Week of July 14, 2026
Letter from Carter
Well… I did it again. I took a perfectly functional website and convinced myself the best solution was to tear half of it apart. Normal people repaint a room. I apparently renovate the whole house because I don’t like where the couch is sitting.
My web hosting company is probably wondering why I’ve cleared the cache seventeen times this week.
The funny thing is, this isn’t really about redesigning a website. It’s about finally admitting I’d wandered off my own trail.
Somewhere along the way I started chasing keywords, filling content gaps, and trying to build the kind of travel website Google would love. There’s nothing wrong with SEO—I spend enough time obsessing over it to know—but I realized something was missing.
Me.
Not in the “look at me” sense. In the honest sense. The stories behind moving to Portugal. The mistakes. The Camino days when I questioned why I was carrying a backpack up another mountain. The quiet moments in Coimbra that somehow mattered more than standing in front of another famous monument.
Those are the stories that made Atypical Vagabond worth creating in the first place. So I’m steering the ship back where it belongs. This website is becoming more focused on the Camino de Santiago, living abroad in Portugal, digital nomad life, and slow travel. Not because they’re trendy topics, but because they’re the life I’m actually living.
I’m still going to disappear down random side streets because something looks interesting. I’m still going to end up in cafés I can’t pronounce. And I’m still going to get distracted by old castles, Roman ruins, and hiking trails that weren’t part of the original plan.
Some habits are worth keeping. Thanks for coming along for the ride.
What I’ve Been Working On
I spent most of this week doing something most sane people would avoid—rebuilding hundreds of pages on the website. It isn’t glamorous work, but it’s the kind of project that makes everything else better. My goal isn’t just to have a bigger site. It’s to build the most helpful Portugal and Camino resource I possibly can.
I’ve been reorganizing the site so it’s easier to navigate and reflects what this community has become. Instead of trying to cover every corner of travel, the focus is getting much sharper:
- The Camino de Santiago
- Living abroad in Portugal
- Digital nomad life
- Slow travel
- Honest travel stories
I’ve also been rewriting older guides with more firsthand experience. If I’m recommending something, I want it to come from actually living it—not from reading ten other travel blogs and rewriting them.
New on Atypical Vagabond
Getting to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
Every Camino starts long before you lace up your boots.
For many pilgrims, the hardest part isn’t the Pyrenees—it’s figuring out how to get to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port without accidentally booking three trains, two buses, and a taxi driven by someone who thinks Formula 1 is a personality trait.
I’ve published a practical guide that walks through the different ways to reach the traditional starting point of the Camino Francés so you can spend less time stressing over logistics and more time getting excited for the journey ahead.
If the Camino is on your bucket list, this is where I’d start.
Camino Francés – Week One
I’ve also finished writing about the first week of my Camino Francés. Those opening days had everything.
Standing above the clouds crossing the Pyrenees.
Meeting pilgrims from around the world.
Learning very quickly that my backpack always felt lighter after eating lunch. And discovering that the Camino starts changing you long before you realize it’s happening.
If you’ve ever wondered what those first days are really like—not the polished Instagram version, but the honest one—I think you’ll enjoy this series.
New Video
Portugal Hidden Gems: How to Find Them in 14 Days
Portugal deserves better than another itinerary that only includes Lisbon and Porto. Some of my favorite memories have come from places most visitors drive straight past.
In this new video, I share a two-week route through Portugal that mixes famous destinations with the smaller towns, landscapes, and experiences that made me fall in love with this country.
If you’re planning a trip to Portugal, or just dreaming about one, I think you’ll come away with a few new ideas.
Life in Portugal
One thing I’ve learned after living in Coimbra is that slowing down isn’t something you schedule.
It sneaks up on you.
One day you’re rushing everywhere. The next you’re perfectly happy sitting outside a neighborhood café, practicing Portuguese, watching people walk by, and wondering why life always felt like such a race before.
Living abroad hasn’t just changed where I live.
It’s changed how I think about travel. Travel isn’t a checklist anymore. It’s a way of paying attention.
Living here has also made me want to organize everything I’ve learned about making a home in Portugal—the practical decisions, cultural adjustments, frustrations, and quieter moments that rarely make it into traditional travel guides.
Things Living Rent-Free in My Head
A few observations, discoveries, and mildly unnecessary fixations from this week.
Current Obsession
I’ve been obsessed with making maps this week.
Turns out drawing the Camino accurately is significantly harder than walking it. Every time I move one town, three others suddenly look like they were placed by someone navigating Spain after several glasses of vinho verde.
Life in Portugal
Living in Portugal has made me much more comfortable with slowing down.
Unfortunately, rebuilding a website has made me forget everything Portugal taught me about slowing down.
Balance remains a work in progress.
Travel Tip
If you’re planning the Camino Francés, book your accommodation in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port early—especially during the busy spring and autumn walking seasons.
Beds can disappear quickly, and starting your Camino by panic-refreshing booking websites is not the spiritual awakening anyone had in mind.
What’s on Repeat
Riverdales — “Riverdale Stomp”
Apparently, rebuilding a website requires fast guitars, loud drums, and enough energy to keep opening one more WordPress tab.
What’s Coming Next
Next, I’ll continue the Camino Francés story with the first stages from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and the climb into the Pyrenees.
Here’s what’s on deck over the next couple of weeks:
- More Camino Francés journal entries
- Expanded Portugal travel guides
- More digital nomad and living abroad resources
- New Portugal travel videos
- Behind-the-scenes updates on building Atypical Vagabond
Join the Conversation
I’d love to hear from you.
Are you planning a Camino? Thinking about moving abroad? Dreaming about Portugal?
Or are you simply looking for your next adventure?
Reply to this newsletter or leave a comment on the website. Some of my favorite articles have started because someone asked a great question.
Reader Question
“Why are you rebuilding the website when it already looked good?”
– Adam
Because “good enough” has always made me a little uncomfortable. The old site had plenty of information, but it didn’t always feel like me. It was becoming a collection of articles instead of a reflection of the journey I’m actually on. I’m not rebuilding Atypical Vagabond because it was broken. I’m rebuilding it because I’ve changed.
And if I’m asking people to follow the journey, the website should reflect the person actually taking it.
Atypical Last Thoughts
The older I get, the less interested I am in pretending I’ve got everything figured out. This website is growing because I’m still learning.
Every Camino stage teaches me something new. Every conversation in Portugal reminds me there’s always another perspective. Every guide I write gets a little better because of the experiences that came before it.
So that’s the direction from here.
Less chasing algorithms. More chasing curiosity. If that sounds like your kind of adventure, I think you’re in the right place.
Until next week,
— Carter
Atypical Vagabond
