Rome through a local’s eyes: What happened when I booked a Greeter
If you’ve ever dreamed of taking that solo trip but felt unsure where to start, this is the story you need to read.
When Ariel landed in Rome for her solo trip, she didn’t know what to expect. What she found was more than a city; it was a connection. Through Greether, she met a verified local female Greeter who turned her Roman adventure into something deeper: personal insights, hidden gems, and the kind of confidence that comes from traveling with someone who truly has your back.
Greether connects women travelers with trusted local women in 1,200+ cities around the world. Whether you’re going solo, with friends, or with kids, our Greeters design personalized, authentic, and safer experiences that leave you feeling seen, supported, and empowered.
Q&A with Ariel Travis
Can you please tell us a bit more about yourself?
I’m a pediatric medical speech-language pathologist, international speaker, and creator of the Wander Lounge podcast. Wander Lounge empowers women to travel the world with confidence, inspired by my travels to 29 countries.
Ariel Travis in Rome | Photo credit: Ariel Travis
Two weeks after graduating from college, I joined the Peace Corps as a health volunteer in Africa—a decision that ignited my passion for exploring new cultures and perspectives. Over the next seven years, I lived and worked in Mozambique, Brazil, China, and the Dominican Republic, immersing in the rich diversity of each place. Today, I’ve visited over 29 countries and these experiences have shaped my worldview and influenced my work.
What inspired you to start your travel podcast?
Although I had some experience living abroad, technically, my first solo trip wasn’t until years later. I wanted to visit this gorgeous town called Bonitio in Brazil. For almost a year, I tried to find a friend to go with me, but plans would always fall through. I decided to stop waiting and book the trip for myself. I had the best time! It was my first time taking a solo vacation, and it instilled in me the concept to stop waiting for others to go somewhere. After moving back to the U.S. during the pandemic, a lot of people started asking me for travel advice. Especially women, they often had some anxiety around travel. The podcast was created with the goal of empowering women to travel the world by answering some of these questions. The biggest compliment I receive is from women who book their first solo trip after listening to the podcast.
Why did you decide to book a Greeter in Rome?
I wanted the option to see the city from someone who lives there. I wanted to connect with someone who was able to make recommendations that won’t show up on my standard Google search.
What do you think your Greeter helped you with the most?
For any trip, no matter how experienced the traveler, there are always unexpected obstacles that you will encounter. During my time in Rome, my Greeter helped inform me of the upcoming transportation strike. Rebecca, my Greeter, helped give me alternative ways to navigate around the city.
Ariel Travis & her Greeter, Rebecca, in Rome | Photo credit: Ariel
Were there things that your Greeter showed you that made your experience better?
Rome is full of so much amazing history. During our tour around the city, my Greeter was able to share some fun facts about each location.
Why would you recommend booking a Greeter in Rome?
As a busy traveler, I appreciated how stress-free this process was. Once I booked my Greeter, she was able to plan our tour after answering a few initial questions.
Ariel & her Greeter, Rebecca, in Rome | Video credit: Ariel
Anything else you want to share that may be useful for more women who want to explore Rome like you did?
I loved the location of my accommodation near the Piazza di Spagna. It was an Airbnb in an extremely walkable area near some of the top tourist attractions. This location was also close to the metro, which is a quick and affordable way to easily move around the city.
Has your podcast community influenced how you travel or connect with others on the road?
Yes! Surprisingly, the podcast has been picked up in multiple countries. And I’m learning that no matter where we are in the world, women have this fear and hesitation around travel. My goal is to help connect my international travel community to safe and vetted resources around the world. It’s also been great because I’ve made a lot of new, unexpected friends through this process.
What’s your favourite travel story?
A five-day trip to the Dominican Republic turned into me living there for 3 months! I canceled my flight the day I was supposed to return to Atlanta. It was an amazing 3 months, and it helped me to discover that I wasn’t ready to end my time living abroad. I continued to travel and live abroad for another 4 years! Sometimes you just have to say ‘Why not?!’ and take the risk.
Ariel & her Greeter, Rebecca in Rome | Video credit: Ariel
What’s one message you hope listeners take away from your episodes?
Don’t wait for a reason to start traveling. Just wanting to visit a new place is reason enough. Also, travel can work within your budget. It doesn’t have to be an extravagant expense. You will have to make some compromises on the trip, but I’ve had just as good of a time when budget traveling compared to some of my more expensive trips. When I was a Peace Corps volunteer, I would find ways to travel to new countries on my stipend of just $200 a month.
Feeling inspired yet? Let this be your sign to stop waiting and start planning! And if you want to explore like a local, booking a Greeter just might be the travel hack you didn’t know you needed.
Check out this reel on how it is to have Rebecca as your Greeter!
Want to book a Greeter for your next solo trip?
Click here
Or click here to book Rebecca as your Greeter in Rome
To connect with us: Info@greether.com or dm us at @greet.her
