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How Travel Has Changed Us (Mindset, Community, Communication & Mistakes)

Brittany and Josh discuss how travel has changed them as individuals and as a couple, from expanding their perspective beyond the United States and challenging misconceptions about other regions and cultures, to noticing tighter-knit communities abroad and trying to live more simply after trips like Ireland and Portugal. They explain how they’ve become more focused on exploring and experiencing places rather than just vacationing, while still being curious about trying an all-inclusive trip. Travel has also strengthened their teamwork and communication by forcing them to navigate stressful situations, mistakes, language barriers, and transportation challenges with patience, grace, accountability, and reflection—highlighted by a rocky Italy stop in Mandello del Lario that became a favorite memory. They also share how travel inspired them to engage more in their own local community.

00:00 Welcome and Topic

00:50 Food Adventures Abroad

01:26 Beyond the US Bubble

04:02 Safety and Stereotypes

05:42 Simple Living Lessons

07:22 Explorer Not Vacationer

08:53 Resort Debate

10:23 Travel Strengthens Couples

12:42 Stress Tests and Grace

16:28 Italy Trip Turning Point

17:17 Grace Under Pressure

17:36 Mandello Argument Lesson

18:20 Mistakes Teach You

20:39 Moving Past Travel Stress

21:45 Why Adults Fear Mistakes

24:03 Mandello Breakdown Story

27:22 Community Starts At Home

31:06 Travel Takeaways Recap

32:28 Next Trip And Wrap Up

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Travel Money-Saving Tips: Flights, Hotels, Trains, Credit Cards & Shoulder Season Hacks

Brittany and Josh share financial travel tips they’ve learned, from being flexible with dates using Google Flights and tracking price alerts to searching coupon codes and booking directly with hotels and car rental companies for lower rates and better perks. They recommend using local train apps/websites instead of third-party platforms for up-to-date schedules and easier rebooking, and using Airbnb as a search tool before checking if the same stay is cheaper on other sites. They suggest saving money by eating street food, using public transportation and walking, and traveling in shoulder/off-seasons or staying in nearby towns (e.g., Augsburg vs. Munich, Utrecht vs. Amsterdam, Mandello del Lario vs. Bellagio). They discuss benefits of travel credit cards (miles, insurance, free checked bags, lounge passes), filing airline customer care complaints for compensation, checking if souvenirs like alcohol are similarly priced at home, saving luggage space by buying toiletries locally, and reducing phone costs by toggling Verizon plans instead of paying daily international fees.

00:00 Welcome and Money Goals

01:23 Flexible Dates and Google Flights

03:33 Coupons and Book Direct

06:38 Trains and Local Apps

08:26 Airbnb Fee Workarounds

09:22 Food and Getting Around

10:49 Travel Cards and Miles

14:00 Lounge Perks and Club Passes

16:20 Complaints and Delay Payouts

18:55 Souvenirs and Packing Space

21:37 Toiletries On Arrival

22:10 Pack Your Own Skincare

22:51 Borrow Their Luggage

23:26 Cheaper Phone Data

26:14 Shoulder Season Wins

27:19 Off Season Ireland

30:29 Stay Outside Hotspots

33:35 Lake Como On Budget

34:54 Choose Your Travel Style

38:42 Flexible Flight Planning

39:31 Travel While You Can

40:35 Wrap Up And Follow

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Solo Travel Stories: Thailand During COVID vs. Portugal for Self-Discovery | We Should Move Here Travels

Brittany and Josh share their solo travel adventures at very different points in life, comparing Josh’s loosely planned trip to Bangkok, Thailand in early March 2020 with a chaotic COVID-era return flight, and Brittany’s recent solo trip to Aveiro, Portugal focused on rediscovering independence and confidence. Josh describes arriving at midnight without phone service or a plan, navigating safety concerns, exploring temples and markets, and how the experience sparked his love of travel and food tours while highlighting the need for more awareness and planning. Brittany recounts initial fear and decision paralysis giving way to comfort, self-reliance, and practical safety habits like delaying location-based social posts and preparing a “white lie” if asked about being alone. They discuss being alone vs. lonely, the value of independence within relationships, and recommend being safe, doing research, and booking a food tour early.

00:00 Solo Travel Intro

00:59 Pandemic Return Chaos

05:13 Thailand Trip Setup

07:16 Midnight Arrival Shock

08:54 Bangkok Streets Survival

11:14 Exploring Food And Temples

13:08 Lessons And Safety Tips

19:29 Brittany Solo Trip Begins

21:34 Fear And Finding Confidence

24:46 Turning Point Question

24:59 Arrival Nerves

25:54 Finding Confidence

28:01 Alone Not Lonely

29:02 Solo Safety Tips

30:54 Meeting People Abroad

32:50 Eating Solo

36:02 US vs Abroad Safety

39:14 Future Solo Travel Plans

42:45 Independence In Relationships

45:45 Final Advice And Wrap

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Check-In: Our Top 3 Places to Live, Podcast Updates, and Upcoming Trips (Wisconsin, Canada, Vegas, CA/Oregon, Finland)

Brittany and Josh do a podcast check-in, sharing updated top three places they could see themselves living: Brittany lists Portree, Scotland; Aveiro, Portugal; and Stockholm, Sweden, while Josh lists Ghent, Belgium; Portree, Scotland; and Toronto, Canada as a Canada placeholder. They discuss the podcast’s progress, noting a core listener group and listens from nearly 60 countries, and reaffirm it as a passion project. They reflect on travel lessons including building independence, seeking more cultural and historical experiences, practicing patience in airports, and balancing hiking with food-and-wine-focused trips. They talk about considering moves within the U.S. (including Wisconsin and Massachusetts) versus abroad, and how family, community involvement, and being more present factor into decisions. Upcoming plans include Wisconsin trips, a Canada border-area weekend, Las Vegas with Josh’s dad for a Scorpions concert, California and Oregon, and a winter Northern Lights trip to Finland; next episode covers solo travel experiences.

00:00 Welcome and Check In

01:02 Top Three Places Update

02:48 Josh Top Three Picks

03:56 How the Podcast Is Going

06:39 Changing How We Travel

08:04 Solo Travel and Independence

11:40 Lessons From the Pod

13:38 Culture History and Connection

15:18 Airport Patience and Grace

17:32 Hiking Versus Tours

18:37 Ireland Trail Culture

19:41 Skye Comeback Plans

20:12 Exploring Wisconsin More

22:40 US Gems Like Massachusetts

25:07 Are We Ready To Move

27:58 Learning To Be Present

29:06 Next Trips On Deck

32:14 Food Festivals And Panda Fest

33:15 Wrap Up And Next Episode

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Recapping Portugal: Highlights, What We’d Change & Our Final Rankings (Food, Coffee, Wine, Transit & More)

Brittany and Josh recap their Portugal trip across Aveiro, Porto, Coimbra, Lagos, and Lisbon, highlighting Brittany’s first solo travel experience in Aveiro, their many tours and foodie stops in Porto and Coimbra, swimming in the ocean in Lagos, and a Lisbon food tour. They praise Portugal’s distinct town vibes, exceptional food and wine culture (including francesinha and bifana), strong coffee and social scene, and largely walkable cities with easy train travel, while noting hills and accessibility challenges. They wish they had visited smaller towns, explored more of northern Portugal and the islands, done more hikes, and tried nightlife in Porto or Lisbon, and they reflect on one bad meal. Brittany shares personal growth from solo travel and what they learned about Portuguese history and Freedom Day, while Josh notes community similarities to Wisconsin. They rate categories like food, drinks, transit, affordability, relocation difficulty, wellness, and beauty, strongly recommending Portugal and key experiences like francesinha in Porto and swimming in Lagos.

00:00 Portugal Recap Intro

00:38 Trip Route Highlights

01:56 Brittany Favorites

03:34 Josh Favorites

05:52 Why Portugal Matters

07:43 What We’d Change

08:32 Small Towns vs Cities

11:34 More Nature and Nightlife

17:12 Lessons From Solo Travel

22:06 Community Takeaways

24:31 Car Rental Debate

26:06 Rankings Food Score

27:52 Food Favorites Recap

28:09 Coffee Culture Ratings

30:01 Wine Beer Cocktails

32:28 Walkability Transit Access

34:21 Cost of Living Reality

36:08 Relocating Visa Language

37:37 Wellness Pace of Life

40:12 Nature Beauty Highlights

42:29 Final Portugal Verdict

42:58 Farewell Next Episode

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Lisbon in 36 Hours: Food Tour, Wine Bars & a Hotel AC Nightmare | We Should Move Here Travels

Brittany and Josh recap their final day and a half in Lisbon at the end of their Portugal trip, arriving from Lagos on an early train and spending time near the waterfront and historic square. They share highlights from meals at The Folks and Pizzeria Tapas La Casa, cocktails at the Ruby Rosa speakeasy rooftop in their hotel, and standout port wine at Maria Palito. Their last full day features a Lisbon food tour with bifanas and petiscos at Provenciana, sambusas at Cantinho Do Aziz, heavy pours of wine at Tasquinha Canto do Fado alongside octopus salad and bacalhau à brás, espumante at a city overlook, and a top-tier pastel de nata at Pastelaria Santo Antonio, plus a pickpocketing incident witnessed near a church. They also describe an 86°F hotel room due to broken AC, a room switch that fixed it, an airport shuttle, and smooth flights home, concluding Lisbon is great to visit but not their preferred place to live.

00:00 Lisbon Trip Intro

00:52 Early Train From Lagos

02:07 Hotel Drop Off And Lunch

04:11 Walking To The Waterfront

06:01 Rooftop Speakeasy Drinks

07:10 Pizza Dinner And Port Hunt

09:45 Late Night Bifana Snack

11:03 Hot Hotel Room Night

12:23 No Coffee And Food Tour

14:45 Bifanas And Beer

16:05 Church Stop Pickpocketing

16:43 Sambusas At Aziz

17:26 Street Photo History

18:34 All You Can Drink Wine

19:49 Octopus And Bacalhau

21:19 Overlook Espumante

21:57 Best Pastel De Nata

23:16 One More Wine Bar

24:59 Hot Hotel Room Fix

26:28 Smooth Trip Home

27:31 Lisbon Reflections Wrap

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Lagos, Portugal: Algarve Caves Boat Tour, Ocean Firsts & a Food Tour Feast

Brittany and Josh recap their Lagos stay in Portugal’s Algarve, including a train journey from Coimbra with delayed connections where trains waited, leading them to buy unneeded bus tickets and end up with a FlixBus voucher. They loved their spacious, walkable apartment with indoor/outdoor pools and ate at standout spots like Almas Tapas, Alex, Dumpling House, Bahia (plus a beach wedding nearby), Azimut, the Forbidden Door speakeasy, London Tiger Coffee, All Things Dough, The Studio, Black & White roastery, and the Green Room. Highlights include a speedboat cave tour (cold but beautiful), Brittany’s first time in the ocean, beach drinks at Linda the Beach Bar, and a Lagos food tour featuring the fish market, bifana and razor clams at Cervejaria Ferradura, street art about saudade, clay-roasted sausage, and local sweets.

00:00 Welcome to Lagos

01:10 Train Trouble Southbound

03:54 Apartment With a Pool

05:16 Tapas and Port Night

09:03 Brunch at Alex

10:40 Speedboat Cave Tour

15:05 Dumplings Then Beach Time

19:42 Beach Bar and Seaside Dinner

22:37 So Much Walking

24:31 London Tiger Coffee Stop

26:24 Markets and Food Tour Meetup

27:41 Bifana and Razor Clams

31:11 Saudade Mural Street Art

32:07 Fire Sausage and Petiscos

33:41 Sweets and Tour Wrap

35:15 Stormy Ocean Dip

36:17 Azimut Dinner and Desserts

38:18 Forbidden Door Speakeasy

39:37 Coffee Crawl and Black White

43:27 Pool Day and Green Room

45:32 Lagos Reflections and Farewell

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Coimbra, Portugal Travel Guide: Hills, Food Festivals & the University Library | We Should Move Here Travels

Brittany and Josh recap their stop in Coimbra, Portugal, arriving by train from Porto and quickly falling for the city’s views, hills, and community feel. They splurged on a fancy first-night dinner at Restaurant Passaporte with Beef Wellington, duck risotto, cocktails, and a marathon view that helped shape their plans. They stayed in a central walk-up Airbnb with laundry, explored riverside parks and the pedestrian-only bridge, and attended The Burger Cup to try the bronze and gold-winning smash burgers. Highlights include colorful decorated alleyways, a standout vegetarian meal at Fangas Veg, gelato at Dopo, breakfast and brunch stops (including shakshuka), and a visit to Coimbra University with a tour of its historic buildings and famous no-photo library. They also visited Praxis Brewery for a beer flight and dinner, and reflect on Coimbra as a less-touristy place they could imagine living.

00:00 Welcome to Coimbra

00:46 Train Ride and Rankings

02:59 Fancy Dinner Views

06:42 Foodie Festivals Buzz

09:34 Airbnb and Location

10:47 Coffee and Breakfast Hits

13:04 Riverside Walk and Bridge

15:16 Burger Cup Tasting

17:40 Colorful Streets and Art

19:35 Veg Dinner and Craft Beer

22:00 Gelato Flavor Gamble

23:29 Gelato Redemption

23:38 Kroisant Breakfast Run

24:16 Climbing to Coimbra

26:01 Robes and Campus Tour

27:43 Harry Potter Library

30:27 Gardens and Beer Flight

31:50 Night Walk Views

32:49 Brunch and Bubble Tea

34:09 Dehydration and Laundry

35:53 Pizza and Early Train

39:13 Coimbra Reflections

44:47 Travel Tips and Wrap

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Porto, Portugal: Food Tours, Port Wine in Gaia & a Douro Valley Day Trip

Brittany and Josh recap their Porto stop on the We Should Move Here Travels podcast, focusing on back-to-back tours, standout meals, and wine experiences. They arrive by train from Aveiro, compare IC vs AP first class, and review their centrally located Brewmaster’s Loft stay. Highlights include a Porto food tour with a comedian-magician guide featuring Mini Bock, a Portuguese-style hot dog, pork sandwiches, francesinha, and a cinnamon apple dessert in port wine. For Josh’s birthday, they visit Mila coffee, eat their favorite pastel de nata at Fábrica da Nata, tour a renovated market tied to Anthony Bourdain’s episode, and dine at Solar do Moinho de Vento. They note one bad meal at Midtown Ramen, then cross to Gaia for a port wine tour (including Cálem) and rave about dinner at Brasão Coliseu. They also take a full-day Douro Valley tour with wineries, olive oil tasting, a boat ride with espumante, lunch at Casa dos Barros, and finish with Indian food, gelato, and breakfast at Gather Porto.

00:00 Welcome to Porto

01:05 Train Ride Tips

04:08 First Meal in Town

05:45 Airbnb Loft Review

09:20 Porto Food Tour Night

12:01 Birthday Food Tour Day

14:35 Market and Bourdain Stop

16:56 Dinner and Hills

19:30 Smoothies and Lunch Fail

22:58 Crossing to Gaia

24:18 Calem Port Museum

24:39 Gaia Wine Caves Tour

25:22 Port Tasting Tips

25:58 Tour Stops And Funny Moments

27:41 Street Art Across The Bridge

28:22 Best Francesinha Dinner

32:05 Night Walk And Reset

32:30 Douro Valley Tour Plan

34:39 Olive Oil And First Winery

36:41 River Cruise And Espumante

37:59 Historic Lunch And Barrels

41:30 Wine Bar And Cute Town

42:33 Tour Takeaways And Wine Variety

44:32 Indian Dinner And Gelato

45:53 Final Porto Breakfast

47:00 Porto Reflections And Return Plans

50:27 Wrap Up And Next Episode

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Aveiro, Portugal: Solo Travel, Tiles, Wine & the Best Food Finds (Our First Stop in Portugal)

Brittany and Josh recap their first stop in Portugal, Aveiro, discussing pronunciation, Brittany’s five-day solo stay, and what made the town so special, including its canals, cobblestone streets, and signature tiles used to help prevent mold and mildew. Brittany shares a guided boat and history tour, a wine tasting with a couple from Holland, and reflections on missing Josh while experiencing the city alone. They highlight favorite food and drink spots: Bastardo Coffee Roasters, Raiz, Asimami, Ovos Moles de Aveiro, Restaurante O Barro, Aligarius for francesinha, and Michelin-star Salpoente. Together they explore murals and monuments, attend during Freedom Day and a marathon weekend, take a wine tour, try local piglet at Leitao De Levira, and note Aveiro’s affordability and easy train access from Lisbon en route to Porto.

00:00 Welcome to Aveiro

01:06 Solo days in town

01:40 Tiles boats and tours

03:07 Missing your travel buddy

04:00 Moving to Europe talk

05:43 Coffee and foodie finds

09:03 Ovos moles and classics

12:03 Michelin treat at Salpoente

14:43 Reunited at the station

16:10 Venice of Portugal vibe

19:39 Walking tour and best meal

21:02 Mussels And Lemon Cake

22:20 Coffee And Morning Walk

22:51 Salt Soap And Murals

24:04 Justice Statue And Tiles

28:01 Francesinha And Wine Tour

30:19 Piglet With Orange

32:11 Ranking Aveiro And Return Plans

38:29 Travel Tips And Wrap Up

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