It's easy to stay at a hotel when you travel. But it's way more interesting to stay in a homestay, get to know some local people and even get them to help you learn their language. Over the years I've had a bunch of homestay experiences, mostly in Russia and Germany, and hosted some students …
meeting the locals
The Kindness of Strangers on Your Travels – Episode 76 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast
Sometimes it's hard to talk to strangers. It seems a bit easier when you travel, because everyone's a stranger. And the best part: strangers often turn out to be incredibly kind and helpful, and leave you with great stories to tell on my podcast sometime down the track! And that's exactly what's …
Conversations with Locals – Episode 59 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast
Are you shy or brave about chatting to locals when you travel? I can be either, depending on the circumstances, but I've definitely got better at it over the years and when it's a language issue, for example, I've got much braver about just "having a go" in the local language and not worrying about …