Solo Travel Made Easy

What if the things that bring us joy could also help us live longer?

I found this study fascinating. It suggests that activities like reading, listening to music, visiting museums, attending concerts, and creative hobbies may be linked to slower biological aging.

Always a good thing. 😊

As I read it, I started thinking about solo travel.

One of the things I talk about often is doing more of what energises us and less of what doesn’t. Following our curiosity. Making time for the people, places, and things that make us feel engaged and alive.

Whether it’s wandering through a museum, listening to a street musician, discovering a hidden café, striking up a conversation with a stranger, or simply sitting on a park bench watching the world unfold, travel invites us to engage with life rather than rush through it.

Maybe that’s one of the reasons travel can feel so transformative.

Not because we’re escaping our lives, but because we’re fully present in them.

And I believe curiosity is one of the healthiest habits we can cultivate.

What brings you so much joy that it might just be keeping you young?

These “Feel-Good” Activities Were Linked To Slower Aging At The DNA Level — mindbodygreen One of the best longevity habits may actually be fun

Don’t pay for hotel features you don’t need and won’t use.
When I’m booking somewhere to stay, I always ask myself:

✔️ Do I need free parking?

✔️ Do I want free breakfast?

✔️ Will I actually use the pool, spa, gym, or resort facilities?

✔️ Is the location right for what I want to do?

✔️ Is it near public transportation if I don’t have a car?

✔️ Is the area safe to walk around in?

Most importantly:

Am I paying for things I’ll actually use?

I’ve stayed in luxury resorts that were worth every penny. Miraval was one of them.

But recently, while planning a trip to Palm Desert, I found myself comparing a luxury resort with a much simpler hotel nearby.

The resort looked amazing, but once I added up the room rate, resort fees, taxes, meals, and everything else, the cost escalated dramatically.

A few miles away, I found a reasonably priced hotel with great reviews, free parking, free breakfast, a mini fridge, gym, and pool.

The most expensive hotel isn’t always the best choice.

The best hotel is the one that gives you what you need at a price that leaves room in your budget for the experiences you’ll remember.

This photo was taken at a lovely little motel in Palm Desert. One of my favourite memories was relaxing in the whirlpool bath on a balmy California evening, looking up at the stars while palm trees swayed gently overhead. 🌴✨

What matters most to you when choosing somewhere to stay???



The Living Desert
Inn at Deep Canyon

At the Grand Canyon, I spotted two little girls holding hands while sitting on their parents’ shoulders.

I couldn’t stop smiling.

They were so happy, peaceful, and completely wrapped up in the moment. 🩷

Sharing travel with the right person can make the experience more fun, meaningful, and memorable.

The key is finding people who make you feel lighter, calmer, and more like yourself — not more stressed.

If you’ve ever travelled with the wrong person, you know exactly what I mean. 😂

But solo travel can also give you exactly what your soul needs — time to reconnect with yourself.

And that can be a quiet two-hour solo date in your hometown or a grand adventure across the world.

Only you know what you need right now. ✨

Who’s your tribe? ☘️✨

One of the things I love most about travel is meeting people and realizing you can find your community almost anywhere in the world.

As a lifelong Celtic supporter, I know that if there’s a Celtic match on, I can walk into a pub almost anywhere and instantly be surrounded by people who treat me like family — sharing history, stories, banter, laughter and a common passion.

From Rome to Costa Rica, Bali to Boston, football has connected me to people and places I never would have experienced otherwise.

Solo travel doesn’t always mean being alone. Sometimes it’s about discovering where you already belong.

Do you have a community or passion that helps you connect when you travel?

I prefer to pay a little extra to stay somewhere central and close to public transportation on a solo trip. In the long run, I save time, stress and energy.
(Just make sure it’s a safe neighborhood)

Some of my favourite travel moments happen when I simply wander and explore a city at my own pace.

Camden has always had a special place in my heart. I worked at the Camden Palace nightclub as a teenager and stayed there again on my last trip back to London.

I still love wandering from Camden Lock along the canals to Regent’s Park and visiting the zoo.

Do you prefer staying in the heart of a city or further out and travelling in?