Women Who Travel | Condé Nast Traveler

When we caught up with Dina Nayeri over the phone last week, she was, quite aptly, rushing through the streets of Paris. If she had her way, the writer and author would probably never stop moving, she tells us, thanks to a constant itch for travel that has taken her all over the world. But that urgency to cross borders is deeply rooted in her personal history as a refugee: At the age of eight, she fled Iran with her mother and brother to Dubai, and then on to a refugee camp in Italy, before eventually settling in the U.S. "My formative years were about getting out of a place, and so the feeling of being stuck to a land, to a country, is one of my most deeply instilled fears," she says. "I have a French passport and an American one, and I carry them everywhere I go." We chat to Dina about how she chronicled her refugee journey in her most recent book, Ungrateful Refugee: What Immigrants Never Tell You. Plus, we learn about the present-day refugees she met while researching it, the travels that have shifted her perspective, and how she stays connected to Iranian culture decades after leaving her home. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

In the fourth installment of our FAQ series, we're joined by Traveler's community editor (and WWT advice columnist) Megan Spurrell and special projects director Lauren DeCarlo to answer some of your most burning travel questions, including how to figure the right time to start traveling with your kids (spoiler alert: it's different for everybody), the right way to adjust to post-travel blues, and where to go in Mexico over Dia de los Muertos. Plus, Meredith gives her two cents on why you should use every single one of your vacation days—and how to negotiate with your boss for more time off when you need it.Want to submit a question to the advice column or for a future episode? Drop it into the Women Who Travel Facebook group or email womenwhotravel@cntraveler.com. Not only could you hear from Traveler editors themselves, but you'll have more than 140,000 women come to your aid, too. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

A few weeks ago, Jessica Nabongo became the first black woman to visit every country in the world when she stepped foot in the Seychelles. We’ve been following her journey for years and to celebrate her enormous accomplishment, we’re throwing it back to when we spoke with her in January when she was in Malawi, country 151 of 195. You can read all about the end of Jessica's journey and what she’s learned here: https://www.cntraveler.com/story/jessica-nabongo-on-what-visiting-195-countries-has-taught-her Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Do you ever feel so much pressure to eat, see, and do everything on a trip that you end up feeling utterly overwhelmed and exhausted before you've even touched the ground? Same here. In fact, sometimes it feels like we get so distracted by everything we're supposed to experience that we often end up missing out on the best thing about travel: actually getting to know a place. For this week’s episode we’re joined by Erika Owen, author of 'The Art of Flaneuring: How to Wander with Intention and Discover a Better Life, and sex and wellness writer—and Women Who Travel contributor—Laura Delarato to talk about how we all need to just slow down a bit when we’re traveling. The key takeaways? It's fine to give yourself permission to do less, Iceland is a flaneur's dream destination, and travel should be an opportunity to remove the noise in your life, not add to it. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Family travel comes in all shapes and sizes these days: Women Who Travel contributor Priya Krishna takes an annual trip with 20 of her extended family members; editor Megan Spurrell travels each July 4 with her sisters and mom; and editor Corina Quinn heads south, to coastal South Carolina, where her slew of nieces and nephews will be endlessly entertained. Truly experts when it comes to making everyone happy on long stretches of close family time, we asked these three how they survive—and even thrive—on their annual multi-gen trips. The key takeaways? Everyone needs alone time. Finding one spot to post up for the week or so you're spending together is much less stressful than moving between hotels. And trip planning is always easiest when there are fewer cooks in the kitchen (it's also a good time to hire a private chef). Listen in to this week's episode for more of their tricks. Find a full transcription of the episode and more here: https://www.cntraveler.com/story/how-we-learned-to-love-traveling-with-our-families-women-who-travel-podcast Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Full warning: a train comes barreling through the live recording of our podcast at the Feast Portland food festival earlier this month. But it hardly stopped us from chatting with Megan Sanchez, chef and co-owner of Güero, and Nong Poonsukwattana, owner and chef at Nong's Khao Man Gai—two of our favorite women in food right now. The two chefs, who both started with food carts next to each other in Portland, each bring their very different life experiences to the table. Megan's parents' Mexican and Egyptian heritage plays a major role in her menu (nothing brings mezze to mind like a slew of salsa pots, right?). And Nong, who moved to the U.S. in the early 2000s from Bangkok, specializes in the Thai dish she wishes she could have eaten growing up in Thailand: khao man gai, poached chicken served in its broth. Listen in as we talk about what authenticity really means, where they find inspiration in travel, and about women supporting women. (And just ignored aforementioned the train.)Read a full transcription of the episode and more here:  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

There are plenty of ways to see the world: through its food, through nature, or even just by slipping on a pair of sneakers and taking a walk. But for Mickela Mallozzi, a professional dancer and host of the award-winning PBS travel show Bare Feet With Mickela Mallozzi, there is no better way to connect with a new place—and its people—than by dancing, whether it be with the Gnawa tribe in Morocco or the Georgian National Ballet. This episode, we sit down with Mickela to find out how she got the idea for her show in the first place, where it's taken her since, and what to expect from her upcoming season, which sees her tracing her DNA across the globe.ICYMI: Women Who Travel's 2020 trip lineup is here! We're still headed to Colombia and Mexico, but are also introducing Cuba as a brand new destination. Interested? You can find all the information you need at elcamino.travel/women-who-travel.Find more info and a full transcription of the episode here: https://www.cntraveler.com/story/i-traveled-around-the-world-because-of-a-dna-test Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Ever wonder what it would be like to just travel around the country and eat for a living? If so, you'll want to buddy up to this week's guest, Julia Kramer, Bon Appétit's deputy editor and lead for the magazine's Best New Restaurants in America list. Each spring, she travels to more than 200 restaurants, booking double dinners, brunches, lunches, and more to find the best of the best and chisel it all down into one definitive lineup: the Hot 10. A few months ago (when the list was still very much top secret) we sat down with Julia before she headed out on maternity leave to find out just what it takes to do her job—and, of course, where we should be traveling to eat. The result is an episode that has us ready to book flights to Dallas, Detroit, and more for some Malaysian nasi lemak, Laotian noodles, rhubarb danishes, and charcuterie boards. Needless to say, you'll be hungry by the time it's over.Reminder: If you’re in New York City and you want to taste some of the amazing dishes from the Hot 10 restaurants for yourself, Women Who Travel listeners can get 10 percent off tickets to Bon Appétit’s Hot Ten party on October 19 at BAhot10.com with code WWTHOT10.Find a full transcription of the episode and more show notes here: https://www.cntraveler.com/story/what-its-like-eating-at-americas-best-new-restaurants-for-a-living-women-who-travel-podcast Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

There are plenty of perks that come with frequent business travel. For one, you can rack up a ton of points and mile just by doing your job. Plus, you get to check out new cities, get to know locals, and explore—even if it's simply during a morning run or coffee break—somewhere new. But traveling for work can also take its toll, squashing your attempts at a routine and leaving you stuck in hotel rooms when you'd rather be in your own bed. To find the ideal balance, we asked two road warriors—Instagram's Kristie Dash and Gimlet Media's Christine Amorose Merrill—to talk through their strategies for fitting in a solo meal and making the most of their limited free time. Find the full show notes and a transcription of the episode here:  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

This week's episode is a repeat from March 2019. Food has never been more tethered to travel. Instagram, Anthony Bourdain, and others have made the two things bound to each other. And so, we pulled in two of our favorite foodies—*Bon Appétit*'s food director Carla Music (of "Back to Back Chef" YouTube fame) and contributor Priya Krishna—to chat about why food always tastes better on vacation, what it takes to recreate our favorite dishes, and cover the trips that introduced us to new foods, from something as simple as fresh pita and hummus in Egypt to pillowy idlis in India. Find more information about Carla and Priya's new books in the episode's show notes, here:https://www.cntraveler.com/story/the-travels-that-inspire-our-cooking-women-who-travel-podcast Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices