In this episode, Becky Gillespie talks about her experience growing up in Cincinnati, Ohio, studying abroad in Europe, and then deciding to move to Tokyo at age 22. She shares her experience upon arrival and her subsequent choice to stay in Tokyo for 12 years before becoming a full-time digital nomad. Matt and Becky discuss the food scene in Tokyo and also talk about their experiences in Kyoto, Hiroshima, Miyajima, and Naoshima. Becky then shares some of her most epic travel experiences including trekking Everest Basecamp, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, and repelling down into Hang Son Doong—the world’s largest cave—in Vietnam. After traveling to 69 countries, she shares her top tips for female solo travelers. Becky then talks about her podcast, The School of Travels. And finally, she discusses her new book: Shimokitazawa: A Tokyo Beginner’s Guide to the World’s Most Walkable Neighborhood. Becky explains why Shimokitazawa is her favorite neighborhood, why this one small section of Tokyo deserves its own 200+ page book, and what made her fall in love with the neighborhood and choose to live there for 9 years. FULL SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT www.TheMaverickShow.com
Episode #92: Becky Gillespie on Rappelling into the World’s Largest Cave, Living in Japan for 12 Years and Falling in Love with Shimokitazawa
Episode Summary
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About the Guest
Becky Gillespie
Becky Gillespie is a full-time digital nomad, the host of The School of Travels podcast and author of the book Shimokitazawa: A Tokyo Beginners Guide to the World’s Most Walkable Neighborhood. Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, she lived in Tokyo Japan for 12 years and then became a full-time itinerant nomad in 2017. She has traveled to 69 countries and had epic travel adventures including trekking Everest Base Camp, climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, and hiking Hang Son Doong, the world’s largest cave in Vietnam.
What You'll Learn
- Becky’s Top Tips for Female Solo-Travelers (after traveling to 69 countries)
- How to plan your trip to Japan and where to stay in Tokyo
- How to access and experience the recently discovered Hang Son Doong Cave in Vietnam
Links From the Episode
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ORDER BECKY’S BOOK
WHERE THE INTERVIEWED TOOK PLACE
PLACES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
- Barcelona
- Brussels
- Beijing, China
- Everest Basecamp
- Hiroshima, Japan
- Miyajima, Japan
- Naoshima, Japan
- Okayama, Japan
- Osaka, Japan
- Tokyo, Japan
- Kyoto
- Nepal
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- Rome
- Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
- Hang Son Doong, Cave in Vietnam
TRAVEL EVENTS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
#1 BOOK THAT BECKY RECOMMENDS
#1 APP THAT BECKY RECOMMENDS
FAVORITE PERSON BECKY WANTS TO HAVE DINNER WITH
TOP 3 FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATIONS
TOP 3 BUCKET LIST DESTINATIONS
CONTACT BECKY
Time Stamped Show Notes
[3:11] Becky’s Experience growing up in Cincinnati
- What Becky loves about Cincinnati
- Watching foreign films as a kid
- Wanting to learn foreign languages and travel
- Saving money for travel
- Becky’s college experience in Ohio
- Becky’s inspiration for moving to Japan
[8:09] Studying abroad in Europe
- Becky’s first time out of the U.S.
- Her first hostel experience in Paris
- Traveling to London, Barcelona, Munich, Rome and Brussels
[11:09] Moving to Tokyo at age 22
- Why Becky chose to move to Tokyo
- Becky’s first impression of Tokyo
- What Becky ended up loving about Tokyo
- Her reflections on Japan after being a long-term resident
- Matt and Becky talk about the culinary scene in Tokyo
[18:59] Matt and Becky discuss traveling Japan outside of Tokyo
- The magic of Kyoto
- Experiencing traditional Ryokan’s and Onsens in Miyajima
- Naoshima “the art island”
- Hiroshima and the Peace Museum
- Japanese baseball
- Sumo wrestling matches
[26:43] Trekking Everest Basecamp
- Trekking Everest Basecamp
- Reflections on Nepal
[29:59] The Hang Son Doong Cave in Vietnam
- Hiking to the Hang Son Doong Cave
- Being completely off grid with no cell phone service
- The recent discovery and excavation of the Cave
- Repelling down into the Cave
- The cost of the trip
- The meals on the trip.
- What it’s like to sleep in the cave
- The jungle and wildlife in the cave
[38:44] Hiking Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania
[42:11] Becky’s tips for female solo-travelers
[43:17] Becky’s Podcast: “The School of Travels”
[44:23] Becky’s Book: Shimokitazawa: A Tokyo Beginner’s Guide to the World’s Most Walkable Neighborhood.
[48:58] The Lightning Round
- Becky’s #1 Most Recommended Book
- Becky’s#1 Most Recommended App
- The #1 Person with Whom Becky Would Most Like to Have Dinner
- Becky’s Top 3 Favorite Travel Destinations
- Becky’s Top 3 Favorite Bucket List Destinations
[54:24] How to Contact Becky
- Buy Becky’s Book
- Listen to Becky’s podcast
- Follow Becky on Instagram
- Check out Becky’s Website
