u/Jordan_Willis

One of my favorite things to do while traveling is grab a coffee and something to eat, then wander around a beautiful college campus. It’s a nice way to see some interesting architecture, green spaces, and parts of a city you might otherwise miss.

Duke in Durham, Tulane in New Orleans, and the Naval Academy in Annapolis have been some of our favorites so far. What other college campuses have you visited that are especially scenic and enjoyable to walk around?

I’m heading to California from Egypt on pretty short notice and only have about a week there. Since it’s such a long flight and a pretty big expense for me, I really want to make those 7 days count.

The problem is I know almost nothing about California. I’m flying into Los Angeles, but I’m open to flying into San Francisco instead if that would make more sense for a one-week trip.

If you had just one week in California, how would you spend it? Which places are actually worth the time, what should I skip, and are there any experiences I’d regret missing?

Would really appreciate recommendations from people who know the area. Thanks!

New York was our only trip to the US so far, and we absolutely loved it. We even made our way over to Queens to see the Mets, which ended up being one of the highlights. But obviously, we mostly experienced the big-city, tourist side of America.

Now my wife and I are thinking about doing a proper road trip and seeing a completely different side of the country. We’re big fans of the outdoors, especially hiking, beaches, swimming in the ocean, and just being somewhere that feels a little less crowded.

Small towns really appeal to us. I read a lot of fiction set in the US, and the way authors describe these little communities always makes me want to see them for myself.

The problem is that America is absolutely enormous, and I have no idea where the best place to start would be. If you were planning a road trip for someone who wanted scenery, outdoor activities, interesting small towns, and fewer tourist crowds, what part of the country would you suggest?

And thanks so much to everyone who has already shared recommendations. There are some fantastic ideas here, and I really appreciate people taking the time to explain their suggestions. I’m already excited about planning this trip with my wife.

Also, apologies for using the phrase “real USA.” Looking back, I can see how that might have come across the wrong way. I only meant places beyond the usual tourist destinations and certainly didn’t mean any disrespect. ❤️

I'm sitting at my gate waiting to board, and every few minutes I hear the same announcement from multiple nearby gates: This flight is completely booked and overhead bin space is extremely limited.

It feels like airlines have made the problem worse by squeezing even more seats into planes than they used to have.

That said, some travelers aren't helping either. Plenty of people bring carry-ons that are clearly oversized, plus a "personal item" that's basically another full size bag. We all see it happening.

That's my airport rant for today. Go ahead and tell me why I'm wrong.

I'm sitting at my gate waiting to board, and every few minutes I hear the same announcement from multiple nearby gates: "This flight is completely booked and overhead bin space is extremely limited."

It feels like airlines have made the problem worse by squeezing even more seats into planes than they used to have.

That said, some travelers aren't helping either. Plenty of people bring carry-ons that are clearly oversized, plus a "personal item" that's basically another full-size bag. We all see it happening.

That's my airport rant for today. Go ahead and tell me why I'm wrong.

There’s something special about booking a flight on your own and waking up somewhere completely different, knowing the entire day is yours to spend however you want. No compromises, no schedules built around other people, just total freedom.

This year I took solo trips to Mexico City and Rio de Janeiro for the first time. It had been several years since I’d gone on a long-distance trip alone, and I’m so glad I did. I ended up loving both cities for completely different reasons and already want to go back. For reference, I’m a 34 year old guy. Along the way I met some great people and plenty of fellow solo travelers. Anyone else been to either place?

Meanwhile, a friend and I had talked about visiting Málaga this fall, but our plans fell apart and it’s probably not happening now. He mentioned how disappointed he was since he’d been looking forward to it. Everyone’s different, of course, but my first thought was that I’d still go even if nobody else could make it. He’s never really liked traveling alone and prefers having a group around him.

It made me realize how valuable it is to be comfortable exploring the world by yourself. It’s not something I always had, it took time to build that confidence. But being able to go where you want, meet new people, and not wait for everyone else’s schedules to align feels like a huge advantage. Life moves fast, and one thing I wish is that I’d started doing this years earlier.

At this point, I’m not sure I even want to travel with other people for long stretches anymore. After a while, I always find myself wanting to wander off and experience things on my own.

Just sharing a thought that’s been on my mind. Would love to hear how others feel about it.

I've been doing affiliate marketing for a few months now and currently make about $150–$250 per month consistently.

Most of my traffic comes from blog posts and Facebook groups/pages, and it's been working well enough to get started. My next goal is to push that income past $1200 per month, but I'm not sure where I should focus my efforts next.

For those who have successfully scaled affiliate income, what channels or strategies made the biggest difference for you? Did SEO, email marketing, Pinterest, YouTube, or something else move the needle the most?

I'd appreciate any tips, lessons learned, or mistakes I should avoid.

People talk about solo travel as freedom, self-discovery, and all that. For me, the biggest appeal is much simpler: I only have to worry about myself.

Whenever I travel with friends, I somehow end up becoming the planner. I'm checking directions, keeping track of expenses, deciding where we should eat, and making sure everyone is happy. After a while, it starts feeling more like a job than a vacation.

When I'm traveling alone, every decision is mine and every mistake is mine too. If I book the wrong bus, miss a connection, or waste an afternoon on a bad idea, that's completely on me. Weirdly enough, I enjoy that.

There's something satisfying about owning the entire experience, good or bad, without having to coordinate with anyone else or constantly meet in the middle.

I’ve tested a bunch of online business ideas over the last few months, and most of what I find either needs upfront cash or turns out to be overhyped nonsense.

For people who started with barely any money, maybe just a laptop and internet, what did you do that actually worked? I’d love to hear real examples of how you got your first income stream going online.