Many veterans dream about living overseas, but figuring out how to land a civilian job on a U.S. military base can feel like a different challenge altogether. Army retiree Christopher Reed made that transition and now works as a Department of the Army civilian in Vicenza, Italy. He also serves …
Newport, Rhode Island, is a top coastal destination, and military travelers can stay just a couple miles from Newport’s historic center for a fraction of typical hotel prices. My mom and I recently spent a few days there and stayed at Naval Station Newport, where lodging rates were far below …
“We weren’t ready to go home.” After several short visits to Rota, Spain, Bill and Linda realized a week no longer felt like enough. They wanted time to slow down, walk to favorite restaurants, join local events, use the military base, and experience daily life in a place they already …
After a year of full-time land travel, Dan and Paula Gabier realized they missed something they had found years earlier while living aboard a sailboat: community. They first tried full-time sailing 10 years ago after Dan retired from the U.S. Navy, sailing from North Carolina to Australia with their two …
“I’m planting roots, I’m not a tourist.” That’s how Army veteran Isah Kushma describes her decision to buy a home in Costa Rica and pursue legal residency instead of relying on border runs to extend tourist stays. Isah retired from the Army in March 2022 in El Paso, Texas. After …
On my first trip to Berlin, I had five full days to explore and still only scratched the surface. You could spend weeks there without running out of things to see and do. I went in with a specific focus on history, mainly from WWII forward. What makes Berlin such …
Three months after separating from the U.S. Air Force in 2019, Markeiz Ryan moved to Vietnam for what he thought was a temporary break from life in the United States. Six years later, he calls Vietnam home. He has built a new life in Ho Chi Minh City, developed a …
Military lodging can give you access to incredible places, and sometimes the quarters themselves are part of the experience. Such is the case with the historic Jackson Barracks in New Orleans, LA. Poppin’ Smoke reader and U.S. Army Reserve retiree Bruce Becker and his family recently stayed there and shared …