Send a text

What happens when a six-month backpacking trip changes the entire trajectory of your life?

In Episode 9 of Roam Alone, I sit down with Donovan Pacholl, co-founder of Embark Exploration Co., the outfitter behind my very first summit: Mount Kilimanjaro.

Donovan shares how a backpacking journey through Europe and Africa evolved into a global trekking company that now leads adventurers up some of the world’s most iconic mountains. We revisit my experience climbing Kili with Embark, talk about what makes a trek beginner-friendly for first-time solo travelers, and unpack one of the biggest fears holding people back: safety.

If you’ve ever wondered:

• Is the world actually safe for solo travelers?
• Are people inherently good?
• What’s the best first “big” adventure if you’re going alone?

Donovan answers with the grounded confidence of someone who’s spent decades exploring remote corners of the globe.

Time Stamps:
00:00 – The backpacking trip that became a lifelong calling
16:30 – The best Embark trip for your first solo adventure
22:41 – Safety tips and why the world isn’t as scary as it seems

This episode is for anyone craving adventure — but waiting for reassurance.

Check out all of the treks YOU can join with Embark Exploration!!

Roam Alone is hosted by Theresa Stephens.

Instagram: @theresaannstephens

Facebook: /theresastephens

Facebook: /RoamAlone

Send a text

What if solo travel started with a concert ticket?

In Episode 8 of Roam Alone, I’m joined by Molly — the ultimate concert queen — who travels solo to cities across the country (and now internationally) to see her favorite artists live. I first met her at a Jon Batiste show, proof that live music and solo travel are powerful tools for connection.

Molly shares how traveling alone came about organically and how planning trips around concerts became her gateway into confident, independent travel. For her, attending concerts solo isn’t lonely — it’s one of the easiest ways to meet new people, build community, and create meaningful travel experiences.

If you’ve ever hesitated to travel solo or attend an event alone, this episode will inspire you to buy the ticket — and trust yourself to go.

Time Stamps
00:00 Meeting Molly at a Jon Batiste concert
04:43 How solo travel came about organically
07:02 Developing new friendships while attending concerts solo
09:20 First international solo trip to celebrate turning 50
13:00 Molly’s best solo travel safety tips

Roam Alone is hosted by Theresa Stephens.

Instagram: @theresaannstephens

Facebook: /theresastephens

Facebook: /RoamAlone

Send us a text

What happens when a shared dream outlives the person you planned it with?

In Episode 7 of Roam Alone, I’m joined by Anne—a traveler who embodies wanderlust in its truest form. After the death of a close friend, Anne made the brave decision to take the trip they had always dreamed of together: the Amalfi Coast. What began as a tribute became the start of a lifelong solo travel journey.

From a chance encounter with a stranger in Paris to practical safety strategies that help her navigate the world solo, Anne reminds us that travel can hold both loss and beauty at the same time.

Time Stamps:

• 00:00 Introduction to Anne and her intrepid wanderlust
• 02:10 Taking her first solo trip to the Amalfi Coast as a tribute to a friend
• 12:48 A powerful encounter with a stranger at a Paris restaurant
• 26:21 Anne’s solo travel safety tips, including the famous “don’t mess with me” face

Annie's Nuggets

Rick Steves' tours

Roam Alone is hosted by Theresa Stephens.

Instagram: @theresaannstephens

Facebook: /theresastephens

Facebook: /RoamAlone

Send us a text

What do you do when the body you once trusted changes—but the desire to explore the world doesn’t?

In Episode 6 of Roam Alone, I sit down with Tracy, a traveler I first met as a tentmate while climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in 2018. Back then, we bonded over thin air, heavy packs, and a shared love of going it alone. Years later, we planned to reunite for a trek to Everest Base Camp—until a cancer diagnosis changed everything.

After intensive radiation and chemotherapy, Tracy was left disabled. But instead of retreating from the world, she reimagined how she could move through it. At the end of 2025, Tracy embarked on a two-week solo journey through Europe, navigating accessibility and uncertainty — but on her own terms.

This episode is about resilience, independence, and redefining what adventure looks like when everything changes.

Time Stamps

· 00:00 — Meeting Tracy on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro

· 06:35 — Running a New Orleans half marathon solo after plans fall apart

· 09:52 — Joining the Peace Corps and moving alone to a small town in Ukraine

· 18:00 — A cancer diagnosis that changes everything

· 28:00 — Traveling solo through Europe while newly disabled

Roam Alone is hosted by Theresa Stephens.

Instagram: @theresaannstephens

Facebook: /theresastephens

Facebook: /RoamAlone

Send us a text

In Part Two of my conversation with Mark Fryer, we explore how solo travel can become a powerful tool for healing after loss.

Mark shares what it was like traveling alone to Puerto Vallarta shortly after the death of his mother—an emotionally raw journey that included an unexpected and dangerous run-in with a drug cartel. Years later, following a divorce, he embarked on a solo trip through Southeast Asia, where travel shifted from escape to intentional healing.

From volunteering at Thailand’s Elephant Nature Park to a two-day boat journey down the Mekong River and discovering the surprisingly cosmopolitan cities of Laos, Mark reflects on how slowing down and traveling alone helped him reconnect with himself. The episode closes with a powerful discussion of a 10-day Buddhist meditation retreat at Indriya in northern Thailand, and the stillness that comes from sitting with grief rather than running from it.

This episode of Roam Alone is a conversation about grief, resilience, solo travel, and the courage it takes to keep moving forward.

Time Stamps

00:00 Traveling to Puerto Vallarta after the loss of his mother
11:53 Post-divorce solo travel to Thailand & Elephant Nature Park
22:04 Two-day Mekong River boat trip and discovering Laos
34:40 A 10-day Buddhist retreat at Indriya

Elephant Nature Park

Indriya Retreat

Roam Alone is hosted by Theresa Stephens.

Instagram: @theresaannstephens

Facebook: /theresastephens

Facebook: /RoamAlone

Send us a text

What do you do when you know—deep down—that you don’t belong where you were born?

In Episode 4 of Roam Alone, Mark Fryer reflects on growing up in the south end of Louisville, Kentucky, where he often felt like an outcast in his working-class, Catholic upbringing. From an early age, Mark felt pulled toward the west, dreaming of a life beyond what he knew.

That pull became reality at 19, when he left home alone on a Greyhound bus bound for Denver. What followed was far more than a simple trip—it became a transformative hitchhiking journey across America, marked by harsh weather, chance encounters, and a mysterious “New Age” preacher who changed the course of the trip.

This is a story about trusting your inner compass, embracing uncertainty, and discovering who you are when you leave everything familiar behind.

Time Stamps

00:00 Growing up in the south end of Louisville feeling like an outcast

06:03 At age 10, planning a secret solo float down the Ohio River

12:49 A Greyhound bus west at 19 years old

20:19 A snowstorm forces a bold change in direction

28:08 Picked up by a “New Age” preacher for an epic cross-country ride

Roam Alone is hosted by Theresa Stephens.

Instagram: @theresaannstephens

Facebook: /theresastephens

Facebook: /RoamAlone

Send us a text

Solo travel isn’t just about seeing new places—it’s about meeting a stronger version of yourself.

In this episode, Rosemary Sims opens up about how traveling alone transformed her confidence and sense of independence during a pivotal career change. What began as a single trip turned into a deep trust in her own abilities—one that continues to shape her life long after the suitcase is unpacked.

We talk about the magic of Spain, the boldness of a flying dress shoot in Greece, and the powerful moment when you realize you can handle anything—anywhere. Rosemary also shares what it’s like to return home after solo travel with a renewed sense of self-sufficiency and clarity.

This conversation is about more than travel. It’s about becoming more self-sufficient, trusting your instincts, and realizing you’re capable of far more than you think.

Time Stamps

· 00:00 Meet Rosemary Sims

· 02:52 The first solo trip that changed everything

· 07:37 Spain and a sense of déjà vu

· 14:23 Greece: The iconic flying dress experience

· 16:43 Identity shifts while traveling abroad

· 20:27 Applying solo-travel confidence to real life

Links:

Greece's Flying Dress Photo Shoot

Roam Alone is hosted by Theresa Stephens.

Instagram: @theresaannstephens

Facebook: /theresastephens

Facebook: /RoamAlone

Send us a text

In this episode of Roam Alone, we sit down with Kristen Thoburn, whose journey into solo travel began earlier than most—on mission trips with her parents at just five years old. By age twelve, Kristen was already traveling solo, laying the foundation for a lifetime of independence, resilience, and curiosity.

Kristen shares stories from destinations like Grenada and Venice, reflects on being the victim of a robbery abroad—and why it didn’t stop her from continuing to roam—and explains how solo travel has actually strengthened her marriage to her husband, Nate. Together, they embrace independent travel while raising a son who’s catching the travel bug himself.

This conversation explores how travel evolves through life stages—from childhood to marriage to dreaming about a future empty-nester / slo-mad lifestyle—and why roaming alone can be one of the most powerful tools for personal growth.

Episode Breakdown

• 03:15 – Traveling on mission trips at age 5
• 05:54 – First solo mission trip at age 12
• 14:17 – Lessons from Grenada
• 17:58 – Venice, for better or worse
• 28:58 – Tips for when travel goes wrong
• 33:30 – Solo travel within marriage
• 37:49 – Passing the travel mindset to the next generation
• 42:36 – Travel dreams as empty nesters & the slo-mad life

Mentions in Episode 2:

• YWAM UofN Kona
• 2006 UK Bomb Plot Foiled
• Isabella Thoburn College

Roam Alone is hosted by Theresa Stephens.

Instagram: @theresaannstephens

Facebook: /theresastephens

Facebook: /RoamAlone