A Double Dose of Pink Pangea

If you've read my blog for the past year, you know that I love writing for Pink Pangea.  Soon after I returned from Australia, I began contributing stories to their community of women travellers.  Rachel, one of the co-founders, emailed me to ask if I would like to contribute to a series of travel tips they were compiling for their readers.  Of course!  I couldn't decide between Airbnb and Meetup, so I included both of them in a piece designed to focus on meeting new people while travelling.  My story quickly inched beyond the 1000 word limit, so I divided it into two pieces, with Rachel's permission.  Disclosure on both pieces:  I couldn't remember my acquaintances' names, and was too lazy to rifle through the journals that are currently stored in the garage, so I assigned monikers that approximated their actual names.  Plus, I never know how my travel acquaintances feel about being featured in published stories.  It was probably for the best.  Click on the links below to access the stories.  Lots more coming soon!


How to Make the Most of Airbnb as a Solo Traveller
Photos featured in the story:

The Eastern Beaches Coastal Walk was one of my favorite activities when I stayed in Clovelly.  I could walk south down to Coogee, or I could make the trek north to Bondi.  Sometimes, I would stroll along and stop at every bench I saw, only to meditate on the sounds of the Pacific Ocean, amazed that it is part of the same ocean nearest my home in California.

You can almost hear the water splashing on the rocks in this photo.  This cliff is closer to Bondi, as the trail ascends and descends with stairways.  Sometimes, I would spot people clambering over the lower rocks, but I'd never try it.

My room in my Airbnb accommodation in Clovelly.  I'm always attracted to rooms that feature bookshelves in the photos.  I read Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness and Isabel Allende's The House of the Spirits during my stay.

How to Make the Most of Meetup as a Solo Traveller
Photos featured in the story:

A relaxing view at the Manly Jazz Festival in Manly, Australia.  Take the ferry from Circular Quay in Sydney for a scenic ride through the Harbour.  Along with the Jazz Festival, I enjoyed a flight at Four Pines Brewing Company.  I even returned near the end of my trip because the beer was so tasty.

Drinking wine in a public park...an incredible revelation in Australia!  I'm also holding a bag of Doritos, a welcome and frequent reminder of home during my trip.