This post may contain affiliate links. We may receive a small commission, if you make a purchase. Read Disclosure.
I was standing on a rock ledge in the Soča Valley, about 6 meters above a pool of water so green it looked fake. Our canyoneering guide was next to me, counting me down and telling me to be confident. Down below me, a few women I’d known for a week were yelling my name with a “You can do it” affirmation.
I jumped. I came up gasping (the water was freezing, wetsuit or not) and swam to the side grinning like an idiot. Then I turned around and watched the next woman do the same thing, and the next, and the whole canyon filled up with the sound of women cheering each other off a cliff. All of us heroines in the story while also supporting the heroines in their story.
That’s the moment I keep coming back to from Slovenia. Eight days earlier I hadn’t met all but two of those women.
Why I was there in the first place
If you’re on my newsletter list, you already know this part. I’m going to be leading women’s group trips with my friend Christina McEvoy through her company, Your Limitless Adventures.
Christina’s been running these since 2022. Mostly women’s trips, with a couples trip once or twice a year. They sell out fast, she’s expanding, and she asked me to come on as a trip leader.
I said yes for a reason that has nothing to do with travel… well maybe a little bit. I believe in doing the thing that stretches you a little. Our girls are teenagers now, one of them in college, and there’s more room in my life than there was 5 years ago. When something new gets handed to you at exactly the moment you have capacity for it, you take it. My soul is ready for something new, a new adventure to embrace as an almost-empty-nester woman with other like-minded women.
Back in May, Christina gathered her trip leaders at a cabin in the mountains outside Salt Lake City for 3 days of leadership training for her women’s adventure travel company. It was useful and inspiring, but nothing replaces being on an actual trip and learning leadership skills that way.
So, when she had a last-minute cancellation on the Slovenia trip in July, I took the spot. July is our quietest month with Y Travel and This Is Raleigh, and we had enough airline points banked to cover a free flight. Everything lined up.
I went to see Slovenia; a country I knew almost nothing about and am now a little bit in love with. But I mostly went to watch. How Christina runs a women’s small group trip. How 15 strangers become a group. What actually makes these work. How I could show up as the best possible trip leader. I learned a lot and am even more excited about this new chapter of my life.
Here’s my Your Llimitless Adventures review, and what I’d want to know if I were the one thinking about booking.
The trips I’m leading
Quick housekeeping before we get into it, because a few of you will want to skip straight here.
Morocco, October 18 to 28, 2026. Women’s group trip to Morocco. Marrakech, the Dades Valley, the Sahara, Fes. Hot air balloon at sunrise, camels into the dunes, a night in a luxury desert camp, cooking class and ceramics in Fes. From $3,200 USD. Registration closes August 15. Still a few spots available. I’ve been to Morocco for a day before (long story but it was fun). I cannot wait to dive deeper into Morocco!
Thailand, February 18 to 28, 2027. Women’s group trip to Thailand. Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Koh Yao Noi. Elephant sanctuary (the legit one), the Monk’s Trail, kayaking the mangroves at Ao Thalane. From $3,400 USD. I lived in Thailand. This one is personal. It’s been way too long.
Vietnam, March 3 to 11, 2027. Women’s group trip to Vietnam, with an optional 3-day Hoi An add-on. Hanoi, a luxury cruise through Bai Tu Long Bay, trekking and bamboo rafting in Pu Luong. From $2,900 USD. I’ve also traveled extensively through Vietnam; it’s one of my favorite countries for a reason. I cannot wait to return.
Thailand and Vietnam run back-to-back. Two separate trips, but I’m doing them one after the other, so you could theoretically do both. Every trip caps at 14 women. Deposit is $500 and fully refundable for the first 30 days. Payment plans available.
What these trips actually are
Seven to ten days or so. Fourteen women max. A trip leader, a trip photographer, and in most destinations a local guide as well.
The days are built around being immersed in natural beauty and culture. Hiking, canyoning, kayaking, paddleboarding, e-biking, hot air ballooning, camel riding and more adventures ranging from Zen to heart beating. Then cultural activities like cooking classes, markets, elephant sanctuaries, tailors in Hoi An, ceramics in Fes, and more.
Woven through all of it are what Christina calls mindfulness moments. Meditations, journaling, and sharing circle where the group sits down and talks about what’s actually going on in their lives. All of it optional.
Christina picks countries where you spend your days outdoors. Slovenia, Morocco, Vietnam, Peru, Patagonia, Norway, Guatemala, Costa Rica, South Africa, Turkey, French Polynesia. You won’t find a Paris-to-Rome coach tour on her list.
I’ve spent most of my life traveling independently. Seven years full-time on the road with the kids, plus 16 years running a travel blog, which means every trip I take is usually also a job. Group travel was never my thing. It is now (especially small group trips for women) and here’s why.
I made zero decisions for 10 days
I’m sure you’re like me and are overwhelmed and drained by all the planning, managing and decision making you have to do. Not on these trips. You get to just show up and enjoy.
I packed a suitcase, checked it onto the plane, rolled it to a hotel in Ljubljana, and that was the last logistical thought I had for a week and a half. No restaurant research. No route planning. No figuring out where to park, what time the thing opens, whether we booked the right ticket (been there, done that)
I turned up at places without knowing the name of the restaurant we were walking into, and every single one was good.
If you’ve ever come home from a holiday you planned yourself and needed a holiday from the holiday, you’ll understand what I mean. My brain got a rest. That’s rare for me. (I also loved being around British English-speaking peeps in Europe who said holidays! That’s our term for vacation!)
There’s a professional photographer on every trip
I haven’t seen another group trip company do this, and it’s the thing I’d point to first if you’re comparing options.
On our trip, Andrea (Drea) was both trip photographer and second leader (also experienced traveler and guide). She took photos the whole 10 days. Portraits of each of us in the places worth being photographed in. Landscape shots with nobody in them. 5:30am sunrise photos so you don’t have to wake up And, the ones I love most, candids.
Imagine those photos capturing you mid-laugh with a woman you’d met 4 days earlier. Nobody said, “let’s get a picture.” You get the pure memory frozen in time. That’s why it’s good.
Think about what a photographer costs. A Flytographer session in one city for an hour runs a few hundred dollars. This is a professional shooting you for 10 days across an entire country, and the gallery is included in your trip fee.
All 15 of us also dumped our own photos and videos into a shared album. I came home with scores of images of myself and the other women I didn’t have to take. For me that matters professionally but forget the work angle for a second. I have footage of moments I was all the way inside of at the time, instead of hovering at the edge of them holding up a phone. That’s the actual gift. You get to be in your trip and still have it documented.
Adaptability & Flexibility is Key
Every trip breaks somewhere. Mine always have. Travel without flexibility and adaptability and you will break. I broke so many times as a new traveler in my early twenties that now I’m bendier than a palm tree in a hurricane. Things will work out. Lessons always lie in the middle of the challenges.
Our trip broke on Mount Triglav. The guides changed the route at the last minute, so Christina didn’t have accurate information about the terrain to pass on to us beforehand. It turned out to be harder than a few people had signed up for.
What happened next is the benefit of having group leaders and guides. On this hike, Christina had hired local guides to lead us up the mountain.
Christina talked to the guides and reassessed on the spot. A few women turned back with a guide and spent a very pleasant afternoon in the hotel pool. One woman got sick partway up, and the group closed around her and got her to the top and on to the sleeping hut. I stayed with that group and helped lead it while Christina and Drea took the others to the summit.
The same woman fell and cut her arm. It was minor but the guide called a helicopter to take her to the hospital as a precaution against infection. The women back at the hotel met her at the hospital so she would not be alone. And one of our kind mountain guides picked them up and took them back to the hotel.
Side note: mountain rescue helicopters in Slovenia are free! In plenty of other countries that flight would have cost thousands.
Which brings me to the thing I’ll repeat until you’re sick of it. Get travel insurance. Medical cover is mandatory on Christina’s trips, and it should be mandatory on your own. My flights to Slovenia were delayed and cancelled, I lost a full day and had to overnight in London, and my insurance covered the cost.
Something will go sideways on your trip. What you’re paying for is 14 other women and 2 leaders who sort it out with you. It’s comforting to know you don’t have to do it alone.
The value of multiple leaders
On another day, the itinerary had us doing two hikes in one day. Christina and Drea read the room, saw everyone was tired, and split the day in two. One group did the mountain hike with Christina. The other did a waterfall hike along the river in the valley with Drea. I did the later as I could not pull away from that stunning Soca River.
Having two leaders is what makes that possible. Two people who can pull off to the side, look at the group as it actually is that day, and rebuild the afternoon. The rest of us continued eating, laughing and chatting over dinner, oblivious to the research they were doing to craft a different day. I loved watching it, and I’ve filed it away for my own trips.
It’s also an asset for Christina, so she has someone to bounce ideas off, to receive feedback from, and lean on to for support as carrying that load on your own is tough. Christina wants these to be the best trips possible so she’s always open to feedback and growth! She’s already decided to change the Mount Triglav hike for future Slovenia trips as it was more than just a moderate hike. Slovenians are built differently!
Edging out your comfort zone
These trips push you. That’s the design. The focus is on women’s adventure travel – it’s good for body, mind, and soul evolution.
I want to be careful here, because “push yourself” gets said cheaply. Here’s how it actually played out for me, twice, in opposite directions.
On Triglav, the final stretch to the summit is a via ferrata. Steep, cabled, exposed. I could have done it physically. But I was at the edge of what I had that day, and the mental piece of a climb like that matters more than the legs. If I’d gone up, I’d have been slow, spent, and holding people back, and the whole thing would have cost me my peace. So, I didn’t go. I’m not sorry.
Another woman felt her fear of heights would be too much. She was not sorry she said no. We ended up with an unplanned adventure anyway getting to the sleeping hut, which created a deep bond with the other ladies and has given us stories and laughter to express for years to come.
In the canyon, three days later, I jumped off that 6-meter ledge. Same nervous system, completely different read. I knew I could do it; I trusted the guide; the women were behind me. I came out of that canyon having found an activity I’d happily do again anywhere.
The line between those two decisions is the whole skill. Fear that opens you up is worth walking into. Fear that’s going to take your joy and hand you nothing back isn’t, and you’re allowed to say no to it out loud, in front of everybody, on a mountain. And the women on these tours are special; they are supporting and celebrating the decisions you make, not judging or criticizing you.
Then there was Syna. She learned to ride a bike recently. Recently as in a few months, not years ago. And she got on an e-bike with us for a tour through the hills of Slovenia’s wine country (reminded me of Tuscany 😍). I was nervous for her. I don’t think she’d argue with that.
She pedaled beside the fear, the whole way, up, down, and smiling. She learned something about her own relationship with fear that afternoon that no one could have told her. Watching that was better than doing it myself. That’s the thing, you can be inspired by the other women on this trip breaking through barriers as well.
On YLA trips, you can always opt out of the activities. Christina and YLA trip leaders will work with you to find alternative activities! And it’s not all adventure, there’s a balance of calmer activities, with attractions woven in.
Immersion into culture and nature
I thought about this a lot as we kayaked and rafted the rapids of the Soča River.
There’s standing on the wooden swinging bridge, taking the hero shot of clear water snaking through the valley with the mountains stacked up behind it. And then there’s paddling that same water. Swimming in it. Jumping off rocks into it, icy and shocking and worth it.
Both are lovely. Only one of them is still in my body.
That’s what YLA trips are built for. They get you into the land and the culture. You come home having been in the place, with the bruises and the cold-water gasp and the memory of whoever was in the raft next to you. It’s inspired me to weave more adventures like this into my own travels.
We’ve always been good at it, but over the years, as our girls have gotten older, they’ve resisted the nature adventures, and sought out more city experiences. Confession: I followed them into that comfort zone without complaints. (Except last month when Savannah’s dreams had us hiking up mountains on our Majestic Mountain Road trip in California!)
Fifteen women who didn’t know each other
Getting 15 strangers through 10 days of physically demanding travel without any friction is not normal. It happened anyway. Most of us arrived solo. A couple came with a friend. By day three it felt like traveling with women I’d known for years.
A lot of them were in a similar life stage to me. Kids grown or nearly grown, empty nest arriving or already arrived, a few younger women without kids, which made the mix better. Everyone understood roughly where everyone else was and what they wanted from the next chapter.
I learned from, was inspired by, and in awe of each woman for different reasons. I felt like I belonged, which is not an easy feeling to have, especially amongst strangers. I feel safe in saying the other women would have felt the same.
That’s who these trips attract. Christina’s values sit right on the surface of how she markets them, which quietly filters the room before anyone books. Women arrive already pointed in the same direction.
The mindfulness moments
This is the part I care about most, and the reason Christina asked me to lead.
Meditation and breathwork have been the spine of my life for over 15 years. So, watching someone thread that into a travel itinerary, well, I was paying close attention. As Christina and I are good friends, chatting and masterminding often, I’ve watched how she’s taken this from an idea to a calling in her business. It comes from an authentic desire to elevate and connect women. It’s a no brainer for me to align with that.
The mindfulness moments range. Guided meditation. Journaling prompts. Thought provoking questions. And the circles, where the group sits down and shares what they’re hoping for, what’s frightening them, what’s been hard. That’s where the trip changed gear. Fifteen women realizing how alike they were underneath the surface details. Seeing how so many of the experiences empowered them. It was a safe space to be vulnerable and feel safe and seen.
I got to practice and lead a short I AM meditation while we were floating on paddleboards on Lake Bohinj. Still water, mountains all the way around. I’m fairly sure a few of the ladies fell asleep. Good. That’s the body taking what it needs.
All of it is optional. Every session. If you want to lie there and nap through it, nobody minds. If you want to skip it entirely and go get a coffee, that’s fine too.
The food, the budget, and the gelato run into Italy
You can’t talk about travel without talking about food. I want to experience local culture through their food, and I was worried the adventures would overshadow this. But not so.
Christina books local restaurants, focusing on family owned and farmed to table. And what I loved… you get a menu and you pick. I’ve been on group trips where dinner is a buffet or a set plate with two options, and it flattens the whole experience. This was the opposite of that.
I’m gluten free. Slovenia turned out to be excellent for it, which is out of Christina’s hands but worth knowing. There was a vegetarian in our group, and one allergic to tomatoes and rice, and they ate well too. She and I both ate a lot of salad. There are worse fates. Less guilt about the gelato. We tried many local dishes like local trout, Bled cake, and, all the other ladies said, some of the best pizzas they’ve ever had. (They returned for lunch after Mt Triglav) And I made new coffee friends – Slovenia does a good flat white!
There’s a daily meal budget, different for lunch and dinner. I like that it exists. It’s the only way the trip math works for Christina, and practically speaking it gave me a frame for ordering each day instead of dithering over the menu. You can go over it. If you want the appetizer and the dessert, order them. You track it on the honor system and settle up with her at the end, typically via Venmo.
Breakfast was included at most of our hotels. Coffee and gelato and anything else you grab during the day is your own money.
Speaking of gelato. Slovenia borders Italy, and we made this our personality for about four days. One night, after a farm-to-table dinner overlooking the vineyards in wine country, Christina and Drea clocked that the entire group wanted gelato and drove us 15 minutes across the border into Italy to get some. (They joy of traveling in Europe)
Nobody planned that. It was a favorite memory of the trip for many.
Total extra spend for me across 10 days: about $250 USD, and some of that was a sauna and hot tub, an elevated meal like lamp chops, (ok a few desserts) and wine in wine country. Next time I’ll skip the Strawberry Soup and ignore the waiter when he says it’s his personal favorite. Should have went the creme brulee!
Where you sleep, and yes, you’re sharing a room
Accommodation varies a lot by trip, and Christina puts thought into it. Again, on other group trips I’ve taken they’re typically just standard hotel rooms. I want a little more that speak to the character of the local culture.
In Slovenia we had a good hotel in Ljubljana with a serious breakfast buffet, an old parish house on Lake Bled, cabins in the Soča Valley with a sauna, hot tub, and pool (my favorite part of the country), and a family-owned farm stay in wine country for the last couple of nights. Every one of them added something to the trip.
On the trips I’m leading, Vietnam includes 3 nights on a boat in Bai Tu Long Bay. Morocco has the luxury desert camp in the Sahara. Thailand ends on Koh Yao Noi.
Now, the room sharing. Rooms are shared occupancy, you get your own bed wherever the layout allows, and Christina pairs you up before the trip based on what she knows about you. Traveling with a friend means you’re with your friend. Private rooms are sometimes available for an extra fee if you ask early.
I was dreading this. I’m an introvert underneath the extrovert, I need quiet, and after almost 3 years of family life in a tiny travel trailer, when I travel alone, I want my own room.
I was wrong. My roommate was Ali, and I got to know her at a depth that 10 days of polite dinner conversation would never have reached. Ali and I were good at helping each other wake up early, sit on our bags to close them (well that was really my bag) and laugh at so many things – and still are over Facebook and Instagram.
She’s going to be my trip photographer in Thailand, which tells you how well that went. In the Soča Valley cabins we had six of us together and it was the same story. The room sharing is doing more forming friendships work than you think it is.
To Wrap Up (before logistics)
Our motto across three decades of travel, and for this blog, has always been to make your life a story to tell. A story gets built out of moments. You can’t build one out of stuff. Most of which lives in a storage container somewhere.
The stories I tell most often from my own travels are the challenges, the mishaps, the lessons, and the people. People who shaped who I am in big ways and small ones, mostly without ever knowing they did it.
Every reason I travel is sitting inside a YLA trip. I came home from Slovenia with more stories than fit in one post, and with a group of women who nudged the next version of me into place. It was an honor to travel with them, and to learn from them what kind of trip leader I want to be.
I’m more excited about this chapter than anything I’ve started in years. And I’m grateful to the women on this trip who encouraged me with this new leadership role, and to Christina for believing I could do it. That matters more than they’ll ever know.
Getting around
Not your problem. Just jump on in. Rotate your seating when you can to talk to different people. In Slovenia, Christina and Drea drove hired vans and handled all of the driving logistics.
In Morocco, Thailand and Vietnam there’s a local guide and driver with us the whole way. That’s a third leader in the mix, someone who knows the country, the language, the history, and where to eat. When plans need to change, a local is going to solve it faster than any of us.
What it costs and what’s included
Using my 3 trips as the reference:
- Morocco: from $3,200 USD (regular $3,700)
- Thailand: from $3,400 USD (regular $3,900)
- Vietnam: from $2,900 USD (regular $3,400)
Included: all accommodation, all ground transport, domestic flights where the itinerary needs them, local guides and drivers, all excursions and entrance fees, meals (to the daily budget), the mindfulness sessions, and your professional photo gallery.
Not included: international flights, alcohol, tips for guides, personal incidentals, travel insurance, and a small number of specific meals or optional add-ons listed on each trip page.
Required: travel medical insurance. Usually under $100. Get the trip cancellation cover too. Compare rates here.
What I’d tell you to do before you book
- Read the itinerary properly. Day by day. Look at the hikes, the distances, the activity level. Morocco, Thailand and Vietnam don’t have anything like the Triglav ascent, and that’s deliberate. I mean they don’t have alps. Alpine mountaineering isn’t my strength, and I wouldn’t lead a trip built around it. Slovenia and Norway are Christina and Drea’s territories. (Drea departed straight to Norway to lead her first YLA trip!) Match the trip to your body and interests, not the version of you that you’re planning to become by trip start – life could get in the way of that.
- Email Christina if the page doesn’t answer your questions or concerns about the trip. She replies. Every trip page has her address at the top of the FAQ.
- Train for it. If there’s hiking, go hiking. I could have done more than I did. Work got in the way, though a week in Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia with my daughter carried more of the load than it had any right to.
- Read the pre-trip packet. Christina sends a destination-specific one with weather, tipping, and a packing list. Mine flagged a few items, like a sleeping bag liner that I didn’t own.
- Arrive a day or two early. This is my strongest recommendation. Jet lag followed by a mountain hike is brutal. Half our group had flight delays and cancellations getting there, me included. I landed a full day later than planned after an unplanned night in London and one extra flight. My buffer day evaporated.
- Then think about adding time on the back end too. A few women tacked Croatia onto their Slovenia trip, before or after. I love cities and our time in Ljubljana was short, so I stayed an extra day at the end and did a bike tour of the city. If you’re flying that far, use the flight. In hindsight I wish I went to Croatia.
- Budget for extras. I spent around $250. Wine, gelato, coffee, souvenirs, massages. Yours will look different.
- Plan your free time. Christina flags free windows in the itinerary before you leave. We used ours to swim in the Soča River. Others got massages at the cabins. Have a rough idea, and hold it loosely, because delays earlier in the day can eat it.
Is this trip right for you?
Worth being straight about.
These suit you if: you want to be outdoors most days, you’re comfortable being active for a few hours at a stretch, you’re fine sharing a room, you like the idea of arriving without knowing anyone, and the personal growth side of it appeals rather than makes you cringe.
You might struggle if: you need your own room and total control over your schedule, you want a beach and a book, you’d rather not be photographed (you can say no), or 14 women and a lot of conversation sounds like your idea of hard work.
Both answers are fine. Book the trip that fits the person you are.
Frequently asked questions
What is Your Limitless Adventures?
A small group travel company founded by Christina McEvoy, running trips for women (and occasional couples trips) since 2022. Trips combine outdoor adventure, cultural experiences and optional mindfulness practices, capped at 14 travelers.
Are the trips women only?
Most are. Christina runs 1 or 2 couples trips a year. Women’s trips are open to women 21 and over. (Our 14 year old Savannah is mad she can’t come)
Can I join on my own?
Yes, and most women do. On our Slovenia trip the majority arrived not knowing a soul.
How many people are on a trip?
Maximum 14, plus your trip leader and trip photographer, plus a local guide in most destinations.
How fit do I need to be?
It depends on the trip, so check the individual page. Morocco, Thailand and Vietnam ask for a moderate level: comfortable walking or hiking up to 5 or 6 miles in a day on mixed terrain (but not every day). Slovenia and Norway are harder.
Do I have to share a room?
Rates are based on shared occupancy, and you’ll have your own bed wherever the room allows. Christina matches roommates in advance. Private rooms may be available for an extra fee if you ask early.
What’s included in the price?
Accommodation, ground transport, domestic flights where needed, guides, excursions, entrance fees, meals to the daily budget, mindfulness sessions, and a professional photo gallery. International flights, alcohol, tips and insurance are on you.
Is travel insurance required?
Travel medical insurance is mandatory. Trip cancellation cover is strongly recommended, and refunds are limited once you’re past the 30-day window.
Do I have to do the mindfulness sessions?
No. Every one of them is optional. Nap through it if you like. OR take a walk. Read a book. Whatever floats your boat.
What if I have dietary requirements?
Christina sends a survey before the trip and books restaurants accordingly. I ate gluten free across all 10 days in Slovenia without drama, and we had a vegetarian in the group who did fine.
Are meals included?
Yes, to a daily budget that differs for lunch and dinner. Order above it if you want to and settle the difference with Christina at the end of the trip.
How much spending money should I bring?
I spent about $250 USD over 10 days on wine, coffee, gelato, and a sauna. Budget more if you drink, shop, or plan to add the optional extras.
Do the trips sell out?
Often within a week of launching. Get on the interest list if the dates you want aren’t open yet.
Is there a payment plan?
Yes. $500 deposit holds your spot, fully refundable for the first 30 days, then either 2 or 4 installments depending on the trip.
Come travel with me
I came home from Slovenia with sore legs, a gallery of photos I didn’t have to take, a group chat that hasn’t gone quiet, and a much clearer picture of the kind of trip leader I want to be.
Morocco is in October. Thailand and Vietnam are back-to-back (for me) next February and March, and I’ve lived in one of those countries and spent months in the other. I know what I’m walking you into. And I could not be more excited!!
If you’re on the fence, or you can’t work out from the website which trip is the right shape for you, email Christina. She’ll tell you the truth about it, including if she thinks you should pick a different one.
Same same but different, every trip. And I’d love to be standing at the bottom of the cliff yelling your name.
I traveled to Slovenia as a participant and I’m a trip leader for Your Limitless Adventures, which means I have an interest in the trips I’m leading. Everything above is what I actually saw and experienced. I was under no obligation to write this; Christina doesn’t even know I am. I wrote it as I love what she is doing, am thrilled to be a part of it, had an epic Slovenia trip, and want amazing women to join me on the trips I’m leading! Because it’s so much fun!
Slovenia specific content coming soon!