Dawn Pick Benson is a writer and transformational travel coach who helps women experiencing big life changes re-explore who they are through solo travel.
Her small group coaching program,
Brave Journey, supports women in envisioning, planning, embarking on and returning from their own transformational travel experience. She also hosts retreats each year around the world.
Benson, the founder and owner of GlobeStory, has traveled to nearly 50 countries, and lived and worked in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. She often splits time between her home in Grand Rapids and the Balkans and is a writer, entrepreneur, question-asker and seeker of adventure.
She’s also a global ambassador for the Travel Coach Network, a certified cultural intelligence facilitator, and has appeared in publications such as The Washington Post, TripAdvisor. The New York Times, and Woman’s World magazine.
She's the author of the forthcoming book, “This Is Not How My Story Will End: A Quest to Recapture Life’s Magic After Loss.” Rapid Growth connected with Benson to talk about a life-changing trip that changed her trajectory, and how she’s helping other West Michigan residents follow in her footsteps.
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Dawn Pick Benson in Santorini, Greece, famous for its beautiful sunsets.
Rapid Growth: You describe your work as being inspired by your own experience. Can you share what event or series of events led to you becoming a transformational travel coach?
Dawn Pick Benson: Several years ago, I was in the midst of a divorce, and, like many people who experience major life change, I began questioning other aspects of life – including my faith and my longtime career as a writer. I felt like I needed to create some space to get clarity on what I wanted and needed, so I decided to travel to the country of Kosovo in southeastern Europe for the summer. I’ve owned my own copywriting business for years, so I knew I could work remotely.
I hadn’t truly traveled overseas alone in decades, and so the experience, as well as my extended time away, profoundly changed me. Taking myself out of my everyday life, spending time in a culture with different rhythms, values, and traditions, and getting away from the expectations and voices of my own culture allowed me to make space to really listen to what was happening inside of me.
When I returned home, my friends noticed the profound change I experienced and one of them suggested I consider teaching other women to do what I did — to travel solo in a way that’s empowering and transformative.
I spent about a year researching and talking to other women and finally gathered the courage to create a travel coaching business designed to work with women facing big life transitions (divorce, empty nesters, widows, retirees) and to help them craft a life-changing solo travel experience.
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CourtesyDawn Pick Benson, the founder and owner of GlobeStory, has traveled to nearly 50 countries, and lived and worked in the Middle East and Eastern Europe.
RG: Your small-group coaching program, Brave Journey, supports women in envisioning, planning, embarking on and returning from their own transformational travel experience. You also host retreats each year around the world. Can you share about some of the trips you've helped people plan and places you have organized treats?
DPB: My goal is to help each woman I work with envision, plan, and then take a journey that’s designed to be transformative for her.
Transformational travel looks different for all of us—there’s no one-size-fits-all journey—so the magic is in finding what your soul is calling out to you to experience through travel. Then, I help you design a trip around that.
For example, while in my Brave Journey program, Robin discovered that the kind of trip she needed was one that could inspire her, help her build confidence, and offer a peaceful setting in which to simply relax and enjoy the beauty of her surroundings. She chose to go to Aix-en-Provence, France, for 3 weeks. The trip suited her perfectly because she built confidence by navigating the city on her own and was inspired by meandering through ancient streets, visiting shops and enjoying cafes along the way. It’s the first time in years she had done something just for herself, and she reveled in the tranquility of it all.
On the other hand, Jacque wanted to feel vibrant and bold, and as an artist, she also desired to enhance her creativity, so she chose to go to Greece. On her trip, she went kayaking in the open Aegean Sea, explored the island of Crete by car, and mentored another young artist while there.
Each woman needed a different experience in order for it to feel transformational. This is the part of my work that I love – helping each woman find the perfect experience to suit her dreams and desires.
I’m also organizing a retreat to the country of Montenegro in September. Seven women are joining me to spend seven nights in a 200-year-old villa along the sea. (And I have room for just one more person!) I’m finding that the community aspect of my work is just as transformative as the travel, so I’m excited to see what kind of magic happens when a small group of like-minded women come together to learn more about themselves and the world. This work is the perfect match for my experience, skills, and passions. I love every second of helping women in big life change transform their futures.
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CourtesyLake Koman in Albania is a man-made reservoir surrounded by mountains.
RG: How are you able to travel to so many countries and live abroad when it seems financially out of reach for so many?
DPB: Traveling can often cost less than we realize, especially if you’re willing to try slow travel. This means staying in one location longer, rather than moving from place to place, staying for just a few days or a week at a time.
By embracing slow travel, I often spend less overseas than I do living right here in Grand Rapids.
One cost-saving tip I like to share is to look for a longer-term rental. For example, by staying in an Airbnb for a month (especially if you choose a slow or shoulder season), you can often get up to 40% off your stay, making the monthly rate sometimes less than staying for two weeks.
Staying longer also means you can shop at local grocery stores and make some of your meals at home. You still have plenty of time to enjoy the local cuisine, but you don’t have to eat every meal at a restaurant.
Staying in one place also does not mean you have to forgo visiting other locations. I often make one city my base and then take smaller day or weekend trips to locations I’d like to see. This also means I get to experience a region in a deeper way. As more people are able to work remotely these days, slow travel is a lot more accessible than it was even five years ago, and it can be a great way to travel in a more affordable way.
RG: You are a global Ambassador for the Travel Coach Network and a certified cultural intelligence facilitator. What does this certification mean and how does it help you in your work as a transformational travel coach?
Cultural intelligence, or CQ, is a globally recognized way of assessing and improving effectiveness in culturally diverse situations. It’s rooted in research and it’s being used by leading companies, universities, and governments around the world.
I believe each person’s experience of travel is enhanced as their CQ grows, so I enjoy introducing the idea to my clients as a way to help them improve their travel experience and to develop their effectiveness in communicating and navigating complex situations. I love helping each woman grow in her confidence around handling the diverse experiences she might face while traveling, and CQ helps with this.
RG: You are finishing your first book, "This Is Not How My Story Will End: A Quest to Recapture Life’s Magic After Loss." Can you tell us about this book and when it will be available?
DPB: At 44, navigating a difficult marriage, feeling uncertain about my purpose, and disillusioned with my faith, I found myself asking, “Is this the life I imagined?” I knew my answer was “no.” But the difficult, more important question to answer was this: “Am I brave enough to do something about it?”
I knew I needed to find out, so I embarked on a journey of self-discovery to an unexpected destination—the country of Kosovo—where I learned that while transformation is messy, the courage to question brings freedom, darkness always gives way to light, and even after loss, life can feel magical again.
This book is for all those willing to wrestle with questions that arise in our second half of life. It’s for those looking for the courage to say, “This is not how my story will end,” and who are ready to believe they can create a beautiful new ending of their own.
I’m currently finishing the book and speaking with potential publishers, so those interested to know when it’s available are welcome to sign up for my mailing list to be notified when it’s ready.
https://www.dawnpickbenson.com/sign-up.