After going blind at 17 years old, Kevin Lowe was determined to continue to travel. He founded his own travel agency and continues to vacation around the world. On this episode, Kevin shares his unique perspective on travel, how the most meaningful benefits of travel don’t rely on sight, and why you should just book the dang trip!

We also talk about

• How he stays positive in the face of adversity
• What was worse than the thought of going blind
• How he went from not knowing what a travel agent was to opening his own travel agency
• How being blind helps him get to know his clients on a deeper level
• The country he fell in love with
• His top 3 travel destinations
• Advice for people with disabilities who want to get out there and travel
• His trick for making sure he commits to traveling

For more resources go to:

www.explorerinyou.com

A few years ago, travel blogger Vicky Sosa, realized that her 9 to 5 job was holding her back from seeing the world. So, she took a leap and transitioned to living a digital nomad lifestyle. Now she calls home where ever she’s house sitting. On this episode, she shares her best tips for becoming a house sitter and traveling the world for free.

Vicky’s believes house sitting is a great fit for anyone - millennials who can work from anywhere to retirees wanting extended travel experiences. She loves sharing her passion for house sitting and how it can help travelers to discover lesser-known places, live like a local, and travel cheaper.

• The benefits of traveling as a house sitter.

• Who she recommends house sitting for.

• Her favorite house sitter websites.

• Tips for creating an appealing profile.

• The process once you’ve been selected to house/pet sit.

• How to get five-star reviews.

• What to do after you’ve wrapped up your house sit.

• How to prepare for the last-minute cancellation.

• Her favorite country to house sit.

Head on over to explorerinyou.com for a 25% off code for Trusted House Sitters.

Social impact travel is a growing trend, but for Kimberley Sevcik, former human rights journalist turned child and family therapist, it’s always been about fostering deep connections and having a positive impact in the places she visits. On this episode, you’ll hear about ways to connect with communities on your travels through your hobby, skill, passion, or pro bono work, the importance of having cultural humility, and how to foster a true exchange of ideas and skills.

We also talk about

• How she used her journalism to teach women how to tell their stories.

• How to truly partner with and empower communities and the importance of letting them lead.

• How to use your hobby, skill, passion, pro bono work to connect with a community.

• How not to be a “savior” when it comes to engaging with other cultures.

• How’s she evolved her approach to travel and gained more cultural humility and sensitivity.

• Ways to educate and inform yourself about a place before visiting a country

• The impact of donating money vs volunteerism.

• The pros and cons of working with local non-profits vs international groups.

• How to set an intention behind your social impact travel.

Resources

LinkedIn

Kimberely Sevcik

Links

Womenandgirlslead.org

www.explorerinyou.com

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Travel writer and avid scuba diver, Adrienne Jordan, has been an adventure traveler for 10 years and has contributed to the likes of Conde Nast, Lonely Planet, NatGeo, and AFAR. She has completed over 60 dives in some of the most amazing places in the world, from the Maldives to Tulum to Dubai. She shares her personal experiences surrounding travel, creating a more inclusive scuba diving community, and her involvement with meaningful organizations like, Diving With a Purpose.

We also talk about

• How she pivoted away from a pre-med path post college to becoming an adventure traveler/writer.
• Her 4 favorite places to scuba dive in the world.
• What it’s like to dive in an ancient cenote.
• Her harrowing attempt to get certified in less-than-ideal conditions.
• Where to start if you want to get certified.
• Dive organization recommendations.
• The most unique things she’s seen while diving.
• Her experience with Dive with a Purpose and how it impacted her.
• How she encourages more diversity in scuba diving.

Resources

Learn more: adriennejordan.com

Instagram: @ajeveryday

Twitter: ajworldtravels

Links

“Scuba Diving Slave Shipwrecks Is a Spiritual Journey” – AFAR

“Youth Diving With a Purpose” – Scuba Diving

“Jump Into The Freakiest Dive Site In Mexico” – Forbes

Diving with a Purpose

www.explorerinyou.com

Today's guest, Chad Brown, is here to share his passion for conservation and creating safe, inclusive, and accessible outdoor spaces for marginalized groups. He's also sharing his inspiring story of going from a successful photographer to finding himself homeless and battling PTSD, how he found healing in nature, and why he created his non-profit organizations that focus on equity, mentorship, and protecting our lands.

We also talk about

• The unique way he got into Pratt Institute.

• How he went from a successful career in New York as a photographer to becoming homeless.

• The magic of the arctic circle and why it draws his soul back every year.

• What he’s learned from indigenous peoples about seeing nature through a different lens.

• How opening yourself up to nature will help you see what it’s trying to show you and find a process to healing.

• The importance of having BIPOC people in your lives so that you can understand how they feel in the outdoors.

• How white allies can show up with grace.

• His passion behind starting his non-profit Soul River to train the next generation of leaders and advocates for endangered land/wildlife, build confidence, and awareness, mentorship.

• Why he created Love is King and how we can work towards making outdoor spaces more accessible to BIPOC.

• How a 3 month backpacking trip through Japan changed him.

Learn more

Chado Creative

Soul River Inc.

Love is King

Instagram

@_chadbrown_

@lik_free2roam

Facebook

@NCOleaders

https://www.explorerinyou.com/podcast

Kealan (preferred pronouns: she/her/hers) is an editorial contributor and content creator for the family travel community, Bébé Voyage. Born in the U.S., she and her German husband have traveled the world together and are now raising their two kind of American, kind of European sons in Switzerland for the foreseeable future. On this episode, we talk about how living abroad has led to eye-opening experiences around parenting, culture, and identity.

• The challenges of moving to a new country especially at the start of COVID.
• How she’s embraced Swiss life and been able to explore the country in unexpected ways.
• The one place you should NOT miss if you go to Switzerland that is also kid-friendly.
• Tips for embracing life in a new country and building community.
• How to find purpose and support as a trailing spouse.
• How living in a different country has influenced her parenting.
• How as an American and multi-racial woman, she's had to confront ideas around race, nationality, and identity.
• Letting go of imposter syndrome and not being enough when it comes to being a Latina.
• The power of sharing your story and helping others feel seen.

Links:

@theamimommy

“Where Are You From?” – a Loaded Question for Many Living Abroad

Bebe Voyage

explorerinyou.com

As we come out of shelter-in-place, vaccinations ramp up, and we start planning trips again, it's a great time to think about how we can approach travel in a way that offers us deeper, more meaningful experiences. On this episode, I'm sharing a few questions that will help you explore the world more purposefully and trip ideas that can create more enriching and meaningful memories.

explorerinyou.com

10 years ago, Michelle Alexander left the U.S. and landed in Brisbane, Australia. She’s since built a life and community, but it wasn’t always easy. In this episode, we talk about how Michelle planted new roots halfway across the world, the perspective that helped her embrace her new life, what she learned about herself from living in a different culture/country, and how living abroad has redefined her idea of home. We also talk about:

• Some of the best things about being an expat.

• How to build community and successfully make the transition.

• How to overcome cultural differences and language barriers.

• Why having a good immigration/migration agent is key.

• What it’s like having Christmas in the middle of summer.

• How Australia’s “mateship” approach to COVID kept life mostly normal in Brisbane.

• What Michelle considers one of the most stunning places in Australia.

Links

Learn more: @chelle_alexander

explorerinyou.com