PHILLY AND THE BRAIN - SLOW TRAVEL

No matter where we are in the world, we stay connected and we want you right there with us. 🌐

Newsletter #7 is almost here: This Week in Slow Travel — The Next Great Migration Is Here & It’s Time to Prepare
Every week we pull back the curtain on slow travel life — what we’re experiencing, what’s shifting in the world, and how it impacts us in real time. Raw, real, and from wherever we’re planted that week.


📅 Drops Monday, 8 AM Central straight to your inbox.
✅ It’s completely free.
✅ One email a week. No spam, just the journey.
If you haven’t subscribed yet, now’s the perfect time

🔗 phillyandthebrainnewsletter.eo.page/

17 hours ago | [YT] | 8

PHILLY AND THE BRAIN - SLOW TRAVEL

Civitavecchia, Italy — We Did Not Have a Good Experience Here

We want to be honest with you: our spirits did not feel welcome in this city, and we need to talk about it.

A few days ago we posted that we would be visiting a town outside of Rome called Civitavecchia. This is an important city to know about if you’re planning a cruise, as it’s the main port that serves Rome. We arrived yesterday, and unfortunately our experience has been deeply uncomfortable.

As Black travelers with over 25 years of combined travel experience, we are no strangers to receiving stares it happens all over the world. But the looks we received here, from both adults and children, were different. They were unsettling in a way we haven’t experienced before.

Things got worse at a local restaurant. Before sitting down, we confirmed the menu prices something we always do. However, when the bill arrived, we were charged an extra 10% on each individual item every meal and every drink charged separately, not a single 10% service fee on the total. When we looked into it, this charge appeared to apply specifically to us as foreigners, and we strongly felt it was because we are Black. Then as we were walking back to the hotel a group of people said ‘Africans’.

We are not making assumptions. We are speaking from decades of international travel. If you are a Black traveler planning to pass through Civitavecchia to board a cruise, please be cautious and aware.

We still have three more days here. At this point, we’ve located the nearest grocery store and will mostly be eating snacks there, because the discomfort we feel on every level is real.

Stay safe out there, everyone. 🙏🏾​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

1 week ago (edited) | [YT] | 34

PHILLY AND THE BRAIN - SLOW TRAVEL

🚆 NEW VIDEO DROPPING THIS FRIDAY AT 5PM CST! 🚆

First, we just want to say THANK YOU. Your support means everything to us, and we've got something really special lined up for you this week. Don't forget to hit that 🔔 notification bell so you don't miss it!

We all know most people hop on a plane when traveling through Thailand but did you know there are some incredible (and affordable!) alternatives? This Friday, we're taking you on a SOUL TRAIN experience as we travel from Chiang Mai all the way to Bangkok by train. 🇹🇭

We're breaking down everything what the ride is like, what to expect in different classes, and most importantly... did we actually enjoy it MORE than flying? 👀

If you're looking for budget-friendly ways to travel within Thailand or just want to explore your options before your next trip, you do NOT want to miss this one.

📺 Watch. Share. Tag a travel buddy who needs to see this! See you Friday! ✈️🚆

1 week ago | [YT] | 34

PHILLY AND THE BRAIN - SLOW TRAVEL

Hi everyone!

Hope you’re all doing well! We wanted to share some exciting news we’re heading to Rome and will be in the Civitavecchia area from May 8th through May 11th before boarding our Princess Cruise for a wonderful adventure!

If any of you happen to be in the area during those dates, we would absolutely love to connect and catch up in person. It would be so great to see familiar faces before we set sail!

Drop us an email at Phillyandthebrain@gmail.com and let’s make it happen!

Can’t wait to hear from you!

1 week ago | [YT] | 84

PHILLY AND THE BRAIN - SLOW TRAVEL

🌍💰 We have something NEW for you and we are excited!

First, thank you all for being here and for the continued love and support. Just want to remind you this channel has never been just about showing you where we are in the world. It has always been about giving you REAL information and resources you can actually use.

And speaking of resources Save With Purpose is officially here! 🎉payhip.com/PhillyAndTheBrain

This one comes straight from the queen of saving herself Denicia. You know how some people just always seem to have money no matter what? Yeah. That is her. She has been known to still have money from the third grade and that is not a joke. 😂

So if you are:
✅ On a savings journey and struggling to stay consistent
✅ Just starting out and have no idea where to begin
✅ Not sure how much you should have saved
✅ Saving but don’t know what to do with your money after you hit your goal

This guide was made for YOU.

It breaks everything down in simple, clear steps no fluff, no confusion. Just a real formula that works no matter where you are financially. We want to hear from you! Drop a comment and let us know what you think or what else you would like to see that could help you and others on this journey.

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 18

PHILLY AND THE BRAIN - SLOW TRAVEL

Hey everyone! Hope you’re all doing well. So we just spent an entire month in Chiang Mai, and we wanted to give you a full breakdown of exactly what it cost us to live there housing, transportation, food, miscellaneous expenses, all of it.

We Spent Less Than $1,300 Living in Chiang Mai, Thailand for One Month — Is This Real?
https://youtu.be/BqsSeCoi0o4

Whether you’re thinking about retiring abroad, considering an international move, or just curious about the cost of living in Thailand, this video is for you. Make sure to share it with someone who might find it helpful, and as always, we appreciate your support. Take care!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 4

PHILLY AND THE BRAIN - SLOW TRAVEL

We hit 8,000 subscribers!

We have to be honest being stuck in the 7,000s felt like it lasted forever, so this milestone means everything to us. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.

This channel is the result of two dreams colliding. For Phil, it’s a second chapter a chance to bring his radio DJ roots back to life in a whole new way. For Denicia, it’s the fulfillment of a prophecy her mom spoke over her as a little girl: “You talk so much, one day you’re going to have your own show you’ll ask a question and answer it yourself.” Mom, if you’re watching right now, look at your daughter go.

But we want to be clear this is so much bigger than a subscriber count. This is our journey. This is the community we’re building together, and that community is what makes every episode worth creating.

None of this happens without you. Until next time take care of each other, love one another.

Peace. ✌🏾

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 164

PHILLY AND THE BRAIN - SLOW TRAVEL

Thank you so much for your continued support it truly means everything to us. Just a reminder that new videos drop every Friday at 5 PM CST, so make sure to have your notifications on so that you don’t miss out.

We’re building something special here, both on and off YouTube. If you want to follow our journey even more closely, sign up for our newsletter phillyandthebrainnewsletter.eo.page/, where we share travel tips and tricks, our weekly whereabouts, and a more personal look into our daily lives. It’s our way of bringing you deeper into our world.

We genuinely love creating for this community not just videos, but written content too because connecting with you is honestly one of the most rewarding parts of this whole journey. We wouldn’t be doing any of this without you, and we mean that.

If you’ve missed any of our recent videos, please go back and watch them. Every view helps push our content to a wider audience, and that makes a huge difference for us.

We love you guys. Have an amazing week! 🙏​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

phillyandthebrainnewsletter.eo.page/

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 17

PHILLY AND THE BRAIN - SLOW TRAVEL

Hey everyone, hope you’re all doing well! Just wanted to pop in and give you a quick update.

First have you seen our latest video? We just posted a condo tour today, and it’s one you don’t want to miss since it’s our last one here in Chiang Mai before we head to Bangkok.

Now, on the channel side of things we’ve been dealing with some frustrating YouTube issues lately. We’re noticing big changes with the algorithm: delayed notifications going out days after a video drops, and our last 10 or so videos reaching a much smaller audience than usual even though the video click rates are high much higher 9 percent and above. We’re hearing the same thing from you guys too, so we know it’s not just us.

We’re not entirely sure what’s going on, but we’re committed to keeping the content coming and getting the message out. We’d love to hear from you do you feel like the channel has been showing up less in your feed?

Drop a comment and let us know. And if you haven’t already, go check out today’s condo tour. See you there!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

We Found a $700/Month LUXURY Loft in Chiang Mai, Thailand 🇹🇭 (Full Condo Tour)
https://youtu.be/G1wNtsl7xWg

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 2

PHILLY AND THE BRAIN - SLOW TRAVEL

In case you forgot you were created for greatness read this….

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 15