What if the single question that transforms your travel is the simplest one: why do you travel? We’re marking 100,000 downloads and three years of Solo Travel Adventures by digging into intention and how it can reshape everything from destination to day-by-day choices. We explore eight clear reasons people hit the road—connection with family and friends, rest from work, special events like festivals or marathons, cultural immersion, ethical volunteering, media-fueled inspiration, bucket list...
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What if the single question that transforms your travel is the simplest one: why do you travel? We’re marking 100,000 downloads and three years of Solo Travel Adventures by digging into intention and how it can reshape everything from destination to day-by-day choices. We explore eight clear reasons people hit the road—connection with family and friends, rest from work, special events like festivals or marathons, cultural immersion, ethical volunteering, media-fueled inspiration, bucket list...
What if the single question that transforms your travel is the simplest one: why do you travel? We’re marking 100,000 downloads and three years of Solo Travel Adventures by digging into intention and how it can reshape everything from destination to day-by-day choices. We explore eight clear reasons people hit the road—connection with family and friends, rest from work, special events like festivals or marathons, cultural immersion, ethical volunteering, media-fueled inspiration, bucket list...
What if your bucket list wasn’t a scoreboard, but a compass? We open up a fresh way to dream about travel, write it down, and use it to choose trips that match your season of life, your budget, and your energy. From childhood longings to once-a-year natural spectacles, we share a simple framework to capture ideas and then act on them with purpose. We start with the sparks that never left: the book that made you crave a safari, the classroom poster that planted cherry blossoms in your mind, t...
Should you still travel as the holidays approach and the news cycle churns? We tackle the question head‑on with a calm plan you can use today, blending practical airport tactics, smart destination choices, and a mindset that keeps adventure alive without ignoring risk. From U.S. shutdown ripple effects to global conflict awareness, we map what’s changing, what’s not, and how to adapt without losing the joy that makes travel worth it. We start with the realities on the ground: longer TSA line...
Wonder isn’t a luxury—it’s a lever for real change. We trace the quiet path from a single sunset or museum hall to the deep shift you feel when you come home from a trip and realize your mind, mood, and body aren’t quite the same. Drawing on the science of awe and years of solo travel coaching, we break down how novelty, vastness, and meaning work together to rewire attention, dial down rumination, and open space for gratitude and connection. You’ll hear how nature’s big canvases—mountain ra...
The calendar flips to October and the store aisles explode with tinsel—meanwhile, your heart feels heavy at the thought of the holidays. If you’re a single woman or newly navigating an empty nest, those weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s can feel like a pressure cooker of memories, expectations, and silence. We decided to tell the truth about it—and share a better way to move through it. We start by naming the hard stuff: sadness, loneliness, grief, and the ache of feeling like the od...
Wondering if group travel might be your next adventure? Join me as I chat with Avery Hale-Smith, Chief Experience Officer at Backroads, who shares how guided active adventures are transforming the way people experience destinations worldwide. Avery reveals how her own childhood travels—from immersive village experiences in Ecuador to studying abroad in India—shaped her perspective on what makes travel truly meaningful. These formative journeys ultimately led her back to Backroads, where she ...
Feeling overwhelmed by endless travel possibilities? You're not alone. Every wanderluster faces the delightful dilemma of where to go next. Drawing from years of solo travel experience, I reveal six distinct approaches to selecting your next destination – some spontaneous, others deeply intentional. You could explore trend-based travel, where popular destinations like Paris or Amsterdam beckon with their timeless appeal. I candidly share how social media discoveries have sparked unexpected a...
Ever notice how the ground beneath your feet changes when hiking? From sandy paths to packed dirt trails, paved walkways to rocky terrain—each surface requires a different approach and energy level. What if these changing terrains hold wisdom about the type of travel that would serve you best right now? During a recent solo road trip to West Texas that didn't quite go according to plan, I discovered a powerful metaphor while hiking that perfectly illustrates the relationship between life's s...
Do you think you've never been a solo traveler? Think again. That trip to the grocery store alone, the errands you run by yourself—these everyday activities actually share elements with what we define as "solo travel." The difference? Just the destination. In this eye-opening episode, we challenge the common perception that solo travel exclusively means backpacking across continents completely alone. The truth is far more accessible and varied. Whether you're flying solo to meet friends at y...
Remember those magical family road trips from childhood? The singalongs, the roadside attractions, the endless games of I-Spy? There's something deeply nostalgic about hitting the open road—but experiencing that freedom solo introduces an entirely new dimension of adventure and self-discovery. Safety doesn't mean sacrificing spontaneity when traveling alone. I've learned through countless solo journeys that preparation creates the foundation for freedom. Establishing a reliable check-in syst...
Are you letting other people's fears hold you back from experiencing the world on your own terms? After six years of intentional solo traveling that began in my 50s, I've discovered that the biggest obstacle isn't the outside world—it's the voices of those who've never actually done it themselves. Solo travel transformed my life in ways I never expected, teaching me valuable lessons I wish I'd known sooner. The world isn't nearly as frightening as many would have you believe, especially when...
Ever stared longingly at that stack of unread books on your nightstand, wishing for just a few uninterrupted days to dive in? You're not alone. A fascinating new travel trend is emerging in 2025 that might be the perfect solution for book lovers everywhere: reading retreats. Imagine yourself sipping wine on a veranda overlooking mountains or ocean, completely absorbed in a novel without a single interruption. No chores calling your name, no meetings to attend, just you and your books in a be...
The empty nest phase doesn't mean the end of meaningful parent-child connections – it simply marks the beginning of a new kind of relationship. As summer vacations end and college drop-offs happen across America, many parents find themselves reminiscing about family trips and wondering how to maintain closeness with their now-adult children. Travel creates a unique opportunity to reconnect with adult children in ways that regular family gatherings often cannot. When we remove ourselves from ...
The rapid rise of artificial intelligence is transforming how we plan, book, and experience travel—whether we're ready for it or not. After resisting the AI wave, I've finally accepted its inevitability while maintaining a healthy skepticism about certain applications. Delta Airlines' recent expansion of AI-powered pricing algorithms reveals a troubling trend. They've increased coverage from 3% to 20% of domestic routes, using your personal data to determine how much you might be willing to ...
Travel transforms us in ways we rarely anticipate. When we step outside our comfort zones, something remarkable happens – not just philosophically, but neurologically. The brain forms new pathways, rewiring itself in real-time as we navigate unfamiliar territory. My journey with travel's healing power began unexpectedly in 1996 when I traveled to Jamaica just eight weeks after losing my mother to breast cancer. We had been extraordinarily close – best friends, creative confidants – and her t...
Solo travel has become a transformative movement, particularly among women who now comprise 70% of all solo travelers worldwide. Yet despite these impressive statistics, many women remain on the sidelines, watching others embark on adventures they only dream about. What's holding them back? For many, it's the invisible weight of past trauma, grief, or loss that makes the unknown elements of solo travel feel insurmountable. This episode introduces the concept of travel coaching—a specialized ...
Every budget traveler has faced that moment of frustration—the cheap hotel that feels unsafe, the bargain flight with endless layovers, or the too-good-to-be-true deal that actually wasn't worth the hassle. As someone who lives by the philosophy that spending less on one trip means affording more adventures overall, I've made plenty of costly mistakes in my quest to travel economically. In this candid episode, I pull back the curtain on five significant budget travel blunders that actually e...
What happens when a woman who's lived like a "caged bird" for 25 years suddenly finds herself free? For Linda Magoon, freedom meant climbing mountains—specifically, all 48 of New Hampshire's 4,000-foot peaks. After decades in a controlling marriage where asking permission was the norm and independence was punished with silent treatments and anger, Linda reached what she calls her "tipping point" in her mid-50s. With the help of a crisis counselor, she realized she was experiencing domestic v...
The moment of departure for a long-awaited trip should be filled with excitement, not anxiety about what you might have forgotten at home. So many travelers have experienced that sudden panic on the way to the airport – "Did I leave the curling iron plugged in?" or "Did I forget to lock the door?" This episode tackles those pre-travel worries head-on with a practical, comprehensive checklist to ensure your home remains safe while you're exploring the world. From arranging house-sitters and m...
What drives a woman to sell everything she owns, travel halfway around the world, and jump on yachts with complete strangers? For Tess Millhollon, author and founder of Her House, it was the desperate need to reclaim her sense of self after surviving sexual assault in college. Tess shares her remarkable journey of healing through solo travel in Australia, where she discovered that recreating her comfortable bartending life from Texas wasn't enough. The pivotal moment came when she spotted a ...
Solo Travel Adventures: Safe Travel for Women, Preparing for a Trip, Overcoming Fear, Travel Tips
What if the single question that transforms your travel is the simplest one: why do you travel? We’re marking 100,000 downloads and three years of Solo Travel Adventures by digging into intention and how it can reshape everything from destination to day-by-day choices. We explore eight clear reasons people hit the road—connection with family and friends, rest from work, special events like festivals or marathons, cultural immersion, ethical volunteering, media-fueled inspiration, bucket list...
