I got especially excited about a package that arrived this week because I was finally able to read my preorder of the new book from Austin Kleon: Don’t Call It Art! The subtitle is 10 ways to create like a kid again and it lives up to that promise. The core idea is to let your inner child loose and make things with joy, as a form of play instead of something you’ll be judged on. As always with his titles, the hardback is full of fun illustrations. This time they’re joined by drawings from his two young sons, which brings the whole message home. It is a fun read and would be a great gift for someone who is stuck in a rut creatively or just starting a new job or business. The author of Show Your Work is on Substack as well.

Where Americans are Moving

For the first time since the Great Depression 90 years ago, more people moved out of the USA last year than moved in. That was widely reported around the world, but if you’re wondering where they ended up, most studies I’ve seen peg Mexico, Portugal, Spain, Ireland, and Colombia in the top 5, though sometimes the order is a bit different after the clear winner south of the border. This site lists 10 countries and a reason for each, like a truly useful digital nomad visa in Thailand and Italy’s remote worker visa. I expect #10 Bali to drop off after recent actions. (See the previous issue.)

Living in Bulgaria, Post-euro

Bulgaria has gone from unknown to undeniable hotspot in the past 15 years, thanks in part to great conditions for nomads in Bansko and a cost of living advantage that’s hard to beat in Europe. They adopted the euro and became part of the Schengen Zone recently though, so I tapped native Bulgarian Maria Stoynova from Sofia Expats to give me a rundown on how things stand now with prices. See the current results here: The Cost of Living in Bulgaria.

Where the Summer Flight Bargains Are

Dollar Flight Club crunched some data and named the destinations that are still a good deal this summer for flights. In general, the most popular cities are up 15-20% over last year, but others have barely budged. In Europe, they point to 10 destinations going for $570 or less round-trip from U.S. gateways. The ten ranged from expensive (Stockholm and Bergen) to bargains (Krakow and Budapest), but in general were secondary cities except for Dublin. Heading south, check Guatemala, Costa Rica, and a few different spots in Mexico and the Caribbean.

A weekly newsletter with four quick bites, edited by Tim Leffel, author of A Better Life for Half the Price and The World’s Cheapest Destinations. See past editions here, where your like-minded friends can subscribe and join you.