The Thoughtful Travel Podcast

Sometimes, the things we learn from travel creep up on us in a cumulative way. Other times, one trip teaches us so much and just whacks us in the head and makes us change something significant about our lives! And this episode of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast is definitely about the latter situation. First up I talk to Dean O'Shea who took off on a huge challenge to hike the Pacific Crest Trail in California when he was 22 - and he chose it purely because it was the longest, hardest journey listed in his mother's book of long, hard journeys! What happened in and after California is not what you'd expect - and certainly not what Dean expected either - but it changed his life in some significant ways. I then chat with Seng Mah, a friend of mine here in Perth who has long told me that going to India is life-changing for many people (and yes, I'm now convinced I need to go there sometime!). Seng's first experience of travelling through India gave him so many insights and new perspectives that his life then changed very significantly, changes that have lasted now for a decade. Links: Sign up to hear about the new Travel Journal School course, "Start a personal travel blog", at https://traveljournalschool.com Dean’s site Unbelievable Adventures - https://www.unbelievableadventures.co.uk/  Seng Mah at Venture Photography - https://www.venturephotography.com.au Join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Show notes: http://notaballerina.com/133 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's my birthday! Well, yesterday was my birthday, which means this week is the THIRD anniversary of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast. That's three years of the chance to chat with awesome, like-minded, travel-loving people from all around the world, and to share the results with a fabulous audience who challenge me with their interesting questions and share their amazing travel experiences with me. In this special third anniversary episode I answer questions from listeners (via the Thoughtful Traveller Facebook group) about topics as diverse as accommodation, language learning, photography, travelling with kids, environmentally aware travel, destination choosing and more. I also divulge some of the statistics behind the listeners and downloads of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast which I kind of obsessively follow (it's my maths degree that makes me love the stats, I think!). A huge thank you to every one of my listeners, whether you've just started tuning in to The Thoughtful Travel Podcast or you've been there since day one, a whole three years ago! Links: 10 Thoughts I'm Thinking About Thoughtful Travel episode - https://notaballerina.com/110 Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Show notes: http://notaballerina.com/132 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm an incredibly firm believer in the value of taking your children travelling, and my own son, about to turn nine, has already been to 17 countries with me, on a real variety of kinds of trips - and it's been pivotal in how he's developed as a wonderful little human so far. The guests on Episode 131 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast all agree with me on this! First up, I chat with Talon Windwalker, who travelled for six years with his child from the age of nine and could see so many benefits from this constant exposure to other cultures. My second guest, Megan Blandford, regularly goes travelling with her two young daughters. While it started out simply as being necessary to bring them along because she and her husband wanted to continue to embrace their love of travel, she has also seen the girls develop numerous life skills through their travel experiences. Finally I talk with Shannon Entin who now has an adult and a teen child and has used travel over the years to supplement her home schooling, and has really found taking her children travelling helped open up the world to them. Links: Scrubba - https://www.thescrubba.com - use discount code AMANDA15 for a 15% discount off any Scrubba product Talon's website - http://1dad1kid.com/  Megan's website -  https://meganblandford.net/   Shannon's website -  https://thetvtraveler.com  Join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/131 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 130 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast - being a nice round number - is another very special episode, where I chat with Brooke McAlary, a very like-minded traveller, book author and podcaster, and a very important friend of the podcast! Brooke and her family have spent the last year slow travelling around North America (with a little faster travel during Brooke's book tour for her book "Slow" ... ironically!). Packing up life in Australia and heading far north for an extended time was a huge deal and in this interview Brooke and I chat about how they made this decision, what it involved for work and for the kids' schooling, and how it's all gone. Like me, Brooke and her husband Ben left Australia in their 20s to spend an extended time abroad, but back then, it was much easier: no kids, no house, their jobs could be whatever they found. Making this kind of "escape" with a family is much trickier and it was great to hear about all the benefits they've found along with the challenges along the way. If you're an aspiring digital nomad, a lover of slow travel or you're keen to spend an extended time living outside of your home country, you'll get some pearls of wisdom from Brooke in this episode for sure. Links: Scrubba - https://www.thescrubba.com - use discount code AMANDA15 for a 15% discount off any Scrubba product Brooke’s website - https://slowyourhome.com Brooke’s book Slow - https://amzn.to/2XPlrqH  Look up The Slow Home Podcast wherever you’re listening to this podcast! Episode 44 when I talked to Brooke about slow travel previously (over 2 years ago) https://notaballerina.com/44  Join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Show notes: http://notaballerina.com/130 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For me, some of the most interesting travel I've done has been the more challenging travel, and that's often when I've travelled to developing or poorer countries. The culture shock is greater, and where there's culture shock, there's learning! - although of course, I always also am reminded that wherever you go, the common denominator is people, and people are really the same across the world. Just the same, travelling in developing countries leads to some really impactful and interesting experiences and the three guests in this episode of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast have great stories to tell about their trips to countries as diverse as Haiti, Madagascar and India. First up, I speak to Fiona Galloway who spent some time in Haiti about twenty years ago. She learnt a lot from her stay in Haiti, and it set her up for her current work running tours for transformative travel. Next I chat to Linda Schlencker who talks about some of the poverty she found away from the key tourist zones of Madagascar. She's travelled widely but was surprised by what she saw there. Finally, I talk with Whitney Taylor who describes an especially impactful trip she took to India with Hands On Journeys.  Links: Thanks to Scrubba - https://www.thescrubba.com - use discount code AMANDA15 for a 15% discount off any Scrubba product Previous episode about Travel in Africa - https://www.notaballerina.com/80 Fiona’s site Wild Awake - https://www.wildawaketravel.com Linda’s site Self Drive Adventures - http://www.selfdriveadventures.com/  Whitney Taylor works with Jito Connected - Inspiring Greatness site - https://jitoconnected.com/inspire/  Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Show notes: http://notaballerina.com/129 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hands up if you like the planning and research part of travel almost as much - or maybe even more - than the actual travelling itself! Some of the guests on Episode 128 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast would freely admit they have something of an obsession with the planning side of travel and you can learn a lot from listening to them, I think (or, like me, you may just giggle!). First up I chat with two spreadsheet-obsessed accountants, Narelle and Shauna, who have a lot in common when it comes to planning their trips in extreme detail. Some of their tips, though, are actually pretty awesome! (Though I draw the line at their perhaps over-the-top Plan B, C and D plans?!) Next I talk to Queen about the research she did ahead of her recent move to live abroad in Mexico, and finally to Tiana who also agrees that a big part of the joy comes in researching and deciding where to go. There are also lots of planning and research tips from Thoughtful Travellers Facebook group members liberally sprinkled throughout the episode. Links: Thanks to Awesome Maps https://awesome-maps.com/ - use AMANDA15 to get a 15% discount  Shauna Thomson - http://www.shaunathomson.com Narelle Wilson's Made Up of Moments blog - https://madeupofmoments.com  Tiana’s site The Travel Temple - http://www.tianatempleman.com/ Queen D Michele’s book Considerations: A Guide For Moving Abroad - https://amzn.to/2WWjHf0   Join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Tweet me @amandakendle Hashtag #thoughtfultravelpod Follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NotABallerina    Show notes: http://notaballerina.com/128 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ever been on a yoga retreat in an exotic destination or considered a meditation vacation? On Episode 127 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast we are talking yoga and meditation travel - where's a good place to go for a yoga holiday, what are the benefits of spending some of your travel time meditating, and much more! My first guest is Meagan Hurst who is my total go-to-gal for all things yoga - and she comes through with some great discussion of yoga teacher training in Nicaragua and also the idea of "DIY yoga retreats", for the budget-conscious yoga traveller. After that I chat to Kate Manser who accidentally went on a multi-year yoga and meditation world tour! She has lots of interesting tips on destinations across Asia and some interesting tales too. Finally, I talk with Queen D Michele who recently moved to live in Mexico, in the Lake Chipala area, which as it turns out is a bit of a hotspot for meditation and yoga and has quite drastically changed the way Queen lives. Links: Thanks to Awesome Maps https://awesome-maps.com/ - use AMANDA15 to get a 15% discount  Their yoga map at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bnYxfkfPuk Meagan Hurst of Malas With a Mission - http://malaswithamission.com/  Kate Manser of You Might Die Tomorrow - https://www.youmightdietomorrow.com/  Queen D Michele’s book Considerations: A Guide For Moving Abroad - https://amzn.to/2WWjHf0   Book Yoga Retreats site mentioned by Kate - https://www.bookyogaretreats.com  Prana Veda in Bali, mentioned by Kate - https://www.pranavedabali.com/en/ Join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Tweet me @amandakendle Hashtag #thoughtfultravelpod Follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NotABallerina    Show notes: http://notaballerina.com/127 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some people feel that language difficulties can be a reason not to travel, but trying to get by in a country where I don't speak the language is actually one of the (many) reasons I love travelling - the challenge and the fun of it are wonderful and mind-broadening! In Episode 126 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast, we cover some of the many difficulties that can arise when there's a language barrier on your travels, along with confessing to some of the funnier language moments my guests, my listeners and I have experienced. A special thank you to members of the Thoughtful Travellers Facebook group who offered up some of their funny language experiences! First up, I chat with Dean O'Shea who, amongst his many other trips, spent four months travelling around to different parts of China. He explains with some funny examples how "speaking Chinese" is just not a thing: he tried to learn different dialects and languages throughout his trip but was constantly thwarted by language barriers.  Next I talk to Joanne Karcz who has spent many years learning Spanish. Like all foreign language users she has had quite a few moments where the message she was trying to communicate wasn't exactly what was received - though at least this makes for funny stories in retrospect! Finally, I talk with Queen D Michele who took on a more serious study of Spanish once she'd decided she was going to move to Mexico to live. We talk about being in the kind of situation where all the learning just flies out of your head - one of many kinds of language difficulties you can have while travelling. Links: Thanks to Awesome Maps https://awesome-maps.com/ - use AMANDA15 to get a 15% discount  Dean’s site Unbelievable Adventures - https://www.unbelievableadventures.co.uk/  Joanne’s site Travel with Joanne - https://www.travelwithjoanne.com/    Queen D Michele’s book Considerations: A Guide For Moving Abroad - https://amzn.to/2WWjHf0  Join our Facebook group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Tweet me @amandakendle Hashtag #thoughtfultravelpod Follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NotABallerina    Show notes: http://notaballerina.com/126 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you dream about spending years living abroad? I've done it, and so have all my guests today, and we are all here to tell you that if you ever get the chance to try - grab it!  Living in another country is a very special experience and quite different from just taking a trip somewhere. And if you can live in several other countries (or more!) like the first guest in this episode, Kelly Dunning, then so much the better. When I spoke to Kelly last year she was living in Tbilisi in Georgia, and we chat in this episode about how she ended up spending the best part of a decade living abroad. Next I talk to Erin Holmes who left Australia with her two young kids planning to travel in Asia for six months ... and didn't come home until five years later. I can relate to that - I left for a year in Japan and spent five and a half years living in three different countries - and we talk about how this can happen! Finally, I talk to Greg Seymour who was a bit more deliberate in his plans to spend years abroad in Costa Rica - although he still didn't have any definite plans. Links: Thanks to Awesome Maps https://awesome-maps.com/ - use AMANDA15 to get a 15% discount Kelly’s site Global Goose - http://www.global-goose.com Erin Holmes at Explore With Erin - https://explorewitherin.com/     Greg’s site Chica and Sunsets - https://chicaandsunsets.com/  Join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Show notes: http://notaballerina.com/125 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You know I love slow travel and if you're travelling on foot that's one of the slowest forms of travel there is - hence my love for the topic of hiking, which is what this episode of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast is all about! I start off the episode talking with highly experienced hiker Greg Seymour, who has through-hiked the Appalachian Trail (amongst other hiking experiences) and we chat about some of the wonderful benefits of being out there in nature. Next I talk with Eva Westerling who, despite considering herself something of a non-hiker when she was younger, has gone on to do some amazing hikes on her travels, particularly in Morocco and Oman. Lasty I chat with Talon Windwalker about his hiking experiences with his daughter both in the United States and in Europe, and how you don't have to be out in the vast wilderness to experience benefits from going for a hike. Links: Book your travel photos with Flytographer - https://www.flytographer.com/ - and get $50 off a shoot by using the code AMANDA50  Greg’s site Chica and Sunsets - https://chicaandsunsets.com/    Greg's post comparing the Appalachian Trail and the Camino de Santiago - https://chicaandsunsets.com/appalachian-trail-vs-the-camino-de-santiago/  Eva’s blog Not Scared of the Jet Lag - http://www.notscaredofthejetlag.com Talon’s website http://1dad1kid.com/ Talon on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/onedad1kid/ Join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Show notes: http://notaballerina.com/124 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.