Newsletter December 2022
The Wanderlust Journal Podcast
focused on great travel stories and the people who explore, publish and inspire
For the podcast platform that you prefer: https://wanderlust-journal.podbean.com
S1E2–Mexico
In this episode, you’ll hear an excerpt from ON MEXICAN TIME by Tony Cohan, written in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico 1985. That lead me to introduce another author, one I’ve met whilst in Baja California early in 2022, a funny fella and quite the slow and steady wanderer, Graham MackIntosh. I talk about the different types of travel writing, from trip reports, articles, blogs and long and far-reaching memoirs etc. You’ll also hear from Kristen Van Tassel, published on the Wanderlust website, and it’s her travel vignette, a moment on a bus in Mexico.
S1E3: Modes of Travel is focused on the various modes of travel. My advice, use what you have. Feet, bikes, motorcycles, 2WD, 4×4, cars, vans, and trucks of all sizes can take you where you want to go – for the most part. With that in mind, I’ll be reading from trip reports from each of those options, to inspire you to appreciate the vehicle you have and how far you can go. We’ll have a full episode on each of these versions of exploring the world later in the season.
Hiking: Anne-Marie Wells Happiness in Iceland
Rafting: Chris Wiewiora https://wanderlust-journal.com/shop/
Motorcycle: Tiffany Coates http://tiffanystravels.co.uk
Roshni Sharma https://www.tripoto.com/india/trips/roshni-sharma
Michelle Lamphere on https://adventureriderradio.com/michelle-lamphere
Bicycle: Ruth McIntosh https://wanderlust-journal.com/shop/
2WD: Me in a 1972 VW semi automatic Beetle going across the Continental Divide in July. More recently in a 2003 Dodge van, over 65,000 miles exploring the States and into Baja with pets (more another time on doing that) https://bookshop.org/books?keywords=Sarah+Leamy
4×4: Carla King in Baja https://www.discoverbaja.com/2019/02/04/trip-bahia-concepcion-la-purisma-san-juanico/
Resources: Overland Expo, Online forums, FB groups, Instagram, YouTube: stories and videos of all kinds of travel. Information, community, inspiration. https://www.youtube.com/user/sarahleamy/videoshttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf13FVNsn3m7IfwOLDHjvXw
The best advice is to build ‘vehicle sympathy’ (Graham Jackson), know your vehicle, get trained, take basic recovery gear and know how to use it. If in doubt, get out and walk the section. It bears repeating, we’ll have a full episode on each of these versions of exploring the world later in the season as well as training opportunities.
S1E4–Put Your Boots On
In this episode, you’ll hear passages on the topic of through-hiking, that is the day-to-day challenge of following your feet across mountains and deserts. We’ll read what motivates folks to do just that, the people met along the way, and some of the ups and downs that come with it. For one writer, it was her knickers…
Megan Okkerse: https://meganokkerse.substack.com/p/everyone-cries-on-the-camino
Rahawa Haile: https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/hiking-and-backpacking/hiking-appalachian-trail-rahawa-haile/
“Fear and Loathing on the Camino Santiago” by Mark West. The fuller post was published on the Wanderlust website a few years ago and itself is an excerpt from a larger piece. https://wanderlust-journal.com/2018/12/01/fear-and-self-loathing-on-the-camino-de-santiago-by-mark-west/
Tramping: A Journey Through New Zealand with Captain Cook. Sam Brakely. Soon to be published by Wild Dog Press: https://wilddogpress.com
Bill Bryson, Cheryl Strayed, and for Brits of a certain age (!) Laurie Lee.
Resources: For hiking across the world, here’s a great website for you to read, https://www.thehikinglife.com/hikes/asia/
For queer POC hikers, there’s a great community in the PNW (USA): https://qpochikers.com
(They might have ideas for other such groups outside of the States, it’s worth asking.)
For a US based community that helps planning and logistics etc: https://thru-hiking.com
For a list of 100 hiking and outdoor social media/ resources: https://www.fieldmag.com/articles/black-indigenous-poc-outdoor-instagram-accounts
S1E5- Solo Travelers to Discover
Since my early twenties, I’ve been inspired by women who went out on their own, despite cultural expectations to stay home as wives and mothers. With this episode in mind, I did more research and came up with this list of incredible adventurers of all ages, countries, and modes of travel. Here is a sample.
Anna Oberg, On Lostness. https://wanderlust-journal.com/2020/08/01/oberg/
Amelia Earhart – 20hrs 40 mins (one of the books of her travels) – as the first female pilot to cross the Atlantic Ocean/ first pilot to cross both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans.
Bessie Coleman – 1921, first African-American woman, and also the first woman of Native-American descent, to hold a pilot’s license. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any direct quotes or writings of hers.
Karen Darke: https://www.karendarke.com/blog/ paralysed by a rockclimbing accident – wheelchair bikes, kayaks, sleds
Sarah Marquis: Between 2010 and 2013 she walked alone from Russia to Australia and since then many other long walks…Wild by Nature – Links to an interview with her.
The Art of Solo Travels: https://fempotential.com/web/20170302035117/http/www.fempotential.com/scared-solo-female-traveler/index.htm
S1E6- The Art of Solo Travel
With this episode in mind, I did more research and came up with this how-to, taken from a few articles and presentations of mine on how I have wandered off the beaten track alone and kept my safe (so far)…
Inspiration. Laurie Lee https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/As_I_Walked_Out_One_Midsummer_Morning
Research/Preparation. Languages, routes, culture, health, etc
Sarah Marquis: https://www.explorationconnections.com/blog/wild-by-nature-interview-with-sarah-marquis
Budget/Financials/Timing: Tiffany Coates (re hair) https://www.globalwomenwhoride.com
Packing. Vehicle dependent, planes, tourist destinations (you can buy what you didn’t bring!)
Tools and Skills. Apps, maps, GPS. A mix of all. iOverlander.com and The Dyrt, as well as printed maps such as Benchmark (USA).
Responses from society/family: Joan Wamayu-Ndarathi and her mother
Food/social engagement. How to meet people? Know yourself!
Focus. What are you focused on while in new places?
Motivation. Skills, challenges, mindset.
Safety: Consider that in the US, 70% of rapes are done by men who know the female victims. And yes, there’s that other 30%. (eg me on train in France at 18.) Tell your friends, hosts, rangers. Spot/GPS trackers. Walkie-talkies (eg Motorola T600). Camping solo tricks. Self-defense training opportunities.
The Art of Solo Travels: https://fempotential.com/web/20170302035117/http/www.fempotential.com/scared-solo-female-traveler/index.htm
S1E7: Roadtrips (Not All Who Wander Are Lost)
On location in Gonzaga Bay, Baja California
Today’s travels come from the following and consider the motivations that send us out on the road. Are we leaving something, looking for answers, or just curious? This is a theme that I’ll come back to repeatedly in the podcast.
Kim Sosin and Janet Rives: https://wanderlust-journal.com/shop/
Sarah Leamy, Bring a Chainsaw: https://bookshop.org/books?keywords=Sarah+Leamy
William Least Heat Moon, Blue Highways: https://bookshop.org/p/books/blue-highways-a-journey-into-america-william-least-heat-moon/
As always, huge thanks for the music by Sofia Nehama Avery https://nehamamusic.com
To read and explore more with the hundreds of international contributors mentioned on the podcast: https://wanderlust-journal.com
Buy Me a Coffee: https://wanderlust-journal.com/2022/03/22/please-consider-becoming-a-patron/
I have no sponsors yet, and prefer not to go with random adverts so your financial help will really make a difference.
Any suggestions for topics or travel books? Or to find out more about your host and her own writing and adventures: https://sarahleamy.com
Follow along as I drive around Baja for winter with a dog and and old van!
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dirtroadsanddogs
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf13FVNsn3m7IfwOLDHjvXw/videos
AND PLEASE SUBSCRIBE!
Every two weeks, there will be a new focus and examples of travel stories as well as recommendations for you. Thanks.
ON ANOTHER NOTE! My own travel Ebooks are not available online at new discounted prices on Amazon.
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