Bel shares personal travel experiences, highlighting the importance of self-worth, standing up for oneself, and navigating solo travel challenges. She shares restaurant incidents that show how society treats solo travelers and emphasizes the need to take up space and value yourself.

Follow Bel's adventures on:

Website: Wanderingebel.com

IG: Wandering_bel

Fear makes solo travel feel bigger and scarier than it is. These two stories from Seattle and Budapest show what really happens when you trust yourself, stay open, and keep moving.

Bel turns two seemingly ordinary trips into a reminder that travel can crack you open in the best way. One Uber ride leaves her feeling judged and more alone than ever. Another becomes the kind of unexpected encouragement that only a stranger who truly gets it can offer. From there, the episode moves through a spontaneous bar crawl in Budapest, a late-night underground club, and the random connections that make solo travel unforgettable. You’ll hear Bel break down:

• why solo travel can build intuition and confidence faster than almost anything else
• how one supportive conversation can completely change the emotional tone of a trip
• what happens when you stop overthinking and say yes to the random, last-minute experience
• why the fear around traveling alone is often louder than reality
• how strangers can sometimes give you the exact encouragement you didn’t know you needed

Bel also gets honest about the messy side of travel, including bad trips, chaotic logistics, and a few places where things went very wrong. But that’s the point—travel is not perfect, and it was never meant to be. The real question is whether you’ll let fear keep you from the stories, the people, and the perspective that only come from going anyway. Perfect for anyone craving a push to travel solo, trust their gut, or remember that the world is still full of good people. If you need a little courage to book the trip, this one is for you.

Follow Bel's adventures on:

Website: Wanderingebel.com

IG: Wandering_bel

Facebook: Wandering Bel Blog

Unlock the power of mountains, resilience, and self-discovery with Bethany, an endurance athlete and outdoor storyteller. She shares her journey from farm life in New York to conquering tough peaks, breaking barriers for women, and redefining strength. Discover how hiking helped her heal from chronic illnesses and societal stereotypes. Her support during an unsupported FKT on the Adirondacks’ 46 peaks shows vulnerability, trust, and resilience.

She challenges gender stereotypes in the outdoor world and discusses mental health, community, and the courage to ask for help. Bethany recounts traveling solo in India and mountain adventures with a new partner, highlighting how external and internal challenges mirror each other.

She emphasizes finding mentors, overcoming societal judgment of women outdoors, and embracing vulnerability. Whether you're an adventurer or seeking inner strength, this episode inspires boundary-pushing and personal growth through nature's healing power. Perfect for outdoor lovers, mental health advocates, and those redefining limits, it offers wisdom and practical insights into living and hiking purposefully stories of grit, grace, and freedom.

Find Bethany on Instagram @bethany.climes, discover her books at RuggedOutdoorsWoman.com, and follow her next FKTs to witness her ongoing journey.

Follow Wandering Bel on Instagram @wandering_bel and Wanderingbel.com