Traveller of the Month: Lyn from RamblynJazz

Welcome to the final Traveller of the Month for 2024! Every month, I’ve had the pleasure of introducing you to a fellow globetrotter and travel blogger who shares their best travel tips and stories with you.

I’m super excited to feature a fellow British Columbian as December’s Traveller of the Month, Lyn (she/her) from RamblynJazz!

And if you missed November’s traveller, get to know Alex here.

All right, take it away, Lyn!

Please introduce yourself, Lyn. What’s your travel story?

I’m a British-born Canadian living in a suburb of Vancouver. I started travelling as a teen on school trips: trips with my concert bandmates and an educational cruise through the Mediterranean.

Following that cruise, my wanderlust was ignited and I started solo travelling on summer/spring breaks from school. Things just started accelerating from there! 

How did you decide to start your travel blog and what sort of stories do you share there?

I had been posting blog-like on my personal Facebook page for years and had been told many times that I should publish a blog. I finally got around to it during the pandemic.

I tell of the places I visit both internationally and domestically. My summer travels are 3 month-long road trips in my campervan and off-season, I travel internationally. I write mainly for a solo female traveller. 

What do you do when you’re not travelling or writing about travel? 

Officially, I’m a retired Music/Fine Arts/Social Studies teacher. However, I still work on-call several days a week to supplement the travel budget. 

If you had to sum up your travel ethos in one phrase, what would it be? 

There’s something wonderful to explore wherever you find yourself – just remember that you are the guest and behave accordingly.

Finish this sentence: Travelling has made me…

More aware of the similarities of people and more curious about the differences. (It’s also made me much more thrifty in my life so I can fill up the travel account quicker!)

What’s your best travel memory of the last five years?

An amazing walk through rice paddies with a Balinese priest, followed by a splendid meal at his family home.

What is the longest trip you’ve ever been on? Shortest?

The longest was a year bumming around Europe, the shortest are quick 2-3 day getaways to Vancouver Island.

What’s one thing people don’t understand about travel blogging?

I think it is more work and more expensive than many realize. There’s so much more to blogging than telling the story and the learning curve is steep. It takes time to build readership and trust.

What’s something you do on every trip?

I always plan a “splurge” on every trip as a reward for handling my budget well. Splurges will be a more-expensive excursion, accommodation, or meal that I would usually consider too extravagant.

Some examples would include a night in an Irish castle, a hot-air balloon ride over the Atlas mountains, and a luxurious spa day.

How do you cope with travel burnout or bad days on the road?

I take a respite day with nothing planned… I’ll spend the day wandering, connecting with friends/family at home, or taking a book and finding a quiet spot to read.

How do you see your travel life changing in the next 5-10 years?

I’m getting older and I suspect that I will be doing fewer rigorous hikes and travel slower. However I’ve vowed to myself that I will keep exploring as long as I’m able!

What experiences would you recommend people have in our home country of Canada?

Canada is a huge and beautiful country; get out of the cities and get out into nature.

Every region is vastly different. You’ll need several trips to truly appreciate the country as a whole.

What do you wish you saw more of in the travel industry? What do you wish you saw less of?

More consideration of solo travellers – especially female solo travellers who want safety and don’t want to pay outrageous solo supplements.

Less emphasis on the ‘Instagram’ experience – I’m not young and pretty, I don’t need glamorous photos, I want authentic experiences.

How do you keep your wanderlust up when you’re stuck at home?

Planning my next trip, going on a spontaneous getaway nearby, and writing my blog.

What parts of travelling and blogging are you an expert on? What parts are you still improving?

I’m probably an expert on roadtripping in BC. I spend at least 3 months every summer exploring in my campervan.

As far as improving my blogging, I continue to learn more every day from marketing to SEO – There’s still a lot I don’t even know that I don’t know!

Who do you most love to travel with and why?

Most of my travel is solo travel, but I do have an excellent travel buddy with whom I often travel.

She and I have learned each others’ travel rhythms, accept our differences, plan individual activities when we need a break from each other, and never run out of things to talk and laugh about.

What advice do you have for newbie travellers?

Don’t plan every minute, build in some time to just meander or sit at a sidewalk cafe.

What destination is calling your name in 2025?

I’ve had Vietnam, New Zealand, and a safari in Africa on my list forever. I will check one of them off in 2025!

Lastly, where can we find you online?

Website: www.ramblynjazz.com 

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/RamblynJazz/ 

Twitter: https://x.com/JazzyJazzGirl 

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ramblynjazz.bsky.social 

Pinterest: https://ca.pinterest.com/ramblynjazz/ 

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Thank you for joining my Traveller of the Month series, Lyn! Head on over to Lyn’s blog to follow along on her adventures, both in BC and abroad.