This Is Woman's Work with Nicole Kalil - Solo Adventures: A Guide for Women Travelers with Megan Grant | 265

Starting point is 00:00:00 I am Nicole Kalil, your host of the This Is Woman's Work podcast. And like you, I wear a lot of hats. I'm a partner to Jay, a mom to JJ, a pug mom to Ove, a daughter, sister, friend. And like you, my work isn't confined to just one thing either. I'm a podcast host, a coach, a speaker, business owner, and author. And as is true for you, there are other things that make up who I am. I'm obsessed with confidence and with cheese. I consider myself a foodie, which is basically a nice way of saying I love to eat a lot. I'm an avid reader,

Starting point is 00:00:45 a card-carrying introvert, a reluctant Peloton rider, and a very slow runner because I fundamentally believe I shouldn't have to run unless something is chasing me like a bear. My pet peeves include writing in blue ink, incorrectly loaded dishwashers, one-size-fits-all anything, mourning people, and multitasking. And my toxic trait is that I'm a ridiculous hotel snob. And I don't say that lightly. It's an actual problem. I'll tell you that my key motivators in life are impact and making a difference,

Starting point is 00:01:14 and that's absolutely true. But I'm also motivated by making enough money to stay in the world's best hotels. I even have an Instagram account where I share the best hotels I've ever stayed, and you'd be absolutely judgmental if you knew some of the hotels that did not make the cut. You can see the ones that did, by the way, on at hotel snob approved on Instagram. And while I do not encourage my level of hotel snobbery, I do encourage you to travel as often as you can and

Starting point is 00:01:42 to treat yourself in whatever way feels best for you. But I wonder if one of the things that prevents you either from traveling or from treating yourself is feeling like you need someone else to do it with. I mean, it took me until my late 20s to even eat at a restaurant alone. And one day in my late 30s, I dished work, got a babysitter for JJ and went to a movie by myself. And I don't even remember the movie. I might have slept the whole time. But either way, it was glorious. And it wasn't until just a few years ago that I finally worked up the courage to travel by myself. Life-changing, by the way. So because I'm obsessed with travel and with you doing something for

Starting point is 00:02:23 yourself that doesn't require you to wait for someone else to get on board, we're going to talk about solo travel on this episode of This is Woman's Work. Are you excited? Or did you just get a little nervous about even the idea of being alone in a new city? Either way, buckle up because we're diving in. Meet Megan, the founder and chief memory creator for Cherish Tours. With a background in conference planning and a global canvas of world travel experiences, she has become deeply convinced that travel has the power to be transformational, especially for women striving to create a difference in the world. As a dedicated advocate for empowering women globally, Megan's influence

Starting point is 00:03:05 extends well beyond her travels to 40 countries, including over 10 solo adventures. Her unique perspective and innovative approach have set her apart, making significant contributions to discussions on sustainable tourism, global women's businesses, the post-pandemic travel surge, women's travel experiences, and even travel safety. So Megan, I feel like a kid in a candy store because travel is literally my favorite thing. So I want to ask first, why would you encourage solo travel for women? Great first question.

Starting point is 00:03:40 Absolutely love it. Thank you for having me, Nicole. And I'm happy to talk to you about all the things solo travel with women. Women, I think, think that they shouldn't solo travel because it's unsafe or they don't know where to go or how to get started. And really, I think that I encourage solo travel for women because it's the best way to shake up your routine and to start learning more about yourself and who you are as an authentic person. Getting outside of your comfort zone really makes you see yourself in a better light and the world around you in a complete new way. And it will only help you expand your understanding of you and everything around you.

Starting point is 00:04:31 You know, it's interesting when you said that, that it gives you the experience to really connect with who you are. I also think with what we want, like with our desires, because so often when we travel with our families or for business or with friends, we're very mindful of the experiences that they want, right? And we have to either sacrifice or at the very least compromise with each other.

Starting point is 00:04:58 And solo travel gives us the opportunity to really think about what do I want to do today? Or what do I want to eat? Or where do I want to go? Or how do I want this entire vacation to look? Any thoughts on that? As women, we tend to be people pleasers. We are caregivers. We really struggle asking ourselves what we want. It takes practice. And I think if you've never spent time alone with yourself, you don't know how to ask those questions and to really speak up for yourself unless you had good role models, going out to eat by yourself is a good place to start, to really start asking yourself where you want to go and stop considering other people's opinions and other people's needs first. You said one of the things, and that was top of mind for me, that maybe gets in the way of solo travel for women is this misconception that it's unsafe. I think it's really a combination of that and that it's uncomfortable. We're not used to it. And as you said, practice is the way to get used to it.

Starting point is 00:06:18 So let's talk about safety and solo travel. Any tips, any ways to make it feel safer? Is it really that unsafe? What are your thoughts? I'll start with that I don't think it's that unsafe. I think that that's a big misconception that people have, especially women. A majority of travelers, solo travelers, are women. More than 60% of solo travelers are women. Really, people think it's inherently dangerous to go to a new country when if you're doing your research beforehand, it's not. You can really travel the world and feel almost as safe as you do in your own neighborhood, especially as you start to get out and explore and make friends

Starting point is 00:07:08 and talk to the bartenders and people who can really point you in the direction of what to see and do. Start with a destination that feels comfortable to you. So if you're someone who's never been to, let's say, Africa, you might not want to start with an African destination as your first solo destination. You might want to start with something a lot more comfortable with some place that has the same language that you speak. Let's say London, for example, or Ireland. Those types of places might be more comfortable for someone on their very first solo journey than a place that doesn't have similar cultural norms to where you're from. Okay.

Starting point is 00:07:53 So good advice. I think first picking a destination that makes sense and increases a little bit of that comfort level as you decide where you're going to go. What about once you're there, are there any tips or tricks, anything to be mindful of that really can help increase that feeling of safety? Definitely. I think a lot of women feel like if I'm going to travel solo, then I'm going to be alone. And that doesn't have to be true. I think that one of the best ways to make it more comfortable and more safe is to join groups once you're there. And a way that you can do that is

Starting point is 00:08:32 by booking day tours. Go do a walking tour of the city as you are Nicola Foodie. Sign up for a food tour and join a bunch of people who have similar interests as you. Really, it's about prepping yourself in advance to make sure that you know that you're staying in a place that feels comfortable. Solo travel does not have to be the way that it's stereotypically defined by staying in hostels, sharing a room, having a backpack. As we're getting older, as I'm 30 and I'm sure people can relate, 30 and older, we don't want to stay in hostels anymore. We want a comfy bed. We want all of those things. So do it. Book that. And then once you've done the research for your

Starting point is 00:09:21 accommodations, you know where you want to stay, you're comfortable with the area you're in, book a few tours for your first couple of days to get to know the area, to be with other people. And then when you have some more confidence behind you, go ahead and just explore and wander, read a book in the park, whatever draws your heart towards what you'd like to do next. Yeah, I think similarly, the first time I can remember making a decision to do a solo trip, it sort of wasn't a solo trip. I went by myself and I didn't know anybody else there, but I went for a retreat. And that was a really great way for me to feel safe and comfortable. Like I knew to a certain extent, my time was going to be taken care of and that there were going to be people there. We're going to stay somewhere together.

Starting point is 00:10:11 I think that that can also, I like the signing up for tours. That's a great way, but even like a safer way or a more comfortable way is going somewhere where you end up with a group of people who are like-minded or are looking for the same or similar experience as you are. Thoughts? Absolutely. I don't know if I fully agree with you that that doesn't count as solo travel. I think it does. I think that people have this stereotype in their head of this 20-year-old girl backpacking across Europe totally by herself as the way that solo travel is. But that's wrong, in my opinion. Solo travel can look like many different things.

Starting point is 00:10:54 It's not limited to only young travelers. It's not limited to being in hostels or traveling via a backpack. You can travel with a group of people and it still feels like solo travel if you're showing up without anyone else that you know. I think that solo travel can also be not as far away as people assume. Like if you just make a road trip for yourself four hours away from your hometown, go stay in a cabin in the woods by yourself. It counts. So I think that really you can solo travel in many different ways. And starting with something that you feel confident with and most comfortable with is a great place to start. And

Starting point is 00:11:42 if that's a retreat or a group tour that's already curated for you, do it. Especially because as women, we make way too many damn decisions as it is. We have decision fatigue. If you don't want to put in the effort to plan an entire trip for yourself, let an expert do it for you. Just let them. Amen. So in addition to like the kind of backpacking hostile situation, I think a lot of times people think of eat, pray, love, solo travel or under the Tuscan sun. And all of that to say, I think that there is an element of associating solo travel with life transitions or big challenges or overcoming traumatic experiences. A, is that true? And B, can travel actually help us move through those experiences a little bit better or in a healthier way? Yes, it can. Travel is healing. It's transformational. It challenges you. It really helps you in so many different ways that people might not think about. People might associate travel with being stressful and only stressful unless they're staying on a beach and doing nothing. It doesn't have to be.

Starting point is 00:13:10 And I also would say that it doesn't have to be the eat, pray, love version either. You don't have to completely uproot your life in order to get these experiences. You don't have to live unconventionally and quit your job and go for three months or six months abroad to get something that might be healing or transformational. I think if you're looking for that because you have gone through a transformation in your life, you've recently gotten divorced or gotten gone through a pretty rough breakup or gotten laid off or transitioned your career. There's so many transitions in life that women go through. You might now be an empty nester. Your kids are grown up. Whatever it is, you deserve to take the time for yourself to relearn who you are in this new chapter of your life. And travel can really

Starting point is 00:14:01 do that for you. I love that you brought up retreats, Nicole, because I think that that's a great way to do a retreat to get those same outcomes. If you are joining a group of like-minded women and learning from women of all different ages on a travel experience and experiencing, let's say, indigenous women in Panama for the very first time and learning about their history, that can be something that is transformational and healing and educational in so many ways. And it doesn't have to be on a retreat necessarily. Agreed. Okay. So we talked about feeling unsafe and you mentioned it a few others earlier. Are there any other things that you see women worry about when it comes to traveling or solo traveling that might prevent us from doing this thing that could be life-changing? One of the things that is a misconception that prevents women from traveling sometimes, especially solo, is this idea that you're not supposed to trust locals or trust strangers, and that they're going

Starting point is 00:15:27 to be dangerous, especially for women. And I think that that is sometimes true, and most of the time not. I tend to be someone who believes in the goodwill of people and that they're really trying to help you, not take advantage of you. So of course, be careful. Don't just jump into a situation blindly. And depending on the culture and the background of the place you're in, make sure that you know that you are safe. But really ask for directions. It's okay. Say hello to someone at the bar. It's okay. Really just trust your intuition and your gut more than anything, and it will end up in a better experience than if you weren't in the first place. What might be some questions to ask ourselves before we book anything, even maybe before we decide where we're going to go, that will help us to create the experience we actually are looking for? I think that really with women especially, you want to ask yourself and start learning about what type of traveler you even are. You were speaking, Nicole, about the fact that you're a hotel snob. So you're not necessarily going to be someone who's going glamping potentially in the middle of the Utah desert. That might not be your speed.

Starting point is 00:16:57 So to learn about what type of traveler you are is a great place to start by asking yourself questions about what am I trying to gain from this experience? What type of things do I enjoy at home that I'd like to see also while I'm traveling? Do I like being around other people? Do I want to spend more time by myself? Am I comfortable in the hustle and bustle of a busy city? Do I want more peace? Things like that to really define the best results you want out of a travel experience before you even start planning it. And then once you have some of that locked down, you can ask more of the logistical questions. Where should I go now that I've picked my destination?

Starting point is 00:17:49 What time of year is good for me to go to said destination? What's the weather like when I'm going at that time of year? OK, what part of the city is the safest for me to stay in? Let me look up hotel accommodations and ratings for those, et cetera, et cetera, as far as logistical planning goes. But I really think that you should start with, what is my goal out of this travel experience and what do I want from going there? Yeah. No, I think that that's very well said and great questions because we do all like to travel differently. And just given what stage of life we're in or what's going on in our worlds,

Starting point is 00:18:34 even that might evolve. So one thing that's always true is I love a nice hotel, right? So that's going to be across the board, something that I'm going to think about. But sometimes I'm looking for peace and quiet and like recharge the batteries. And that's going to be a very different trip than, you know, I'm looking to make connection. I'm looking to work on myself and better myself. I'm looking to brainstorm or what have you. I mean, it just completely changes the destination, but I think that's such an important place to start because if you don't ask yourself that, you might go on a trip that sounds wonderful,

Starting point is 00:19:12 that you might love at some point in your life, but you might end up coming back feeling drained or unfulfilled or that you didn't get whatever it was that you were looking for. So it's just so important, I think, to start there. Then my next question, which your team had actually sent to me, and I just thought it was a really good one that I don't know that I've really thought about, which is, how do we make mindful travel choices to support other women, whether that's female-owned businesses or women in communities? as we venture out as women,

Starting point is 00:19:47 are there any things that we could be thinking about to positively impact the women of the places we're going? One of the things that Cherish focuses on is this. That's something that I take pride in in our business, is that our tours are not only curated towards women travelers, but they also support women in business in the places that we travel to. We partner with local tour guides that are women. We stay at accommodations that are typically boutique style accommodations that are family owned, locally owned, women owned, et cetera. And those are choices that you can integrate into your own travel plans as well. If you don't feel confident doing that research and finding those things, you can go on a tour like one of Cherish's and you know that the money you're

Starting point is 00:20:37 spending on travel is going to support women. However, even if you're someone who, let's say, loves cruising or loves all-inclusive resorts, it women who are providing really intimate experiences that are more authentic to the place that you're in. And that's one way that you could support women, even though you're not necessarily staying on a local level per se. However, you can also use, of course, in the day of technology, AI and the internet for help. Go to chatGBT and ask chatGBT, I'm going to Rome. What woman-owned businesses are in Rome? Will it give you the list of every woman-owned business that exists in Rome? No, but it will give you a good starting place. And then also Google now has that tag that has a purple heart that says identifies as woman owned.

Starting point is 00:21:46 So on Google Maps, you can check out different places and see just from their profile if they're woman owned. Is that, again, all inclusive of all of the women owned businesses? No, but again, an amazing place to start and a really easy way to start making some transitions from just going to something that's, you know, the closest by or whatever to going towards women owned places and women businesses that you can support. Another great way that I want to make sure to include is talk to local women. Once you've gone to the first woman owned shop, they typically are more than willing to help you. And women love to support women. So ask that owner if she knows a, let's say you're at a wine bar and you're trying to find a chocolate shop, just as an example, ask the wine shop if she knows any that are woman owned. I'm sure she does. And ask the concierge at your hotel. And if your hotel doesn't have a concierge, that's okay too. Ask the front desk. Ask somebody. I think maybe more importantly for me was just having that be top of mind, right? Having that be a goal on the journey. So I want to talk a little bit about another barrier that I'm just assuming we all in order to do a trip, we need to have a lot of dollars or we start sort of mentally telling how much everything will cost the flight and the rental car and we just any tips about thinking about money and travel, how to create a good budget or even how to maybe save some dollars? I have a travel savings fund myself. And even though I'm someone who owns a travel company,

Starting point is 00:23:50 I'm literally calling in from home right now. I am not a nomad. I'm not always traveling. You need to prioritize travel first, and then a lot will follow. So if you create something like a travel savings fund, for me, it's been extremely helpful. I have an automatic deposit that goes into that travel savings fund every month. Just figure out how much you can contribute to that and it will automatically set aside a certain amount of money for you to use. And that will help maybe not cover the entire cost of your trip, but get you a really great starting place. I also think that we don't need to be travel hacking all the time. Like you see on the internet where people are flying first class for free. You don't need 10 credit cards and doing the mental math in the Excel spreadsheets or whatever. For me in Atlanta,

Starting point is 00:24:47 Delta is my number one airline. So I am a member of Delta and I get so many points because of that. Sign up for a membership program at your favorite hotel property, whatever it is. Those points definitely give back to you and so do your credit card points. And then I would also say that, yes, travel can be expensive, but the United States is a actually pretty expensive country to live in and our dollar is stronger than a lot of other places in the world. So you can research different places that will probably cost you a lot less once you get there than what you're thinking. The most expensive part of your trip most of the time is your flight.

Starting point is 00:25:31 So if you can get your flight booked and paid for, then once you get to, let's say, Lisbon in Portugal or even all the way across the world going to somewhere in Asia like Thailand or Bali, it's extremely affordable once you're on the ground. So I'm going to second so many things that you said because that's how we do it. So first, it has to be prioritized. Now, you may not love travel as much as I do, but it is probably the number one thing that we save for. And we make concessions in other areas of our life in order to travel. I'm much more of an experienced person than I am a things person. I would gladly take a trip over buying just about anything. So there has to be a prioritization and a choice that happens to say, yes, we're going to prioritize this or put money towards it.

Starting point is 00:26:26 And as you said, we also have a travel fund and a certain amount comes out every single month, you know, automatically deposits into that account. And then every quarter when, so in our household, we do family forecasting and every quarter we evaluate our finances and any bonus or extra dollars that we have, we decide what to do with it. And I can't tell you how often more than 50% of those excess dollars goes right into our travel fund so that we can do some of these bigger, cooler experiences. And then also picking a couple credit cards. For us, it was one about flights and one about hotels. And so we have JetBlue because we live in Boston and it's a hub. And I get no exaggeration, six flights a year, first class

Starting point is 00:27:14 for free. Like they just get upgraded. Plus, you know, I can use points to book regular seats and the whole deal. I mean, we run almost all of our expenses, personal expenses through that card. And then I have an Amex card for business and I run all of my business expenses through there. And that helps with my hotel snobbery and we get perks and are able to use points there as well. So, so many, so many good tips, but then also just that reminder of the flight and the hotel are really, I don't know, 80% of the battle. And if you've got perks for those and you can finagle some good things, or there's just lots of ways to make it work. And then once you're there, you can decide the experience you want to have. I mean, I remember one time where I just didn't really have much excess dollars and I

Starting point is 00:28:04 stayed at a place where I really didn't ever need to leave the resort. And I was good with that. Okay. Based on your experience, my last question, based on your experience, are there any specific destinations or experiences that you think are particularly great or empowering for women? Like if you're like, Hey, if in doubt, here are three places you could go. I'll start with what I think is the safest places for people who are just getting started in solo travel or for women who really want to be in places that are extremely safe for women, extremely safe for you to explore on your own. Check out Scandinavia, go to Norway, go to Finland, go to Sweden, go to Denmark. Check out one of the Nord to Norway, go to Finland, go to Sweden, go to Denmark.

Starting point is 00:28:46 Check out one of the Nordic countries, go to Iceland. One of those places is going to extremely empower you as a solo traveler and make you feel really safe. Then I will say, if you want a little bit more of a challenge and you want something that is going to absolutely change your life, go to India. India will totally change your life. The culture there is, in my opinion, beautiful in all of the ways that are extremely different from United States culture and things that are here. It will show you that there's joy even when you don't have a lot. And there's so many colors and delicious food and everything in India. And then my last recommendation I would say is to go to somewhere in Central America. I'm biased. I personally love Panama and Costa Rica, both really great places to see the outdoors, get

Starting point is 00:29:48 immersed in nature, and then learn a lot from local women and truly pause on your life because the way that they move through the world is just slower than what we're used to. And it's refreshing. Mm-hmm. Great list. All places on my bucket list. slower than what we're used to. And it's refreshing. Great list, all places on my bucket list. So thank you for that. I have to tell people where to find and follow you and Cherish Tours. So the website is gocherishtours.com. And if you use the promo code TIWWTRAVEL, you can get $100 off your experience. And you can also follow Go Cherish Tours on Instagram and Facebook as well. Megan, thank you so much for your tips and tricks and for encouraging us to get out there and see the world. Absolutely. Thank you for having me.

Starting point is 00:30:40 My pleasure. Okay. Friend, if you've made it this far into the episode, I think it's safe to say that you are at least thinking about solo travel. And if Megan hasn't convinced you yet, let me add this. If I, a certified introvert and recovering overthinker, can do it, so can you. Trust me, the world isn't as scary as you might think, and solo travel isn't just for the adventurers with backpacks and hiking boots. It's for the rest of us, too. The ones who prefer room service, pool service, spa service, and debating about whether or not you even need to leave the hotel. Yes, solo travel is for us too. Because here's the

Starting point is 00:31:15 real magic. Solo travel is about giving yourself permission to be with you, to be your own best company. And let's be honest, it's also about eating whatever you want without anyone else stealing your fries, which is a win-win, right? So before I go, I encourage you to plan a solo adventure. It doesn't have to be a week in Bali, but if it is, I wanna meet you there.

Starting point is 00:31:36 It could be a day trip, a weekend getaway, or even just a dinner at a nice restaurant. And if you're still nervous, remember that if things go sideways, you'll at least come home with an epic story. So plan your next adventure. You don't need permission and you certainly don't need to wait for anyone else. The world is waiting for you to show up. And sometimes we also just need a break. And all of that is woman's work.

This Is Woman's Work with Nicole Kalil - Solo Adventures: A Guide for Women Travelers with Megan Grant | 265

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