Digital Nomad Life: Month 115

Month 115 was a fun one, and we were on the road for pretty much the entirety of it, traveling through three states, and three countries – two of which are new to me.

We started the month with a two-day drive from Espanola to Phoenix, spending a night in Holbrook on the way. We arrived in Phoenix on Christmas Eve and spent that evening and the next day hanging out with family, baking cookies, and playing games.

We spent two more days after Christmas in town to visit friends downtown and in Scottsdale then we packed the car again and headed up to Jerome, a historic mining town perched on the side of a steep mountain. We loved our time there, ringing in the New Year in town, and doing a couple of day trips to Sedona to hike.

From Jerome, we headed back down to Phoenix for a night to celebrate my mother-in-law’s birthday – both of Toby’s brothers flew in from Denver and Atlanta along with one of my sisters-in-law and it was a great surprise for my MIL.

After that, we drove back to Espanola to spend time with Toby’s Dad, spending a night in Holbrook again on the way and visiting Petrified Forest National Park to break up the trip.

We spent five nights in Espanola and did a lot in the area while we were there including a fun and interesting ghost tour in Santa Fe with US Ghost Adventures. I always enjoy my time in northern New Mexico.

And then it was back to Denver to get everything organized and drop Joni at the sitters before flying out to Qatar via Washington D.C. The 12-hour overnight flight to Doha actually wasn’t too bad but we were still pretty tired so we grabbed some karak (delicious local spiced tea with milk) and a sweet chapati from the airport then we took the metro to our hotel where we crashed out.

The next three days in Qatar were full of exploration and adventure and we loved our time there, I would definitely stop over there again in the future.

From Qatar, we flew into Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania and spent one night there, having a short look around the chaotic town center and eating some exceptional Indian food, then the next morning we took the ferry to Zanzibar which was also a pretty chaotic but fun experience.

Once we arrived in Zanzibar we headed north to Nungwi where we spent two nights enjoying the incredible beach there and in nearby Kendwa, as well as taking a sunset dhow cruise. The icing on the cake was the two adorable kittens at our accommodations that we of course befriended.

We spent the last two nights of the month in the chilled-out beach town of Paje which is popular for kitesurfing – not something I was interested in but Toby gave it a try.

I mostly just relaxed on the beach and swam and it was glorious.

Now onto the stats!

Countries Visited: USA, Qatar, Tanzania

Places Visited:

• New Mexico: Espanola, Gallup, Ojo Caliente, Santa Fe, Taos
• Arizona: Holbrook, Payson, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Avondale, Rock Springs, Jerome, Cottonwood, Sedona
• Colorado: Denver, Brighton, Aurora
• Qatar: Doha, Al Khor, Al Zubarah, Sealine Beach
• Tanzania: Dar Es Salaam, Zanzibar – Nungwi, Paje

National and State Parks, Monuments, and UNESCO Sites: Jerome State Historic Park in Arizona; Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona; Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico; Al Zubarah Archeological UNESCO World Heritage Site in Qatar.

Islands Visited: Purple Island in Qatar, Zanzibar in Tanzania.

Best Meals: The Pilgraim cornish pasty from The Cornish Pasty Co in Phoenix; Bourbon Pecan Pie and chicken and waffles from Rock Springs Cafe in Rock Springs; Green chile cheeseburger and fries from Blake’s Lotaburger in Gallup; Grilled salmon with green chile potato cake, asparagus and poblano fries from Artesian Restaurant in Ojo Caliente; Chicken and pineapple skewers with salsa, pita, tzatziki, and spicy rice from Nando’s in Doha; Kunefe from Kunefe House in Doha; Meze platter with hummus, baba ganoush, labneh, and pita from Dar Maryam Brothers Kuwaiti Restaurant in Doha; Grilled prawns with fries, rice and salad from MIZIZI Restaurant in Nungwi.

Best Craft Beer: Monsoon Nights Stout from Sedona Beer Company in Sedona; Honey Ginger Blonde Ale by Rio Bravo Brewing Company in Albuquerque.

Hikes/Walks:

• Section of Black Canyon City Trail in Rock Springs, AZ 3 miles
• Boynton Canyon Trail and Subway Cave in Sedona, AZ 8.1 miles
• Cathedral Rock Loop: Hiline and Templeton Trails in Sedona, AZ 8.5 miles
• Mescal Gulch to Bug Hollow Loop in Jerome, AZ 3.85 miles
• Giant Logs Trail, Crystal Forest Trail, Blue Mesa Trail, and Puerco Pueblo Trail in Petrified Forest National Park, AZ 2.5 miles
• Pueblo Loop Trail in Bandelier National Monument, NM 2.6 miles
• Section of Frey Trail in Bandelier National Monument, NM 2.4 miles
• Pueblo Trails in Espanola, NM 3.2 miles

Watching: Squid Game Season 2, Queer Eye Season 8 and 9, Saturday Night.

Reading: Finders Keepers by Stephen King, The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab (second read – one of my favorites).

New Posts: I wrote one new post this month, my annual recap post – one of my favorite posts to write every year looking back on what I got up to and some stats.

Highlights

Hanging Out With Friends and Family in Phoenix

We had a fun few days celebrating Christmas with family and then visiting friends in Scottsdale and Phoenix during our time in the Phoenix area. We had lunch at the Cornish Pasty Co. in Scottsdale with family and friends, and spent another evening in Scottsdale checking out the Christmas lights, and dining at Culinary Dropout.

I also had a lovely lunch with my friend who works at the Heard Museum followed by some excellent Native American dance and drum performances for the museum’s 95th birthday and exploring the museum’s new exhibits.

Spending a Peaceful Week in a Historic Apartment in Jerome

As we didn’t have the RV and we wanted to spend some time in the Sedona area to hike, we ended up finding an affordable apartment in Jerome, a historic mining town that is known for its haunted buildings and epic views over the Verde Valley.

We have visited Jerome a couple of times before on day trips so we liked the idea of spending a week there, and we absolutely loved the apartment we rented, and so did Joni. It is part of the lower section of a historic home and has epic views over the valley and of the sunrise with a big backyard.

The town center was a short walk from the apartment and we wandered around town often, checking out the unique shops and spending New Year’s visiting a couple of the town’s historic bars. We also did a nearby hike with valley views, visited the Jerome State Historic Park, and checked out another nearby historic town, Cottonwood. 

It was such a lovely place to just be, and to be able to relax, cook, and catch up on work stuff. I would love to rent the same apartment again next time we are in the area.

Hiking in Sedona

I love the red rock beauty and calming atmosphere of Sedona so we did a couple of day trips from Jerome to hike there. The weather was perfect so we chose some of the longer hikes that we didn’t want to do when we last visited because it was too hot, and I was really happy with both of our choices because the scenery was outstanding.

We did the 8-mile Boynton Canyon trail including the side trail up to Subway Cave and the cliff dwellings and this was my favorite hike I have ever done in Sedona. The canyon itself was gorgeous and the subway cave was fun to climb up to.

We also did the 8.5-mile Cathedral Rock Loop which combines the Hiline and Templeton trails and affords epic red rock views for pretty much the whole trail.

New Year’s Eve in Jerome

We had a really fun and easy New Year’s this year in Jerome. It wasn’t busy but it was busy enough that we made some new friends and chatted with some of the interesting locals, town is only a ten-minute walk from where we were staying so no expensive taxi rides, and we managed to find a fun local bar – Wicked City Pub – that had karaoke, so we did hours of karaoke while drinking inexpensive but delicious craft beer.

Wicked City Pub closed just after 11 pm so we rang in the New Year at Paul and Jerry’s Saloon, reportedly the oldest family-owned bar in Arizona, bringing a couple of new friends along with us. The bar was pretty dead so we just enjoyed chatting to our new friends and then I did the countdown from my phone and we went home to bed. It was a great night.

Fun Day Trips in Northern New Mexico

I always love visiting New Mexico – I think it is one of the most underrated states and it’s one of only a handful of states that I would consider living in. This recent visit was just as amazing as it always is in the Land of Enchantment.

We spent five nights in New Mexico this month and visited some old favorites including Ojo Caliente to soak at the hot springs and dine at the excellent restaurant there, Bandelier National Park to hike and see the cliff dwellings, Santa Fe to just wander around one of my favorite U.S. cities and to do a ghost tour, and Taos for a quick pit stop for hot chocolate and a quick walk around the shops while driving back to Colorado.

New Mexico never disappoints.

Joni Has Turned Into a Mama’s Girl

Baby girl has always been a Daddy’s girl but since picking her up from the sitter’s place after our Costa Rica trip, she has been gravitating to me more, sleeping on my side of the bed and sometimes even cuddling up in my arms while I’m sleeping. She has also been jumping in my lap to sleep often, something she rarely used to do.

Toby is jealous but I am loving it.

Exploring Qatar on a Stopover

When I found out that Qatar Airways offers a very affordable stopover option I knew we had to take advantage of it, and we ended up booking a four-night stay in Doha in a beautiful four-star hotel.

We packed a lot into our time there, my first time properly in the Middle East, and I ended up loving my experience there.

The absolute highlight was exploring the vibrant and labyrinthine Souk Waqif – we ended up there on four different occasions, as well as spending time at The Pearl in the glitzy Porto Arabia and Venetian-inspired Qanat Quartier neighborhoods, the pretty Katara Cultural Village, modern downtown Msheireb, walking seaside along the Corniche and in MIA park, and taking a sunset dhow cruise to admire the city lights at night – and that was all just in Doha!

We also did a day trip to Northern Qatar to see the mangroves at Purple Island and visit the UNESCO Al Zubarah Archeological Site with its picturesque fort and ruins, and another half-day trip to the sand dunes and the inland sea where we went dune bashing, camel riding, sand boarding, and then watched the sunset on a dune above the ocean.

Visiting Qatar has definitely made me want to experience more of the Middle East and I have my eye on Jordan and Oman for future trips, and hopefully Lebanon, Socotra Island (Yemen), and Iran at some point too.

Ceasefire in Gaza

I was so, so happy to see there has finally been a ceasefire in Gaza after so much unnecessary bloodshed. It’s going to take a long time for the people of Gaza to rebuild and so many people, including many, many children, were murdered during the genocide committed by Israel, but at least this is a step in the right direction.

I know I will be giving to charities and initiatives like Doctors Without Borders and Watermelon Relief to help support the people of Gaza as much as I can.

Incredible Beaches in Zanzibar

I knew the beaches in Zanzibar were going to be amazing but the sheer beauty of this place has still managed to blow me away. It is one of the most beautiful islands I have ever been to and I have absolutely loved the whole experience so far, even the beach boys (and girls) constantly trying to sell me stuff. I am so excited to explore more of this incredible country.

Lowlights

Getting Hacked

Unfortunately, someone hacked into my email this month and then into my Netflix where they changed the email address associated with my account and changed my plan to Premium. Luckily I was able to regain access to Netflix account through their customer service and I haven’t had further issues with my email after changing my password *touches wood*.

LA Fires

Watching the LA fires unfold felt like an awful Deja-Vu after the Lahaina and Jasper fires. Like them, LA is somewhere I love and we spent a lot of time in the Palisades/Malibu area when we were working in LA for three months in 2021 so it was heartbreaking to see it burn. My heart goes out to everyone who lost their homes, livelihoods, and lives in the fires. 

Trump Inauguration

Trump being in power again feels like a terrible nightmare coming true and I am already so horrified and in disbelief about his plans – pulling out of the Paris Climate Accord, renaming the Gulf of Mexico and Denali, only recognizing two sexes, withdrawing from the World Health Organization, mass deportations, closing the border to legal asylum seekers, pardons for the January 6th insurrectionists.

Every single one of these plans are disgusting to me and it’s so, so scary.

Spending

I don’t include international flights in my recaps. Some of my costs are shared with Toby or other travel partners.

Total: USD$3624

I actually thought this would be worse but once you take off the $600 for website hosting, it is around $3000 which is not too bad. Obviously, if I included my flight to Qatar and Tanzania it would be higher (they were around $660 total)

Accommodation $752

My 20 nights of paid accommodation for the month consisted of two nights in a motel in Holbrook, seven nights in an Airbnb apartment in Jerome, one night in a motel in Centennial, one night in a motel at Denver Airport, four nights in a hotel in Doha, one night in a hotel in Dar Es Salaam, two nights in a hotel in Nungwi, and two nights in a hotel in Paje.

My 11 nights of unpaid accommodation for the month consisted of five nights with family in Phoenix, five nights with family in Espanola, and one overnight flight from Washington D.C. to Doha.

Food and Drink $688

Not bad this month for food and beverage spending. The food in Qatar and Tanzania is cheaper than in the U.S. and we cooked or ate with family a lot when we were traveling in Arizona and New Mexico this month.

Clothing $89

• 2 x Bikinis $57
• Hiking socks $22
• Sarong $10

Transport $302

• Gas $91
• Lyft/Uber in Denver $34
• Flight from Denver to Washington D.C. $77.50
• Metro in Doha $3.50
• Uber to the airport in Doha $3
• Taxi from airport to city in Dar Es Salaam $12
• Fast ferry from Dar Es Salaam to Zanzibar $35
• Taxi from Stone Town port to Nungwi $22.50
• Taxi from Nungwi to Paje $23.50

Activities $173.50

• Jerome State Historic Park $7
• Northern Qatar and Al Zubarah Tour from Doha $78
• Sunset Dhow boat cruise in Doha $14
• Sand Dunes and Inland Sea Tour from Doha $61
• Sunset Dhow boat cruise in Nungwi $13.50

Other $875

• U.S. Phone plan $35
• Spotify $13
• One Drive storage $2
• Garmin monthly subscription $15
• Netflix $3.50
• Toiletries $45.50
• Donations/Tips $12.50
• Glasses case $17.50
• Cat food $52.50
• Cat Boarding (half) $300
• Seat selection for flight $36.50
• Travel Insurance – one month $72
• Malaria meds and Diamox $220
• Zanzibar Insurance $44
• Souvenirs $2
• Laundry $4

Website Costs $612

• Monthly payment for Keysearch $12
• Two years of website hosting $600

Vehicle Costs $132.50

• RV and van insurance $80
• Toll fees $3
• Oil change $52.50

What’s in Store For Next Month

We will be spending another four days exploring Paje and Stone Town on Zanzibar, and then we’ll be flying up to the more remote Pemba Island for five days to explore. I’m hoping to do some snorkeling and experience some of the beautiful and untouched beaches on the island and Toby will be diving.

From Pemba, we fly back to Zanzibar and then onto Arusha where we have one night before joining our one-week budget safari which will visit Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire National Park, and Lake Manyara National Park. I am so excited for this!

After a quick night in Moshi, it is time for the next big adventure of our Tanzania trip – we’ll be hiking Kilimanjaro! My best friend is flying in from New Zealand to join us and we are doing the 7-day Lemosho Route which is meant to be one of the most scenic on the mountain. I am nervous but so excited!

We have one night back in Moshi once we finish and then we fly out to Madrid overnight, where we are stopping over for three nights to explore, and then we have another overnight flight to Mexico City, one of my favorite cities in the world and where we will be spending our last two nights of the month.

To read additional Monthly Recaps, you can find them here