Truly Expat

Truly Expat ✈️ Expat turned full-time traveller
🌏 Authentic travel stories & hidden gems
🎙️ Podcast host | Travel guides
📍 Currently: Singapore
👇 Latest adventure

18/06/2026

Picture this: a fleet of tall ships rafted together in a harbour chosen by the wind.

Live music. Fabulous food. A grog toast with the whole Maine Windjammer Fleet. And the freedom to walk from one ship to the next, drink in hand, under an early summer Maine sky.

That was my last night aboard the J & E Riggin — and honestly, I wasn’t ready for it to end.

Ready to sail the coast of Maine?

&ERiggin

Foggy skies, cold air, and the open water of Maine. Sometimes the best adventures aren’t the sunny ones.We spent the day...
17/06/2026

Foggy skies, cold air, and the open water of Maine. Sometimes the best adventures aren’t the sunny ones.

We spent the day aboard the Schooner J & E Riggin — and honestly? It was magic. Down below, the boat felt warm and snug while the fog rolled in above deck. That contrast of wild weather and cosy shelter hit different.

Our first stop: Swan Island and a tour of the beautiful Burnt Coat Harbor Light — a classic Maine lighthouse worth the trip out.

Back on board, it was homemade comfort food, hands-on sailing lessons, and live music that warmed the soul more than any hot drink could.

Maine doesn’t always give you blue skies — but it always gives you a story. 🌊⚓

Suggested hashtags:

13/06/2026

Day 1 on the J.E. Riggin and I already know this trip is going to be something special. ⚓

Met the crew, met my fellow guests, picked my mug for the journey (very important business), and settled in over the most beautiful grazing platter before heading ashore for dinner. And if that wasn’t enough — we had live music from Brigid Reedy and Johnny, who’ll be sailing with us the entire trip. Yes, there will be musicians on board. I can’t.

Now I’m tucked into my cabin listening to the water and trying to believe this is actually my life.

Tomorrow we sail. 🌊

11/06/2026

Where in the world are you?

Let me start…

I spent my day in Portland, Maine

10/06/2026

Maine made me do it 🦞

Hot lobster roll, warm butter, fresh-off-the-boat Maine lobster piled high on a brioche bun — High Rollers in Portland did NOT disappoint. What started as a humble food cart in 2015 is now one of Portland’s most iconic spots, and one bite tells you exactly why. If you’re visiting Maine, this is a non-negotiable stop.

🗺️ 104 Exchange Street, Portland ME

Maine in a day 🦞🏠🗺️Lobster roll — check. ✅Lighthouse — check. ✅City tour — check.✅Stayed in an d Inn - check. ✅I don’t k...
07/06/2026

Maine in a day 🦞🏠🗺️

Lobster roll — check. ✅
Lighthouse — check. ✅
City tour — check.✅
Stayed in an d Inn - check. ✅

I don’t know who needs to hear this but Maine needs to be on your list. Like, now.

Chattanooga told us exactly where to eat We handed the planning over to and they sent us on a food crawl through the So...
04/06/2026

Chattanooga told us exactly where to eat

We handed the planning over to and they sent us on a food crawl through the Southside to build the ultimate picnic spread.

The stops:
📍 — curated cheese & charcuterie
📍 — Michelin-recommended butcher shop
📍 — James Beard Outstanding Bakery
📍 — world-class gin, inside a historic train terminal

Final destination? A beautifully set table on the lawn of the Chattanooga Choo Choo 🚂

This is exactly how you do a city’s food scene.

03/06/2026

Most people visit Chattanooga for the aquarium. But the ones who know? They come for this. 🚂

The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum is one of those places that genuinely stops you in your tracks — no pun intended. We’re talking pre-1930 equipment, a working steam train that’s been running since 1911, and a ride straight through the Missionary Ridge Tunnel — a 984-foot Horseshoe tunnel built in 1852. The only one of its kind in Tennessee.

This isn’t a museum where you stare at things behind glass. You actually ride it. You hear the whistle. You feel the tracks. You pass through a tunnel that was built before the Civil War.

If you’re planning a trip to Chattanooga, put this on your list. It’s the kind of experience that reminds you why slow travel is the best travel. 🛤️

📍 Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, Chattanooga, TN

Chattanooga has a bar scene worth trying out — and thanks to Chatts Tours with Briana Garza, we tried them all. 🍸📍 Gate ...
01/06/2026

Chattanooga has a bar scene worth trying out — and thanks to Chatts Tours with Briana Garza, we tried them all. 🍸

📍 Gate 11 Distillery — their gin is world-class. Literally award-winning.
📍 SIP — right next door, pretty cocktails in a bar and restaurant setting that had me sipping slowly on purpose.
📍 Frothy Monkey — don’t let the name fool you. Coffee by day, cocktails by night.
📍 Whiskey Thief Rooftop Bar — best views in Chattanooga, with cocktails to match.
📍 Iris Rooftop Bar — an old bank turned into one of the coolest bars in the city.
📍 Stratus Rooftop Lounge — light, refreshing cocktails by the pool. Yes please.

If you’re planning a Chattanooga trip, this is your sign to book a tour. 🥂

31/05/2026

Some trails carry more than footprints

Today I stepped into stillness. Today I stepped into story.

Booker T. Washington State Park in Chattanooga is one of only two state parks in Tennessee that stayed open to the Black community during segregation.

Thanks to the incredible women of H2O Life who guided us every step of the way. They didn’t just lead a hike — they brought this park’s history to life, sharing the stories and significance rooted in this land with so much knowledge and heart.

Lake views. Quiet trails. Fresh air. A pace that reminded me to actually breathe.

This isn’t just a walk. It’s a reset. It’s a reclamation. It’s proof that the outdoors belongs to all of us — and always did.

📍 Booker T. Washington State Park, Chattanooga, TN

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