She did What!?! ~ with Kristine

Single Woman Travels! (SWT) is a place to inspire and motivate women (and men) around the world to travel. She did What?! is a monthly series of Q&A – asking women around the world to share their past travel experience. From this, I hope a few more women who are on the brink of expanding their world will be inspired and motivated to turn their dreams into reality.

Bio…    Kristine Apostol, Toronto, Canada

SWT:    Where was the destination of your first solo trip?

KA:        California in 2008

SWT:    How old were you?

KA:        29

SWT:    Were you single or attached at the time?

DC:        Married, so I usually go with my husband, but this time I went alone to visit family.

SWT:    What inspired the idea?

KA:        Fun times with family that I haven’t seen and a getaway! I was in a career transition.

SWT:    What was your trip style? (backpack, tour group, comfort, meetup with family/friends)

KA:        Meetup with family/friends.

SWT:    What type of accommodations? (family owned, B&B, tents, if a hotel, how many stars)

KA:        Family-owned.

SWT:    How long was your trip?

KA:        2 weeks

SWT:    Who looked after the logistics?

KA:        Me…

SWT:    If you planned and/or booked the itinerary, did you enjoy the process?

KA:        Yes, definitely. I like planning.

SWT:    If you worked with a travel agent, how was the experience?

KA:        N/A

SWT:    Would you / have you booked subsequent trips yourself?

KA:        Yes this one, but usually my husband does.

SWT:    What would you do different – in hindsight?

KA:        Research more on California and see where I want to go and sights I’d like to see… I just depended on family to take me places… which was still nice.

SWT:    Did you feel comfortable traveling solo?

KA:        Yes, no big deal.

SWT:    How much research did you do in advance?

KA:        Not much.

SWT:    What was the biggest surprise on the trip?

KA:        How much I missed my husband… I never went away solo before except for work trips, but this was different.

SWT:    What did you learn about yourself during the trip that you weren’t totally aware of beforehand?

KA:        That I can go alone… and much needed time for myself.

SWT:    Was there any close calls or run-ins?

KA:        Not really, except when family issues were brought up with other family members that I did not really want to do on my vacation.

SWT:    Where is your next dream destination?

KA:        Europe, Fiji, Spain… and Bahamas is one of my favourites – a feel good vacation – can’t wait to go with my family.

Next time, we’ll hear from Rhona who chose to travel on her own…

If you’d like to share your story, contact me! 🙂

Happy Thanksgiving to y’all!!!

Hold on to your hats! We’re about to have loads more fun!!! XO

Share this:

The only real failure is the failure to try and the measure of success is how we cope with disappointment. As we always must.

~ The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel [movie]

 

Share this:

Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.

~ Rumi

She did What!?! ~ with Bellarock

Single Woman Travels! (SWT) is a place to inspire and motivate women (and men) around the world to travel. She did What?! is a monthly series of Q&A – asking women around the world to share their past travel experience. From this, I hope a few more women who are on the brink of expanding their world will be inspired and motivated to turn their dreams into reality.

Bio…    Bellarock

SWT:    Where was the destination of your first solo trip?

B:        Solo enough I guess without family – California on a student exchange for a month… Also left Australia to live in the UK at the age of 22 – did that one alone!

SWT:    How old were you?

B:        I was 16

SWT:    Were you single or attached at the time?

B:        NOPE!

SWT:    What inspired the idea?

B:        Small town girl… looking for big things.

SWT:    What was your trip style? (backpack, tour group, comfort, meetup with family/friends)

B:        I was in a group with about 20 other kids from all around Australia – the same age.

SWT:    What type of accommodations? (family owned, B&B, tents, if a hotel, how many stars)

B:        I stayed with a host family.

SWT:    How long was your trip?

B:        A month

SWT:    Who looked after the logistics?

B:        EF Foundation.

SWT:    If you planned and/or booked the itinerary, did you enjoy the process?

B:        I do all that stuff now… Yeah, but that’s kind of my job. 🙂

SWT:    If you worked with a travel agent, how was the experience?

B:        Annoying… you’re not a priority… they have many many other clients

SWT:    Would you / have you booked subsequent trips yourself?

B:        Yeppers

SWT:    What would you do different – in hindsight?

B:        Not a lot… Research and asking friends, family, strangers advice.

SWT:    Did you feel comfortable traveling solo?

B:        I always seem to – but the road sometimes feels more lonely than unsafe.

SWT:    How much research did you do in advance?

B:        Lots.

SWT:    What was the biggest surprise on the trip?

B:        Too many to count… but running into people you know in the most random places.. it’s happened so many times for me on public transport.

SWT:    What did you learn about yourself during the trip that you weren’t totally aware of beforehand?

B:        How resilient I am, adventurous, brave and independent I can be.

SWT:    Was there any close calls or run-ins?

B:        Depends on what close calls or run ins you’re talking about…

SWT:    Where is your next dream destination?

B:        Iceland or a road trip around the USA

Next time, we’ll hear from Kristine who chose to travel on her own…

If you’d like to share your story, contact me! 🙂

Share this:

Thoughts are impediments to seeing your deepest nature. Don’t give rise to any thought, and discover who you are.  That ocean of eternal peace is you.  What is the difficulty that we suffer from?  It is that we seek peace elsewhere and do not experience that we are peace incarnate itself.

~ Papaji

Choices in Life

Tonight I will embark on my first overnight bus since this past April. Back then I was half way through my 2013 Epic Journey. I had stepped onto my 7th continent, Antarctica, drank water from a crevasse Perito Moreno glacier, sailed up the coast of Chile and ‘showered’ at the grand Iguassu falls. My life = Bliss.

That night in early April gave me an experience I don’t wish upon any other. Luckily no one on board was physically harmed but I believe most of us returned home with a bit of emotional and/or mental scar.

A few minutes before midnight I jolted awake from my deep slumber, remembered that I’m on a double decker bus, traveling from Brasilia to Rio de Janeiro. I just have a few more days left in Brazil before heading to Asia. I have thoroughly enjoyed taking long distance buses in South America as it’s very affordable and the top of the line buses offer leather bound seats that resembles those found in a First Class compartment on an airplane. Some bus lines in Argentina even have an attendant to offer up personal TV, champagne and full 3 course meal.

Clouds, Beaches, Flowers – OZ style…

 

 

 

 

 

Share this:

If we have been reborn time after time, it is evident that we have needed many mothers to give birth to us… The first cause bringing about bodhicitta is the recognition that all beings have been our mother.

~ H.H. the Dalai Lama

She did What!?! ~ with Alison

Single Woman Travels! (SWT) is a place to inspire and motivate women (and men) around the world to travel. She did What?! is a monthly series of Q&A – asking women around the world to share their past travel experience. From this, I hope a few more women who are on the brink of expanding their world will be inspired and motivated to turn their dreams into reality.

Bio…    Alison Bellaire, Toronto, 21st Century shaman, Future Academy award voter

SWT:    Where was the destination of your first solo trip?

AB:        Toronto

SWT:    How old were you?

AB:        21

SWT:    Were you single or attached at the time?

AB:        Attached

SWT:    What inspired the idea?

AB:        Boredom and curiosity

SWT:    What was your trip style? (backpack, tour group, comfort, meetup with family/friends)

AB:        Shopping

SWT:    What type of accommodations? (family owned, B&B, tents, if a hotel, how many stars)

AB:        N/A.

SWT:    How long was your trip?

AB:        1 day

SWT:    Who looked after the logistics?

AB:        I did.

SWT:    If you planned and/or booked the itinerary, did you enjoy the process?

AB:        N/A

SWT:    If you worked with a travel agent, how was the experience?

AB:        N/A

SWT:    Would you / have you booked subsequent trips yourself?

AB:        Yes

SWT:    What would you do different – in hindsight?

AB:        I would have bought more things.

SWT:    Did you feel comfortable traveling solo?

AB:        Yes.

SWT:    How much research did you do in advance?

AB:        Zero

SWT:    What was the biggest surprise on the trip?

AB:        How fast cash runs out.

SWT:    What did you learn about yourself during the trip that you weren’t totally aware of beforehand?

AB:        I like expensive things.

SWT:    Was there any close calls or run-ins?

AB:        No.

SWT:    Where is your next dream destination?

AB:        ?

Next time, we’ll hear from Bee who chose to travel on her own…

If you’d like to share your story, contact me! 🙂