Hey friend,

Last week we asked where you'd want us to go if we did a US road trip series this year. And you actually told us.

Like, a lot of you.

Aryn told us to skip the Pacific Coast Highway entirely. "Every YouTuber with a driver's license has filmed that route."

Can't argue with that. She and her husband pick one state each fall and spend two weeks just driving around, not hitting the popular spots, just experiencing it. This year, it's Missouri, Branson to Kansas City for a Chiefs game. Her take: "If you want to celebrate America this year, celebrate the towns that never get a shout-out."

Jim reminded us that Route 66 is also turning 100 this year. So now we've got two anniversaries to work with.

Rich wants us in Ouray and Silverton, Colorado for the 4th of July. Says those small mountain towns put on a better show than most big cities.

Paladin just said: "Visit The Mystery Spot near Monterey. You won't believe it." No other context. We respect that.

Steve from Albany pitched upstate New York. Colonial history that isn't just Boston and Philly, the Adirondacks, small towns, good food. He's right that most people skip right over that part of the country.

But the one that stuck with us most was Jenn.

She mentioned we'd featured volunteering in a past video (we packed meals at a Feed My Starving Children a while back) and suggested leaning into that. America 250 has a national goal of getting every American to volunteer some of their time this year. Then she asked the question that's been rattling around in our heads ever since: what story do you actually want to tell about America right now?

That reframed everything.

We're still figuring it out. But we're leaning toward the places that don't get the shout-outs. Small towns. Local spots. Maybe some service mixed in. The kind of America you'd only see if you took a wrong turn or asked a local.

More planning to come. But seriously, thank you for being part of it. This is why we do this.

Pro Tip: Speaking of giving back, today is MLK Day, which felt like a good time to mention this. America250 launched something called "America Gives" - a push to make 2026 the biggest year of volunteering in US history. You can log your hours at america250.org/america-gives and they're tracking a national total. We're still figuring out how to work this into our year, but it's on our radar.

👀 What Caught Our Eye

We've been using Bluevine for our business banking for over 5 years now and it's still one of the best decisions we made early on.

No monthly fees. No minimum balance. Up to 3% APY on your checking balance (not savings, checking). And we can do everything from our phones, which matters when you're running a business from a different time zone every few weeks.

The sub-accounts feature is what sold us. We can separate out taxes, travel funds, and operating expenses without opening multiple accounts.

If you're a freelancer or running a small business and still using a traditional bank that charges you for the privilege, it takes about 10 minutes to set up and it's free.

✈️ Flights We’d Text to Friends

Here are a few that caught our eye this week:

• ​Atlanta → Taipei for $586 – 49% off (normally $1170+). Night markets, temples, and some of the best street food on the planet. April dates won't last long.
• ​Boston → Lamezia Terme, Italy for $623 – 31% off (normally $910+). Calabria. The toe of the boot. Coastal Italy without the Amalfi crowds. Aug–Sep dates.
• ​Chattanooga → Ho Chi Minh City for $884 – 26% off (normally $1200+). Pho for breakfast, bánh mì for lunch, and motorbike chaos all day. One of our favorite food cities anywhere.
• ​Orlando → Vienna for $463 – 42% off (normally $800+). Coffee houses, schnitzel, and architecture that makes you feel underdressed. A good Euro sale is happening right now.
• ​Denver → Genoa, Italy for $541 – 43% off (normally $950+). Gateway to the Italian Riviera. Pesto was invented here. That's all you need to know.
• ​Washington DC → Montego Bay for $376 – 46% off (normally $700+). Jerk chicken, beaches, and a solid excuse to escape winter. Quick hop through Fort Lauderdale.
• ​Seattle → Barcelona for $386 – 54% off (normally $850+). Tapas, Gaudí, and beaches. Layover in Iceland if you want to stretch your legs somewhere dramatic.

Is there a city you wish we would feature for flights? Email us back and we'll put it in the next email.

We find all of these through Going. It is 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.

📍Worth Sharing

A few things we bookmarked this week:

• ​2028 LA Olympics Ticket Registration Opens January 14 – If you want a shot at tickets, sign up now for the draw. Tickets start at $28. No new venues this time - they're using spots all over LA, from SoFi Stadium to Venice Beach to the Rose Bowl.
• ​US Passport Drops to 10th Most Powerful in the World – We were #1 in 2014. Now we're behind 37 countries when it comes to visa-free access. Good reminder to double-check entry requirements before booking.
• ​The Safest Airlines in the World for 2026 – Etihad took the top spot for the first time ever. Three US carriers made the top 25: Alaska, Delta, and American. Southwest and JetBlue made the budget list. If you're a nervous flier, this is the list to bookmark.
• ​TSA Expanding Touchless ID to 50 New Airports – If you have PreCheck and fly American, Alaska, Delta, Southwest, or United, you can now opt in to facial recognition at security. Look at a camera, skip the ID check, takes about 10 seconds. It's optional, and they say they delete your photo within 24 hours.
• ​WestJet Reverses Cramped Seats After Viral Video Backlash – A TikTok showing passengers literally unable to straighten their legs got 1.1 million views, and now WestJet is undoing their 28-inch seat pitch experiment. Our favorite comment: "At what point do we just all stand and hold onto a rubber ring handle?" The internet wins one.
• ​The Bored Button – Just a big red button that takes you to a random fun website when you click it. Perfect for layovers, waiting rooms, or when you're pretending to work.

🎥 ICYMI

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Chris & Sara