Welcome to my shownotes for the History of Dr. Travelbest episode. In this episode: The FAQ is FAQ: People ask me, what qualifies as independent or solo travel?
Today’s Special episode: History of Dr Travelbest
Today’s Mistake- traveling with a baby crying
Travel Advice- Unplug
FAQ: People ask me, what qualifies as independent/ solo travel vs a tour group?
Answer: Even if one day of your travel is on your own, without a guide to show you all of the sights, you are now independent. If you are alone, that is solo travel. You are never really alone, though, right?
Let’s say you go on a cruise by yourself, and maybe even get paired up with a roommate. Are you still independent? Yes, because you are not on a “tour” . Are you going on a cruise excursion? That is likely a tour.
On a cruise, my ship stopped in Acapulco. I hired a driver for the day and that was independent travel, because I had the control of where I wanted the driver to take me.
Special episode: History of Dr Travelbest
Doctor Travelbest was founded in 1993/4 while I was starting my company, Sun Marketing. The name was an alias, because my name had nothing to do with travel, and I had not worked in the travel industry. My first book was founded with the idea of helping women travel independently, since I had been to every continent by myself or with a friend. except Antarctica. Nearly 30 years later, 5 Steps to solo travel, a series for women to travel in their Prime, has been launched with a part A and soon Part B and maybe more. Hundreds of thousands of women have discovered Dr. Travelbest and a billion miles has been traveled since the start. The stories and the lessons are authentic. No one has paid me to write about any of these companies or destinations. I currently teach marketing classes at Point Loma Nazarene University and consult with clients as part of my service to the community. I have a doctorate in Marketing, in Business, not in a medical field.
What kind of a traveler are you, Dr Mary?
When given the choice between solo, Independent, or tour travel I will choose Solo or independent depending on if I had somebody to go with or not. Tour travel works for places that can't be accessed without a guide. There's a place for that role in my travels, too.
My most recent trip was a train travel trip up the coast of California and back in a few days. I traveled light, carrying only two small backpacks, and healing from a broken wrist. I really enjoyed that trip because I didn't have to drive and I could relax and enjoy the company on the train. I met a few people who were really nice, including the conductors. I've even reached out to them afterwards to make a lasting impression.
In my first book, there was an appendix that gave types of travel to types of locations. Test yourself to find out what kind of a traveler you are. It’s easy and quick. My profile turned up “adventure travel”. What’s yours?
Once you know what kind of travel you aspire to, consider the options of where you want to go, not who you want to go with. What is the best season for YOU? What is your schedule looking like? Consider the costs, and the costs of staying home, too. For some of you, the cost to stay home is more than you think.
My friend Cindy and her husband Mike traveled independently for more than a year. They both retired and rented their home to a friend while they traveled the world. They researched and set some plans, and the rest of the planning was done from abroad. In today’s world, this kind of trip is not only possible, it’s doable. Another couple, Jim and Marlene moved to Panama in 2017. They are finding that they can live very comfortably in Central America, visit the grandkids here in the USA when they want, and not have to work the jobs that they had before. Talk about changing careers, he’s become a musician, instead of a businessman.
Lessons learned: traveling with a baby crying
As I write this, I’m listening to a crying baby on the plane across the country. The parents are trying to satisfy the child, but they are doing a terrible job. Is there something that can be done? I’ve been in this position before with a crying child, but I don’t think it went on for this long. This has been for more than an hour in all. If this is you, please take your baby for a walk down the aisle. That worked for my kids. Maybe the kids are overtired and overstimulated. They need to settle down and relax.
Tips: Unplug
Unplug yourself from the many creature comforts and technology that we have at our fingertips. Spend your time and money wisely and buy something that no one can ever take from you, memories. I don’t necessarily think that you should jump out of a plane like George Bush did two times. But you can experience a lot while in an airplane, in an airport, and on a train, as well as in the car driving to our wonderful National Parks, for example.
I want to bring meaning to your travels. Send a question or travel tip to info@drmarytravelbest.com. We can connect on my website, Facebook page, group, or Instagram. Subscribe to YouTube, Twitter, or other social channels. Find the 5 Steps to Solo Travel book series on Amazon. The show notes have more details for you to connect.
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Dr. Mary Travelbest Facebook Page
Dr. Mary Travelbest Facebook Group
email: info@drmarytravelbest.com
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