I'm very excited to bring you Marybeth Bond (better known as the Gutsy Traveler) whom I'm fortunate enough to call a mentor, but more importantly a kindred spirit & a friend. Around 20 years ago, when Marybeth was 30, she decided to travel the world solo for two years. When I was 34, I did the same, but for one year & with a lot more technology & information at my fingertips.

Needless to say, Marybeth is my hero & I want to be her when I grow up! Today we talk about a new edition of her award-winning book "Gutsy Women," & some of her safety tips for women as well as her amazing adventures abroad.

Make sure to check out her website GutsyTraveler.com, which is chock-full of tips for solo women as well as lots of information & articles for the general traveler. And keep an eye out for Marybeth's Bucket List items that she's always checking off by following her on Twitter at @GutsyTraveler.

When In Roam: Marybeth Bond

Whenever I tell people that I’m a travel writer, their first response tends to be to raise their eyebrows followed by lots of questions. What’s it like? Where have you been? How did you first get into that business? I understand their reactions, since this career can be considered a bit...eccentric. But it also means that I’m fortunate enough to call some of the most fascinating people my friends, since travel writers are always on the ready with a good story. So stay tuned every other Monday for a new conversation between myself & an author. I hope you enjoy their tales of adventures, exotic foods, interesting traditions, & perilous interactions abroad as much as I have!

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

My next guest is a kindred spirit of mine, mainly in the way that she likes to travel, but also because of her magazine journalism background. Abbie Kozolchyk is the beauty & travel editor of "Every Day with Rachael Ray," but I was dying to chat with her at Hostelling International in New York because she's been published six times in the Travelers' Tales "Best Women's Travel Writing" book series. That seriously has to be a record!

So listen to her inspiring tales from abroad, because the way that Abbie describes her travels is like poetry...

And if you've been inspired to take a shot at getting published in the "Best Travel Writing" or the "Best Women's Travel Writing" book series, then check out the submission guidelines at TravelersTales.com/guidelines, & also keep an eye out for the 2014 volumes in April & May on Amazon. You can also follow Abbie's adventures at AbbieKozolchyk.com & on Twitter at @AbbieKozolchyk.

Good luck, I hope I get to read YOUR tales from the road soon!

When In Roam: Abbie Kozolchyk

I've been looking forward to speaking with Matt Stabile, the founder and editor in chief of TheExpeditioner.com, for quite a while now. That's mainly because of his irreverent take on travel. After all, life on the road is supposed to be fun, & Matt tells it like it is, both on his blog & in his book "The Expeditioner's Guide to the World."

I hope you enjoy our conversation at Hostelling International in New York as much as I did, & that it inspires you to get out there & find your own voice in travel!


If you'd like a shot at getting published on either The Expeditioner website or in the next installment of Matt's book, make sure to reach out to him at Matt.Stabile@TheExpeditioner.com. You can also view his submission guidelines on TheExpeditioner.com. Good luck!

When In Roam: Matt Stabile

Let me tell you a story. Last April, I spoke at the NY Travel Festival, & I met the most amazing girl named Kelly Lewis. Kelly's the founder of Go! Girl Guides, a guidebook series that's tailored toward the specific needs of women on the road. After the festival, we went to the nearest Irish pub with my friend Masha Vapnitchnaia, & between the three of us, we came up with the idea to start a women's travel festival which has never been done before. I don't know, maybe it was the pints that inspired us...

But the difference is that Kelly, Masha, & another wonderful travel blogger named Mickela Mallozzi took off with the idea & made it happen, & I'm so proud of these three gals! I recently sat down with Kelly at Hostelling International in New York to chat with her about all things travel & women's empowerment.

I hope to see you at the Women's Travel Fest on March 8th, 2014 in New York, because it's going to be an inspiring event filled with kindred-spirit traveling sisters! So grab your tickets soon at www.WomensTravelFest.com or at www.GoGirlGuides.com, becuase prices go up after the New Year. Plus, it was just announced that the adorable Samantha Brown from numerous TV shows is going to be speaking as well, which I'm personally jumping up & down about! I'm looking forward to seeing you there.

When In Roam: Kelly Lewis

If you're a huge outdoor buff like I am, then my next guest is for you! Peter Potterfield has spent the past several decades climbing some of the most treacherous peaks & mountain ranges in the world, & has spent countless hours exploring backcountry that man has never seen before.

Then in the '90s, Peter took a huge fall that nearly cost him his life, which he writes about eloquently in his highly acclaimed book "In the Zone: Epic Survival Stories from the Mountaineering World." Listen to his harrowing tale, because it will definitely leave you on the edge of your seat!

I hope that Peter's passion for the great outdoors inspires you to start exploring all the beauty that Mother Nature has to offer. And be sure to follow along on Peter's next adventure at www.PeterPotterfield.com, or on Twitter at @ClassicHikes.

When In Roam: Peter Potterfield

It is my absolute pleasure to bring you the brilliant Jason Cochran. And I mean brilliant, not just in travel, but also his insights about the entire media industry, plus he's a huge history buff. I'm thrilled that Jason & I share a common background as previous editors at Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel magazine, so listen to his tips about traveling on a budget, not getting scammed abroad, & what it's like to work for the legendary Mr. Frommer.

I'm also pleased to announce that Jason is the new Editor In Chief of Frommers.com, plus he's written two new guidebooks that will be the flagship publications of Arthur Frommer's relaunch of his new series (the first under his direct editorial control in decades!). Mr. Frommer's new direction for guidebooks will be under $10, less cumbersome, & more opinionated. So make sure to check out the new "EasyGuides" series, especially Jason's guidebook about London due out in November, & his Walt Disney World/Orlando guidebook in January.

So congrats to Jason & the entire Frommer's brand! Whomever said guidebooks are dead was sadly mistaken...

When In Roam: Marybeth Bond

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