Jan Schroder is a travel writer and editor for close to 25 years and shares how she began her career. Jan provides advice for people who want to be successful travel writers and also reveals some useful travel tips.

For many years, Jan was the managing editor of a travel magazine and a freelance travel writer for well-known outlets including Fodor’s, Orbitz, Global Traveler and International Living. Today she focuses on writing and producing the monthly digital publication The Travel 100, which is part of The 100 Companies based in Atlanta.

Jan explores some of the most challenging parts of being a travel writer and shares some trends she is seeing in travel today.

Also on Speaking of Travel, grab your comfy sweaters and get ready to plan your ultimate getaway to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina. Mark Collins, Partnerships Manager for RomanticAsheville.com, the most popular online travel guide to the mountains and foothills surrounding Asheville and Western North Carolina, gives us the lowdown on the best ways to boost your energy and mood when the temps are cooler and sunshine is scarce. 

So stay tuned!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Sahara Rose De Vore is a wellness travel coach and founder of The Travel Coach Network, a global community of travel coaches. She shares why travel coaching is reshaping how travel is viewed today. 

There is more depth to why people want (or need) to travel and Sahara explains how travel coaches help identify motivating reasons for a trip while helping set specific intentions for the transformation, feeling, and changes the trip provides.

The Travel Coach Network is home to the world's first and only growing database of travel coaches who specialize in a wide range of niches and areas of expertise. Discover the many ways travel coaches can plan and book trips and help work through stepping out of a comfort zone, learning how to create and manage a budget, and using travel as a tool to thrive in personal life, work-life, and beyond.

Also on Speaking of Travel is Kasey Hotchkiss, owner of Asheville Detours and co-owner of Blue Ridge Wine Tours, to share fun opportunities in Asheville to get to know the whole community. Fun times ahead! 

And, if you’ve noticed how packed the airlines are for travelers these days, you're not alone! With a huge increase in air travel, the Asheville Regional Airport is creating resources to help you prepare ahead of time. Tina Kinsey with the Asheville Regional Airport tells us more on how to become a savvy traveler.  

Tune in right here on Speaking of Travel. 

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

"It's all around us, so much so, that probably no state in India has been untouched by it - The labour migration. The state which probably provides the most manpower to India's varied workforce is Bihar. More specifically, the Bhojpur region. While the region has become infamous for its supposedly low brow music and cinema, what hides underneath is a whole genre of art which is seldom heard by outsiders. This week, starting a new series, The Great Indian Migration, we delve into the world of migration songs, where both men and women turn to music to express their emotion, which are loaded with longing and maybe not so surprisingly, sexuality. Tune in and discover the world of Bhojpuri migration songs, and understand what it teaches us about ourselves.

Special thanks to Avishesh Jha whose voice you will hear in this episode. He runs a wonderful Hindi storytelling podcast, Chunnu PCO. Set in the 90s, a PCO narrates stories of people who used to make a phone call through it.

Check it out https://open.spotify.com/show/2qBkn26TsMUh81hycn56EV

You can follow Avishesh on Instagram

https://instagram.com/jha.saahab?utm_medium=copy_link"

Till then Check out the other episodes of "India's Linguistic Heritage"

The Hidden Story of Sanskrit, and the North-South Divide : https://ivm.today/3CpKQuO

Reclaiming India's Linguistic Heritage: 300 Ramayanas?: https://ivm.today/3kgataz

Partitions Unknown: Hindi, Urdu and the Umbilical Cord: https://ivm.today/3DhQCz2

The Hidden Injustice in India's Languages: https://ivm.today/3HA6YWo

Breast Tax, Brahmins and the Bizzare origins of Modern Malayalam: https://ivm.today/3nQyuam

The Improbable Impact Of Nature On 2000 Languages: https://ivm.today/3EvvmXz

You can check previous episodes of 'Podcasts from Nowhere' on IVM Podcasts website

https://ivm.today/3xuayw9

You can reach out to our host Utsav on Instagram: @whywetravel42

(https://www.instagram.com/whywetravel42)

You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1947, on the eve of Partition, a young man left Lahore and came to Shimla. What makes his journey unique, amongst the millions who must have undertaken this voyage is what he ended up doing in Shimla. What started out as a stationery shop went on to become a storied institution. This week, we travel to Shimla and learn about a rare bookshop which through a hand of chance, came in possession of a piece of history - A copy of the American Declaration of Independence. But that was not the only piece of history that the book store held - It also held a piece that went back to the very beginnings of an ancient religion.

Tune in, and discover the magic of a rare book store, and what lessons in travel it holds for as we step into 2022.

Till then Check out the other episodes of "India's Linguistic Heritage"

The Hidden Story of Sanskrit, and the North-South Divide : https://ivm.today/3CpKQuO

Reclaiming India's Linguistic Heritage: 300 Ramayanas?: https://ivm.today/3kgataz

Partitions Unknown: Hindi, Urdu and the Umbilical Cord: https://ivm.today/3DhQCz2

The Hidden Injustice in India's Languages: https://ivm.today/3HA6YWo

Breast Tax, Brahmins and the Bizzare origins of Modern Malayalam: https://ivm.today/3nQyuam

The Improbable Impact Of Nature On 2000 Languages: https://ivm.today/3EvvmXz

You can check previous episodes of 'Podcasts from Nowhere' on IVM Podcasts website

https://ivm.today/3xuayw9

You can reach out to our host Utsav on Instagram: @whywetravel42

(https://www.instagram.com/whywetravel42)

You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

First off, go with people you really enjoy and if you go with a larger group, make sure you feel comfortable splitting up from time to time to get everything done you want on your Austin bucket list. For more in depth Austin recommendations, you have to follow @exploringamanda and these following Austin Instagram pages for more inspiration. 

Here are the Top 10 things we did & LOVED - 

Go down the slide at the Unbarlievable: unlike anywhere I’ve ever been, electric energy, and such a fun memory with a great spot to take photos 

Parlor Room - “Located in the heart of The Rainey Street Historic District, Parlor Room is an original Craftsman house redesigned into a fun and trendy local hot spot featuring craft cocktails, and craft beer on tap. With 2 full-service bars, a large patio with outdoor seating and games, Parlor Room is the perfect venue for an afternoon cocktail with a group of friends or a private corporate event.” 

Get carted around by bicyclists instead of Ubers to get from Rainey St to 6th St. - my absolute favorite thing we did, a thrill and the bikers were so fun. 

Shop for half a day on South Congress St - walk up coffee shop called Two Hands, South Congress Bookstore, picturesque spots like the infamous “I love you so much” wall, and tons of higher end stores like Madewell, Lululemon, and local shops. 

Austin Aquarium - if you need something to do nearby for an afternoon before going out, this is it. It’s extremely interactive and easy going. Plus you can touch a lot of animals and creatures like Stingrays and birds. 

Get a body shot at Coyote Ugly or watch one - you’ll be impressed for sure. It’s located on the dirty 6th St. and so much fun. 

Go to the Container Bar on Rainey St.  - which is exactly what it sounds like. It was so lively and full of energy, but also there was space to spread out, dress, or chill out. 

Barton Springs Pool - worth the trip for an hour or two. It’s extremely easy to get Ubers in Austin so that’s what we did the entire time and it still factored out to be cheaper than renting a car. The spring was ice cold, but Samantha put on her swimsuit and went in. The rest of us took pictures and loved how we could look into the distance and see the skyline of Austin. 

Hamilton Pool Preserve - if you have a rental car, use it for this. It’s a very hilly drive and absolutely beautiful. You will hike there so pack your closed-toed shoes and you’ll get to see a waterfall and the other route, you’ll get to sit around a beautiful river. I had not seen anything like it. 

Find hidden gems anywhere you go!

I wasn’t crazy about any of the food I ate, besides the last night, Sam and I pulled ourselves together enough for one last meal and went to North Italia. 

For more, head over to @thetravelbrats on IG for more Exploring Destinations. 

In 2018, a research study by the University of Michigan and World Bank found that women who are native speakers of certain kind of languages have a lower labour force participation rate and lower educational attainment. How did our Indian languages fare? This week, in the fifth episode of the series, India's Linguistic Heritage, we uncover the hidden injustice perpetrated by our languages on women right from the Rig Vedic times to even today. The linguistic journey takes us across swathes of North and Western India, though the story remains the same. Tune in, and discover the roots of this injustice, and how it will shape the way we travel and interact with people.

Check out the other episodes of "The Kashmir Diaries"

Kashmiris, Hangul and the Manual of Life:- https://ivm.today/3o0jE1G

Srinagar, Ancient Carvings and Supernovas:- https://ivm.today/3hECuat

Kargil, Hundarman and the Museum of Memories:- https://ivm.today/2Vx8ANG

Shahtoosh: The Wild Story of the World's Most Expensive and Illegal Fabric:- https://ivm.today/3E22Z2s

You can check previous episodes of 'Podcasts from Nowhere' on IVM Podcasts website

https://ivm.today/3xuayw9

You can reach out to our host Utsav on Instagram: @whywetravel42

(https://www.instagram.com/whywetravel42)

You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With a charming mix of mega yachts and masquerading pirates onboard 7-metre sailing ghettos, San Diego is like a melting pot of poverty and prosperity. On the edge of America, with Mexico insight, here lies the stepping-off point for cruisers. San Diego is not a cruising ground as such with its king’s ransom fees and stifling regulations. It is a gateway to the Pacific Ocean. Late in the season, most cruisers are already in Mexico and beyond by now. But a few cruisers lurk, mainly small sailboats with no fixed agenda. Vessels that ‘live’ here are all pristine. 

Cold Open- Walking with penguins 

[1:02] SAM VO NARRATION - Ok, last time I promised that we would get off this ship….out of these heady conversations and deep soul searching. Get out there. Go see some things, get a cold nose and make a snowball and throw it at someone.

Antarctica hits everyone differently, but it doesn't’ miss a shot

[1:47] SAM VO NARRATION

We’re on Paulet Island this day

Sam Tape:
Oh! Here’s a flash of green. This is moss!

We’re on Paulette Island this day

[3:13] SAM VO NARRATION

Only 0.0001 of the world’s population ever get a chance to come here to Antarctica. And for me, every step I took was a reminder of just how lucky I was.

Sam VO NARR [4:07] Everything about being here was hitting that day. 

Antarctica is the fastest warming continent on our planet except for Greenland. But in some ways when you’re here, it’s hard to see, because it’s still very cold, and you see lots of ice. It’s just deceiving. Because the change is happening, it’s just can’t not there in front of you. 

That’s where scientists come in.

Antarctica is often called the “canary in the coal mine” for climate change, because what is happening there will tell you about the problems that will happen elsewhere. 

[5:31]  The skua symphony  

[6:34] Prof Mary-Anne Lea talks about the Adelie penguins on Paulet Island 

[9:03] TRANSITION - Sfx- zodiac heading back to boat    

SAM VO NARRATION

[9:47] Outside was a sea of white...it looked more like land, than water. Actually, it looked like giant white bed sheets had blown off the clothes line and been forgotten on the lawn. 

Except that this was supposed to be water. And now it was ice. 

And this ship, does not have the jaws of an icebreaker. 

As the day progressed, the focus began to shift, and the reality settled in.

Something was going to need to change. 

[11:19]  TAPE - WITH CAPTAIN

… In order to sail in Antarctica, or in ice waters, you need to have experience and competence, and also,  you train to sail in ice

[13:05] ]SAM VO NARRATION  

The Captain had been charting a course through an inside passage, called The Gullet Straight. But the winter was closing in fast and the water was freezing behind us quickly. 

[14:34] SAM VO NARRATION

Our trip plan had been to get all the way to Rothera Base Station, which is the fabled British Antarctic Research Station, and it’s so remote and hard to access, that it’s almost an illusion. 

[14:46] Fabian - tape

We've made a decision to bring a vote to you all, which is not common in this sort of context, but it seems fitting because upstairs we became paralyzed with a very important decision. 

{15:Q5] Tape- Greg 

Um, incredible day….if you’re on the bridge, or got any sense of what was going on. The Captain, the Chief Mate, the Second Mate and the Third Mate….so all the navigators were there, 

[15:51] TAPE - Greg

 If we want to go to Rothera, it requires us to go out into open water tonight, to go around Adelaide Island. 

[16:36] Our decision is quite straight-forward….

[17:07] TAPE - FABIAN

There’s no reason in isolation to do this

[17:37] SAM VO NARRATION

You see, there’s no good way to answer this question. THere is not just ONE answer. THere are way too many. There was no way to appease all the sides.

[18:17] TAPE - Open Frame - discussion before the vote

21 Days on the Southern Ocean

In what could possibly be the longest conference, 21 days at sea on the Southern Ocean, Samantha does her best to make you feel at home here. In a “being-there” moment, you will be brought into the room to consider terms like your “Personal Strategy Map,” your “LSI” type and discover how to cope with all this intensity--through “Peer Coaching.”

Cold Open with Greg Mortimer: Good morning Possums.

[1:30] Opening VO : I’ve described this before as the world’s longest, most intense conference.  

With whales frolicking, penguins moulting, icebergs floating by, and glaciers melting off in the distance.

And yes, that’s a totally privileged sentence to form. 

I want to put that right up front. 

This experience doesn’t come cheap, and it doesn’t come easy.

[3:19] Sam VO: And If I’m going to do a good job of sharing how this experience changed me. Why this was an emotional odyssey to the end of the world... 

Then I’m going to need to put you in the room with me. 

[3:56] Sam VO: In the last episode, I explained how I want to tell this story using what I’m calling Audio Verite … which is another way of saying that I want to let the tape roll when I can. Rather than continually breaking the moment to explain what’s going on

[5:30] Virtual tour of the ship

[7:10] Lecture by Dr Justine Shaw: Antarctica 101.

[9:12]  Lecture by Professor May-Anne Lea. It’s a primer on the Antarctic Ocean Systems.

[12:05] Sam VO: Everyone is examining how to be a strong leader, how to be better to each other, how to be better to the planet in the midst of a collapsing ecosystem.

[13:20] Fabian Dattner Introduction to LSI

[15:19] Kit Jackson and the Personal Strategy Map

[17:01]  Sarah Anderson and Visibility

[17:58] Justine - it’s not so easy to find role models for women in STEM

[18:53] Kerryn Miller - Introduction to Peer Coaching

[21:05]  Sam: VO - But what brought it all together, what balanced out these very long days, was when we could go ashore and walk around. 

First, we had to vacuum - 

[21:23] Sam VO: Conservation of Antarctica is taken very seriously - and any of these tiny seeds could become the zebra muscles of Antarctica.

For this episode, I’d like to thank :

Greg Mortimer

Dr. Beth Christie, 

Dr. Justine Shaw

Professor Mary-Ann Lea

Fabian Dattner 

Kit Jackson 

Sarah Anderson 

Dr. Sylvia Struck

Kerryn Miller

Somewhere Around Antarctica
Season 2, Episode 1

[0:00] Boarding the Ship to Antarctica

*Audio verite tour of the ship*

[2:00] VO starts with Samantha Hodder

I’m on a ship, somewhere in the thumb joint that sticks out from the fist of Antarctica.

We left Argentina about a week ago and coasted down the Beagle Channel, which has Argentina on one side and Chile on the other. 

[3:25]  Because this is my dream: To share a story of being there in a way that makes you feel a bit like you were there too.  

[4:02]  Julietta: Ok. Please, when you are ready, sit down. Perfect. Ok. Buenos Dias. Thank you very much. So I will try to keep it simple. If there is something that you don’t understand, I can repeat it. 

We will navigate inside the Southern Ocean, and the Drake Passage is a little bit tricky. The ship is going to move. So that’s why we need to prepare ourselves. The first thing is, is seasickness.

[5:00] Samantha does an audio diary

[6:15] Backstory of why this story was made

[6:50] Hilarious reaction from family when she announces that she’s leaving for a month.

[7:34] Opening night welcome by Fabian Dattner

[9:20] “When I think back to this moment back in 2018 it’s like a mirage, because the freedoms we all had back in 2018 are very different from where we are now, inside a global pandemic.”

[9:30] We were all getting ready to take part in this leadership development program - a sort of mastermind that hangs on four pillars: 

• Women
• Leadership
• Science
• The State of our Planet.  

[10:43] “When I started following this story in 2016, it was right when the Trump Hillary race was heating up...and during those months, it actually seemed like Hillary was going to win the Presidency. The notion of women in leadership, was pregnant.”

I’m not a scientist, like the rest of the women in this group. I was brought in as the podcaster,  the storyteller who embedded with the journey, to record it, and you know, see where it all went."

[12:32] “What I didn’t know then, which I know now, is just how much road was ahead of me on this one. First, personal struggles, then job struggles, and now we all find ourselves in a world struggle, a global pandemic with a race against the clock to get these brand new vaccines into literally billions of arms, in every country, on every continent. “  

Meanwhile, we’re living through a cultural reckoning. 

[14:04 ] Shocking personal story 

“But then….my house caught fire. It was a small fire, but with the smoke damage, we lost most of everything. My family life, I have three kids, was turned upside down. I literally spent 2019 sorting it all out and rebuilding.” 

Things finally got back to normal, I was looking forward to 2020 when we moved back home, and I could get back to work again….and then the pandemic hit. 

I mean….is someone sending me a message?

There’s something about what happened when I was on the ship that keeps me coming back to me. Over and over again." 

It’s THIS moment I can’t shake.

[14:43] The Blind Vote Moment

[15:09] As a storyteller, if there’s something you can’t shake, if there’s some moment that wakes you up in the night, that’s the thing. That’s the abyss you dive into.  You have to. Even when you don’t want to. Even when practically every single event, on a global scale, is suggesting to, maybe, just move on.

The moment even got a nickname: We called it Rotheragate.

[16:20]

But thanks to this blind vote, it was ALSO  the story of an emotional journey, which has nothing to do with travel, and everything to do with something else.

Maybe everything else.    

==

I’d like to thank the following people for offering their voice to this episode:  

Paola Tello Guerrero

Sue Mauger

Dr Sarah Hamylton

Rachel Zombor

Rashmi Venkatraman

Dr Julietta Pedrana

My family

And Fabian Dattner

Playlist includes -

• 30/90
• I love Betsy
• Till I hear you sing
• This is the moment 
• Being alive 
• Fight from the heart
• Falling slowly 
• Telly- Matilda
• One of the great ones- Bronx tale 
• Almost like being in love- Brigadoon
• One Day More - Les Mis
• Music of the Night - Phantom of the Opera 
• Sincerely, Me - Dear Evan Hanson 
• If I Loved You - Carousel
• Think of Me - Phantom of the Opera
• Everything Changes - Waitress 
• World Burn - Mean Girls 
• For Good - Wicked 
• Lily’s Eyes - The Secret Garden 
• Burn - Hamilton

Follow along Natalie's artistic journey on IG! 

Chef Santiago Vargas is a chef and consultant who follows his passion for food by lovingly preparing his dishes with a dose of passion, a love of culture and a touch of magic. Santiago is well-loved for his culinary artistry.

Chef Santiago was born in Lima, Perú, surrounded by flavors and traditions from the Andes. From a very young age, he loved the art of cooking. Before becoming a private caterer and chef, Santiago owned an award-winning food truck, "Out of the Blue Peruvian Fusion Cuisine." It won several awards and competitions, and was the first to introduce authentic Peruvian flavor to the city of Asheville.​ 

Also on this episode of Speaking of Travel are Denise Altay and Sean Collinsworth from Killer Bees Farm where you can experience their natural sanctuary and explore their thriving bee and honey scene. Killer Bees Farm is a small, artisanal honey company committed to protecting bio-diversity through sustainable honey bee stewardship and honey harvesting practices. 

And if you're itching to travel by plane or have already booked a trip, you probably have a lot of questions. Tina Kinsey, Director of Marketing, PR and Air Service Development at the Asheville Regional Airport is traveling by air and provides an up-to-date review of what her travel experience is like. 

 Tune in!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

 Behind schedule by three months (due to problems on terra firma not nautical) we hurriedly sailed 2,500 miles in six weeks to enable us to witness for ourselves why the San Blas is “a place to see”.  We are also preparing for the Panama Canal experience, traversing the magnificent Pacific Ocean and heading home to Australia.  We left Demopolis Alabama (which is approximately 200 miles north of New Orleans, up the TennTom River), then bumped and ground our way south towards the Grand Caymens where my Dad, Roy, patiently waited.  “I felt a bit like Robinson Crusoe” he says, “waiting for my ship”.  We prised him away from his luxurious hotel in exchange for a 33ft boat, disturbingly lacking in air con, maid service and fresh linen.  Noel and I kept quiet about what the trip across Caribbean Sea offers, as my Dad has only sailed in protected waters.  But Mother Nature took pity on us and presented a stalling low, enabling us to gain plenty of easting and rest for a night on Jamaica’s shores.  The prevailing south easterlies are constant and strong across the Caribbean Sea.  We took advantage of the gift of a suspended low, then rode on its back in a north easterly.  A bouncy but speedy ride delivered us safely into the sanctuary of the San Blas islands. 

Don't miss out on the next WeAreLATech podcast episode, get notified by signing up here http://wearelatech.com/podcast

Welcome to WeAreLATech's Los Angeles Tech Community Spotlight!   

“Stacey Book of Frequency Machine: Travel Content At A Premium Level”

WeAreLATech Podcast is a WeAreTech.fm production.

To support our podcast go to http://wearelatech.com/believe 

To be featured on the podcast go to http://wearelatech.com/feature-your-la-startup/

Want to be featured in the WeAreLATech Community? Create your profile here http://wearelatech.com/community

Host,

Espree Devora

https://twitter.com/espreedevora

https://www.linkedin.com/in/espree

Guest,

Stacey Book of Frequency Machine

stacey@frequencymachine.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacey-book-313b782/

Listener Spotlight,

Juan Ugarte

https://www.linkedin.com/in/oaxadesign/

For a calendar of all LA Startup events go to, http://WeAreLATech.com

To further immerse yourself into the LA Tech community go to http://WeAreLATech.com

Links Mentioned:

• Frequency Machine, https://frequencymachine.com
• Passport, https://frequencymachine.com/shows/passport/
• Detour,   https://twitter.com/detour
• Bose, https://www.bose.com
• Descript, https://www.descript.com
• Backstage Capital,, https://backstagecapital.com
• Podfund, https://pod.fund
• Spotify, https://www.spotify.com
• Audible, https://www.audible.com
• Stubbs Alderton, https://stubbsalderton.com

People Mentioned:

• Anthony Bourdain, http://www.anthonybourdain.net
• Arlan Hamilton, https://www.linkedin.com/in/arlanhamilton/

Credits:

• Produced and Hosted by Espree Devora, http://espreedevora.com
• Story Produced, Edited and Mastered by Cory Jennings, https://www.coryjennings.com/
• Production and Voiceover by Adam Carroll, http://www.ariacreative.ca/
• Team support by Janice Geronimo
• Music by Jay Huffman, https://soundcloud.com/jayhuffman

Short Title: Stacey Book of Frequency Machine

In today's episode, we are learning how to earn travel points and travel FREE!  Earning miles, what credit card to use, loyalty cards and more!  This episode will get you started on your way to earning free travel.

Contact Erica James

• Follow me and tag me on Instagram at @EJtheTravelDiva
• Tweet me at @EJtheTravelDiva
• Follow me on TikTok at @EJtheTravelDiva
• Join my Podcast Community here

This episode, Deborah Howell chats with Marni Zipper, Digital Marketing Coordinator for radio stations Fire Lane, Channel Q and 94.7 The Wave about her recent trip to London and Southhampton.  Marni shares her travel tips on what to see (Mary Quant Exhibit) what to do (shop on the Portobello Road) what to eat (hot restaurant Circulo Populaire) and what not to miss (the New Forest near Southhampton, where wild horses and donkeys roam free--but will let you pet and feed them.) Welcome to this city and country fairyland across the pond!

This episode, Deborah Howell talks with Shu Lu, who has taught English in Japan, traveled extensively in Asia, and extolls the virtues of solo travel to places like Nikko, Japan--a small town a short bus trip from Tokyo--where she recommends seeing the shrines by night, hiking and munching Japanese cakes by a lake during the day, and so much more.