Readers Reacted When We Said Goodbye

Max HartshorneAbout GoNOMAD 3

Max Hartshorne, editor of GoNOMAD, speaking at the Travel and Adventure Show in NYC in 2022.

Readers’ comments reacting to Our Sad Decision to Discontinue Regular publishing on GoNOMAD.com in December 2024

I am very sad to hear this. You published one of my stories several years ago about Costa Rica.

You were a wonderful resource for travelers, travel readers, and writers.

Thank you for all you have done.

Amy Fries

GoNOMAD Logo

So, so sorry Max. You were the best! Goodbye gonomad note

Wynne Crombie

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Dear Max,

I am so sorry to hear this news. I thank you so much for letting us know what has happened. Your honesty in the matter is really amazing and highlights in a very positive manner your thoughtfulness towards your subscribers. Going forward, I wish you the very best in all your endeavors.

Billy Hancock

St Petersburg, FL

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Hi Max!

I’m so sorry to see this go!

I’ve always enjoyed it.

Thank you so much for all the time, energy, and effort you have put into keeping Go Nomad going for a brilliant 24 years!

Wishing you all the very best in all your ongoing adventures!

Don George

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Max,

I’m so sad to hear this. I’m sure you’ve given it a lot of thought. Is podcasting that much more lucrative?

I’m sure we’ll keep in touch, Stacey

Stacey Wittig
Travel Journalist, “UNSTOPPABLE Stacey”

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You need to send me a box of Kleenex – this is so, so sad – the tears are flowing….You’ve been my rock for publishing stories….the task of finding a new outlet may be more than I can deal with.

I’m sure letting this go was so difficult for you my dear friend…maybe I’m the one to send you a box of Kleenex.

Donnie Sexton,
GoNOMAD Staff Writer

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Hi Max,

This is really very sad to hear. Thank you for letting me know.

I’m so grateful to you for giving a chance to me, a newbie travel writer in 2015. I’ve loved working with you and being a part of the GoNomad family as a writer and a reader.

All the best to you and thank you for this incredible journey.

Kind regards,

Susmita Sengupta
GoNOMAD Contributor

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Hey Max,

Sad to see ewe go. Black Sheep Inn started in 1995 and we went online around the year 2000. I always followed your stories, great work! We have connections in Massachusetts too. We too just sold the Inn to the local community. We still live next door in rural Ecuador, but we have shed the responsibility of the Lodge. Halftime we are in the USA too. It would great to meet up. Cheers to you and great work for over 20 years!

Andres Hammerman

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Dearest Coach

WOW! The end of an era that affected thousands of lives, careers, and travels.

You were the first legit pub that gave me a chance. Your advice helped me write more evocative stories and take better photos as a rookie. I learned that you hate pictures without people and images of signs. I finally figured out you don’t like pitches or stories based on press trips.

With all that I learned, we managed to carve out a relationship that lasted nine years. It is still my highest honor to have written one of your best travel stories of the year in 2018 and to have been a Senior Writer and regular contributor.

Max, I will always hold you in high esteem. If Kevin and I can help you in any way, say the word, we’ll be there. Please give us a surprise visit to Gozo one of these days.

Our sincere regards.

Mary Charlebois and Kevin Scanlon

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Hi Max,

Sorry to see you go. You had the passion for sure.

Best,

Jay Smith
Sports Travel

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Max,

I’m so sad to receive this news. GoNOMAD was not only a wonderful resource for travel information, but you created a true community of adventurers sharing their passions for growing, learning and building relationships through experiencing the world.

I am grateful.

Karel R. Amaranth

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This truly sucks. It not only sucks for you but also for the travel writing industry and, thus, travel. More than any other website, you guys found the most unique, most hidden corners of the travel world. You inspired me to look around every corner, to make one more phone call, ask one more question.

Will your site remain as a resource and not accept stories or will it eventually shut down? Is AI generating so much copy that well-written websites are no longer needed? What does that say about our modern society?

Hang in there, buddy. Write if you need anything.

John Henderson
Senior Writer

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Dear Max,

I am so sorry to hear about the end of your publication. I learned so much from so many articles over the years. I also wrote one article, on Cartagena, Colombia. I wonder if it will still stay on the web.

Warm wishes and thank you for everything,

Anna Gerwel

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it’s brutal right?

I’m wondering what publishing looks like going forward …

Lindsay Nieminen

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Hi Max:

It’s been a minute – rather a multitude of minutes – since our terrific press trip to Guernsey.

I was really, really sad to read this post. In many ways Google AI will be the death of us all. Sigh. Allthde best to you for a happy and healthy Thanksgiving.

Best,

Julie L. Kessler

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Hi Max,

I’m sorry to learn that GoNomad is closing its doors. You put a lot of effort into dreaming it, and then building it. It grew into something special that inspired a lot of people—creatives and travelers and creative travelers.

I appreciate the platform you gave me to write about traveling, one of the great loves of my life!

While in recent years my path veered into the weeds of young parenthood, I’ve begun to re-emerge into the world of pursuing my own ambitions and writing, once again, is there at the top. I’ve been sending out large numbers of query letters trying to find a literary agent for a memoir I’ve written.

Surely your heart must feel heavy shuttering GoNomad and sending out this email, but I hope that after the business of the holiday season you’re able to start dreaming new dreams. And I suspect those new dreams may just involved a plane ticket or two!

Best wishes, Max!

Kelly Westhoff

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Max, I am so sorry to hear this, and I am so glad you are sharing the reason why. We all need to understand the real and immediate impacts of AI. Thank you for all your work and leadership.

Kind regards,

Mindy Burrell

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Hey Max

Wow, what an announcement – I don’t want to believe it’s true.

First off, I want to say how much I’ve loved working with you and being part of the GoNomad family. You’ve built something truly special—not just a website, but a home for people who love to explore, share, and connect. It’s inspired so many of us, me included, to see the world differently.

I can only imagine how tough this decision must have been, but 24 years? That’s an incredible run—longer than most TV shows, rock bands, and some marriages!

As for Google’s AI messing things up, I’ve got to say, if it were actually intelligent, it would’ve understood what you’ve always known: stories with heart and humor beat soulless algorithms every time. It’s just sad the bots don’t get what really moves readers to dream and travel.

While GoNomad might not be publishing new stories anymore, its spirit will stick around—every writer who worked with you and every traveler who found their next adventure through your site carries that with them. I’ll always treasure being part of this journey.

So, here’s to you, Max—a true nomad in spirit and one hell of a guide for the rest of us wandering souls. I’m raising a glass to the memories, the stories, and, of course, the end of an era.

With gratitude and a big dose of admiration,

Sharon Kurtz
Staff Writer

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Thanks Max. Knew there’d be an unforeseen downside to AI. Feel like there will be lots more.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Bob

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Hi Max,

I am very sad to hear of the demise of Go Nomad, an unfortunate sign of the times, and the rise of AI, which is starting to affect all our lives. I always enjoyed reading the travel stories. Very sad to see it go.

Sue Garlick

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I really enjoyed and gathered great ides reading GoNOMAD travel!!!! You will be sorely missed😪… but will check out podcast?
I’m a dinosaur and slow but constant and still adventurous. Happy trails and one day AI will be replaced by humans…Ann How

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This is the first for me of what I hope it’s not a lot to come of how AI has eliminated a businesses ability to do what it wants to do. I’m so sorry to hear this and will miss seeing go nomad in my inbox. May the future bring you outstanding ventures and adventures. Where is our world going and what path are each of us choosing to get there?

Eliana White

Author
Recent Posts

Max Hartshorne

Max is the editor and publisher of GoNOMAD Travel, where he has been telling stories from the road for more than two decades. He got his start at a small weekly, then a daily and sold advertising for a daily paper for many years.

Since 2000, he has reported from dozens of countries across Europe, Asia and the Americas, focusing on the kind of immersive, first‑hand travel that reveals how people really live. Max’s work blends on‑the‑ground reporting with practical, traveler‑tested advice. He has interviewed chefs, bus drivers, innkeepers, and everyday locals and explored destinations ranging from small New England towns to remote corners of Greenland and South America. His writing has appeared in regional newspapers, national outlets, and across the GoNOMAD network.

In addition to his editorial work, Max hosts the GoNOMAD Travel Podcast. He is also a columnist for the Greenfield Recorder, where he writes about travel, community, and life in Western Massachusetts.

Max lives in South Deerfield, Massachusetts and still travels frequently. Visit his blog at MaxHartshorne.com

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Nuquí, Chocó: Colombia’s Wild Pacific Coast - December 26, 2025

3 Comments

Jackie Sheckler Finch
December 2, 2024 @ 2:38 pm
Dear Max,
So sorry to hear about GoNOMAD. I looked forward to reading each new issue. You are a talented editor and publisher, as well as an excellent writer and traveler. The diversity of stories in GoNOMAD was always amazing, as was the diversity of writers.
I learned so much from reading GoNOMAD and compiled a list of places I hope to visit based on your stories. Thank you for all the years of GoNOMAD. It was truly a labor of love and it hurts to see it end.
As we go into the New Year, I hope your new endeavors will be very successful and that you will continue highlighting the treasures of this big wide world!
With much appreciation and gratitude,
Jackie Sheckler Finch
- Max Hartshorne
  December 4, 2024 @ 5:49 pm
  Jackie you were among our top writers, you shared your travel adventures with us year after year. We will have our podcast to document any new travels, and it’s been wonderful editing your stories and working with you, so glad we’ve met in person too!
Peter
November 28, 2024 @ 9:23 am
We live in a world where it’s “adapt or perish,” and each of us must choose our path forward. Those who embrace new technology will thrive—and thrive they certainly will. The future is promising for publishing, blogging, and storytelling!