Recommended: Travel solo for self renewal
This is the second in a series entitled “Recommended: Travel Solo in …” Every author will share one of their favorite places, ways, modes, gear… for solo travel. “Recommended: Travel Solo for Self Renewal is by Gwen McCauley, a Life Transition Coach, coach trainer & retreat facilitator passionate about travel. Read more at www.ouicoach.com.
I’ve traveled solo for over 35 years. Sometimes it is a joy to travel with others, but I’ve finally admitted that my best trips, my deepest memories, come from when I’ve journeyed solo. Continue reading
FREE eBook of Solo Travel Tales
I get to tell my tales of traveling solo all the time. But you, the readers have many stories to tell as well. This is why I put out the call for contributions to a free eBook about solo… Continue reading
Ten Reasons to Travel Solo After 50
Gray hair. Blue skies. Me on the Mississippi.
Every week, people reach this blog by searching the words: “solo travel after 50”. Accompanying these words are others like: safety; why; is it smart… There seems to be some concern about age and solo travel. From my perspective, there shouldn’t be. Continue reading
Chasing Change: Mark Twain, Joan Baez
& Volunteers Traveling Solo
Last week, within the course of a few days, I heard a Mark Twain quote, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness…”, and, a recording of Joan Baez singing “We Shall Overcome” at a rally in Alabama in the 60s.
Twain was promoting travel to affect internal change – to broaden perspectives, break down stereotypes and reduce prejudice. A century later, Baez sang to people who traveled to Alabama to achieve essentially the same things, and more. As part of the civil rights movement they sought external change as well.
It got me thinking about this century. Do we still travel for change? What kind of change? Why do people do it? And, what is achieved? Continue reading
A Short Survey and Some Blue Sky Thinking
So far, Solo Traveler has been a hobby — a wonderful, all-consuming hobby. I live and breathe it morning to night.
My day job is writing websites and business articles but my passion is working on this blog. So, I’m deliberating its future. Are there ways in which I can add value to Solo Traveler and maybe generate a bit of income?
This is not my decision alone. Continue reading
Why travel solo? or
If I wasn’t single, would I still travel solo?
The short answer is: YES!
If you have read the back story you know that, after a very full life of travel with family – lots of travel – I have recently returned to solo travel. I say returned because I used to travel solo, before husband and kids. Now, with three solo travel adventures complete as an adult, I have to say: even if I wasn’t single, I would still travel solo.
Is that weird? Continue reading
Solo Travel Giggle (er, Google) Searches
I don’t pretend to understand them. I just report them.
The majority of search terms that connect people to Solo Traveler are Continue reading
7 Things You Don’t Love About Solo Travel
Meeting people can be very safe when you stay in pubic.
Before I launched this blog, I took a survey to find out how many friends and family travel solo, what they like and dislike about it, what tips they would… Continue reading
Chasing Celebrity: Elvis and Michael as travel destinations.
Elvis' beloved Graceland
I recently traveled to Memphis, TN and Elvis Presley’s beloved Graceland. At the end of the Graceland tour is the Meditation Garden where the Presley family is laid to rest. There, at Elvis’ grave, visitors wept. Thirty-two years after he died, people who did not know him except through his public persona, wept. Would they have done so for their own father 32 years on? Celebrity, and our relation to it, is curious. Continue reading
Slow Travel Solo
I don’t travel to see made-for-tourism attractions. I don’t believe in seeing every sight a city has to offer. I travel in search of new perspectives. I want to see how others live. And I want to try to understand why.
Dashing from museum to famous Continue reading
A Message to Young Solo Travelers
I didn’t see it coming. I don’t know why. I should have.
My youngest son had just about every one of his July birthdays on the road. At two, he was headed west and celebrated at a Swiss Chalet in Thunder Bay. At three, I poached him a cake on a Coleman stove at a campsite in Newfoundland. His 5th was in the south of France. At 11, we actually took him out of school for a year to travel.
Continue reading
Going Solo: Are you Spiderman or Superman?
Superheroes have to be extroverts to take on the world. For Superman, this is natural. His superhero costume is always on. He covers it up to become Clark Kent and blend in with the world then changes in a phone booth with window on all sides! He is, without doubt, an extrovert.
Spiderman, on the other hand, Continue reading
Travel & Culture: Good manners and political perspectives.
As the story goes, when Queen Victoria received a guest who poured tea into his saucer and drank from it, she promptly did the same. Good manners dictated that making her guest comfortable trumped Her Majesty’s standards.Last week Michaelle… Continue reading
Planning a solo vacation?
Chances are you’re Irish.
According to research on Google, more people from Ireland search for solo vacation information than from any other country. In fact, North America falls behind Ireland, the United Kingdom and Australia when it comes to their interest in a solo vacation. Canadians are just a smidge ahead of Americans on the list. Continue reading
Solo Travel as a Spiritual Journey
It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living.I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.
From The Invitation
by Oriah Mountain Dreamer
These words by Oriah Mountain Dreamer speak to the essence of what both she and Ainslie MacLeod shared in recent interviews about solo travel as a spiritual journey– that travel helps us understand the true desires of our hearts and souls. Continue reading
Solo Walking: Slow down and enjoy
A walking holiday is an opportunity to slow down and explore paths less traveled. It’s a chance to enjoy sights, sounds and smells that you would otherwise miss. It offers time to relax, think and ponder on a journey that can be as spiritual as it is physical.
There are many people who are avid long distance walkers but for me, solo walking has simply been a way to explore cities. I cover miles on foot without even thinking about it until I fall exhausted into bed at the end of the day. Because a true walking holiday has not been my thing, I contacted a friend of a friend, Kathy Stewart, who also happens to be veteran of walking tours and trip planner with Butterfield & Robinson (B&R), for insight. Continue reading
The Solo Curmudgeon – 10 ways to find solitude.
A curmudgeon– a grouch, whiner, malcontent – wouldn’t normally head out solo to explore the world and all it’s wonders. These people are more inclined to stay at home determined to avoid social interaction. As a solo traveler, this is definitely not you.
Or is it? Maybe, on occasion, we are all curmudgeons on the road. Continue reading
No Single Supplement!
Since writing this post I have added a deals page to this blog with travel opportunities that have no single supplement. I have a google alert looking for such deals and every time I find one I add it to the list. Please have a look. Hopefully there will be something of interest to you: Solo Travel Deals
POST UPDATE – Visit Solo Travel Deals page
Top Ten Reasons You Love to Travel Solo.
Traveling solo is a very different experience than traveling with companions, family or tours. But how is it different. In what ways can it be better. I surveyed over fifty solo travel enthusiasts and here’s what they had to say. Continue reading
The Fore-story
So the idea stuck. While I will continue my work as a freelance copy and content writer, I am dedicating personal time to the Solo Travel Blog and the Solo Travel Society. I’m feeding my passion.
In the Solo Travel… Continue reading
About Janice Waugh and Tracey Nesbitt
I'm an author, blogger, speaker and traveler. I became a widow and empty-nester at about the same time. And then, I became Solo Traveler... Here's the full story. >>
I’m a writer, editor, food and wine fanatic, and traveler. On my very first trip abroad I learned that solo travel was for me. Here's the full story. >>
As Seen In…
2nd edition of The Solo Traveler’s Handbook
The 2nd edition of The Solo Traveler's Handbook is part of The Traveler's Handbook series. Click on the book and check them all out on Amazon. Also available in iTunes, Barnes & Noble, Chapters/Indigo and more.Follow Solo Traveler
