Solita

What if you landed in a foreign city with no map, no reservations and no Google? Travel journalist Lisa Abend does it on purpose to connect with new heights of exploration. Lisa picks a new place in Europe, does zero research, books nothing, and goes offline the second she lands (phone for photos only). She's stumbled into a Glasgow hotel receptionist who refused to let her sleep on the street, a spa-town museum with a very unexpected surprise in the bathtub, and a stranger who kept turning up on the same bus. Plus, Lisa’s advice for trying it yourself, even if you’re nervous. Follow Lisa’s newsletter, “The Unplugged Traveler,” on Substack. Follow Solita on Instagram and TikTok for bonus content and subscribe on Substack for Julie’s big 3 takeaways from each episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Fear for personal safety" is the top reason women say they won’t travel solo. So what happens when the worst-case scenario strikes? Solita host Julie Piñero was on her way to a big solo adventure in Greece when she slipped on a puddle in Heathrow Airport. Within a few dramatic hours, she was back across the Atlantic in her childhood bedroom, snuggling her old stuffed animals, relying on 24/7 care from her parents. At the ripe age of 34, her big solo adventure sent her traveling back in time.  Over a week of recovery, Julie confronts the risks we're taught to fear vs. the ones we don't see coming. Starting with a confession she'd been keeping secret: what she was really doing in the seconds before she slipped on the puddle.  Follow @solita_travels to see videos of Julie's injury and recovery, plus other bonus content. Subscribe to Solita on Substack for Julie's big 3 takeaways from each episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who do you become when, for a few hours, you’re just a seat number... and you meet someone? Three women report back. Hannah Roodman found romance in a 6am Delta flight, thanks to a clementine and a really good playlist. Nava Kavelin learned (the hard way) what happens when your crush can't handle turbulence. And when Ali Levin got stranded at the airport hotel, she found her very first one night stand with a person who's job... is to stay hidden. Hannah Roodman produced the documentary "Yo (Love is a Rebellious Bird)", now screening at film festivals across the world.  Nava Kavelin is the co-host, producer and creator of Podcrushed and Co-author of Crushmore: Essays on Love, Loss and Coming-of-Age. Ali Levin is a Teaching Artist at Co_Lab Theater, co-hosting and performing in the 2026 CO_LABaret at the Laurie Beechman Theater on October 20th. Find tickets here, and support Co_Lab Theater here. Follow Solita on Instagram and Tiktok for bonus content and subscribe on Substack for Julie's big 3 takeaways from each episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you get into the most exclusive nightclub in the world, alone? Novelist Upasna Barath spent two months in Rome and Berlin to finish her second book and ended up in line at Berghain, the club with the hardest door in nightlife. Upasna swears this trip made her into a "type-b person", making the case that a dance floor full of strangers who will never know your name might be the most honest place to find out how to let go. For more on Upasna, read her book Comedic Timing, her Substack Lifeline and visit her website for updates on her upcoming releases! Follow Solita on Instagram and Tiktok for bonus content and subscribe on Substack for Julie's big 3 takeaways from each episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can you ever un-hear the voice you only find when you're traveling alone? Nikki Vargas, founder of Unearth Women and Associate Editorial Director at Travel + Leisure, found hers in Iguazu National Park, days before she canceled her wedding. Years later, she took that same willingness-to-listen back to Colombia, a country she'd always felt "not Colombian enough" for, to report on the FARC peace treaty and on the aunt whose death no one ever explained to her.  To hear more of Nikki's adventures in travel, read her book "Call You When I Land". Follow Nikki's work on Travel + Leisure's Substack, "The Fast Track", as well as her own personal Substack, "Wanderess". For updates on her forthcoming book and novel, follow her on Instagram. Follow Solita on Instagram and Tiktok for bonus content and subscribe on Substack for Julie's big 3 takeaways from each episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.