Lady Travel Talk: Travel by Preference

We are pleased to introduce our 7th guest blogger of the Lady Travel Talk, a mini-series tailor made for female travelers. This series covers a host of topics related to the travel experiences of each of the ladies contributing to the series.

Today's guest blogger is Wendy Edsall-Kerwin is a jewelry artist and metalsmith living and working out of her home in Elizabethtown, PA. She received a BFA from Tyler School of Art in 1998.Currently her work can be found at Radius Gallery in Harrisburg, PA; Veleska Jewelers in Lancaster, PA; and at Luke & Eloy Gallery in Pittsburgh, PA. She attends several craft shows a year, as well as participating in local, regional, and national exhibitions. When she isn't in the studio pounding away at metal, you can usually find her online at her blog or her website.

Today Wendy recommends how to best travel based upon your personality and preferences.


While I haven’t traveled much in the few years since my husband and I bought our first house, I have been a traveler my whole life. I was two years old the first time I flew on a plane and I’ve loved to travel ever since. I’ve even worked as a travel reservationist for three different companies. I’ve stayed at luxury hotels, b & bs, hostels, camped, and even had to stay at places with moldy showers, dirty sheets, and roaches. And you know what? Regardless of the experience at the time, the memories are all good ones.

How do you make sure you’ll have a good experience while traveling? You need to travel on your terms. Are you someone who wants to make friends while traveling and hate the hassle of worrying about where to go, how to get there, and booking hotels? Think about group travel. A lot of companies (including one of my former employers) offer a variety of tours all over the world. Keep in mind that many of these trips are filled with older travelers, but there are group tours through universities and other special interest groups that have a more diverse age group.

Want a longer, more immersed experience? Travel as a student. I did two summers abroad during college, four weeks in Ireland and six weeks in Japan, and this is by far my favorite way to travel. You get more of a feel for a place, the locals get to know you, and you have plenty of time to get out and explore. But I graduated years ago, you might be thinking. Take a workshop or learn a language overseas. I also spent a month in Berlin in a German immersion course at the Goethe Institut. I met other students, participated in all the cultural programs the school offered, and my German improved noticeably.

What if you hate rigidly planned itineraries and want some adventure? Get a guide listing hostels or b & bs, buy a plane ticket, and just go! Make sure that you’re aware in advance if you’re going during high season or not. It’s easier to find spur of the moment accommodations in low or shoulder seasons. Try taking the bus and train instead of renting a car. It’s safer to travel this way with someone else, but as long as you are careful, do some research on the area, and stay aware of your surroundings, you can do this alone also. Some of my best travel experiences stemmed from spur of the moment decisions.

So don’t choose a group tour if you like to explore on your own and make sure to plan your trip in advance if you don’t like to make decisions on the fly. Knowing your personality and traveling accordingly will make your trip more enjoyable and full of pleasant memories.

Have you tried traveling the way Wendy's recommended to us? What have you found to be the best means of travel for your personality type?