Workationing

As usual, the gringas are actively recruiting for the International Girl Squad, and in this episode Kelly is talking to writer and fellow digital nomad, Suzannah Weiss. Suzannah is a contributing editor for Complex and Teen Vogue, and her writing has been featured everywhere from Glamour to Vice to The Washington Post. Suzannah’s writing has taken her all over the world as she explores questions of sexuality. She’s done everything from go to clothing optional resorts to orgasmic meditation classes, and she’s currently working on a book to talk about everything she’s learned. Kelly and Suzannah talk about everything from feminism to crazy travel stories. It’s been a while since the gringas have done an interview, and this is a fun one! Follow Suzannah Weiss on Twitter: twitter.com/suzannahweiss Subscribe on Patreon to get access to exclusive videos, access to our Patrons-only Facebook page (we’re a fun group, and Santiago’s in it), photos and GIF-fery: www.patreon.com/workationing To follow along in real time,

In this episode, things get weird. Kari throws a surprise party that fails on multiple levels, Kelly goes on a date with an emotional con artist, and the ladies talk about their upcoming return to the United States. It looks like Workationing is going to become a real business, and the ladies are considering incorporating...in the Netherlands. Two lawyers and a team of Dutch accountants later, the Gringas are trying to figure out if Amsterdam should become their new home base. Subscribe on Patreon to get access to exclusive videos, access to our Patrons-only Facebook page (we’re a fun group, and Santiago’s in it), photos and GIF-fery: www.patreon.com/workationing To follow along in real time, see video/pics of the process, get Workationing tips and travel hacks, check out www.workationing.com. Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/workationing And Twitter: www.twitter.com/workationing  

After a short hiatus to catch up on new business, Kari and Kelly are back – and have quite a few stories to share from the 2.5 months they’ve been in Amsterdam. Kari goes to Paris and Barcelona with the guy she’s been seeing, and the ladies knock out two bucket list items: seeing a sex show and captaining a boat through the canals. The Gringas get a few visitors, too: Kelly’s friends Sarah and Tim come to visit, and the ladies also play host to Suzannah Weiss, a prolific sex and relationship writer whose work is regularly featured in Glamour, Vice and Bustle, among others. Suzannah is also a digital nomad, coming in hot from Germany, and a member of the Workationing International Girl Squad (IGS). The ladies have selected their next stop: Boston, to run a crypto conference, then the Catskills to chill out for a while in New York at one of Kari’s friends’ cabin (thanks, Jackson!). Subscribe on Patreon to get access to exclusive videos, access to our Patrons-only Facebook page (we’re a fun group, and Santiago’s

Kari and Kelly are settling into their new digs in Amsterdam, and loving life on the canals. However, the culture shock factor is more than they bargained for. It turns out that even outside of Latin America, your girls still feel very much like gringas After finally figuring out that the extremely fancy spot two doors down is actually a gym, Kari and Kelly sign up to work on their fitness. The staff, however, is none too pleased with their insistence on wearing their yoga pants in off the street like animals. Your gringas refuse to be deterred by all the side-eye and get an insanely hot trainer named Jos. They asked for a mean trainer and got a funny one with lots of Dutch sayings to share instead, but Kari and Kelly aren’t even mad. It turns out to be a great fit. The ladies also discuss how tax law and Dutch cheapness are the reason behind the inexplicably steep staircases they keep having to climb. Kelly has some serious concerns about all these babies with no helmets, and Kari is going to take a hostage

After leaving Prague early, the ladies are posting up in Amsterdam for at least two months...assuming they ever get into their new apartment. Pro travel tip: if you’re going to be digital nomad-ing, look for rental agencies that cater to expats. You’re going to save 50% on monthly Airbnb rental fees this way. The ladies get to find out how European and American banking systems differ, and that difference keeps them in a hotel for several extra days. The Tinder game out here is on fire, and the ladies have pre-swiped their way to a few dates. On Day 1 in Amsterdam, Kari goes on a Tinder date with Paul, who takes her to a fancy restaurant followed by drag queen bingo at a gay bar. The weird factor is high with this one, and there may be some long-term potential here. Kelly’s first Tinder date doesn’t go as well, which sparks a feminist rant that you won’t want to miss. TUNE INTO OUR NEW WEB SERIES: Hot Tea with Your Gringas! We’re Facebook-Live-ing-it-up every Thursday at 6p EST over at www.facebook.com/workati

Kari and Kelly are finally getting to their European leg of Workationing – and they’re kicking it off in Prague (or actually, the hellish airport in Frankfurt, Germany). After missing their connecting flight and getting to spend an extra 8 hours touring the airport lounges in Frankfurt, the ladies arrive at their Airbnb in Prague, Czech Republic. As usual, things don’t go to plan. Due to “hot water issues” at the Airbnb they’d originally rented, they find themselves staying in the projects outside of the city. The bathroom is a real danger zone, and the Airbnb host keeps delaying when they can move into the apartment they rented. Kari goes on a Tinder date, which also has some unexpected twists and turns. A Speedo-clad Eastern European man in a hot tub on a boat offers to let Kari hop aboard and share his charcuterie plate, and there’s some hobo-style train hopping adventures. The Gringas are still not at 100% after Acapulco, and have learned from their previous mistakes. Instead of staying in a bad situation

Kelly and Kari have arrived in Prague, and now that they’ve had some time to reflect on their experiences at FreedomFest (and the experience of others – they received dozens of messages from other women in libertarianism outlining similar experiences with misogyny). Ultimately, Kari decides that she can no longer be part of a movement that tolerates disrespecting women to such an extensive degree. After 15 years in the liberty movement, it seems like a big decision – but it’s definitely time to move on. To follow along in real time, see video/pics of the process, get Workationing tips and travel hacks, check out www.workationing.com. Subscribe on Patreon to get access to exclusive videos, photos and GIF-fery: www.patreon.com/workationing Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/workationing And Twitter: www.twitter.com/workationing  

Kari and Kelly are in Las Vegas for the FreedomFest conference, which apparently draws quite the male chauvinist crowd. The ladies detail their experiences at the conference – both Kari and Kelly were approached by different men at the conference, who asked the ladies to prostitute themselves. One man is the president of a libertarian think tank (he offered to fly Kelly to exotic locations in exchange for sex), the other is a fairly large donor (he asked Kari if she’d like to be his escort for the night). This was a first for both Kari and Kelly, and it was horrifying for them to be treated that way. The ladies discuss their experiences with men in the liberty movement, and talk about #MeToo talks in hotel rooms with other women. There seems to be a real problem with the behavior of men in the libertarian space, and when the ladies host a “get ready” party for Steve Forbes’ 70th birthday gala, the other women in the hotel room shared their experiences, as well. There were stories of domestic violence, sexual

Kari and Kelly are back from hiatus and coming in hot from the Paris hotel and resort in Las Vegas – they're in town for FreedomFest, a libertarian conference. In this episode, the ladies talk about about two bucket list items they crossed off on the way there: road tripping from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, and burying their dear friend Dom in the desert. The ladies rent a fancy car, and inspired by the movie Fandango (starring THE Kevin Costner), they get a shovel and start digging a hole in the Mojave Desert to put Dom in. The plan is to come back and dig her up, but only if one of three things happens first. This brings Kelly and Kari to talk about setting intentions, and what it means for them. This Workationing adventure started with the desire to live more intentionally, and the ladies aren’t done yet. They outline their intentions over the next several months, including losing more weight and getting more serious about their dating game (they both have hot Tinder dates lined up for Amsterdam). Kari and K

In a time and place when you can lose weight from anywhere, two ladies in their mid-to-late 27s have decided to – and so far, Kelly and Kari have lost over 100 pounds this year (combined). The ladies have received many emails about their weight loss journey, and in this episode they talk about how they managed to lose the weight equivalent of a chubby fifth grader. Kelly’s about to get a full feature in Women’s Health for her efforts! Traveling the world while working as digital nomads, you’d think it would be harder to lose weight than at home – this isn’t the case. Kari and Kelly talk about how their travels have influenced their weight loss, and how living intentionally has made all the difference. Both Kari and Kelly have tried (unsuccessfully) to lose weight in the past, and they talk about what makes this time different and how they both got fat in the first place. Also, can somebody do a wellness check on America? There’s a reason we’re so fat as a country, and the ladies suspect it has something to do

It’s been a year since Kari and Kelly decided to embark on the adventure that became Workationing, and six months since they’ve been on the road. It’s been quite a trip so far, and now that the ladies have been “out here” on the road for a while, they’re wondering why it took so long to make the jump.   In the beginning, it seemed like all of the barriers to entry into this digital nomad travel lifestyle were insurmountable. However, as the ladies learned, once you take the first step and get some momentum it becomes easier to keep plowing forward.   Whether that plowing forward translates to visiting every continent on earth, starting your own business or anything else that you can imagine, the journey always begins with a single step forward. How long have you been thinking about it, and waiting to take that first step?   Living intentionally has transformed Kari and Kelly’s lives in ways they never expected. Minimalism has become a focal point, and maintaining focus on what really matters is becoming easie

Kari and Kelly have successfully escaped from Acapulco, and are in San Diego, California breathing the sweet air of American freedom. They left a few days earlier than planned, but it wasn’t soon enough. Several mistakes were made in the planning process of this leg of the Workationing adventure – chiefly, the ladies never should’ve landed in Acapulco in the first place. Once again, decision fatigue set in and led the Gringas somewhere weird – and unfortunately, that wasn’t the only error they made. When you’ve been sick for two weeks straight, maybe it’s time to shift locations instead of hoping things will get better. There’s a good chance they won’t. Probably at least one of the ladies should’ve made a hospital visit, but nobody wanted to find out firsthand what the inside of an Acapulco ER looked like. Also, crazy Airbnb hosts should not be tolerated. If they tell you they’re crazy early on with weird behavior, BELIEVE THEM. They’re only going to get crazier as they get more comfortable. To follow along i

The ladies HATE Acapulco, and can’t wait to get out. June was the deadliest month in Acapulco’s history, with 2,234 murders – it’s very murdery out here, and the Gringas are ready to leave. Aside from all the killing that goes on courtesy of the cartel activity in the area, there are other problems. Gabriela the Airbnb host has turned into a Code Red stalker, and has done everything from send a “real estate agent” in to take pics of the house (pre housekeeping service) to text message Kelly every goddamn day. The ladies want to escape Gabriela almost as they want to escape Acapulco. Kelly had a terrifying encounter with a large snake at the pool, and the Gringas are terrified that a bat is going to fly into their condo. Also, there’s a real dog problem in these streets. The ladies talk about a certain (alleged!) scam artist who is working to draw more expats to Acapulco, and his strategy of roaming with his own pack of dogs. Kelly’s noticed this strategy, and has hot tips on how you can maximize the effective

Santiago is back in town (check out the Medellín episodes to get the full story on this character), and he came just in time to see Kari and Kelly through some sort of crazy food poisoning flu situation. Kelly finally Googles Acapulco, which – turns out – is the most dangerous city in Mexico, and has been since 2012. The ladies talk about some of the cartel activity that occurs in the Pearl of the Pacific, including: assassinations via jet ski, multiple heads on pikes outside of government buildings and shooting tourists in the streets, among many other horrific events that have recently occurred. The Gringas are happy that they’ve imported a fixer for this leg, because Acapulco is an incredibly dangerous place. It’s not just not up to code, it’s not a place two ladies should be Workationing alone. Toward the end of the episode, the ladies take a detour to talk about what it’s like to lose weight around men – and hear their opinions on related matters. It’s a fun feminist rant that many listeners are likely t

The ladies are having a hell of a time in Acapulco, and not in the good way. To escape from their Airbnb compound for a couple of days, they decided to hit up the local hotspot all of the cab drivers keep telling them about: The Los Flamingos Resort, which was once owned by John Wayne. The entire hotel is pink, kitschy and everything Kari’s ever dreamed of in a throwback resort. Formerly referred to as Hollywood Gang Hideaway (from 1950-1984), the resort – and in particular, Casa Tarzan, the standalone round house on the property – was frequented by the likes of Cary Grant, Farrah Fawcett, Joan Collins, Errol Flynn, George Hamilton, Roy Rogers and lots of other Old Hollywood royalty. Johnny Weissmueller, the actor who played Tarzan, lived in the house named after him until he died. Hopefully not in the actual Casa Tarzan, but that was never made entirely clear. You can still feel the Old Hollywood glam as you walk around the place, and there are placards with stories and photos of the celebrities who used to

The ladies have gone from Montreal to Boston to live tweet from the Pride parade (work is tough sometimes), and have now settled into their Airbnb in Acapulco. How’d they find this place? It starts with Kiwi.com, the Flo Rida music video for Whistle and a $177 one-way flight – and ends with some killer views and regrets. Acapulco is hot AF, and the sweat situation is making it a real challenge to stay hydrated. Kari got sick almost immediately upon arrival, and a stranger broke into the apartment at 9am...just in time to see Kelly with no pants on. The ladies also have a cray cray Airbnb host to contend with, which should make this an interesting leg of the trip. Fortunately, Santiago has heard of this Acapulco business and isn’t at all impressed – he’s flying in to keep an eye on the Gringas in this strange, and allegedly dangerous, city. Before listening to this episode, check out the Medellin content (specifically, Finding Fixers in Medellin and Gringas in a Strange Land) to become acquainted with THE Sant

This one is mostly for the ladies, but guys, there’s lots for you to learn here, too. On this episode Kari and Kelly are talking about some of the harsh truths that they’ve come across while doing this whole intentional living thing. One of the harshest of these truths is that what you look like actually does matter — and not just in some abstract way. It actually affects every part of your life from how you are perceived by others (do they think you are likeable, trustworthy, and competent?) to how much you make in your lifetime (attractive people make $250,000 more). This is not what two ladies who make a point to work from home in yoga pants want to hear — especially because looking good requires a lot of time and money. Kelly and Kari talk about the dollars and cents of being an attractive lady including the cost of makeup, regular mani/pedi’s, and hair maintenance. It really adds up! And that doesn’t even include the time cost, which for for two busy, ambitious ladies can be the hardest part. Kari and K

Kari and Kelly have known about Bitcoin since the early days...one got in, the other is hodling on to some bithurt. In this episode, the ladies talk about their histories with cryptocurrencies and the insane amount of regret they – and other people they know – have about not buying in soon enough (or not hodling on long enough). Don’t know what hodl means? No prob, Kelly’s got you covered with a dramatic reading of the HODL forum post that went viral. There’s also an acapella rendition of Hodl On for One More Day to the tune of the Wilson Phillips song. The ladies discuss various use cases for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, including remittance to developing countries and charities that want transparency and to ensure funds get to the right place. In countries where hyperinflation is running rampant (like Venezuela), Bitcoin is literally saving lives. Kari and Kelly also talk about the various ways you can get Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dash and other cryptocurrencies (see related links, below). There are tradit

The most powerful force in the world is habit, and the ladies are creating some new ones for themselves. One of these habits is clocking 10,000 steps on their FitBits each day, which leaves a lot of time for talking. Specifically, talking about escaping. The Escape Room activity during Kelly’s birthday got the ladies thinking about ways in which they’ve been trapped, and ways they see their friends getting trapped in situations that prevent them from being happy, accomplishing goals and realizing their full potential. Living intentionally isn’t easy, but it’s worth working through that process. Kari and Kelly talk about feeling trapped and seeing people trapped in bad relationships, jobs and careers, hometowns, debt or other financial obligations, less than ideal bodies, and poor habits. The first step to escaping a situation you’re feel trapped in is to recognize that you want to get out of it. The ladies talk about how they mapped out plans for their own escapes, and how others can follow a similar plan. Th

Operation: Make Kelly Cry was a smashing success, and Kelly had one of the best 27th birthdays she’s ever had. To celebrate another year of being 27, the ladies had a bucket list weekend: two items crossed off of their bucket lists in two days. The first bucket list item was escaping the zombie apocalypse at A/MAZE Montreal, a big warehouse that features several different escape room scenarios. After being infected with the zombie virus, Kelly and Kari must escape out of a locked room, create the antidote to the virus, and then escape again – all within an hour. The ladies really threw themselves into this one! Next up was entering a Texas Hold ‘Em poker tournament at a Playground Poker Club, just outside of Montreal. The ladies were one of several hundred people who entered, and only around 2 percent of the people there were women – if you’re a lady at a poker table, you’re in for a real treat. That treat, specifically, is sitting at a table with at least one asshole. Resource links: Patreon: www.patreon.com