At 17, I took my first solo trip to Iceland: completely unprepared but filled with an unwavering instinct to challenge myself and change. From ridiculous missteps like forgetting a sleeping bag to life-changing moments crossing icy rivers, the adventure tested my resilience and revealed the power of stepping into discomfort. In this inaugural episode of the Young Travelers Podcast, I share the reality of being the youngest, least experienced, only person of color on my trek. I talk about facing culture shock, and pushing past physical and mental limits.

This episode explores why solo travel is about growth, not perfection, and how even the toughest experiences can be the stories you most enjoy telling years later!

If you’re curious about solo travel but nervous about making mistakes, I hope my story inspires you to stop overthinking and just make the leap today.

Check out my blog post with 50 Safety Tips for Solo Female Travelers before you go off on your big adventure!

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The Young Travelers Podcast is Hosted by Gabby Beckford and Produced by Gabby Beckford and Taylor Inglut.

Sound Design and Editing by Ryan Holmes

Mixing and Mastering by Julian Kwasneski

Executive Produced by Stacey Book, Dominique Ferrari, and Avi Glijansky

Find more of Gabby and her solo adventures, travel tips, and delusionally confident lifestyle…

On the Web - packslight.com

On Instagram - @packlight

On TikTok - @packslight

To connect with other young travelers who opt out of the status quo and live life for the plot, join Gabby’s Young Travelers Network Facebook Group (the original inspo behind this podcast!): https://facebook.com/youngtravelersnetwork.

Want to learn more about what Paid Travel Opportunities (PTO) are and the different types of PTO that exist? Head to SeekPTO.com for all things related to traveling for school, for work, and for fun… for FREE!

Visit CercaTravel.com for more news on where Cerca is going and to sign up for special access to new features.

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Gabby Beckford is the award-winning travel influencer and Opportunity Expert at @packslight. Starting her pursuits at just 17, she is a solo female traveler who's visited 50+ countries and is on a mission to make the incredible accessible to the younger generation. She’s also grown her community to more than 600K+ across platforms–including 10K+ young travelers in her Young Travelers Network! Beckford has been featured in The New York Times, Good Morning America, CNNTravel, National Geographic, and more for her work.

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