August 2016. Megan is buckled into a seat at Toronto Pearson with a backpack underneath her seat and a ticket to Iceland for one. The engines roar, and the only thought in her head is: “What the f*ck am I doing?”
Unlike Rachel Green from Friends, she did NOT get off the plane.
In the very first episode of The Belong to Where You Are Podcast, Megan tells you how a solo birthday trip 10 years ago turned into eight solo trips, 15 countries, and 44 states. She gets honest about the divorce at 40 that ripped the rug out from under her, why she chose to figure out who she was instead of shrinking, and how two months in Portugal healed her in ways she never saw coming.
Then she shares three truths solo travel taught her (including the dinner in Milan that made a self-proclaimed non-crier weepy), two very real travel mishaps, and a first look at the guests coming this season.
If you’ve ever felt the pull to go somewhere alone and haven’t gone yet, start here. The hardest part isn’t booking the flight. It’s deciding you’re allowed to go.
In This Episode
00:00 – On the runway in Toronto, headed to Iceland for her 35th birthday, and why a Leo never skips a birthday
02:50 – “Oh my God, I’m really doing this.” Welcome to the show, and who it’s for
04:32 – A quick peek at this season’s guests
05:13 – Iceland, and the woman who never planned to travel solo at all
06:10 – Divorce at 40 after a 16-year marriage, and the forever mantra “I’ve been through worse”
08:42 – WiFi Tribe, a 2016 interview, and the OG digital nomad dream
10:18 – 2023: two months in Portugal, four months after the divorce was final, and the country that healed her
11:55 – Remote-work stretches in Spain, Costa Rica, Panama, and Germany, and building a bravery muscle
12:35 – The Solo Travel Sisterhood (free community)
13:08 – Truth #1: Let fear come along for the ride. Snorkeling between two continents in Iceland’s Silfra fissure
14:11 – Truth #2: Take the seat at the bar, because bartenders are free tour guides with opinions
15:54 – Truth #3: The world is kinder than the internet says. A birthday dinner in Milan with two strangers
18:52 – Mishap #1: Almost missing a flight to Panama, and forgetting to enroll in STEP
21:00 – Mishap #2: A 17-euro dinner, 5 euros in cash, and a PayPal standoff in Costa Nova, Portugal
24:36 – The Solo Travel Safety Starter Kit
25:09 – Why the show is called Belong to Where You Are
25:44 – Coming this season: Meredith, Dr. Pauline Hoffmann, Ashley Lucas, Robin Nagele and more…
27:55 – Your turn: where would you go on your first solo trip?
Memorable Quotes
“That panicked voice usually shows up right before something is about to change your life.”
“The most difficult part is just deciding that you are allowed to go.”
“I figured if I could survive that absolute shitshow dumpster fire of a divorce... I sure as hell could survive eating dinner alone in a city where absolutely no one knew who I was.”
“I’m like the OG of digital nomads, because I was working from home before it was even cool.”
“Every single trip I go on makes my bravery muscle a little bit stronger.”
“Let fear come along for the ride, but just don’t let it drive.”
“Bartenders and servers can actually act like free tour guides with opinions.”
“Nobody likes walking up to somebody who’s got RBF, am I right?”
“People ask me if I get lonely traveling by myself. And sometimes, sure. But I’ve been cared for by strangers in ways I never expected.”
“Home is where you make it, no matter how long or short your stay is.”
Resources Mentioned
Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP): The free U.S. State Department program Megan forgot to sign up for on her way to Panama. Register your trip and they can alert you if there’s a natural disaster, conflict, or emergency where you are.
Megan’s Substack post on STEP: The longer version of why she enrolls before every trip, at belongtowhereyouare.com.
WiFi Tribe: The traveling community of remote workers that sparked Megan’s dream of working abroad back in 2016 (and inspired her first trip to Portugal).
Solo Travel Sisterhood: A free, good-vibes community for women working up the courage, the confidence, and the plan to go.
Solo Travel Safety Starter Kit: A practical guide to help you feel prepared, alert, and confident on your first solo trip, without spiraling into fear.
Megan’s travel tips from this episode:
Sit at the bar when you eat alone. Put the phone down, take the headphones off, and let the conversation find you.
Carry a little cash, and ask if a restaurant takes cards before you sit down.
Enroll in STEP before you leave, not after you’re already in the Uber.
Your Turn
Where would you go on your first solo trip? DM Megan on TikTok or Instagram and tell her. Yours might get read on a future episode.
Up Next
Episode 2 is out now. “I really want to go, but I’m scared. Is it safe?” Megan sits down with her dear friend Robin Nagele, a retired U.S. Army Sergeant Major with more than four decades in security, to answer the question she hears every single week on TikTok.
New episodes drop every Tuesday while in season. Follow or subscribe so you don’t miss one, and if this episode meant something to you, leave a rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It’s how another woman who’s on the fence finds this show.
Follow Megan & Belong to Where You Are
Solo Travel Sisterhood (free community)
Substack: belongtowhereyouare.com
TikTok: @belongtowhereyouare
Instagram: @belongtowhereyouare_
