53 episodes

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.

From Sumplace New: The Long-Term Travel Podcast Jon Sumple & Karen Bernhardt-Sumple

    • Society & Culture
    • 5.0 • 17 Ratings

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.

    Why Cape Town stole our hearts (Part 1): Friendships for a lifetime (E53)

    Why Cape Town stole our hearts (Part 1): Friendships for a lifetime (E53)

    Episode 53 of From Sumplace New is an homage to the friendships we made during our time in Cape Town, South Africa. While some might say eight months is a long time, we left feeling like it wasn't enough. We also left with a heavy heart and shed a few tears because we made great friends -- friends for life, and friends we can't wait to see again. And it's all because we're open to creating connections during our travels. We don't travel with our heads down; we travel with our hearts open. We want to connect, we want to learn and we want to grow through our travels, and being open-hearted is important to creating deep connections. Because we're work from anywhere travelers, we spend 3-4 days a week working at coffee shops. And when we find a place with great WiFi, food and coffee, we're happy to set up shop. Our eight-month stay allowed us to create friendships with baristas, servers, and managers. They became friends we looked forward to seeing. We also connected with people because they were interested in where we were from, and once the conversations start, we're open to where it might lead, and Jon shares several stories about how easy it was to connect with the locals. We've never been somewhere in our lives – yes, our entire lives – that made us feel as connected to the people as we did in Cape Town. We miss Cape Town, and we miss our friends at Bootleggers, Origin, Willoughby's, The Old Biscuit Mill, and the V&A Waterfront, to name a few. We miss Victor and Brandon and Stacy dearly; and we can't wait to see them again.

    Links:
    Bootleggers
    Origin
    Willoughby's
    Tinariwen

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

    We use SquadCast for recording our podcasts. If you're interested in starting a podcast, Jon highly recommends this easy-to-use, high-quality web app. Click here to start a 7-day free trial!

    • 38 min
    Barber Alex Culley cuts to the chase: Don't wait to live a life you'll love (E52)

    Barber Alex Culley cuts to the chase: Don't wait to live a life you'll love (E52)

    "I'd rather be at the bottom of a ladder I want to climb, than half way up one I don't" says the Barber of Carlisle (aka Alex Culley), who drops some sage wisdom in Episode 52 of From Sumplace New about not just chasing dreams, but realizing them. After choosing an engineering program at a hometown factory, Alex realized he was on a path that didn't suit his personality and long-term vision. Despite advice from those who "knew better," Alex quit the secure job and began a career he connected with: barbering. Choosing to go against the grain does create challenges, but all can be overcome with the right attitude, determination and commitment. In addition to sharing key insights on how to move through the life-transformation process — such as recognizing who you are, sharing your dreams out loud, and recognizing that the journey isn't going to be easy — Alex also talks about how becoming his own boss opened doors for more travel and, more importantly, meaningful travel. He discusses the trip that changed his mindset about travel and why barbering may actually increase the likelihood of more frequent long-term travel opportunities — something that never would have been possible if he stayed in the "sure thing" job lane. Jon also shares information about his and Karen's upcoming relocation from Cape Town, South Africa, to San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, and why ever-changing travel restrictions may throw a monkey wrench into their plans.

    Alex Culley information:
    Instagram
    Facebook
    Profile at Not Just
    Not Just Academy
    Not Just Instagram

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

    We use SquadCast for recording our podcasts. If you're interested in starting a podcast, Jon highly recommends this easy-to-use, high-quality web app. Click here to start a 7-day free trial!

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

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

    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

    We use SquadCast for recording our podcasts. If you're interested in starting a podcast, Jon highly recommends this easy-to-use, high-quality web app. Click here to start a 7-day free trial!

    • 21 min
    Language learning tips from traveling hyperpolyglot Sarah Tarvin (E50)

    Language learning tips from traveling hyperpolyglot Sarah Tarvin (E50)

    Hola! And welcome to episode cincuenta of From Sumplace New! For this milestone 50th episode, Sarah Tarvin, a hyperpolyglot, joins us to discuss the importance of learning a language while traveling,  and the language acquisition process — which will help you learn in a way that's most efficient and productive for you. Sarah currently speaks eight languages with a few more in the works, and she has been teaching her 18-month old daughter six — yes, SIX — different languages since the day she was born. Sarah shares the process she uses for teaching her daughter, which is practical advice for anyone considering learning a new language. She also shares a few language-related stories where being a hyperpolyglot is a good thing — and, at times, creates some embarrassing moments. Sarah also discusses the habits and tools she uses daily to learn new languages and maintain her proficiency in the languages she currently speaks. On her website — Polyglotandtot.com — Sarah offers coaching opportunities and workshops to help people understand what ways are best for them, individually, to learn a language.

    Learn more about Sarah here:
    Polyglotandtot.com
    Instagram
    Facebook

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

    We use SquadCast for recording our podcasts. If you're interested in starting a podcast, Jon highly recommends this easy-to-use, high-quality web app. Click here to start a 7-day free trial!

    • 55 min
    Leave your job for a travel lifestyle? Jenn Jennings shows us how (E49)

    Leave your job for a travel lifestyle? Jenn Jennings shows us how (E49)

    Jennifer Jennings (aka Jenn) and husband Kendall are living proof that you can build your ideal life by following your dreams and goals. In two short years, they went from living in Alberta, Canada, and working in the oil and gas industry to living in an RV in Baja Mexico and making a living doing what they enjoy. Jenn shares how much "The 4-Hour Workweek" by Tim Ferriss inspired them to make changes, and she reveals the "declaration napkin" moment, which was their commitment to universe to live a more intentional life. We learn about the roadmap that led them to purchasing an RV, driving it to Mexico and documenting their journey. Because RVing has become such a passion, Jenn and Kendall created a digital business — RVSpotDrop.com — which helps RVers secure campsites at parks that interest them most. Their story is inspiring for anyone who's interested in following in their footsteps and taking the leap.

    Click here to purchase Tim Ferriss' "The 4-Hour Workweek" on Amazon 

    Find out more about Jennifer and Kendall here:

    Websites: dashboarddrifters.com and RVSpotDrop.com
    Instagram
    Facebook

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

    We use SquadCast for recording our podcasts. If you're interested in starting a podcast, Jon highly recommends this easy-to-use, high-quality web app. Click here to start a 7-day free trial!

    • 45 min
    Erin Thomas shares the secret to being a 'professional leaper' (E48)

    Erin Thomas shares the secret to being a 'professional leaper' (E48)

    Erin Thomas is a professional leaper. Period. Envious of her husband's travel for work, she hit a wall after an a-ha moment encouraged her to return to the office from lunch and resign on the spot. What transpired was a series of intentional planifesting for a life of travel, which also lead to an unexpected business for people who want to travel, too, but don't know how to manage their home while away. Erin to the rescue with a service that leads most of her clients away from "home" because the income helps fuel a travel lifestyle. In addition to talking about Erin’s leap to a life of travel, Jon and Erin discuss the steps you need to take to live the life you want. This episode is jam-packed with inspiration that leads to motivation, meaningful intention, planning for action and the  discipline required, and establishing habits that lead to desired results. We also talk about letting family know why you want to move away, and how delicate that process is, and, of course, Erin shares her interpretation of the traveler's mindset. 
    Find out more about Erin here:

    Website: erinthomascommunications.com
    Airbnb Listing Service
    Instagram
    Facebook
    LinkedIn

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

    We use SquadCast for recording our podcasts. If you're interested in starting a podcast, Jon highly recommends this easy-to-use, high-quality web app. Click here to start a 7-day free trial!

    • 54 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
17 Ratings

17 Ratings

Empatherica ,

Jon & Amy are fun & informative

This is such an enjoyable podcast to listen to. I love hearing a husband and wife team doing it so well… Digital nomad living, that is. They are inspiring my partner and I, who already had the wheels in motion, to really kick it up a notch and make it happen sooner rather than later. I look forward to every new episode!

NoName4Mama ,

Perfect Pandemic Podcast

I lost my dad, then my job. But finding this podcast was the impetus I needed to examine my career choices and move from my comfortable bubble. Thanks, Jon & Karen!

kirsten - cheerfullyimperfect ,

Easy dialogue, insightful and inspiring

I stumbled upon a recommendation for this podcast in a worldschooling Facebook group and have thoroughly enjoyed listening to each and every episode. They answered so many of my questions about traveling in South America and as we get ready to make our own leap, they made it feel doable and provided us with ongoing inspiration.

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