Hello from Belfast - A Note from Solo Traveler
Published: Sun, 09/23/18
In the context of this great big world Belfast is my second home and that's where I am right now.
My grandmother was from Belfast. She immigrated to Canada in 1924 as a domestic servant. Her Northern Irish brogue is deep within me and still pops out now and then with the occasional lilt in a phrase or a "that's grand".
I've been traveling to Belfast since 1985. On most of those trips I visited relatives but on my last all those of my parents generation and above were gone. I spent more time just traveling and it was on this trip that I came to understand my grandmother better than ever before. You may enjoy reading Solo Travel and Identity: Learning the Source of Strength. For more practical information here's Solo Travel Northern Ireland: 32 Tips for a Fantastic Trip. And for those who enjoy a good coastal road trip: Of Gobbins and Giants: Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coastal Route
I'll be in Belfast for the annual Social Travel Summit which is a meeting of the travel industry and travel bloggers that Tracey and I organize. A week of hard work and great fun!
What's Next?
October will be a quiet month in terms of travel but November will be busy with many speaking engagements. First I'll be in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, speaking at the National Tour Association's annual conference. It's a great opportunity to continue on our mission of encouraging the travel industry to treat solo travelers well. Then, the following weeks, I'll be speaking about "Solo Travel Two Ways" in a variety of cities in Southern Ontario. The tour is sponsored by Just You, a tour company that is just for solo travelers. You can read what it's like to take a solo-only tour here: Solo Traveler on a Solos-Only Tour
We Want to Hear from You!
In October we'll be running our annual Reader Survey. I hope you'll take a few minutes and complete it as it helps us improve Solo Traveler. We'll give you a link in the October Round Up, on Facebook, etc.
That's it for this month. Happy travels to all,
Janice
P.S. If you're traveling soon, don't forget...
- Going Alone? Travel Insurance is a Must - why I never travel without insurance, how I've used it to recover losses, and how to buy it.
- VPN for Travel: What, Why and an Easy Setup Guide - it will protect your identity on public WiFi and let's you browse the net in English even if you're in a foreign country.
- Bare Minimum Packing: Here’s Your Packing List - our ultimate packing check list which I continue to use for every trip.
- Free 30-day trials perfect for a trip: Audible, includes 1 audiobooks. Amazon Music Unlimited. Videos from Prime or HBO. Remember to cancel your subscription if you don't want to pay monthly.
- Readers chose Booking.com as their favorite travel brand in our 2017 reader survey. You can support Solo Traveler by booking your hotel, hostel, B&B or inn through Booking.com here or anywhere on Solo Traveler. You won't pay any more. We'll get a small commission.