The Thoughtful Travel Podcast

It's nearly a year since I recorded an episode about how Covid-19 was affecting us here in Western Australia, and what I thought about travel then and for the future: so it's time for another one.  In this special solo episode of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast - inspired by a visit to the airport! - I talk about the Covid experience in Perth, Australia, over the past twelve months, and also share my thoughts and feelings about travel in the near future. You might want to listen back to Episode 190 first and then follow on with this, so you can see what's changed over the past year. Links: Episode 190 - Covid-19 Thoughts from Perth, Australia - https://notaballerina.com/190 Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/236   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This special episode is the audio of the Facebook Livestream of the April 2021 meeting of the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, talking about Wild by Cheryl Strayed. If you'd like to join the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, all the info is at https://notaballerina.com/bookclub, and you can keep up with all the thoughts about our current books in the Thoughtful Travellers Facebook Group at https://facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Things inevitably go wrong when we travel and I know from experience that listeners of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast quite enjoy hearing these tales! In Episode 235 I have three guests sharing some travel slip ups - some of their own making and some quite out of their control. My first guest is Bob DiMenna who was travelling in Peru with two friends when they had an issue with, well, punctuality - but not what you might expect! I then chat with Kayla Ridley who has a sorry luggage tale to tell from a cruise ship trip she took as a high school student.  Finally, Patti Buff shares her story of a mishap when she and her cousin were exploring the coast of one of the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland. Their excursion doesn't end how she would have liked it to! Links: Bob DiMenna from The Travelers Blueprint podcast - https://thetravelersblueprint.com Kayla Ridley of Kayski Creations - https://kayskicreations.com/  Patti Buff - https://pattibuff.wordpress.com  Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Trav

Much of the fun of travelling is about bumping up against other cultures and habits - and these days as thoughtful travellers, we usually try to be prepared for this and learn what we can before we arrive. But cultural faux pas or "gross moments" happen to the best of us and there are some great examples to be found in Episode 234 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast. First up, I chat with Bev Malzard who tells me a series of fabulous tales about her own unfortunate cultural moments during the course of many years of travels. Some hilarious, some serious - all things that Bev would do differently the second time around! I then speak with Pam Mandel about a common cultural blunder - dressing inappropriately. Some years back Pam ended up unintentionally in Pakistan - unprepared and ill-informed - and made a cultural blunder she didn't intend to. Links: Bev’s blog TravelGal on the Move - https://travelgaltravels.com/  Pam Mandel’s website - https://www.nerdseyeview.com Pam’s book The Same River Twice - https://am

Opportunities for university or college students to study abroad - during non-Covid times, of course - are very special. While I didn't get an opportunity to study abroad for any part of my university education, it's something I definitely want to encourage my son to do and putting together Episode 233 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast reminded me of many reasons why. First up, I chat with Jennifer Johnston who spent time in the United States studying abroad as part of her Australia-based university degree. She speaks of many of the advantages of study abroad programs and the huge changes they can make in the students who take them. I then speak with Tinsley Rios about her shorter study abroad experience in Peru - a reminder that it doesn't need to be a long program to have a lasting impact. Finally, Patti Buff tells me about her experiences as a college exchange student in Dublin, Ireland - and we chat about some of the many extra-curricular parts of being on a study abroad program which are just as valuab

It's party time!! The Thoughtful Travel Podcast, in the past week, has both turned five years old (ready to start school now!!) and download numbers have hit half a million. It's been a very exciting week in our household! In this special celebration episode, I start off with a quick chat about podcast statistics and where The Thoughtful Travel Podcast fits into download numbers in general (remember, I like statistics - I love maths!). But then I digress to chat about how I've reached this stage, and reference psychologist Angela Duckworth's book Grit, which I'm currently re-reading - it's an interesting thing to consider how passion and persistence can work hand in hand and then suddenly, I have a five-year-old podcast and a much clearer vision of what else I want to do with it (and thoughtful travel in general) in the future. Finally, I give in to a directive from my son who, on listening to some older episodes, instructed me to tell more of my own travel stories. I've linked them to this fifth annivers

We all have some kind of unconscious bias - or a few! - some stereotypes or misconceptions that we think deep down, even if in our conscious minds we don't think we do. It's human nature, but yet another marvellous part of travelling is it often helps us identify and confront these unconscious biases, and the examples from the guests in Episode 231 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast demonstrate this perfectly. First up, I chat with Tonya Fitzpatrick who first tells me one of her own experiences in recognising and confronting an unconscious bias, and then explains another example from a traveller she'd interviewed on her own podcast. I then speak with Pam Mandel, who's travelled more than usual within her home country of the United States in the past few years, and found she also needed to confront and overcome some unconscious biases about her homeland. Links: Tonya Fitzpatrick of World Footprints - https://WorldFootprints.com  Pam Mandel’s website - https://www.nerdseyeview.com Pam’s book The Same River Twi

This special episode is the audio of the Facebook Livestream of the March 2021 meeting of the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, talking about Turn Right at Machu Picchu by Mark Adams. If you'd like to join the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, all the info is at https://notaballerina.com/bookclub, and you can keep up with all the thoughts about our current books in the Thoughtful Travellers Facebook Group at https://facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For this special round-numbered episode I wanted to muse on just one of the important lessons the 2020 pandemic has taught me about travel. In this episode I talk about issues like taking relaxing holidays (I'm bad at it; and most of the Thoughtful Travellers community agreed it's not their style); travelling close to home and staycationing, and some of the reasons I really miss the ability to travel further afield, to different cultures, languages and countries. Links: Support the podcast on Patreon - https://www.notaballerina.com/support Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/230 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Travelling abroad is an amazing experience but living abroad takes this to an entirely new level. It's not for everyone but if you've been fortunate enough to call new countries home or you're wondering whether you'd like to, Episode 229 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast is for you. I chat first with Flip Byrnes, a bit of a serial ex-pat who has plenty to say about how living abroad compares to travelling; we decide that "living" somewhere equates to twelve months or more (it's our arbitrary ruling!) and then Flip turns the tables and asks me a few pertinent questions about my experience of living abroad. Following that I speak with Seana Smith, another serial ex-pat who decides perhaps she's not actually a very good traveller, but she's more suited to living abroad for extended periods. Finally, Penny Walker talks to me about some of the main differences she's identified from living abroad in France as compared to simply visiting, and also has some great tips for anyone planning to make such a move. Links

Volunteering abroad is an experience lots of thoughtful travellers contemplate - who doesn't want to give back when we can. But of course, we know that not all volunteering opportunities are created equal. In Episode 228 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast, I chat with three women who have had fairly in-depth volunteer experiences in Uganda, Zimbabwe and Nepal, and their stories might help you reflect on what does make a good volunteer experience. First, I chat with Lindy Alexander who spent eight months volunteering in a remote part of Uganda. She's very frank with me about how, on reflection some years later, she's not sure that everything they did had a positive impact - although lots did. I then speak with Julia Salnicki, a zoologist who has spent many years either volunteering or managing volunteers on animal research projects in Africa. Her stories are amazing and apart from her tales on this episode, I've added another one about her three years in a painted dog research project onto Patreon - if you're

Travelling to see the sights is one thing; travelling when you get to know some of the local people is a whole other level of wonderful experiences. Finding ways to have meaningful interaction with locals is something really important to me when I travel, and the three guests in Episode 227 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast illustrate some wonderful ways to do so. First up I chat with Tasha Goldberg who describes how a friend of a friend in Kenya became an inspiring local she met on Lamu Island. She also mentions the bonus part of making close connections when you travel - the chance to make return visits! I then speak with Lindy Alexander about her experience of a cooking class with the Courageous Kitchen in Thailand. This is a really interesting example of meeting not just any locals, but marginalised ones who you might not ordinarily even know about, let alone have the chance to meet and learn from. Finally, Penny Walker speaks of the value of tapping into local knowledge and uses her example of the Pyre

If nothing goes wrong, were you even travelling? Episode 226 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast centres on my firm belief that many of the best travel memories derive from when things go wrong on our trips. First I chat with Travis King, and he introduces a concept that I will carry with me on every trip from now on: "Level 3 fun". You'll have to listen to learn what "Level 3 fun" he had with his brother on their cycling trip across Canada. I also talk with Tracey Croke, an adventurous soul who never shies away from a challenge and she certainly found plenty of them in a mountain biking expedition over the Talas Mountains in Kyrgyzstan. Links: Travis King's website and book - http://www.traviswking.com/ Tracey Croke's website - http://www.traceycroke.com  Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/226 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whether you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet or not, the stories in Episode 225 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast will still fascinate you, I'm sure! I start off chatting with Lindy Alexander, a social worker turned freelance writer who spent eight months living in rural Uganda in her mid-twenties. As a vegetarian, she was a bit concerned about what she could expect there in terms of food and what she actually found is very interesting! I then chat with Tasha Goldberg who, like me, was raised vegetarian and tends to follow that diet on the whole, but can be flexible at times when travelling, and she tells me about her experience with this, starting out with a special invitation in Senegal. Finally, I speak with Brighde Reed who has been vegan for the past decade and has lots of useful tips and resources for anyone looking to research their trip and wanting to eat a plant-based diet along the way. Links: Lindy Alexander - The Freelancer’s Year http://thefreelancersyear.com/  is all about giving practical ad

Usually the souvenirs we purchase on our travels are relatively small - we want to be able to fit them in our baggage to bring home, after all. I say usually: because Episode 224 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast proves that there are times when people make rather large purchases when they travel! Curiously, none of these three guests had any plan to make these big purchases on their trips - which makes these stories even more fun, I think. First up, I chat with podcast listener Tim Tricker. He has a fun tale of something quite unusual he and his friends bought entirely by accident on a trip to Spain. Then I speak with Nan Caple who was holiday with family and friends on Kangaroo Island when they suddenly decided to buy something quite large. Finally, I talk to Karen Emanuel who was travelling in Nicaragua when a sign caught her attention and she made an even bigger purchase - but one she's very glad of. Links: Nan Caple of Snellings View on Kangaroo Island https://snellingsview.com.au/  Karen Emanuel of

This special episode is the audio of the Facebook Livestream of the January 2021 meeting of the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, talking about Bewildered by Laura Waters. If you'd like to join the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, all the info is at https://notaballerina.com/bookclub, and you can keep up with all the thoughts about our current books in the Thoughtful Travellers Facebook Group at https://facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Travelling with kids in tow is a great way to see the world, but if you're the only parent, it can add a degree of difficulty - but it can also make for the most rewarding trips of all! On Episode 223 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast I chat with three single parents who've had wonderful experiences taking their kids away - although sometimes, things do go wrong! My first guest is Cindy Siano whose son is now in his twenties - but she has a very vivid memory of a single parent moment when he was eight, and they tried out skiing and snowboarding in the Netherlands. I then chat with Jennifer Johnson who took two of her teenage sons on a trip to Japan - coincidentally, to go skiing, although long before they get on the slopes, something that is only funny in retrospect went wrong. Finally, I had a great discussion with listener Rita about her three-month long trip with her daughter to Europe and northern Africa - it's inspired me to want to do something that long with my son too! Links: Cindy Siano - Life and

Bringing home a meaningful souvenir from a trip is such a pleasure: if the process of buying it was fun and special, perhaps involving a chat with an interesting local, and then you have an object you can enjoy at home which constantly reminds you of your trip, then it's a perfect scenario. In Episode 222 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast I talk with travellers about their own meaningful shopping experiences abroad, starting off with Patti Lefkos who has a brilliant story to tell about a souvenir she bought in Nepal - including a live demonstration! Next, I chat with Lindsay Williams. She's obsessed with learning foreign languages and this passion flows through to what she likes to buy when she's travelling, too. Finally, I'm excited to speak with my friend Lola Akinmade-Åkerström who has a new pandemic-induced project on the go, involving a way to help local artisans and guides in countries particularly affected by the drop-off in tourism numbers and help us have an authentic shopping experience at the sam

Your style of planning and booking trips is likely, it seems, to fall into one of two categories: a detailed planner (sometimes, incredibly, almost over-the-top detailed - in my humble opinion!) or a more spontaneous, make a few arrangements and then just see what happens.  In Episode 221 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast I speak with two travellers who are very dedicated to the detailed planning version, and since my nature is of the opposite type, I find it fascinating to hear what they have to say. First up, Bob Dimenna describes his kind of planning and research and there are ideas that have literally never occurred to me amongst Bob's gems. Next, I speak with Karen Emanuel, a self-confessed meticulous planner, who does admit to a couple of down sides to this tendency. And finally, since we're talking booking, I include a section from my recent chat with Nissy Astassi of Expedia, and she gives me a couple of useful booking tips. Links: Poll on planning or being spontaneous to travel - https://www.faceb

This crazy year, 2020, when everything about the world, and especially the world of travel, was turned on its head, is nearly over.  Phew - I think. Who knows, really, what 2021 will bring, but I think at least we're prepared to know that things are different, whereas this time last year we had not the faintest clue what lay ahead of us. In Episode 220 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast, the final episode for 2020, I give a summary of the good and the bad of the year - and on balance, it wasn't such a bad year - as surprising as that sounds, coming from a travel podcaster.  And then to finish the year, my ten-year-old son has come up with a list of questions and interviewed me about my travels and thoughts. Hope you enjoy it! Above all: thanks to everyone involved in making The Thoughtful Travel Podcast the most fun thing I do - thanks to the listeners, the guests, the members of the Thoughtful Travellers Facebook group, the Book Club members, the journalists who've mentioned the podcast in various cool pla