Hi, it's Patrick here from Planet Patrick.

This is your monthly Nomadic Update newsletter. I hope you find ideas that inspire plans for your own travel as well as tips and tricks for those of us starting alternative lives beyond the corporate desk. This is Life as a Digital Nomad.

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Over the past couple of years, you signed up for my newsletter over at PlanetPatrick.net and I never wrote a single newsletter! That changes now! I hope you will enjoy these monthly updates from the road and that the newsletter gives you a way to check-in with how things are going, even if you don't have time to read all the blogs on Planet Patrick and watch all the videos on the Planet Patrick YouTube channel.

At ANY time, if you change your mind, you can unsubscribe. There's a link at the bottom of this email to do that. However, I hope you'll be around to enjoy the journey and to share something of your journey too.

Scroll down for this month's Nomadic Update...

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LATEST BLOG

​Starlink & the Digital Drag… Should I order Starlink for RVs?​

Read More

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LATEST VIDEO

​SOME THINGS CHANGED... Back to France - Le Mans, Angers & a SURPRISE DECISION​

View Now

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LATEST FOOD BLOG (Absolutely Stuffed)

​Hip with a Trip: Mamie Fado in Angers, France​

Read More

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NOMADIC UPDATE

In the last month, I have been in the US, Ireland, France, Scotland, England and Holland!

I am on the road with Barbara Bailey, my camper van and we are currently stopped in Groningen, Netherlands. This is for a couple of reasons.

Stopping: Time to Edit

I have become proficient at filming and finding things I love in each place I visit that I want to share. However, taking the time to edit films is a different story. I have a backlog. A serious backlog. And it's not just making films... each release warrants social media updates, interactions with viewers (which I love) and - the more I think about it - written blogs that allow me to go deeper into a subject or place. I am serious about wanting Planet Patrick to work, and that means each part of the process needs to be taken as seriously as filming. So that means slower travel, taking the time, planning properly. I'm learning about my process ALL the time.

Stopping: Internet & Starlink

If you've read the Starlink blog or already seen my first Starlink video, you'll know that I went ahead and ordered this satellite broadband solution last week (early June 2022) once I arrived in Groningen at this campsite. I am now LOCKED IN to waiting for DHL to deliver it. They updated the Shipping/Tracking page on Day 1 with a flurry of activity, saying it was dispatched, but the parcel doesn't yet seem to be in transit. It could take up to 2 weeks. So patience is a virtue, right?

Confusion: The Gap in the Matrix

I had a number of regular viewers get in touch to express their confusion as to where I was. The videos were jumping back and forth from France to Ireland to the US. There IS a fair bit of movement in my schedule since I sold my house. However, what some people may not have seen on my social media (click here to see them all and join me there too) was that I was trying to run 2 seasons concurrently - one on Wednesdays (US/Mexico) and one other series on Sundays (Vanlife vs Home Life).

What that managed to do was to confuse everyone as to where I was in the world and how it all fit together. I can totally see how that happened, so I stopped it and we are now back in sequence. Only very occasionally will I jump in with a more 'up to date' video (e.g., the Starlink one) where I want to share something more quickly, but those are rare exceptions moving forward.

Next Big Trip: Arctic Adventure

The next Big Trip is underway! Yes, I am driving Barbara Bailey all the way to the Arctic Circle in Norway! I'll share more as we go (as I don't have a complete itinerary by any means). Feel free to share favourite spots in Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

TravelCon & Blogs

Last month I visited Memphis in the US to attend TravelCon, a huge travel and social media conference. I learned so much that I'm still absorbing the first 10% of the advice.

One of the things that struck home was that people who enjoy one of your channels, may also enjoy the supporting information that you provide on other channels. I have been writing the Planet Patrick blog since 2016 (it had a life even before that which got deleted) and have had a sideline in writing occasional food blogs for some years. To make these better and more consistent, I knew something had to change and given I've worked in communications for a billion years, I needed to apply my own 'work skills' to my own 'work problems'!

First, I decided to create two distinct blogs out of the old Planet Patrick:

1. Planet Patrick continues to be about travel and adds content about my life as a 'digital nomad'

2. Absolutely Stuffed and the new site, Absolutely Stuffed to house my food blog.
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Second, I wanted to make Planet Patrick a hub not only for travel guides and trip reports, but to provide insight and advice for those looking to change their lives and move away from corporate life. So I am working hard to update the blog to include that.
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For both sites, I value your thoughts and insights. You can reply to me directly via this email address or drop a line via social media.
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Live or Podcast?
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I think it would be fun to do another podcast and/or a live. I’ve not done a live in ages as I was busy driving, filming or recovering! But with this slower pace and - soon, I hope - stable satellite internet connection - perhaps it’s time to plan for that.
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As I type, I’m thinking that a podcast might be better done separately and to focus a bit less on personal updates and a bit more on the topics I’m exploring on the PLanet Patrick blog. I’ll work it out and let you know via social media.