Lisa Niver's Blog: We Said Go Travel, page 22

#3 TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCER for 2024

Thank you Afluencer! I am honored to be your #3 Top Travel Influencer for 2024

40 Top Travel Influencers of the Year

AND #10 of Female Influencers Brands Can’t Get Enough of for 2024! ALSO for 2024! I am #10 on the top 100 Travel Lifestyle Blogs and Websites Back in 2023–I was #3 for Top Travel Influencer In 2022–I was #3 for Top Travel Influencer In 2021–I was in the Top 10 for Travel Influencer at #7 My memoir, Brave-ish, won an award and so did my podcast! Thank you so much for all of your support. I really appreciate it. Sometimes I wondered if I should keep writing and making videos but I kept going and it is such an honor to be recognized. THANK YOU!

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Brave-ish at The Los Angeles Travel Show Feb 2024

Meet me LIVE in LOS ANGELES at the Travel and Adventure Show Come hear my talk: “Are You Brave Enough? How to Make Your Dream Trip Happen” SUNDAY Feb 4, 2024 at 2:45pm at the Savvy Traveler Theater BOOK SIGNING at Vroman’s Bookstore: Booth #1251SAT, Feb 3 and SUN, Feb 14��at 1:30pm I will be signing my award wining memoir, Brave-ish: One Breakup, Six Continents and Feeling Fearless After Fifty Los Angeles Travel Show will be at the Los Angeles Convention Center (Hall G-H) 1201 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, California 90015More about LISA NIVER:

In 2023, I spoke at the Travel and Adventure Show in Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles and Dallas.

I just spoke at the Chicago Travel Show on January 13 and 14, 2024.

Click here to see my event at Vroman’s Bookstore with Ms. Magazine

Come hear me speak in Feb 2024 at the Women’s Travel Fest in Mexico and in April 2024 at the Women in Travel Summit in Salt Lake City, Utah. For more about my future events, click here.

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Looking for TRAVEL BENEFITS?

If you���re someone who likes to make the most out of your travel, then you absolutely need to have the right travel credit card in your wallet. I was honored to be selected to share on camera for the holidays about the Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card by Chase. Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Cardmembers have access to a host of travel benefits.

December 2023 on KCTV 5 Kansas City “With holiday travel and buying season upon us, travel expert Lisa Niver shares some tips to make it a “win-win” for the end of the year.”On Inside DFW As a Cardmember you���re always earning points for future travel!On Las Vegas Morning Blend On 3 WTKR Rapid Rewards points never expire Good Day Colorado:

There are a few ways to make your holiday travel experience less stressful. Travel expert Lisa Niver stopped by GDC virtually with a look at the Chase Southwest Visa Credit Card.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Cards from Chase give you the flexibility and comfort to enjoy traveling all year long.

Learn more about how much I love Southwest Airlines in this article Why People Are Weirdly Obsessed With Southwest Airlines (this article is from 2018–I know now–most airlines have waived their change fees but at the time–it was a big deal. AND…remember everyone makes mistakes–see below….)

There���s no charge to change a flight.��So if you, like Los Angeles travel agent Lisa Niver, found that you���d booked a ticket in the wrong direction for a professional conference, you can change it without coughing up a $200 fee. When she realized the day before said conference she���d bought a ticket from Phoenix to LA instead of the other way around, she rebooked at the last minute at no extra cost. Also, your first two pieces of checked luggage are free.

Learn more about my travels and my award winning memoir, Brave-ish: One Breakup, Six Continents and Feeling Fearless After Fifty

and from my TV segment: “Legal disclaimer: Accounts subject to credit approval. Restrictions and limitations apply. Southwest Rapid RewardsTM Credit Cards are issued by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. Offer subject to change. Paid for by Chase. All Rapid Rewards�� rules and regulations apply and can be found at Southwest.com/rrterms.“

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Top 10 Travel and Lifestyle Blogs for 2024

As you contemplate your wanderlust-filled adventures for 2024, let this carefully curated list of the top 10 travel lifestyle blogs be your compass to the most captivating destinations and experiences. Whether you seek remote landscapes, cultural immersion, or simply a rejuvenating escape, these websites offer a wealth of inspiration and practical insights. And, to add a personal touch, it brings me immense joy to announce that We Said Go Travel, my very own blog has secured the coveted #10 spot on this esteemed list. I hope you find wonders of the world that ignite the flame of wanderlust within you. Happy exploring!

Thank you to Feedspot for naming my site, We Said Go Travel, #10 on the 100 Best Travel Lifestyle Blogs and websites for 2024. I am honored to be included among these amazing content creators. 100 Best Travel Lifestyle Blogs and Websites

Dec 29, 2023���

The best Travel Lifestyle blogs from thousands of Travel blogs on the web and ranked by traffic, social media followers & freshness.

Travel Lifestyle Blogs Top 10 List for 20241. Two Monkeys Travel Group

 UK
A travel blog about luxury and adventure travel. Aside from writing about her adventures, Kach has been blogging about traveling around the world based on her experience of visiting 180  countries. She aims to travel to every country in the world using only her Philippines passport. 

2. Nomadic Matt‘s Travel Site

 US
Nomadic Matt has one goal : ���How can I help other people travel better for less?��� It���s his mission to help travelers realize their travel dreams. Since 2008, he has helped millions of people save money, travel more, and have a more authentic experience in the destinations they visit.

3. The Blonde Abroad

 California, US

The Blonde Abroad is an award-winning solo female travel blog featuring travel tips, packing guides, videos and photography from around the world.

4. The Planet D: Adventure Travel Blog

 Toronto, Ontario, Canada
An adventure travel blog that features travel tips, travel advice, travel inspiration and travel photography to help plan your next vacation from Deb and Dave.

5. Goats On The Road

 Canada
Turn travel into a lifestyle! Who Are The Goats? We are Nick & Dariece, the couple behind this blog. We left Canada in 2008 on a mission to find ways to travel & live abroad indefinitely.

6. y Travel Blog | Travel more. Create More Memories

 Raleigh, North Carolina, US
Traveling since 1997 | 16 years with kids | Professional travel blog since 2010. Sharing travel tips and destination ideas to help you travel more and travel around the world. We share family travel tips and travel destinations from across the globe.

7. Bucket List Journey | Travel Lifestyle Blog

 California, US
Traveling the world in search of Bucket List worthy experiences. Thousands of unique bucket list ideas on this blog. Do you have a bucket list? Annette gives you the tools, ideas and motivation to create your list and face your fears to live your dreams.

8. La Jolla Mom | Luxury Travel and Lifestyle Blog

 La Jolla, California, US
La Jolla Mom is your guide for things to do in San Diego and La Jolla, and kid friendly La Jolla Mom is your expert guide for things to do in San Diego, maximizing visits to theme parks, VIP perks at luxury hotels, the best beaches and family travel tips.

9. Travels of Adam

 US
One of the world’s most popular men’s lifestyle & hipster travel blogs with stories from around the world – city destinations & cultural experiences including Adam’s nightlife tips, restaurant reviews, favorite shops, and way-too-personal essays from his adventures in Brooklyn, NY and around the world.

10. We Said Go Travel

 Los Angeles, California, US
I am honored to be #10 on this list with so many amazing travel writers! In 2023, my new memoir, Brave-ish: One Breakup, Six Continents and Feeling Fearless After Fifty, won an award, my podcast, Make Your Own Map, won an award and I am on this list! THANK YOU!

THANK YOU FEEDSPOT! What an honor to be including in the top 10 with these fantastic websites. See the entire list of 100 here!

Learn more about LISA and We Said Go Travel: Meet me at one of my upcoming events in Chicago, Mexico or Utah, read my award winning memoir, Brave-ish: One Breakup, Six Continents and Feeling Fearless After Fifty, listen to my award winning podcast, Make Your Own Map. Watch my videos on YouTube where I have over two million views. Find me on social media at @LisaNiver. Thank you for all of your support.

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Wanderlust of the Underwater World: Chicago Travel Show 2024

Meet me LIVE in CHICAGO at the Travel and Adventure Show Come hear my talk: “Are You Brave Enough? How to Make Your Dream Trip Happen” about how SCUBA diving changed my LIFE!

SAT Jan 13 11:30am and SUN Jan 14, 2023 noon at the Dive and Water Sports Pavilion

GIVEAWAY at my TALK: Must be present to WIN–

one lucky person will win a PADI e-learning class (value priceless!! $217)

BOOK SIGNING at City Lit Books Booth #715SAT, Jan 13��at 2pm and SUN, Jan 14��at 1pmI will be signing my award wining memoir, Brave-ish: One Breakup, Six Continents and Feeling Fearless After Fifty Chicago Travel Show will be at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Hall F at 5555 North River Road, Rosemont, IL 60018 I learned to dive in 1990 and fell madly in love with exploring the underwater world. See my articles and videos all about scuba: CLICK HERE PADI Dive-in LIV+ Beaches Turks and Caicos 2020THANK YOU to PADI for inviting me to speak!

In 2023, I spoke at the Travel and Adventure Show in Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles and Dallas.

Come hear me speak in Feb 2024 at the Women’s Travel Fest in Mexico and in April 2024 at the Women in Travel Summit in Salt Lake City, Utah. For more about my future events, click here.

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Three Months of Brave-ish: Dec News 2023

Dec News 2023 with Lisa Niver & We Said Go Travel:Thankful for your support of my memoir, BRAVE-ish! My memoir has been out for three months now and has won several awards! Thank you for buying my book, showing up at my events, watching my videos and listening to my podcast which won an award for Diversity in TV/Streaming.While it has been an amazing year for me as a writer with incredible press for my book from Bloomberg, NPR, Conde Nast Traveler, Travel and Leisure and many TV segments, I have been praying every day since Oct 7 for the hostages to come home safely. As 2023 comes to a close, I hope you hug your loved ones closely and have meaningful time with family and friends.AWARDS: Goody Business Book Awards: Memoir/Self-Help Zibby Awards: Best Book for The Strong Woman The 2023 HEARTEN Book Awards Short List for Inspiring & Uplifting Non-Fiction I loved being a judge for the Business Traveler Awards in Miami. Thank you to Anatomie Luxury Travel Clothes for my gorgeous dress –get your own and use my code for 15% off site-wide for your first purchase: NiverAlpha23 (Check out all my gift guide ideas here) This month I went to two Galas at The Biltmore Los Angeles one for the NAEJ Awards where my podcast won an award and one for their 100th birthday celebration! Watch the superb entertainment here:Find my 2023 articles, travels and videos from We Said Go Travel, MSN & Google News here: Grateful for Your Support in 2023 EVENTS

Thank you to Wise Years and Wanderful Global Book Club for my December Events. I look forward to seeing you in 2024 in person! Come meet me:

January 13 and 14 at the Chicago Travel and Adventure Show.

February 16-19 in Mexico at the Women’s Travel Fest

10 Questions With Women���s Travel Fest Speakers: Lisa Niver

We sit down with Lisa Niver, author Brave-ish, One Breakup, Six Continents and Feeling Fearless After Fifty to discuss her insights on travel and her memorable experiences with the conference.

Read Article

April 12-14 in Utah at the Women in Travel Summit

I have several more events in the works –please check my newsletter, events page and social media for the latest information!

Thank you to DEMA Dive Show and Visit Solomon Islands for including me in Author’s Corner in New Orleans. I loved my stay at the Westin New Orleans!

NEW PRESS INTERVIEWS: 324: How To Be Brave With Lisa Niver – The Well Woman Show

Giovanna Rossi interviewed me to discuss my latest book ���Brave-ish, One Breakup, Six Continents and Feeling Fearless After Fifty��� and also: The transformative potential of embracing change. The importance of setting bold goals for personal growth. Strategies for overcoming fear and self-doubt, and much more!

Listen Podcast

Lisa Niver On Philly Mag

Author and travel expert Lisa Niver will discuss her new travel memoir Brave-ish, about her exploits in Myanmar, Cuba, Morocco, Kenya and Mongolia.

Read Article

BRAVE-Ish On NBC 10 Philadelphia With Sheila Watko

Thank you to Sheila Watko for this segment on NBC 10 Philadelphia about my book BRAVE-ish and my event tonight NOV 10 5:30pm at the PENN BOOKSTORE.

Watch Interview

Lisa Niver Shares Her Story With Kathy Romano

Lisa Niver���s new book Brave-ish is about her journey to a new life. She discusses what led her to realize she needed a change, her travels and many adventures that helped her bring happiness back into her life. Her Story is hosted by Kathy Romano and airs Sunday mornings on 95.7 BEN-FM.

Listen Podcast

Travel Expert Lisa Niver On Being Brave-Ish & Fearless After 50 – Fearless Fabulous You!

Travel influencer and writer, Lisa Niver, has lived on the road for much of her life, from working cruise ships to hostel-hopping in Asian. But it was her 50th trip around the Sun that made her decide to make a ���50 in 50��� bucket list to step outside her comfort zone and try new things on her own after her divorce. 

I call it her ���Now or Niver��� moment.

Listen Podcast

Author���s Corner: Lisa Niver On Being ���Brave-Ish��� And How Scuba Diving Helped Reinvent Herself

Lisa Niver, a writer and avid scuba diver, shares her transformative journey in a new memoir titled ���Brave-ish: One Breakup, Six Continents, And Feeling Fearless After Fifty.���

Read Article

Brave-Ish On Travel Classics

My latest ���BRAVE-ish: One Breakup, Six Continents and Feeling Fearless After Fifty��� book is featured on Travel Classics!

Read Article

BRAVE-ISH Featured In The Penn Gazette – Briefly Noted 107

Thank you to The Penn Gazette and University of Pennsylvania for the print feature in ���Briefly Noted��� about my award winning memoir, BRAVE-ish: One Breakup, Six Continents and Feeling Fearless After Fifty! Nov/Dec 2023 issue https://thepenngazette.com/briefly-noted-107/ page 49. more photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/C0LHm-uNRL9 

Read Article

Brave-ish REVIEWS: THANK YOU for watching my podcast! It has now been seen and heard in 41 countries on 6 continents!

USA   India Canada   Ireland Puerto Rico   UK    Italy   Australia  Philippines Singapore   New Zealand Portugal Saudi Arabia Switzerland Hong Kong    Mexico   Japan  Fiji Seychelles France Latvia   Netherlands   Kenya   UAE Cambodia Israel Guatemala Germany Uruguay Bangladesh Spain Panama Thailand Uganda    Greece   South Africa  Costa Rica  Bosnia and Herzegovina   Sri LankaRomania Pakistan

Lisa On GoodPods

My Make Your Own Map podcast episode ���Courageous Living: Margie Warrell on Embracing Challenges��� recommended by GoodPods! 

Check the List

My podcast won an award and was a finalist for three other categories! Check out my podcast list on Goodpods called: The best podcasts for amazing content – National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Award Winners 2023! WATCH my podcast, “MAKE YOUR OWN MAP: Are YOU ready to be BRAVE?” on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Podcast,  Google Podcasts, Audacy, Audible, Anchor, Pandora & iHeart Radio WHERE CAN YOU FIND MY TRAVEL VIDEOS?

Here is the link to my video channel on YouTube where I have over TWO MILLION views on YouTube! (now at: 2,044,500 views)

Thank you for your support! Are you one of my 4,195 subscribers? I hope you will join me and subscribe! For more We Said Go Travel articles, TV segments, videos and social media: CLICK HERE

Find me on social media with over 150,000 followers. Please follow  on TikTok: @LisaNiver, Twitter at @LisaNiver, Instagram @LisaNiver and on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and at LisaNiver.com.

My Podcast: “Make Your Own Map!”

Fortune Cookie SAID:

May the upcoming year be a journey of discovery, filled with new opportunities and exciting paths.

In the book of life, may each page be a chapter of success and each fortune a tale of happiness.

BRAVE-ish, One Break-up, Six Continents and Feeling Fearless After Fifty

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10 Questions With Women���s Travel Fest Speakers: Lisa Niver

Thank you to Women’s Travel Fest for inviting me to be a speaker at the 2024 Women���s Travel Fest in Playa del Carmen, Mexico from Feb 16-19, 2024. Enjoy our interview below: 10 Questions With Women���s Travel Fest Speakers: Lisa Niver

SPEAKER INTERVIEW SERIES

We sit down with Lisa Niver, author Brave-ish: One Breakup, Six Continents and Feeling Fearless After Fifty to discuss her insights on travel and her memorable experiences with the conference.

At Women���s Travel Fest, we���re always in awe of the inspiring travel leaders who offer their experience, wisdom, and vast knowledge on how to create the life you want.

This is why we���re honored to feature an amazing interview series on past and current speakers. (And you can join us February 16-19, 2024, for the next conference. Buy tickets here!)

We were excited to speak to Lisa Niver of��WeSaidGoTravel��and the author of��Brave-ish, One Breakup, Six Continents and Feeling Fearless After Fifty.

She is an award-winning travel expert who has explored 102 countries on six continents. This University of Pennsylvania graduate sailed across the seas for 7 years with Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean, and Renaissance Cruises and spent three years backpacking across Asia.

Enjoy this installment of 10 Questions with Lisa Niver!

Lisa has traveled to 102 countries and turned traveling into a career.

What inspired you to start traveling?

My family has a bit of wanderlust! I was born in Boston, my sister was born in Georgia on a military base, and then we moved to Los Angeles. I remember going on Royal Cruise Line as a teenager in the Mediterranean with my family, and it was like my history books came to life.

After seeing the pyramids in Egypt, The Western Wall in Jerusalem, and the Library of Ephesus in Kusadasi, Turkey, I was hooked. I wanted to see more, know more, and travel more.

What���s your favorite destination and why?

I have so many favorites! I love Bonaire for scuba diving, Mongolia for the vast expanse of nothingness on the way to the Gobi Desert, Thailand for the food, and cannot wait to go back to Israel. I love anywhere underwater and I have so many places still on my list to go.

How has travel impacted your life?

Travel has made me kinder, more grateful, and more patient. I remember staying in Nepal when there was only 12 hours of electricity a day. When I was teaching school in Los Angeles, one day, the power went out suddenly.

I told my students we could just open the blinds, and we talked about studying by candlelight and life in other places. The next day, they asked if we could leave the lights off and just use the light from the windows.

What motivated you to pursue a career in travel?

My love of travel and scuba diving is the reason I first started working full-time in travel at Club Med and then on cruise ships. I started a travel website, We Said Go Travel, in 2010. I have worked as a travel journalist and written for digital and print publications from AARP and AAA to Wharton Magazine and WIRED.

What current project are you excited about sharing with the world right now?

I���m honored to have published my memoir,��Brave-ish: One Breakup, Six Continents and Feeling Fearless After Fifty. When I did 50 challenges before 50 to reinvent myself after my divorce, I did not know what would happen next.

During COVID, I found an agent and a publisher, and now I have a book, and it has won several awards! I also started a podcast, Make Your Own Map, which won an award for Diversity in TV/Streaming!

She is passionate about travel, education, and social media.

What advice would you give to others who want to travel the world?

Traveling the world changed my life. I want other women to have that opportunity. My advice is to start small. Have an adventure in your own city and then go an hour or two away by car or bus or train and then set out on bigger and bigger journeys.

Figure out what makes you happy. I started to travel to pursue my passion for scuba diving. When I went into the dive shop, I knew I would meet people and, from there, make friends, get local knowledge, and figure out what to do next to see the area.

What drew you to the Women���s Travel Fest community?

I met Alex from Travel Fashion Girl because of Twitter. In 2012, she invited me to Koh Samui, Thailand, for an interview. I changed my travel plans to meet her.

We have met up over the years in different countries, and having a supportive community of friends in travel like Women���s Travel Fest makes all the difference.

What���s your favorite memory of a past Women���s Travel Fest event?

At the 10th Women���s Travel Fest in NYC in 2023, I loved that Samantha Brown was back as the keynote speaker. I have always looked up to her and seen her speak many times over the years.

It was a great honor to speak at the 2023 Travel Adventure Show in four cities where Samantha Brown, Pauline Frommer, and Patricia Schultz always share their travel stories.

What���s your all-time must-have travel essential? Something you can���t travel without?

I have had a Kindle since 2008 and never leave home without it. I love having an entire library with me.

And the last question ��� are you team carry-on or checked luggage?

I travel with a hula-hoop, which makes me team checked luggage. Hula-hooping has led to some amazing experiences and funny stories. I hooped in jail in the Philippines, with the Maasai warriors in Kenya, and with children in Vanuatu.

Connect with Lisa further on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest, X, TikTok, Linkedin, or catch her podcast on Spotify.

Thank you to Women’s Travel Fest for inviting me to be a speaker at the 2024 Women���s Travel Fest in Playa del Carmen, Mexico from Feb 16-19, 2024. Use��my special promo code:��BRAVE-ISH��for discounted tickets.

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Grateful for Your Support in 2023

2023 has been an incredible year for me! I am so grateful for all of your support for my memoir, my podcast, events, writing and videos! Please find links below to highlights from my 2023 content: MY MEMOIR: BRAVE-ish: One Breakup, Six Continents and Feeling Fearless After Fifty published on September 19, 2023 in print and e-book! Did you get your signed copy yet? Look for the audiobook in 2024! SPEAKER and Events: Travel and Adventure Show in CHICAGO, NEW YORK, LOS ANGELES and DALLASStephen Wise Temple Shabbat and Wise YearsLos Angeles at Zibby’s Bookshop and Vroman’s BookshopPhiladelphia at the Penn Book StoreVirtual: Wanderful Global Book Club, The Bookfest and The Jane ClubAdWeek NYC with The Female QuotientNew Orleans for Author’s Corner at the DEMA Dive Show

PRESS: interviews including Bloomberg, Forbes, Conde Nast Traveler, Business Insiders as well as on Television: Good Day LA, Good Day DC, The Jet Set TV, The Daily Blast, NBC 10 Philadelphia and more…..interviews and podcasts and reviews!!

My PODCAST:

MAKE YOUR OWN MAP won an AWARD and has been watched in 41 countries on 6 continents

Lisa Niver interviewing Deepak Chopra for Mental Health Awareness Month My VIDEOS:

I now have over two million views on my YouTube channel

Find my recent articles PUBLISHED in:Jewish Journal, MSN, Google News, Ms. Magazine, Travel and LeisureTRIPS:

Chicago: Exploring in Winter and speaking at the Travel Show

New York City: A NYonAir doors off helicopter and CityClimb are amazing ways to get great views of the city! Speaking at the Travel Show, Signing books at AdWeek, Going to the Clinton Global Initiative Conference and the UNGA, 10th Women’s Travel Fest and more TV!

UTAH: Skiing with my DAD, Carl and Fuzz Federsen, an Olympic champion as well as the grand opening of the new National Ability Center building.

San Diego: Camp Travel Mom

Ireland: Travel Classics and Beyond!

Loreto, Mexico: A Magical Mexican Pueblo

Destin Fort-Walton, Florida: Judge for the Lionfish Derby

Washington DC: Filming for Good Day DC and The Jet Set TV

Puerto Rico: Luxury at Fairmont El San Juan and Dorado Beach, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve for World Environment Day

New Orleans: DEMA Dive Show!

and more– Philadelphia for LLBC Gala and my book talk, Dallas for the travel show, Ann Arbor, Michigan and Fort Wayne, Indiana for baseball AND

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Lisa Niver (@lisaniver)

Miami: Judge for the Business Traveler Awards and interviewed for WHERE NEXT on ReachTV!

AWARDS:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Lisa Niver (@lisaniver)

AND BEYOND���.

2022: Creating Content in 2022

2021: Creating 2021 Content during COVID-19

2020: Creating 2020 Content during COVID-19

Please see ���A Decade of Content from Lisa Niver: From 2020 to 2010,��� for my articles, interviews and videos.

2019: Wonderful Wanderings

2018: Where were Lisa���s Wonderful Wanderings?

2017: We Said Go Travel is GLOBAL!

2016: What did Lisa LOVE the most?

2015: Highlights from Lisa���s videos and adventures

2014: A real rollercoaster!

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Brave-ish at Wise Years, Stephen Wise Temple

Shabbat Shalom. Thank you to WISE YEARS at Stephen Wise Temple for inviting me to speak about my book, BRAVE-ish!

It was an honor to speak at my temple and to learn from Joey Freeman, Deputy Mayor of Intergovernmental Affairs for Los Angeles. We both grew up at Stephen Wise Temple.

Listen to Lisa Niver on Rabbi Yoshi’s podcast Lisa Niver speaking on Shabbat at Stephen Wise Temple Sept 29, 2023

https://www. wesaidgotravel.com/brave-ish-at-stephen-wise-temple/

Lisa Niver is an award-winning travel expert who has explored 102 countries on six continents. This University of Pennsylvania graduate sailed across the seas for seven years with Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean, and Renaissance Cruises and spent three years backpacking across Asia. Discover her articles in publications from AARP: The Magazine and AAA Explorer to WIRED and Wharton Magazine, as well as her site WeSaidGoTravel.

On her award winning global podcast,��Make Your Own Map, Niver has interviewed Deepak Chopra, Olympic medalists, and numerous bestselling authors, and as a journalist has been invited to both the Oscars and the United Nations. For her print, podcast and digital stories as well as her television segments, she has been��awarded��three Southern California Journalism Awards and three National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards and been a finalist twenty-five times.

Named a #3 travel influencer for 2023, Niver talks travel on broadcast television at KTLA TV Los Angeles, her YouTube channel with over 2 million views, and in her memoir, Brave-ish, One Breakup, Six Continents and Feeling Fearless After Fifty.

Although Lisa Niver has traveled in far-off locales from Vanuatu to Nepal and received numerous accolades for both her writing and her top ranked website, what people don���t realize is that this began from the wreckage of a rotten romance.

Newlywed Niver was on the adventure of a lifetime. She had quit her job, rented out her condo, and was traveling around Asia. To the outside world, Niver was a woman living out her dreams of exploring ancient ruins in Cambodia and seeing orangutans in Borneo. In private, she was keeping a dark secret. But, when she found herself lying on a sidewalk in Thailand, looking up at the sky in severe pain, she knew things had to change. At age forty-seven, Niver found the courage to set course on a new life.

Feeling like a failure, pushing fifty, and moving home to her parents��� house to start again from scratch, Niver started taking one tiny ���brave-ish��� step at a time to take her life far away from the old one and into the adventurous world of travel writing. These small hurdles led to the challenge of trying fifty new things before turning fifty. From diving into shipwrecks, swimming with sharks, bobsledding at 3 Gs, to indulging in wild escapades, Niver found herself traversing the world on a journey of reinvention, personal growth, and discovering what it actually means to be ���brave.���

While Brave-ish chronicles Niver���s inspiring expeditions to distant corners of the world including Myanmar, Cuba, Morocco, Kenya and Mongolia this is more than a travelogue. Niver���s story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of perseverance. Brave-ish inspires readers to dream big, take risks, and embrace the unknown to create a life filled with wonder and excitement, even when courage seems elusive.

READ THE PRESS for BRAVE-ish on Forbes, Bloomberg, Conde Nast, Travel and Leisure and more!!!!

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Travel and Leisure: How Travel Healed Me After My Divorce

Thank you Nina Ruggiero and Travel and Leisure for my Travel Tips article, How Travel Healed Me After My Divorce, about my book, Brave-ish!How Travel Healed Me After Divorce — and Made Me Fearless in My 50s

In her new book, “Brave-ish: One Breakup, Six Continents and Feeling Fearless After Fifty,” travel writer Lisa Niver explores the ways traveling across six continents helped her heal and start anew.

By Lisa Niver 

Published on October 29, 2023

Photo from Ecoventura Galapagos

For years, I dreamed of being among the Buddha statues at Borobudur temple in Indonesia. When I finally climbed to the top level, I looked out and saw the blue sky above, the green fields around us, and the carved, bell-shaped stupas surrounding me. How could I be in such a peaceful, historic place fighting with my partner again about the same old issues? I wanted to return to Israel and Italy to see friends and family, to explore Ireland and Iceland for the first time … and he did not want to put any of my choices on our travel list. I was feeling hopeless. 

I could not see a way forward; I had to make a leap. As Ray Bradbury said, “Jump, and you will find out how to unfold your wings as you fall.”

My divorce was a devastating breakup which became the catalyst for life-changing adventures. When I was first separated, I was crying non-stop, but slowly I conquered my personal demons and emerged stronger, wiser, and ready to embrace new travels.

Photo from Borobudur, Indonesia

Through a series of 50 introspective challenges and global travels, I explored my passions — from salsa dancing to ceramics — and confronted my fears, jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. I went to every kind of therapy I could find and reinvented myself by embracing the unknown and conquering 50 challenges, one tiny step at a time.

Each challenge pushed my limits a bit more — and to tell the truth, it wasn’t easy. I quit countless times, but I ultimately found personal growth, resilience, and confidence. I went from heartbreak to triumph on my journey by healing my mind, body, and soul. 

Healing My Body in Utah, California, and Ireland

As a child, I had many accidents. I believed I was just clumsy. In fact, I had eye issues which were not diagnosed until my divorce. I committed to a year of vision therapy at 47, while mostly everyone else there was seven. Many of my challenges involved trying athletic things again … with quite a few lessons and tears.

Growing up, I skied but had never felt confident on the mountain. It was a true highlight to ski at Deer Valley with Fuzz Feddersen, the Olympic aerialist. Not only did he guide me all around the mountain, but he also complimented my skiing abilities. While I will never compete in the Olympics, I did ski with a champion, and I was finding my own way to mark my progress.

After a women’s ski clinic at Kirkwood Mountain that included the bucket list item of being snowed in after an epic storm, I was invited to Pumps on Pedals, a Lake Tahoe women’s bike weekend. I refused to even consider it. As a child, I landed in the hospital after an accident and believed that I hated biking. When my friend offered to do it with me, I reconsidered. Mountain biking at Northstar Lake Tahoe turned out to be my proudest moment.

I was scared (actually, terrified). I wore so much padding and “armor” that my father could not pick me out in the photos. As I raced down a blue (intermediate) slope with my two instructors, I felt the wind in my hair, the sun on my face, and my smile was from ear to ear. I did it.

Lisa Niver on a hawk walk at Ashford Castle, Ireland

While in Kilkenny, Ireland, I had a lesson in hurling, an ancient Irish sport that is a cross between hockey and lacrosse. After being the kid on the playground who could not play tetherball, I had never been anxious to try anything sporty ever again. However, I did learn to cast or throw the silotar (ball) with the hurley (stick). The team said I was doing well. For me, it was a win to even agree to a lesson. I slept in my jersey that night, I was so proud. I had played one of the oldest sports in the world.

My world was looking up — right up to the sky, because next, at Ashford Castle, I learned falconry. Walking in the forest with a bird of prey on my hunting glove was unbelievable. Someone trusted me with Joyce, a six-year-old Harris hawk. I listened carefully to Tommy’s instructions and sent Joyce into the sky. She sailed away and came right back for the treat that Tommy added to my glove.

Next up, I had a lesson in skeet shooting from another Olympian, David O’Loughlin. He taught me about the clay pigeons, the rifle, and how to shoot. With his excellent instruction, I was able to hit most of my targets. Dr. Brodney was right, if I worked on my eyes, I would be better at sports. My visual retraining paid off and my eyes were so much better.

Healing My Soul in the Galapagos

At summer camp, most kids hoped for a special candy treat secretly snuck in their trunk. As a precocious reader, one year my mom sent me with a book about Darwin’s expeditions. It was a dream come true when I sailed on Ecoventura, a Relais & Chateau yacht, throughout the Galapagos Islands. I had waited for decades (since that fateful summer camp!) to see my first blue footed boobies. The best thing about this trip was I learned that there are red footed boobies and Nazca boobies with orange feet.

My favorite thing about traveling is that there is always more to discover than I originally imagined. We snorkeled one day with many sea lions (who were quite curious about my video camera), as well as several penguins, and I just loved the way they wiggled in the water. 

Lisa Niver in the Galapagos with Ecoventura.

Our days were filled with activities, from kayaking to hiking, and of course, there was incredible food and accommodations. I had worried about what would happen when I traveled without a partner, but in fact, his anxiety and worries were more of an anchor than a buoy, and I was much happier to be back on my own. 

Everyone talks about how nature can heal the soul. It’s true: I lived it. Swimming with endemic marine life, seeing the birds I’d longed to see since childhood, and living well on a luxury ship brought me back to myself.

Healing My Mind in Iceland

While I was soaking in the hot waters of Sky Lagoon in Iceland, after the coldest plunge, I learned the Icelandic phrase Þetta reddast, which means, “Don’t worry, it will all work out.” I had been so concerned when I left my marriage that I would never travel again, laugh again, or stop feeling like a failure.

Plunging into these contrasts seemed fitting in the land of fire and ice, as everything does not have to be so very hot or cold or work out all at once. Learning to see the grays and not only the black and white, while soaking in the hot and cold, reminded me it is important to reassess. Leaving my marriage was not a failure; staying would have been a failure to take care of myself. Just like when we travel, sometimes we must adjust our plans to have a nap, slow down, or learn about a new way or direction.

Lisa Niver at Sky Lagoon, Iceland

I truly believe in the transformative power of travel. For me, returning to travel after leaving my husband — and Asia — helped me heal and grow. Seeing life even briefly from someone else’s perspective truly helped me recalibrate and re-evaluate my life moving forward.

Niver visiting the volcano in Tanna, Vanuatu

My challenges were diverse: I was able to hula hoop with villagers in the Solomon Islands and the Maasai Mara in Kenya, and walk around an active volcano in Vanuatu. I met remarkable individuals who believed in me even when I did not believe in myself. I found inspiration and a renewed zest for life. I was worried that ending my marriage would end my adventures … but all I had to do was turn the page for a new chapter.

Learning to Hula-hoop in Lowinia Village in Tanna Vanuatu

Lisa Niver is the author of “Brave-ish: One Breakup, Six Continents and Feeling Fearless After Fifty,” and an award-winning travel expert who has explored 102 countries on six continents. 

How Travel Healed Me After Divorce — and Made Me Fearless in My 50s. Click the image for more info. https://t.co/GN3R9I7lr5

— Travel + Leisure (@TravelLeisure) November 1, 2023

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