The Thoughtful Travel Podcast

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.

Getting to know the cultural differences between different countries and nationalalities is one of the most fascinating parts of travelling, I think. In Episode 123 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast I chat with three travellers who've experienced cultural differences in countries like China, South Korea and Spain, and I learn a whole lot in the process! First up, I talk with Jacky Lamenzo who spent a year teaching in China with another American friend. They discovered all sorts of interesting things about being obviously foreign looking in a new country. Next, Lindsay and Marshall who are currently living in Barcelona with their young son talk about some of the key differences between life in Spain and life back in the United States. Finally, Sandra Muller who is an Aussie like meexplains some of what she's learnt about South Korean cultural differences over the years, as she's lived and worked there several times and is married to a Korean guy, too! Links: Flytographer - https://www.flytographer.com/ - and get $50 off a shoot by using the code AMANDA50  Jacky’s website - https://www.jackylamenzo.com Lindsay and Marshall at Tumble Travels - http://tumbletravels.com/  Lindsay and Marshall’s Tumble podcast - http://sciencepodcastforkids.com/  Sandra Muller - https://www.sandralmuller.com      Sandra’s The Smarter Writer https://thesmarterwriter.com    Join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Show notes: http://notaballerina.com/123 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Easily one of my favourite and most rewarding things to do when I travel is find the chance to talk to locals. I don't want to just see the sights: I want to know what it's like to live there! Especially after living in three different countries to my own (and each quite different from the other), I'm utterly fascinated by local customs, thoughts and ways of life and so Episode 122 is all about talking to locals when you travel. The first guest is Eva Westerling, who recently went on a long trip to Morocco (prompted by this podcast - she heard previous guest Anna Kwiecinska speaking of trekking in Morocco, got in touch, and off they went together!). During this trip, Eva had the chance to get to know her two Moroccan guides really well and she tells us what she learnt from them. Following Eva, we stay in Morocco but chat to Talon Windwalker. He spent some time housesitting in Morocco and got to know a local very well - to the point where they could have conversations about some really tricky topics, which proved very eye-opening. Finally I chat to Joanne Karcz who discovered the Global Greeter Network when she went to Bilbao a few years back - it sounds like a fantastic way to meet locals, and Joanne is now a greeter herself back in Sydney. Links: Flytographer - https://www.flytographer.com/ - and get $50 off a shoot by using the code AMANDA50  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/ Joanne’s site Travel with Joanne https://www.travelwithjoanne.com/    https://globalgreeternetwork.com  Join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Show notes: http://notaballerina.com/122 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Travelling in cold places is absolutely not my speciality - so Episode 121 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast is a useful one for me personally! I chat with three travellers about their experiences in cold places like Iceland, Finland and Canada; the result is a good reminder that I shouldn't ignore a destination just because the temperatures are low! First up I chat to Lucas Peters who recently took a trip to Iceland. Now, Iceland will always be one of my favourite destinations, but it definitely fits the cold bill - I visited during mid-summer and still needed all the warm clothes I could find!! Tamara Gruber then tells me about her experience visiting Quebec City for their Winter Carnival. It sounds realy, really cold - and yet really awesome, too. Finally, I talk to Erin Holmes who grew up in Western Australia like me, and therefore wasn't quite prepared for the crazy cold temperatures she and her kids experienced in northern Finland one Christmas. Fortunately, it was all worth it. Links: Flytographer - https://www.flytographer.com/  Lucas Peters - http://www.lucasmpeters.com/  Tamara’s podcast Vacation Mavens - http://vacationmavens.com/ Tamara’s blog We3Travel - https://we3travel.com Erin Holmes at Explore With Erin - http://explorewitherin.com/     Erin’s Instagram - https://instagram.com/explorewitherin Winter tips from group member Merry - https://www.visitcalgary.com/things-to-do/stories-from-calgary/winter-tips-for-families from Merry Swimming in Iceland tips - https://www.notaballerina.com/2014/11/promise-great-hot-dogs-iceland-interview-kari-gislason.html Join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Show notes: http://notaballerina.com/121  Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.