Good Morning Friends! 🤗

And welcome back to the zucchini bread of your email inbox. We’re warm, soft, and we keep you coming back for more.

We are in sunny, pollen-filled central Ohio 🤧. Today we’re covering El Salvador and a review of our family/friend trips to Boston, New Orleans, and Michigan. Let’s get into it.

El Salvador

As far as tourist destinations go, El Salvador is everything you could want. Want a relaxing, beach vacation with surfing lessons between mango smoothies? Head to El Tunco. Want a couple weeks spent climbing volcanoes and exploring colonial cities? Look no further. Hungry for pupusas? Dig in. Thirsty for coffee? Bottoms up. El Salvador has it all.

But it’s the optimism that will bring us back.

Most people complain about their governments most of the time. Americans do it incessantly. Europeans? Nonstop – but with more finger wagging.

But not in El Salvador. Not right now.

Once one of the most dangerous countries in the world, El Salvador now boasts an incredibly low murder rate. In the Americas, the only country where you have a smaller chance of being killed is, wait for it…

Canada!

As it turns out, when you combine a tough-on-crime policy and a mega prison, well.. the streets become safe rather quickly.

As we were leaving, I asked our Uber driver about the rapid change. “It is a dream come true,” he told me. Just five or six years ago, highway robbery was commonplace. Now, he can pay for his kid’s university by driving gringos like us to the airport. No need to worry about AK-47s being pointed at him demanding payment.

When we first set out traveling in the summer of 2021, I never thought Reyka and I’d be able, or even want, to visit El Salvador.

But now, we can. And not only with peace of mind, but with the most welcoming locals we’ve ever meet. For every block, at least three or four locals would wave and say “hola” or “Bienvenidos a El Salvador!” which means “Welcome to El Salvador!” They were curious where we came from, excited we were visiting, and wanted to help us in any way they could.

It felt like the whole country was opening up to embrace us.

And when you asked El Salvadorans about their country, they beamed with pride. Their weren’t neighborhoods controlled by gangs anymore. Construction projects everywhere were rebuilding their country. San Salvador’s new world class airport was wowing its visitors.

The current president, Nayib Bukele, won the recent election with 85% of the vote. It’s a refreshing thing to witness – a population in full support of their government. Of course, there is no guarantee that progress will continue. But we are hopeful that El Salvador’s leadership will continue to lift up the wonderful people there.

Boston

After El Salvador, we took a direct flight to Boston. No layovers! Amazing, right?!

It was my brother’s 30th birthday recently, so Reyka and I flew up to meet him and my parents to watch the Seattle Mariners get absolutely pumbled by the Red Sox. No sympathy needed. Getting beat is what the Ms do best.

Reyka and I loved Boston. We only encountered one hassler, whereas in New York City we meet dozens. The skyline is beautiful. The air and streets are clean. With 36 colleges and universities in city limits, the young population brings a fun vibe to the city. The food is great. The weather in summer is phenomenal.

All familial attachments in Washington and Ohio aside, if you put a gun to my head and told me to choose a U.S. city to settle down in for the next 5 years, I’d probably say Boston.

New Orleans

I caught a $88 direct flight from Boston to Louisiana’s Capital for me and my friend’s annual fantasy football draft. Let me just say, New Orleans and Boston might be the two most opposite cities in the United States.

The contrast is wild. Where Boston is clean, New Orleans is filthy. Where Boston has Crisp Atlantic air, New Orleans’ is tropical and sticky. Academic and Cajun. Chowder and Po’ Boys.

The diversity in the United States is truly astonishing and one-of-a-kind. Anywhere else in the world, these places would be three to four countries apart. But here, the Red, White and Blue colors wave above both.

Rereading that, I don’t mean to say New Orleans is bad, by any means. I had a fantastic time there. Bourbon street is wild and feels like Vegas mixed with the 1850s Wild West. Neon bar signs hang beside Voodoo stands. We went on an exhilarating airboat tour through a swamp and saw a 14 foot Alligator named “Goliath.” By every store clerk throughout the city and surrounding area, we were called “honey” or “baby,” which was endearing.

And the food… Beignets, Gumbo, and Po’ boys. They might be a heart attack waiting to happen, but they sure do taste marvelous.

All-in-all, New Orleans punches way above its weight as far as fun family/friends trip destinations go.

Michigan

And then, I met back up with Reyka and her family for a week on Hess Lake, Michigan. After a fast paced month, it was a wonderful way to unwind. We swam, ran, threw frisbees, sat by campfires, ate ice cream, read books, chatted, laughed, repaired doors and windows, and just had a splendid time hanging out together

Washington will always be the most beautiful State in my opinion, but Michigan – with its beautiful flat sea of forests and lakes – is climbing the ranks year by year.

New Amazing Vlogs

I know, I know. We’re biased. But believe me, Atacama is a great video. And Easter Island might be our new favorite vlog, ever. Just saying…

That’s About It

We are now back in Ohio, planning around next moves. We have a BIG trip coming up. More on that next week 😘

Before you go, I just want to say thank you so much for reading this little newsletter. We appreciate you more than you know. It’s so comforting to know you are rooting for us as we chase our dreams of seeing this wide, big, beautiful world!

And even more, I personally am grateful that you’ve given me an outlet to process our frenetic, constantly evolving lives.

For all that and more, thank you.

We wish you a wonderful middle of August, and please respond to this email with any thoughts, comments, or questions about today. We would love to hear from you!

Love,

Wyatt (and Reyka)