This week Amanda talks to parents about travelling with their kids, and also chats with some kids about travel.

Episode 7 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast is all about making unexpected friendships when you travel. Getting to know local people is one of my favourite parts of travelling, and my two guests have had some great experiences doing just that in various parts of the world.

First up is Bethaney Davies from Flashpacker Family, who has two really interesting stories to tell about friendships she established with local people in Vietnam and Myanmar. Her tale of meeting the monk in Myanmar (who, yes, is on Facebook) is one of my favourite stories ever!

My second guest is Jeff Sandquist of the Intentionally Wandering podcast. He tells of how his experiences couchsurfing on his solo road trip around the United States helped him make two new friends who he’s still in touch with.   Links:

• Bethaney at Flashpacker Family http://flashpackerfamily.com
• Jeff at Intentionally Wandering http://www.intentionallywandering.com
• Jeff’s Intentionally Wandering podcast on iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/intentionally-wandering/id1002563000?mt=2
• Couchsurfing (try it yourself!) https://www.couchsurfing.com
• My story of meeting Mohammed in Egypt http://www.notaballerina.com/2012/05/two-egyptians-and-my-privilege-to.html
• Can you help me find my friend Yuko? http://www.notaballerina.com/2013/03/where-is-yuko-long-lost-japanese-friend.html
• Show notes at https://notaballerina.com/07 

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Amanda talks to two travellers about the unexpected friendships they've made while travelling.

Whether good or bad, facing surprises is usually part of travel. In Episode 6 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast I’m talking to two other travellers about the surprises they’ve encountered on their travels.   First up is Candace Rardon, someone I was super-excited to interview and have known online for some years. Candace is a sketch artist, writer, photographer and all-round travel genius and a deep thinker on travel as well. She shares several stories of surprises she’s had when her expectations have been shattered on her travels - and how this always turns out for the best.   Next I talk to Jeff Sandquist of the Intentionally Wandering podcast. He philosophically talks about how surprised he has been by the impact of travel on his life and how the lessons from travel have been drawn back into this everyday life at home, too.   Links:

• Candace Rose Rardon at The Great Affair http://www.candaceroserardon.com
• Candace’s book on Amazon Beneath the Lantern's Glow: Sketches and Stories from Southeast Asia and Japan http://www.amazon.com/Beneath-Lanterns-Glow-Sketches-Southeast/dp/1490503641
• Jeff Sandquist at Intentionally Wandering http://www.intentionallywandering.com
• Jeff’s Intentionally Wandering podcast on iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/intentionally-wandering/id1002563000?mt=2
• Camel race in Tunisia http://www.notaballerina.com/2011/12/dont-back-camel-in-tunisias-sahara.html
• Not finished with Iceland http://www.notaballerina.com/2015/10/why-im-not-finished-with-iceland-yet.html
• Show notes at https://notaballerina.com/06
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Amanda talks to two other travellers about the surprises they’ve encountered on the road.

Episode 5 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast is partly about fear, and partly about confidence. I think they go hand in hand when it comes to travelling! I’ve certainly experienced my share of fears about travelling and I know I’m not alone.

My first guest today is Leyla Giray Alyanak of Women on the Road, and although she’s one of the people I think of as a guru in the solo travel for women area, she confesses that she has a bunch of fears related to travel, and I think that’s important for all of us to realise - we can be scared, but we can still travel.

Following Leyla, I share a great chat with Bethaney Davies of Flashpacker Family, who tells me all about the first time she travelled on her own. Let’s just say it started with a week of tears in her hotel room but got far better than that.   Links:   

• Leyla at Women on the Road http://www.women-on-the-road.com
• Episode 2 feature Leyla’s stories about getting lost http://www.notaballerina.com/2016/03/thoughtful-travel-podcast-episode-2-terror-getting-lost.html
• Bethaney at Flashpacker Family http://flashpackerfamily.com
• Show notes at https://notaballerina.com/05

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This episode of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast is partly about fear, and partly about confidence.

Episode 4 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast starts the conversation about the thorny issue of cultural stereotypes - and how travelling and meeting people of all different cultures can really help you smash through stereotypes and learn that people really are all the same.

The first guest in this episode is Canadian travel blogger turned Peruvian resident Nora Dunn of The Professional Hobo, and she has an interesting tale to tell about meeting some indigenous Australians at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra. Nora is followed by another extract from my fabulous chat with Kiliii Fish, who has worked extensively with indigenous people across the world and has so much of interest to say on the subject.

Finally, I chatted with Joe Baur of the Without A Path podcast about other stereotypical views people have, particularly when it comes to labelling a country and its people as either safe or dangerous. All of these guests will leave you something to think about, I’m sure!   Links: 

• Nora Dunn - The Professional Hobo http://www.theprofessionalhobo.com
• Nora’s post about visiting me! http://www.theprofessionalhobo.com/travel-tips-resources/tales-of-trains-journey-destination/
• Dear Nora column  https://www.creditwalk.ca/category/dear-nora/
• Kiliii Fish http://www.kiliii.com/
• Kiliii on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kiliiifish/
• Joe Baur http://joebaur.com
• Without A Path podcast http://withoutapath.com
• Joe’s recent episode on American stereotypes http://joebaur.com/2016/03/08/travel-stereotypes-what-to-pack/

• Show notes at https://notaballerina.com/04

 

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This week, Amanda chats with three travellers about the stereotypes they've encountered - and disproven - through their travels.

Episode 3 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast is all about staying with locals on your travels and some of the many bonuses that come with meeting local people. It is definitely a different experience to staying in a hotel in the main tourist zone!   I start of this episode chatting with Kerstin Pilz about her many experiences staying with locals, such as the time she went to Cuba accidentally alone and ended up being put up by a whole extended family wherever she travelled. I also chat to Linda and Craig Martin who have used Couchsurfing many times with great success, and made lifelong friends as well as having a roof over their heads. Finally, travel writer Tim Leffel has some good tips about staying out in the suburbs to really get a good feel for a place.   Links: 

• Workaway https://www.workaway.info
• Couchsurfing https://www.couchsurfing.com
• Airbnb https://www.airbnb.com
• WWOOF http://www.wwoof.net
• Craig and Linda at Indie Travel Podcast http://indietravelpodcast.com
• Craig and Linda at Performance Foundary http://performancefoundry.com
• Travelpilz http://travelpilz.com
• Tim Leffel http://timleffel.com
• 5 things my daughter is getting out of living abroad - Tim Leffel https://www.notaballerina.com/2014/11/guest-post-5-things-daughter-getting-living-abroad-whether-likes-not.html
• Show notes at https://notaballerina.com/03

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