The Update

Natalie …is currently a graduate student pursuing an Elementary Education teaching certificate and masters degree.

Justin…is currently teaching high school English.  Although a full time teacher, Justin recently began taking classes towards earning a masters degree in English Education.

Justin and I will always be nomads in search of the next adventure.  Unfortunately, higher education and priorities in life sometimes gets in the way of being able to pick up and go.

Fortunately, living in Colorado lends to many adventures and outdoor fun!

Instead, my backpack just hangs on a hook next to my CamelBak, which has gotten more use than my lonely backpack.  For those of you who are not familiar, a CamelBak is a small backpack that is worn as a hydration device.  They are great for adventure travel, hiking or combat, as individuals currently fighting in the war wear a CamelBak daily, while out on the field.

Needless to say with all of the recreation, our CamelBak has gotten loads of use here in Colorado, as it has been useful while hiking and exploring.  Even on Christmas day Justin and I hiked Horsetooth Rock, with an elevation gain of 1,500 feet.  We had beautiful views of the mountains and frozen arctic tundra abound!  It’s not traveling to a warm, exotic location, but hiking up a mountain is an adventure.

Our desire to travel and see the world has been pacified through small day and weekend trips.  Although, we are busy teaching during the week, our weekends offer freedom to play and explore.  We live a few blocks from Old Town Fort Collins.  This is a walkable downtown offers the typical urban findings with the small town intimacy.  Dozens of live music options each weekend, yoga, art galleries, cute shops, bars, and really any type of food you could imagine.  From pizza to sushi, along with multiple places to get homemade ice cream, gelato and even a variety of places to get a crepe.  It’s not Paris, but you can taste a bit of Parisian life by eating a Nutella crepe while walking down the sidewalk, looking at the mountains, instead of the Eiffel Tower.

The breweries here in Fort Collins, CO could make one feel as though they are permanently on a ‘Beer-cation’.  With New Belgium Brewery, Odell Brewing Co, Cooper Smith’s Brewing, and The Fort Collins Brewery all within one mile of our current home.  We especially love going on the New Belgium Brewery tour where you can try out the employee spiral slide instead of taking the stairs.  Check out the speed Andrea got as she spiraled out of control down the New Belgium slide.

I am assuming that this year of our life (May 2009-May 2010) will be the only time in our life that we will live within biking distance of so much great beer.  For those of you who love micro brews, Fort Collins, Colorado is an excellent place to live.  If you are planning to visit send us an email so we can catch up with you and a beer.

We really have no complaints this Twenty Ten.  Just lots to be grateful for.  We hope that you do too!  Whether you are sticking to your new years resolution or you can’t even remember it.  This year is a another great year to travel.

A few things to look forward to from Nomad Backpackers:

• A new series revealing how much money you need to backpack in specific cities
• Travel advice from other backpackers and travelers
• Stories from life, travel and the adventures of 2010

Continue to email us with travel advice and inquiries.  We love hearing from you whether you are out exploring the world or stuck in a cubicle during your lunch break.

Happy day twenty of Twenty Ten!!!

The most recent question was simply, “Where should we go next?”

The options were:

• Seattle, Washington
• Billings, Montana
• Albuquerque, New Mexico
• Salt Lake City, Utah

41% of people voted for Seattle!

I am really happy to be heading to Seattle.  Neither Justin or I have ever been to Seattle, or anywhere in the Pacific Northwest.  The best part of Seattle will be spending time with a good friend of ours.  We will be sure to share any local advice or insight Bryan has to offer.

We fly to Seattle in 3 weeks, and promise to write an article of our ‘Seattle, Washington Experience’.

Thanks again for voting and happy travels!

Please vote in our new You Choose poll.

Where you live can help!

Living in Colorado helps the urge disappear. I play in the mountains!  I hike, climb and explore. It allows some of my travel hunger to melt away. But then I still started a count down on my dry erase board.  The academic school year has not yet began, and I find the Summer countdown at 10 months.  Only 10 months until SUMMER BREAK!!!

Dr. Seuss was right.  Summer 2010, oh the places I will go!

For now I need to suppress this “urge” for travel. The wonder lust that is boiling inside of me. I need to forget that I own a passport. I must long for the end of May, when I can brush the dust off my backpack and fill it with the contents for adventure. 

Pleasant Dreams!

Tonight, I will fall asleep with the world above me, literally.  Today, I posted the world map on my bedroom ceiling. Is this torturous? Should I have hung it somewhere else? NO! It is exactly where it needs to hang, so I may dream of future adventures.

And me. I am exactly where I need to be. I am in Fort Collins, Colorado ready for everyday adventure. Whether it is the mountains or the classroom. Teaching will be a new adventure unto itself. I can apply my new skills and knowledge to future travel opportunities! I can take my teaching skills to any country and offer my knowledge of the English language.  ESL instruction is something that I love. Through teaching English you can have the opportunity to live in a new country for a year or so.

Not Traveling? Life offers other adventures!

Overall, I do miss backpacking. However, I am so grateful for this time to explore a new profession. Especially, a profession as rewarding as teaching. I will have to be content in the classroom and recognize the world will always be there. When the time is right, I will make my next big escape and enjoy another long term travel adventure. Until then, I will savor Colorado and other nearby places.  In fact, the photo above of Justin, was taken at Horsetooth Reservoir only 5 minutes from our home.

Still have the urge? If all else fails…

I bought two guppies. They are my pet fish. Zsigmond (Hungarian) and Santiago (Chilean) are both males.  I’ve seen enough Discovery Channel to know that I don’t want to become the proud pet owner of guppy babies within a week of getting my new little pets.

My two fish are very likable and low maintenance. I can easily transport the little 1.5 gallon tank they live in (currently on my desk) to a friends house, if I need to travel anywhere, anytime soon.

If all else fails, break your travel urge by putting something living on your desk. A plant, a fish or whatever you use to help you break your travel urge.  It must have a certain level of maintenance that allows you to feel purpose where you are. A cactus is a bad example because you could still travel for a few weeks, leaving your cactus high and dry, and it will still be alive when you return. Instead, you need something that requires a bit of daily care. I do not suggest a dog. Leaving for long term travel becomes difficult if you have a dog, unless you are enthusiastic about traveling with your dog/s. Christine, from Almost Fearless often travels with her two large dogs.

Now that you know what to do with your travel urge, I wish you the best. I know it’s not easy. I often feel like a dog waging it’s tail at the world, salivating and trying not to pee on the carpet. Do you ever feel this way in life?

I do not ride alone.  Each day, as I ride my bike to work, I see dozens of other individuals choosing transportation via pedals. Some are biking to work like me. Others are cycling to class, a friends house, a local coffee shop, the store, an appointment, or they are doing it for the health of it.

Fort Collins, Colorado is an extremely bike friendly community. The parents of my students will often ride to the school with their child or children riding behind them.  You have to admit, that in a vehicle dominated society, this is impressive.  I often experience this new, hard to describe feeling of pride and excitement for living in an area of the country that is as “pro-bicycles” as this area of Colorado.

It’s a feeling of pride because I know our community has a smaller carbon footprint than areas that rely upon motor vehicles for transportation. The air is cleaner. It’s easier to see the mountains in the horizon. If hundreds of people stopped biking to work (and other places) and began driving cars everywhere, I am sure that our local air pollution would increase rapidly.

I also get an energetic rush as I pedal in the bike lane, experiencing the trill of my commute. Alright, it’s not so thrilling when it is raining. But I am not the only cyclist getting wet!

I have lived in several places that have no bike lanes (or even sidewalk), causing extreme difficulty for anyone attempting to bike or walk. These “non-bicycle friendly communities” force individuals to rely solely upon their vehicles.

I enjoy the freedom my bike offers. No oil change, less money spent on gas (petrol) and no speeding tickets.  It is such a cheap method of transportation! If you are serious about travel and adventure, why wouldn’t you live in a community that caters to bike riding and/or offers a reliable form of mass transportation? It’s easy to cut out the cost of owning or leasing, and maintaining a motor vehicle. Then you can save that money for travel, adventures and fun!

Justin and I are currently a one car family. We would like to continue to have only one vehicle to insure and maintain. Living in Fort Collins, Colorado should allow us to continue to practice our “one car family policy” as we utilize bicycles for a majority of our transportation needs.

Our Bikes

Justin just bought a bike this weekend.  Now we are both able to leave the car at home and bike downtown for entertainment or bike to friends house.  I found a great vintage bike about a month ago, at Brave New Wheel, the bike shop behind our house.  Ironically, Justin also bought a vintage cruiser from Brave New Wheel.  It is a great shop that fixes up bikes from the 60′s, 70′s and 80′s, as to be both environmentally friendly (re-use) as well as, allowing classics to cruise the streets again.  

My bike is a dark green mens “ALL PRO” from the 70′s.  It was made in Troy, Michigan, where my brother and his wife live.  However, the bike itself was not the “corvette” of bikes back in the day.  In fact, it has a vintage KMart sticker on it.  But that’s how I roll!  My bike’s name is Green Tea (or in Mandarin Chinese - lǜ chá).  Brave New Wheel is such a fun store, they even gave me the teapot bike bell (with the Chinese character for tea on it) for FREE.

Justin’s bike is also from the 70′s, it’s the classic Schwinn.  His bike was one of the last to be produced in the Rockbrook Chicago factory before Schwinn outsourced their manufacturing needs to Japan (Panasonic) and Taiwan (Giant).   We have installed the bell, the rack and a steal basket.  Now all Justin’s bike needs is a name.  You Choose:  Justin’s bikes name.  Vote in the You Choose Poll now!

How do you find a bike friendly city?  

The League of American Bicyclists is a good place to start.  They have ranked Fort Collins at GOLD, when it comes to Most Bicycle Friendly Communities.  

You don’t even have to spend a cent to get a bike.  In Fort Collins, you can save more money for travel by volunteering 20 hours of community service (with any non-profit organization in Fort Collins) and earn a bike for FREE.  The Fort Collins Bike Co-op is the perfect organization to unite a community to bike together.  

Do you bike to work? Go on bike-cations? Let me know about your biking experiences and adventures. Feel free to email me a picture of you and your bike. I would love to see your Earth-friendly wheels!

Various Lodging Options:

• Camp in a tent or a motor home
• Rent or own a cottage
• Stay at Bed & Breakfast
• Contact a University and sleep in a dorm room

Be creative with your summer lodging options.  Due to the economic stress in Michigan, now is a great time to bargain and play ‘lets make a deal’ with your lodging.

Michigan is full of summer adventure.  Many of the outdoor enthusiasts focus on water sports, fishing, and other lake-focused activities.  In fact, Michigan has over 11,000 lakes.  Growing up in Michigan turns most Michiganders into fresh water snobs.  I am one  of them.  Why would I swim in the cold, salty ocean?  When I can swim in a fresh water lake that doesn’t sting my eyes or cause me to feel dehydrated.

Besides the countless lakes, northern Michigan has endless places to visit and check out.

Popular Summer Places:

1. Mackinac Island – [pronounced Mac-in-NAW eye-Land]   Did you know that peanut butter fudge exists? Eat fudge, watch butterflies, hike the interior of the island, rent a bike and ride it everywhere because cars are not allowed on the island.  You can even feel like a part of history while going on a horse drawn carriage ride.  Not only can you savor the unique summer culture of Mackinac, but you can savor the food as well.
2. Sleeping Bear Dunes – Some of the most rewarding yet difficult hiking is found at these  sand dunes.  The Sleeping Bear Dunes very in color and size and they are vast and stretching for miles. While hiking the Sleeping Bear Dunes you might find yourself singing the Lawrence of Arabia soundtrack.  After a hot tiring hike, jump in Lake Michigan for some beautiful swimming.  Visiting the Sleeping Bear Dunes leads to a great camping trip, which could include hiking, biking, fishing, canoeing or any adventure you desire.
3. Pictured Rocks – With over 40 miles of National Lakeshore, Pictured Rocks will take your breath away.  Scientifically these sandstone rocks show centuries of life and lake activity.  Visually, there are so many colors and textures to the massive rocks that stretch endlessly that they seem unreal.  Take a boat tour and enjoy a tiny fraction of Lake Superior while enjoying Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.  Camping is the main lodging option while visiting this remote region of the Upper Peninsula.
4. Sault Sainte Marie – [pronounced Sue Saint Marie]  Have you heard of the Soo Locks?  Here you will find the world’s largest system of locks.  It is incredible to watch the locks fill with water allowing large cargo ships the ability to pass through with ease.  Sault Sainte Marie also boasts a downtown culture with high foot traffic.  There are hundreds of fun shops, restaurants, museums and even an excellent theater.  Plus, you are almost in Canada!
5. Drummond Island – A wonderful place to escape into a secluded Michigan wilderness and relax for a few days.  Drummond Island is a tiny island in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  Very few people live on the island.  However, enough families live on the island that their is an elementary school and a library, which allows you to borrow books, movies and even jigsaw puzzles for rainy Drummond Island days.  You can drink beer out of a mason jar at the local bar.  You can sit in awe at Yacht Haven as the majestic vessels come in and out of the docks.  Win brownies at Baked Goods Bingo!  Or you can walk through the woods and sight deer and other wonderful wildlife. Drummond Island is truly a gem, as many tourists do not discover it.  I hope Drummond Island remains a tourist-free treasure for years!

Northern Michigan is a great summer get away location for a family, a young couple or even a single backpacker.  As a backpacker, if you pack light enough, and appear clean and friendly, hitch hiking in northern Michigan shouldn’t be too difficult.  However, always carry water (or the means to purify water), as many regions of northern Michigan are very remote and desolate.

Although, we grew up in Detroit, in many ways, both Justin and I have spent our summers growing up in northern Michigan.  We each have amazing childhood memories of unforgettable adventures and exploration.  If you have never been to Michigan, I would recommend it.  Especially, in the summer!

You have voted on the future of this website.

The winner is:  Share travel information on cities and places we visit or live in.

The site will now focus both on Fort Collins, Colorado, where Justin and I live, in addition to places in which we visit.  Some of these places will be local, in Colorado.  Other places will include various cities and regions of America that we explore.  

Justin and I would love to visit other countries and continue international travel.  For now, we are both focusing on life in America.  However, feel free to ask questions and request articles on other countries we visited.  For example, the “Rome Hostels” article was requested by a backpacker traveling to Rome, interested in finding the best hostel Rome.    

It’s not Europe, but when it comes to America, I can’t think of a more fascinating place to live and experience life than Fort Collins, Colorado.  The city offers an awesome biking culture, an active downtown, countless opportunities for nearby recreation, a handful of local micro breweries, museums, shops, restaurants, bars, theater, festivals, and so many other opportunities for entertainment and adventure.  I couldn’t imagine a more dynamic place to write about.  I hope you enjoy reading about Fort Collins as we set out to discover and explore life!

Soon, life will bring us to Michigan again, for a brief visit.  Since we have both grown up in Michigan, and are very familiar with the Great Lakes State, I plan to write a special article on Michigan.  Enjoy reading about the Big Mitten!

Thanks again for voting.  Please let us know if you want to hear about something special or have an idea for an article.

Justin and I have moved to Fort Collins, Colorado.  I now have a wonderful job as a preschool teacher and Justin is exploring various employment opportunities.

Although we are not currently living a nomadic lifestyle out of backpacks, we still have a great passion for travel and exploring the world.  The two of us are excited about where we are in life.  It’s great to live out of a backpack and pursue continual travel, but we are also excited to be in one place permanently.  Last week, on May 27th, Justin and I celebrated our 3 year wedding anniversary.  Over the past 3 years we haven’t lived in one place for more than a year.  The two of us have lived an extremely nomadic lifestyle.  Feel free to check out some of our favorite cities in which we have lived in www.justinandnatalie.com

For now, Fort Collins, Colorado will prove to be our happy home as we become a part of a community and continue to build great friendships.  However, after experiencing a season of international travel, Justin and I will be unable to deny future travel adventures.  Although we are currently unable to depart on a long-term trip, the two of us will supplement our wander lust with small trips and adventures that we will mix into our current lifestyle.

Soon the You Choose poll to decide the future of www.nomadbackpackers.com will close.  At this time, we will formally announce what the plans for this website include.  I can’t wait to see the outcome!

Follow Up

The You Choose Poll results:  The outcome was for our website to be updated with cities and places we visit or live in.  

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