Special Edition of Dr. Travelbest Podcast: Part 2
Responses to Your Questions….. About the Around the Globe adventure that I recently took.
7. What did you learn about yourself?
I learned that making decisions is probably the best skill to have when traveling solo. Unless I made a decision, I was not going anywhere. I also learned that I could do a lot more than I had expected of myself.
Resiliency was one of my takeaways from this adventure.
8. Often, when we are courageous, it builds up the muscles and makes you crave to do it repeatedly. Does that ring true for you?
The courageous muscle has been working hard. I read Ryan Berman’s book, Courageous, and that also inspired me to make this journey.
An example of this is that by the end of the trip, I was getting really good at navigating using the many tools on my smart phone. I was excited to use them, instead of dreading it.
9. If you could go back and tell yourself something just before you boarded that first plane, what would it have been?
Great question. Bring an ATM card for just in case! I had plenty of cash, so I thought. It would have been so helpful if I had brought the plastic. I did not use cash much at all after leaving Asia, but it would have been helpful, instead of currency exchanges.
10. Did you have any doubts or fear during the journey?
Yes, especially in India and Italy. In India, I was challenged in ways you would expect. In Italy, I was caught on a public bus without payment, because I downloaded the app, signed up for the service, but I could not activate my payment because of my lack of texting back in the US. I had to pay a steep fine, which I understood was the penalty for not having payment. Due to the language and other barriers, I was disappointed.
11. Best food? Best place you stayed? Best weather?
Food? I’m not a foodie, but I did enjoy the pizza in Florence. Thin crust with just the right ingredients. The butter and creams in Ireland and Scotland were really tasty, too.
Best stay? Cochin, India. The family sent their driver to pick me up at the airport. They had many servants, who were able to help me adjust to the different food tastes. They had separate meals without chilis for me.
Best Weather? Iceland. The rest of the trip was very hot, so the final stop was cool, but not cold. It was pleasant every day, even a bit rainy, which was refreshing.
12. Worst food? Worst place you stayed? Worst weather?
Worst food? Chennai, India. It was like a fire in my mouth, even when I asked for not spicy. The chili’s were too hot. I ate from a jar of peanut butter here for two days.
Worst place I stayed? Manila Hotel, which was really a hostel trying to upgrade. I should have paid more and booked outside of the city. The “kitchen” was a broken tiny refrigerator and sink—nothing more than that, which was dishonest. A repairman walked into my room without knocking. I complained for days and got little response.
Worst weather? Cambodia, because it was just really humid and sticky all the time.
13. Can you tell me any words of inspiration for others thinking about pushing themselves into something courageous?
If you have a goal, break it into pieces so you can take it one step at a time.
Reward yourself for mini-milestones. I had a few massages on my trip, not only for the physical therapy but also as a mental reward for staying the course. They were really cheap in Asia, but not so much after that.
Thank you for listening to this. Please follow and share comments. What questions did I not answer? I may do another special edition if you ask for it.
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