Answering a wide variety of questions that people have asked me recently on Tik Tok. In this episode I discuss how I afford to travel full time, how I make money while traveling, underrated or hidden places you should travel to, getting out of the tourist areas while still feeling safe, advice for anyone wanting to study International Relations, Latin America travel routes and so much more. Remember I am always here through comments or dms to answer any questions you guys have and let me know if you would want more q&a episodes in the future!
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Kosovov truly surprised me; not only was it beautiful, peaceful, full of the kindest locals and intricately complicated history, but it potentially the safest I have ever felt while solo traveling. And as I state in the first 20 seconds of this episode, there is one big overall reason why I knew I had to come here when many travelers don't: welcome to the country that my dad helped liberate. Visiting Kosovo was one of the most unique and important experiences I have ever had and I will be the first to encourage anyone traveling in the Balkans to not skip it.
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Croatia is now officially my most visited country; this was my third time going back to Croatia and it was hands down the best out of all of them. I joined the company Koda Sail for a week-long sailing trip around the Dalmation Coast, visiting some of the most famous & historic spots in Croatia as well as some of the most beautiful hidden beaches and islands. This company is (in my opinion) the most ethical and culturally immersive way to experience a tour like this, and that's largely thanks to the amazing owner, founder, and tour guide Chris. This week was truly a dream come true and I made some of the most amazing, genuinely supportive and like-minded friends. If you're looking to do a sail week in Croatia or any of the other countries they offer, I seriously cannot recommend Koda Sail enough.
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WORLDPACKERS GROUP TRIP TO. COSTA RICA: Jan. 18-25, 2026 *launching soon*
Life has been chaotic and my voice is pretty much gone but I recorded a pretty raw episode talking about my perspective on the ICE raids and subsequent protests going on in the US this week. I’m currently in Croatia but I just spent 4 months of my life in Central and South America and it breaks my heart to see my own country demonizing and terrorizing immigrants, specifically from LATAM. So I ranted about it in a pretty unfiltered way and discussed a bit more about everything else I’m currently doing while traveling Europe this summer. A longer more thought out episode will be coming soon I promise.
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I think I have to give Medellin the title of my favorite city in the entire world (so far!) I spent two weeks here and found it to be one of the most complex, culturally vibrant, and misunderstood places I have ever traveled to, plus it was the perfect city for solo travelers! Between the legendary nightlife, incredible food, endless day trip options and beautiful surrounding natural landscape, I could have easily spent months here. This episode talks about the complex history of Medellin that I learned about directly from local guides and how much the city has changed over the last few decades. Plus I talk about my day trips/ overnight trips to Guatape & Jardin; two Andean towns that feel like a fairy tale.
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Ometepe is a small island made up of 2 volcanos in the biggest lake in Central America. It's also hands down the most spiritually powerful place I have ever experienced, and as you will hear me say a hundred times throughout this episode, this island changed my life. I went to Ometepe twice throughout my time in Nicaragua and I know I will go back every single chance I get; both locals and travelers alike know the unique energy that this place holds. If you are ever in Nicaragua, please go visit my lovely friends at The Local's Collective and Casa Mariposa to hear more about why they moved to the island and the incredible work that they do there.
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Prefacing all of my upcoming Nicaragua and Colombia episodes with this small rant about why we need to stop generalizing about which countries are 'safe' or 'dangerous' to go to. For my entire time traveling through Latin America, one of the first things people had to say to me was always about whether or not I felt safe of I thought certain countries were unsafe, and the reality is that we can't keep talking about safety in such a black and white way. In this episode, I'm going to talk about how I perceive travel safety as a solo female traveler and why I get so frustrated when people let biases and preconceived notions determine their opinions on so many countries, specifically those in Central & South America.
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For my second podcast guest ever, please welcome my friend & fellow content creator Sierra Fernand!! We have been traveling together for the last month after meeting in Nicaragua and I’m so excited for her to share her story of discovering travel, creating content online, starting her own business, and transitioning to working remotely around the world. This episode was so much fun to record and if you are looking for guidance to transition to this sort of lifestyle yourself, go follow her on Instagram and enroll in her amazing guided mentorship. Her Instagram is @sierra.fernald <3
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After a month and a half back at my favorite work exchange in Nicaragua, Bigfoot Hostel, I wanted to talk about all of the good things that come with working at a hostel, but also some of the challenges. Work exchanges have become my new favorite way to travel honestly and I think this one was my ideal exchange, it would be SO hard to beat! But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t challenging at times as well, I learned so much from my time there and I hope this episode helps you understand a bit more about what to expect if you have been wanting to start traveling and volunteering. Like always, Worldpackers is the best way to get started so use my code MIRIAM to sign up for a discount if this episode resonates with you!
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MOROCCO GROUP TRIP: https://plotpackers.com/tours/group-excursions/the-treasures-of-morocco-with-_miriamdonovan_-22nd-june-1st-july-2025/
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Finally back with another podcast episode after over a month! The first part of this was recorded when I was initially processing the aftermath of Trump being inaugurated again and his blitzkrieg of attacks that followed. Specifically, I dive into his anti-immigration policies and actions against specifically the Latino community and how I am thinking about it as someone who’s currently living in Central America. The second part of the episode was recorded a few weeks later starting to break down what is progression developed after a month of Trump being in office and how the attacks haven’t stopped. Combined with a life update from my chaotic time in Nicaragua!!
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My first time ever doing a Q&A episode and I can't wait to make this a regular series!! I asked you guys to ask me questions on Tik Tok and picked a few to answer on here so that I could respond in a more detailed and personal way. In this episode, I'm talking about how to prepare for long-haul flights, my favorite country I've ever been to, advice for first-time solo travelers, cheap less touristy places to travel to from London, my favorite desserts around the world, monetizing social media and making money while traveling, and more.
COME TO MOROCCO WITH ME: MOROCCO GROUP TRIP JUNE 22- JULY 1, LAUNCHING JAN. 22 (sign up through linktree link!)
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Basically a journal entry in podcast form, reflecting on everything that has happened this year. 2024 was the best and also one of the hardest years of my life, I have learned so many lessons and grown so much, honestly this year has changed my life. My intentions and manifestations going into 2025 are clearer than they ever have been, and I hope you resonate with the massive life shift I can feel coming in this new year.
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Two magical fairy tale towns in two entirely different parts of Vietnam! For the second part of my Vietnam series I’m talking about two of the most idyllic picturesque places I’ve ever been to; they’re both so different but so special. Sapa is a cozy mountain town with even bigger mountains than Ha Giang, the cutest fairy houses, unique culture from the local ethnic minority groups, the most magical art village on a mountain, and so much more. And one 26 hour sleeper bus later, we made it to Hoi An, the town of lanterns where you can release wishing candle boats onto a river and get handmade tailored clothes from the best seamstresses in the world.
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Earlier this year I spent a month in Vietnam and it was one of the most important and incredible countries I have ever been to! As I talk about in this episode, I kind of only exist because of Vietnam since my parents actually met there. In this first part of what will be a 2 part series on Vietnam, I am detailing everything I did in Hanoi for almost 2 weeks; the incredible food, the best coffee in the world, cultural beauty treatments, interesting museums, and the most insane parties/nightlife. As well as the unique experiences I got to have because my dad used to live there. I'm also talking about the Ha Giang Loop, one of the most famous and coveted backpacker experiences in the world, and for a good reason! Truly one of the most beautiful and adventurous experiences I have ever had while traveling.
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(whatsapp travel group, media kit, and more!)
Finally telling the details about one of the most adventurous and remote travel experiences I have ever had! I spent a week on Koh Ta Kiev staying at a treehouse and jungle hut camp. The island itself is only accessible by small fishing boat, with not a single restaurant, shop, road, no AC, almost no electricity, not even bicycles; only footpaths through the jungle and 2-3 small camps around the island. This place was definitely challenging in so many ways but I learned so much about myself and everything I am capable of. I met some incredible people, explored undiscovered beaches, got to swim with bioluminescence, watched the most incredible sunsets, and so much more.
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It's been a rough week in America. For the second episode of this series, here is my rant/thoughts/analysis of the outcome of the American elections that took place last week. I am currently back home in Washington DC, so to be in the Capitol of the US witnessing this historic election has been both terrifying and informative. Like I always say, travel and politics are inherently connected, so I'm discussing the large-scale global implications that this election will have and what you should keep in mind going forward as you travel throughout the world.
I have been staying in hostels since my first ever trip and I am a firm believer that they are a core experience as a traveler. There are so many different types of hostels and they always vary from country to country, but in this episode I am giving you all of my advice on how to pick the right hostels for you and how to have the best experiences possible! After 2 years I have a defined list of what makes a good hostel in my mind and have stayed in so many that I truly loved. I'm also gonna go through a list of some of the best and some of the worst hostels I have ever stayed in all around the world.
ALSO link to my whatsapp travel community where I will be giving away 2 FREE Worldpackers memberships (and more!): https://chat.whatsapp.com/LSzJnsnkon4Df6TgTBbi2n
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This episode finally follows up with my Turkey pt. 1 episode about Istanbul from a few months ago. I will never have the words to describe this place. Cappadocia is truly one of a kind; the hot air balloons at sunrise every morning, the flavors of the food, the otherwordly landscape and history carved into said landscape-- everything about it makes Cappadocia one of my favorite places I have ever been. The land is pure magic there, especially in the off season around November when it felt like we nearly had it all to ourselves. And yes, obviously we rode in a hot air balloon at sunrise!
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As stated early on in this episode, I am giving my personal opinion and lived experiences. Obviously, I'm not a doctor, so take what I say with a grain of salt. But throughout my last 2 years of traveling, I have noticed significant ways in which travel has impacted my health. Since I was 15 years old, I have been dealing with some very impactful chronic health conditions, both mental and physical. These chronic conditions have all shifted + transformed throughout my time traveling the world; some went away completely, and others I still struggle with but are getting progressively better. But overall, I truly believe that traveling has helped me heal important aspects of my health and can help you heal in a variety of ways too.
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After a small hiatus I'm back with a more detailed episode about what my life has been like for the past few weeks of volunteering at a hostel in Leon, Nicaragua. I found the most stability, routine, and community that I have had in a very long time while running the social media at Bigfoot Hostel (I'm literally already planning to go back.) Let's call this the Nicaragua pt. 1 episode because I will explore so much more of the country later in the future, but I truly had so many life-changing and perspective-altering experiences while in this incredibly special place. This was also my first ever work exchange experience and I can't wait to do more of them in the future to integrate more slow travel into my life.
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