The Belong to Where You Are Podcast

Robin Nagele, Sergeant Major (Ret.), U.S. Army Military Police Corps, and founder of Nagele Security Advisors, joins Megan for a conversation that moves from a chance meeting in a Dunedin, Florida parking lot to the real, practical habits every solo-traveling woman needs on the road. It’s part reunion, part masterclass in situational awareness, equal parts heart and hard-won expertise.

In This Episode

[00:00] Megan welcomes Robin and sets the stage: personal safety is the #1 fear she hears from women in the Solo Travel Sisterhood community and why this conversation is about empowerment, not fearmongering

[02:35] Robin’s path from a hard childhood to 21 years in the U.S. Army Military Police Corps, corporate security at Starbucks HQ, and a decade in executive protection and the “why” that connects it all

[05:44] The one lesson from his career that’s stuck with him: it can happen to anyone, anywhere, anytime

[06:32] How Megan met Robin and his partner Cristy in 2020, in a Dunedin, Florida parking lot, and how a golf cart ride to watch the sunset turned into a lifelong friendship

[07:52] The advice Robin and Cristy gave Megan that got her through her divorce, including the line she says she’ll remember for the rest of her life

[10:52] The first question Robin asks any woman about to book her first solo trip and why it matters more than any packing list

[13:17] The most common blind spots first-time solo travelers have: being overly trusting, and over-relying on technology

[17:53] Pre-trip prep that actually matters: itineraries, backups, document copies, and why packing light keeps you safer

[24:19] What real situational awareness looks like on the ground: reading a room’s “baseline,” the five color codes of awareness, and the Secret Service’s #1 tool

[29:31] How to tell the difference between the instincts that lead to the best travel memories and the ones trying to warn you, plus the book Robin says every traveler should read

[35:18] Robin’s one non-negotiable rule for every solo traveler

[36:19] Robin’s dream destination (hint: he’s not leaving the country)

Memorable Quotes

“There is life after death.” — Robin, on getting Megan through her divorce

“My why is protecting people and securing assets. I’m a man of action, and I like to put that toward good.” — Robin, on the thread connecting his Army, Starbucks, and executive protection careers

“Trust your gut. That feeling is your subconscious picking up on cues before your brain has a chance to figure it out.” — Robin, on why instinct beats overthinking

“Give yourself permission to be rude. No is a complete sentence — say it with authority.” — Robin, on setting boundaries with strangers while traveling solo

Resources Mentioned

The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker — Robin’s go-to read on trusting your instincts

Life360 — one option Robin mentions for sharing your location with trusted people back home

Taken (2008) — the movie Robin references when talking about how predators work in train stations, bus stations, and airports

About Robin Nagele

Robin Nagele is an expert security advisor, author, and practitioner with more than four decades of real-world experience protecting people and securing assets. His career spans the full spectrum of federal law enforcement, global corporate security, and high-threat personal and executive protection.

Robin served 21 years in the U.S. Army Military Police Corps, rising to the top enlisted rank of Sergeant Major (E-9). In the private sector, he oversaw physical security worldwide as the corporate physical security manager for Starbucks Coffee Company Headquarters. Robin’s protective background also includes directing executive protection operations for high-profile figures and corporate leaders, assessing threats, and navigating dynamic environments across the globe.

Robin and his partner, Cristy, became close friends of Megan’s in 2020 and have been part of her life, and now this show, ever since.

Connect & Follow

Follow Robin

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rcnagele

Website: nagelesecurityadvisors.com

Follow Megan & Belong to Where You Are

Solo Travel Sisterhood (free community)

Solo Travel Safety Starter Kit

Substack: belongtowhereyouare.com

TikTok: @belongtowhereyouare

Instagram: @belongtowhereyouare_

August 2016. Megan is buckled into a seat at Toronto Pearson with a backpack underneath her seat and a ticket to Iceland for one. The engines roar, and the only thought in her head is: “What the f*ck am I doing?”

Unlike Rachel Green from Friends, she did NOT get off the plane.

In the very first episode of The Belong to Where You Are Podcast, Megan tells you how a solo birthday trip 10 years ago turned into eight solo trips, 15 countries, and 44 states. She gets honest about the divorce at 40 that ripped the rug out from under her, why she chose to figure out who she was instead of shrinking, and how two months in Portugal healed her in ways she never saw coming.

Then she shares three truths solo travel taught her (including the dinner in Milan that made a self-proclaimed non-crier weepy), two very real travel mishaps, and a first look at the guests coming this season.

If you’ve ever felt the pull to go somewhere alone and haven’t gone yet, start here. The hardest part isn’t booking the flight. It’s deciding you’re allowed to go.

In This Episode

* 00:00 – On the runway in Toronto, headed to Iceland for her 35th birthday, and why a Leo never skips a birthday

* 02:50 – “Oh my God, I’m really doing this.” Welcome to the show, and who it’s for

* 04:32 – A quick peek at this season’s guests

* 05:13 – Iceland, and the woman who never planned to travel solo at all

* 06:10 – Divorce at 40 after a 16-year marriage, and the forever mantra “I’ve been through worse”

* 08:42 – WiFi Tribe, a 2016 interview, and the OG digital nomad dream

* 10:18 – 2023: two months in Portugal, four months after the divorce was final, and the country that healed her

* 11:55 – Remote-work stretches in Spain, Costa Rica, Panama, and Germany, and building a bravery muscle

* 12:35 – The Solo Travel Sisterhood (free community)

* 13:08 – Truth #1: Let fear come along for the ride. Snorkeling between two continents in Iceland’s Silfra fissure

* 14:11 – Truth #2: Take the seat at the bar, because bartenders are free tour guides with opinions

* 15:54 – Truth #3: The world is kinder than the internet says. A birthday dinner in Milan with two strangers

* 18:52 – Mishap #1: Almost missing a flight to Panama, and forgetting to enroll in STEP

* 21:00 – Mishap #2: A 17-euro dinner, 5 euros in cash, and a PayPal standoff in Costa Nova, Portugal

* 24:36 – The Solo Travel Safety Starter Kit

* 25:09 – Why the show is called Belong to Where You Are

* 25:44 – Coming this season: Meredith, Dr. Pauline Hoffmann, Ashley Lucas, Robin Nagele and more…

* 27:55 – Your turn: where would you go on your first solo trip?

Memorable Quotes

“That panicked voice usually shows up right before something is about to change your life.”

“The most difficult part is just deciding that you are allowed to go.”

“I figured if I could survive that absolute shitshow dumpster fire of a divorce... I sure as hell could survive eating dinner alone in a city where absolutely no one knew who I was.”

“I’m like the OG of digital nomads, because I was working from home before it was even cool.”

“Every single trip I go on makes my bravery muscle a little bit stronger.”

“Let fear come along for the ride, but just don’t let it drive.”

“Bartenders and servers can actually act like free tour guides with opinions.”

“Nobody likes walking up to somebody who’s got RBF, am I right?”

“People ask me if I get lonely traveling by myself. And sometimes, sure. But I’ve been cared for by strangers in ways I never expected.”

“Home is where you make it, no matter how long or short your stay is.”

Resources Mentioned

* Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP): The free U.S. State Department program Megan forgot to sign up for on her way to Panama. Register your trip and they can alert you if there’s a natural disaster, conflict, or emergency where you are.

* Megan’s Substack post on STEP: The longer version of why she enrolls before every trip, at belongtowhereyouare.com.

* WiFi Tribe: The traveling community of remote workers that sparked Megan’s dream of working abroad back in 2016 (and inspired her first trip to Portugal).

* Solo Travel Sisterhood: A free, good-vibes community for women working up the courage, the confidence, and the plan to go.

* Solo Travel Safety Starter Kit: A practical guide to help you feel prepared, alert, and confident on your first solo trip, without spiraling into fear.

Megan’s travel tips from this episode:

* Sit at the bar when you eat alone. Put the phone down, take the headphones off, and let the conversation find you.

* Carry a little cash, and ask if a restaurant takes cards before you sit down.

* Enroll in STEP before you leave, not after you’re already in the Uber.

Your Turn

Where would you go on your first solo trip? DM Megan on TikTok or Instagram and tell her. Yours might get read on a future episode.

Up Next

Episode 2 is out now. “I really want to go, but I’m scared. Is it safe?” Megan sits down with her dear friend Robin Nagele, a retired U.S. Army Sergeant Major with more than four decades in security, to answer the question she hears every single week on TikTok.

New episodes drop every Tuesday while in season. Follow or subscribe so you don’t miss one, and if this episode meant something to you, leave a rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It’s how another woman who’s on the fence finds this show.

Follow Megan & Belong to Where You Are

* Solo Travel Sisterhood (free community)

* Solo Travel Safety Starter Kit

* Substack: belongtowhereyouare.com

* TikTok: @belongtowhereyouare

* Instagram: @belongtowhereyouare_

The scariest part of solo travel isn’t the trip. It’s saying yes.

Welcome to Belong to Where You Are Podcast, the show for women who feel the pull of the world and go anyway, passport in hand, plans loosely held, and bags probably over the weight limit.

Each episode, host Megan sits down with solo traveling women to talk about the leap: learning to love a table for one, the 3 a.m. “what the F am I doing?” moments, and the strangers who become lifelong friends. You’ll also hear from real-life experts on solo travel safety, trip planning, and the confidence it takes to travel alone for the first time.

What’s coming:✈️

Tuesday, October 13: Episodes 1 and 2 drop together

* Episode 1: Meet Megan, and hear how eight solo trips, fifteen-plus countries, and forty-four states taught her that the silver lining is usually just a plane ride away

* Episode 2: Solo travel safety with top security expert Robin Nagele

After that, new episodes arrive every Tuesday.

Don’t miss a stamp: Follow Belong to Where You Are on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen, and turn on notifications so the double launch shows up in your feed.

Then go book that ticket. 🧭

Follow Megan & Belong to Where You Are:

Solo Travel Sisterhood (free community)

Solo Travel Safety Starter Kit

Substack: belongtowhereyouare.com

TikTok: @belongtowhereyouare

Instagram: @belongtowhereyouare_