Fabulous People: Pamela Holt

Pamela Holt, a travel expert and filmmaker, most recently added TV host to her list of accomplishments. Holt hosts the new TV series, “Me, Myself & The World: The Art of Solo Travel,” which is now streaming on Amazon Prime and GoTraveler. “I hope to inspire others to join me in my solo travel revolution, explore the world on their own terms and seek adventure in everyday life.” Learn about Pamela Holt…

Follow at: @thepamelaholt

Hometown: Westlake Village, CA and Honolulu, HI

First job: Newspaper girl. I won a beach cruiser because I sold so many subscriptions. I still have the bike today – and it’s in mint condition!

Favorite ways to spend your free time in CA: Rollerblading along the beach. My favorite stretch is from Playa Vista to Hermosa Beach – perfect for people watching! 

Your biggest accomplishment and why: Getting my series, “Me, Myself & The World: The Art of Solo Travel,” on Amazon Prime. I had to sit down when I heard the news…then I jumped for joy! It’s a real treat to be able to combine my two passions in life – travel and storytelling – and turn it into my livelihood. 

Another big accomplishment I’m proud of is fulfilling my “80 by 50” promise to myself, in which I made a goal to travel to 80 countries before turning 50 years old. It’s an incredible privilege to be able to keep that promise to myself and experience traveling to the farthest corners of the world. 

The biggest obstacle you overcame: Having studied theater, film and television at UCLA, I developed a passion for storytelling at a young age. Despite making headway in my acting and musical theater career, my plans came to a screeching halt when I experienced a traumatic car accident at the age of 35. Nearly immobilized, I required extensive spinal surgery that I wasn’t sure I’d ever recover from. On the heels of accomplishing major career highs, like dueting with Barry Manilow at the Hollywood Palladium and selling my first indie film, “The Three Amigas,” at the Cannes Short Corner, I realized the long road to recovery ahead meant I had to pause my acting and singing pursuits. That said, it was in recovery that I realized my life’s calling is to marry my two passions in life – travel and storytelling. As soon as I regained my strength, I embarked on my personal adventure to travel to 80 countries before turning 50 years old – and I’m so happy I did! 

Someone who inspires you and why: Amelia Earhart. When I was 8 years old, my third-grade teacher Mrs. Honey asked our class to write a “bucket list.” My list was filled with places to travel to, languages to learn and learning to fly a plane. Turns out, Amelia Earhart was Mrs. Honey’s aunt! Amelia became a symbol to me of what women could accomplish. I checked off everything on my bucket list by my 30^th birthday, and six months ago, I found Mrs. Honey and shared my accomplishments with her.

Advice to someone pursuing a career path in what you do: Keep on keeping on! When the going gets tough, just take one more step toward your goal, even if it’s a very small step – those steps add up in the end and will get you across the finish line!

Favorite quote: Traveling alone will be the scariest, most liberating, life-changing experience of your life….try it at least once!

Something someone would be surprised to learn about you: One time, I was unexpectedly detained while traveling through Russia. Fortunately, I was able to bribe officials with French fries and US cash in exchange for my release!

What makes someone fabulous:  Their kindness, their smile and their warmth. My travels around the globe have made me realize how these universal qualities and gestures transcend language barriers, skin color, different backgrounds and more. It really goes to show that we’re more connected to each other than we realize.