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Welcome to Nostalgic Travel Talks! I’m a former Spanish teacher turned travel advisor, passionate about curating unforgettable experiences. My expertise lies in European adventures (with a special love for Spain), cruising, and all-inclusive Caribbean getaways. I specialize in creating tailored trips for families, multi-generational groups, and teachers—whether they’re traveling solo, with colleagues, or leading student groups.
In this podcast, we celebrate the joy of travel, uncover hidden gems, share practical tips and tricks, and embrace the spirit of adventure. Each episode features inspiring conversations with fascinating guests from all walks of life as they share their unique travel stories, lessons, and favorite destinations. Whether you're planning your next getaway or simply love to dream about the possibilities, this is your place to explore the world from wherever you are.
Let’s embark on this journey together! 🌍✈️
Imagine setting off on a journey with just your backpack, your plans, and your curiosity. No friends, no family, just you in the open road. The freedom, the challenge, the discovery. Welcome to Nostalgic Travel Talks. I'm Alexander Johnson. And I'm Cheryl Johnson. Today, we're diving into the exciting world of solo travel. Whether you're thinking about taking your first solo trip or just love the idea of exploring the world independently, we'll unpack why solo travel changes lives, how to stay safe and confident, and what it really feels like to travel alone. Well, welcome. Thank you. How you doing, Ms. Sheryl? I'm doing great. That's awesome. That's awesome. So you've been traveling solo. You've been doing solo travel for quite some time. Like I always say, and anyone ever asks where I get my travel bug, I say I get it from my mom. Can you tell us a bit about your own solo travel, the journey, the challenges, the fun, highs, lows? Sure. Well, you know, it started just because, well, you know how your father is. He doesn't like to go to some of the places that I like to go and you shouldn't let anybody hold you back. So, you know, there's times when we go, we do a lot of travel together, but at the same time, when I want to go someplace, I don't want to, I don't want to be held back. So I just, um, figure it out. And so, you know, you can start as simply as going to a movie by yourself or just going out to eat by yourself, just to see how that feels. And it's the same kind of thing, you know, and the beauty of solo travel is that, you know, you get to set the agenda. You are on your own timetable. You got, you know, if you have an itinerary, you stick to it. If you don't want to, you don't have to, you know, you just get the freedom to do whatever you want to do. I love that. I love that. Awesome. Awesome. Well, I think that's kind of cool. So I have not yet done my own solo travel. It is in the works. I know we were just talking off camera about it. It was supposed to happen on my 30th birthday. It didn't happen. Why do you think it's important for people to do solo travel? And I've asked this to a bunch of my own friends. People who have done it, who are experienced, would love to know from you, What has it given you over the years? Or what advice, rather, would you give to somebody who's like, well, why would I do that when I can go with my friends? Or why would I do that when I can do this or that? You know, I think just being able to do things on your own, it's important. You should be able to be independent and make your own decisions. And find out what makes you feel good. laugh. What makes you happy? You know, you have to be happy with yourself first before you can make other people happy. No doubt. You know, and so being able to just pamper yourself, it's just, to me, a very good, it's just a way, a good way to take care of yourself. Benefits, right? I would call those kind of the benefits of doing the solo travel. Absolutely. That's awesome. That's awesome. You know, you don't have to argue with anybody about where you're going to go eat. I can choose. Like if I, if this is what I feel like having, this is what I'm going to have. And then I don't have to even, you don't have to debate with anybody about it, you know? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Do you have any tips, like things that just jump off? So if somebody came to you and said, ah, you know, Mrs. Johnson, I'm, I'm thinking about doing this thing, but here are my reservations. Let's call it, if you had five or six tips you could give somebody for a new traveler, solo traveler, what would they be? I would probably start off small. That's one. Definitely do your research about the place. Learn about, you know, find out what there is to do at the place that you're going to go to. Find out if it's going to be something that you're going to be compatible with, if it's something that you are going to enjoy, if there's enough to do, because that's the last thing you want to do is go someplace and it's just really boring, and you're ready to go home. Pack well, so you have the right equipment, you know, you don't want to, you know, especially if it's a place that has, I don't know, I guess it depends on the activities that are involved. You know, are you going to have access to whatever equipment might be necessary? And you definitely want to know if it's a safe place and what kinds of things that you need to do for, you know, just to make sure that you're going to be safe. You know, you want to make sure that you don't run into any trouble. Yeah. Any difficulties. Yeah. No, I can definitely feel that. I want to jump back just for a second. You talked about kind of the gateways into doing solo travel before you actually go out and do it, right? So you said, you know, maybe take it effectively, right? It's basically dating yourself, right? You're taking yourself on a date, right? Going out to eat, going to the movies on your own. Some might think that is a little awkward, right? And if you, you know, depending on who you are and who your life experiences are, maybe that's the case. For those, you know, new to solo travel who, you know, They have challenges like that domestically. Imagine going someplace internationally and having to do that. Are there any tips that you could give to them or what would you say to folks who would see that as a challenge? I would say you definitely want to research culture. What are cultural differences? Because you don't want to do something that offends somebody, something that you might think is perfectly normal. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with being awkward, for sure. Embrace the awkward, definitely. But when it comes to those kinds of things, you definitely have to do your research and find out about cultural differences. what's acceptable and what's not because what you might think is perfectly reasonable might not be. Yeah. No for sure. For sure. And I know from personal experience being in different places and you know you love the people that you're with but sometimes they'll they do things at home that you're just like makes you just want to cover your face and just like is this going to be over anytime soon. So no I definitely I am with you there. Would love to know If you have any lessons, like life lessons that you have been able to learn on your solo travel, things that you've been able to take and turn around and apply, you know, everyday life, maybe things that you even taught your own kids, right, that you've got to learn. doing your travels? Well, I don't know if it's a lesson necessarily, but just being willing to talk to strangers, not like in a dangerous way or anything like that, but just being, finding ways because a lot of people don't realize this about me, but I am super shy and people don't believe me when I say that. People don't believe me when I say that, but I'm, it's very, it's very hard for me to, you know, to walk up to a stranger and, I mean, it depends on the situation. I can advocate for myself, I'm not saying that. But just starting a conversation with somebody, for me, it's awkward. I don't always know the right things to say. So I would say that I'm losing my train of thought. That's okay. That's okay. And you know, the thing is, okay, sometimes one of the things that I find that you can do is join a meetup group. Oh, yes. You know, yes. Join a meetup group and We were talking about this recently. Yes. And that's a perfect, that's a great thing to do as a solo traveler. Yeah. You know, you can do that whether you're solo or with a group. Yes. Brittany and I. I was just going to say, can you tell that story? Yeah. Yeah. Brittany and I went to Barcelona and we, you know, it was just the two of us and we wanted to meet some people. We didn't, because that's the thing. When I travel, I want to meet people and cause I just think it makes it more interesting than like, have you ever gone on a trip? I don't know if this affects you or not, but go on a trip where you, um, you know, it's a place you've always wanted to see and you just go on tours the whole time. And then when you're done, it's not like you really went anywhere. Yeah. And I think the missing ingredient is interacting with locals. Yes. And so Brittany and I decided we were going to meet some locals. And so we just went on our Meetup app and found a group that was meeting in Barcelona because that's where we were going to be. And we just decided to get together with them. And it was just at a restaurant. We just went to a restaurant and there were people from all over the world at this. And I think the group was, it was supposed to be a Spanish group, like to practice your Spanish or something like that. I thought, oh, that'll be fun. So I think we met somebody from Norway, from Brazil, the UK, Kazakhstan. Italy, Germany, and I'm probably leaving some countries out, but those are the ones that stand out in my mind. And I mean, everybody, it was so funny because we all started speaking, we were speaking in Spanish for the majority of the time, and then guess everybody got tired, and we all just started speaking English. But it was okay, because it was just a really fun time. I know she was looking forward to going, but she was like, if I get bored, can we just leave? And I was like, sure. She was fine. She was the life of the party. I believe it. Those are the kinds of things you can do as a solo traveler, too. A way for you to meet locals even though you're on your own. That's the reason I mentioned it. That's awesome. We talk about traveling a lot. As you think about upcoming travels, And I know a lot, you know, especially with your business now, you do a lot of, well, you obviously set people up to go on bigger group trips. You also do quite a few research trips yourself. Where is the next place you're looking forward to going? For research or just in general? Just in general. Solo trip oriented, right? Solo trip oriented. You know, I could probably just go anywhere in the world. Yeah. I would just love to go anywhere for a solo trip. I don't know. Kind of got me there. Well, in general, I would I really want to go to Cuba. Yeah. Solo or with a group, I don't care. For sure. Cuba's one of those places on my list. I don't know if it's ever going to happen just because of the legalities involved, but that's really, that's on the top of my list. After Cuba, I definitely want to go to St. Croix. We talked about, we talked actually, I talked to Stephanie in the last episode about visiting St. Croix. So that's definitely on my list. And I don't think that'll be a solo trip. I'd like to go back to Puerto Rico. Have you been in a DR? No, I have not. Oh, you should do that. on my list. You should You should do that, Ma. Yeah, definitely. Because you've been to the D . R. a couple of times, haven't you? Just once. Just once. OK. OK. But yeah, I would love to go to the Dominican Republic. I think it's been yeah, that's that's been on my list for a while. Yeah. Yeah. No, that's that's awesome. I think I think we were just talking about this for me, Sri Lanka, Mauritius. Monaco and thinking that's gonna be my my soldier once I can get it all together all three of those places or just yeah I'd like to do all three. Okay, obviously Because of where they're located in the world the logistics of flying around I think it could be a little crazy, but I don't mind that But yeah, I think those are probably the three for me for sure. Okay, hopefully I can nail them all in one trip Well, I wish you luck That'll be that'll be quite a feat Well, so I know we're kind of we're getting to the end here, but as we wrap up I know we kind of touched on this but First steps right we talked about essentially dating yourself, right? Mm -hmm. Are there other? Oh, we talked about Getting a little land. Mm -hmm lay of You know the language if you can a little bit. Mm -hmm the people the customs Is there any other tips that you would want the listeners to know? Yes, absolutely. Safety. Very much, especially when you're on your own, safety is really important. I can think of two instances where safety was... Honestly, I don't know. My perception might be off for this first one I'm going to tell you about. But I was asking somebody for directions on how to get back to the Metro. I was in one spot, but I thought there was another Metro station closer. So I went up to a vendor and I said, hey, where's the closest Metro? But then this is like something out of a bad movie. This guy was behind me and he had a newspaper And I just happened to turn around, and he just put it in front of his face, and I'm just like, what's going on? Is he listening to me? So she gave me the directions, and I was just like, oh, he probably heard where I was going. So then I start walking really fast, and I'm like, I kept looking back to see if he was behind me, and I'm thinking, I am crazy. This isn't real, this is not real. But every time I looked back, he was following me, and he had this newspaper. And so I just darted behind a tree, like what you see in the movies, and kind of, look to see if he was there, and then I just ran across the street as fast as I could and got caught. I just kind of got lost in the crowd, but my heart was pounding. So, you know, I just went with my gut and I just did what I thought I should. Yeah. I'm glad I didn't know about that story before, because I probably would have never let you go anywhere on your own. You're right. I probably shouldn't be telling you this. Oh my gosh. Yeah. But another time, another situation that happened was one that I know was not safe. And because a lot of times when you're walking in, like I was on Gran Via in Madrid, and a lot of times people will stop you and ask you survey questions, which, and that's happened to me before, so I didn't think anything of it. So this lady stopped me and she was like, hey, can I ask you, I'm doing a survey. And I was like, okay. She's like, well, let's step into this hallway, which it like, right. We were on the sidewalk and I, you know, she's like, let's step off the sidewalk. So we're not like in the way of this, of the, you know, of traffic and stuff. I was like, okay. But then she's like leading me down the hallway and she's like, let's, it's down here. And I'm like, I'm not, I'm not going down there. I don't know. And I think at the same time, I remember, reading about a situation where people were, um, warning people not about this kind of a scam, like they would get you in a room and then they would just threaten you. And if you, the only way they would let you leave is if you gave them your credit cards and stuff like that. So that was something that was kind of going around and I was just, no. So I just, I didn't get too far. I was just right at the edge of the, I was still outside. So that was, I just was like, no, I'm not going down there. That clearly was not when we were there. Yeah. I mean, but I mean, people, there's scams all the time. People are always doing, always doing terrible things. Sure. No, there's no doubt. So you just definitely have to be, you just have to be on your P's and Q's. Yeah. You just have to always, always just take care of yourself. I love that. I love that. But definitely, I like what you said about dating yourself. It's really important. You just get to know more things about you and everybody should be happy just being able to be on their own. Yes. Well, a lot of people, I have learned, are not comfortable with that and also don't really know. Yeah, so important. So important. Because you just don't want something to hold you back from what you really like. If there's always times where you really, really want to do something and other people don't necessarily want to and you shouldn't, you just shouldn't let that hold you back. So that's why it's important. Wonderful. Wonderful gem there too, Mom, to cap us off. Thank you again so much for your insights. I appreciate you joining me. Before we get out of here, you down for another grant? Rapid fire round? Absolutely. Okay. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Okay. Mountains. beach. I love them both. Yeah I do love the beach. I mean, I guess it depends on the type of vacation I would say I'm definitely I lean towards the beach. Yeah for sure. How about you mountain? Okay, I love the beach don't get me wrong, but I the mountains are Don't know I kind of look at them. I kind of got the mountains like you look at the ocean like obviously as human beings We've scaled so many Mountains, but I feel like we haven't really skeleton to the tippy. Well, maybe a handful to the tippy -top Like I think I'm just so cool There's a level of mystery behind a mountain to me for me. Yeah, obviously the ocean for sure, you know, but yeah Yeah. Solo travel or group travel? I know this is going to be a tough question. That is a tough one. I do like traveling with my family and my friends. I guess it would have to depend on where I was going and if anybody wanted to go with me. But if they didn't, I'm okay with solo. So I guess my answer is group. Love it. How about you? Well, only because I have not done my own solo travel. I know I'm going to love it, but definitely group. And I know I've said this to you before. I would love to. I can't wait to get back on the road with you and Cynthia and Brendan. Looking forward to it. Yeah, very much so. Favorite travel snack? Trail mix. Oh, we got some right here. Pack light or pack everything? This is going to be a tough question. I already know it. You know I pack light. You know what you do. I do. You do. You know what? I guess, again, over time, women need options. That's one thing I've learned. Women need options, but you do. You do very good about your background. Got to be ready. Yes, yes. Window seat or aisle seat? Window, all the way. I like to see where I'm going. You know, if I wasn't as tall as I was, I would definitely say that too. You need a private jet. One day. Yeah. One day. One day. Book or movie on the road? For me, if I'm at the beach, it's going to be a book. Yeah. But if I'm in the plane, it's going to be a movie. Yeah. I think I'm in accordance with you there, for sure. City trip or countryside? I love the city. I love the city. There's so much to do. There you go. I love that. You? Just because I've lived in a bunch of different cities, major cities, countryside. Again, there's just a little bit of mystery there. Just a little bit of mystery there. Travel gadget you can't live without? I think everybody has to have a portable charger. You know what's crazy? I don't have one. Really? Not a single one. Well, then you must stay prepared because you don't I don't like to get caught unprepared. So I just I have to have one. It's either that or I'm just really good at managing my battery. I guess so. Favorite language to hear abroad? Well, I'm partial. You know, I'm a Spanish teacher. So that's my favorite. That's what I love to hear. Of course. Of course. And last one. One word to describe solo traveling. Empowering. Yes, yes, yes. I think that's the mic drop right there, mom. I think that's it. Thank you listeners for tuning in. Definitely make sure you follow on all of Cheryl's socials. I'll put them in the show notes. Yep, put them in the show notes, because I, again, can't be caught not knowing them all off the top of my head. That's right. If you enjoyed today's solo travel stories, don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode. And be sure to come back next week when we'll explore the fascinating story and impact of the Negro Motorist Green Book, a vital travel guide that helped black travelers navigate America safely. You won't want to miss it.