such a thing in Mexico? He should've gone on vacation to South Padre.
haha. actually the Mexicans -- who the coolest, chillest people on Earth! -- sell t-shirts that both anti- AND pro-Trump. They know the score and just wanna make a sale! LOL
(Post-election, though, yeah, this seems wildly insensitive and, frankly, really stupid. Outside of America, things are VERY different these days.)
I've been a liberal all my life and have always had a love/hate relationship with America, but now I'm embarrassed to be an American. But I'm getting a lot of sympathy from random strangers I've met on my current six month off-season trip who understand I don't represent or endorse the actions of our current government. Chaos and tension are both increasing all over the world - look at Turkey, Serbia and so many other places in upheaval.
I was in Turkey for two months and left just before the current crisis, thankfully. Next month I'll be in Serbia and Bosnia and will be my usual low-key self and not attract the wrong kind of attention. I've become very good at blending in and will use my "cloak of invisibility" to navigate any chaos I encounter.
My plans for next winter include South Africa, Madagascar and a few other African stops. I'm hoping to go despite anti-American sentiment. We shall see!
Thank you and thank you for coming along. My plan is to make it crystal clear whenever appropriate that I in no way support this administration or what America has become.
I think he's saying this is a possible policy change. Medicare, for example, is medical coverage already available only for folks within the USA (with a few exceptions).
This benign yet unsettling “what if—it might be coming” comment made me realize how important it is for me to start asking for sources moving forward. On top of trying to process what’s actually happening—and navigating the context, stripped statements and partial truths—I now find myself needing to filter out hypothetical fears being treated as inevitable outcomes.
I never expected to feel this way about Going Places. I'm sad. I love this newsletter—it’s a bright spot, full of magical (and sometimes not-so-stellar) travel stories and stunning photos from around the world, and even a sneak peek into your relationship, it's fun and interesting allowing me into your alternative lifestyle, fun and fascinating, really. I genuinely look forward to it. But lately, some of the political commentary feels like it’s shifting the tone in a direction that’s been hard for me to engage with. It’s made me pause and reconsider my subscription, which is disappointing because I’ve been such a fan. (And I will stop here to graciously add in that you gifted it to me when I was in a terrible financial position, and ill last year so I couldn't afford it, and for this I thank you both from the bottom of my heart.)
Of course, I understand the value of sharing travel advisories and thoughtful context—especially as I prepare for an upcoming trip to South America. I’ll absolutely be staying aware and taking precautions. That said, living here in the U.S., I’ve also been taken aback by some of the strong opinions I’ve seen shared by those who’ve since moved away, yet speak as though they’re still here on the ground.
All of this has wound me up more than I expected. Lately, I’ve noticed a growing trend across newsletters I subscribe to—ones focused on travel, health, food, photography, and other areas of expertise—where personal political views are becoming a bigger part of the content. And while I completely respect that everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I don’t expect anyone to stay silent about things they care about, I’ll admit that it’s been hard for me to stay connected when that focus starts to overshadow the reason I subscribed in the first place.
Anyway, sorry for the rant, but I felt I must speak my piece.
We really do appreciate your comments, Patti. To be clear, we don't publish speculation without sourcing, or at least thoughtful explanation, and Matt seemed to me to be clearly speculating too. But of course everyone must make their own decisions on these things, which we respect.
We plan to continue publishing content as we always have, but yes, we will sometimes publish politically oriented opinion and opinion-adjacent as well. The way we see it, what's happening in America is (a) really important, and we can't imagine not speaking up about it, and (b) very related and relevant to travel. Frankly, it's affecting travel, and that is our brand and area of expertise. To ignore it seems to us to be irresponsible on both levels.
We will continue to try to find a balance. But of course we also respect folks who decide they no longer want to share this space with us.
Thank you for such a thoughtful response. You mentioned that you source information—if what’s happening here in the U.S. is truly affecting your brand and travel, then of course the political landscape is relevant. In that case, let’s definitely continue our writer/reader relationship.
Hi Patti, Thanks for the comments and sharing your thoughts. We really have no desire to be political, but where political overlaps with travel, we feel like we do have to say something. We can't ignore how our many Canadian subscribers now feel about coming to the U.S. and are coming there.
Nor can we ignore how Europeans feel about the same issues. And we have to share our thoughts on how best to navigate this world, especially it's going to have a HUGE impact on us. Mexico just revoked a type of residency we were going to apply for. Was it because of Trump? Don't know? But we need to know about it.
But let me reassure you we plan on producing much of the same content as before. I just finished writing an article about seven of our favorite walks and hikes in the world. We've also got a humorous post about our worse accommodations over the past eight years. And next we're off to San Miguel de Allende, so we'll have coverage of that.
But we understand if you feel this balance is no longer right.
On another note. Funny how things pop up to iterate what's been bothering me as of late... this just came to my inbox in addition to a series of other political prompts... it's way more serious than I originally thought... but because I was getting the personal perspective mingled in with fact it was spotlighting my ignorance in the matter. Here's something that crossed this morning:
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts so openly. I completely understand that your goal isn’t to be political—but when politics begins to overlap with travel in ways that directly affect your ability to move, plan, or even feel safe, it becomes part of the conversation whether we like it or not.
If your Canadian and European readers are feeling uneasy about coming to the U.S., or if residency paths in Mexico are suddenly changing, those are things worth talking about. Navigating this world thoughtfully sometimes means acknowledging the uncomfortable parts, too.
That said, I really appreciate that you're still offering the kind of content so many of us come for—your humor, and the reflections that make your writing so enjoyable. I’m definitely looking forward to hearing about San Miguel de Allende (it is one of my potential relocation hot spots) and everything else to come.
Happy to hear you plan on staying. And we really do appreciate hearing your thoughts. It reminds who we are writing for and why and the feedback is invaluable.
Michael, what type of residency is Mexico revoking? (I know I could look this up, but you're always wonderfully quick with replies😊). I ask because I have friends who are currently trying to establish residency. Thanks!
Knowing abusers and psychopaths too well, I think it's so wise to take precautions, especially if supporting change, which can also be done on the down low.
I wish all good humans would read The Gift of Fear (de Becker), Why Does He Do That (Bancroft), and most definitely Without Conscience (Hare).
And I'd definitely delete those apps before crossing borders.
When abusers/psychopaths are in positions of power, there are no guarantees.
Thank you for your transparency. We lived in Malaysia for a year and after November 5, the vibe towards Americans changed. Nothing obvious but people asked me why Americans allowed this to happen. I told them the government is very broken and officials did nothing to stop it. Then I explained white supremacy and racism in the United States, and how bad actors exploited it. We are back in the US and have no plans to travel unless it’s absolutely necessary. Americans are going to be treated like second class citizens, and they are not prepared for that. We are seen as pariahs to a lot of other countries nowadays. It’s sad. Unfortunately we are going to pay a steep price. I would advise your friend to reconsider travel to South Africa. Other countries are already issuing travel warnings to the States and rightly so. On a side note, I think the Olympics and World Cup should no longer be held in the States. It’s that bad.
These are certainly uncertain times. I continue to believe/hope that Americans who make it clear they oppose Trump will still be welcomed abroad. Assuming we don't actually attack Greenland, Canada, or Panama, which is shocking to even think about.
That too. Well all we can do is be prepared the best we can. It’s to the point I deleted all files and photos on my laptop and backed them up on an external hard drive. Also have a free Proton email account. I am hearing it’s best to travel with a burner phone. Also locked my credit cards not in use and froze my credit reports.
I’m a US citizen living in Portugal and am wondering how long it will be/how safe it is for citizens to travel back to the US. Many sources are advising bringing a burner phone or deleting social media, messaging and other apps. But if/when they start flagging citizens that won’t matter. There is also talk of the borders being closed, but who knows if/when. I wouldn’t go back but I have children there and there is a music camp that is my home/family that I’ve been going to every August with my daughter for years and look forward to- will be heartbreaking to not be able to go. I already have tickets- guess I’ll have to wait and see what things look like in July. The media of course isn’t covering everything and can’t cover every incident at the border and I’ve seen many reports of tourists being searched and some detained. Scary times. Thanks for addressing this topic.
Hobit, wow! It is truly sad that the US has not found a way to remove the orange seditionist, but instead force the people onto the streets to fight it out. Trump is a convicted felon, rapist, SEDITIONIST ! He should be removed by military force.
Just today our German friends, who have become like family over the years, cancelled their annual trip to see us this summer. I am heartbroken, but I understand. When people who have the correct documents are arbitrarily detained, it's just too big a risk.
I have a trip planned in the fall to go to Germany to see them. Now I have concerns about that.
So sorry about your friends. Personally, I would still go to Germany as I think most Europeans will be much more understanding of Americans who oppose what’s happening in the U.S.
Thanks for your frankness on this. Honestly a lot of foreigners like myself are avoiding visiting the US at present as well, for reasons of safety.
I had two trips planned this year which I've cancelled, and I know pretty much everyone I know here in Canada and back in Ireland has been advising people not to go. Not as a reaction to tariffs, even, just a real fear in the changing climate.
It's not great! Recently a friend of mine was offered a trip to Disney for himself and his wife, who is likely to be pregnant by then, and unfortunately our advice was not to go: if either of them were detained, or she had complications while in Florida, the consequences would be devastating.
I'm also scared for my American friend who's non-binary on their state documentation.
But it's good to see people like yourselves acknowledging what's happening and doing their best to support people.
Since the election last November, I have -- for the first time in my life (now in my 7th decade) -- hated my country, the USA.
I think that the election of the orange blowhard last year is the worst thing to ever happen to our country in its entire history. I would be stunned if, 20, 30, 40 years from now, historians aren't overwhelmingly concluding that he was the worst President, by far, in our country's history.
I recently returned from a 18-day trip to China. Despite the geopolitical (and trade) tension between the two countries, the Chinese were very welcoming and accommodating. It is one of, if not the safest place to travel to, and the economic slowdown and strong U.S. dollar made the trip extremely affordable.
Is there a concern many Americans won’t be allowed back into the country if those same travelers oppose Trump and his policies? Is that also your reason for suggesting trans people not to leave the U.S.? I’m realizing with every day that passes countries all over the world are issuing new travel warnings for visiting the U.S.
There's also an issue if their gender on their passport doesn't conform to their gender expressed. Their passport may be from before they transitioned. Likewise, the Trump administration may not recognize passports from AFTER a transition. Yes, they'll probably be let in anyway, but it could be time-consuming and embarrassing. At this point, no one knows...
The issue for trans people to worry is if they have the "X" gender signifier on their passports, as the U.S. no longer recognizes it. I find it hard to believe they won't be allowed back in, but they might tell them if they want to travel again, they need to change it.
As for US citizens who oppose Trump, who the hell knows what the future holds, but we fly back for a two week visit tomorrow, so that could be interesting.
Our generation of travelers has benefitted greatly from an unusual and relatively short period of democratic peace in world history that started in the late 80s. The Cold War world of the late 50s through early 80s was full of undemocratic proxy states of both the US and USSR. Things may be shifting back to travel necessarily being more selective.
This is my fear. I think it's very possible. And, yes, I agree that most Americans don't realize that that period since the 80s (and since the 50s for Western Europe) was/is extraordinary. It's the previous period which is the "norm."
Whoaaaa. I book a tour (which would technically have been on a "bus"!) that I had to miss due to illness, and it was covered entirely by the credit card's "transportation" coverage.
Oh, man, now I truly wonder if these cards are just trying to get us sucked into their ecosystem so they can screw us later on, like every other tech platform. Oy!
Depressing, but prudent topic. I am Canadian living in Costa Rica and I am beyond words to talk about what is happening right before our very eyes.
However, I am somewhat perplexed by your suggestions around travel relating to the US. First of all as a Canadian, I feel it's my duty to not travel to the US unless it's absolutely necessary. But inevitably, traveling to certain locations will most likely involve transiting through the US. Just when I was getting over my anxiety of travel because of things like PTSD surrounding covid, now a whole new sh*t show :-(.
In one of the pieces of your advice, you suggest deleting social media posts that might be considered anti-trump or anti-US administration. As a gay male Canadian, I just can not fathom capitulating to that level. As a person from a country that feels it's about to be invaded, I feel I might as well just hand them my keys.
I love your blog, with all it's integrity and authenticity. However, I am surprised you would suggest this given your own content is exactly what you suggest we should consider censoring. I guess with you being American citizens, it would be harder to deny you entry or at worst lock you up (not yet anyway).
But us as non-Americans living outside the US, feeling pressured to not share how we are feeling and trying to make efforts to stop the madness spreading beyond the US borders... NOPE! I just can't do it. I have fought to long and hard in my life to just so easily give up just the most basic right of freedom of expression and speech because of pressure of a foreign country and it's leaders.
I realize that ultimately it might result in being denied entry into your country and I would accept that any day then give up this fundamental basic freedom. Hopefully, the worst that happens is that I have to return to my point of departure and does not end up with me put in some ICE cell somewhere under phony auspicious accusations.
I understand people's fear. I have them as well and have lightly thought about this topic. But if I look back at history with our community fighting to survive and then fighting and ultimately obtaining something that resembles equal rights under the law, we did not get there by giving up these most basic rights.
If the good people of the US are lost and don't know what how to fight what is going on, may I suggest they research the groups and initiatives like ACT UP that helped pave the way through the AIDS crisis. They got sh*t done with no apologies.
On a lighter, more postive note, look at what a few acts of resistance and vandalism can do to financial circumstances of one the biggest perpetrators of this atrocities on your country. It's very inspiring and can set a great example of non-violent power we have and how to use it if needed.
It's a fair point! And it is phrased unclearly. We're NOT saying don't speak out. But when crossing borders, caution is in order.
But you are perhaps correct that that advice is a step too far.
(We took the same precautions entering Turkey last year, as they too were examing social media posts to allow entry.)
I appreciate your response. Upon further reflection, I was looking back at years of traveling and asked myself “Have you ever traveled to a country where you felt you needed to delete your social media posts to avoid possible not being admitted or even worse… Jailed???
I have been to places Russia, Myanmar and while I was somewhat queasy, I did not have this level of fear.
To be clear, I don’t think your suggestion is fear mongering. It could very well be on point in certain circumstances and none of us really know what those circumstances would be.
But more than anything, here we have two smart, rational, seasoned world travelers feeling the need to suggest this possibility and caution people. I am not saying your post was wrong or an over reaction. The alarming part is that it clearly presents that we really clearly have entered a whole new reality when it comes to travel and now what appears to be one of the possible dangerous places as an LGBT traveler is the country I thought was a beacon of freedom and democracy and as a Canadian. Our closest unwavering ally.
Another possible positive as to what is happening in the US for us as Canadians. While we clearly face serious challenges ahead of us, people have united across the country like I have never seen in my lifetime. They are hardly sitting back and taking a “wait and see” approach. They collectively and individually taking concrete measures to now allow the US to engage in a hostile takeover of our country.
As Russia found out. Ukraine was hardly the cake walk they thought it would be. We as Canadians would respond in the exact same manner despite the odds stacked against us.
It is absolutely shocking to me, and frankly, absolutely infuriating that more Americans can't see this for what it is. I am -- and have always considered myself -- fairly moderate, a "try hard to see both sides" kinda guy. But when you're fighting fascism? Please.
Yup, I do think the silver lining to all this is that people who've never been politically active, and always took democracy and "civilization" for granted, I think they will EVENTUALLY wake up. And Trump seems to be uniting the world -- against America, but still.
Yes, I am VERY impressed with Canada right now, how focused and passionate. I suppose you still have national character. We'll see if America still does. Sadly, I have my doubts.
Just to reiterate Brent's point, this is NOT about telling Canadians to not speak out against what is happening.
This IS about keeping Canadians and anyone else entering the U.S. for whatever reason they deem necessary and NOT ending up in trouble with U.S. immigration. If deleting your social media will keep you from being "detained" for who knows how long, then that seems prudent. And I 100% support any Canadian's decision to boycott everything U.S.-related.
I’m a friend of Colin’s here in Costa Rica. I’ve been here for 4 years. I’ve been returning to the US about every 6 months to visit my dad in Colorado. My current plan is not to delete my many, many… many posts on socials that are critical of this administration and the cabinet members, but rather, I’ll just delete all my social apps off of my devices when crossing the border. I’m sure by now, they’ve had their AI crawl all over social media and screenshot anything suspect, so going back and deleting what that probably already have seems like a waste of time. But I have to admit, *even as a US citizen* I am actually worried that expressing my beliefs online might cause problems for me when I return to my home country. And that’s pretty grim.
I have a lot of fears and plan to continue to travel anyway. Thanks for this!
Us as well. It’s scary to even think about having to give it up because of this BS…
I was in Vallarta from February 19 to 23. One afternoon walking through the Zona Romántica, I saw an obese American good-ole boy wearing a Trump/Vance 2024 t-shirt. I thought to myself, What a blankety-blank-blank blank. His intention had to have been to antagonize. Why else would he wear such a thing in Mexico? He should've gone on vacation to South Padre.
I hope every Canadian that saw him give him a piece of their mind -- which clearly he could have used.
haha. actually the Mexicans -- who the coolest, chillest people on Earth! -- sell t-shirts that both anti- AND pro-Trump. They know the score and just wanna make a sale! LOL
(Post-election, though, yeah, this seems wildly insensitive and, frankly, really stupid. Outside of America, things are VERY different these days.)
Really appreciate this post. Thank you. 💙
(love your newsletter name!)
Thank you, Jennifer.
I've been a liberal all my life and have always had a love/hate relationship with America, but now I'm embarrassed to be an American. But I'm getting a lot of sympathy from random strangers I've met on my current six month off-season trip who understand I don't represent or endorse the actions of our current government. Chaos and tension are both increasing all over the world - look at Turkey, Serbia and so many other places in upheaval.
I was in Turkey for two months and left just before the current crisis, thankfully. Next month I'll be in Serbia and Bosnia and will be my usual low-key self and not attract the wrong kind of attention. I've become very good at blending in and will use my "cloak of invisibility" to navigate any chaos I encounter.
My plans for next winter include South Africa, Madagascar and a few other African stops. I'm hoping to go despite anti-American sentiment. We shall see!
Thanks again for all you do!
Thank you and thank you for coming along. My plan is to make it crystal clear whenever appropriate that I in no way support this administration or what America has become.
We plan to continue to travel to! Just being a bit more cautious and intentional about it, I guess. Btw, we LOVED Bosnia -- Serbia not so much. hehe.
I am embarrassed to be an American as well. So entitled and, frankly, stupid. But I think this is a wake-up call. We'll see if we wake up.
Wait until Trump reduces Social Security for those not living full-time in the U.S. Easy sell to MAGA.
Very true. Another thing to be concerned about. 😞
Is this true? I'd like to see a source, please.
I think he's saying this is a possible policy change. Medicare, for example, is medical coverage already available only for folks within the USA (with a few exceptions).
This benign yet unsettling “what if—it might be coming” comment made me realize how important it is for me to start asking for sources moving forward. On top of trying to process what’s actually happening—and navigating the context, stripped statements and partial truths—I now find myself needing to filter out hypothetical fears being treated as inevitable outcomes.
I never expected to feel this way about Going Places. I'm sad. I love this newsletter—it’s a bright spot, full of magical (and sometimes not-so-stellar) travel stories and stunning photos from around the world, and even a sneak peek into your relationship, it's fun and interesting allowing me into your alternative lifestyle, fun and fascinating, really. I genuinely look forward to it. But lately, some of the political commentary feels like it’s shifting the tone in a direction that’s been hard for me to engage with. It’s made me pause and reconsider my subscription, which is disappointing because I’ve been such a fan. (And I will stop here to graciously add in that you gifted it to me when I was in a terrible financial position, and ill last year so I couldn't afford it, and for this I thank you both from the bottom of my heart.)
Of course, I understand the value of sharing travel advisories and thoughtful context—especially as I prepare for an upcoming trip to South America. I’ll absolutely be staying aware and taking precautions. That said, living here in the U.S., I’ve also been taken aback by some of the strong opinions I’ve seen shared by those who’ve since moved away, yet speak as though they’re still here on the ground.
All of this has wound me up more than I expected. Lately, I’ve noticed a growing trend across newsletters I subscribe to—ones focused on travel, health, food, photography, and other areas of expertise—where personal political views are becoming a bigger part of the content. And while I completely respect that everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I don’t expect anyone to stay silent about things they care about, I’ll admit that it’s been hard for me to stay connected when that focus starts to overshadow the reason I subscribed in the first place.
Anyway, sorry for the rant, but I felt I must speak my piece.
We really do appreciate your comments, Patti. To be clear, we don't publish speculation without sourcing, or at least thoughtful explanation, and Matt seemed to me to be clearly speculating too. But of course everyone must make their own decisions on these things, which we respect.
We plan to continue publishing content as we always have, but yes, we will sometimes publish politically oriented opinion and opinion-adjacent as well. The way we see it, what's happening in America is (a) really important, and we can't imagine not speaking up about it, and (b) very related and relevant to travel. Frankly, it's affecting travel, and that is our brand and area of expertise. To ignore it seems to us to be irresponsible on both levels.
We will continue to try to find a balance. But of course we also respect folks who decide they no longer want to share this space with us.
Thank you for such a thoughtful response. You mentioned that you source information—if what’s happening here in the U.S. is truly affecting your brand and travel, then of course the political landscape is relevant. In that case, let’s definitely continue our writer/reader relationship.
Hi Patti, Thanks for the comments and sharing your thoughts. We really have no desire to be political, but where political overlaps with travel, we feel like we do have to say something. We can't ignore how our many Canadian subscribers now feel about coming to the U.S. and are coming there.
Nor can we ignore how Europeans feel about the same issues. And we have to share our thoughts on how best to navigate this world, especially it's going to have a HUGE impact on us. Mexico just revoked a type of residency we were going to apply for. Was it because of Trump? Don't know? But we need to know about it.
But let me reassure you we plan on producing much of the same content as before. I just finished writing an article about seven of our favorite walks and hikes in the world. We've also got a humorous post about our worse accommodations over the past eight years. And next we're off to San Miguel de Allende, so we'll have coverage of that.
But we understand if you feel this balance is no longer right.
On another note. Funny how things pop up to iterate what's been bothering me as of late... this just came to my inbox in addition to a series of other political prompts... it's way more serious than I originally thought... but because I was getting the personal perspective mingled in with fact it was spotlighting my ignorance in the matter. Here's something that crossed this morning:
https://search.app/X8VxZ
So I'm here to say thank you for bringing this awareness to us (me).
Thanks, Patti. Awful, isn't it?
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts so openly. I completely understand that your goal isn’t to be political—but when politics begins to overlap with travel in ways that directly affect your ability to move, plan, or even feel safe, it becomes part of the conversation whether we like it or not.
If your Canadian and European readers are feeling uneasy about coming to the U.S., or if residency paths in Mexico are suddenly changing, those are things worth talking about. Navigating this world thoughtfully sometimes means acknowledging the uncomfortable parts, too.
That said, I really appreciate that you're still offering the kind of content so many of us come for—your humor, and the reflections that make your writing so enjoyable. I’m definitely looking forward to hearing about San Miguel de Allende (it is one of my potential relocation hot spots) and everything else to come.
So yes, I’m still here—and I’m with you.
Happy to hear you plan on staying. And we really do appreciate hearing your thoughts. It reminds who we are writing for and why and the feedback is invaluable.
On to San Miguel!
Michael, what type of residency is Mexico revoking? (I know I could look this up, but you're always wonderfully quick with replies😊). I ask because I have friends who are currently trying to establish residency. Thanks!
It was their Regularization program that allowed people who meet certain specific requirements to get residency.
Not a fact yet, but just wait for:
Why should we fund people who decide to leave the country and NOT SPEND THEIR MONEY in America?
How do we know these people ARE STILL ALIVE?
People tell me there is MORE FRAUD ABROAD than anyone HAS EVER SEEN BEFORE.
We need to stop payments until we know what the HELL IS GOING ON!!!!!!!!
Knowing abusers and psychopaths too well, I think it's so wise to take precautions, especially if supporting change, which can also be done on the down low.
I wish all good humans would read The Gift of Fear (de Becker), Why Does He Do That (Bancroft), and most definitely Without Conscience (Hare).
And I'd definitely delete those apps before crossing borders.
When abusers/psychopaths are in positions of power, there are no guarantees.
I whole heartedly agree. No, we should not "obey in advance", but we also need to be mindful of personal safety. That always comes first.
Thank you for your transparency. We lived in Malaysia for a year and after November 5, the vibe towards Americans changed. Nothing obvious but people asked me why Americans allowed this to happen. I told them the government is very broken and officials did nothing to stop it. Then I explained white supremacy and racism in the United States, and how bad actors exploited it. We are back in the US and have no plans to travel unless it’s absolutely necessary. Americans are going to be treated like second class citizens, and they are not prepared for that. We are seen as pariahs to a lot of other countries nowadays. It’s sad. Unfortunately we are going to pay a steep price. I would advise your friend to reconsider travel to South Africa. Other countries are already issuing travel warnings to the States and rightly so. On a side note, I think the Olympics and World Cup should no longer be held in the States. It’s that bad.
These are certainly uncertain times. I continue to believe/hope that Americans who make it clear they oppose Trump will still be welcomed abroad. Assuming we don't actually attack Greenland, Canada, or Panama, which is shocking to even think about.
That too. Well all we can do is be prepared the best we can. It’s to the point I deleted all files and photos on my laptop and backed them up on an external hard drive. Also have a free Proton email account. I am hearing it’s best to travel with a burner phone. Also locked my credit cards not in use and froze my credit reports.
I’m a US citizen living in Portugal and am wondering how long it will be/how safe it is for citizens to travel back to the US. Many sources are advising bringing a burner phone or deleting social media, messaging and other apps. But if/when they start flagging citizens that won’t matter. There is also talk of the borders being closed, but who knows if/when. I wouldn’t go back but I have children there and there is a music camp that is my home/family that I’ve been going to every August with my daughter for years and look forward to- will be heartbreaking to not be able to go. I already have tickets- guess I’ll have to wait and see what things look like in July. The media of course isn’t covering everything and can’t cover every incident at the border and I’ve seen many reports of tourists being searched and some detained. Scary times. Thanks for addressing this topic.
Yeah, it feels insane to even be having these conversations! Never in my wildest dreams did I envision this kind of stuff happening.
Hobit, wow! It is truly sad that the US has not found a way to remove the orange seditionist, but instead force the people onto the streets to fight it out. Trump is a convicted felon, rapist, SEDITIONIST ! He should be removed by military force.
Here's hoping it happens sooner rather than later.
Just today our German friends, who have become like family over the years, cancelled their annual trip to see us this summer. I am heartbroken, but I understand. When people who have the correct documents are arbitrarily detained, it's just too big a risk.
I have a trip planned in the fall to go to Germany to see them. Now I have concerns about that.
So sorry about your friends. Personally, I would still go to Germany as I think most Europeans will be much more understanding of Americans who oppose what’s happening in the U.S.
Thanks for your frankness on this. Honestly a lot of foreigners like myself are avoiding visiting the US at present as well, for reasons of safety.
I had two trips planned this year which I've cancelled, and I know pretty much everyone I know here in Canada and back in Ireland has been advising people not to go. Not as a reaction to tariffs, even, just a real fear in the changing climate.
It's so depressing...
It's not great! Recently a friend of mine was offered a trip to Disney for himself and his wife, who is likely to be pregnant by then, and unfortunately our advice was not to go: if either of them were detained, or she had complications while in Florida, the consequences would be devastating.
I'm also scared for my American friend who's non-binary on their state documentation.
But it's good to see people like yourselves acknowledging what's happening and doing their best to support people.
Mind yourselves, also.
The transgender issue is outrageous and terrifying, as is the rest of it is, of course.
I'm sad Europeans are cancelling their trips, but I understand, and I would do the same, for safety AND for "boycott" reasons.
This breaks my heart.
We recently changed a European cruise to a Caribbean cruise and would have canceled it altogether if we could have without losing the entire fare.
We’re not planning to leave the ship anywhere but Puerto Rico.
I’m disgusted and ashamed of everyone who allowed this to happen.
I am disgusted too. 🥺
Since the election last November, I have -- for the first time in my life (now in my 7th decade) -- hated my country, the USA.
I think that the election of the orange blowhard last year is the worst thing to ever happen to our country in its entire history. I would be stunned if, 20, 30, 40 years from now, historians aren't overwhelmingly concluding that he was the worst President, by far, in our country's history.
Not just the worst president, but one of the worst Americans to have ever lived -- and he's got some pretty steep competition.
I think he's a shoo-in for worst president whether or NOT he ends up destroying our democracy.
I am disgusted too. 🥺
I recently returned from a 18-day trip to China. Despite the geopolitical (and trade) tension between the two countries, the Chinese were very welcoming and accommodating. It is one of, if not the safest place to travel to, and the economic slowdown and strong U.S. dollar made the trip extremely affordable.
Glad to hear it. Here's hoping it continues that way for a long long time.
Thanks for the update!
It's all so depressing. Hopefully common sense prevails and people can separate the regular people from the government.
Yes, but at some point I can see Europe just deciding, "Nope, we don't really like the way you lot are treating us, so maybe just stay away."
Yeah I can understand that worry. It would be on my mind too if it were me.
Is there a concern many Americans won’t be allowed back into the country if those same travelers oppose Trump and his policies? Is that also your reason for suggesting trans people not to leave the U.S.? I’m realizing with every day that passes countries all over the world are issuing new travel warnings for visiting the U.S.
There's also an issue if their gender on their passport doesn't conform to their gender expressed. Their passport may be from before they transitioned. Likewise, the Trump administration may not recognize passports from AFTER a transition. Yes, they'll probably be let in anyway, but it could be time-consuming and embarrassing. At this point, no one knows...
The issue for trans people to worry is if they have the "X" gender signifier on their passports, as the U.S. no longer recognizes it. I find it hard to believe they won't be allowed back in, but they might tell them if they want to travel again, they need to change it.
As for US citizens who oppose Trump, who the hell knows what the future holds, but we fly back for a two week visit tomorrow, so that could be interesting.
Our generation of travelers has benefitted greatly from an unusual and relatively short period of democratic peace in world history that started in the late 80s. The Cold War world of the late 50s through early 80s was full of undemocratic proxy states of both the US and USSR. Things may be shifting back to travel necessarily being more selective.
This is my fear. I think it's very possible. And, yes, I agree that most Americans don't realize that that period since the 80s (and since the 50s for Western Europe) was/is extraordinary. It's the previous period which is the "norm."
Big agree that credit card travel insurance can be super helpful. I used mine from Amex last November and it saved me about $400
Same! They have covered things I truly did not expect. 🤔
Totally, even hotels that were accidentally booked but forgot to cancel 😬🫣
Whoaaaa. I book a tour (which would technically have been on a "bus"!) that I had to miss due to illness, and it was covered entirely by the credit card's "transportation" coverage.
Oh, man, now I truly wonder if these cards are just trying to get us sucked into their ecosystem so they can screw us later on, like every other tech platform. Oy!