Our top redemptions during nine months of travel

by | Jun 23, 2026

During our nine months of living abroad we stayed in about 100 different properties. Here were our best redemptions:   Finch Hattons luxury safari tent camp, Kenya. We paid 375,000 Virgin Points for three nights and saved $6,000. Then it was so good that we...

Ninth month of living abroad expense report.

by | Jun 16, 2026

Start of ninth month. This month was actually one month plus one day. May 15 – 27: On a tour of Madagascar. Madagascar was one of two countries (the other being Ethiopia) where due to the poor infrastructure and safety concerns, we weren’t able to set up...

Don’t eschew Escher

by | Jun 14, 2026

We went to see the Escher exhibit at the Somerset House in London. Escher was the master of tesselations, visual, paradoxes, and optical illusions.

Lost and Found

by | Jun 14, 2026

Things that we lost or that broke during our nine months of living abroad: Mike’s TSA lock, our silicone rings, one pair of underwear (replaced), one earring (replaced with a new set), a washcloth, a lens cap for binoculars (we replaced it), the case for my...

African safari for a family of eight on points?

by | Jun 14, 2026

Is it possible to book a 10-day African safari for a family of eight and pay for it with points? The answer is that by using points and miles you can pay for about 90% of your lodging and international flight costs. But when you factor in other costs that don’t...