Ever wondered how to travel solo without paying more for the privilege—or feeling alone on the road? We welcome Tracy Nesbitt, cofounder and editor at Solo Traveler, for a lively, practical deep dive into the rise of solo travel among women 50+ and the smarter, cheaper ways to make it happen. Tracy shares how a rocky first duo trip nudged her toward independence, then relives the nerve-wracking paper map moment in Paris that transformed fear into hard-earned confidence.

We get honest about the numbers driving this shift—more single-person households, later-life independence, and a generation refusing to “gear down.” Tracy breaks down how modern tours and river cruises now work for solos, with flexible days, activity choices, and easy-to-explore city docks. If you’ve ever bristled at the single supplement, you’ll love the inside look at Tracy’s List: a curated monthly email of vetted tours and cruises that now all carry zero single supplements. Expect distinctive itineraries, not cookie-cutter routes, plus options like roommate matching for travelers who prefer to share.

The conversation turns personal when Tracy describes a powerful moment on the Rocky Mountaineer, watching Canada’s landscapes roll by from an open-air platform and feeling an unexpected surge of belonging. We unpack how solo trips can strengthen relationships, model healthy independence for kids, and refill your energy in ways that last long after you unpack. New to going alone? You’ll get concrete starting points: try a staycation, choose an English-speaking destination, observe local norms, and ask questions early and often.

Ready to feel braver and spend smarter while you explore? Tap play, then subscribe for more conversations like this, share the episode with a friend who needs a nudge, and leave a quick review to help more solo-curious travelers find us.

Apply for 1-on-1 travel coaching with me:

https://cherylbeckesch.com/work-with-me/

Find Solo Traveler and Tracey Nesbitt:

https://solotravelerworld.com/

Tracey's List:

https://solotravelerworld.com/subscribe-to-traceys-shortlist/

https://www.facebook.com/SoloTravelSociety

https://www.instagram.com/solotraveler/

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The hardest part of divorce isn’t the paperwork.

It’s waking up to a life that no longer feels familiar.

Your name.
Your routines.
Your identity.

And the question that whispers in the quiet:

Who am I now?

In this episode, we talk honestly about the emotional weight many women carry after divorce — guilt, shame, exhaustion, and the fear of starting over.

And we explore a simple starting point:

Not a bucket list.
Not a long-haul flight.

But small, intentional travel that meets you where you are.

Inside This Episode:

• Moving through guilt and “failure” narratives
• Using nearby travel as healthy disruption
• Why new environments shift perspective
• Designing affordable, low-pressure reset trips
• Creating space to hear your own voice again

This isn’t about escaping your life.

It’s about rebuilding it.

Travel can become a container — a place to think clearly, breathe deeply, and remember who you are becoming in this next season.

You don’t have to leap across the world.

Sometimes healing starts with a sunrise walk in a new place.

If you’re rebuilding after divorce and craving direction, you don’t have to figure this out alone.

In 1:1 coaching, we build:

• Emotional readiness
• Safe, realistic travel plans
• Confidence in your next chapter
• Structure during transition

This isn’t just about taking a trip.

It’s about becoming confident again.

👉 Ready to become the woman who books the trip? Apply for 1:1 coaching here https://calendly.com/solotraveladventures/book-a-call

Your next chapter doesn’t start someday.

It starts with one decision.

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What if the quiet nudge to travel alone isn’t a whim, but a wise signal that your next chapter is ready to begin? Cheryl Esch, travel coach and host of Solo Travel Adventures, digs beneath packing lists to uncover five identity blocks that keep women 50 and older from saying yes to a trip their hearts already want. From caregiver guilt to the fear of what others might think, we unpack the stories that stall action and replace them with permission, practical steps, and a clearer sense of self.

We start with the weight of responsibility so many women carry—children, partners, aging parents, or demanding work—and show how replenishment strengthens the very people you care for. Then we rewrite the definition of adventure: it doesn’t need cliffs or chaos to count. A quiet coastal town, a museum day with no compromises, or a weekend cabin can be a profound reset when you travel on your own terms. Along the way, Cheryl challenges the myth that it’s “too late,” spotlighting why women 50+ are uniquely equipped for solo travel and how the travel industry is increasingly designed with you in mind.

We also tackle the social pressure that makes a solo trip feel like a statement. You’ll get simple language to handle questions, plus grounded safety practices—daylight arrivals, vetted lodging, check-in routines—that anchor confidence. The most poignant thread explores identity beyond roles: after divorce, widowhood, an empty nest, or retirement, who are you without the titles? Solo travel becomes a thoughtful container for reflection, choice, and small brave acts that add up to a renewed sense of self.

If something in this conversation stirred you, consider it your invitation to act. Save the dates, sketch a first itinerary, or book a call to get personal guidance on your next steps. Subscribe for more honest conversations and share this episode with a friend who needs permission to go. Your seat is waiting—where will you begin?

BOOK A CALL:

https://calendly.com/solotraveladventures/book-a-call

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What if confidence isn’t something you wait for—but something you build?

In this episode, Cheryl explores how solo travel becomes a practical path to steady, grounded confidence for women over 50. From small starter trips to bigger adventures, each experience becomes a layer of self-trust that carries into everyday life.

Confidence isn’t a personality trait.
It’s a muscle built through action.

In This Episode:

• Why confidence grows through small, consistent solo outings
• Starter trips that compound into bigger travel goals
• Planning wisely without slipping into overplanning
• Situational awareness and simple rideshare safety habits
• Navigation tips, map pins, and power bank essentials
• Reframing solo dining and showing up confidently in public
• Celebrating wins—and learning from travel missteps
• Handling homesickness, fatigue, and moments of doubt
• Why midlife travel becomes identity reclamation
• Bringing hard-earned confidence back home

Solo travel after 50 isn’t about proving anything.
It’s about reclaiming independence, courage, and clarity in this season of life.

If you want structured support building confidence and designing a safe, meaningful solo trip aligned with who you’re becoming, Cheryl works with women in 1:1 coaching to create realistic, confidence-building travel plans.

Apply for 1:1 coaching at:
https://cherylbeck.com

Travel bravely. Travel wisely. Travel confidently.

Support the show

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hello@cherylbeckesch.com

Instagram @solotraveladventures50

What if confidence for solo travel doesn’t start at the airport—but in your own town?

In this episode, Cheryl shares 12 simple solo date ideas designed to build self-trust, independence, and ease in public spaces—so future solo travel feels natural instead of intimidating.

These aren’t consolation outings.
They’re confidence reps.

From cozy café visits to museum afternoons, from farmers markets to nature trails, each idea strengthens your ability to listen to yourself, choose your pace, and enjoy your own company without apology.

In This Episode:

• Why solo dates build the confidence muscle
• Café and bookstore outings that increase comfort in public spaces
• Museums and galleries for curiosity without compromise
• Playful “inner child” activities that restore lightness
• Nature walks and new parks that build resilience
• Classes and workshops that stretch your comfort zone
• Being a tourist in your own town to practice travel logistics
• Vision board nights that turn travel dreams into action

Solo travel confidence doesn’t appear overnight.
It grows in layers.

When you practice choosing yourself locally, booking that future trip becomes far less intimidating.

If you want structured support building confidence and designing your first (or next) solo trip safely and intentionally, Cheryl works with women in 1:1 coaching to create realistic, meaningful travel plans aligned with this season of life.

Apply for 1:1 coaching at:
https://cherylbeck.com

Support the show

https://www.cherylbeckesch.com

hello@cherylbeckesch.com

Instagram @solotraveladventures50

Should you travel solo—or invite a friend along?

If you’ve ever shared a dream trip idea only to have someone invite themselves, this episode will help you decide what truly fits your season, your personality, and your purpose.

In this conversation, Cheryl walks through the real tradeoffs between solo travel and traveling with friends—covering freedom, safety, budget, compromise, and the emotional impact of each choice.

Because the right decision isn’t about what’s popular. It’s about what serves you best right now.

In This Episode:

• The freedom and growth that solo travel offers
• The joy and shared memories that come with group travel
• How splitting costs impacts comfort and budget decisions
• Compatibility questions to ask before booking with someone
• Travel style differences: pace, food, sleep, stress response
• How to protect both the itinerary and the friendship
• Graceful ways to say no when someone invites themselves
• How to anchor your decision to purpose—not pressure

If you need decompression, clarity, and reflection, solo travel may serve you best.
If you’re celebrating or easing into new experiences, traveling with a friend might be the perfect fit.

The key is choosing intentionally—so you return with clarity instead of resentment.

If you’re unsure which mode of travel aligns with your personality, comfort level, and season of life, Cheryl supports women through 1:1 coaching to design trips that feel safe, meaningful, and confidence-building.

Apply for 1:1 coaching at:
https://cherylbeck.com

Support the show

https://www.cherylbeckesch.com

hello@cherylbeckesch.com

Instagram @solotraveladventures50

Have you ever come home from a trip feeling clearer, lighter, or suddenly certain about what needs to change?

In this episode, Cheryl explores why purposeful travel often creates powerful life shifts—and why stepping into a new environment can move the needle in ways that simply thinking about change sometimes can’t.

Blending personal experience with psychological insight, Cheryl shares how walking the Camino reshaped her priorities, strengthened her boundaries, and helped her return home with a slower, more intentional pace.

This conversation isn’t about replacing therapy. It’s about understanding how lived experience accelerates clarity.

In This Episode:

• Why major life clarity often follows travel
• How new environments break autopilot thinking
• The brain science behind novelty, movement, and presence
• Why stepping outside familiar roles reveals your true desires
• How insight gained on the road integrates back home
• Practical ways to use intentional travel for reflection and renewal

Travel works through lived experience.
It interrupts old patterns.
It creates space to hear yourself again.

Purposeful travel isn’t escape—it’s intentional disruption that helps you see what’s no longer aligned.

If you’re feeling stuck, restless, or quietly longing for change, Cheryl supports women through 1:1 coaching to design intentional, confidence-building trips that create space for clarity and renewal.

Apply for 1:1 coaching at:
https://cherylbeck.com

Support the show

https://www.cherylbeckesch.com

hello@cherylbeckesch.com

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Have you ever heard another woman’s story and thought, If she can do that, maybe I can too?

In this episode, Cheryl revisits four powerful stories from women who discovered that solo travel can become more than a trip—it can become a turning point.

From a first international journey to New Zealand…
To rebuilding life during divorce in Kuwait…
To hiking mountains that quiet anxious thoughts…
To finding healing and clarity halfway around the world…

Each story reveals how ordinary women stepped into the unfamiliar and rediscovered courage, confidence, and self-trust.

In This Episode:

• Why travel stories inspire action long after the trip ends
• Lee’s first solo international trip to New Zealand
• Danielle’s bold move during divorce and healing
• Linda’s rediscovery of strength through hiking
• Tess’s journey of faith, healing, and decision-making through travel
• How intentional solo travel supports emotional and spiritual renewal

These women didn’t wait until they felt fearless.
They took one imperfect step—and let the experience shape them.

Solo travel isn’t about having all the answers.
It’s about becoming the woman who trusts herself enough to begin.

If you’re in a season of transition and wondering whether travel could be part of your next chapter, Cheryl supports women through 1:1 coaching to design intentional, confidence-building trips aligned with who they’re becoming.

Apply for 1:1 coaching at:
https://cherylbeck.com

Support the show

https://www.cherylbeckesch.com

hello@cherylbeckesch.com

Instagram @solotraveladventures50