Is travel good for your mental health? If you believe my guests in this episode (and me), then it's a resounding yes. I chat first with Kaila Yu who explains some of what she thinks helps your mental health when travelling, including some chat about the miraculous quiet of being under the sea when scuba diving. Next, Heidi Brown describes her mental journey before, during and after a trip, identifying some of the precise reasons that she believes her travels have improved her mental health. Finally, Diane Hartmann describes some of what happened to her on her first trips abroad - all solo - and how these challenges contributed positively to her mental health. A content warning: some of our conversations include references to depression and in the final part of the podcast, suicide, so skip this one if you'd rather not hear these discussions.

Links:

• How travel makes me feel more like myself - https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/p/how-travel-makes-me-feel-more-like 
• Kaila Yu - https://kailayu.com/
• Kaila’s memoir Fetishized: A Reckoning with Yellow Fever, Beauty, and Feminism - https://amzn.to/40EL7ID  
• Heidi Brown - https://www.heidikristinbrown.com/
• Heidi’s memoir The Map I Draw: A Memoir of Travel as a Passport to Self - https://amzn.to/44Mky6T 
• Diane Hartman https://dianehartmanauthor.com/
• Diane’s new book Getting Lost On My Way: Self Discovery on Ireland’s Backroads - https://amzn.to/45Q9Awp
• Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers
• Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://notaballerina.com/linkedin
• Sign up for the Thoughtful Travellers newsletter at Substack - https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com
• Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/366