Workationing

Kari has her car back for this leg of Workationing, and the ladies made it through Vermont, across the Canadian border and into their Airbnb in the Pointe St. Charles area of Montreal. Approximately a third of the way through the gentrification process, this neighborhood is about as diverse as they come. Plus, Jock is in town – the Gringas first met him in Medellin, and he randomly happens to be staying in Montreal for business. Fancy cars intermingle with crackie looking homeless people in the Pointe St. Charles neighborhood of Montreal. All the signs are in French and the local corner store looks like it’s recently been looted. The opioid crisis is clearly not isolated to America, and the situation is looking a little crackie. Still, this all feels a lot safer than Medellin, Colombia. The situation in Montreal felt so safe, in fact, that the ladies split up for the first time since starting Workationing in January. Kari drove down to Boston for the New England Cannabis Convention and Marijuana Policy Projec

If there’s one thing Kelly and Kari love, it’s being on a diet – and in Montreal, Canada they’ve decided to get serious about it. Since Workationing started, Kelly is down 50 pounds and Kari’s knocked off 15 – but there’s still a little ways to go before they reach their goal weight. The Gringas are thoroughly enjoying dieting delicacies like raw cauliflower, vitamin gummies and all the eggs they can handle. Kelly can’t stop lunging everywhere, and Kari plans to ride her burpee downtown. The best news about eating so much in Medellín, Colombia is that now they get to P90X their way to buffer bodies. And the ladies can’t wait to BRING IT with their workouts. In their spare time, the ladies plank and think about what kind of infused water they’re going to make for lunch. Kari has dreams of wearing a gold lamé dress, sans Spanx, to a yacht prom. 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.

It’s Kari’s birthday, and the ladies are spending the time at the world famous Indian Head Resort in beautiful Lincoln, New Hampshire. Kari often says that it’s entirely possible that she’s going to travel the world looking for the perfect place to live, only to end up back in Lincoln. Kari is VERY excited to tell the listeners about Lincoln. Lincoln is like the land that time forgot and has a bit of everything: trained bears, dinners on trains, moose watching, skiing, rock climbing, an ice castle, farmer’s markets, a beer festival, and, of course, the Indian Head rock formation. But the real gem of the town is the world famous Indian Head Resort, right by the scene of “The Incident.” If you’ve ever seen Dirty Dancing and wished that you, too, could have the time of your life, and the world famous Indian Head Resort is for you. There are vintage tennis courts, indoor and outdoor pools and hot tubs, a killer view of Indian Head rock, and chits that you REALLY don’t want to lose (there are some problems that Je

Kari and Kelly are in Manchester, New Hampshire for the next week – and they’re sharing a large house with five other adults, like a grown-ass version of The Real World. What happens when seven people share a space on an ongoing basis? Is it amazing, or a recipe for disaster? The ladies talk about their experiences, how much coliving rentals cost in both the US and abroad, plus what’s included. Coliving has always been sort of a hippie thing, but millennials are taking it over – or at least, putting their own spin on it. Kari and Kelly discuss where they could see it going right (and really, really wrong). There’s big money behind coliving, too. Silicon Valley-backed startups and goliaths alike are getting into the coworking and coliving trend, with companies like WeLive and Common creating coliving spaces to be shared by 8+ adults. The cost? Anywhere from $1,500-$2,000 or more per room in coliving houses located in Oakland, California and Brooklyn, New York. But who is coliving really good for? Kari and Kell

Intentional living has been a primary focus for Kari and Kelly throughout the whole Workationing process – dating back to the very beginning, when they first decided to become digital nomads in the first place. In this episode, the ladies talk about the 5 Ws of living intentionally (which they stole from a journalism club in high school). Who is your life right now, and do they belong there? What are you doing, and are you happy about it? When is the right time, if not now (note: there will NEVER be a “right time” to do just about anything). Where do you live, and did you pick that place or just sort of end up there? Add a solid dose of “why” to all of the above, and you’re well on your way to living intentionally. The ladies see intentional living play out in all kinds of different ways, based on what individuals prefer. For example, in ethnically non-monogamous relationships (polyamory, anyone?). Cohousing, sustainable living, intentional communities and ethically sourced food are just some of the benefits

The Gringas have learned from their mistake in Medellín, and so they decided to front-load their bucket list item for this leg of Workationing: floating in an isolation tank. What’s it like to float in a black box filled with 93.5º water and 850 pounds of Epsom salt? They’ve always wanted to find out, and they tried it...for the full 90 minutes. Some people hallucinate while floating in isolation tanks, as if they’re on LSD or magic mushrooms. Other people take strokes off of their golf game, come up with complex mathematical theories or even draft entire sections of books while floating. Joe Rogan swears by these isolation tanks – but what will it be like for Kelly and Kari? The ladies found out first hand, and talk about it during this episode – plus their tips for how to make the most out of your floating experience (should you decide to give it a try yourself). Kari even figured out a way to scam an extra 25 minutes of float time, for free! To follow along in real time, see video/pics of the process, get

After Medellín, the ladies have questions about drug policy and its impact on Colombia – and they’ve found a man with answers. Matt Simon is the New England Political Director and Policy Analyst for the Marijuana Policy Project, and he came to visit the Gringas for a week in Medellín. In this interview, Kari and Kelly ask Matt about drug policy in the United States, and what the ramifications of the international War On Drugs are in places like Colombia. Is there a better way to approach drug policy? If so, what is it and what change(s) will we see? Matt also talks about his experience in Colombia – including what he saw at the gym one day. 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  

Coming in hot from a long layover at the Fort Lauderdale Delta Sky Club lounge, the ladies are so relieved to be out of Medellín they’ve decided to refocus on their bucket lists. When you start living more intentionally, you find more time to handle the important things – like crossing items off of your bucket list. But before you can do that, you’ve got to figure out what’s on that bucket list in the first place. Kari and Kelly wrote out their bucket lists, and in this episode they talk about all (or many) of the things they really want to do before they die. From going on The Price is Right to jumping off of a yacht into an ocean, a wide variety of weirdness is covered and a lot of it is highly specific. Can you help the Gringas with any of their bucket list items? If so, send us a message via Facebook! 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.twit

The Gringas made a few mistakes in Medellín, starting before they even arrived. Turns out, the strategies you use to pick a sweet Airbnb in the U.S. are NOT the same that you want to use in Colombia. Kelly and Kari give tips on how to avoid ending up in a filing cabinet full of sex tourists. The ladies also talk about confirmation bias in research, and reiterate the importance of checking the byline on travel articles. Also, you might want to make sure you understand the exchange rate before you start spending foreign cash. The most important lesson the ladies learned on this leg of Workationing was to not put off the bucket list items – because you don’t know if (or when) you’ll have another opportunity to cross them off. It wasn’t all bad, though – your Gringas did do some things right, including finding a place with a rooftop pool, in an area packed with other digital nomads. Medellín is what made Kelly and Kari feel like “real” travelers, and if they can make it out of Colombia alive there’s probably noth

Four months after launching the podcast, Kelly and Kari have some questions for listeners of The Workationing Podcast. 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  

The second episode of Medellín’s local flavor kicks the heat up a notch. In this episode, Kari and Kelly talk about sex tourism, “blow powder,” money laundering, drones, scary men in their building, cartels and a lot more. The Gringas explain why you always need to get in the front seat of your Uber ride in Medellín, what it’s like to see dozens of teenage prostitutes in their building and whether people with sensitive hearts should come to a place like this. Source links referenced in this episode: Blow powder: http://www.expat-chronicles.com/2009/10/scopolamine-in-colombia/ Virgins for sale: https://www.channel4.com/news/colombia-medellin-prostitution-virgins-gangs-pablo-escobar   FarInternational:http://www.farinternational.com/obviously-id-come-for-the-sex/ 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

Medellín is a spicy place, and in the next two episodes Kelly and Kari are bringing the heat – starting with mild and building up to burn-your-face-off-and-put-it-in-a-barrel-in-a-chop-shop. The Gringas start off by explaining the constant undertone of misogyny that taints the local flavor of Medellín, then get into the killer style (shoutout to the return of 90s body suits!). There are ancient trees growing in the center of gorgeous shopping malls, circus-level entertainment at stoplights and truly amazing food at incredible prices relative to the US. The ladies discuss their favorite (and least favorite) restaurant experiences in town, which include a prom night nightmare and very, very weird bathrooms. The rednecks back home are going to be EXTREMELY interested in hearing about tejo, the national sport of Colombia. Think cornhole, but with explosives and even more drinking. Lawn darts better watch their back, because tejo is coming for their kill count. The Gringas get into why you should always carry more

Kate Powell is a total badass (she tests virtual reality video games for a living!), and she came to visit the ladies in Medellín for a week. Kate discusses her adventures with starting a nonprofit, spending time in Africa, catching Cholera, bribing state officials and other fun tales of international travel. What does Kate think of Medellín, after having spent a full week here? How does it compare to some of the scarier things she’s experienced while traveling? Does “Workationing” work for her, or is it too difficult to do good work while on the road? Is this what a downward spiral looks like, or are we living our best lives here? Special thanks to our dear friend Kate for agreeing to be part of this podcast. 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

The last two fixers Kari and Kelly had (in the Puerto Rico leg of Workationing) were imported friends from the United States – but how will the ladies find fixers in Colombia? In this episode, Kari and Kelly talk about their two main fixers in Medellín, including how they found the fixers and what these fixers have done for them. Mauricio and Santiago saved the day a few times, and are helping keep the ladies safe as they traverse unfamiliar territory in South America. From sourcing mic cords for the podcast rig to supplying sparkling wine (delivered!) for a brunch full of female digital nomads, these gentlemen made life on the road MUCH easier for the Gringas. In several situations, Santiago was particularly helpful – including steering the ladies away from certain danger with a cartel or two, and dropping his dinner plans to come to their rescue at a restaurant. 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 F

Nearly three months into their Latin American leg of Workationing, Kari and Kelly have learned a thing or two about what it’s like to be Gringas in a strange land. Medellín, Colombia is on a whole different level than Puerto Rico, and the ladies are learning this lesson the hard way. The way the women are treated – and treat each other – in Medellín is unlike anything The Gringas are used to. What happens when their white lady privilege gets stripped away, and they go from protected class to gringa status? Nothing good, as it turns out. 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

Kari and Kelly sample some of the local delicacies in Medellin, Colombia. Specifically, tripe (cow stomach) and blood sausage, prepared by a nearby authentic Colombian restaurant. Overall, the food in Medellin has been amazing, but will the ladies enjoy this particular cuisine? Early signs point to no. 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/workationingAnd Twitter: www.twitter.com/workationing

Kari and Kelly have made it to the second leg of Workationing in Medellín, Colombia. They thought they’d solve the problems of the last location by renting an Airbnb in a high rise apartment complex, but that proves to have its own set of risks and complications. Somehow, the ladies seem to have landed in the sex tourist skyscraper – and there are a lot of Americans here. Somebody lost a cousin Greg, and needs to come pick him up at the rooftop pool where he’s drunk, banging teenagers and embarrassing your family. The views are amazing and the city is gorgeous, but there’s a lot going on under the surface. A week into this segment of Workationing, the ladies have learned all kinds of new things about money laundering, chop shops, surgeons and Tindering in cartel country. A few days into the Medellín stay, the girls get spooked by a fairly threatening man and hole up in their apartment for several days. It’s not all scary and bad, though. The digital nomad community in Medellín is up and popping, the views are

Kari and Kelly have talked a lot about fixers, and their value on the road – and in this episode, they interview William, their first fixer. William is the king of the grift, and he talks about how you can find money anywhere...even in the trees. Speaking of trees, William is the one who introduced the ladies to the term “chicken of the trees,” which is what some Puerto Rican locals are trying to rebrand iguana meat as. William talks about how he found the people who sell iguana meat, and how he’s discovered the potential business opportunity in catching and selling live iguanas. Iguanas aren’t the only thing William was after in Puerto Rico, though. He also was able to free dive for conch and octopus (octopuses?), and teach the ladies a thing or two about making money on the road. What’s it like to be a fixer for Kari and Kelly? What’s the best grift William’s ever run? Lots of ground is covered here, and you won’t want to miss it. To follow along in real time, see video/pics of the process, get Workationing

This is a special episode for the ladies, and the people who love them. The Yarlap is a medical device that strengthens the pelvic floor, and in addition to helping to cure urinary incontinence it may or may not result in some of the best orgasms in your life. The ladies had never seen a contraption like this before, and you probably haven’t either. Before leaving for Workation Kari was given TWO Yarlaps by [REDACTED], one for her and one for Kelly. This episode was originally part of Ep 3 (We Made it to Aguada!), but was edited out because it was a little...off topic and risque. After sharing info about the Yarlap around, however, K&K received so much feedback from their female friends who claim to NEED this device, it was decided this Yarlap episode should see the light of day after all. If you’d like more information about the Yarlap, or to purchase one, visit www.yarlap.com To follow along in real time, see video/pics of the process, get Workationing tips and travel hacks, check out www.workationing.c

The Workationing Facebook page (facebook.com/workationing – check it out!) received a message from Kelly’s uncle, Tom. Uncle Tom is a very seasoned traveler, and has some advice for the ladies as they work their way around the world. Items up for discussion in this episode: how recognizing others being judgey can help keep you safe, how there’s no way for Kelly and Kari to really blend in (but they should keep trying anyway), and how being American in another country is generally not a good thing. Uncle Tom also underscores the importance of finding fixers while out on the road, because these are the people who can help you the most. It’s important that your fixer likes you, and somebody who may be presenting themselves as a fixer might actually be a scammer. So, there’s a lot to watch out for. This is further complicated by the fact that, according to Uncle Tom, Kari and Kelly’s “sketch radar” is not calibrated. The ladies agree with this, and discuss how to better tune their sketch radar – but it can be ext