“My experience as a Freebird Traveler,” Cindy from Florida (70)

Originally from Sacramento, Cindy is an avid explorer with a particular interest in meeting new people, proclaiming she’ll ‘travel anywhere with anyone’. She’s travelled solo to Scotland to get in touch with her Celtic heritage and plans to make trips to Ireland, Egypt and Scandinavia. We caught up with her to find out more about her travelling experiences and what she likes about Freebird Club:

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What do you like about Freebird Club?

“I find the richest experiences in travel are the people I chat with and local people who teach me things about a local area, not the sites I see. I like learning about what is special about a place and what they wish they could change.

I think for single women too it feels safer staying with older people. It’s people who love to travel and want to interact with like minded people and connect and learn about each other’s cultures while travelling the world

It’s also more cost effective than staying in a hotel, which is helpful if you’re on a limited budget.

I could also navigate the site, and I really liked the host profiles and descriptions of where they lived. Freebird host Barbara was wonderful and sent me an itinerary for driving.”

What do you like about staying with hosts?

“What I’d love is learning from local hosts about the place, the history and the culture or the area I’m visiting from an expert, someone who lives there. Also tips on things to see and do that might not be in any guidebooks.”

What are some of your favourite destinations and why?

“Africa, a lifelong dream, was my very favourite – the stunning landscapes, warm people and of course the opportunity to see and photograph the amazing wildlife. Another favourite is Scotland – dramatic scenery lending itself to wonderful photos, ease of driving anywhere except the cities (even though it took a minute to get used to the other side!) made it possible to see so much, and the friendly, engaging people.”

How did you find connecting with people online?

“Although we had to cancel our trip due to medical issues, I was so lucky to find a Freebird Club member willing to let us stay for a week in an area we really wanted to explore. She is a wonderful communicator and gave us tips on timeframes for the sites we wanted to see, honest opinions on things we could skip and even helped me plan the road trip. We are hoping to reschedule that trip very soon!”

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