This special episode is the audio of the live-streamed February 2026 meeting of the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, chatting with author Hannah Kent about her book "Always Home, Always Homesick" - https://amzn.to/3Kxcb7M 

 If you'd like to join the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, sign up for our updates at https://thoughtfultravellersbookclub.substack.com/

You can also read more about it at https://notaballerina.com/bookclub, and you can keep up with all the thoughts about our current books in the Thoughtful Travellers Facebook Group at https://facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers 

*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.

This special episode is the audio of the live-streamed February 2026 meeting of the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, chatting with author Hannah Kent about her book "Always Home, Always Homesick" - <a href="https://amzn.to/3Kxcb7M">https://amzn.to/3Kxcb7M</a>&nbsp;
&nbsp;If you'd like to join the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, sign up for our updates at <a href="https://thoughtfultravellersbookclub.substack.com/">https://thoughtfultravellersbookclub.substack.com/</a>
You can also read more about it at&nbsp;<a href="https://notaballerina.com/bookclub,">https://notaballerina.com/bookclub,</a>&nbsp;and you can keep up with all the thoughts about our current books in the Thoughtful Travellers Facebook Group at <a href="https://facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers">https://facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers</a>&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.

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.

Book Club 24: Always Home, Always Homesick by Hannah Kent

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;

388 Iceland: Chats with Locals

A decade ago to the day - 25th March 2016 - I launched the first episodes of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast. Somehow, I have just kept interviewing great people about their thoughts on travel, put together episodes almost every week, and magically, I've now been running this podcast for a full ten years!

To celebrate, I've compiled some of my very favourite snippets of stories my guests have told me over the years. I've got the sad stories, the hilarious stories, and the ones that gave me advice I've both ignored and also followed!

A huge thanks to every listener and every guest over this decade - I appreciate you all so much, because without guests and listeners, this would be a very boring podcast indeed. Here's to another decade!

Links:
James Mwenda in Episode 246 - Deep Dive Interview https://notaballerina.com/246 
Dean O’Shea in Episode 133 - The Big Trips That Changed Everything https://notaballerina.com/133 
Nicci O’Mara in Episode 174 - Life Lessons from Travel https://notaballerina.com/174 
Matt Eakin in Episode 78 - Border Crossings https://notaballerina.com/78 
Bex Thomas and Angela Correll in Episode 344 - Learning Languages and Making Mistakes https://notaballerina.com/344 
Stephen Henson in Episode 1 - Food in a Foreign Language https://notaballerina.com/01 
Tim Tricker in Episode 224 - Big Purchases on Your Travels https://notaballerina.com/224 
Narelle Wilson in Episode 128 - Travel Planning and Research https://notaballerina.com/128 
David Soto Jr in Episode 13 - Slow Travel https://notaballerina.com/13 
Heidi Brown in Episode 358 - Solo Travel for Women https://notaballerina.com/358 
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/387

A decade ago to the day - 25th March 2016 - I launched the first episodes of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast. Somehow, I have just kept interviewing great people about their thoughts on travel, put together episodes almost every week, and magically, I've now been running this podcast for a full ten years!
To celebrate, I've compiled some of my very favourite snippets of stories my guests have told me over the years. I've got the sad stories, the hilarious stories, and the ones that gave me advice I've both ignored and also followed!
A huge thanks to every listener and every guest over this decade - I appreciate you all so much, because without guests and listeners, this would be a very boring podcast indeed. Here's to another decade!
Links:
<ul>
<li>James Mwenda in Episode 246 - Deep Dive Interview <a href="https://notaballerina.com/246">https://notaballerina.com/246</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Dean O&rsquo;Shea in Episode 133 - The Big Trips That Changed Everything <a href="https://notaballerina.com/133">https://notaballerina.com/133</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Nicci O&rsquo;Mara in Episode 174 - Life Lessons from Travel <a href="https://notaballerina.com/174">https://notaballerina.com/174</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Matt Eakin in Episode 78 - Border Crossings <a href="https://notaballerina.com/78">https://notaballerina.com/78</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Bex Thomas and Angela Correll in Episode 344 - Learning Languages and Making Mistakes <a href="https://notaballerina.com/344">https://notaballerina.com/344</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Stephen Henson in Episode 1 - Food in a Foreign Language <a href="https://notaballerina.com/01">https://notaballerina.com/01</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Tim Tricker in Episode 224 - Big Purchases on Your Travels <a href="https://notaballerina.com/224">https://notaballerina.com/224</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Narelle Wilson in Episode 128 - Travel Planning and Research <a href="https://notaballerina.com/128">https://notaballerina.com/128</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>David Soto Jr in Episode 13 - Slow Travel <a href="https://notaballerina.com/13">https://notaballerina.com/13</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Heidi Brown in Episode 358 - Solo Travel for Women <a href="https://notaballerina.com/358">https://notaballerina.com/358</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/387">https://notaballerina.com/387</a></li>
</ul>

387 Ten Years of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast

Some travellers have a much keener sense of adventure and embracing physical risk on their travels, and others just stumble into a travel drama they didn't anticipate; we have all kinds on this episode about things going wrong!

First up, Tudor Morgan, a veteran of many Antarctic stays and current Antarctic Ambassador for HX Expeditions, calmly explains a near-disaster he experienced some years back when working for British Antarctic Survey.

Patrick Nash then explains a tricky border crossing from the 1980s between then Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo), and the Central African Republic. Over the years, I have heard a number of harrowing border crossing tales from my guests and this is up there with the best of them!

Finally, I chat with Shannon O'Brien about an accident she was involved in while travelling in Myanmar. To go with the theme of this episode it could, of course, have been so much worse - though it was already pretty bad, I reckon!

Links:
Tudor Morgan of HX Expeditions - https://www.travelhx.com/en-au/ 
Patrick Nash - https://www.patricknash.co.uk/ 
Patrick’s book Shots Across the Water: Tales of a Journey Through Africa - https://amzn.to/4cMl0UQ 
Shannon O’Brien - https://www.shannon-obrien.com/
Shannon’s memoir Stray - https://amzn.to/4bQdiKT 
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/386

 

*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.

Some travellers have a much keener sense of adventure and embracing physical risk on their travels, and others just stumble into a travel drama they didn't anticipate; we have all kinds on this episode about things going wrong!
First up, Tudor Morgan, a veteran of many Antarctic stays and current Antarctic Ambassador for HX Expeditions, calmly explains a near-disaster he experienced some years back when working for British Antarctic Survey.
Patrick Nash then explains a tricky border crossing from the 1980s between then Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo), and the Central African Republic. Over the years, I have heard a number of harrowing border crossing tales from my guests and this is up there with the best of them!
Finally, I chat with Shannon O'Brien about an accident she was involved in while travelling in Myanmar. To go with the theme of this episode it could, of course, have been so much worse - though it was already pretty bad, I reckon!
Links:
<ul>
<li>Tudor Morgan of HX Expeditions -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.travelhx.com/en-au/">https://www.travelhx.com/en-au/</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Patrick Nash - <a href="https://www.patricknash.co.uk/">https://www.patricknash.co.uk/</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Patrick&rsquo;s book Shots Across the Water: Tales of a Journey Through Africa -&nbsp;<a href="https://amzn.to/4cMl0UQ">https://amzn.to/4cMl0UQ</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Shannon O&rsquo;Brien - <a href="https://www.shannon-obrien.com/">https://www.shannon-obrien.com/</a></li>
<li>Shannon&rsquo;s memoir Stray - <a href="https://amzn.to/4bQdiKT">https://amzn.to/4bQdiKT</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - <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/386">https://notaballerina.com/386</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.

Book Club 24: Always Home, Always Homesick by Hannah Kent

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