Sean Hampson

A lack of inspiration can hold us hostage at any given time.

Whether it be caused from overworking, stress, debt, or any other number of life’s guerrilla tactics. When the creative gears grind to a halt it’s a frustrating ordeal for any of us. 

Especially when you factor in the looming demand of content creation.

For myself, I would actually say that the three previously listed culprits had their equal part in my creative hold up.

As my friends, regulars, and readers continually ask me where I am going next. For the first time in a while, I haven’t been able to give a clear answer.

Maybe a tour through Italy and Greece? Cappadocia,Turkey? Día De Los Muertos in Mexico?

Who the hell knows?

I started exploring of the realm of reward credit cards and travel points during my trip through France, as well as The Dominican Republic.

They should provide me with some new information, travel hacks, and further travel opportunities soon, but they also came with a hefty price tag and the necessary evil of debt which must be re-paid.

To tackle this issue, I picked up a morning job during the week, as well as more shifts at the bar as a means of funding future travels as well as paying my newly accrued encumbrance.

While my time is heavily occupied with work, this has helped me complete many exciting steps towards the future of growing The Traveling Barkeep.

As a writer, I never like to be inactive for too long, and understand that content creation is the lifeblood of any creative endeavor.

However, I’m still a quality over quantity kind a guy and would rather create something heartfelt then producing the same regurgitated bullshit.

So, for those of you who invest the time to keep up with me, as well as new readers, I love and appreciate you all.

I am continually grateful for your support, tips, advice, suggestions, patience and feedback in any and all areas of this grand adventure called life.

Thanks again, and here’s to the future!

Chefchaouen, also known as the Blue Pearl was one of the most magnificent cities I have experienced in my life.

I originally heard of this hidden gem while searching for sights to see during my upcoming two and a half weeks in Morocco, after discovering a one way flight from Madrid to Tangier for €17.

From Tangier, I traveled by bus with two newly acquainted friends from my stay at Kasbah Hostel Tangier and made my way to the mysterious Blue Pearl of Morocco.

 

The ride was about 2-2 1/2 hours, passing through some smaller Moroccan towns, with a single transfer, and a breath taking view of the Atlas Mountains.

Upon our arrival, me made our way to our different accommodations and met again for a night out.

I originally stayed at Casa Amina, a beautiful lodging with gracious hosts, but moved to Aline Hostel, yet another amazing accommodation, after the first night to hang with my friends and be a bit more centrally located.

Chefchaouen is a dream like city whose walls and corridors are painted different shades of blue, all the while complimented by the vibrant colors of the Moroccan rugs, leather goods, metal works, and other miscellaneous items for sale.

Walking around Chefchaouen is amazing enough on its own, but some of my personal highlights from this trip include..

A third generation metal shop where grandfather, son, and grandson, all produce and sell their works.

A cafe in the center of a passing stream, where you sip fresh orange juice, while you relax and cool your feet.

Home made soap and cosmetics shop with smells that can calm and overpower the senses.

Chefchaouen is not to be missed.

If you are taking the time to see Tangier, do yourself a favor and take 2-3 days to see this tranquil and hidden gem of the world.

Just don’t count on finding a beer too easy.

I was returning to the States on flight 413 from Punta Cana to Ft. Lauderdale on February 12th, when a man on our flight began passing out and complaining of having vertigo and being overheated just after boarding.

As our plane began to taxi on the runway, the Southwest Airlines crew quickly sprung into action to ensure this elderly gentleman’s situation would stabilize and that he would safely arrive at his destination.

They immediately took measures to cool him and the rest of the aircraft by giving the passengers ice water and providing the gentleman an ice pack to ease the effects of the heat.

As we held on the ground to ensure his safety, the crew then brought all of the passengers together in a brilliant display of teamwork.

Informing other passengers that there was a medical situation, they requested that we open the vents and close the shades to help cool the cabin, as well as inquiring if there was any medical staff of the aircraft.

Fortunately, there were several nurses and a pharmacist aboard the aircraft who checked his vitals and medications.

The nurse found his blood pressure to be high and advised the man that he shouldn’t fly and asked if he was experiencing chest pain.

The gentleman was determined to fly home and was very adamant to try to ignore the advice being given by the medical professionals and the Southwest Airlines crew.

He refused oxygen, and denied any chest pain, while his wife continually told the crew and nurses he had vertigo and nothing else….

The Southwest Airlines crew was respectful of the couples wishes, and allowed him time to feel better by continuing to hold the flight on the ground.

After quite some time his blood pressure still read high and the Southwest Airlines crew decided to return to the gate, where EMTs at the terminal could get a better look at his situation and provide a final determination to reduce any further delay to the other passengers on the flight.

The EMTs told the man that he wasn’t in a healthy state to fly and escorted the man to the hospital saying that his life could be in jeopardy.

Our charismatic pilot John eased the mood with the passengers by telling an anecdote in reference to an experience he had while flying in the military and looking for his aircraft carrier, where he lightened the mood and brought with it an excellent moral.

“It’s better to be bored on the ground than terrified in the air.”

We later learned the man stabilized in the hospital and would be joining the rest of his family the next day.

The rapid response time and proper identification of the mans symptoms by the Southwest crew avoided a potential disaster.

Kudos Southwest!

I’ll be flying with you again soon!

My girlfriend and I recently met a group comprised of some of my best friends at a destination wedding located at the Dreams Punta Cana Resort in the Dominican Republic.

I ran into Jack, the father of the bride and overall one hell of a guy, at the airport and was amazed we shared the same flight in Punta Cana.

My friends Christine (a.k.a Steen), and Ameer (a.k.a. Am, Amstar, and the builder of this fine website, who pushed me to start this whole thing to begin with), arrived the day before us as well as Jeannine, the beautiful bride to be and Michael her fiancé.

Typically, resort travel has not been my cup of tea.

Yet, this all inclusive resort was beautiful, and the ceremony was equally so, with an overall experience that was more than memorable.

The Dreams Resort facility offered something for everyone, from a sports center, beach side activities, a massive pool, a spa, a casino, live shows, a night club, dancing on the veranda, and more restaurants than we could try.

Their staff went above and beyond to take care of our party, several of whom took the time to know us on a first name basis, actively seeking us out to ensure our stay was optimal.

To name a few, Scooby Doo and Vanessa were hilarious hosts and dancers at the veranda, who would often find us to let us know of any events later in the evening.

While our bartenders Carlos, Pedro, and Angel did an amazing job providing quick service and keeping the bar fun while you waited.

Walking into this experience, I was fortunate to receive some advice on how to optimize my stay, which greatly helped to maximize our experience and picked up a few helpful tricks along the way.

 

Bring a Yeti

This trick was easily the most helpful and was given to me by the Tobins, some of my bar guests who always have great advice since they are avid travelers as well.

The bars serve most beverages in plastic 8 ounce cups, and Tom and Cathy were right about how getting refills can become a bit tedious.

Having a Yeti helped us to be more efficient with grabbing drinks and helped to reduce the amount of trash we produced during our stay.

Bigger drinks, colder drinks, less waiting, and all the while people jealously look at you like a rockstar.

Brilliant!

Tip your bartender

Many countries don’t have the custom of tipping service industry employees, and in these countries it can be deemed insulting.

However, an all inclusive resort is not the time to be stingy.

Yes, you have already paid, but think about it.

Coming out of pocket can make a big difference in the lives of some of the employees.

For example, 1 USD is about 50 Dominican Pesos.

So, scout the bars on your first day and find which bartenders you like the best.

Tip $20 on the start of the next day and it’s amazing how quickly you make friends and get your drinks.

After that tip a $5 every few drinks and you will rarely wait and will get the V.I.P. treatment for the rest of your stay.

Take care of those who take care of you and you will never go wanting.

Choose fine dining options

Dreams Punta Cana had many food options but I found the best to be Bordeaux, their French restaurant, and the Seaside Grill, a steakhouse on the water.

With everything already paid for, I recommend eating at the fine dining options.

While the portion sizes were a bit small, it is understandable, considering the potential for food waste when hungry eyes read the menu.

Plus, if you want more, just order more.

All in all, you’ve already paid. Treat yourself.

Plus, the only complaint I would have with Dreams was that the late night room service menu that was the only thing I found lacking in options and quality during my stay.

So eat well, while you can.

Stay hydrated

After a few days of drinking in the hot sun, it’s best to remember the essence of life. Water.

It’s readily available in the resort.

It’s a life saver.

It’s game changer.

Need I say more?

A crucial step to maximizing your time overseas is to plan enough activities, while keeping a loose enough schedule to actually enjoy your travels.

Remember to take your time, it’s called holiday for a reason.

Overcrowding has gotten the best of many ambitious travelers so work to maintain a balance of local culture, sightseeing, and fun, while prioritizing which large and small activities you wish to partake in throughout your time in each city.

For example, visiting the Louvre and Chateau Versailles in the same day is possible, but both places take several hours to see, and possibly days to fully appreciate.

It is more enjoyable to see Versailles early, eat lunch at a nearby cafe, visit the Eiffel Tower on the return trip, and have an evening at The Moulin Rouge.

This will help to avoid overcrowding your schedule, which forces you to speed through things and takes away from the overall experience.

Identify which activities in your itinerary are large and small undertakings as well.

Anything that takes the majority of the day or is expensive, I categorize as a large activity. They typically involve excursions, opera, theater, some outdoor parks and sporting events to name a few.

Smaller activities take an hour or less to see. Cathedrals, museums, cultural stops, and other hidden gems you may find along the way belong in this grouping.

Being flexible with your activities may allow you to do more.

If it is nearby, sometimes it is best to reshuffle your plans, jump off the metro, and check it off you list, rather than spend the travel time to commute back at a later date.

Safe travels!

In 35 years of my life, I had never traveled overseas with a girlfriend.

Though I’ve had the reputation of avoiding relationships like a fourteenth century European avoided the Black Death, the idea of it never bothered me.

I just never had anyone who interested me enough when any of my previous trips came about.

So when word spread I was soon to go overseas with my new girlfriend, the typical comments came flooding in as expected.

Everyone was amazed we got along, had fun, made up quickly when we disagreed, and want to travel more together.

Frankly, it’s pretty annoying.

As a single traveler I always aimed to get by as cheap, easy, and lightweight as possible. Drinking as much as the liver can process, muscling through my hangovers, and suffering sleep deprivation long enough for the process to begin itself again. All the while absorbing the culture and force feeding myself with the local cuisine.

Having my girlfriend as a travel companion in France grounded me a bit. Her capacity to consume wine and cheese is not fully on the same level as mine, so I didn’t party as hard and slowed down a little from my normal pace when abroad.

Our diets differ a good bit so it took a few days for us to get on the same page food wise.

The major reoccurring struggle we faced because of this through the trip was indecision. Both of us tend to go with the flow and enjoy spontaneous activities, so at times agreeing on somethings proved to be a bit difficult.

Despite this, having somebody to appreciate the sights, smells, and tastes of another country was overall really enjoyable.

We learned a lot about each other through the ten days and I would say the time away really improved our budding relationship for the better. We understand each other’s pet peeves more, bite our tongues less, and have developed better communication.

We’ve also learn she doesn’t like big crowds, and that while I will bungee jump the Nevis without hesitation, I have an irrational fear or Ferris wheels and will hold onto the rail like a little girl.

Who would have thought?

Now that we have been abroad together, I would say the travel bug has struck my girlfriend. We have to attend a wedding in the Dominican Republic as well as Las Vegas in the near future and she has now expressed a desire to go to Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Turkey and just about everywhere else in the world.

I may have created a monster…

There was a strange air around Bordeaux on our last day in the city.

We set out on foot along Quai Richelieu toward Place de la Bourse and saw a large group moving in the same direction as us. There was a clear indication that they were protesters from their neon green vests and huddled masses.

Immediately my girlfriend noticed a fight break out as we crossed the street and we decided to part from the crowd since we were unsure of their intentions, moving to see some of the other, less turbulent sights.

As we moved on, many of the stores were closed and people flooded to the crowds to join in the demonstration to protest their discontent with the current government.

We reached St. Andre Cathedral and noticed the police barricades and officers in riot gear.

The cathedral was closed due to the demonstrations as well as the museum of fine arts, which we also planned on visiting.

After a brief moment of disappointment we decided to walk toward our AirBnB hoping there would be less tension in a different area of the city.

Signal flares shot into the sky, protesters slammed on signs, people on motorcycles were driving erratically through the streets, armed soldiers marched, and police sirens wailed.

We grabbed some wine and bread, then decided to lay low and take a nap in hopes that the tensions would calm while trying to avoid the seemingly endless amount of people marching in protest along most of the main city streets.

There was a faint smell of smoke as I was awoken by the sounds of screaming, sirens and a police helicopter overhead.

We turned on the news to see violent outbursts had broken out around the city and noticed some were just around the corner from us at Porte de Bourgogne.

I opened the window to our place on Rue de Maubec and noticed a group of young men in masks about ten feet away at the corner of Rue de Pontets and Rue de Maubec.

They screamed and threw bottles down the street shouting at the nearby police only to be met with return force.

I head a low thump and saw a canister hit the street. Tear gas poured from the canister and I scared my girlfriend letting out a very clear “OH SHIT!” and slamming the window closed.

We stayed in as the smell crept through the window and the chaos ensued for another few hours before going back to the normal tranquility of Bordeaux’s city streets.

Hopefully there won’t be much more of the same, but we treated the situation like any Floridian treats a hurricane.

When you’re trapped indoors, lock down, stay in, and drink.

Cheers to unexpected surprises….right?

I haven’t really cared to write much recently.

Life has been slow, work has been frequent and inspiration at a miserable new low.

Shortly after my trip to Morocco, my ambitions were halted when my truck broke down, thereby forcing me to buy a new vehicle and leaving me in debt,

With my savings depleted, a newfound car payment, and my morale in the shit. I embarked on my newest adventure, a year of work.

I planned on using 2018 to recuperate from the financial strains that being an avid traveler can accumulate. I caught up on debts, repaired my credit score, and realized why a life of loans and debt repayment is not what I’m looking for.

I want more.

Fortunately, my travel lull will come to an end soon and things get back on track.

I’m off to France with my girlfriend in a few days and I can’t wait.

For a solo travel enthusiast, this should inspire plenty of new ideas and more than enough content towards the creation of any artistic medium.

All joking aside, I am excited to have somebody in my life who desires to see the world, and more so is willing to help foot the bill rather than extend additional expenses and dependence.

I’m back in action with a few new goals in mind. I can’t wait to share my experiences and look forward to 2019.

Safe travels and may the world embrace you with open arms!