Monitoring mental health while traveling makes the journey more enjoyable (E51) Artwork

From Sumplace New: The Long-Term Travel Podcast

Curious about international travel? Want to leave everything behind and become a digital nomad? We — Karen and Jon Sumple — did just that, leaving the USA in July 2018, and our open-ended, long-term travel journey has taken us through Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina Scotland and, now, South Africa. We enjoy living "Sumplace New" every few months because it provides perspective, awareness and understanding. We meet amazing people and witness how they live, work and play. We visit well-known destinations and wander roads less traveled to see where they lead. So why and how are we doing this? What are the obstacles, frustrations and lessons learned? The highlights and insights gleaned from living abroad, yet living locally? Listen in as we share all this and more. We continually challenge ourselves to "do the new" — and we encourage you to do the same, whether it's close to home or the other side of the world.

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From Sumplace New: The Long-Term Travel Podcast

Monitoring mental health while traveling makes the journey more enjoyable (E51)

August 25, 2021 • Jon Sumple & Karen Bernhardt-Sumple • Episode 51

Episode 51 of From Sumplace New may be the most important episode yet because it focuses on mental health, understanding needs, navigating obstacles and creating solutions while living a travel lifestyle. Jon shares the story behind Karen's decision to step back from the podcast and why he felt it was in the best interest for everyone involved -- especially the Karen and Jon relationship part! The key takeaway from this episode: Overcoming or removing stress takes understanding and support. And in this case, it wasn't clear it was an issue until we started discussing it. If we didn't discuss, the stressors would have continued; but because we did, there was an opportunity to better understand the impact this was having on Karen, on Jon, on our relationship, and on our travel lifestyle. We talked. We listened. We understood. And now we move forward. Speaking of moving forward, we are!!! We are heading to San Jose del Cabo, Mexico on Sept. 4 and will be making an appearance at the Pasadena International Film Festival on Sept. 11. Stay tuned for more details!

Credits:
Intro/Outro Music: The World at Large by Daniel O'Connor
Intro VO: Laura Welsh

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