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Aoife's avatar

What an insightful resource, Sonya. Loved this! The vignettes you painted of some of your Airbnb experiences are so gorgeous.

Regarding flight booking, I typically use Skyscanner then narrow down route options with a combination of this (including reverse-engineering flights to see if any multi-city options pop-up), each airline's listings as sometimes co-chaired flights aren't as clear, and I also map routes through Flight Connections. I'm going to do more cross-checking with Google Flights and try out the notifications -- thank you for the rec!

Related to this, I would definitely also recommend using myriad route evaluations for countries in close proximity to one another. For example, I discovered today that you can fly to Cyprus very cheaply then get a ferry to the Turkish Riviera. These days I prefer that kind of travel and some of my favourite travel memories involve these curlier transits.

Thank you so much for the generous mention of Boundless Bypass in this issue. I am blushing at my desk and it was a massive surprise to see it in this issue xx ps, I feel the same about Murakami -- I love his memoir but his female characters seem to be constructed in a way that I can only describe as objectification. Ugh!

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Sonya's avatar

Hello Aoife, I am glad that you enjoyed reading my Airbnb experiences. I would love to actually be a host some day, to pay it forward. I know it isn't for everyone but it can be a great experience with the right host.

I will check out Skyscanner! I have used it in the past but not recently. If I am on vacation with others, I sometimes don't mind a meandering route to a destination. It really depends on how long the journey is for me and if I am alone.

You're very welcome for the mention! I enjoy your writing and it is similarly themed. :)

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Aoife's avatar

Sonya, I completely agree that being an Airbnb host would be a way to pay it forward. Some of my favourite travel experiences have been defined by the host and how they opened up their home city to me as a visitor. That said, I've certainly had some disappointing experiences, too.

I wholeheartedly agree regarding the journey route style. I've been debating with myself whether it's best to stagger an arrival or a return home? It probably depends on the nature of the trip and the overall duration as well. I used Google Trips for some work research yesterday and I think it could be a good starting point to providing route overviews. There's always more to learn!

Have a great week and thank you for your kind words again xx

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Lauren Neufeld's avatar

LOVE these tips Sonya! I am a big solo travel fan. I took myself on a 4 week solo trip to Italy for my 30th birthday and it was probably my favourite trip, ever. Can't wait to read more.

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Sonya's avatar

Yes! I love that you did 4 weeks solo in Italy. That sounds like a fabulous trip! Where did you go? I've only ever been to Italy with friends, a few times and a few years ago I put it on my "only with a significant other" list. It has a romantic vibe for me.

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Lauren Neufeld's avatar

Ahh yes, but I like to romanticize everything in life so maybe that's why it felt comfortable without a significant other...? Lol. I went to Florence, Milan, Rome, Lake Como, and a few little stops in between (Crema - because my favourite movie was filmed there).

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Gabriella's avatar

Okay we're going to have to talk about this on our next writing session!

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Gabriella's avatar

I've been waiting for this one!! I love your tips for wading in. It seems so simple, but I've actually never been to a movie, restaurant or museum alone. I used to travel out of state a little bit for work and the closest I got was popping into a coffee shop solo. Otherwise, I ordered DoorDash and ate it in my hotel room like a gremlin. So maybe I need to learn to walk before I run :)

I also enjoyed The Bear! I binged all three seasons at once last week. I agree with your feelings on Season 3. I've heard some people who were disappointed that it didn't end more definitively, but I think it's set up the next season so well I don't mind.

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Sonya's avatar

Aww I am glad you liked them! I encourage you to dip a toe in but I know you'll quickly be comfortable moving on to the other suggestions. No gremlin meals! I am going to address that in the next one, dining out. :)

Also, about the Bear, I really want to like Claire because I feel like she is not going away, but I don't.

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