Hi Reader, The other day, I was standing in the shower and realized I was bone tired. I realized I am standing here because this is the only quiet place away from my to-do lists, productivity hacks, and constant mind chatter. I spend so much time thinking about what I need to do next, what I still have on my todo list, and all the other things I want to do that are in my head. And now, with AI, it's even easier to fall into that pattern because suddenly we can do more. Or at least, it can...
22 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, This week has me thinking about solo travel, about how it has changed me, and how many different ways it can look. Part of that is because I’ve been talking about it more lately, on my podcast and in a couple of guest conversations. Solo Travel Retreats The latest episode of the podcast is with Gina Cambridge. Gina lives in New Zealand and has led more than 30 solo travel retreats and tours in a variety of countries. What I appreciated most about our conversation is how she makes...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, What does community mean to you? (For real, hit reply and let me know.) For me, it’s a group of people gathered together for a common cause. Or a common curiosity. Like you and me and the 132 other people on this list. Each of us has some version of a question about travel and where we want to go next. But today I’m thinking about how you can find more friends in the solo travel world. We can be friends to each other online but it's also great to have friends we can do things with...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, When I was in Busan a couple of months ago, I wanted to see the sunset. I thought it would be a fun thing to do one evening. I asked ChatGPT and it confidently sent me to a location. I got there in time to find the sun disappearing behind buildings. When I shared this with ChatGPT, this is what it told me to enjoy the ambiance anyway. 😏 It gets better (or worse). I was using ChatGPT for some analysis at work the other day and got this gem when I delved into its research: ChatGPT...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Solo travel is transformative. I believe that. But I don't think it's the destinations doing the work. It's the small decisions. The ones that happen when there's no one else there to fill the silence or tell you what you want. Do I book even though I'm not sure it'll be worth it? Do I stop and talk to the stranger? Do I put my phone down? That's what episode 23 is about. 🎧 Traveling Alone Doesn't Change You. Your Decisions Do. Joyfully, Damianne P.S. If you enjoy the episode,...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, As I was leaving a coffee shop in Shirahama, Japan, a staff member stepped outside at the same time and said something to me in Japanese. My default (the one I've had for years) is to smile, nod, and keep moving. It's easier and less awkward. But this time I stopped. I asked what she said. And it turned out she spoke English. We stood on the street and had a proper little conversation. She'd had an English teacher from the Czech Republic. What are the odds? When I walked away, I...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, "No discount for you." Something felt off in that response. In fact, I was ready to give in, give up until the "for you" part of the response struck me as personal. I was at the reception of a hotel spa in Sapa, waiting to pay after the lady who did my treatment delivered the wrong combination of treatments. I asked for a discount because I didn’t get what I had reserved. I thought maybe the refusal was because I booked through Agoda. But I had moved the booking to the hotel and...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, How do you wash your hair? When I travel to places with few black people, folks are so curious about my hair. Last time I was in Vietnam, people wanted to know if my hair is real. This time, in Sapa, someone asked me how I wash my hair. I was in Sapa for a weekend on my way from Nagoya to London. At a random spot after a hike, a lady asked me how I wash my hair. I smiled and said, "The same way you do." Honestly, I used to get upset about questions like that or comments about my...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Sometimes things really do feel like luck. When I was in Sri Lanka, I needed to find a taxi driver for a day trip. I did what many of us do now: a quick search using AI, a look at a few Tripadvisor reviews, and I chose someone whose name kept coming up. When he arrived, I expected a simple transaction. A driver taking me from one place to another. But it turned into something more. We spent hours talking as we drove through the countryside. He told me about growing up in Sri Lanka,...
3 months ago • 2 min read
