For the Solo Travel Interviews today I am meeting Barbara, a travel writer who loves to travel alone and embrace silence. Read my interview with Barbara here below.

1) Tell us a bit about yourself. What do you do in life and how your passion for travel has started ?

I was brought up in Athens and I write travel books.  I’ve recently finished a trilogy on Italy, the country where I mostly live and where I learned how to observe details on artistic works, to taste wonderful meals and use its melodic language.  My passion for travel started in my childhood reading books about far away places and my curiosity brought me one day to start travelling in order to see the beauty of the world.

How was your first solo trip experience?

My real first solo trip experience was in September 2006 when I flew from Rome to St Petersburg, where I stayed 5 days and loved it. I didn’t speak Russian but as I was well prepared to discover this splendid city, there was no need to ask questions in the street. I visited the museums – the Hermitage was my daily pilgrimage, I didn’t get into taxis as I had been told it was dangerous for ladies travelling alone, so I walked …and walked in company with my silence. My family would call me every day, but I was happy to be alone. Then I took the plane and I flew to Paris and with a big smile I entered a taxi at the airport. I felt at home. The reason? I could talk in French!

What is the motivation for you to go solo? How often do you travel on your own?

I travel quite often solo, but even when I travel with friends, I like to keep my own personal space. My friends know it and they are discreet. The reason for this solitude, which is a positive solitude, is that I want to concentrate and to dream. As a travel writer my gaze is not superficial. It penetrates everything that catches my attention. A real traveller must not speak too much because there are so many scenes in front of his eyes that come unexpectedly and they go away on the spot. This I think is the motivation of travelling solo, because I am undisturbed. Certainly, I travel alone to cities and not in the desert or the mountains. It would be too scary for me.

The biggest challenge, fear or a weird situation you had to overcome in your solo travel trips?

Even if it sounds funny the biggest challenge when I travel solo is to catch the right train! From my student years I was always missing trains in Spain, France, Germany, Holland… Oh, travel at this age was not easy for me. My travel bags were heavy as I was a bibliophile and I would buy books everywhere I went.  I remember being desperate to catch the next train from Brussels to Bruges for instance, I started crying in the railway station. Strangely I don’t remember myself fearing anything. Maybe because I don’t put myself in difficult situations, even when I face a whale at the mouth of the St Lawrence river in Canada! I feel protected in a jeep or a motor boat. Weird situation I had to overcome? Yes, sometimes when local people talk to me and I don’t understand them, for instance a Masai, but my little secret is always to be polite, to say thank you and to smile.

How do you choose your solo travel destinations?

It depends on the interests I have in a particular period. If it is baroque art that I study, I dream of visiting Dresden and Vienna for instance. If I want to taste the real French cuisine, I go to Burgundy or Perigord. If animals start moving in my mind, I dream of Kenya. It is exciting to fulfil your travel dreams. But if a place requires certain preparation and a true guidance on the spot, I follow little groups of archaeological mutual interests and we share our knowledge, our experience and lively impressions.

What do you think are the pros and the cons for travelling solo as a woman and how much does safety matter while on the road?

The first women travellers in the 19th century had to face many more problems than today. They would cross countries in the Orient on camel, on horses and not in jeeps. Fortunately they could afford to have people at their service to prepare their meals and the animals for the ride and the tents to sleep at night. Nowadays it is much easier to travel.

What have you learned from travelling alone over the years?

To be precise, to be in the best company of myself and to be prudent. When you travel alone you are not in your familiar ambience.

Any plans? What will the purpose of your next solo trip?

I dream of going to China, and I am studying this wonderful country not through geography but through its porcelain history. It is amazing how much you can learn about a place and its people through these delicate, precious pieces of art.

Any tips that you would recommend to any woman who would like to start travelling alone?

Travelling is an art. You should embrace it with enthusiasm, passion, knowledge and never forget that the world you will discover, will enrich and transform you. Take lots of pictures because your pictures will help you remember what your mind will forget after some years, and even if you are not talented, put in your travel bag a small sketchbook. Trying to draw a gothic window in Venice or a graceful antelope in the Savanna will give you such a pleasure, because what you observe will enter inside you and will become yours. These little drawings will be the gifts that your travels will give you.

You can read more about Barbara’s travels on her website www.barbaraathanassiadis.it
you can follow Barbara on Twitter @b_athaniassadis
Facebook Barbara-Athanassiadis
on Google+ Barbara Athanassiadis

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Today I am interviewing Renuka, from India, a freelance travel writer who loves to travel alone. If you are planning to travel alone in India on Renuka’s Blog you’ll find lots of tips about things to do and best places to visit.

Here below my interview with Renuka.

1) Tell us a bit about yourself. What you do in life and how has your passion for travel started ?

I always had an inherent love for travel. It just turned into a passion when I discovered that this was something that really mattered to me. Earlier I had a full-time job that didn’t allow me travel whenever I wanted to, but now since I have taken up freelance writing, I am a free bird and I can fly anywhere, anytime without asking anybody!

2) How was your first solo trip experience ?

It’s one of the most memorable experiences of my life so far. I went to Udaipur (Rajasthan). Although I had travelled alone even earlier, Udaipur was my first totally solo trip. I had booked my accommodation in advance, so it was easy for me to simply check in and start with my vacation. People in Rajasthan are extremely courteous and helpful. I went around so many places on my own. I even visited a village, which was a little away from the city. I couldn’t believe that I could have so much fun on my own and my trip rolled so smoothly.

3) What is the motivation for you to go solo? How often do you travel on your own ?

The first solo trip that I took was just to experience solo travel. I was curious to know what is it like to travel solo. I wanted to explore a destination alone. I had such a good time that I continued to travel solo even after that first experience. Another reason for travelling solo is that I don’t want any excuse to stop me from travelling. For instance, if somebody promised to tag along with me and couldn’t travel for whatsoever reason, I still travel. Solo travel for me is the most convenient thing to do. I don’t think much over it.

4) The biggest challenge, fear or weird situation you had to overcome in your solo travel trips ?

I must admit, there have been times when I have really got scared. Solo travel is smooth only when you are wise and careful. Well, I always take good care of myself, but certain things happen and you learn to deal with them. I think it’s part and parcel of not just solo travel but travel on the whole. I have been fortunate to meet good people on my solo trips. I’d say I haven’t faced any challenges per se.

5) How do you choose your solo travel destinations ?

I have not really made any conscious choices in terms of where I want to go as a solo traveller. Rajasthan has been my major solo travel destination by chance. I have ended up travelling solo to Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and the desert. It’s a fabulous destination for solo travellers. I have also explored Delhi and Mumbai on my own, which has been equally enriching and enjoyable. So, I am pretty much spontaneous.

6) Travel alone versus couple travel or group travel, can you highlight benefits vs downsides ?

The only downside of solo travel is that I have to click all my pictures on self-timer or ask a stranger for a favour. Of course, a couple or a group will not have to face that flipside. Solo travel can be a bit expensive too, because there is nobody to share the expenses. However, solo travel gives you total freedom and flexibility, which is not there when you are travelling with friends unless they are like you! Solo travel is certainly more rewarding and enriching in the long run.

7) The best encounter you made in your solo travels ?

Although all my solo travel experiences have been great, I’d mention a couple of them – my solo desert safari in Rajasthan unveiled a different world to me. It was nice to know the life on the other side – people who reside in the villages, who lead a tough life, yet they have more enthusiasm than most of us, who live such comfy lives. Another experience was when I went to Matheran, a small hill station near Mumbai – it was a monsoon trek. I, along with other tourists, was trekking through a forest while it was raining torrentially. I was going through mixed emotions of happiness, fear, sense of wonder and amazement.

8)  What do you think are the pros and cons of travelling solo as a woman and how much does safety matter when on the road ?

Safety matters the most! Yes, even if I love to travel solo I make sure that I am safe. I think if a woman is travelling alone, she should ensure that she is not in a vulnerable state – she’s not alone in a deserted area where there are no tourists at all. There is absolutely no harm in travelling solo as long as you know what you are doing. Just use common sense!

9) What have you learnt from travelling alone over the years ?

I have learnt to deal with people and manage so many things on my own. When you are travelling alone, it’s you who have to take care of everything, take all the decisions in terms of money, place, food, people, etc. Thus, travelling solo makes you street smart.

10) Any plans, what will be the purpose of your next solo trip ?

I want my next solo trip to be a long and slow one. I don’t want it to be a typical vacation. I want to take up a short-term job, maybe work for a NGO and that way live in a new destination for a while and experience it closely.

11) Do you have any tips or destinations that you would recommend to a woman who is willing to start travelling alone ?

My one simple tip is to start with an easy destination – somewhere near. In India, Rajasthan is the best option for solo travel, and then Northeast India is also pretty inviting. All of it depends on your research and preparation for the trip. Travel wherever you want to, just make sure you are well aware of your destination.

Read more about Renuka’s tips on travelling alone India

Renuka is a freelance writer/photographer and a travel blogger from India. With her blog, Voyager For Life, she aims to inspire and awaken people to travel. She has been a native in four different cities in India and would not mind more city-hopping in the future. When she is not travelling, she likes to be a tourist in her own city.
You can follow Renuka on Twitter and on Facebook and on Pinterest.

Thanks Renuka for  your insights and tips on travelling alone in India!

Michela

The post Interview with Renuka appeared first on Solo Travel Junkie.

Another solo travel junkie, another great story. Today Kerri Welsh, American, who started travelling on her own as a young woman, is telling us a bit more about herself and how her love for travelling started.

Here below my interview.

1) Tell us a bit about yourself. What you do in life and how has your passion for travel started ?

Unlike many solo travelers (who I follow religiously), I work a full-time job in my city! I am a clinical coordinator at Boston Children’s Hospital.  I grew up south of the City, where most of my family still resides.

I would say the ‘Travel Bug’ first began when I was 18. I was dating a guy in a touring band and would always fly out to see him (by myself) and travel in the tour bus with the band and crew. This went on for years, to the point where I had my ‘routine’ in place for flights, trains, buses and planes. Once I started, I never really stopped…..

2) When did you make your first solo trip and what did you do on your own ?

I studied abroad in Australia without knowing anyone else in the program, but I don’t think that would qualify as my “first solo trip.” My first actual solo trip was probably my trip to South Africa. I volunteered in a Children’s Convalescent home with infants with HIV, TB and a number of different ailments. Although I volunteered 5 days a week, I was able to immerse myself in the culture and take part in endless exploration.

3) What was the motivation for you to go solo ?

I find that when I travel alone I meet the most fascinating people. I love learning everyone/everyone’s stories and giving them my undivided attention. Traveling with friends or family provides security and that’s great, but the experience is entirely different when you’re alone. I truly believe you have to travel alone to find yourself.

4) The biggest challenge, fear or weird situation you had to overcome in your solo travel trips ?

I made my way to Romania to volunteer in a Children’s Hospital last Spring. I was thrilled about the prospect to give back to a country that I had been so drawn to help when I was young. When I arrived, I found myself in a housing situation that was extremely unsafe. I knew that my safety was more important than my mission within Romania and I ended up leaving shortly after arriving. It was one of the hardest decisions I had to make, because on one end, I felt that I was abandoning the mission I had come to complete, on the other end, I had never been more scared for my safety. This is no reflection of Romania as a country. It was my own fault for not doing enough research about the group I had come to volunteer with. I learned a huge lesson on that trip.

5) When you choose your solo travel destinations what are your priorities?

My priorities always go – People, places (culture), adventure, FOOD! If I can check all of these off in one trip, I’ve done a great job.

6) Is there a place you would never go back alone ?

No, not necessarily. It’s all about doing your research and using your head.

7) The best memory or encounter you made in your solo travels ?

My best memory was cooking at an agriturismo in Tuscany. I met 2 girls who are still some of my closest friends to date. We dedicated one of our days to an “Italian spa” and the experience was something straight out of a comedy. I will never forget that day.

8) Any plans  for your next solo trip, what will be the purpose ?

I’ve been having a pretty tough year. I was diagnosed with a (benign) aggressive bone tumor in my femur right before Christmas, so I’ve been in and out of doctors for months. I’m having a major surgery in 2 weeks and it will take me a few months to fully heal. After an experience like THAT? My  next trip is going to be huge! South America? Asia? Back to Africa? The sky is truly the limit. Life’s too short…..

9)  What are the pros and cons of travelling solo as a woman ?

The pro’s? Meeting people, experiencing cultures, and most importantly gaining CONFIDENCE like you never thought imaginable! The cons? Err on the side of caution, always. I’ve found that I’m a bit secretive about traveling alone in many circumstances because I don’t want to put myself in an unsafe situation.

10) What have you learn from from travelling alone over the years ?

I know myself better than I ever would have if I had never traveled alone. I can’t promote solo travel enough.

11) Do you have any tips that you would give to a woman who is willing to start travelling alone ?
1.) Do your research
2.) Use your common sense
3.) HAVE A BLAST

Thank you for your contribute, Kerri. I wish you a full recovery and all the best for your future travel plans!

Kerri is the Program Coordinator for a Speciality Clinic in a Pediatric Hospital in Boston.

You can follow her on her website: https://thekuriouskerri.com/ and on Twitter and Pinterest

The post Interview with Kerri Welsh appeared first on Solo Travel Junkie.

I know Margie from Twitter and am delighted to interview her and share with you her passion for travel and her discovering journey through Italy on her Solo Travel Trip.

1) Can you tell us a bit more about yourself before we start the interview, what you do and how your passion for travel started

Margie I am a critical-care nurse in south Florida with a passion for travel and particularly, Italy. Several years ago I began writing for some online websites and a newspaper. I also have a blog, margieinitaly, and a year ago, published my first book, Memoirs of a Solo Traveler – My Love Affair with Italy. I have always loved  traveling and made it a priority in my life. I enjoy the beach and spending time with my family, especially my twin granddaughters.

2) When in your life and how did you discover solo travel? What was the biggest trigger/motivation for you to go solo ?

I first traveled solo when I decided to take a 3-month trip to Italy.I knew no one could take that amount f time off so I decided to do it alone. The motivation was that I wanted to go to Italy for an extended period of time.

3) How was your first experience as a solo female traveller and where did you go and why did you pick that destination?

I fell in love with Italy on my first visit there so I wanted to return and spend time when I didn’t have to feel rushed. I planned my own itinerary and the the trip was an adventure of a lifetime.

4) Can you tell us about your expectations versus the reality of your first solo trip ?

The expectations were not far from the  reality.  I am an outgoing person so I talked to a lot of people along the way.

5) Did you encounter any challenging situations during your solo trip and how did you deal with loneliness (if any) at first ?

Yes I wrote about it in my book. I guess I was a little naïve about Italian men and wasn’t exactly prepared for the flirtatious situations I encountered. I didn’t feel lonely very often thanks to frequent communication with Skype and text messages. I had an iPhone and an iPad and they made a huge difference.

6) What was the most enjoyable experience of your solo trip?…. I know you have written a book about your solo trip? Can you tell us more about this experience ?

The most enjoyable experience for me was mingling with the local people speaking their language and discovering how life really is in their villages and towns. I never intended on writing a book when I made this trip. I blogged from Italy and after I returned home I realized I had more to say and then I wrote the book based on my blog.

7) Has solo travel changed your life and if so how?
Yes it has. I prefer it because I value the freedom that comes with traveling by myself.

8) Do you feel every woman should try to travel solo and why?

Yes I do. I think solo travel can be very empowering especially for women. Many more women are traveling solo now and even some cruise lines are offering studio cabins for solo travelers.

9) What makes of solo travel a unique experience that you would not be able to experience otherwise?

The unique thing about solo travel is knowing that you are the only one who is going to make something happen, whether it s going on an excursion or quietly relaxing on a park bench and taking in the ambience. The choice is yours and no one else gives input. The responsibility is also yours alone.

10) Do you have any tips to give to women who would love to travel solo but have fear to step out ?

Yes I would encourage them to follow their dream and make it happen. Check out some of the many solo travel websites and get a feel for the resources available to them. I would never want to say I missed going somewhere because I didn’t have someone to go with me. I have met a lot of interesting people on my solo adventures.

Thank You Margie for participating to the first Solo Travel Interview on our Solo Travel Junkie Blog!

We wish you more empowering trips in Italy and lots of success with your book “My Love Affair with Italy”!

To connect with Margie click on the links below

www.facebook.com/MargieMiklasAuthor
twitter.com/MargieMiklas
margieinitaly.wordpress.com/
www.amazon.com/Margie-Miklas/e/B0094YY3LA

The post Solo Travel Interview with Margie appeared first on Solo Travel Junkie.

Today is a great day because I am officially opening the Solo Travel Junkie Blog. It has been on my list for a long time. As I have been travelling solo since I was in my twenties I have felt the need of sharing my experiences. But the Solo Travel Junkie Blog is not only about my solo travels it has a higher purpose and mission. It has the ambition of inspiring women who would love to travel solo but have fear of stepping out and are seeking a supportive environment from a female community that can walk them through to empowering travel solo experiences.

I have deliberately chosen to dedicate the Solo Travel Junkie Blog only to WOMEN. Because I feel women are wonderfully social creatures who can foster their inner feminine voice and empower one another by creating a synergy of like-minded women.

Why every woman should Travel Solo

I think Solo Travel is the cornerstone of the Personal Growth Path in every woman’s life. And a  supportive environment is essential before planning your solo trip as well as when travelling solo. It is vital to be surrounded by the right people, not only because we want to go solo. We always shall want to naturally select with whom we want to be and who can help us foster our dreams and live the life we want.

I know the feeling of being talked out of travelling solo, especially at your first attempt, by unsupportive family members or by critical friends who fail to recognize the essence, the value and the benefits of travelling solo.

Travel Solo means taking a Spiritual Discovery Journey

 

Solo Travel imparts vigor to the mind, by creating clarity –  Nurtures the soul, by increasing self-esteem – Balances out you inner voice, by regaining sight of things.  – Miki Fantinel

 

As an addicted solo traveller I started travelling alone in my early twenties.  It still is my preferred way of travelling, as I travel alone by 90% of my time. And I can tell you why.

Last week I came back from my Solo Trip to London, as I attended the WTM2013. A great get-together of fellow travellers who shared their experiences and talents, an interesting event wher you can learn and share new things and be inspired. At the same time the first Asian Women Conference took place in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.

This was absolutely a great event, organized by the AWE and my friend Juno Kim from RunawayJuno.

Unfourtunately I could not attend the Asian Women Conference. Nonetheless I was honoured to contribute with an interview about why every woman should travel solo. This was published on the travel blog of the AWE Sponsor, Sedunia Travels.

On this link you can read my Interview about Why Every Woman Should Travel Solo. Feel free to share it or embed if you find it useful.

What is Solo Travel Junkie Blog about

On the Solo Travel Junkie Blog you will be reading about my solo trips as well as about those from other fellow female travellers who have decided to go solo and want to motivate and inspire other women. The Solo Travel Junkie Blog will not only cover emotional and supportive articles, it will also provide you with pratical solo travel tips from how to start travelling solo and learn about your-self to how to deal and overcome mishaps, when on the road.

I am delighted to invite you to join the Solo Travel Junkie Blog and be part of this empowering community of Solo Female Travellers who love to stand out, empower their feminine voice and live the life they love!

Much love from the author of the Solo Travel Junkie Blog!

Michela

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