Janice Leith Waugh's Blog, page 125

A Solo Vacation: stimulation, education and relaxation

I’ll be visiting Java and Bali in June.

Planning a trip is almost as sweet as living it, but not nearly so sweet as recalling it

At least, that’s my take.

Basically, a trip just keeps getting better and better with the recalling winning out even over the actual experience because it lasts a lifetime.

So, as a travel blogger who usually travels independently but really needs a vacation now and then, I look for an option that minimizes the planning part and maximizes on-the-ground experiences for l...

Solo Travel Destination: Mexico

We are pleased to present a newSolo TravelDestination Post from Grazie, a member of theSolo TravelSocietyon Facebook. Grazie is from Brazil, and submitted the following report about Mexico. Do you have asolotraveldestination that you would like to recommend?Submit your description here, along with a few photos, and share it with fellow travelers!

Solo travelrating:1.5(1 is easiest, 3 is most difficult. Please see chart below)

Languages spoken: Spanish

Guadalajara – Cradle of the Tequila and the M...

Reframing Life Through Solo Travel

I met this man in Rishikesh, India. He lives on the goodness of the world.

“So it is with different cultures. We live in different worlds.”

What wonderful words. They are the conclusion of a quote that resonated with me.

What struck me about the entire quote was the suggestion that by traveling to different cultures we not only see our own culture differently but it gives us the opportunity to reframe ourselves within it.

You need some context for this to make sense for you. Here you go…

The quote...

Pic of the Week: The Matterhorn. And a goat.

The Matterhorn in Switzerland, as viewed from Rothorn, above Zermatt, with a very cooperative black necked goat.

The Pic of the Week is drawn from photos submitted to theSolo TravelSocietyFacebook Group, providing an opportunity for solo travelers to share with us a favorite photo from their travels.

This week’s pic fromSolo TravelSociety member Janis was taken from Rothorn in the Swiss Alps.

Vancouver, SF and LA by Train – what I spent in eleven days.

The Coast Starlight, one of Amtrak’s special routes – $159.

There’s nothing wrong with cobbling a trip together.

I do it all the time. I plan around what I want to do and what I can afford. Just because a place or thing to do is not high on my list does not mean that it won’t turn out to be great. In my experience, it often does.

So my trip from Vancouver to LA with a major stop in San Francisco was cobbled together.

It came about because I wanted to go to a conference in San Francisco. Ah, if I’...

Solo Travel Destination: Sukhothai, Thailand

We are pleased to present a newSolo TravelDestination Post from Anne-Marie, a member of theSolo TravelSocietyon Facebook. Anne-Marie is from Belgium, and submitted the following report about Sukhothai . Do you have asolotraveldestination that you would like to recommend?Submit your description here, along with a few photos, and share it with fellow travelers!

Solo travelrating:1.5(1 is easiest, 3 is most difficult. Please see chart below)

Languages spoken: Thai, English

Khmer-style ornate prangs...

Solo Travel Can Be Easy: Bremen in three hours and 16 photos

Bremen train station.

After a week in Germany it was time to fly home.

I was in Wilhelmshaven.

My departure city was Bremen.

I would make a connection in Frankfurt for the seven-hour flight Toronto.

At first I thought that a slow morning would be best before this long day . A sleep-in to help adjust to the coming time change.

But then I thought of Bremen. And the musicians from the fable, The Bremen Town Musicians, that I read many times as a child. A quick look online and I realized that I could m...

Book Review: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

We are so pleased to present theSolo Traveler Book Club‘s third book review!

zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance

Every two months we will announce the book that we will be reading. There will be a short introduction by the Solo Traveler reader who suggested the book, telling you why you will want to read it. On the closest Sunday to the end of the following month, we will publish their review. The discussion about the book will take place in the comments section at the end of the post.

Thi...

Pic of the Week: Folegandros, Greece

On the island of Folegandros, sharing space with just a couple of seagulls and a goat.

The Pic of the Week is drawn from photos submitted to theSolo TravelSocietyFacebook Group, providing an opportunity for solo travelers to share with us a favorite photo from their travels.

This week’s pic fromSolo TravelSociety member Barbara was taken on the Greek Island of Folegandros.

Solo Travel: 42 things I now know.

Me and my cabin mate, Sunny, on a train in China.

Solo travel has been a big part of my life for five years now.

Yes, Solo Traveler is five years old this week and though this fact is likely insignificant to you, it is important to me.

It causes me to pause and think about what these years have taught me. What I have learned. And what’s important.

With my fifth anniversary priorities straight, I first ran a post on Monday celebrating you. After all, you have contributed so much to this blog and t...