The Belong to Where You Are Podcast

Megan Weinheimer
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Places & Travel

The Belong To Where You Are Podcast is the podcast for women who feel the pull of solo travel and are ready to answer it. Hosted by Megan, a solo female traveler with 8 solo trips (and counting) across 15 countries and 44 U.S. states, this show is real, unfiltered conversations with women who took the leap: quitting the job, booking the one-way ticket, and learning to eat alone at a restaurant and love it. Each episode features solo traveling women sharing what it's really like out there. The magic, the mishaps, and the strangers who became lifelong friends. Plus conversations with real-life experts on solo travel safety, trip planning, and the confidence it takes to travel alone for the first time. Whether you're newly single, starting over, or simply craving the courage to book that first solo trip, this is your guide to solo female travel. Practical, honest, and endlessly encouraging. Come for the wanderlust. Stay for the courage, the community, and the gentle nudge to go book that ticket. New episodes for women exploring solo female travel, first-time solo trips, and building a life and a travel plan that's truly your own. www.belongtowhereyouare.com

Episodes

  1. 2d ago

    Fact vs. Fear: How to Travel Solo Without Letting the Headlines Win with Dr. Pauline Hoffmann

    “Is that safe?” If you’ve ever told someone you’re traveling alone, you’ve heard it. Usually from your mom. Sometimes from a TikTok stranger. Occasionally from that voice in your own head at 2 am. So I brought in the expert. Dr. Pauline Hoffmann is an infodemiologist (translation: she fights misinformation for a living), a St. Bonaventure professor, author of Fake News, Witch Hunts & Conspiracy Theories, and owner of The Beekeeper’s Bookshop. She’s also a master scuba diver who swims with sharks for fun and has traveled the world, including many trips to Uganda. Fun fact: Pauline was my grad school professor back in 2010. Sixteen years later, I finally got her on the mic, and she did not disappoint. We talk about how to tell real risk from a scary headline, why she doesn’t tell her mom about the shark dives until she’s home safe, how a $37 raffle win turned into a real bookstore, and why the best travel prep might be a novel. In this episode: * What’s really going on when a friend’s warning makes you want to cancel your trip * How Pauline vets a TikTok warning, a news story, or an AI answer (spoiler: double-check the AI, too) * Her first shark dive, a hammerhead so close she said “we’re dating,” and why she treats wildlife like she’s a guest in their house * How Uganda “found her,” why it was nothing as she expected, and her Ugandan clan name (the water buffalo, fiercely loyal and not to be messed with, basically a Leo) * Conflict resolution on the road: “Give him what he wants, he’s driving the bus” * The “what the hell have I just done?” moment that comes before every big leap, and why it only gets three minutes * Why she reads fiction and journalism by local writers before every trip * How to avoid looking like a target (hint: put the map away) * Is there anti-American sentiment abroad? Our honest take * Off-season travel and Pauline’s dream dive destinations Episode chapters: * 00:00 Sixteen years of friendship, from professor to podcast guest * 03:01 “Is that safe?” and the psychology of travel fear * 06:18 How to vet TikTok warnings, headlines, and AI answers * 08:40 Diving with sharks and what Jaws got wrong * 14:39 Uganda, the water buffalo clan, and banana-leaf soccer balls * 25:08 Keeping your cool when things go sideways abroad * 31:28 The $37 raffle that launched The Beekeeper’s Bookshop * 36:30 Solo travel guilt and the beauty of a do-nothing day * 38:18 What to read before your next trip * 40:45 Ditch the map and blend in * 43:44 Anti-American and anti-tourist sentiment * 48:22 The off-season travel hack * 49:14 Pauline’s dream destination Connect with Pauline: * Website: datadoyenne.com * The Beekeeper’s Bookshop: thebeekeepersbookshop.com * Substack: @datadoyenne * YouTube: @datadoyenne * Instagram: @pwhoffmann * Facebook: pwhoffmann Follow Megan / Belong to Where You Are: * Solo Travel Sisterhood (free community): [link] * Solo Travel Safety Starter Kit: [link] * Substack: belongtowhereyouare.com * TikTok: @belongtowhereyouare * Instagram: @belongtowhereyouare_ Get full access to Belong to Where You Are at www.belongtowhereyouare.com/subscribe

    Fact vs. Fear: How to Travel Solo Without Letting the Headlines Win with Dr. Pauline Hoffmann

  2. Oct 27

    Vinho Verde, Wrong Turns, and the Camino de Santiago: Meredith Capella’s Life in Portugal

    About this episode This week Megan sits down with Meredith Capella, an American expat living just outside Porto, Portugal, for a conversation that starts with Vinho Verde on a tour boat in the Azores and ends up somewhere much deeper. Megan and Meredith retrace how a chance meeting turned into an invitation to Meredith’s village a week later — the kind of unscripted, lunch-with-locals afternoon no algorithm or app could ever book for you. From there, they get into Meredith’s childhood as an adopted kid who found safety in creeks and trees, the permission she finally gave herself in her fifties to change her life and reconnect with both sides of her biological family, and the seven (or eight) times she’s walked the Camino de Santiago — solo and otherwise. It’s a conversation about trust: trusting a stranger enough to hand them your afternoon, and trusting yourself enough to hand yourself 174 miles of trail with no plan for where you’ll sleep. What we cover * [0:34] How a chance meeting on a tour in the Azores — Meredith and her husband Mark on a weekend trip, Megan headed to Porto the next week — turned into a phrase Megan still uses today: the “starter marriage” * [3:39] The village of Crestuma: Roman ruins, a Fado singer, and Palmyra’s — the everyday lunch spot where “you cannot book on Airbnb or find on TripAdvisor” * [5:09] Why the best travel experiences almost always come from the willingness to show someone your actual life, not just your highlights * [10:21] Growing up adopted, and how a childhood spent finding safety in nature still shapes the way Meredith chooses where — and how — to travel * [11:17] Reconnecting with both sides of her biological family and finally stepping into who she is, once she found a safe place to do it * [14:50] Megan’s go-to solo-dining hack (it involves sitting at the bar and letting the bartender order for you) * [20:27] The full backstory of the Camino de Santiago — the legend of St. James, the scallop shell, and why the coastal route from Porto is Meredith’s favorite * [24:48] Walking the Camino solo vs. with others — including the moment Meredith’s sister had an emergency two days in, and Meredith chose to keep walking alone * [34:11] The mantra Megan calls the most powerful one a woman can carry into anything unknown: “I’m gonna figure it out” * [40:06] Why deep inner work on the trail still needs a support system — even when you’re walking it alone * [42:46] The moment every pilgrim talks about: walking into the square in Santiago de Compostela * [48:22] Meredith’s next dream destination — a Camino that starts in Malta and takes three months to reach Spain Favorite lines from this episode “It’s in the wrong turns, right? That’s where your fun is. You find that place, and all of a sudden you’re dancing on the tabletops with wine, with people you don’t know.” — Meredith “If you’re open, you’re going to meet incredible people. If you’re closed and grouchy, you’re probably going to meet closed and grouchy people.” — Meredith “I don’t know what I’m doing right now, but I’m gonna figure it out.” — Megan, on the mantra that makes solo travel unstoppable “You are not going to miss out. Something better is going to be around the corner that you’re going to enjoy more.” — Meredith “All you really need in life is yourself. Your body will tell you everything.” — Meredith About Meredith Meredith Capella is an American expat living in the Portuguese countryside just outside Porto, where she and her husband Mark bought their house sight unseen — and knew the moment they stood in the backyard looking out at the Douro that they’d found home. Adopted as a child, Meredith found safety in nature — creeks, trees, water — long before she found it anywhere else, and that same pull still shapes how she travels today. In her fifties, she reconnected with both sides of her biological family and stepped fully into a spiritual path, one that’s since taken her back to the Camino de Santiago seven or eight times. She shares reflections on healing, presence, and spirituality with her WhatsApp community, Unseen Connections. CONNECT WITH MEREDITH:Instagram — @meredith_CapellaWhatsApp Group, Unseen Connections FOLLOW MEGAN:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belongtowhereyouare_/TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@belongtowhereyouareBelong to Where You Are on Substack: https://www.belongtowhereyouare.comSolo Travel Sisterhood (free community): https://www.solotravelrunway.com/freecommunity Get full access to Belong to Where You Are at www.belongtowhereyouare.com/subscribe

    Vinho Verde, Wrong Turns, and the Camino de Santiago: Meredith Capella’s Life in Portugal

  3. Oct 20

    Your Brain on Solo Travel: Ashley Lucas on Neuroscience, Self-Trust & the Soulful Tourist Method

    Ashley Lucas has been to 34 countries on 5 continents, and somewhere along the way she started asking a different question than most travelers do: what is this actually doing to my brain? In this episode, she and Megan trace Ashley’s first solo trip…three months through Europe, inspired by a passage in Matthew McConaughey’s Greenlights, through the neuroscience of novelty and nervous system regulation, the eldest-daughter healing solo travel can unlock, and why coming home never quite feels the same twice. In This Episode * 02:31 – What inspired Ashley to start solo traveling: burnout, a passage from Matthew McConaughey’s Greenlights, and her first solo trip — three months through Europe that felt like “jumping off a 100-foot diving board” * 07:54 – The universal rite of passage: wrong buses, sprinting for trains, and why figuring it out on your own builds real self-trust * 11:25 – The neuroscience of solo travel — Ashley’s four-part framework: neuroplasticity, dopamine and novelty, nervous system regulation, and mindset expansion * 19:07 – Coming home changed: why old tolerances shrink after a trip, and how travel interrupts chronic stress loops * 20:09 – Safety as the number one priority for women traveling alone, plus Megan’s own ground rules for getting home after dark * 21:34 – Advice for first-time solo travelers: getting intentional about your goals, budget, and fears before you ever book a flight * 24:03 – “Eldest daughter healing”: why solo travel permits women to want what they want * 26:50 – Journaling, photo books, and the postcard tradition Megan carries on from her grandmother * 32:30 – Inside Ashley’s book, The Soulful Tourist Method — a 7-step system for planning, booking, and preparing for a life-changing trip * 35:37 – Ashley’s next dream destinations: Peru and Bolivia (three bucket-list items down), and the trip she can’t stop thinking about — riding a horse outside the pyramids in Egypt Meet Ashley Lucas Ashley Lucas is a traveler, creative entrepreneur, and speaker who has turned solo travel into a personal development strategy. After her first solo trip — three months backpacking through Europe following a period of career burnout — she became fascinated by the intersection of travel, neuroscience, and healing, and now teaches how immersing yourself in new environments rewires the brain, builds self-trust, and breaks old patterns. She’s the author of The Soulful Tourist Method, a 7-step guide to planning, booking, and preparing for transformative travel. Memorable Quotes * “It felt like I was jumping off a 100-foot diving board — terrified, but also excited.” — Ashley, on her first solo trip through Europe * “You’re gonna make tons of mistakes... but that’s what’s building your backbone and inner strength.” — Ashley * “It’s eldest daughter healing — taking care of herself, being present with herself, giving herself what she wants and desires.” — Ashley Resources & Links Ashley’s book * The Soulful Tourist Method — Ashley’s 7-step guide to planning, booking, and preparing for your next life-changing trip, plus travel tools & support: stan.store/ashevolves Connect with Ashley * Instagram, TikTok & YouTube: @ash.evolves Follow Megan / Belong to Where You Are * Solo Travel Sisterhood (free community) * Solo Travel Safety Starter Kit * Substack: belongtowhereyouare.com * TikTok: @belongtowhereyouare * Instagram: @belongtowhereyouare_ Get full access to Belong to Where You Are at www.belongtowhereyouare.com/subscribe

    Your Brain on Solo Travel: Ashley Lucas on Neuroscience, Self-Trust & the Soulful Tourist Method

  4. Oct 13

    Be Vigilant: Solo Travel Safety with Security Expert Robin Nagele

    Robin Nagele, Sergeant Major (Ret.), U.S. Army Military Police Corps, and founder of Nagele Security Advisors, joins Megan for a conversation that moves from a chance meeting in a Dunedin, Florida parking lot to the real, practical habits every solo-traveling woman needs on the road. It’s part reunion, part masterclass in situational awareness, equal parts heart and hard-won expertise. In This Episode [00:00] Megan welcomes Robin and sets the stage: personal safety is the #1 fear she hears from women in the Solo Travel Sisterhood community and why this conversation is about empowerment, not fearmongering [02:35] Robin’s path from a hard childhood to 21 years in the U.S. Army Military Police Corps, corporate security at Starbucks HQ, and a decade in executive protection and the “why” that connects it all [05:44] The one lesson from his career that’s stuck with him: it can happen to anyone, anywhere, anytime [06:32] How Megan met Robin and his partner Cristy in 2020, in a Dunedin, Florida parking lot, and how a golf cart ride to watch the sunset turned into a lifelong friendship [07:52] The advice Robin and Cristy gave Megan that got her through her divorce, including the line she says she’ll remember for the rest of her life [10:52] The first question Robin asks any woman about to book her first solo trip and why it matters more than any packing list [13:17] The most common blind spots first-time solo travelers have: being overly trusting, and over-relying on technology [17:53] Pre-trip prep that actually matters: itineraries, backups, document copies, and why packing light keeps you safer [24:19] What real situational awareness looks like on the ground: reading a room’s “baseline,” the five color codes of awareness, and the Secret Service’s #1 tool [29:31] How to tell the difference between the instincts that lead to the best travel memories and the ones trying to warn you, plus the book Robin says every traveler should read [35:18] Robin’s one non-negotiable rule for every solo traveler [36:19] Robin’s dream destination (hint: he’s not leaving the country) Memorable Quotes “There is life after death.” — Robin, on getting Megan through her divorce “My why is protecting people and securing assets. I’m a man of action, and I like to put that toward good.” — Robin, on the thread connecting his Army, Starbucks, and executive protection careers “Trust your gut. That feeling is your subconscious picking up on cues before your brain has a chance to figure it out.” — Robin, on why instinct beats overthinking “Give yourself permission to be rude. No is a complete sentence — say it with authority.” — Robin, on setting boundaries with strangers while traveling solo Resources Mentioned The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker — Robin’s go-to read on trusting your instincts Life360 — one option Robin mentions for sharing your location with trusted people back home Taken (2008) — the movie Robin references when talking about how predators work in train stations, bus stations, and airports About Robin Nagele Robin Nagele is an expert security advisor, author, and practitioner with more than four decades of real-world experience protecting people and securing assets. His career spans the full spectrum of federal law enforcement, global corporate security, and high-threat personal and executive protection. Robin served 21 years in the U.S. Army Military Police Corps, rising to the top enlisted rank of Sergeant Major (E-9). In the private sector, he oversaw physical security worldwide as the corporate physical security manager for Starbucks Coffee Company Headquarters. Robin’s protective background also includes directing executive protection operations for high-profile figures and corporate leaders, assessing threats, and navigating dynamic environments across the globe. Robin and his partner, Cristy, became close friends of Megan’s in 2020 and have been part of her life, and now this show, ever since. Connect & Follow Follow Robin LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rcnagele Website: nagelesecurityadvisors.com Follow Megan & Belong to Where You Are Solo Travel Sisterhood (free community) Solo Travel Safety Starter Kit Substack: belongtowhereyouare.com TikTok: @belongtowhereyouare Instagram: @belongtowhereyouare_ Get full access to Belong to Where You Are at www.belongtowhereyouare.com/subscribe

    Be Vigilant: Solo Travel Safety with Security Expert Robin Nagele

  5. Oct 13

    What the F*ck Am I Doing? Starting Over With Solo Travel

    August 2016. Megan is buckled into a seat at Toronto Pearson with a backpack underneath her seat and a ticket to Iceland for one. The engines roar, and the only thought in her head is: “What the f*ck am I doing?” Unlike Rachel Green from Friends, she did NOT get off the plane. In the very first episode of The Belong to Where You Are Podcast, Megan tells you how a solo birthday trip 10 years ago turned into eight solo trips, 15 countries, and 44 states. She gets honest about the divorce at 40 that ripped the rug out from under her, why she chose to figure out who she was instead of shrinking, and how two months in Portugal healed her in ways she never saw coming. Then she shares three truths solo travel taught her (including the dinner in Milan that made a self-proclaimed non-crier weepy), two very real travel mishaps, and a first look at the guests coming this season. If you’ve ever felt the pull to go somewhere alone and haven’t gone yet, start here. The hardest part isn’t booking the flight. It’s deciding you’re allowed to go. In This Episode * 00:00 – On the runway in Toronto, headed to Iceland for her 35th birthday, and why a Leo never skips a birthday * 02:50 – “Oh my God, I’m really doing this.” Welcome to the show, and who it’s for * 04:32 – A quick peek at this season’s guests * 05:13 – Iceland, and the woman who never planned to travel solo at all * 06:10 – Divorce at 40 after a 16-year marriage, and the forever mantra “I’ve been through worse” * 08:42 – WiFi Tribe, a 2016 interview, and the OG digital nomad dream * 10:18 – 2023: two months in Portugal, four months after the divorce was final, and the country that healed her * 11:55 – Remote-work stretches in Spain, Costa Rica, Panama, and Germany, and building a bravery muscle * 12:35 – The Solo Travel Sisterhood (free community) * 13:08 – Truth #1: Let fear come along for the ride. Snorkeling between two continents in Iceland’s Silfra fissure * 14:11 – Truth #2: Take the seat at the bar, because bartenders are free tour guides with opinions * 15:54 – Truth #3: The world is kinder than the internet says. A birthday dinner in Milan with two strangers * 18:52 – Mishap #1: Almost missing a flight to Panama, and forgetting to enroll in STEP * 21:00 – Mishap #2: A 17-euro dinner, 5 euros in cash, and a PayPal standoff in Costa Nova, Portugal * 24:36 – The Solo Travel Safety Starter Kit * 25:09 – Why the show is called Belong to Where You Are * 25:44 – Coming this season: Meredith, Dr. Pauline Hoffmann, Ashley Lucas, Robin Nagele and more… * 27:55 – Your turn: where would you go on your first solo trip? Memorable Quotes “That panicked voice usually shows up right before something is about to change your life.” “The most difficult part is just deciding that you are allowed to go.” “I figured if I could survive that absolute shitshow dumpster fire of a divorce... I sure as hell could survive eating dinner alone in a city where absolutely no one knew who I was.” “I’m like the OG of digital nomads, because I was working from home before it was even cool.” “Every single trip I go on makes my bravery muscle a little bit stronger.” “Let fear come along for the ride, but just don’t let it drive.” “Bartenders and servers can actually act like free tour guides with opinions.” “Nobody likes walking up to somebody who’s got RBF, am I right?” “People ask me if I get lonely traveling by myself. And sometimes, sure. But I’ve been cared for by strangers in ways I never expected.” “Home is where you make it, no matter how long or short your stay is.” Resources Mentioned * Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP): The free U.S. State Department program Megan forgot to sign up for on her way to Panama. Register your trip and they can alert you if there’s a natural disaster, conflict, or emergency where you are. * Megan’s Substack post on STEP: The longer version of why she enrolls before every trip, at belongtowhereyouare.com. * WiFi Tribe: The traveling community of remote workers that sparked Megan’s dream of working abroad back in 2016 (and inspired her first trip to Portugal). * Solo Travel Sisterhood: A free, good-vibes community for women working up the courage, the confidence, and the plan to go. * Solo Travel Safety Starter Kit: A practical guide to help you feel prepared, alert, and confident on your first solo trip, without spiraling into fear. Megan’s travel tips from this episode: * Sit at the bar when you eat alone. Put the phone down, take the headphones off, and let the conversation find you. * Carry a little cash, and ask if a restaurant takes cards before you sit down. * Enroll in STEP before you leave, not after you’re already in the Uber. Your Turn Where would you go on your first solo trip? DM Megan on TikTok or Instagram and tell her. Yours might get read on a future episode. Up Next Episode 2 is out now. “I really want to go, but I’m scared. Is it safe?” Megan sits down with her dear friend Robin Nagele, a retired U.S. Army Sergeant Major with more than four decades in security, to answer the question she hears every single week on TikTok. New episodes drop every Tuesday while in season. Follow or subscribe so you don’t miss one, and if this episode meant something to you, leave a rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It’s how another woman who’s on the fence finds this show. Follow Megan & Belong to Where You Are * Solo Travel Sisterhood (free community) * Solo Travel Safety Starter Kit * Substack: belongtowhereyouare.com * TikTok: @belongtowhereyouare * Instagram: @belongtowhereyouare_ Get full access to Belong to Where You Are at www.belongtowhereyouare.com/subscribe

  6. Trailer

    Trailer: The Scariest Part Is Saying Yes 🎙️

    The scariest part of solo travel isn’t the trip. It’s saying yes. Welcome to Belong to Where You Are Podcast, the show for women who feel the pull of the world and go anyway, passport in hand, plans loosely held, and bags probably over the weight limit. Each episode, host Megan sits down with solo traveling women to talk about the leap: learning to love a table for one, the 3 a.m. “what the F am I doing?” moments, and the strangers who become lifelong friends. You’ll also hear from real-life experts on solo travel safety, trip planning, and the confidence it takes to travel alone for the first time. What’s coming:✈️ Tuesday, October 13: Episodes 1 and 2 drop together * Episode 1: Meet Megan, and hear how eight solo trips, fifteen-plus countries, and forty-four states taught her that the silver lining is usually just a plane ride away * Episode 2: Solo travel safety with top security expert Robin Nagele After that, new episodes arrive every Tuesday. Don’t miss a stamp: Follow Belong to Where You Are on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen, and turn on notifications so the double launch shows up in your feed. Then go book that ticket. 🧭 Follow Megan & Belong to Where You Are: Solo Travel Sisterhood (free community) Solo Travel Safety Starter Kit Substack: belongtowhereyouare.com TikTok: @belongtowhereyouare Instagram: @belongtowhereyouare_ Get full access to Belong to Where You Are at www.belongtowhereyouare.com/subscribe

    Trailer: The Scariest Part Is Saying Yes 🎙️
  • 1 Trailer
    5 Episodes

Trailer

About

The Belong To Where You Are Podcast is the podcast for women who feel the pull of solo travel and are ready to answer it. Hosted by Megan, a solo female traveler with 8 solo trips (and counting) across 15 countries and 44 U.S. states, this show is real, unfiltered conversations with women who took the leap: quitting the job, booking the one-way ticket, and learning to eat alone at a restaurant and love it. Each episode features solo traveling women sharing what it's really like out there. The magic, the mishaps, and the strangers who became lifelong friends. Plus conversations with real-life experts on solo travel safety, trip planning, and the confidence it takes to travel alone for the first time. Whether you're newly single, starting over, or simply craving the courage to book that first solo trip, this is your guide to solo female travel. Practical, honest, and endlessly encouraging. Come for the wanderlust. Stay for the courage, the community, and the gentle nudge to go book that ticket. New episodes for women exploring solo female travel, first-time solo trips, and building a life and a travel plan that's truly your own. www.belongtowhereyouare.com

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