ABOUT

Hey! I’m Nick, a Windy City native & videography nerd here at navigatornick.com. I make inspirational travel films for budget-minded travelers like me. I also take a lot (read: A LOT) of videos and photos on my adventures. Follow along on my social media channels to see what I’m up to next. Along the way, I’ll show you how to value travel! Value traveling is getting the most bang for your travel buck.”

Believe it or not, I first became interested in photography when I was given a disposable Kodak camera at the age of 9. Do you remember those? Maybe you have no idea what I’m talking about… it was at that moment, after I took my film to the local store to get it developed, that I got hooked on photography. Ever since then, I’ve become obsessed with taking photos.

There is something about framing a shot, being immersed in a new environment and creating a story that’s really exciting to me. I absolutely love it!

After a week-long cruise in 2014 sailing the eastern caribbean, I created my first short film and posted my video to YouTube. And while I didn’t see a ton of views hitting my video, my goal was to create something that I loved. 

Sooner or later and one trip after another, I knew this was what I wanted to do. I made sure to film everything I could. Even today, no matter the video quality, I love looking back at my memories from past travels when I need some inspiration for my next adventure.

I’ve learned over the years that while shooting on my adventures is my passion, I shouldn’t sacrifice the precious time I have to discover what’s in front of me. It’s extremely important to live in the moment and live each day like it’s my last.

If you would like to support me for the information that I’m providing on this website, please leave a comment and share my articles with friends and family.

This is my story. Follow along my journey to see what I’m up to next.

If you would like to make an even bigger contribution, feel free to send a small donation to keep the site running. You can send your donations via Paypal to Sales@SlysDesign.com or contact me if you’re interested in working together by emailing nick@navigatornick.com.

-Navigator Nick

Book Your Trip Now!

Below are my favorite companies I use time and time again when I book my travel. 

  • Rakuten – Get the Best Coupons & Promo Codes at places like Hotels.com, Expedia, Travelocity, Priceline and many more. Sign Up for a Free Account with Rakuten to Save Today!
  • Chase Travel Portal – If you have a Chase account, this is by far the best way to book travel and earn miles/points while doing so. If you don’t have a Chase account, I highly suggest getting the best travel rewards credit card in the Chase Sapphire Prefered
  • CapitalOne Travel – In my opinion, the second best travel rewards credit card. Use the CapitalOne travel portal to book airfare, hotels and rental cars using your points & miles.
  • HomeStay – Homestay is a popular form of hospitality and lodging whereby visitors share a residence with a local of the city to which they are traveling.
  • SkyScanner – Skyscanner is a great flight search engine which searches a lot of different airlines, including many of the budget carriers that larger sites miss. While I always start with Momondo, I use this site too as a way to compare prices.
  • Booking.com – Booking probably has the widest selection of budget accommodation in the world. In our studies, they constantly found the cheapest rooms. I also like their easy-to-use interface and no-money-down policy.
  • RocketMiles – Book hotels on Rocketmiles and earn thousands of miles and points per night on every booking. Or, earn gift cards for your favorite purchases.
  • Selina Hostel – This is the best hostel accommodation in the world. Their unique CoLive stays, artwork and location are the best. Not to mention, they are a great value travel brand!

For companies, check out my favorite travel companies section that includes even more of my favorite travel companies that will help you value travel!