It's International Women's Day again and I've got a different focus this year: some of the ways history and travel is not the same for women!

When we travel, especially on our own, we can be confronted with cultural differences and people's opinions in a starker way than others, and I loved hearing more about this from listeners who contributed to a chat on this in the Thoughtful Travellers Facebook group. 

History is also not the same for women - and women are often omitted from the history we learn about a place when we travel there. I chat with Nikki Padilla Rivera of She Shapes History about how this happens and what this fabulous Australian-born tour company is doing about it.

Links:
2025 International Women’s Day Episode 340 - https://notaballerina.com/340 
She Shapes History walking tours and more - https://sheshapeshistory.com/   
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/385

It's International Women's Day again and I've got a different focus this year: some of the ways history and travel is not the same for women!
When we travel, especially on our own, we can be confronted with cultural differences and people's opinions in a starker way than others, and I loved hearing more about this from listeners who contributed to a chat on this in the Thoughtful Travellers Facebook group.&nbsp;
History is also not the same for women - and women are often omitted from the history we learn about a place when we travel there. I chat with Nikki Padilla Rivera of She Shapes History about how this happens and what this fabulous Australian-born tour company is doing about it.
Links:
<ul>
<li>2025 International Women&rsquo;s Day Episode 340 - <a href="https://notaballerina.com/340">https://notaballerina.com/340</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>She Shapes History walking tours and more - <a href="https://sheshapeshistory.com/">https://sheshapeshistory.com/</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;</li>
<li>Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers">https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers</a></li>
<li>Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - <a href="https://notaballerina.com/linkedin">https://notaballerina.com/linkedin</a></li>
<li>Sign up for the Thoughtful Travellers newsletter at Substack - <a href="https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com">https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Show notes: <a href="http://notaballerina.com/385">https://notaballerina.com/385</a></li>
</ul>

The Thoughtful Travel Podcast with Amanda Kendle is a show for travel lovers. Each episode is packed with travel stories from fellow travel addicts on topics like using foreign languages, meeting the locals, getting lost and what we learn from our travels.

Tales from travel-lovers about why we travel and what we learn from it.

The Thoughtful Travel Podcast

The Thoughtful Travel Podcast with Amanda Kendle - established 2016 - is a weekly show which helps travellers think about how our travels can be good for us and good for the world. We talk about how to make ethical decisions on our trips, sustainable and regenerative tourism, bringing back what we learn from the people and cultures we meet to improve our lives back home, and share the most memorable stories from travelling: fun, scary, educational and more. Most episodes include extracts from conversations with three different guests, centred on a particular topic, but you'll also hear occasional deep dive interviews, recordings from the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, and Amanda's own experiences from travelling past and present.

The Thoughtful Travel Podcast with Amanda Kendle - established 2016 - is a weekly show which helps travellers think about how our travels can be good for us and good for the world. We talk about how to make ethical decisions on our trips, sustainable and regenerative tourism, bringing back what we learn from the people and cultures we meet to improve our lives back home, and share the most memorable stories from travelling: fun, scary, educational and more. Most episodes include extracts from conversations with three different guests, centred on a particular topic, but you'll also hear occasional deep dive interviews, recordings from the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, and Amanda's own experiences from travelling past and present.

385 Women in History and Travel - International Women’s Day 2026

The world of volunteer tourism is a tricky one. Getting the balance right between enabling people to volunteer in another country, and meeting the needs of the places they volunteer at, isn't easy, and the guests in this episode have many thoughts about what can go wrong and what are better ways to go about volunteering abroad.

I first chat with Kim Krowne and Edward Lyimo, who in fact first met when Kim went to Tanzania to volunteer at a program where Edward was involved. After that, I speak with Jonty Crane who has recently done long volunteer stints with his wife in Timor Leste and Fiji, organised through New Zealand's Volunteer Service Abroad program. Finally, I discuss giving back on your travels with Bianca Rappaport, who has a long-term digital nomad has found many varied ways to donate her time or expertise in many different parts of the world.

Links:
Edward Lyimo and Kim Krowne - Pristine Trails - https://pristinetrails.com/ 
Jonty Crane - https://jontytravels.com/
Exploring Timor - https://www.exploringtimor.com/ 
Bianca Rappaport - Wanderwell Club - https://www.instagram.com/wanderwellclub/ 
Give Back Guide - https://giveback.guide/ 
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/390

 

Long term volunteer programs:
NZ: Volunteer Service Abroad
Australia: AVI (Australian Volunteers International)
US: Peace Corps
Canada: VCP (Volunteer Cooperation Program)
Germany: GIZ (Deutsch Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit)
UK: VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas)
Japan: JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency)
South Korea: KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency)

The world of volunteer tourism is a tricky one. Getting the balance right between enabling people to volunteer in another country, and meeting the needs of the places they volunteer at, isn't easy, and the guests in this episode have many thoughts about what can go wrong and what are better ways to go about volunteering abroad.
I first chat with Kim Krowne and Edward Lyimo, who in fact first met when Kim went to Tanzania to volunteer at a program where Edward was involved. After that, I speak with Jonty Crane who has recently done long volunteer stints with his wife in Timor Leste and Fiji, organised through New Zealand's Volunteer Service Abroad program. Finally, I discuss giving back on your travels with Bianca Rappaport, who has a long-term digital nomad has found many varied ways to donate her time or expertise in many different parts of the world.
Links:
<ul>
<li>Edward Lyimo and Kim Krowne - Pristine Trails - <a href="https://pristinetrails.com/">https://pristinetrails.com/</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Jonty Crane - <a href="https://jontytravels.com/">https://jontytravels.com/</a></li>
<li>Exploring Timor - <a href="https://www.exploringtimor.com/">https://www.exploringtimor.com/</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Bianca Rappaport - Wanderwell Club - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wanderwellclub/">https://www.instagram.com/wanderwellclub/</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Give Back Guide - <a href="https://giveback.guide/">https://giveback.guide/</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers">https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers</a></li>
<li>Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - <a href="https://notaballerina.com/linkedin">https://notaballerina.com/linkedin</a></li>
<li>Sign up for the Thoughtful Travellers newsletter at Substack - <a href="https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com">https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Show notes: <a href="http://notaballerina.com/390">https://notaballerina.com/390</a></li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
Long term volunteer programs:
<ul>
<li>NZ: Volunteer Service Abroad</li>
<li>Australia: AVI (Australian Volunteers International)</li>
<li>US: Peace Corps</li>
<li>Canada: VCP (Volunteer Cooperation Program)</li>
<li>Germany: GIZ (Deutsch Gesellschaft f&uuml;r Internationale Zusammenarbeit)</li>
<li>UK: VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas)</li>
<li>Japan: JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency)</li>
<li>South Korea: KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency)</li>
</ul>

390 How to be a Good Volunteer Abroad

The more I travel (and the older I get!), the more I realise how little I know, and how wrong I've been about so many things! In this episode, I chat with three guests about various ways their travel experiences have transformed their thinking and perspective, and the general consensus is that everything's more complicated than we first think.

I speak with Nikki Padilla Rivera about her experiences in Vietnam and Cuba, two very different work trips that introduced her to local knowledge and culture in varying ways and smashed her preconceived ideas about these places. Next, my discussion with Tom Sykes harks back to our younger years of travelling and how we now reconsider our old thoughts and attitudes, and in general how much travel teaches us about the nuances of the world, politics, culture and more. Finally, I round out the episode with a story from James Ward about a perspective shift in his daughters after he took them to Zambia.

Links:
Nikki Padilla Rivera of She Shapes History NYC - https://sheshapeshistory.com/nyc 
Tom Sykes - https://tomgsykes.co.uk/
Tom’s book The Years of Travelling Anxiously - https://amzn.to/4cbKPPC 
James Ward - https://jameswardphotography.com/ 
James’ Rewild Safaris - https://rewildsafaris.com/ 
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/389

 

*Full disclosure: Amazon Services LLC Associates Program

NotABallerina.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

The more I travel (and the older I get!), the more I realise how little I know, and how wrong I've been about so many things! In this episode, I chat with three guests about various ways their travel experiences have transformed their thinking and perspective, and the general consensus is that everything's more complicated than we first think.
I speak with Nikki Padilla Rivera about her experiences in Vietnam and Cuba, two very different work trips that introduced her to local knowledge and culture in varying ways and smashed her preconceived ideas about these places. Next, my discussion with Tom Sykes harks back to our younger years of travelling and how we now reconsider our old thoughts and attitudes, and in general how much travel teaches us about the nuances of the world, politics, culture and more. Finally, I round out the episode with a story from James Ward about a perspective shift in his daughters after he took them to Zambia.
Links:
<ul>
<li>Nikki Padilla Rivera of She Shapes History NYC - <a href="https://sheshapeshistory.com/nyc">https://sheshapeshistory.com/nyc</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Tom Sykes - <a href="https://tomgsykes.co.uk/">https://tomgsykes.co.uk/</a></li>
<li>Tom&rsquo;s book The Years of Travelling Anxiously - <a href="https://amzn.to/4cbKPPC">https://amzn.to/4cbKPPC</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>James Ward - <a href="https://jameswardphotography.com/">https://jameswardphotography.com/</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>James&rsquo; Rewild Safaris - <a href="https://rewildsafaris.com/">https://rewildsafaris.com/</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers">https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers</a></li>
<li>Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - <a href="https://notaballerina.com/linkedin">https://notaballerina.com/linkedin</a></li>
<li>Sign up for the Thoughtful Travellers newsletter at Substack - <a href="https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com">https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Show notes: <a href="http://notaballerina.com/389">https://notaballerina.com/389</a></li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
*Full disclosure: Amazon Services LLC Associates Program
NotABallerina.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

389 How Travel Transforms Our Thinking

Iceland is a place many travellers dream of visiting; if, like me, you've been lucky enough to see Iceland, you probably desperately want to return. In this Chats with Locals episode, I talk with three Icelanders about their country: why they like living there, what Icelanders are really like, and all about their favourite Icelandic traditions. I also ask them what surprises visitors to Iceland, why they think it's such a popular place for travellers, and what important information we need to know before we go.

The Chats with Locals series, sponsored by Slowly, a global penpal app, is something I've been wanting to do for ages: some of the best moments of our trips come from speaking with local people, learning about what's the same or different where they live compared to us, and getting the unexpected stories that you don't know about (for me in this episode, it's about the fame of cats in Reykjavik - there's an intriguing reason!). Since Iceland is one of my all-time favourite places, it seemed a great place to begin! A huge thank you to my three guests Ragnhildur, Alda and Halli for so openly and warmly sharing information about their home country, Iceland.

Links:
Thanks to sponsor, Slowly - download Slowly to start building genuine friendships today -available for free on the App Store and Google Play - https://notaballerina.com/slowly
Ragnhildur Jóhanns, artist - 


https://www.instagram.com/ragnhildur_johanns/
Ragnhildur's shop The Heart of Reykjavik - 


https://www.hjartareykjavikur.com/ and on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theheartofreykjavik/
Alda Sigmundsdóttir - https://aldasigmunds.com/
Alda's books about Iceland - https://amzn.to/4s8cXYC
Alda's new book The Shape of Silence, coming soon
Haraldur (Halli) Thorleifsson - https://www.haraldurthorleifsson.com 
Halli's Ramp Up - https://www.rampup.team


Iceland reading list on Amazon https://amzn.to/4dpAyR3
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/388

 

*Full disclosure: Amazon Services LLC Associates Program

NotABallerina.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

 

 

Iceland is a place many travellers dream of visiting; if, like me, you've been lucky enough to see Iceland, you probably desperately want to return. In this Chats with Locals episode, I talk with three Icelanders about their country: why they like living there, what Icelanders are really like, and all about their favourite Icelandic traditions. I also ask them what surprises visitors to Iceland, why they think it's such a popular place for travellers, and what important information we need to know before we go.
The Chats with Locals series, sponsored by Slowly, a global penpal app, is something I've been wanting to do for ages: some of the best moments of our trips come from speaking with local people, learning about what's the same or different where they live compared to us, and getting the unexpected stories that you don't know about (for me in this episode, it's about the fame of cats in Reykjavik - there's an intriguing reason!). Since Iceland is one of my all-time favourite places, it seemed a great place to begin! A huge thank you to my three guests Ragnhildur, Alda and Halli for so openly and warmly sharing information about their home country, Iceland.
Links:
<ul>
<li>Thanks to sponsor, Slowly - download Slowly to start building genuine friendships today -available for free on the App Store and Google Play -&nbsp;<a href="https://notaballerina.com/slowly">https://notaballerina.com/slowly</a></li>
<li>Ragnhildur J&oacute;hanns, artist -&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/ragnhildur_johanns/">https://www.instagram.com/ragnhildur_johanns/</a>
</li>
<li>Ragnhildur's shop The Heart of Reykjavik -&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.hjartareykjavikur.com/">https://www.hjartareykjavikur.com/</a> and on Instagram&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/theheartofreykjavik/">https://www.instagram.com/theheartofreykjavik/</a>
</li>
<li>Alda Sigmundsd&oacute;ttir - <a href="https://aldasigmunds.com/">https://aldasigmunds.com/</a></li>
<li>Alda's books about Iceland - <a href="https://amzn.to/4s8cXYC">https://amzn.to/4s8cXYC</a></li>
<li>Alda's new book The Shape of Silence, coming soon</li>
<li>Haraldur (Halli) Thorleifsson - <a href="https://www.haraldurthorleifsson.com">https://www.haraldurthorleifsson.com</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Halli's Ramp Up - <a href="https://www.rampup.team">https://www.rampup.team</a></li>
<li>
Iceland reading list on Amazon <a href="https://amzn.to/4dpAyR3">https://amzn.to/4dpAyR3</a>
</li>
<li>Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers">https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers</a></li>
<li>Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - <a href="https://notaballerina.com/linkedin">https://notaballerina.com/linkedin</a></li>
<li>Sign up for the Thoughtful Travellers newsletter at Substack - <a href="https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com">https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Show notes: <a href="http://notaballerina.com/388">https://notaballerina.com/388</a></li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
*Full disclosure: Amazon Services LLC Associates Program
NotABallerina.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

385 Women in History and Travel - International Women’s Day 2026

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