Foreword Jan LeemingIntroduction Hilary BradtTHE FIRST STEPIndia - Really? On my own? Sandra Reekie USA - Short Notice Helen BrownGabon Confidential Ian PackhamBerlin - The Unexpected Consolations of Getting It All Wrong Kirsty FergussonAustralia - Of Red Earth and Fruit Bats Amanda LumleyBRIEF ENCOUNTERSEight Hours in Fiji Matt Dawson Gibraltar and Tangier - Abroad Janice Booth Australia - The Ghan Debbie ParrottA January Jaunt to Jordan Zoe Efstathiou Russia - Taxi Ride in Vladivostok Nicole TeufelFACE THE FEARDarkness in Laos Ian OliverUnenlightened in Nepal Claire DaviesMorocco - Tea and Oranges Kelly DignanPhilippines - Finding Freedom Hannah Stuart-LeachSAFETY IN NUMBERSThailand - A Coconut with Three Candles Ian DouglasHimalayas - The Start of a Passion Jane Vincent-HavelkaUK - The Social Mobility of Cycling Hazel Pennington Cruise - Not so Solo at Sea Phoebe SmithTRAVEL WITH A PURPOSEFrance - Getting Going Again Elspeth CardyEcuador - Where Everyone Knows Your Name Vicki Brown France - The Wandering Goose Janet RogersAustralia - The Pet Project Jennifer BarclayMallorca - Doing a Shirley Valentine Christine GreenCONNECTINGIndia - First Night Michelle KennedyCuba - A Sack of Beans and a Sun-Bleached Chair Mandy HugginsOslo - Alf Matthew PointonUSA - Guns and Canyons Gillian GainMongolia - When the Ice Melts Suzy PopeIreland - Mollie Hilary BradtWHAT AM I DOING HERE?Cycling Shetland Pat SmithItaly - The Mountain Retreat Martha HalesSolo Ways in Sulawesi Ella PawlikColombia - My Daughter's Laugh Dom Tulett Beijing - A Night in Room 13 Sarah PopeA Thaw in Naples Claire MorsmanA BIG ADVENTUREUSA - What If You Get Lost and Die? Katie Grayson Madagascar - Beginning Anne Axel Mexico - No Way Back Graham MackintoshKashmir - The Road to Srinagar and Beyond Sheelagh ReynoldsAsia - Going it Alone Sally Watts