One of you is about to win a narrowboat!! Stay tuned for the name below.
But first...
We've traveled a lot of places, and there's still no place like home.
This weekend was America's 250th, and we spent it the way we like best. On the porch, watching the neighbors set off fireworks, smelling barbecue up and down the street, listening to the cicadas wind down as the sun dropped. It would take a few lifetimes to see everything this country holds, and we've barely made a dent.
No country is perfect. But this is one we're honored to call home. Like a lot of you, our families got here by boat, some a century ago, some a lot longer. People who boarded a ship with almost nothing and started over on the far side of an ocean so that one day we could call this place home too. We think about them every Fourth.
Traveling as Americans can wear on you. You land in a new country (to you) and half the people you meet want to talk politics, or tell you how they feel about your country before they've asked your name.
Which is why this last month has been such a nice surprise.
We're not big soccer people. But with the World Cup here, our feeds filled up with visitors from all over the world road-tripping the U.S. and losing their minds over the stuff we walk right past. There's Freddy, the German superfan who followed his team through the South and became a folk hero for his genuine awe at Waffle House, Buc-ee's, and a Walmart the size of a small country. Scottish supporters belting Country Roads in a packed stadium. Norwegian fans touring a Bass Pro Shops like it's the Louvre.
It's been really sweet to watch. No debate, no lecture. Just people showing up and enjoying the place we love, seeing it fresh in a way that makes us love it more.
If you've come across one that made you smile, send it our way. We're collecting them.
π₯ This Week's Video
 βπ₯ Americans Hike the UK's Highest Mountain for the First Time
It's the tallest mountain in the UK and in this video we get into what the trail is actually like, how hard the climb felt, what we packed, and whether it's worth building into your Scotland trip.
This one was made possible by Peloton. Sponsorships like this are also part of what keeps these videos coming, so if you've got a few minutes, go watch this one and leave a comment. It genuinely helps us make the next one.
π Watch it hereβ
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π€ And the narrowboat goes to...
Joshua Romero.
Josh, you're going on a narrowboat! We announced it on our Instagram to which Josh responded:
To the 700-plus of you who entered on day one, and everyone who threw their name in after: thank you. This was our first time giving something like this away, and the fact that so many of you wanted in tells us it's worth doing again. We're already scheming on the next one.
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βοΈ Flights We'd Text to Friends
A few that caught our eye this week.
βSeattle β Brisbane for $1,491, 57% off (normally $3,500+) The steepest markdown of the bunch, and it puts you in a premium economy seat for the long haul down to Australia's easygoing coast.
βNashville β Frankfurt for $829, 54% off (normally $1,820+) Under a grand to Europe in premium economy, and a cheap launchpad to anywhere the trains run.
βWashington β Kingston for $680, 49% off (normally $1,355+) Business class to Jamaica for less than most people pay to sit in the back.
βLos Angeles β Christchurch for $1,791, 48% off (normally $3,500+) The door to New Zealand's South Island, where the empty roads and the Southern Alps do the talking.
We find all of these through Going. It's worth setting up alerts for your home airport. Most of these deals won't last long, so if one catches your eye, don't sit on it.
Is there a city you wish we would feature for flights? Email us back and we'll put it in the next email.
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π Worth Sharing
A few things we bookmarked this week:
- βA gate agent sprinted back for a stranger's backpack β A dad boards in Miami with his wife, two little kids, and his elderly parents, then realizes his backpack is still out in the terminal. Laptop, wallet, and the keys to the minivan with the kids' car seats in it. Gate agent Luis Hernandez ran and grabbed it. Proof the good ones are still out there.
- βAmsterdam is done being polite about tourists β The city's pushing its overnight tax toward 20% by 2030 and shutting its sea cruise terminal. Fewer visitors, higher prices, on purpose. If it's on your list, it's about to cost more to be there.
- βEdinburgh's tacking a fee onto your stay too β Starting July 24, every night you book in the city (hotel, B&B, Airbnb, all of it) runs 5% more, capped at a week. We just climbed Ben Nevis, so Scotland's fresh on the brain. Worth knowing before you book.
- βI need this umbrellaβ
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Thanks for reading Field Notes. We're trying to make this a space worth saving, full of things we'd actually send to a friend.
If you ever want to pass it along, here's the link to subscribe: Subscribe hereβ
And if something in here made you laugh, think, or book a free narrowboat trip... we'd love to hear about it. Just hit reply or tag us @chrisandsara_ on Instagram.
More soon,
Chris & Sara