Getting to meet all kinds of people is one of the best parts of travelling and this episode is full of stories of connecting with people in all kinds of different ways. First up, Kate Peterson tells an amazing story about both her parents' connections with a Greek man back in the 1970s, and her follow-up explorations when she lived in Greece decades later.

I then chat with Tobi Barth, who takes people on tours to see the northern lights in the Yukon, about a special connection he's made from this work. Finally, Lindsay Williams explains a lovely connection made quite randomly in Cuba on a muddy walk that turned into something very special.

Links:

• Kate Peterson’s Art - https://www.katepeterson.art/
• Kate’s travel journal Around the World and Back Again - https://amzn.to/3FTAHZH 
• Tobi Barth of Epic North - https://epic-north.com/ 
• Lindsay Williams of Lindsay Does Languages - https://www.lindsaydoeslanguages.com/ 
• Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers
• Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://notaballerina.com/linkedin
• Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/258

Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this special collaborative episode, I chat with Jeremy Bassetti of the Travel Writing World Podcast. We talk about our most memorable and influential travel reads, what's important about travel literature and why we enjoy it. (So many reasons!)

We also compare our podcast experiences, including talking about writers we've enjoyed talking to (spoiler: we only say nice things!).

And of course, readers like us are very often also writers, so we chat about the future of the travel genre and our own experiences of writing books, and some of our hopes for the future of the industry.

Links:

• Travel Writing World - https://www.travelwritingworld.com/ 
• Info about the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club - https://www.notaballerina.com/bookclub
• Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers 
• Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://notaballerina.com/linkedin
• The Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell - https://amzn.to/3a0oBwD
• Around the World in 80 Trains by Monisha Rajesh - https://amzn.to/2Rvqlrw
• All the Way to the Tigers by Mary Morris - https://amzn.to/3cfiEzY
• A Beginner's Guide to Japan by Pico Iyer - https://amzn.to/3oXYz5y
• Mountains of the Mind by Robert Macfarlane - https://amzn.to/3BfmTFW 
• Video Night in Kathmandu by Pico Iyer - https://amzn.to/3A0DDPZ 
• Shadow City: A Woman Walks Kabul by Taran Khan - https://amzn.to/3B4oyhK 
• Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/257

NotABallerina.com is participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program linked to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, which means we may get compensated at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase through a link.

Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Travel is fun, but even more, it teaches us so much. From life skills to personal development and even changing our fundamental personality, travel has the potential to do it all. I start off this episode briefly mentioning some of the research that has backed this up, but the most important thing is hearing the stories from my three wonderful guests.

First up, I chat with Jennifer Johnston who has one particularly important lesson from travel: learning how similar we all are, no matter what our culture or homelife or language. Next, I talk to Carolanna Lisonbee who spent a year teaching English in China, and this particular experience changed her significantly. Finally, I speak with artist Kate Peterson who points out something I hadn't concretely considered before now - that the contrast of learning about other cultures when you travel helps you understand your own background and culture much more deeply.

Links:

• Jennifer Johnston - https://travelbugwithin.com.au/
• Carolanna Lisonbee’s poetry book - Wisp of Fog Moment - https://amzn.to/3aKbxyh  
• Kate Peterson’s art - https://www.katepeterson.art/  
• Kate’s travel journal Around the World and Back Again - https://amzn.to/3FTAHZH  
• Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers
• Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://notaballerina.com/linkedin
• Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/256

Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the fourth of my Deep Dive Into Thoughtful Travel interview episodes, I chat with Dr Vincie Ho, founder and executive director of the RISE Travel Institute. We met while I was studying for a Certificate in Sustainability and Anti-Oppression in Travel through RISE and I couldn't wait to chat with her about her travel history.

Vincie and I discuss where her love of travel came from, some of her experiences in studying abroad and volunteering, and what her hopes are for RISE Travel Institute and the future of thoughtful travel. It's a great chat which I can safely say we both thoroughly enjoyed, and hope you do too.

Links:

RISE Travel Institute - https://www.risetravelinstitute.org 

My capstone project from my recent RISE course - my topic was ethical wildlife tourism - Episode 252 - https://notaballerina.com/252 

Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers 

Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://notaballerina.com/linkedin

Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/255

Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The ultimate long trip is not a trip at all: migrating to another country has much in common with long-term travel, but then, you never go home. Episode 254 is about migrating to Australia in particular - it interests me greatly to hear more about how and why people have moved to my home country, and what they like or dislike about it.

First up, I chat with Catherine Marshall, who migrated from South Africa almost two decades ago. As she mentions, we have a significant number of South African migrants here in my hometown of Perth, so it's especially intriguing to hear more about her experiences.

I then speak with Anuj, a migrant from India who now lives in Melbourne, after initially coming to Australia to complete postgraduate study. Fifteen years on, he seems very happy here!

Finally, I talk to Lucky Legong, another immigrant from South Africa who arrived in Australia more recently after being offered a job at Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island. From never having considered Australia as a destination, to migrating here and working for more than four years now in the tourism industry, Lucky has enjoyed her experience of moving to Australia - and that makes me glad!

Links:

• Thanks to our sponsor, Proudly South African in Perth - https://proudlysouthafricaninperth.com 
• Cost of living in Australia calculator - https://proudlysouthafricaninperth.com/product/cost-of-living-in-australia-calculator/
• Aussie slang for new migrants - https://proudlysouthafricaninperth.com/settle/guide-aussie-slang-new-migrants/ 
• Putting petrol in your car - https://proudlysouthafricaninperth.com/settle/how-to-put-petrol-in-your-car/
• Catherine Marshall - Time to Wander - https://www.timetowander.com.au 
• Thanks to Anuj in Melbourne, a listener who’s become a friend
• Lucky Legong from the Baillie Lodges group - baillielodges.com.au and profile at https://baillielodges.com.au/success-stories/lucky-legong/ 
• Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers
• Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://notaballerina.com/linkedin
• Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/254

Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Walking is such a wonderful way to explore the world - it's a way to slow down, really look around you, often to get in touch with nature too, and it's healthy and environmentally-friendly as well. In Episode 253 I chat with travellers who've walked in many parts of the world and got so much out of it that it'll make you want to follow in their (literal!) footsteps.

First up, I chat with Kath and Howie of The Museum of Us, a couple who have become quite addicted to long walks over the last few years - curiously, as the result of knee injuries. I talk with Kath and Howie about their experience of walking the Camino a few years back.

Next, Justin Watson tells the story of a popular walk in Bhutan to see the Tiger's Nest Monastery or Paro Taktsang in Bhutan. It's a pretty vertical walk and it's a fun story!

Finally, Tara Wells talks to me about how to get the most out of walking - she's just published a guide book on a long Sydney walk, so she should know!

Links:

• Kath and Howie’s YouTube channel The Museum of Us - https://www.youtube.com/themuseumofus 
• Justin’s blog Justin’s World - http://www.justins.world
• Tara Wells’ website - https://www.tarawellsauthor.com/
• Tara’s book, The Bondi to Manly Walk - https://amzn.to/3lNeL9u 
• Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers
• Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://notaballerina.com/linkedin
• Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/253

Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Should we ride elephants? (For me, the answer is definitely no.) 

But did you know that at one stage, the offering of elephant rides was seen as being part of "saving" them from a tortuous life working in the forestry industry, dragging heavy logs around?

And did you know there are now thousands of domesticated elephants in Thailand who still need to be supported, somehow?

While I always strive to be an ethical wildlife tourist, diving deeper into this topic has proven to me it's never as black and white as we think, and that many solutions to these kind of problems are best solved through empowerment and many discussions with the local people involved - and that this is not a quick or easy solution, but a better one for sure!

This is a special episode of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast - I've put it together as part of the requirements for the Certificate in Sustainability and Anti-Oppression in Travel, a fabulous course I've been studying through the RISE Travel Institute. See the show notes for references, more information and videos.

Links:

• RISE Travel Institute - https://www.risetravelinstitute.org
• Catherine Marshall at Time To Wander - https://www.timetowander.com.au 
• World Animal Protection - https://www.worldanimalprotection.org.au 
• Animondial - https://animondial.com  
• Diana Edelman's post about riding elephants in Thailand - https://dtravelsround.com/2015/08/11/truth-about-riding-elephants-in-thailand/
• Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers
• Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://notaballerina.com/linkedin
• Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/252

Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the third of my Deep Dive Into Thoughtful Travel interview episodes, I chat with Penny Rafferty in South Australia, with a wide-ranging discussion about all manner of thoughtful travel topics.

I started off asking Penny about her fascinating career trajectory, which sees her now taking the roles of both Head of Sustainability at Tourism Australia and Executive Officer of Luxury Lodges of Australia. Her roles have given her plenty of food for thought and we discuss both her professional and personal experiences of tourism and travel, how travel can change us, and how travellers can change the world.

Links:

• Luxury Lodges of Australia - 

  https://luxurylodgesofaustralia.com.au  Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers

• Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://notaballerina.com/linkedin

• Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/251

Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This special episode is the audio of the Facebook Livestream of the August 2021 meeting of the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, talking about All the Way to the Tigers with author Mary Morris.

You can find out more about Mary at her website https://marymorris.net and read the book at https://amzn.to/3cfiEzY 

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 

Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's the semiquincentennial episode of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast (and listener Justin, who features in this episode, told me about that crazy word in the Thoughtful Travellers Facebook group) - in any case, it's Episode 250, a round-numbered episode and time for something totally different!

One of the most fabulous parts of running this podcast for over five years is the people I've met - some of whom have become good friends who I can't imagine not knowing! I feature as selection of them in this episode - just a handful out of many - and I'm so grateful that running this podcast gave me the chance to get to know them.

From the UK, I feature Ian Oliver (who now runs his own podcast, Travel Tales from Beyond the Brochure), and Penny Wincer, who is originally Australian but now resides in England. Out of Europe I mention Eva Westerling who lived in Germany when we first chatted but has spent more time in Morocco of late, and also Erin Gustaffson of Oregon Girl Around the World, an American currently based in Denmark. And finally, I talk about Justin Watson, a fellow Aussie and a friend I made through the Thoughtful Travellers group, who's now my cohost of the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club.

All in all, it's a mix of a behind the scenes episode, and a wave of gratitude for all the fabulous people I've got to know over the last five years - thank you all of you!

Links:

• Ian from Travel Tales from Beyond the Brochure - https://barefoot-backpacker.com 
• Penny Wincer - pennywincerwrites.com 
• Eva from Not Scared of the Jet Lag  - notscaredofthejetlag.com
• Erin from Oregon Girl Around the World - oregongirlaroundtheworld.com
• Justin’s blog - http://www.justins.world 
• Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers
• Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://notaballerina.com/linkedin
• Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/250

Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.