“Just because you don’t know and aren’t familiar with it, doesn’t mean you should fear it…Try to understand how it’s different and what’s going on, because it’s normal to someone else.”

– Sophia Iaquinta

Missed Part 1 with Sophia? Listen here.

 

While you met Sophia in Part 1 or our conversation, you didn’t learn much about her background. Thus, we start by discussing more on Sophia’s story and insights from her travels.

After working as a nurse in a hospital Medical Intensive Care Unit for two years, she looked for other alternatives.

Particularly, alternatives that combined her passions for traveling and helping others.

This led her to apply for and accept a role with the Peace Corps in Guatemala starting February 2018.

Creating a window for four-months to travel before her start date, she packed her bags and began a solo trip around Asia.

 

In Part 2, some of the things we discuss include:

* Packing light and efficiently for months on the road

* Ensuring safety and diverting unwanted attention

* Trying to understand your fears

* Creating your own experiences

* Readapting into your home culture

and so much more.

Scroll down for links and show notes…

Thank you for listening and enjoy!

 

QUESTION OF THE EPISODE: What item, gadget, or other part of your travel gear could you not live without? 

Please leave your answer in the comments.

 

Want to hear another conversation with a solo-traveler?

Listen to Aqeel Karim’s stories and insights from traveling over 250 days through India, Europe, South America, and Central America.

 

Show Notes and Links

Connect with Sophia – Instagram | Facebook

* Sophia’s path and decision to travel solo for four months. [4:00]

* Balance of spending a lot of time in one place versus trying to see many countries. [7:55]

* Jason Patrick Irish also discusses this balance in our interview (Podcast #11)

* Packing and preparing for months of traveling: Gear, gadgets, and more. [16:00]

* Osprey Farpoint 40-liter travel pack (I use the same model and love it!)

* Chacos

* Amazon Kindle

* DivaCup

* Ensuring safety on the road (especially while solo). [29:00]

* Strategies to deter unwanted attention. [34:00]

* Giving yourself a chance, eliminating excuses, and trying to understand your fears. [39:50]

* Creating your own experiences. [46:15]

* Readapting to home life and culture in the United States. [51:00]

* Journaling. [56:10]

* Enlightenment from traveling. [58:10]

* Why being a conscious traveler is important. [1:00:15]