The Travel Coach Network podcast is your weekly dose of travel coach info, inspo and news from around the globe. Tune in to each episode to hear inspiring stories of successful travel coaches who are building their lives and business around travel, all while exploring the world. You'll also learn all about travel coaching, setting intentions for your trip, adding meaning to travel, and how you can grow your own travel coaching business. Because remember, there is more to a travel career than just blogging and booking. Now join us as we reshape how and why people travel. 

Sahara Rose: Welcome to the Travel Coach Network podcast. It is I, Sahara Rose De Vore, the founder of the Travel Coach Network and the creator and instructor of the Travel Coach Certification Program. Today I am so excited to bring to you Barbara Booth and Cornelia Quinn. They are the co-founders of Go-Be sleeves and today, speaking on the podcast, it's going to be Barbara. Barbara Booth is a former NBC...

Growing Up, Family Travels and Going to College

I grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as an only child with a single mom. Vacations to us looked like my entire family (aunts, uncles and cousins included!) piling into the family van and driving from Milwaukee down to the southern tip of Texas to visit my grandmother, then going over the border to visit her family in Mexico. The only other trip I remember taking was driving from Wisconsin up across the Canadian border to visit my grandfather's family in Montreal. But because I was so young, I don’t remember most of that. I wasn't in a family that talked about travel so it just wasn't something I thought about. 

I grew up in a lower-middle-class family, so money was often tight. Sometimes we would use food pantries in the hopes of finding something to eat for dinner. Because my mom worked a lot, I would stay with my grandparents often and if I didn't eat there, I wasn't going to have food until the next day. I grew up watching...

By: Erica Mallin

Italy may not be the first country that comes to mind when thinking about a sustainable travel destination. I know that when I first started thinking about a niche service in sustainable travel, I was looking at various Caribbean Islands. But it only took going back to Italy on a family trip for me to completely change my mind. The Italy I came to know is filled with all the elements that make for a remarkable sustainable trip.

Supporting the local economy is incredibly easy in Italy. Whether staying at a locally owned hotel or bed and breakfast, or at one of the fantastic agriturismi (family farmstays) throughout the country, you can be sure that your money is going directly into the hands of the people who live there. For me, the best-loved part of a trip to any of the twenty regions in Italy is the chance to have distinctly local experiences. A family favorite was taking a cooking class at a little bed and breakfast in the Western Alps that included a trip to the...

By: Christine Mak

When I was younger, I would go on road trips or bus tours with my mom. From what I can remember, we only used the car when we were seeing family or were with a lot of people and joined a bus tour if it were just her and I. We mostly traveled along the east coast of the US and went for short little weekend trips or day trips.

As a teenager, I didn’t have my own car after I got my license and would either borrow a family member’s or join friends in theirs to get to places when I lived in the suburbs. I would only be in the suburbs for a short period of time before I would move back into the city, so there really was no need for me to have a car at all, since public transportation was more suitable for my lifestyle then.

As I got a little older, my interests grew as well as my desire to explore or travel somewhere. I would try to make plans with friends, but those plans never came to fruition. Either our interests were different or we couldn’t agree...

By: Shelley Roes

Making a decision to sell everything we owned and to set off on a travel adventure was an easy one for us, but our friends said we were brave – and crazy! During our travels, so many people we’ve met have said that our life is their dream, or that they plan to do what we are doing …one day.

What we did wasn’t anything special but taking that leap into a life of travel and leaving your comfort zone behind you, can be difficult for some.

There is also a notion that travel is expensive, which is why many people put off their travel dreams until they are either retired or they enjoy a few weeks a year somewhere which has taken them the whole year to save for.

So, what made us decide to take the leap? One afternoon we sat down with a blank piece of paper to brainstorm all the things we wanted to do in life. As it turned out, we wanted to see the world. We’re not sure who said it first, but we saw the same realisation in each other’s...

By: Jenni Potter

Who am I? I’m a solo traveller on a mission to get other women initiated into this world of freedom and adventure. Whether you want to start off slowly, or dive in deep like me, I’ve got you covered. 

I started my solo travels on a 2 month trip to South America, with no prior experience and not much more than a one-way flight booked. It changed my life for the better and I want to help you get over your fears and embrace solo travel.

1. Prepare it – and yourself!

The greatest hurdle you will have to face when solo travelling is getting over your fear of doing it. More often than not it will be misplaced, but remember that it’s also a handy self-preservation tool. Preparing for different eventualities and keeping your safety in mind is key, but overthinking can cause a blockage when you really want to be getting excited. 

Reading blog posts by other solo travellers who have taken the plunge and done it all before can help to...

By: Gemma Sheppard

Can you run from grief?

The short answer is, no. 

There is one thing for certain: We all inevitably die one day. And some of us are faced with the reality of death earlier than others. Each person experience numerous losses throughout their lives. The emotional response to that grief and the subsequent action taken are individual and very much influenced by where that person is in his/her life.

My father was first diagnosed with cancer in 2012 when I was 20 years old. It turned my entire world upside down. My family was in a state of shock trying to wrap our heads around the devastating news. Until that point, I always thought of cancer as something that affects other people, something that happens in other families. You know, heart-breaking stories on the news and the radio, not something you have to come to terms with. 

My dad had throat cancer and had his voice box removed, which put him in remission fairly quickly. We actually thought it was over;...

In August 2019, I flew from Sao Paolo, Brazil to Cape Town, South Africa, via Johannesburg. This was my first time going. I was worried about malaria, being robbed, and all the things the US government warns about on the STEP program website. I figured six months of solo bus travel around South America had taught me to trust my intuition and given me enough travel smarts to see this beautiful continent.

Arriving at the Johannesburg airport late, with under an hour to run to baggage claim, check my bags again, and board my onward flight, I was stopped by a dog-sniffing queue. We had to place our carry-on luggage against the wall while an adorable dog smelled all of them. That’s when I realized I was carrying coca leaves from Peru with me. Shit. Would I be arrested for carrying a substance that can be used to make cocaine? Thankfully, the dog passed my bag. But then a second dog sniffed, and a third dog. I started sweating. I would surely miss my connecting flight, though...

By: Camila Castro

To my mind, mindful living and what I would classify as conscious or intentional travel, are two sides of the same coin. This insight came one day, while on holiday in Mallorca, as I settled into stillness on my yoga mat. It occurred to me that my ongoing journey into mindfulness in many ways parallels the internal journeys I have undergone while traveling around the world. As a third-culture kid, travel played a hugely significant role in my childhood and it truly helped shape my lifestyle, my values and my worldview. As an adult seeking to discover my purpose and to create a life of meaning, mindfulness has had a similarly significant impact on my life. In that moment on my mat, I realized that the kind of travel I favor – travel that is intentional, conscious and responsible (all growing trends) – is, in fact, very much in alignment with the principles of mindfulness.

For the sake of clarity, let me first explain how I have come to understand both...

There is more to a travel job than blogging and booking trips (and being an influencer).
 
Have you ever felt like your travel experiences, skills, and expertise are really helpful to people and that you wish you could find a way to make a meaningful impact on the lives of others?

Then this article is for you.

As travelers, we all know something different.  We have different experiences, backgrounds, stories, interests, and abilities.  We are all experts of something, whether we know it or not.

As a traveler myself for many years, I would have people constantly reaching out to me asking me how I was able to travel so much, how I stayed safe as a female, and how I afforded it.  I would also get questions from people who I couldn’t relate to or answer.  For example I had moms asking me about traveling with children and black women asking me for travel tips and advice.  Other than what I could best relate to (budget, solo female travel, safety, certain...