383 Small Connections, Big Memories

One of the most memorable parts of travel is the people that we meet - not just the friends we make or the people we stay with but also the incidental encounters along the way. Speaking with people on our travels is one of the ways we learn the most about the places we're visiting and it's amazing how long these people stay in our minds, even when we don't know their names. In this episode I share some of my own small but memorable encounters, as well as including stories from four guests. Eryn Gordon starts us off with a tale from Thailand, where the people are stereotypically friendly and she proves it to be true. Amy Willis then shares a place she goes where it's easy to make a connection with the local people wherever you are. Nomad Bianca Rappaport explains how she's managed to both make and maintain connections during her years of housesitting in many places around the world, and finally Heidi Brown highlights one of the big benefits of repeated visits to a beloved place. Links: Eryn Gordon's website Earth to Editorial - Eryn's TEDx Talk on "What it means to be a good traveler" - Amy Willis from Ker & Downey Amy's Instagram - Bianca Rappaport Website: Bianca Instagram: - Heidi Brown - Heidi's memoir The Map I Draw: A Memoir of Travel as a Passport to Self - Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - Sign up for the Thoughtful Travellers newsletter at Substack - Show notes: *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. Support the show:

You can listen to 383 Small Connections, Big Memories online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

383 Small Connections, Big Memories is an episode from The Thoughtful Travel Podcast by Amanda.

This episode is 24:12 long.

This episode was published on Feb 19, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from The Thoughtful Travel Podcast when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.