gottacaseofwanderlust

life can feel heavy. it’s okay to rest

I spent 2 weeks on the least developed Hawaiian island: Moloka‘i. Listen to locals share their insights of what it’s like to live on Moloka‘i. To participate on a work exchange and stay with locals on Molokai, apply on Worldpackers and use code “Lydia7” for $10 OFF your membership! https://www.worldpackers.com/promo/LYDIA7?utm_campaign=LYDIA7&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=affiliate Mahalo nui loa...

I spent 5 weeks doing a work exchange at Howzit Hostels on Maui — listen to volunteers’ perspectives on their experiences overall. Apply for this work exchange on Worldpackers.com find me on IG @lydiaschultzz for more info !

for those feeling a bit lost…

welcome to part 5 of a series all about modern day colonialism (aka neocolonialism) within travel! on this episode you’ll learn: * why the world is NOT your oyster * the ethics of bargaining * do’s and don’ts to be a responsible tourist find the full article here https://gottacaseofwanderlust.com/2025/07/22/a-comprehensive-guide-to-modern-day-colonialism-in-travel/ additional resources: ​https://g...

welcome to part 4 of a series all about modern day colonialism (aka neocolonialism) within travel! on this episode you’ll learn: * what is exoticism? * the ethics of responsible travel photography and posting online * the problem with the word “authentic” find the full article here thank you entering this conversation with an open-mind to becoming a better traveler :) ━━━━━━━━ ⟡ ━━━━━━━━ connect w...

“You’re always gonna be a haole, just don’t be a f***ing haole.” What does this even mean? Listen to find out… if you plan to visit Hawaiʻi, it’s the key to being an unproblematic tourist. Celest and I met on my first visit to Hawaiʻi in May of 2022. We reconnected to talk about her experience living on the Big Island for 5 years before recently moving back to LA. on this episode, we chat about: -...

welcome to part 3 of a series all about modern day colonialism (aka neocolonialism) within travel! on this episode you’ll learn: * how we objectify cultures if we are unaware * cultural appropriation vs. appreciation * cultural commodification and examples in travel find the full article here thank you entering this conversation with an open-mind to becoming a better traveler :) ━━━━━━━━ ⟡ ━━━━━━━...

Aishola was born and raised in Kyrgyzstan, specifically the northern part of Kyrgyzstan in a town called Karakol. She currently lives in Bishkek, which is the capital of Kyrgyz Republic. Aishola is also the founder of Travel Atelier & Production 4274°, in which she leads conscious-oriented tours and assists with documentary filming in Central Asia. on this episode, we chat about: * what it’s l...

welcome to part 2 of a series all about modern day colonialism (aka neocolonialism) within travel! on this episode you’ll learn: * the “bucket-list mentality” * an intro to unequal power dynamics and why you should be aware of your privileges * the dark side of voluntourism… are you unintentionally guilty of the “savior complex”? find the full article here thank you entering this conversation with...

welcome to part 1 of a series all about modern day colonialism (aka neocolonialism) within travel! on this episode you’ll learn: * what is neocolonialism? * how does it affect traveling? * what’s the importance of supporting local anyway? * the issue of gentrification find the full article here thank you entering this conversation with an open-mind to becoming a better traveler :) ━━━━━━━━ ⟡ ━━━━━...

interviewing random people in the iconic Washington Square Park on 4th of July… here’s what they think would make the world better :)

Karen and I are back with part 2 of our conversation from last episode where we discussed Karen’s experience growing up in Nigeria, living abroad Ukraine, Germany and now Portugal, and we are continuing our discussion about hot travel takes today. on this episode, we chat about: - the dark side of travel — racism and colonialism* - cultural exoticism/fetishization - voluntourism and how it’s probl...

please welcome our FIRST SEASON 5 GUEST: Karen Amadi !! Karen was born and raised in Nigeria, and has lived abroad in different European cities since 2020 to pursue higher education. Karen is now in Porto studying as a medical student where she has found a second home. *this is PART 1 of a 2 part conversation with Karen :) on this episode, we chat about: - the multifaceted vibrancy of Nigeria’s cu...

listen to how my travel opinions have changed since I first began solo traveling :) *this is PART TWO of two episodes read the full article version here: https://gottacaseofwanderlust.com/2025/05/02/how-my-mindsets-about-travel-have-shifted-since-the-beginning/ welcome back and let’s kick off SEASON FIVE !! I re-listened to my older podcast episodes and realized I don’t hold entirely the same opin...

listen to how my travel opinions have changed since I first began solo traveling :) *this is PART ONE of two episodes read the full article version here: https://gottacaseofwanderlust.com/2025/05/02/how-my-mindsets-about-travel-have-shifted-since-the-beginning/ welcome back and let’s kick off SEASON FIVE !! I re-listened to my older podcast episodes and realized I don’t hold entirely the same opin...

joy is your birthright !! it’s NOT cringey to express your happiness — let’s feel every emotion to the fullest

Gi Shieh is a travel content creator known for her travel brand “The Sensible Fay” online. Gi is a Taiwanese American passionate about mindful living, slow travel, outdoor adventures, and sustainable fashion, who is alternates between New York City and Taiwan for her home base. on this episode, we chat about: - Gi’s favorite places in Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan and Italy - benefits of slow travel -...

Sequoia Armstrong is a conscious travel consultant and entrepreneur who is the founder of the travel planning organization Puebla York, and host of the Soul Wanderer podcast. Puebla York designs custom travel experiences in Japan and Mexico centered around the principles of cultural connection, environmental sustainability, and conscious travel. on this episode, we chat about: - what is “conscious...

Shania Stewart, who also goes by Kya, who was born in South Africa but raised in Switzerland. Kya started backpacking when she was 18 after deciding to take a gap year before university. Since then, she has solo traveled to dozens of countries — Scotland being one of her favorites. on this episode, we chat about: - the value of taking a gap year - travel tips before visiting to Scotland - meeting...

Ola is a solo female traveler from Poland but has been living abroad for the past 6 years in places like Germany and Denmark. Ola has solo backpacked on the continents of South America, Europe and Asia and prioritizes off-the-beaten track places that sometimes Google Maps can’t even find. on this episode, we chat about: - hiking advice and safety tips for solo female travelers - what to know befor...

Ems is from the Philippines who is currently an international student in Estonia. Ems is also a travel content creator with expertise in Southeast Asia, solo travel, and remote work. on this episode, we chat about: - shocks from living abroad in Estonia - Estonian culture compared to other European countries - Ems’ favorite countries in Asia - and much more! featured questions: ​ Why did you decid...

Taylor Alissa spontaneously moved from the U.S. to Japan and is here to talk about her experience living abroad and solo traveling to other countries in Asia. on this episode, we chat about: - living abroad in Japan - solo traveling to other Asian countries - the surprising relation between Jamaica and Japan featured questions: 1. Did you experience any cultural shocks in Japan? 2. How did you adj...

Kiran was raised in Kolkata, located on the Eastern side of India, and completed her MBA in Mumbai, one of India’s largest cities, on the west coast. Kiran is now living and working  in Bengaluru, in southern India. on this episode, we chat about: - Kiran’s advice for solo travelers in India - Cultural norms to be aware of in India - India’s gastronomy: from the must-try dishes, street food, and r...

the day of love on all forms… most importantly self-love