First things first, Jim Cobb's new book is a second edition of Prepper's Long-Term Survival Guide. It's great and there's a lot of new stuff in it since the original was purchased - grab it ASAP to add to your library!

Next...I'm leaaaavin...on a jet plane...this week. A lot of you followed along when I documented my journey the last time around on social media and if you're interested, I'm heading out again.

Imagine my shock when the price of my lease went up by a whopping $600! In the part of North Carolina where I currently live, prices have been skyrocketing. Locals are completely priced out of the market as tech companies relocate their headquarters someplace "cheaper" than Silicon Valley. What saves money for them destroys the area for folks not in that industry. In North Carolina, the rules about how much landlords can increase rent at lease renewal time have been abolished to make room for these inflated rents with new industry arriving.

I figured that was my cue to be mobile for a while. My daughter and one of my best friends helped me to get everything not sold into storage, I've been offloading furniture online, and I've pared my life down to two suitcases and a carry-on again.

Living nomadically, as I wrote before, isn't nearly as expensive as one might think, as long as you plan carefully. With no high-priced American rent, no vehicle, and no real fixed expenses, I can pick up rentals elsewhere a month at a time for less than I'd pay here for day-to-day life. The cost of living really is much lower in many other countries and the last time around, I actually built my savings account due to lower costs of living.

And interestingly, if you compare the price of electricity in many parts of Europe with the higher rates paid here in California (and other more expensive states) it's on par or less. The reason there's such a huge brouhaha about the prices there (excluding the UK and Ireland) is that many people make far less than the average income here. So if you are a Greek or a Croatian who makes the equivalent of a thousand dollars a month and your electric bill is 350 a month, then you're going to have a rougher time than a person in the US who faces that same bill with an income of 2500 a month. It's all about percentages.

Anyway, I hope to learn a lot on my journey.

The last time I did this, I was having a great time and learning so much before Covid stomped on my travel cupcake. I felt like, for me, it was time to pick up where I left off.

We'll still be bringing you the same level of awesome OP content! For the first time since the doors of the world slammed shut, I'm feeling really excited and hopeful about life.

And while I always appreciate your concern please don't write to tell me how much you disapprove of my decision. I know that when I began blogging, I opened the doors of my life to the opinions of others to some extent. But on occasion, some readers seem to forget that I'm a real person with my own dreams and goals.

I'm not "only" a prepper. I'm a person who loves travel and adventure. I crave new views and tasty food I've never tried before and mysterious museums filled with ancient wonders and new seas to swim in.

So, with that being said, next week, I'll be writing to you from Europe! See you then!

Aden drew a cartoon for every single question of the Technician level ham radio licensing exam that will help you to remember the correct answer when you sit down to take that test. We first launched the test guide as a PDF, but loads of you asked for it in a paperback version.

We're pleased to announce that The Cartoon Ham Exam Handbook is now available in paperback! It's jam-packed with 800 pages that will help you to ace the test!

Better still, this weekend, you'll get a thank-you gift for helping us launch this gift with a bang! Aden created a guide to setting up your own kit in an ammo can for rapid comms that are mobile and can be dispensed as needed. It's a quick-and-dirty ham radio emergency guide that is ONLY available to buyers this weekend. Simply email us a proof of purchase (a screenshot of your receipt or email telling you when to expect the book) to [email protected] and we'll get that guide right out to you!

Grab your copy of The Cartoon Ham Exam Handbook today!