I emailed Beth to ask her about her inspiration, favorite writers, and the dangers of solo travel.

Matt Gibson: What was your first solo trip?

Beth Whitman: When I was in college, I took a semester off in my senior year and traveled around the country for 3 months. I drove from New Jersey, down the east coast, across the south to San Diego and then up the West Coast and across the center of the country.

That trip was what really what hooked me on travel. I had been staying with friends who were in colleges across the country and in youth hostels. At the hostels I met people from all over the world and I just knew I needed more of that in my life.

MG: What jobs did you have before you started writing professionally?

BW: Oh gawd. Early in my travels, I would cobble together a few jobs at a time in order to save as much money as possible so that I could then leave for a few months at a time to travel. In those days, I worked office temp jobs, delivered pizza and was a DJ at an easy-listening radio station. I also worked in Bristol Bay, Alaska (very remote) processing salmon in order to save money to travel to India, Nepal and Thailand for 3 months.

Just prior to diving into the travel business full-time, I was working in sales at a company that was, to say the least, ethically challenged. I was making oodles of money but really hated the job. One day I got fed up and just gave my notice (much to the surprise of everyone) and decided that I would never work for someone else again.

MG: Most women are warned not to travel alone. Were you frightened?

BW: Well, I do remember my legs literally shaking on that first road trip around the country, but my desire to go was stronger than the fear. And, I have found that to be the case on every journey since. Not that my legs still shake, but there’s always a tiny bit of concern on many of my adventures – but the fear of NOT going is always overridden by the desire for new experiences.

MG: How did your experience differ from your expectations?

BW: I had no idea I was going to meet so many people on that journey. Of course I was in awe of this beautiful country we live in, but the experience was enriched by the people – both the locals I came in contact with and the foreigners that I met.

MG: What’s the most popular post on Wanderlust and Lipstick?  Why do you think that is?

BW: One of the more recent popular posts was one I wrote about 6 months ago about TSA body scans. I had no idea what a storm this topic was going to stir up but my timing was great. By the time everyone was searching for info about body scanners, my post had ranked relatively well and I was getting traffic from around the world.

MG: What is the most frightening experience that you’ve had on the road?

BW: Well, early in my travels I was in Cambodia. This was in ’92 when there were few travelers there (and I mean like 6 of us) and the government was in disarray. I was traveling overland at a time when it was actual illegal to do so (for good reason, it turns out) and had a hand grenade pulled on me at a military-post stop in the middle of nowhere. It was definitely the scariest experience of my life.

MG: Do you think that your being a woman was part of the reason this happened?

BW: Definitely not. It was simply because I was a foreigner in a place I wasn’t supposed to be.

MG: Are there any destinations that you would recommend that solo women travelers avoid?  Are there any you recommend they visit?

BW: Nope. Some people might say, “Come on, Beth, what about Afghanistan?” Sure, I wouldn’t go there myself, but I have a friend (in her 80’s!) who goes there once a year to do volunteer work – supporting orphanages. Do I think she’s crazy? Definitely. But I’d never tell her not to go.

MG: Has traveling alone as a woman ever limited your travel experience?  In what way?

BW: Probably, but I pay attention to the ways that being a woman opens opportunities up for me.

MG: Most cultures have much more traditional ideas about gender roles than are found in the United States. How do you deal with sexism on the road?

BW: I’m not one to be super aware of sexist issues and how I’m treated differently than men. If there’s a rare occasion when it does happen (such as an India waiter ONLY talking to my husband in a restaurant and ignoring me), I try to let it roll off my back. I’m in their world and have to accept the circumstances – I’m just passing through.

MG: What are you asked most often by first-time solo female travelers? How do you respond?

BW: “Don’t you get lonely?” No way. As I said early in this interview, meeting people along the way is one of the biggest perks to traveling solo. There’s never a shortage of people to connect with.

MG: You are now a role model for solo female travelers around the world. Who inspired you?

BW: First, thank you for the compliment. I don’t necessarily see myself that way. I’m just doing what I love to do and feel fortunate that I can make a living doing it.

I’m not sure that I can point to a person that inspired my travels. It was more likely the pages of National Geographic (which my parents subscribed to) that sparked an interest.

I do remember my great Aunt saying she always wanted to travel but she didn’t want to be on a plane when someone else’s time was up. In other words, she was afraid to travel! I was likely just as motivated to not stay at home as I was to travel the world.

MG: Which travel blogs, if any, do you read?

BW: While there are a lot of great travel bloggers out there, I’m actually more inclined to regularly read blogs that are off the travel topic. Some of those that I enjoy include Vegan Lunch Box and Just Bento.

MG: Who, in your opinion, is the most successful travel blogger (from a business perspective)?  Why do you think that is?

BW: I can’t really say. There are some popular bloggers out there such as Nomadic Matt and Gary Ardnt but I haven’t seen their tax returns to know if they are actually financially successful (Gary is famous for not wanting to necessarily make a ton of money from his site). Meanwhile there are some travel bloggers I know who are making $5K+ a month on their blogs because they’ve managed to figure out the SEO world and are selling a crazy amount of products through affiliate programs. These are blogs you’ve likely never heard of (and I don’t think they’d want me to reveal who they are).

MG: Who are your favorite travel writers? What are your favorite books?

BW: I’m a big fan of Pico Iyer as well as the cultural anthropologist, Wade Davis. My favorite books change every month and they likely won’t appeal to many others. More recently I read a book about Papua New Guinea called The Last Men, which is, in my opinion, the best book written about the country and its tribes.

MG: What are your favorite blogs?

BW: See above

MG: What equipment do you carry for working on the road?

BW: I have an Asus Eee netbook which I use for work. Although I carry my iPhone with me, I rarely use it. I also carry an SLR digital camera with 2 lenses, a small digital camera and a video camera. I consider all of these integral for my business.

MG: Is there a particularly good book, article, or author that you read recently you’d like to recommend?

BW: Well, since you’ve asked a number of questions about travel writing, I would recommend Tim Leffel’s book, Travel Writing 2.0. This is an excellent resource for both beginner and established writers.

The post An Interview with Female Solo Travel Writer Beth Whitman appeared first on XpatMatt.

Dunn, a former financial planner, distinguishes herself from other travel bloggers (in both practice and writing) with her thriftiness.  In addition to writing about ways to stretch a dollar, she stretches them herself—remarkably well—by traveling slowly and saving money through novel methods such as house sitting and caretaking.  I e-mailed Dunn in Australia, where she had just arrived after finishing a the pilot for a travel TV show in Nepal, to ask her about solo travel, saving money, and inspiring books.

Matt Gibson: You’ve been working on a pilot for a TV series recently. Can you tell me about that?

Nora Dunn: Well, it’s pretty top secret stuff (no really, it is!), but I can tell you that in September I filmed a travel TV series pilot in Paris and Nepal, and we stopped traffic (literally). It’s for a North American broadcast audience, and I’ll be sure to share more on that as soon as there’s news to share!

MG: You started traveling with your boyfriend, but later continued alone. What was your first solo trip?

ND: My first solo trip was a six month streak through New Zealand and Europe. I got my solo travel groove on, and I’m having a blast now.

MG: Most women are warned not to travel alone. Were you frightened?

ND: One of the things I’ve discovered through travel is that 99% of the people out there are fundamentally good. There are heaps of awesome female solo travelers! I’ve never been frightened about it, beyond getting butterflies in my tummy (which I actually quite enjoy – it means I’m doing something good).

MG: You use several unique strategies for saving money on the road, such as house sitting and volunteering.  What have you found to be the most effective ways to save money on the road?

ND: My money management techniques are less about saving money, and more about making full-time traveling financially sustainable. With a freelance writing income I don’t earn a huge amount, but I write what I want for whom I want which is well worth it. In order to get by on this income, I volunteer in trade for my accommodation in many of the places I go (house-sitting, caretaking, etc). This keeps my expenses low and allows me to travel slowly, often experiencing a slice of local life wherever I go.

MG: Your writing appears in many places. May I ask what proportions of your income come from books, articles, your blog, and other sources?

ND: Most of my income comes from columns I write for Wise Bread, AmEx, Care One, Transitions Abroad, and other one-off articles I write online and for magazines. I also make some money from affiliate sales, my blog, and even the occasional donor.

MG: What non-monetary benefits, professional or personal, do you get from blogging?

ND: Being part of a community as tight-knit as travel bloggers and writers has many perks, which include the occasional chance to meet up on the road – a very rewarding experience. There’s also lots of moral and professional support when I need it, which can be comforting in the sometimes isolated world of travel.

MG: What’s the most popular post on The Professional Hobo?

ND: I’ve had a couple of popular posts, including “Is Full-Time Travel an Act of Withdrawal”, and “What to Pack for Full-Time Travel”.

MG: Has traveling alone as a woman ever limited your travel experience?

ND: I’ve actually found solo travel to be more liberating than limiting. It’s easier to meet new people, easier to get invitations for homestays (whereas putting up a couple isn’t always possible), and it becomes more necessary to interact with others (ideally locals), which often creates a more authentic travel experience. The sense of accomplishment I get from pushing my boundaries as a solo traveler is brilliant. The only limiting factor is a constant consideration for safety, and not getting into a situation I can’t get out of.

MG: You are now a role model for solo female travelers around the world. Who inspired you?

ND: Rita Golden Gelman wrote a book called Tales of a Female Nomad, which was a great inspiration for my own solo travels.

MG: What equipment do you carry for working on the road?

ND: I have a laptop, iTouch, unlocked cell phone, camera, and external hard drive for back-ups. I also carry a slew of cords and chargers for everything, as well as a few extra parts just in case.

MG: Is there a particularly good book, article, or author that you read recently you’d like to recommend?

ND: I’m currently reading The Patagonian Express by Paul Theroux, where he hops on a train in Boston and rides it to the bottom of Patagonia. It’s about the journey rather than the destination, the writing is superb, and it further stokes my love of international train travel.

The post An Interview with the Most Professional Hobo: Nora Dunn appeared first on XpatMatt.

The post <a href=http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/travel/travel_writing/travel-blogging-nora-dunn-professional-hobo.shtml target="_blank">A Professional Hobo: An Interview with Traveler, Author, and Blogger Nora Dunn | Transitions Abroad</a> appeared first on XpatMatt.