"Skillcation" became the buzziest travel trend of 2026, and it may be the easiest way to solo travel. Travel creator Amy Zhou left her corporate job and started building her travels around a learning a single skill: bachata in the Dominican Republic, capoeira in Brazil, tango in Argentina, birdwatching in Puerto Rico. Spoiler: the hobby was never really the point. It was merely the door in to the history, the politics, the people, the connection no algorithm would ever surface for you. What she found on the other side of that door humbled her more than once, and changed the way she thinks travel should work at all.

Follow Amy on Instagram and watch her long-form stories on Youtube. She just launched her Career-safe Sabbatical Playbook", which teaches you how to take a travel sabbatical WITHOUT ruining your career and coming home broke. 

Follow @solita_travels for bonus content and subscribe on Substack for Julie's big 3 takeaways from each episode. 

"Skillcation" became the buzziest travel trend of 2026, and it may be the easiest way to solo travel. Travel creator Amy Zhou left her corporate job and started building her travels around a learning a single skill: bachata in the Dominican Republic, capoeira in Brazil, tango in Argentina, birdwatching in Puerto Rico. Spoiler: the hobby was never really the point. It was merely the door in to the history, the politics, the people, the connection no algorithm would ever surface for you. What she found on the other side of that door humbled her more than once, and changed the way she thinks travel should work at all.
Follow Amy on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/_amyisalive_">Instagram</a> and watch her long-form stories on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@amyisalivee">Youtube</a>. She just launched her <a href="https://v2.stan.store/amyisalive?utm_source=ig&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_content=link_in_bio&amp;fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAcGRvZgJzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAadzQYIboVBb9nMu1ubeptiXsjSn5uF6PeeLw7xACoEeD0KlfmsLho0bsDTjaQ_aem_c6p187ksUnRh94bP9yEKBg">Career-safe Sabbatical Playbook"</a>, which teaches you how to take a travel sabbatical WITHOUT ruining your career and coming home broke.&nbsp;
Follow <a href="https://www.instagram.com/solita_travels/">@solita_travels</a> for bonus content and subscribe on <a href="https://substack.com/@solitatravels">Substack</a> for Julie's big 3 takeaways from each episode.&nbsp;

Record-numbers of women are traveling alone. But what are the real stories beyond the highlight reel, the "Bali will heal you" fantasies and the doom warnings from your uncle? 

Hosted by solo traveler and award-winning writer Julie Piñero, Solita explores the messier side to solo travel. What happens when your Paris fling takes you somewhere the rom-coms wouldn’t dare? When your trip to honor your grandparents means facing your worst fear alone? When you say ‘yes’ and it surprises even you? 

Solita is Spanish for ‘a female alone’, but it drips with pity. This show takes that word back. Solitude - especially on the road - may be a time to follow a curiosity nobody shares, change your mind and push your limits. 

Each week, Julie and a guest unpack one solo trip and what it reveals about safety, sex, money, heritage, loneliness, identity and other nuances that make solo travel more approachable, less fantasy. Because the world isn’t always your oyster. That’s exactly what makes the story worth telling.

Record-numbers of women are traveling alone. But what are the real stories beyond the highlight reel, the "Bali will heal you" fantasies and the doom warnings from your uncle?&nbsp;
Hosted by solo traveler and award-winning writer Julie Pi&ntilde;ero, Solita explores the messier side to solo travel. What happens when your Paris fling takes you somewhere the rom-coms wouldn&rsquo;t dare? When your trip to honor your grandparents means facing your worst fear alone? When you say &lsquo;yes&rsquo; and it surprises even you?&nbsp;
Solita is Spanish for &lsquo;a female alone&rsquo;, but it drips with pity. This show takes that word back. Solitude - especially on the road - may be a time to follow a curiosity nobody shares, change your mind and push your limits.&nbsp;
Each week, Julie and a guest unpack one solo trip and what it reveals about safety, sex, money, heritage, loneliness, identity and other nuances that make solo travel more approachable, less fantasy. Because the world isn&rsquo;t always your oyster. That&rsquo;s exactly what makes the story worth telling.

Solita

Hate Being a Tourist? Take a 'Skillcation' Instead

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/e8989bfb-2d6c-45a9-b0a8-b4d3011cb26d/transcript