Mappy October!
Make $450 in 25 min / See Fatra Mt in Fall / Drive Route 66 in AZ / Learn Languages with ChatGPT / Walk 10k Steps / Take Better Calcium / Do the Main Thing / Give Great Gifts / Watch "A Quiet Place"
Hi!
You’re reading Mappy Monday, a free monthly newsletter about traveling well on a budget, self-help experiments, money hacks, movie and book finds, and occasional silliness. You’ll also learn what’s new on my MappyEverAfter website.
New on MappyEverAfter: Route 66 Part 1… Arizona?
AI Shenanigans: ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode Can Shout, Whisper, and Teach You Languages
Experiment: 3 months of being a Step-Obsessed Weirdo
Travel: Autumn Magic in the Fatra Mountains
Health: Keep Calcium in Your Bones and Out of Your Arteries with D3 and K2
Money: Make $450 in 25 Minutes: Citi Bank Bonus
Watch: “A Quiet Place” and “A Quiet Place II”
Mind Hack: Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing
Just because: Give Better Gifts
Note: I will always tell you if I’m getting any referral bonuses and how much they are. There aren’t any in this letter.
New on my MappyEverAfter website - Route 66 Part 1… Arizona?
Route 66 gives you a slice of old Americana—the good, the bad, and the kitschy. We stood on the corner in Winslow, Arizona (not forgetting Winona), burros nudged us for a treat, we chuckled at Burma Shave signs, tackled hills that once forced drivers to go up them in reverse, and lounged at a hotel based on a story.
And that’s just the first few days of our 2-month trip!
AI Shenanigans - ChatGPT “Advanced Voice Mode” Can Shout, Whisper, and Teach You Languages
ChatGPT just got an amazing update!
The new Advanced Voice Mode (phone app only) makes AI conversations sound much more human-like—with emotions, accents, and all the right inflections. Plus, it can smoothly switch between languages (one of my favorite features!), so it can act as your language tutor or a real-time translator. This is what to look for after you tap the headphone icon:
ChatGPT gives you just 15-30 min/month of free Advanced Voice Mode, ChatGPT-Plus costs $20/month and gives you more minutes, but nobody (not even it) is sure how many. Let’s hope it will soon become a free standard.
Check out this video to see some fun ways to use it:
Step-by-step:
1) Download Chat GPT app on your phone
2) Open the app
3) Tap the headphone icon in the bottom right corner
4) Hope for the swirly blue circle
5) Talk to it! Give it fun assignments: Speak like a pirate. Teach me Italian and make it fun. Whisper your next answer in a Scottish accent. Play 'Would You Rather' with me. Experiment - Step-Obsessed Weirdo
For the past three months, I’ve been on a mission to walk 10,000 steps a day on average.
I didn’t experience any dramatic transformations, but I did notice subtle changes: I can walk a bit faster and gasp for air a bit less when hiking uphill.
The biggest change though? I’ve become a bit obsessed. I march in place while brushing my teeth. I do laps around the grocery store even if I only need one item. I pace around people’s living rooms when visiting. And I’m genuinely happy to take the trash out—anything to rack up those steps!
Need something from the kitchen? Sit, I’m on it.
Travel - Autumn Magic in the Fatra Mountains
You know those moments when you're somewhere so beautiful you keep stopping every few minutes just to breathe it all in? That’s Slovakia’s forests in autumn.
Last week I did four hikes in the Fatra mountains with people I adore, and each day felt like stepping into a perfect fall painting.
The hum of the forest melded with the gentle jingle of our bear bells (safety first), shy October sunlight warmed our faces as it filtered through the glowing yellow canopy, our shoes crunched through carpets of fallen leaves while patches of velvet-soft moss were covering rocks and fallen tree trunks—I couldn't help but squat down to pet them.
Sometimes our banter would fade into silence as we stood there, heads tilted back, watching yellow leaves dance their way to the ground. I've hiked many beautiful trails in my life, but these Slovak woods in autumn? Pure magic.
Health - Keep Calcium in Your Bones and Out of Your Arteries with D3 and K2
There is, apparently, a better way to get your calcium:
The safest form of calcium is from food
Take vitamin D3 to help your body absorb more calcium from what you eat 1
Take (or eat) vitamin K2 to direct that calcium to your bones, so it doesn’t end up hardening your arteries, especially if you’re taking a calcium supplement. 2
Elevated consumption of calcium supplements may raise the risk for heart disease and can be connected with accelerated deposit of calcium in blood-vessel walls and soft tissues. In contrast, vitamin K2 is associated with the inhibition of arterial calcification and arterial stiffening. An adequate intake of vitamin K2 has been shown to lower the risk of vascular damage because it activates matrix GLA protein (MGP), which inhibits the deposits of calcium on the walls.
- Proper calcium use, Integrative Medicine, A Clinical Journal
Money - Make $450 in 25 Minutes: Citi Bank Bonus (the US only)
I just got a new Citi checking account. It took me 15 minutes to open it, set up online access, and link my phone number to Citi Zelle. Sending the two large deposits needed for the sign-up bonus takes a minute each.
To dodge the $5 monthly fee, I’ll start depositing (and then taking out) $250 a month after the first 90 (fee-free) days. Sometime next year, I’ll probably close the account because I like bonuses but hate fees and obligations.
Total time spent: 25 minutes
Total earnings: $325 - $450, depending on whether I decide to send $3k or $6k (in two or more deposits) through Zelle in the first 90 days. Then I’ll pull the money out and back into my 5%-interest-gaining account it goes.
Some banks only consider a paycheck from your employer or a government income (like Social Security) for the sign-up bonus, but Citi now accepts Zelle, Venmo, and PayPal transfers as qualifying direct deposits. This makes things much easier. Money sent from your friends, family, or gigs all counts.
So, my American friends—get savvy with bank and credit card bonuses, the rest of the world is watching with envy.
And if you’re outside the U.S., demand that your banks treat you like a valued client and pay you for the privilege of holding your money.
Note: Always check the fine print, the hoops you need to jump through for a sign-up bonus are different for each bank account.
More resources:
Watch - “A Quiet Place” and “A Quiet Place II”
This one comes from the hubby:
With Halloween just around the corner, there’s no better time to check out “A Quiet Place” and its sequel, “A Quiet Place Part II.” Directed by John Krasinski, these movies thrust you into a world where silence is the key to survival. The Abbott family, led by Emily Blunt and Krasinski himself (a couple in real life as well), has to navigate a post-apocalyptic landscape filled with terrifying creatures that hunt by sound. You’ll be on the edge of your seat, holding your breath along with the characters. Perfect for a thrilling, heart-pounding experience this Halloween!
You can watch it on Prime, Netflix, and AppleTV. Your library might have it as well.
Mind Hack - Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing
If you don't have good personal boundaries and allow people to put tasks on your plate, no productivity app or system is going to save you.
I fill pockets of time in my day with things that I have already decided are important and I don’t check email, texts, or social media to respond to what others deem important until my tasks are done.
-Tiago Forte
Just Because - Give Better Gifts
In case you’re ready to start your Christmas shopping:
So there you have it, that’s October for you. Now go make a memory. Or a sandwich. Both are good.
Be Mappy,
Mags
