Speaking of Travel®: Recent Episodes

Marilyn Ball

Welcome to Speaking of Travel, an IHeart Radio show and a global podcast. Host Marilyn Ball speaks to people from around the world about their inspiring and uplifting travel experiences and is having an impact in bringing awareness to the travel and tourism industry that is oriented around sustainability and education. No Passport Required!

What if the life you've been imagining is waiting for you to take the first step?

Sarah Aviram didn't stumble into a year of travel. She created it. She made the bold decision to leave behind the familiar and designed a plan to travel through 12 countries in 12 months while continuing to work remotely. And she trusted herself enough to make it happen.

In this episode of Speaking of Travel, Sarah shares the remarkable story behind her upcoming memoir, The Scenic Route: Following My Inner Compass Across 12 Countries in 12 Months. Along the way, she immersed herself in new cultures, formed unexpected friendships, embraced moments of uncertainty, and discovered that some of life's greatest rewards come from taking chances.

Sarah shares what it really takes to turn an idea into reality and how stepping away from routine can open the door to new ways of thinking. More than a story about travel, this is a conversation about possibility and giving yourself permission to dream bigger, think outside the box, and recognize that the life you want may be closer than you think.

Whether your next adventure takes you around the world or simply in a new direction, Sarah's story is a reminder that meaningful experiences begin with a single decision to say yes.

"The biggest risk wasn't leaving home. It was wondering what might have happened if I never said yes."

If you've ever wondered whether it's too late or simply too impractical to follow a dream, this episode offers a refreshing perspective. Sarah's journey proves that adventure isn't reserved for a lucky few. It's available to anyone willing to be curious and embrace the unexpected. And of course taking that first step.

A must listen. Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Some places capture your imagination. Italy captures your heart. If you've ever dreamed of experiencing Italy beyond the guidebooks, this is the journey you've been waiting for.

Join Becky and Marcello Simone of Viaggi Italiani, together with Anne Robichaud, your expert guide to the hidden treasures of Umbria, on an unforgettable 10-day Fall 2026 Small Group Art & Cultural Tour through the heart of Italy. Carefully designed for travelers who value authentic experiences, meaningful connections, and the joy of slowing down, this experience is an invitation to experience Italy as a welcomed guest.

You'll enjoy exclusive experiences that include private guided walks, cooking alongside local chefs, wine tastings at family-owned wineries, visits with artisans, hidden villages, Renaissance masterpieces, and extraordinary meals that celebrate the flavors and traditions of Italy. You'll even be part of the historic 800th anniversary commemoration of St. Francis of Assisi, a once-in-a-generation celebration filled with cultural and spiritual events.

Adding another extraordinary dimension to the journey is Jane Adams, President and CEO of Artemisia Gold, whose work restoring the forgotten masterpieces of Renaissance women artists has inspired an international movement. Throughout the tour, you'll discover the remarkable legacy of Plautilla Nelli, the first known woman painter of Florence, while helping support the preservation of these priceless works of art.

Becky, Marcello, Anne, and Jane share the stories behind this remarkable journey and why they created it. And find out what makes it so different from traditional tours and why 2026 is an extraordinary time to experience Italy.

This isn't about rushing from one famous landmark to another. This amazing tour is about wandering medieval streets, sharing meals with new friends, discovering hidden artistic treasures, meeting the people who keep Italy's traditions alive, and returning home with memories that will stay with you forever.

Space is intentionally limited to create an intimate, personalized experience and reservations are now open.

If Italy has been calling your name...

This is your invitation.

Listen to the episode then reserve your place on this extraordinary Fall 2026 journey with Becky, Marcello, Anne, and Jane for the journey of a lifetime.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Michael Cowan has lived many lives.

He's been an attorney, educator, businessman, musician, songwriter, and now, an author. His debut novel, John B. Peoples, is proof that some of life's most meaningful adventures begin long after we think we've settled into who we are.

In this episode of Speaking of Travel, Michael shares what inspired him to finally write the novel that had been quietly waiting inside him, why France, and especially Paris and Marseille, became such important settings, and how travel has shaped both his storytelling and his perspective on life.

Together we explore what it means to keep growing, embrace curiosity, redefine success, and discover new purpose through every season of life.

Whether you're dreaming about your next journey, considering a new creative path, or wondering if it's ever too late to begin again, this conversation is a reminder that the best chapters are sometimes the ones we never saw coming.

A must listen!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Travel has the power to change us. But what if it could also help change the world for the better?

On this episode of Speaking of Travel, join Jared Sternberg, founder and CEO of Gondwana Ecotours, for a thoughtful conversation about what it really means to travel with purpose. Jared shares how an unexpected journey took him from law school and backpacking adventures to building an international ecotourism company, challenging the idea that travel is simply about seeing new places.

Together we explore how every trip we take leaves an impact and why the communities we visit should benefit from our presence. Jared invites us to think differently about travel, not just as something we experience, but as something that can strengthen communities and inspire positive change.

This episode is an invitation to look beyond the itinerary and consider a bigger question: What kind of traveler do we want to be?

"Travel isn't just about where you go. It's about recognizing that your presence has an impact and choosing to leave people and places better because you were there."

Join us for a conversation that may forever change the way you see the world and your place in it.

Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Some conversations feel like catching up with an old friend. And that's exactly what it was like welcoming Katie Cole back to Speaking of Travel.

Katie is not only a remarkable singer-songwriter, she's one of the kindest, most genuine people you'll ever meet. From her years touring with the Smashing Pumpkins to performing the iconic music of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit before audiences around the world, she's inspired countless people through both her extraordinary talent and her generous spirit.

In this episode, Katie shares the deeply personal journey behind her upcoming album, FOREST,a collection of songs shaped by love, loss, healing, and discovering who we become after life changes us.

Her honesty is inspiring and her music stays with you long after the last note. Katie's story is a beautiful reminder that even through life's hardest seasons, hope is never far away.

"Healing isn't about finding your way back to who you were. It's about learning to love the person you've become."

A must listen! 🎧🎸🎹

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

The world teaches us how to move forward, but it rarely teaches us how to heal. But healing may be one of the most courageous adventures we ever undertake.

On this deeply human episode of Speaking of Travel, meet Anthony Dyer, whose extraordinary journey from military service to healing is a powerful reminder that our most important journeys are often the ones no one else can see.

Originally from Sylva, North Carolina, Anthony spent more than a decade flying high-risk missions around the world, where split-second decisions could mean the difference between life and death.

His extraordinary service earned him multiple honors, including the Air Force's prestigious Jolly Green Rescue Mission of the Year in 2018. But Anthony's most important journey began after the missions ended.

Drawing from his memoir, Moon Child, Anthony shares the invisible challenges many veterans carry long after returning home, from trauma, PTSD, addiction, isolation, to the difficult process of rebuilding an identity beyond military service. Together we explore how true strength isn't found in carrying pain alone but in allowing ourselves to heal.

Whether you're a veteran, someone navigating your own challenges, or simply seeking inspiration, Anthony's story is a powerful reminder that even after our darkest moments, there is always a path forward.

Some stories change the way we see the world. Others change the way we see ourselves. This conversation with Anthony Dyer may do both.

Tune in...

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

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What happens when a love of food becomes a passport to the world? On this episode of Speaking of Travel, we're joined by Liisa Andreassen and John Godts, the husband-and-wife team behind Cottage Cooking, whose adventures have taken them across six continents and more than 40 countries.

What began as a creative way to fund their travels has evolved into a meaningful journey centered on food, storytelling, cultural exchange, and human connection. John and Liisa have discovered that food is one of the world's most universal languages.

In this conversation, we explore how travel has expanded their perspective and inspired them to create experiences that bring people together. We discuss the ways curiosity can lead us beyond our comfort zones and how some of life's most memorable moments happen when we slow down and truly connect around a table.

At its heart, this conversation is about connection. It's about saying yes to new experiences and embracing the unfamiliar. Liisa and John show us how some of the most meaningful moments in life happen when we gather around a table and listen with an open heart.

And allow ourselves to be transformed by the journey.

A must listen!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Some journeys change the way we see the world. On this episode of Speaking of Travel, we're setting sail along the coast of Maine with Justin Schaefer and Jocelyn Schmidt, owners and captains of the historic Schooner J. & E. Riggin.

Together they've created an experience where the wind sets the pace and the sea shapes each day. And how the simple moments become the memories that stay with us long after the journey ends.

As proud members of the Maine Windjammer Association, Justin and Jocelyn are helping preserve a treasured maritime tradition while inviting travelers to reconnect with a slower, more meaningful way of exploring the world.

Sustainability is woven into every voyage, from traveling under sail to supporting local communities and celebrating the natural beauty of Maine's coast. And we also talk about one of the highlights guests never forget... the food. As the schooner's chef, Jocelyn crafts memorable meals inspired by locally sourced ingredients.

Whether you've always dreamed of sailing the Maine coast or simply find yourself longing for a different rhythm of life, this episode is a reminder that some of the most meaningful adventures aren't measured by how far we travel, but rather by how deeply we connect with a place and with ourselves.

"There's nothing quite like that moment when the wind fills the sails and everything else simply falls away."

Join us and discover why sometimes the best way to move forward is to let the wind lead the way.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

What if time isn't something to chase, but something to experience?

In a world that constantly urges us to move faster, do more, and keep up, this conversation with Ryan Enslin offers a different perspective. A gentler one.

As a journalist and photographer from Johannesburg, South Africa, Ryan has learned that some places seem to exist outside the pace of modern life. One of those places is St Helena Island, a remote island in the South Atlantic that has profoundly shaped the way he thinks about time and presence. And what it means to truly pay attention.

In this inspiring episode of Speaking of Travel, Ryan shares how travel can become much more than a journey to a destination. Together we explore the remarkable story of St Helena Island while reflecting on self-discovery, resilience, curiosity, and the importance of living with intention in a fast-moving world.

Ryan's experiences remind us that meaningful travel isn't measured by the number of places we visit, but by our willingness to be present for the moments that change us.

"When the distractions fall away, you begin to realize time isn't passing you by. You're finally present for it."

If you've been searching for perspective or simply a conversation that nourishes the soul, this episode is a beautiful reminder that some places can change our relationship with time, not because the clock moves differently, but because we do. 💕

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Some places do not ask for your attention. They change you quietly.

You arrive carrying noise, deadlines, distractions and the weight of everyday life. And then somewhere between the trees, the silence, the air itself, something begins to soften. You remember there is another way to live in the world. More connected. More awake. More human.

This episode of Speaking of Travel lives inside that feeling.

What unfolds here is more than a discussion about nature or stewardship. It is a reflection on presence, on caring deeply for the land and for one another, and on the quiet power of creating spaces where people can reconnect to something larger than themselves.

Drake Fowler, Executive Director of The North Carolina Arboretum, brings a rare kind of humanity to this conversation... thoughtful, grounded, compassionate, and deeply aware of the relationship between the natural world and the human spirit. You can hear the sincerity in his story and feel the intention behind the work being done.

At the heart of this episode is a sacred connection and understanding that nature is not separate from us, but essential to who we are as human beings. Through stories, reflections, and insight, we explore the ways wild spaces can restore us and reconnect us to ourselves and to each other.

This conversation is filled with authenticity and quiet wisdom and reminds us that places created with intention and care can become sanctuaries where people feel seen and are welcomed.

Through education, conservation, and community connection, the NC Arboretum is a place where nature and humanity meet in meaningful ways. This is a beautiful and heartfelt conversation that will leave you inspired and comforted.

And perhaps seeing the world a little differently. ❤️

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Some conversations stay with you because of what a person has accomplished. Others stay with you because of who that person became along the way. Internationally acclaimed bassoonist Frank Morelli is both. His story is about far more than music. It’s about what happens when a lifetime of dedication shapes not only an artist, but a human being.

There’s something deeply moving about a person who spends a lifetime devoted to music and still meets the world with humility and a genuine sense of wonder. In this heartfelt episode of Speaking of Travel, Frank reflects on the deeper journey behind a life in music and the ways it shaped not only his career, but his understanding of purpose and gratitude.

For more than 60 years, Frank’s path has carried him around the world, from concert halls and international performances to decades spent mentoring and encouraging young musicians. Yet what stands out most is not simply his remarkable career, but the kindness and sincerity he brings to every part of his life.

There is a gentleness in Frank that immediately puts people at ease. Even after years of recognition and accomplishment, he remains deeply grateful for the experiences music has given him. His love for teaching shines throughout this episode, along with his belief that music can open hearts and create connection in ways few things can.

This conversation moves beyond performance and into something far more human. It becomes a reflection on what happens when someone continues evolving through every season of life.

“The longer I’ve lived with music, the less it feels like performance and the more it feels like gratitude.”

Frank Morelli continues to inspire not only through his artistry, but through the quiet grace and humanity he brings to the world around him. 💕

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

There’s something deeper unfolding at the Asheville Regional Airport and you can feel it the moment you step into this conversation with Angi Daus, VP of Air Service and Corporate Communications.

This isn’t surface-level support. It’s a lived commitment to Western North Carolina, shaped through real relationships and a genuine presence in the community that shows up in how they collaborate and how they listen. And how they continue to grow alongside the people and businesses around them.

As the airport continues through a major expansion and transformation, Angi shares how every step forward is being approached with intention. It’s not simply about building for today’s demand. They're creating an airport experience that reflects the future of the region while staying connected to the people who make this community so special.

What really stays with you is how much they care about their partners and the steady focus on creating opportunity that reaches beyond the airport itself and into the lives of the people who call this place home.

As Angi shares, “This community is at the heart of everything we do. When we grow, we’re growing together. And that’s what matters most.”

This episode of Speaking of Travel opens the door to something bigger than travel. This is about connection that feels real and leadership that stays grounded. It’s about what becomes possible when people show up for each other in a meaningful way. ❤️

A must listen!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

There’s a moment in travel, maybe you’ve felt it, when everything shifts. The view is stunning, but that’s not what stays with you. It’s the feeling. A quiet awakening that expands the world in front of you while something inside you expands, too.

On this episode of Speaking of Travel, we step into that space where travel stops being about the plan and becomes a way of seeing and living. It becomes a way of loving the world with more courage and intention.

Tenon Tours founder Bryan Lewis understands that shift in a deeply personal way. His story didn’t start with meaning but rather with movement. College trips filled with energy and spontaneity. Sun-soaked beaches and fast-paced adventure. Travel as escape. Travel as fun. Until it became something more.

A transformative experience in France opened a deeper way of seeing. Then came a journey that changed everything... traveling to Russia to adopt two of his children. Not as a visitor, but as a father stepping into uncertainty, emotion, and connection that needed no translation.

Those moments didn’t just shape his life, they shaped his purpose.

What if travel could do more than show us the world? What if it could soften us and stretch us? What if it could challenge us in ways that bring us closer to each other and to ourselves?

This conversation lives in that possibility. It’s about letting go of the checklist and choosing connection. It’s about releasing the need for perfection and embracing presence. It’s about stepping beyond certainty and staying open to curiosity.

In Bryan's words, "The most powerful journeys aren’t measured. They’re felt in the moments that change how you see everything."

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

On this episode of Speaking of Travel, we move beyond destinations and into something deeply human... food as a living expression of memory, identity, and belonging. Chef Nathan Davis shares his story shaped by the land, where hunting, fishing, and foraging were not choices, but teachings guiding him to understand food as relationship, responsibility, and respect.

With formal training from Le Cordon Bleu, Nathan learned the language of technique. But it is his return to Indigenous foodways that gives his work meaning. His journey is one of integration, where tradition and innovation don’t compete, but inform one another. Through food, he is reclaiming culture, preserving knowledge, and creating space for stories that have always been there.

Beyond the plate, his work with the American Indian College Fund reflects a deeper purpose expanding access to education and opportunity for Indigenous communities. Because when one person gains access, it doesn’t stop there. It becomes a ripple across generations.

This conversation invites us to consider food not just as something we consume, but something that connects us to land, to history, and to each other. It reminds us that when we gather around a table with intention, we’re not just sharing a meal, we’re restoring relationship.

As Nathan so beautifully says, “Food isn’t just what we eat. It’s who we are, where we come from, and how we remember.”

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

In a time shaped by rapid change and constant headlines, this conversation invites us to pause, to listen, and to look beyond perception into lived experience.

My guest, Rihab Abouzaki, is an advertising strategist and Director of This N That Communications. She works at the intersection of culture, business, and global storytelling. Moving between the United States and the Gulf region, she brings a perspective rooted not just in strategy, but in humanity.

Together we explore the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), made up of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman, a region often viewed from a distance, yet deeply layered and evolving.

We talk about what daily life actually feels like right now. About safety, continuity, and the quiet resilience found in ordinary moments, with good people going to work, families gathering, and communities caring for one another even while living near uncertainty.

We also step into the spirit of the UAE through places like Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Dubai Frame, and the Museum of the Future, spaces that reflect both imagination and identity, honoring tradition while leaning boldly into what’s next.

This conversation moves beyond headlines into something more human. It’s about perception and reality, about connection in times of tension, and about the small, meaningful ways people continue to show up for one another.

It’s a reminder that travel can be more than movement and become an understanding, a bridge between worlds, and a way of seeing each other more clearly.

A must listen!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

There’s something quietly extraordinary unfolding in Italy, inside museums, churches, and hidden archives where history has long rested in silence.

For centuries, luminous works of art created by women were tucked away, overlooked, or forgotten. Not because they lacked brilliance, but because their stories were never fully told. And still, they remained, waiting, holding their place in time.

Today, that silence is beginning to lift.

In this episode of Speaking of Travel,we’re joined by Jane Adams, co-founder and CEO of Artemisia Gold, and Susan Glimcher, whose work is helping to gently return these artists, and their voices, back into the world.

As Jane shares, “It feels less like discovering something new, and more like listening… as if these women have been speaking all along, and we are finally quiet enough to hear them.”

Together, they reflect on the beauty and emotion of restoration, not just of paintings, but of presence. Of stories re-emerging. We also explore the enduring legacy of Artemisia Gentileschi, whose life and work continue to resonate so deeply today, reminding us of the strength and resilience of women throughout history.

This is more than art. It’s a return. A remembering. A quiet but undeniable shift in how we see, and who we choose to see, when we look at history. And now, as this movement grows, Italy opens its doors and invites you to step into these stories and witness history alive again.

Ciao! Ciao!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Sometimes it’s not one big moment that shapes us, but a series of experiences that quietly stay, like traveling far from home at a young age, listening to stories passed down at the kitchen table, beginning to understand that where we come from carries more meaning over time.

In this episode, I’m joined by Yoon Kim, a journalist, storyteller, and event producer whose work is grounded in curiosity and connection. His path has taken him across cultures and continents, but what stands out most is how he listens for the nuance, the history, and the humanity inside every story.

We talk about his early travels with his father to places that felt both distant and eye-opening, and how those experiences shaped not just his worldview, but the kinds of questions he asks today in his journalism. There’s a depth to the way Yoon approaches storytelling, a sense that the real story is often just beneath the surface.

At the center of our conversation are his grandparents and their work with the White Lamb textile factory, where fleeced cotton was first commercialized in the 50's. What begins as a story about innovation unfolds into a reflection on resilience, creativity, and the quiet influence of a life lived with purpose.

Yoon also leads the Outdoor Media Summit, a gathering that brings together journalists, creators, and brands in the outdoor industry. We explore how his work in the industry continues to evolve, and why creating space for meaningful storytelling feels more important than ever.

This is a conversation about paying attention to the stories that shape us, and recognizing their value while we’re still close enough to hold onto them.

Only on Speaking of Travel!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Some journeys don’t begin with a plan. Some just begin with a song, a street corner, a moment that simply says go.

In this episode of Speaking of Travel, Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show, shares a life shaped by following the music and trusting where it leads. What stays with you isn’t just the story of the road. It's more the way he moves through the world.

From busking days to the guidance of Doc Watson and the deep roots of MerleFest, this conversation opens into something more personal. Ketch speaks to honoring tradition while letting it breathe. Listening closely and remembering that music isn’t ours to own, but ours to carry and hold with care.

There’s a steadiness in him. A generosity. A belief that art can hold people together in ways nothing else quite can.

And when he says, “When you go into the tent, magical things happen,” you feel what he means. It’s that shared space where people come as they are and leave a little more connected. Where something simple becomes meaningful because we experience it together.

This one lingers.

It reminds us the world feels better when we show up open and when we let the music lead.

A must listen! Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

What if the way we travel could actually help restore the planet instead of slowly wearing it down? On this episode ofSpeaking of Travel, we explore how every choice we make, where we go, how we move, where we stay, and how we show up, creates a lasting impact. Travel today is no longer just about seeing the world. Each of us has a responsibility to care for it and protect it. And we must become more conscious of the footprint we leave behind.

Join me in welcoming back Richard Crawford (Ricky), creator of Leave No Trace TV, whose work sits at the intersection of adventure, conservation, and responsible travel.

Through his experiences around the world, Ricky shares what it really means to “leave no trace," not just as an outdoor ethic, but as a mindset and way of living. Together we talk about the difference between tourism that gives back and tourism that takes, how to recognize authentic sustainability, and why slowing down may be one of the most powerful ways to travel more intentionally.

We also dive into the real changes happening across the planet, from environmental shifts to the growing responsibility of travelers and storytellers alike.

If you’ve ever wondered how your travels can create something meaningful, this conversation is a great place to begin. It’s about moving through the world with awareness and realizing that every choice we make along the way carries weight.

A must listen! 🎧

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Today’s Speaking of Travel episode is a heartfelt reminder that the spirit of travel doesn’t fade, but rather deepens, shifting, growing, and finding new meaning with every chapter.

Cary Lowe and his wife Trish share the remarkable story of a life shaped by exploration, where each journey has strengthened their bond and expanded their connection to the world, as beautifully captured in his book On Two Legs and Three Wheels.

What began as a kindred love of adventure grew into something far more meaningful over time, a beautiful testament to what’s possible when you keep saying yes to life.

When Trish was diagnosed with MS, their path shifted, but it never stopped. With resilience, creativity, and unwavering determination, they found new ways to keep moving forward, navigating the world with a mobility scooter and an open heart.

Cary also captures this journey in his book, offering an honest and uplifting look at the realities of traveling with a disability. filled with hard-earned wisdom, practical insights, and the kind of perspective that can change how you see what’s possible.

This conversation is an invitation to travel differently, to embrace what is, and to trust that joy is still out there waiting. Because no matter where you are in life, the journey is never over and the world is still calling.

Tune in! Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Welcome to the island of Madagascar, a place that feels both distant and deeply connected to the rest of the world. Through the lens of food, culture, and community, guest Emmanuel Laroche invites us to look beyond familiar ingredients and discover the stories, people, and landscapes that shape them. Born in France and now based in New Jersey, he has spent years exploring the world through taste, reminding us that every dish carries a history, and every ingredient holds a human story.

In his newest book, A Taste of Madagascar, Emmanuel explores the island’s remarkable food traditions, the farmers who grow its ingredients, and the deep cultural connections that food creates.

From the fragrant vanilla fields to the everyday meals shared among families and farmers, this conversation reveals how food connects us across continents, cultures, and experiences. Emmanuel reflects on how working with local communities transformed his understanding of resilience, sustainability, and the responsibility we all share as global consumers.

As we talk about flavor, farming, and the future of food, we’re reminded that the simple act of gathering around a table can dissolve barriers and create space for compassion and understanding.

“When you know the story behind what’s on your plate, every bite becomes a connection.”

Join us for a heartfelt journey that reminds us that travel is how we open our hearts to the people, traditions, and wisdom we meet along the way.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

In a world that rarely pauses, this episode of Speaking of Travel is an invitation to breathe. To slow down. To remember that wonder still lives just outside our door and within our own hearts.

Meet Sue Wasserman, Travel and Tourism Director for Explore Burnsville, NC, a writer, nature photographer, devoted critter sitter, and a self-described general meanderer who knows how to pause for life’s most beautiful moments.

Sue’s life has been shaped by the rhythms and quiet wisdom of Southern Appalachia, the hush of forest trails, the courage of wildflowers blooming in unlikely places, the stillness that teaches us how to truly be present. Her story isn't about rushing toward a destination. It's about honoring the space between.

At the heart of our conversation is the gentle truth that creativity, healing, and self-discovery often begin the moment we give ourselves permission to pause.

Sue shares how embracing her creative spirit, sparked by a transformative studio tour experience, shifted something deep within her. What began as admiration became ownership. What once felt like admiration of others’ gifts became a claiming of her own.

She reminds us that nature doesn’t lecture. It simply models resilience, patience, and grace. Trails don’t hurry. Seasons don’t force. Wildflowers bloom when they’re ready.

And maybe we can too. Sue’s presence is a soft but powerful reminder that travel is certainly about going somewhere new, but it’s also about coming home to ourselves.

As she so beautifully says, “When I slow down enough to notice the light on a leaf or the way a trail curves out of sight, I remember that life invites me to pay attention and not rush."

This is a conversation about presence. About wonder. About saying yes to unexpected opportunities. About remembering what truly matters.

If you’ve been feeling hurried, scattered, or unsure of your next step, this episode is your permission slip to slow down and trust that the path is unfolding exactly as it should.

Tune in!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

What if the greatest stories on Earth aren’t written in the sky but carved in stone beneath our feet? On this illuminating episode of Speaking of Travel, we shine a light on the extraordinary underground ecosystems that hold the living history of our planet.

My guest is David Foster, President and CEO of the American Cave Conservation Association and steward of Hidden River Cave in Kentucky.

Once considered one of the most polluted caves in the United States, Hidden River Cave is now a powerful symbol of restoration and hope. More than 40 years of scientific effort, community collaboration, and unwavering commitment transformed a damaged ecosystem into a conservation success story.

Located within the watershed of Mammoth Cave International Biosphere Reserve, its recovery reminds us that protecting one place can ripple far beyond what we see.

In this engaging conversation, David shares why the ACCA chose to go where the problem was, what it truly takes to repair decades of environmental harm, and how working in spaces shaped over millions of years changes the way we think about time, patience, and responsibility.

“This is a happy cave today because people care. When you do good things for the world, karma rewards you. And we’re an organization that really cares.”

And maybe that’s the heart of it. When we care deeply enough, even the unseen parts of our world can heal. Sometimes the greatest journeys aren’t across oceans, but into the quiet places beneath our feet, reminding us that care, patience, and community can truly change the world.

Because in the end, protecting what’s hidden may be one of the most important journeys we ever take. 🧡

A must listen!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Travel has a way of waking us up and inviting us to slow down, breathe more deeply, and reconnect with what truly makes us feel alive. In this episode of Speaking of Travel, we welcome Nancy De Losa, Co-Founder of A’qto Italian Cycling Tours, whose work beautifully blends cycling, culture, community, and mindful travel across Italy.

Nancy shares how exploring Italy by bike becomes far more than a physical experience. Moving through landscapes at a human pace encourages presence, clarity, and a powerful mind-body connection, while the gentle rhythm of the journey naturally reduces stress and opens space for reflection, joy, and personal growth. Riding becomes a form of meditation and a chance to feel each moment rather than rush through it.

Beyond the ride, travelers discover the deeper wellness woven into everyday Italian life, like gathering in the piazza, sharing long meals and local wines, enjoying aperitivo, and connecting with people and place in meaningful ways. These simple rituals remind us that wellbeing is not only about activity, but about finding balance in movement and rest, nourishment and connection, adventure and presence.

This heartfelt conversation explores how slowing down, traveling with intention, and embracing the Italian way of living can transform a trip into a journey that helps us feel grounded, renewed, and more fully ourselves.

A must listen. Especially for all you Italy dreamers!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

What if listening deeply could carry us across centuries?

In this Speaking of Travel episode, cellist Louise Dubin invites us into a world where travel, music, and historical discovery intertwine, reminding us that the most meaningful journeys reconnect us with voices nearly forgotten. Performing across solo, chamber, orchestral, and Broadway stages, including Radio City, Louise brings audiences beyond the concert hall, uncovering hidden musical treasures and restoring them to life with remarkable care and passion.

Her recordings, including The Franchomme Project and Passages, grew from years of research and travel, especially in France, where she followed the footsteps of 19th-century composers whose works had slipped from the repertoire. Through her work, Louise shows us that curiosity is a devotion, honoring the artists who came before us and ensuring their music continues to breathe.

“Travel teaches us to listen differently. When we step into the places where music was created, the notes begin to feel less like history and more like conversation.”

In our conversation, Louise reflects on falling in love with the cello, the responsibility of recording works never before heard, and the discoveries that shaped her journey abroad. Together, we explore how music becomes a living conversation across time, memory, and human connection.

This is a story about listening with the heart and remembering that every rediscovered note brings the past beautifully into the present.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Some people take trips.Evlyn Mondo built an entirely new life through travel.

Her journey from science labs and academic classrooms in Quebec to leading a luxury villa in Barbados is a story of reinvention guided by courage, intuition, and heart. As CEO and Managing Director of Villa Casablanca at Sandy Lane, Evlyn is redefining what luxury truly means by shifting the focus from opulence to connection, sustainability, and experiences that stay with people long after they return home.

Drawing from her perspective as both traveler and host, Evlyn curates stays that feel deeply personal and emotionally meaningful. She shares how thoughtful details, cultural immersion, private chef experiences, and eco-conscious practices come together to create space for guests to slow down, celebrate life’s milestones, and reconnect with themselves and each other.

“Luxury isn’t about excess,” Evlyn says. “It’s about presence and creating space for people to reconnect with themselves, with each other, and with the place they’re in.”

Her story goes beyond hospitality. Evlyn shares stories about identity, bravery, leadership, and the choice to design a life aligned with purpose. She reminds us that reinvention isn’t about losing who we were, but expanding into who we’re meant to become.

A must listen! Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

We often think of travel as moving across maps with new cities, new landscapes, new horizons. But the most profound journeys happen in ways you cannot trace on a globe. They happen through music. Through sound. Through the stories hidden in every note.

Pianist Terry Eder lives life and art emboding this idea. Her performances have taken her from Carnegie Hall to Alice Tully Hall and beyond, but she doesn’t just play music, she inhabits it. Every piece she touches carries history, culture, memory, and emotion. Her devotion to Hungarian twentieth-century composers even led her to live in Hungary behind the Iron Curtain, immersing herself in a world that shaped the very music she performs today.

“To truly play the music you must understand the people who lived it.”

In this conversation on Speaking of Travel, Terry shares what it means to select a program like a journey, how music can bridge cultures, and why a piano recital is storytelling, connection, and remembrance. We explore vulnerability, identity, memory, and how audiences often feel the depth of a piece even without knowing its history.

We also trace Terry’s beginnings in Detroit, the moment she realized music was her calling, and the ways her life practicing law and performing music intertwined to deepen her artistry.

Through teaching, curating, and founding the Key Pianists series, she continues to guide new listeners and seasoned audiences alike toward a deeper understanding of sound, culture, and human emotion.

This episode is about music as a journey, sound as story, and the way one life devoted to music can illuminate places, histories, and hearts far beyond the stage. Terry guides and shares the spaces where memory, culture, and melody meet the light between the notes.

A must listen!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) stands out because it understands its role as more than a transportation hub and more like an active member of the Western North Carolina community it serves. AVL is intentionally doing the work to ensure that its customers are, quite literally, served by their neighbors.

The team at AVL operates as a community within a community, grounded in shared purpose, mutual respect, and a deep understanding of place. This commitment shows up in how service is delivered: thoughtful, steady, and human. It’s customer service is designed to reflect local values while meeting the real operational demands of a growing airport.

From a business perspective, this approach matters. By investing in its people and cultivating a culture of internal care, AVL creates sustainable service that holds up under pressure, builds trust with travelers and partners, and supports long-term growth. This is not accidental. It’s strategic.

AVL demonstrates how purpose-driven leadership, community alignment, and operational excellence can reinforce one another. It’s why this airport deserves attention, not just admiration. AVL offers a model worth studying for anyone interested in the future of customer service, workforce sustainability, and how infrastructure can truly serve the people who call a place home.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Meet Karen Urosevich, founder of Well Placed Travel, where she helps people discover the places that bring them purpose, peace, and joy. After a 20+ year career leading global design and development projects, Karen followed her calling, and her own wanderlust, to help others explore the world in ways that transform, restore, and inspire.

With nearly 40 countries explored and certifications in yoga and Reiki, she blends culture, wellness, and thoughtful planning into journeys that protect your time, your investment, and your sense of wonder.

In this episode of Speaking of Travel, Karen gets real about shedding old identities, navigating grief and reinvention, and how travel became a mirror for self-discovery. She shares the birth of Well Placed Travel, the challenges and rewards of helping people find their place, and the deeper truths behind what we think we want from travel versus what we truly crave.

Whether you’re chasing restoration, adventure, or clarity, Karen’s insights will make you see travel, and yourself, in a whole new way.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Step into the world of David Belmont and you’ll find yourself somewhere between a jazz riff, a poetry line, and a road trip that definitely skipped the exit ramp. David is a lifelong musician, writer, mixed-media artist, and a certified original, the kind of counter-culture cool you don’t try to manufacture. He’s effortlessly hip, wildly curious, and just mischievous enough to make life more interesting.

On this episode of Speaking of Travel, David takes us on a joyride through a life lived off-script. From seeing America for the first time through a car window to accidentally landing in a secret Mardi Gras parade, from a double rainbow over a Scottish loch to jamming on a Trinidad beach, sharing songs with strangers in Jamaica, joining a Balinese funeral, or trading musical conversations on the Yangtze River, this is a life powered by curiosity, connection, and a refusal to stay in one lane.

The conversation is funny, soulful, and delightfully unpredictable, just like David himself. It’s about listening closely to the world, riffing with it, marching to its weird little rhythms, and trusting that the best moments usually happen when plans fall apart. This is travel as improvisation. In other words equal parts art, rebellion, and heart.

By the end, you’ll feel like you’ve wandered alongside him, laughing at the beautiful chaos of it all, catching glimpses of hidden magic, and feeling the itch to shake things up in your own life.

David quietly reminds us that the coolest way to move through the world is with curiosity, compassion, and a little funk, weaving music, kindness, and community into every space, and proving that real change starts by listening and showing up as your most authentic self.

Only on Speaking of Travel! Stay tuned!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

This episode of Speaking ofTravel opens the door to a new year with intention, warmth, and deep joy as we welcome the extraordinary David LaMotte, songwriter, speaker, peace builder, author, and quiet force for good in the world.

Being with David feels like stepping onto a peaceful back porch at sunrise, shoulders soften, the air feels clearer, and you’re reminded that kindness still has a strong pulse in the world. His life’s work spans five continents and more than three decades of music, storytelling, and peace building, yet he carries his experiences with humility, humor, and an easy grace that makes our conversation feel personal and alive.

David shares how early international travel shaped his sense of belonging, from church youth trips to Mexico and Haiti, to a transformative semester abroad in Paris, where busking and backpacking helped him discover who he was when everything familiar fell away.

Throughout the conversation, David reflects on what travel teaches us about ourselves, how music and silence both carry wisdom, and why peace is not a distant ideal but a daily practice rooted in listening, presence, and love. He speaks how meaningful connection, between people, cultures, and landscapes, can gently change the way we live.

This is an episode about becoming more fully human. About curiosity instead of certainty. About growing in ways that don’t demand perfection but invite awareness. David reminds us that healing can be subtle, that gentleness is powerful, and that joy often arrives quietly when we’re paying attention.

Settle in, breathe a little deeper, and allow this conversation to meet you where you are. This is Speaking of Travel at its most intimate and an invitation to listen, reflect, and step into the year ahead with an open heart.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Travel is often pictured as excitement, new sights, and adventure. But for many, it can feel overwhelming, exhausting, or even impossible before a trip begins. For individuals navigating ADHD, anxiety, autism, or learning differences, the unfamiliar sounds, routines, and expectations of travel can make even the simplest journey feel heavy.

And yet, these truths are rarely spoken with honesty, empathy, or care. In this deeply moving episode of Speaking of Travel, we sit down with Dr. Andrew Kahn, licensed psychologist, Associate Director at Understood.org, and a national voice on mental health and neurodiversity. Dr. Kahn brings more than 25 years of professional experience, along with his own lived experience as someone with learning and thinking differences.

The result is a conversation that is both profoundly human and deeply practical, full of insight, compassion, and wisdom for travelers of all kinds. Dr. Kahn reminds us that preparation is an act of love for ourselves and for those we care about. He shares stories of patience and understanding that ripple outward, turning moments of stress into experiences of connection, growth, and joy.

This conversation is an invitation to travel differently, not faster, not farther, but more gently. It’s about creating space for empathy, for self-compassion, and for recognizing the courage it takes to step into the world when it feels unpredictable or challenging.

Only on Speaking of Travel! Tune in.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

On this powerful episode of Speaking of Travel, we welcome Christopher Hill, founder of Hands Up Holidays and Impact Destinations, two visionary luxury travel companies transforming the way we explore the world and our place within it. This conversation goes beyond destinations and indulgence, shining a light on what’s possible when travel is rooted in purpose, connection, and responsibility.

Joining us from his home in New Zealand, Chris reflects on a single, spontaneous volunteer experience that forever changed his life. What began as an unexpected moment of service became a profound awakening, revealing how deeply human connection, cultural respect, and intentional action can reshape not only communities, but the traveler as well.

That defining experience sparked a mission to reimagine travel as a platform for positive change. Through thoughtfully designed eco-luxury volunteer journeys, Christopher’s work empowers travelers to engage meaningfully with local communities, support sustainable initiatives, and experience the world in a way that honors people, place, and planet.

These are journeys that go beyond sightseeing, inviting travelers to listen, learn, and contribute in ways that are ethical, impactful, and deeply personal.

If you believe travel should enrich lives, protect cultures, and leave a positive legacy behind, this episode will resonate deeply.

Tune in and discover how travel, when done with intention, has the power to transform the world, one journey at a time. Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Elizabeth Birkelund is not just a novelist and journalist. She’s a traveler of landscapes, both worldly and emotional, and a gifted listener to the human heart. Her newest book, A Northern Light in Provence, sweeps us from the crystalline silence of Greenland’s ice fields to the golden, lavender-scented slopes of Provence.

With her unmistakable tenderness and immersive storytelling, she reminds us how profoundly place can shape our imaginations, our choices, and our inner lives. Drawing on her own adventures, from the raw, rugged beauty of the Arctic Circle to the quiet, contemplative corners of rural France, Elizabeth writes with the authenticity of someone who has breathed these worlds in.

In this episode, she invites us behind the scenes of her creative life: what it’s like to research remote settlements at the edge of the map, how she absorbs the slow, sunlit rhythms of Provence, and why stepping outside familiar boundaries can spark the most unexpected insights.

With wit, wonder, and a generosity of spirit, Elizabeth reflects on how landscapes mirror our private truths, how displacement can open doors we didn’t know were locked, and how surrendering control in the creative process can make a story sing with honesty.

For anyone who loves travel, transformation, and the quiet magic of being reshaped by the world, this conversation with Elizabeth Birkelund is a luminous journey and one you won’t want to miss.

Only on Speaking of Travel!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Jonny Wright isn’t your typical wanderer. He didn’t torch his old life or sprint toward the horizon in a fit of cinematic rebellion. No doors were slammed. No bridges were burned. Just one quiet, existential moment staring at the ceiling thinking, “Is this it? Seriously? This… can’t be it.”

That tiny question sparked a very un-tiny adventure. Jonny packed a bag, stuck out a thumb, and stepped into the wild with more questions than socks and more curiosity than common sense. He wasn’t running away from life; he was running into it, unfiltered, unplanned, occasionally unshowered, and always wide awake.

In this episode, Jonny shares what unfolds when you trade certainty for serendipity and safety for strangeness. His stories are a reminder that the world gets a lot bigger, and your life gets a lot richer, when you stop trying to control every turn and let the road teach you something new.

A writer, musician, and audio storyteller with a background in music and cinema studies, Jonny follows questions more faithfully than career paths. And be sure to check out his podcast, Go And Find Out.

If you’ve ever felt the tug to break the script, color outside the lines, or simply see what happens when you stop knowing what happens next, this conversation will nudge you toward a little more courage, curiosity, and wonder, one step, one story, and one hitchhiked ride at a time.

Tune in. Only on Speaking of Travel!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

In a special return episode, we explore a journey of resilience, reinvention, and rediscovering joy.

Abigail Carter, a gifted writer and artist, faced unimaginable loss when she lost her husband in the 9/11 tragedy. For years, grief shaped her days but eventually a quiet inner voice whispered: It’s time to go.

Following that calling, Abigail left the familiar behind and settled in a charming château in the serene southwest of France. Amid rolling fields, sunflowers, and the gentle rhythm of rural life, she found space to heal and dream again.

This conversation is about moving forward, embracing fresh beginnings, and finding beauty in unexpected places.

Whether you’re longing for adventure, seeking healing, or simply craving inspiration, her story is a gentle reminder that life can bloom again, just sometimes in the most unexpected corners of the world.

Only on Speaking of Travel!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Strap in—slowly—and lift off into a sky full of wonder. In this magical episode of Speaking of Travel, beloved writer and adventurer Peter Egan returns to share the extraordinary tale of the 7,000-mile journey he and his wife Barbara made in 1987… at the dreamy, unhurried pace of 70 miles per hour.

Aboard their vintage Piper Cub, carrying just 20 pounds of luggage and an open-ended sense of curiosity, Peter and Barbara drifted above America like characters wandering through a living, breathing storybook.

Their flight path was a meandering ribbon, guiding them from one tiny town to the next, where each landing delivered surprise welcomes, quirky encounters, and the kind of small-town magic that only appears when you travel slowly enough to see it.

Peter reveals how flying low and lingering long reshaped his view of the country, from patchwork fields to hidden rivers to the serendipity of stumbling upon sleepy airstrips tucked behind barns and hedgerows. He reflects on how those quiet skies eventually evolved into his memoir, Landings in America, turning fleeting moments into lasting stories.

If you love vintage aircraft, soul-stirring landscapes, or the art of savoring the journey, this conversation is your boarding pass to enchantment.

Tune in, settle in, and let this gentle adventure remind you that sometimes the best way to explore the world… is to float through it slowly.

Let's Fly Away! Only on Speaking of Travel!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

In this episode of Speaking of Travel, brace yourself for a high-voltage deep dive into reinvention, resilience, and the raw power of storytelling. We’re joined by Peter Murphy Lewis, a global entrepreneur, magnetic storyteller, and creative catalyst who has built brands on multiple continents, led teams through chaos, and transformed collapse into pure momentum.

From building businesses across South America to running a thriving travel company and hosting a national TV show in Chile, Peter’s journey feels larger than life. He shows us that real leadership isn’t about control but more about curiosity, courage, and the audacity to create. Peter opens up about rebuilding after loss, reimagining what’s possible, and uncovering the soul behind every brand’s story.

If you’re an entrepreneur facing a pivot, a creative searching for deeper meaning, or a leader hungry to inspire your team through turbulent times, this conversation will challenge convention and spark fresh, fearless thinking.

An absolute must-listen. Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Our wellness is the heartbeat of our lives, the quiet rhythm that keeps us balanced, open, and whole. Yet in the rush of everyday living, we often forget to pause, to breathe, to simply be. There are sacred places in this world where we can return to ourselves, places that hold space for healing, reflection, and transformation.

High in the whispering Blue Ridge Mountains of Boone, North Carolina, the Art of Living Retreat Center awaits you, a sanctuary where the air feels lighter, time slows, and your spirit begins to exhale. Here, wellness becomes a journey of rediscovery through yoga, meditation, Ayurveda, and soulful connection with nature.

In this episode of Speaking of Travel, I’m joined by Kelsey Daniels, Workshop Sales & Partnership Specialist, who helps bring the retreat’s transformational teachers and wellness leaders together to create life-changing experiences. Together we explore how this mountain haven inspires renewal, community, and deep inner peace.

If your heart is calling for stillness, clarity, or a chance to reconnect with your true self, this conversation will remind you that transformation begins the moment you choose to listen.

A beautiful, restorative listen, only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Practical travel gear isn’t just stuff in a bag but really is peace of mind. It’s survival, resilience, and the quiet confidence of knowing, “I’ve got this,” whether you’re exploring the far corners of the globe or facing a disaster right at home. In a world where unexpected events can strike at any moment, being prepared isn’t just practical, it’s empowering.

In this episode of Speaking of Travel, we dive into the life skills, mindset, and tools that go beyond the checklist. We explore the deeper connection between preparation and core values, and how a passion for being ready can transform the way we live.

Dustin Hogard, Co-Founder of Wazoo, joins us to share his journey of pushing boundaries, embracing real experiences, and living a life with purpose. From sustainability and quality to customer support and the freedom that comes from stepping into the unknown, Dustin explains how Wazoo is on a mission to help people live prepared, capable, and free.

A must listen! Only on Speaking of Travel!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Speaking of Travel welcomes Leigh Barnes, the new President of the Americas for Intrepid Travel, a certified B Corp travel company on a mission to make travel a force for good. Leigh leads Intrepid’s fastest-growing U.S. market, bringing curiosity, compassion, and care for the planet to every adventure.

Leigh shares how his love of adventure shaped his career and leadership style and why responsible, small-group travel is more important than ever. From community-based tourism to climate-conscious trips, discover how Intrepid Travel is redefining what it means to explore the world with purpose while staying resilient and innovative.

Hear about how Intrepid’s short-break trips bring meaningful travel experiences by offering travelers meaningful ways to connect, learn, and give back, all while leaving a lighter footprint.

Tune in and get inspired to travel better, live lighter, and make every journey count. 🎧

A must listen! Only on Speaking of Travel!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

For over a decade, Speaking of Travel has been the place where we explore the heart of travel, connection, and community. And now we’re heading to the twin-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago to uncover how adventure, comfort, and sustainability can come together to create truly meaningful journeys.

Our guest, John Hadad, Group Co-CEO and Co-Founder of HADCO Group, is leading a movement through HADCO Experiences, one of the region’s newest eco-conscious destination management companies redefining how we think about travel.

With a bold mission to put nature first, HADCO Experiences is transforming the way we connect with place by honoring the natural world, uplifting communities, and creating opportunities for travelers to discover the breathtaking beauty of Trinidad and Tobago while protecting its fragile ecosystems.

From the revival of the legendary Asa Wright Nature Centre to redefining what regenerative tourism really means, John shares how comfort, adventure, and responsibility can exist in perfect harmony.

Come check this episode out! You will fall in love with the magic of this place!

Only on Speaking of Travel!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Airports are more than gateways and more like the heartbeats of their communities.

In this episode of Speaking of Travel, discover how the Asheville Regional Airport(AVL) is redefining what it means to connect people, place, and purpose.

With air travel soaring, AVL’s bold AVL Forward project is transforming the airport experience, more than doubling its space, introducing a fresh, modern design, and creating a safer, more calming environment that reflects the natural beauty and spirit of Western North Carolina.

Angi Daus, Vice President of Air Service and Corporate Communications, shares how innovation, intentional design, and genuine community connection are shaping AVL’s evolution and uplifting the entire region.

Angi sums it up beautifully. “Airports aren’t just places you pass through. They’re vital parts of the community fabric. At AVL, we’re growing with purpose, making sure every traveler feels that sense of belonging.”

This inspiring conversation uncovers how, when airports truly care, they become so much more than transit hubs andbecome trusted, transformative anchors of community life.

A must listen! Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

I’m excited to continue the Speaking of Travel + Leave No Trace TV series with Richard (Ricky) Crawford, host of the inspiring Amazon Prime TV series Leave No Trace TV, along with Ben Alcott, the show’s talented director and cameraman from Australia who brings his unique perspectives from behind the lens and shares reflections on how storytelling, patience, and a deep respect for place can open up transformative travel experiences.

In this episode, we step into the heart of mindful and intentional travel, discovering what it means to move through the world with awareness, respect, and purpose.

Ricky and Ben share exciting updates from Season Two of Leave No Trace TV and offer a rare behind-the-scenes look at Season Three filming in Mongolia, revealing the surprises, challenges, and unforgettable moments that come with capturing authentic stories on the road.

This episode will encourage you to view the world with fresh eyes, travel more thoughtfully, and embrace the adventure of leaving a positive impact wherever you go.

A must listen! Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

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Life doesn’t always follow the script we think it will. Sometimes, a single moment can shift everything and suddenly, you’re standing at a crossroads with a suitcase in one hand and your heart in the other, asking, what if?

That’s exactly the journey our guest, Julie Levin Caro, has embraced. After more than two decades as an art historian and professor, she stepped into a new chapter filled with creativity, beauty, and transformation. Now, as the creative force behind The Artisan Tour by Julianna, her joyful, artful alter ego. Julie blends her passions for art, travel, and transformation into unforgettable experiences in Asheville and Italy.

Julie’s story is heartfelt, inspiring, and a reminder that it’s never too late to rewrite your story, preferably with good wine, great company, and a view of the Umbrian hills.

Tune in! Only on Speaking of Travel!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

On this episode of Speaking of Travel, we're joined by Colin McBeath, President of the Nantahala Outdoor Center, to talk about the magic of the outdoors and the power of travel to connect us all.

With more than 30 years leading hospitality and resort operations around the world, Colin shares his heartfelt perspective on how tourism brings communities together, helps us recover and grow, and invites us to embrace adventure in our everyday lives.

We talk about the importance of partnerships, the evolving world of outdoor recreation, and the simple yet profound joy of stepping outside and experiencing nature. Colin’s stories remind us that travel and time outdoors aren’t just about destinations.

Spending time in nature with the people we love is one of life’s greatest gifts. Whether it’s a family hike, paddling a river, or simply sitting under the stars, these shared adventures create memories that last forever.

Tune in for an uplifting conversation full of insights and encouragement to live with a spirit of adventure along with a fresh perspective on travel, recreation, and the world around us.

Only on Speaking of Travel! Tune in.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Travel and tourism have always been about more than just places on a map. They are about connection, culture, and community.

On this episode of Speaking of Travel, I sit down with Justin Belleme, Publisher and Partnerships Manager at RomanticAsheville.com, to explore how tourism in Western North Carolina has evolved, adapted, and thrived in the face of change.

Justin’s journey is a story of full-circle dedication: from launching AshevilleNow.com, working with ExploreAsheville.com on its first viral campaign, running his own media company, to now leading RomanticAsheville.com full-time.

Justin also dives into the complex challenges of short-term rentals and affordable housing, sharing thoughtful insights on creating sustainable, authentic tourism experiences.

Whether you’re curious about Asheville or the future of travel, this episode is packed with inspiration, expertise, and a vision for tourism that truly benefits both visitors and locals.

A must listen! Only on Speaking of Travel!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Vietnam today is full of color, music, and energy and is a culture that welcomes travelers with open arms.

On this episode of Speaking of Travel, I’m joined by Steve Mueller, founder of Vespa Adventures, who turned his love for Vespas and travel into a business that shows visitors the real Vietnam.

Steve shares how he fell for the country, his passion for vintage scooters, and how Vespa Adventures helps travelers experience bustling markets, quiet backstreets, and coastal roads while connecting authentically with local people and culture.

Tune in to hear how a simple love for scooters and adventure became a bridge between cultures, revealing a vibrant, modern Vietnam beyond the guidebooks.

A must listen! Only on Speaking of Travel!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

On this episode ofSpeaking of Travel, we sit down with Rob Lee, co-founder of Swift Passport & Visa Services, to explore what strong, mindful leadership looks like in today’s fast-paced travel world.

Rob has built one of the leading companies in global travel logistics, and what sets him apart is his unique ability to combine business innovation with the grounding presence of a yoga teacher.

We dive into the evolving landscape of international travel, the ways global mobility can drive business growth, and how geopolitics continues to shape international business.

Beyond travel logistics, Rob shares the powerful role mindfulness plays in making thoughtful decisions and maintaining balance. He offers a refreshing perspective on harmonizing personal fulfillment with professional ambition, reminding us why clarity, compassion, and purpose are more important than ever.

Whether you’re a business leader, frequent traveler, or someone interested in mindful living, this episode is packed with insights to help you navigate the intersection of travel, leadership, and intentional living.

Only on Speaking of Travel. Listen here!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Meet Abdylla Geldiyev, founder of Undiscovered Frontiers Travel and a true testament to courage and perseverance. Born and raised in the vast Karakum Desert of Turkmenistan, Abdylla’s story is one of relentless determination to overcome barriers and forge a path to share the magic wonders of his homeland and other lesser-known destinations with the world.

Together we explore Turkmenistan’s dazzling and little-known treasures to the warmth of Turkmen hospitality. Abdylla breaks myths about visiting this off-the-beaten-path country, reveals stories of travelers whose brief visits turned into lifelong friendships, and reminds us how travel can bridge worlds and change lives.

Abdylla’s inspiring narrative reminds us that travel is more than sightseeing and more a bridge between worlds and a catalyst for profound change in the lives of both traveler and host. Hear how one person’s perseverance inspires us to see travel not just to explore, but to heal, connect, and change the world.

Only on Speaking of Travel! Tune in.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Welcome Shari Leid, a connection coach, friendship expert, and creator of Table For 51. A former litigator turned champion of belonging, Shari spent a year traveling to all 50 states, sharing a meal with 50 strangers.

What she discovered is simple yet profound: breaking bread isn’t just about food. It is about lowering walls, opening hearts, and finding common ground, even in a divided world.

From her earliest days in a cardboard box to building a table for connection, Shari’s journey is proof that belonging can be created one meal, one conversation, one courageous step at a time.

Along the way, she met people whose stories stayed with her and she shares these moments of love in hardship, wisdom in the everyday, and the reminder that people see what they’re looking for.

At a time when loneliness is at epidemic levels, her message is both urgent and up-lifting. You don't have to travel the country to make a difference. You can start with one invitation, one table, and the intention to connect.

Tune in. Only on Speaking of Travel!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Hawai‘i is unlike anywhere else and not just for its breathtaking beauty, but for the living spirit that moves through its people, its land, and its traditions. In Hawai’i, culture isn’t a performance, but rather the pulse of daily life.

On today’s episode, I’m deeply honored to welcome Ka’iʻini Aranaydo. Ka’iʻinioversees Kilohana, a groundbreaking and visionary partnership with the Hawai’i Tourism Authority and a multifaceted initiative reshaping what it means to travel responsibly in the islands and ensuring it is grounded in pono (righteousness), cultural integrity, and true connection.

Kilohana’s mission is to transform Hawai’i’s hospitality space through advocacy, cultural stewardship, tour guide certification, and visitor education. It’s about creating space for Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians) to lead, to thrive, and to welcome others into a deeper relationship with the islands.

In a place this sacred, being present is not enough. You’re invited to show up fully and to listen, to learn, and to uplift the places and people who welcome you in.

Join us for a heartfelt conversation about stewardship, story, and the spirit of Hawai’i.

Tune in! Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

On this episode of Speaking of Travel, we’re heading high into Colorado’s San Juan Mountains to uncover the charm and magic of Creede, a tiny town with a mighty story.

Once a booming silver mining camp, Creede has transformed into a cultural haven where creativity and adventure collide. At the center of it all is the Creede Repertory Theatre, a nationally renowned professional company that’s been telling powerful stories at 9,000 feet for 60 seasons.

From its humble beginnings to a vibrant repertory schedule that draws talent and audiences from across the country, the theatre is the heartbeat of this mountain community.

I’m joined by Kate Berry, Director of Marketing & Communications, and Emily Van Fleet, Artistic Director, to talk about Creede Rep’s origin story, its evolution, and how the arts continue to shape the town’s identity.

Creede offers a rare kind of magic that stays with you. Fill your days fly fishing, rafting or hiking and spend your nights immersed in compelling performances. There's something for everyone.

Creede is calling. Go there. See a show. Breathe the mountain air. Don't miss all Creede has to offer. You won’t forget it.

A must listen! Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

On this episode of Speaking of Travel, we’re joined by the wise and luminous Judith Valente, an award-winning journalist, poet, and author of The Italian Soul: How to Savor the Full Joys of Life. Judith brings us into the soulful rhythms of Italy, a place that taught her to live not faster, but deeper.

Drawing from her own transformation from the high-speed world of journalism to the stillness of contemplative life, Judith shares stories, insights, and practical wisdom for anyone yearning to slow down, savor life, and reconnect with what truly matters.

With the heart of a seeker and the grace of a storyteller, she invites us to discover the beauty of doing less and being more with Italian style and soul.

A must listen! Ciao Ciao!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

In this deeply personal and inspiring episode, we welcome Liza Graves, founder of StyleBlueprint and a beloved leader in the lifestyle space, for a rich conversation about how travel has quietly and powerfully shaped her life.

From the traditions she’s built with family, to the friendships that have deepened over shared adventures, and even the very fabric of her professional journey, travel has been a guiding force for Liza both outwardly and inwardly.

A true storyteller at heart and a curious soul by nature, Liza has built a career around connection, beauty, and discovery. Her passion for travel isn’t about collecting stamps in a passport but rather about the people you meet, the moments that stay with you, and the perspective you carry home.

Whether she’s wandering the streets of a new city or finding wonder in the familiar rhythms of her own backyard, Liza shows us how curiosity, gratitude, and intention can turn every journey, whether near or far, into something transformative.

This episode is more than a conversation. Think of it as an invitation to reflect on how we move through the world, and how travel, when approached with heart, can create a life filled with purpose, connection, and joy.

A must listen! Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

In this compelling episode of Speaking of Travel, we welcome back Richard "Ricky" Crawford, host of the Amazon Prime series Leave No Trace TV and a passionate voice for sustainable travel, conservation, and global community.

We dive into the power of mindful exploration and how slowing down, connecting with local cultures, and embracing sustainability can transform not just our journeys, but the world around us.

Ricky shares insights from the road, offering practical tips for reducing our travel footprint while amplifying our positive impact. From advocating for climate-conscious choices to encouraging deeper cultural appreciation, this episode is a powerful reminder that travel is more than just a movement, it’s a call to action.

Whether you're planning your next adventure or simply seeking a better way to see the world, Ricky’s perspective will leave you inspired to travel with purpose and protect the places you love.

A must listen and a must watch on Amazon Prime. You can watch Season One and now Season Two!

And be sure to visit Speaking of Travel for past episode of the Speaking of Travel + Leave No Trace TV series!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

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In this unforgettable episode, I’m joined by the extraordinary Jane Adams, a passionate advocate, art historian, and formerly the Director of Partnership Relations for Advancing Women Artists. Today she is co-founder and CEO of Artemisia Gold.

Jane brings with her a deeply moving and richly layered story, one that begins with the spark of a mission ignited by author and philanthropist Jane Fortune, and blossoms into a global movement to uncover, restore, and celebrate the long-forgotten works of women artists hidden throughout Florence’s churches, museums, and storied halls.

This episode isn’t just about art. It’s about justice, recognition, and legacy. Jane shares the behind-the-scenes challenges and triumphs of breathing life back into masterpieces that were nearly lost to time, and she speaks with heart and urgency about the importance of giving these women the visibility they were long denied.

Jane’s insight is not only illuminating but deeply inspiring. Her passion radiates as she recounts how a once-overlooked painting becomes a reclaimed piece of history, a recovered voice, a restored place in the cultural narrative.

If you care about art, women's history, meaningful travel, or stories that stir the soul, this conversation will leave you deeply moved and energized. You’ll walk away seeing the art world, and perhaps the world itself, a little differently.

And don’t miss hearing about Jane’s uniquely curated art tour through Italy with Kiki Keating of KiKiNetwork Travel, designed to bring travelers face-to-face with these rediscovered treasures. It’s more than a tour. This is a pilgrimage through forgotten genius and enduring beauty.

This episode of Speaking of Travel is heartfelt, eye-opening, and brimming with passion. Join us in giving voice to the women who painted in silence, and whose stories are finally being told.

A must listen!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Today’s guest is someone whose life feels like a gentle invitation to pause, listen, and truly see. MeetMiyuki Seguchi, a bilingual travel expert, guide, and host of the Japan Experts podcast.

Born among the rice paddies and mountain breezes of central Japan, Miyuki’s path has led her across continents and cultures, all while staying deeply rooted in her homeland’s rhythms and rituals. From working in top global newsrooms like The Wall Street Journal, NHK World, and GE, to interviewing travel industry giants, Miyuki’s journalism background brings a human-centered approach to every story and itinerary.

Today, she channels those storytelling gifts into creating custom travel experiences across Japan, helping travelers slow down, connect deeply, and walk away with lifelong memories. Miyuki shares her journey from rural Japan to global storytelling.

If you're dreaming of cherry blossoms, steaming noodles, and lantern-lit streets, or just craving a slower, more intentional approach to travel, be sure to sign up for a free Japan travel guide and follow Miyuki on Instagram.

A must listen!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

In this vibrant and heart-centered episode, we sit down with Vanessa K. Harper, founder of Travel Cuba With Us and Support the Cuban People, to explore the powerful intersection of ethical tourism, yoga, and humanitarian support in Cuba today.

Vanessa leads with purpose, offering deeply immersive cultural experiences that directly benefit Cuban communities. Through her travel company, she curates legal, people-to-people exchanges that respect Cuban sovereignty while fostering genuine human connection.

With her nonprofit, Support the Cuban People, Vanessa and husband, Alejandro Berroa Alvarez, help provide food, medicine, and micro-grants to local artists and small entrepreneurs. It's a bold model to travel not as escape, but as impact.

You'll also hear about her Cuba Yoga Retreats, transformative journeys blending spiritual practice, movement, and cultural immersion. These retreats offer participants not only inner peace but the chance to see, feel, and uplift a nation full of resilience, music, and joy.

If you’ve ever been curious about Cuba or want to travel in a way that truly matters, this episode will inspire you to see tourism in a whole new light.

A must listen!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

What if planning your next adventure felt more like a conversation with a trusted friend than a checklist? In this episode of Speaking of Travel, I’m joined by Anna Jaffe and Harriet Brown of Mobi.AI, a powerful new platform reimagining travel planning through the lens of empathy, technology, and storytelling.

This is more than a travel episode. It’s a love letter to curiosity, to wandering with purpose, and to a future where your travel tools know you crave hidden bookstores just as much as beach sunsets.

Together we explore how AI is helping travelers find what really speaks to them beyond the filters and search engines and how this deeply personal approach is changing the way we explore the world.

Anna and Harriet share why travel planning is so complex and so human and how AI tools are learning what you love and helping you discover more of it.

This is a conversation about possibility, connection, and the beautiful future of travel where technology listens, learns, and helps us find joy in the journey.

So if you’ve ever dreamed of travel planning that actually gets you, tune in. You’ll hear about the tech, the heart, and the hope behind a smarter way to see the world. 🎧

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

In this soul-stirring episode of Speaking of Travel, we welcome the radiant and deeply authentic Pilar Guzmán, Editorial Director of Oprah Daily, whose voice has long guided readers toward lives of intention, connection, and beauty.

With grace, warmth, and unflinching honesty, Pilar opens up about her creative vision for Oprah Daily, a space that has become a sanctuary for mindful living, soulful exploration, and profound storytelling.

Pilar shares the inspiration behind the Oprah Daily Travel Issue, a breathtaking invitation for women to rediscover themselves through the liberating lens of travel.

This isn’t just about getting away; it’s about coming home to yourself. Through powerful stories, Pilar reveals how travel can be a sacred act of self-care, a way to realign with your inner compass, and a catalyst for deep emotional renewal.

Together we explore what it means to live well... not in excess, but with presence, wonder, and soul. Pilar reminds us that living well is not about perfection or performance. It’s about pausing long enough to ask what truly nourishes us, finding the courage to follow that answer, and allowing travel to be both a mirror and a doorway.

With poetic insight and a storyteller’s heart, Pilar encourages us to embrace curiosity, awe, and the expansive joy that comes from exploring not only the world but the vast landscapes within ourselves.

This is an episode that will stay with you, awaken your spirit of adventure, and invite you to redefine what it means to live fully and love deeply.

“Travel can be the greatest act of self-care.” ~ Pilar Guzmán

Let this conversation be your permission to wander, to wonder, and to welcome yourself back home.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

In this unforgettable episode of Speaking of Travel, meet Alexandra Kinias, a fearless trailblazer rewriting the rules on what it means to live boldly, age defiantly, and lead with purpose.

From forging her path as a mechanical engineer in a male-dominated world to becoming a celebrated screenwriter and outspoken women’s rights advocate, Alex’s life is a breathtaking testament to courage, reinvention, and relentless hope. She’s not just breaking barriers though. She’s building bridges for women across cultures and generations.

With unflinching honesty and radiant wisdom, Alex shares her extraordinary journey from the quiet strength it took to walk away from convention, to the power of finding her voice through storytelling and activism, to standing atop Mount Kilimanjaro at 60 as a symbol of resilience and possibility.

This episode is a call to action. A love letter to reinvention. A celebration of every woman who dares to rise and bring others with her.

Whether you're chasing your next adventure or still searching for your spark, Alex’s story will stir your soul and remind you that it’s never too late to begin again.

🎧 Tune in now. Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Today’s episode is a breathtaking story of courage, healing, and the radical choice to seek joy after unimaginable loss.

I’m so honored to share the journey of Abigail Carter, a writer, artist, and one of the most soulfully brave humans I’ve ever met. After losing her husband in the 9/11 attacks, Abby spent years learning how to live with grief. But when the buzz and blur of life became too much, a quiet whisper inside nudged her toward something new.

So she listened. Fast forward...

She packed up her life and moved to a charming little château in the sun-drenched countryside of southwest France. Yes, France! Picture golden fields of sunflowers, deep breaths, and slow mornings with coffee and birdsong. It’s here that Abby began again.

But this is not just a story about moving to France. It’s about moving forward. About what happens when we follow the gentle pull toward something more, like more peace, more purpose, more joy.

Now Abby has turned her home into a retreat space for women over 50, creating a haven where others can come to rediscover their creativity, reconnect with themselves, and begin their own next chapters.

This conversation is full of heart and wonder. We talk about slowing down, building meaningful community, and what it really means to start over on your own terms. If you’ve ever felt the urge to change your life, to seek beauty after heartbreak, or to step into something wildly new, Abby’s story will light a spark in you.

Come listen. It’s a reminder that no matter where you are, it’s never too late to begin again.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Welcome back to a brand-new episode of Speaking of Travel! We’re making a BIG deal out of this one for good reason.

Drumroll, please... The first season of Traveling the Spectrum, the powerful series we highlighted right here on Speaking of Travel, is streaming on Peacock and has just been nominated for an Emmy Award! That’s right! This groundbreaking series is receiving the recognition it deserves for changing lives and redefining travel.

This episode is a celebration and a deep dive into why Traveling the Spectrum is so special, so necessary, and so long overdue. For too long, families with loved ones on the autism spectrum felt that travel was out of reach. But now? The world is opening up and this series is leading the way.

We’re joined by Tommy Caamano and Peter Prokop, visionary producers and co-directors at The Workshop, the creative force behind Traveling the Spectrum. These passionate storytellers are breaking barriers and giving families the tools, hope, and inspiration to confidently explore the world together.

From the inclusive and sensory-friendly beaches of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to touching moments with real families discovering freedom and joy through travel, this episode is filled with heart, authenticity, and empowerment.

Traveling the Spectrum is not just a show. It’s a movement. It proves what we’ve always believed here on Speaking of Travel: Travel is for everyone. 🧡

Whether you’re a seasoned explorer or dreaming of your first family getaway, this episode will move you, inform you, and maybe even change the way you see the world.

Listen now and be part of something bigger. Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

In this deeply nourishing episode, we welcome Angela Lightsey, the vibrant soul behind Tybee Wellness Retreats, where transformation and tranquility beautifully intertwine.

Angela has created more than just a getaway. She’s built a sanctuary where women come to heal, grow, and reconnect with their truest selves amid the natural beauty of Tybee Island and beyond.

Together, we dive into what really happens during a wellness retreat and Angela shares how these sacred spaces foster genuine sisterhood, spark inner clarity, and offer a safe, empowering path for solo female travelers and Angela reminds us how each dimension matters and how retreats help rebalance what daily life often pulls out of alignment.

Angela’s work is a joyful invitation to slow down, tune in, and remember who you are. This episode will leave you inspired, grounded, and ready to ask: What do I need right now?

Tune in! Only on Speaking of Travel!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

There’s something in the water in Brevard, NC and we’re not just talking about the waterfalls (though there are plenty of those!). Nestled in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, this sweet town sparkles with big charm, quirky wildlife (hello, white squirrels!), and the kind of hospitality that stays with you long after you leave.

On this uplifting episode of Speaking of Travel, local legend Clark Lovelace, Executive Director of the Transylvania County Tourism Development Authority, shares why Brevard isn’t just a destination, it’s an experience.

From epic bike trails and cozy cafés to how the town is balancing growth and sustainability, Clark dives into what makes Brevard one of the most heartwarming, awe-inspiring places in Western North Carolina.

You're in for a real treat! Start making your plans today.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

On this episode of Speaking of Travel, award-winning filmmaker Brady Skye joins us to share the powerful story behind his new documentary, Beyond The Ruins, a film that doesn’t just challenge the way we travel, but invites us to reconsider whose stories we center and how we show up in the world.

This is not a film about the past. It’s about the present. About connection. About listening.

Through immersive storytelling, Brady brings us into the homes of contemporary Maya families, where cultural humility, reciprocity, and shared humanity take the spotlight. In his search for deeper meaning, Brady explores the wisdom of Yucatecan Maya traditions, not as an outsider, but as someone striving to live alongside, to learn, and to belong.

He speaks movingly about finding your tribe, not just in people who look or live like you, but in those who open your heart and help you remember that we are all one. Beyond The Ruins is more than a documentary. It’s a call to travel with intention, to engage with respect, and to discover that the greatest journeys begin when we truly see and hear one another.

Ready to rethink your place in the world? Let’s dive in.

Only on Speaking of Travel!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Get ready to meet Karlie Loland-Ringer, a powerhouse casting director whose life is anything but ordinary. With a spirit for adventure and a career that spans coast-to-coast, Karlie lives where work and wanderlust collide. One moment she is behind the scenes making casting magic happen and the next, she’s soaking up quiet sunsets on a faraway beach.

In this conversation, Karlie dives into how the casting industry has transformed in a post-pandemic world and what those changes mean for talent, creators, and storytellers everywhere.

But for Karlie, travel isn’t just a getaway. It is fuel for creativity, a way to stay inspired, and a way of life. She opens up about how she finds balance in the chaos, stays grounded through movement and curiosity, and builds deep connections along the way.

Whether you’re a creative, a traveler, or simply someone itching for more adventure in your everyday grind, Karlie’s journey is living proof: you can build a thriving career, chase your passions, and still catch a killer sunset at the end of the day.

Tune in! And visit Karlie's website at KLR Creative Group!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

In this impactful episode of Speaking of Travel, we shine a light on the incredible resilience of Asheville, North Carolina, a city that turned heartbreak into hope and recovery into a rallying cry.

From the moment disaster struck, this tight-knit mountain town showed the world what community truly means. Neighbors helped neighbors. Local businesses found creative ways to reopen their doors. Artists, chefs, and entrepreneurs proved that Asheville’s spirit could never be washed away.

Joining the show is the amazing Mickey Poandl, the masterful storyteller and PR mastermind at Explore Asheville. Mickey shares honest insights, recovery numbers, and the soul-stirring moments that define Asheville’s comeback.

Together, we reflect on what it means to build back—not just buildings and streets, but trust, joy, and connection.

This episode is more than a story of recovery. It’s a celebration of creativity, community, and the role travel plays in healing and transformation.

Whether you're a longtime local, a curious visitor, or someone who simply believes in the power of place, this conversation will leave you inspired, informed, and filled with gratitude.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

What if your next adventure wasn’t just about the destination, but the feeling it leaves behind? In this heartwarming episode of Speaking of Travel, we’re heading to a place where waterfalls whisper, trails lead to awe, and kindness is part of the culture... Brevard, North Carolina.

Nestled in Transylvania County in the heart of the Land of Waterfalls, Brevard is more than just a scenic stop. It’s a soulful escape. With its lush forests, world-class biking and hiking, creative community spirit, and yes, even white squirrels, Brevard invites you to slow down and soak in the wonder.

Joining us is Brevard’s hometown hospitality hero, Clark Lovelace, Executive Director of the Transylvania County Tourism Development Authority. Clark shares how his family’s legacy in welcoming guests shaped his deep love for this town, what’s new and exciting in the region, and how Brevard is setting the standard for sustainable tourism and meaningful connections.

Whether you’re dreaming of your next mountain getaway, searching for small-town charm with big adventure, or simply need a reminder of the magic that lives in community and nature, this episode is your call to go. Brevard is waiting, and it might just steal your heart.

Tune in, feel inspired, and plan your next trip to the mountains. The waterfalls are calling and all you need to do is answer. 🎧

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Imagine a place where two oceans meet, rainforests hum with life, and vibrant city streets blend seamlessly with untouched natural beauty. That place? Panama! Whether you're craving adventure, eyeing a tropical escape, or dreaming of a fresh start, Panama has it all with its stunning beaches, a booming economy, modern conveniences, and a welcoming, diverse culture.

On this episode of Speaking of Travel, Melissa Darnay, CEO of Choose Panama, shares how she turned her Panama dreams into reality—and how you can too!

From expat life and smart investments to hidden gems and must-know travel tips, Melissa reveals why Panama is the perfect place to visit, live, and explore.

Melissa is sharing what makes Panama so special with its stunning natural beauty and thriving economy to its welcoming culture and endless opportunities for adventure.

Whether you’re dreaming of pristine beaches, lush mountains, or a vibrant city life, Melissa will show you why Panama might just be the perfect place to write your next chapter.

Get ready to be inspired because this episode will have you packing your bags in no time! Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

For Todd Lester, travel isn’t just about checking destinations off a list. It’s really about embracing the unknown, connecting with people, and finding magic in unexpected moments.

His latest adventure took him to Spain, where he joined Pueblo Inglés, a one-of-a-kind program that brings together native English speakers and Spanish students for a week of immersive conversation, culture, and connection. No textbooks and no formal lessons. Just real conversations, shared experiences, and the kind of learning that happens when walls come down and laughter takes over.

From the lively streets of Madrid to the breathtaking Spanish countryside, Todd found himself swapping stories over tapas, witnessing the fire and passion of this amazing country, and forming friendships that stretched beyond language barriers.

What started as a volunteer experience quickly became something much bigger—a reminder of why travel is so transformative. It’s not just about seeing new places; it’s about discovering new sides of yourself, finding joy in spontaneity, and saying yes to the adventure unfolding in front of you.

So, what lessons did Todd bring home from Spain? And where will his insatiable curiosity take him next? Let’s find out! 🌍

Tune in for a lively conversation and some fabulous storytelling! Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Guess who’s back? Richard "Ricky" Crawford, the inspiring host of Amazon Prime’s Leave No Trace TV! If you’ve ever dreamed of traveling with purpose, making a positive impact, and immersing yourself in cultures while preserving them, you won’t want to miss this conversation.

Ricky is a powerhouse advocate for sustainable travel, conservation, and the power of community. He’s all about showing us how to see the world while protecting it, from choosing destinations that give back to embracing slow travel and minimizing our footprint along the way.

We’ll dive into the most exciting, game-changing ways to rethink how we explore and Ricky will share insider tips on how small actions can lead to big change, making every journey meaningful.

So whether you’re a weekend wanderer or a globe-trotting adventurer, get ready to be inspired. This episode is packed with wisdom, wanderlust, and ways to travel smarter.

Are you ready to see the world differently? Let’s go! Visit the Speaking of Travel + Leave No Trace TV series for more great shows.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

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On this episode of Speaking of Travel, we’re exploring the world of music, history, and innovation with the one and only Lara Downes, a pianist, storyteller, and cultural force redefining classical music in bold and unexpected ways.

Lara doesn’t just play music. She tells stories through it. She revives the voices of overlooked composers, blending classical traditions with jazz, folk, and contemporary influences to create something fresh, vibrant, and deeply personal.

Her work is a bridge between the past and the future, proving that music is more than just sound. Lara's music is, in fact, a living, breathing force that connects us all.

But her impact doesn’t stop at the piano. Lara is a champion for inclusivity, using her platform to elevate underrepresented voices and spark conversations that go far beyond the concert hall.

Through her work as a performer, activist, curator, and NPR host, she’s opening doors, challenging conventions, and inspiring audiences around the world.

Today, we’ll dive into her journey and how she’s reshaping the classical music landscape, the stories she’s passionate about telling, and why she believes music has the power to heal, unite, and transform.

So get ready for an inspiring conversation that will change the way you think about music, history, and the power of art. Tune in, turn up the volume, and let’s explore the magic of music together!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Some dream of adventure. Others strap their lives to a bicycle and chase it across continents. Meet Jacob Lemanski, the unstoppable explorer behind How To Move The Stars, a video podcast chronicling his extraordinary 38,000-mile solo ride across six continents.

His journey was more than just a test of endurance. It was a deep dive into the unknown, where every pedal stroke became a lesson in resilience, every obstacle a chance to redefine limits.

From battling brutal headwinds to enduring relentless heat, Jacob discovered that adventure isn’t just about conquering miles. It's about surrendering to the experience. He learned that the road is unpredictable, and the only way forward is to embrace both the struggle and the beauty in equal measure.

For Jacob, the journey didn’t end when the wheels stopped spinning. Upon returning home, his creativity took on a whole new form. He began crafting psychedelic ant farms, a reflection of the interconnected, ever-moving world he had experienced on his ride.

The patience, observation, and adaptability he developed on the road translated into his artistic vision, proving that exploration doesn’t stop when the adventure is over. It simply evolves.

"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

What keeps a person moving when the road never seems to end? How do you embrace discomfort, push through exhaustion, and find joy in the hardest moments? And what happens when the journey changes you forever?

Join us on Speaking of Travel as we dive into Jacob’s story. This is a story of grit, wonder, and the magic of saying yes to the unknown.

Tune in!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Where would we be without music? Without the arts? Imagine a world without the rush of a live performance, the thrill of harmony, or the power of a single note to move you. Music fuels our imagination, sparks emotions, and connects us across generations and cultures. Chamber music, in particular, is storytelling at its most intimate—a soul-stirring conversation between instruments that transcends words.

And thanks to the Cleveland Chamber Music Society, we don’t have to travel to the great concert halls of Europe to experience it. Joining Speaking of Travel is Steve Somach, Program Committee Chair of the Cleveland Chamber Music Society, and Gabe Pollack, the Director of Performing Arts at the Cleveland Museum of Art.

As the Cleveland Chamber Music Society celebrates its milestone 75th anniversary, the organization is expanding its reach, collaborating with the Cleveland Museum of Art to make chamber music more accessible than ever.

This partnership brings performances into one of the city’s most treasured cultural spaces, ensuring that audiences can experience the magic of live chamber music. Don’t miss this unforgettable, and exceptional, season!

Tune in for a fabulous conversation. Only on Speaking of Travel!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

For many families with loved ones on the autism spectrum, travel has long felt out of reach. But that’s changing.Traveling the Spectrumis a groundbreaking new series proving that inclusive, autism-friendly travel isn’t just possible—it’s transformative.

Destinations like Myrtle Beach, SC, are leading the way with sensory-friendly programs, specially trained businesses, and inclusive experiences, ensuring that every family has the opportunity to explore, connect, and create unforgettable memories together.

Because travel isn’t just about seeing new places. It’s about breaking barriers, fostering joy, and proving that the world is meant for everyone.

Today we’re joined by Stuart Butler, Creator of Traveling the Spectrum and Chief Marketing Officer at Visit Myrtle Beach, and Peter Prokop, Co-Director and Producer at The Workshop.

They’ll share how this series is changing lives, giving families the confidence to embrace adventure, and inspiring destinations to become more inclusive.

A must listen! Only on Speaking of Travel!

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Close your eyes and picture yourself gliding through sun-drenched vineyards, stopping for a sip of rich local wine, and indulging in a long, leisurely meal crafted with love. Now imagine doing it all on two wheels, feeling the warm breeze as you cycle through Italy’s most breathtaking landscapes. Welcome to the Tourissimo experience—a blend of adventure, culture, and the art of slow living.

Joining us is Heather Dowd, co-founder of Tourissimo, a company celebrating a decade of curating unforgettable cycling and hiking tours throughout Italy. Whether you're craving a scenic ride through Italy's rolling hills or a deep dive into Puglia's hidden treasures, Tourissimo creates journeys that immerse you in the heart of Italy.

In this episode, Heather shares expert travel and wellness tips, from how to embrace active exploration to discovering lesser-known regions of Italy perfect for hiking and biking. And so much more!

If you’ve ever dreamed of traveling through Italy like a local and meeting artisans, savoring farm-to-table meals, and experiencing the country at the perfect pace, this is your invitation to take the ride of a lifetime.

Skip the tourist traps, embrace the rhythm of Italian life, and join us for an unforgettable adventure!

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Get ready for an eye-opening journey into the future of travel! The Speaking of Travel + Leave No Trace series is back with Richard Crawford, host of the hit show Leave No Trace TV, and director and filmmaker Ben Alcott, joining us from Australia as they wrap up Season Two!

This episode is all about transforming the way we explore the world—with curiosity, adaptability, and sustainability leading the way. With climate change, over-tourism, and environmental concerns at an all-time high, now more than ever, travelers must rethink their impact.

Richard and Ben bring their firsthand experiences from breathtaking locations across the globe, sharing powerful stories, practical tips, and insights on how to make a difference while still embracing adventure.

From choosing eco-friendly accommodations to supporting local communities and avoiding single-use plastics, we’ll uncover simple yet meaningful ways to reduce our footprint while enriching our travel experiences. Sustainability isn’t about sacrifice—it’s about traveling smarter, more mindfully, and with a deeper connection to the world around us.

Join us for an inspiring and thought-provoking conversation that proves small actions add up to big change. Ready to become a more responsible traveler?

Let’s make every journey count! Tune in!

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Ever wonder how the tiniest creatures on Earth shape your biggest adventures? Meet microbes—your invisible travel companions, working behind the scenes to transform the air you breathe, the food you savor, and even how your body adapts to new places.

These microscopic marvels boost immunity, connect us to ecosystems, and fuel cultural traditions like fermented foods and biodiversity hotspots.

Joining us is Dr. Melissa Booth, a microbiologist, sustainability scientist, and passionate storyteller, who reveals how these unseen allies influence our journeys in ways we never imagined.

From the microbes in ancient fermentation techniques to the ones thriving in extreme environments, she’ll uncover how they shape our world—and our experiences within it.

Her Great Courses series, The Hidden Power of Microbes, explores these tiny powerhouses that shape life, fuel ecosystems, and keep us thriving.

Get ready for a fascinating deep dive into the microbial universe, where science meets adventure, and the teeniest things make the biggest impact!

"Once you learn about what's all around us and inside us, you'll never see things in quite the same way again."

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Let's take a deep dive into the magic of music, culture, and connection as we travel back to 1995 and the origin story of LEAF Global Arts, a transformative organization with a mission as bold as it is beautiful.

From preserving cultural traditions to fostering global understanding through music, arts education, and immersive experiences, LEAF Global Arts has been creating unforgettable moments for nearly three decades.

Jennifer Pickering, Co-Executive Director and Founder, and Leigh Maher, her partner in life and leadership, COO and Lake Eden Retreat General Manager, share their incredible journey of co-creating over 50 awe-inspiring festivals and countless global adventures. Along the way, they've built not only a legacy of creativity and resilience but also a vibrant community united by the universal language of art.

With stories that span the globe, LEAF Global Arts proves that music and art are powerful bridges between people, sparking joy and understanding. This is a celebration of a movement that stitches together lives with the threads of connection, curiosity, and a shared humanity.

So tune in and get ready for a whirlwind of inspiration, profound impact, and playful joy. Let's celebrate the magic of LEAF Global Arts and the infinite possibilities that unfold when people come together to create, share, and thrive!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Lew Bleiweis, President and CEO of the Greater Asheville Regional Airport Authority, is a visionary leader steering one of the region's most transformative airports. Under his leadership, the airport has achieved record-breaking passenger growth, overcome challenges like natural disasters, and expanded its role as a vital economic engine for the community.

Lew shares the highs and lows of 2024, including new air service routes, major infrastructure upgrades, and disaster relief efforts. Looking ahead to 2025, he paints an inspiring picture of the airport's future, including cutting-edge projects like a new concourse, enhanced parking, and an expanded aircraft capacity to position the airport as a leader in regional aviation.

Lew also discusses the Asheville Regional Airport's far-reaching economic impact, with plans to strengthen its role as a hub for growth, connectivity, and innovation. This is a story of resilience, patience, and collaboration. And proof that when a community comes together, the future can truly soar.

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Did you know the Great Smoky Mountains are within a day's drive of half the U.S. population? While these misty peaks and ancient forests are a national treasure, they are also fragile. Smoky Mountain Host of NC (Visit Smokies) helps protect this region's natural beauty, with its Visitor Center serving as a welcoming gateway.

It connects travelers with historic downtowns, and vibrant arts, fostering connections to preserve the Smokies' charm for generations to come. Join Mici Canales, Communications Director, as we dive into the region's future and how we can protect its irreplaceable landscape.

Also on this episode of Speaking of Travel, discover how the The Cherokee Historical Association (CHA) is working tirelessly to protect and share the cultural heritage of the Cherokee people.

Learn from Laura Blythe, CHA Program Director, and Lance Culpepper, Operations Director, about exciting future projects, new events, and the vibrant legacy of this remarkable community dedicated to preserving the rich heritage of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. ᎠᎾᎵᎮᎵᎬ

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Photo = Laura Blyth (L) Lance Culpepper (C) Mici Canales (R)

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Award-winning filmmakers, storytellers, and fearless adventurers, John Alexander and JC Guest bring their passion, creativity, and bold spirit to Speaking of Travel.

Known for powerful, transformative and heartwarming films like Little Satchmo, a PBS sensation that touched audiences worldwide, and This Is Love, John and JC are redefining family life by blending parenting with global exploration.

From traversing eight countries in eight weeks across Eastern Europe to balancing diapers and cameras, they share stories of resilience, joy, and connection.

Tune in for unforgettable tales, inspiration, laughter, and a reminder that adventure is possible for everyone, kids and all!

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Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Join Speaking of Travel for this classic 2024 rerun show with Liz Galloway. Liz is a dynamic force of nature, an adventurer, storyteller, and passionate creator of meaningful experiences through transformation.

With over 20 years of expertise spanning international travel, wellness, spa, and business development, Liz has carved a unique path that blends adventure, purpose, and human connection. From scaling rugged peaks to immersing herself in cultural exploration, Liz’s life is a testament to living boldly and intentionally. She shares how this determination has not only shaped her own success but inspired countless others to embrace transformation in their own lives.

Fueled by her belief in the power of a strong mind-body connection, Liz founded The Well Mind Project, a nonprofit providing scholarships to support mental health initiatives.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Travel isn’t just an adventure. It’s an opportunity to make the world a little brighter. Richard Crawford, the dynamic host of Amazon Prime’s Leave No Trace TV, is back with captivating tales that combine wanderlust with purpose.

Get a sneak peek into Season Two’s jaw-dropping destinations, meet inspiring communities leading the way in sustainable tourism, and pick up practical tips to travel smarter and kinder.

With heartfelt stories, infectious energy, and maybe even a surprise song or two, Ricky reminds us that exploring is about leaving a lasting, positive mark on every place we visit. Tune in for adventure, inspiration, and a whole lot of heart!

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Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

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Meet James Hammond, globe-trotter extraordinaire, podcast host, and endlessly curious storyteller behind the wildly captivating Winging It travel podcast. With his adventurous spirit, James has explored over 70 countries, turning each journey into a patchwork of unforgettable memories and collecting moments that are equal parts thrilling, heartwarming, and hilariously unexpected.

On his show, James brings these vibrant moments to life, connecting with extraordinary people, fellow wanderers, cultural ambassadors, and trailblazers who reveal the heart of the places they call home.

From conquering Nepal’s breathtaking trails to savoring street food on a shoestring in Central America, James blends practical tips with laugh-out-loud tales of navigating culture shock, serendipitous encounters, and the art of traveling smart on any budget. His secret sauce? An uncanny ability to connect with people, peel back the layers of a place, and transform every journey into a treasure trove of stories.

James’ zest for life and fearless exploration will have you ready to ditch the routine, grab your passport, and wing it into the unknown. Because let’s face it, adventure always favors the bold!

And James reminds us that travel is less about miles and more about moments. His down-to-earth charm, coupled with laugh-out-loud anecdotes and nuggets of wisdom will inspire you to savor every experience, whether you’re trekking mountains, wandering city streets, or simply saying “yes” to the unknown.

So what are you waiting for? Pack your bags, trust the journey, and join us. Tune in, get inspired, and let the adventure begin. Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

This lively episode ofSpeaking of Travel welcomes Dr. Ann Stuart, a dynamic veterinarian with a remarkable history rooted in Mexico's rich cultural tapestry.

Ann’s love for archaeology and travel was kindled in her childhood, spent in the remote village of Coba, where her parents were deeply immersed in a National Geographic archaeological project. Her father, a trailblazing figure in archaeology, founded the Boundary End Archaeology Research Center, a haven for scholars, artists, and archaeologists working to preserve and explore the archaeology of the Americas.

Ann reminisces about her father’s groundbreaking contributions, which included leading significant digs and collaborating with National Geographic to uncover ancient mysteries. These experiences shaped Ann’s own path, blending her family’s passion for discovery with her work in cultural philanthropy.

Dive into Ann’s inspiring journey as she bridges ancient Mayan traditions with modern life through immersive trips and programs. She shares stories of Oaxaca, where vibrant history and art collide, recounting adventures filled with culinary delights, colorful festivals, and meaningful connections.

Through her work, Ann reveals how travel is not just exploration but a tool for understanding humanity’s shared story. This is a fun, thoughtful, and inspiring conversation brimming with wit, warmth, and Ann’s contagious zest for life and learning.

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Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

The visionary behind wanderlust and global connections is my guest on Speaking of Travel!

Kiki Keating is no ordinary travel aficionado. She’s a master architect of adventure and connection, curating journeys that go beyond the surface and dive deep into culture, creativity, and meaning.

As the founder of KikiNetwork, a boutique PR and travel firm, she has spent decades weaving her expertise in business, travel, and storytelling into unforgettable experiences for clients worldwide.

With a foundation in business from Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business, Kiki’s career has always been a bold exploration of the intersection of travel and human connection.

Her knack for storytelling and relationship-building turned her into a sought-after travel consultant, creating experiences that reflect her belief in the transformative power of seeing the world.

Kiki’s passion for travel is infectious. Whether she’s organizing a dream honeymoon, an exotic family getaway, or helping travelers step out of their comfort zones for the first time, her enthusiasm makes every journey unforgettable. Beyond logistics, she believes in the magic of travel to spark creativity, forge meaningful bonds, and remind us of the world’s beauty.

Through KikiNetwork, she also champions sustainability, cultural respect, and the value of stepping away from routine to embrace new horizons.

Her advice? Don’t wait for the "perfect" time to travel, because the time is now, and the world is ready to amaze you.

Kiki’s zest for life and her visionary approach to travel make her a beacon of inspiration, urging us all to explore, connect, and live our best adventures.

A must listen! Only on Speaking of Travel!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

If you’re a foodie, brew-lover, or just someone who appreciates a good story, this episode of Speaking of Travel is going to fill your plate and your heart.

We’re exploring the vibrant Atlanta culinary scene with two extraordinary guests, Chef Kevin Gillespie, the chef-owner of Gunshowand Nàdair, and co-founder of the Defend Southern Food Foundation, which provides meals for hungry families in the area. Chef Gillespie is also a speaker, author, and Top Chef icon.

Also on board is Eric Johnson, the creative mind behindWild Heaven Beer, who blends his love of brewing with music, gardening, and storytelling. Eric is the host of the PBS showGarden Smart, and the former owner of the Trappeze Pub in Athens, Georgia.

Together, they share their passion for creating food and drink that doesn’t just taste amazing but also fosters connection, creativity, and sustainability.

From the bold flavors that light up Atlanta’s dining scene to the small, mindful steps they take to honor the planet, this dynamic duo proves that food and drink are so much more than sustenance. They’re an experience!

So grab your favorite treat, pull up a chair, and join us for a flavorful and fascinating adventure into Atlanta’s thriving food and brew culture.

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Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Get ready for an unforgettable journey through history, mystery, and stunning landscapes. Join filmmaker and author Paul Bonesteel, founder of Bonesteel Films, as he unravels the story of George Masa, a Japanese photographer who arrived in Asheville, NC, in 1915 and became an unexpected hero for conservation in the Appalachian Mountains.

Masa’s breathtaking photos helped inspire the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, leaving a legacy that still resonates today.

Paul first brought Masa’s story to light in his 2002 documentary, The Mystery of George Masa, and now, with co-author Janet McCue, he’s written a powerful new biography, George Masa: A Life Reimagined. But he didn’t stop there. With fresh insights from a recent trip to Japan, Paul’s upcoming documentary will reveal even more layers to Masa’s life and impact.

Tune into Speaking of Travel as Paul shares what drives his passion for uncovering Masa’s story, the incredible impact Masa had on conservation, and why these untold stories matter.

This is history, adventure, and inspiration all rolled into one compelling tale. Don't miss it. Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Join Speaking of Travel’s Leave No Trace TV series as it continues to inspire with candid, uplifting conversations about sustainable travel and resilience. Hosted by the adventurous Richard Crawford of Amazon Prime’s Leave No Trace TV, each episode dives into eco-tourism’s power to make travel a force for good.

Ricky brings real, hopeful stories from around the world from people who are making a difference.

With practical advice for facing today’s climate challenges, this episode provides meaningful guidance for travelers seeking ways to help protect our planet. Learn sustainable strategies, and find out how each journey can uplift communities and safeguard nature.

Tune in to get motivated to travel thoughtfully and make a positive impact—one adventure at a time.

Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Communities hit by natural disasters face not only monumental recovery challenges but also show us what’s possible when people unite with resilience and determination.

These communities remind us of the strength that lies in solidarity and the importance of sustainable practices to protect against future crises. As we witness the power of rebuilding together, we must pay attention to what they’re teaching us: the urgent need to prioritize sustainable solutions, support one another, and prepare for a changing world.

That’s where visionaries like Larry Kopald come in. With over 25 years in branding, Larry has shifted his focus to something even more impactful: healing our planet. As Co-Founder and President of The Carbon Underground, Larry is leading a transformative mission to combat climate change through regenerative practices that restore the Earth’s natural balance.

Join us as we dive into Larry’s journey, uncovering how each of us can take small steps toward a healthier, more sustainable world. Let’s listen, learn, and take action. Together, we can protect our communities and create a future we can all thrive in. 🌍

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Join the Speaking of Travel + Leave No Trace Series with Richard Crawford, host of the popular TV show Leave No Trace, and special guest Andre Conradie, Head of Cargo & Logistics from White Desert, for an epic Antarctic adventure.

Together, they'll reveal the secrets of an unforgettable, zero-footprint luxury experience on the seventh continent. Along the way, they’ll also explore the vital role education plays in sustainable travel, teaching how balancing luxury with eco-conscious practices protects the planet while creating enriching journeys.

Exploring sustainable logistics in travel opens up a world where adventure meets responsibility, transforming the way we think about travel on a deeper level. Imagine experiencing the breathtaking beauty of a place like Antarctica, all while knowing that every detail, from transportation to accommodation, is designed to protect the pristine environment.

Sustainable logistics is more than a travel trend—it’s essential for the future of our planet. By learning about the behind-the-scenes innovations that reduce environmental impact, travelers become part of a movement towards eco-conscious exploration.

From low-impact practices to supporting local ecosystems, this approach encourages a mindful way of adventuring, where each journey not only enriches your life but also supports global conservation efforts.

Dive into the future of sustainable logistics and eco-friendly exploration, only on Speaking of Travel.

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Natural disasters often disrupt lives, but they also reveal the strength of community. After a crisis, neighbors unite, volunteers step up, and collective resilience shines through.

Lew Bleiweis, Executive Director of the Greater Asheville Regional Airport Authority, explains how the airport's swift crisis response depended on coordination, communication, and leadership. His team’s preparedness and collaboration with local authorities ensured safety while teaching valuable lessons for future emergencies.

Also, Mark Collins, Partnerships Manager for RomanticAsheville.com, emphasizes that these challenging times are an opportunity to strengthen strategic partnerships with a focus on responsibility, sustainability, and safety.

Mark highlights how working together, these efforts create a more resilient and unified community, ready for any future trials and how through collaboration they're building a brighter, stronger future for Western North Carolina.

A must listen only on Speaking of Travel.

photo--Mark Collins/L, Lew Bleiweis/R

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

The San Diego Zoo is a sprawling 100-acre wonderland, offering more than just your average zoo visit. Rick Schwartz, Wildlife Ambassador for San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, shares why the zoo is a world-class wildlife haven.

Known for its lush, naturalistic habitats, this iconic zoo is home to over 3,700 rare and endangered animals, representing about 660 species. What truly sets it apart is its dedication to conservation and creating unique animal encounters that immerse visitors in nature.

And of course, who could forget the beloved giant pandas? Their presence at the zoo makes your experience even more special, giving you a chance to see these magnificent creatures up close.

While the pandas symbolize international efforts to protect endangered species, the zoo also boasts an incredible botanical collection with over 700,000 plants, further highlighting its commitment to preserving biodiversity.

Visiting the San Diego Zoo isn't just about seeing animals—it's about stepping into a living, breathing ecosystem where every plant and animal plays a role in telling the story of our planet’s delicate balance.

Whether you're walking through the lush landscapes or meeting an endangered species, every experience here is a celebration of wildlife and a reminder of the importance of conservation.

The San Diego Zoo, with its dedication to protecting animals and ecosystems, reminds us that every visit can make a difference. So next time you're planning an adventure, remember the zoo!

A must listen!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Imagine a person so entwined with the rhythm of words that each breath brings forth a poem. That’s James Nave, a traveler of stories, master of memory, and a guide through the Imaginative Storm.

With over 600 poems committed to heart, Nave doesn’t just recite; he conjures magic with each syllable. Whether it’s spinning tales in the streets of New York or teaching the boundless possibilities of creativity, his journey is a never-ending dance of language and life.

Nave shares his journey through the Imaginative Storm Writing Project, alongside Allegra Huston, and invites writers into a world where the unexpected blooms, helping them discover the thrill of expression.

His wisdom flows from decades of teaching, from co-founding The Artist’s Way Creativity Camp with Julia Cameron to speaking on global platforms. He’s a weaver of worlds, and each thread he pulls opens your heart to the sheer wonder of creativity.

And be sure to visit Theleaf.org for more information about the LEAF Global Arts Festival and all their programs.

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Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity

Get ready to embark on an eco-conscious adventure like no other! This episode of the Speaking of Travel + Leave No Trace TV series takes you to the icy wonderland of Antarctica with none other than Richard Crawford, the popular host of the hit TV show Leave No Trace.

But that's not all—we're also joined by Louis, the maestro of Food and Beverage at White Desert, the ultra-luxury experience that promises zero impact on the pristine Antarctic environment. Imagine balancing world-class service with sustainability on the 7th Continent, where every detail is designed to protect this fragile ecosystem.

In this episode, we dive deep into the thrilling world of sustainable logistics, a challenge that blends cutting-edge innovation with a deep commitment to the planet.

From the behind-the-scenes magic that makes White Desert a top-tier experience to the creative solutions that ensure customer satisfaction while safeguarding the Earth, this journey is all about pushing boundaries and redefining what's possible in sustainable travel.

So, join us on this incredible adventure where luxury meets responsibility, and discover how you too can leave no trace while exploring the wonders of the world!

Only on Speaking of Travel. A must listen!

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Ready for an inspiring journey? Meet John Watson, the International Critical Care Flight Paramedic who's taking life-saving care to new heights. Whether it’s a fragile newborn or a senior in need of medical air transport, John’s there, providing top-notch care at 30,000 feet. His dedication shines through in every mission, making him a true unsung hero of the skies.

And fasten your seatbelts as Tina Kinsey from the Asheville Regional Airport takes you on a thrilling ride into the future of one of the nation’s fastest-growing airports. From sleek expansion plans to brand-new amenities, Tina’s got all the insider info that will make your travels smoother and more exciting.

The future at the Asheville Regional Airport is looking bright, innovative, and traveler friendly. Get ready to take off into a world of endless possibilities.

Tune in for a show filled with innovation, inspiration, and endless possibilities!

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Meet Gail Wein, a world traveler, music lover, and a true New Yorker. Gail's journey is a testament to following your passions and embracing change. She shares how her real adventure began when she took a leap of faith, leaving behind a career in computer programming to pursue her love for radio. Classic Music Communications.

And don't miss our deep dive into the wild world of Rocky Horror. Whether you're a Rocky Horror newbie or a seasoned fan, get ready for the Rocky Horror Music Show, a live music revue that brings those iconic songs to life. Courtney Cahill, one of the leads playing the hero, Brad, shares a behind-the-scenes look at the show. Let's all do the Time Warp again!

Get ready for an unforgettable episode of Speaking of Travel! Gail Wein's incredible journey, from the world of programming to the vibrant realm of classical music and radio, will inspire you to take bold leaps and follow your passions.

Plus, the Rocky Horror Music Show is sure to get your toes tapping and your heart racing as we go behind the scenes with Courtney Cahill. Whether you're looking for inspiration, adventure, or a bit of musical magic, this episode has it all. Tune in and let the excitement begin! 🎧✨

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

The LEAF Global Arts Series continues with Luis Porras, a Costa Rican journalist, musician, and founder of the Jirondai Project. This initiative preserves indigenous languages and cultures through captivating audiovisual recordings, blending ancient songs with modern sounds.

Luis emphasizes that when a language disappears, we lose unique ideas and our potential as a species. The Jirondai Project amplifies indigenous voices, creating world fusion music that connects the past with the present, making it accessible to everyone.

Luis shares that the language of the spirits is encoded in song, making singing vital to their traditions. He emphasizes that this tradition, especially among women, is beautiful because it celebrates their creation, talents, and humility.

"The language of the spirits was created in a code that is only understood by singing. So that's why it's so important. That's why the singing is so important for these people and especially this type of tradition from women is so beautiful because they talk about how well they were created. How big is their talent? How humble they are, even. Because they know they have just a little short life. And they have to develop their talent as much as they can."

Listen to this moving, inspiring, and encouraging story with Luis Porras. A true World Changer and Culture Keeper!

For more information about LEAF Global Arts and their upcoming festivals, visit their website.

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Get ready for a special episode of Speaking of Travel with the ultimate music Renaissance man, Şahan Arzruni, whose talents span far beyond the piano keys.

Şahan isn’t just a world-renowned Armenian concert pianist; he’s also an ethnomusicologist, composer, producer, writer, and philanthropist. He’s dazzled audiences worldwide, from sharing the stage with the legendary Victor Borge as his comedic counterpart to writing a music textbook as a teen in Istanbul. His boundless talent and infectious passion for music have touched countless lives.

In this episode, Şahan reveals the inspiration behind his latest project—recording piano works by Armenian women composers. He delves into the rich history and emotions that fuel these compositions, offering listeners a glimpse into a musical world that often goes unnoticed.

Şahan also shares his deep love for Armenia and Artsakh, where he spends time mentoring young musicians and performing unforgettable recitals.

His stories from the road, combined with his dedication to nurturing the next generation of artists, make for an episode you won’t want to miss.

Whether on stage, in the classroom, or behind the mic, Şahan Arzruni's passion for music is nothing short of inspiring.

Tune in for an extraordinary journey through music, culture, and creativity.

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Amanda Wrublewski, the passionate and dedicated Executive Director of Literacy Together, sheds light on a powerful truth: literacy goes beyond the basics of reading and writing.

It’s about unlocking the ability to connect with others, share stories, and build a thriving community where everyone, regardless of background, has the opportunity to succeed. Through literacy, we can empower individuals to participate fully in society, fostering a sense of belonging and opening doors to endless possibilities.

Also on Speaking of Travel, Justin Belleme, a trailblazer in the digital marketing world and founder of JB Media Group, co-founder of the JB Media Institute and the DIY Tourism Marketing Workshop, and publisher of RomanticAsheville.com, emphasizes the importance of aligning ambitious goals with sustainable practices.

He highlights that this approach is not only ethically sound but also a key ingredient for long-term success. By marrying innovation with sustainability, businesses can create lasting impacts that benefit both their bottom line and the world around them.

Together, Amanda and Justin offer a powerful vision of how literacy and sustainability can serve as transformative forces. By nurturing these values, we can shape lives, strengthen communities, and ensure that both individuals and businesses not only survive but thrive in an ever-evolving world.

Let’s explore the profound ways in which these principles can elevate us all, making our communities richer, our relationships deeper, and our futures brighter!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Get ready to be inspired.

Dr. Aileen Hale, the visionary behind Create-Connections and the Travel with Purpose Podcast, shares ways for travelers to make meaningful connections around the globe. If you are looking to enhance your travel experiences and leave a positive impact on the communities you visit, Dr. Hale’s insights will transform the way you see the world.

And Tina Kinsey, from the Asheville Regional Airport, is giving us an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at one of the fastest-growing airports in the country. Discover what’s new and exciting for all you globetrotters out there!

Join us for an engaging journey that promises to inspire your wanderlust and connect you more deeply with the world.

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Get ready to unlock a world of adventure with Kat Medina’s book, “The Joys of Jet Lag.”

Kat shares some of her most valuable lessons and uncovers the secrets to living a life full of excitement through an openhearted approach. And how fun can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary to create a life of pure joy and fulfillment, no matter where we are.

Kat shares how The Joys of Jet Lag is your ultimate guide to infusing every day with the thrill of travel and how you can break free from the autopilot routine and rediscover the wonder around you.

Discover how to overcome challenges and learn to believe that everything is happening for you, not to you.

This is a laugh-out-loud guide, packed with captivating travel tales, simple exercises, and refreshingly honest advice.

Kat unlocks the secrets to a life full of adventure through an open-hearted approach to living. Get ready to explore life with an adventurous spirit and turn every moment into something magical.

Let the adventures begin!

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Join Richard Crawford, the charismatic host of the hit series Leave No Trace TV, as he shares his passion for conservation, sustainable travel, and eco-tourism, in our exciting Speaking of Travel + Leave No Trace TV Series.

Dive into the adventure and discover how you can catch all of Season One of Leave No Trace TV, get the latest updates on Season Two, and find out where this groundbreaking show is headed next.

We'll also dive into the hot topic of accessibility, sharing insights from our talk with Darren Edwards, and why this issue is making waves in the news today. You can listen to this episode here.

Plus, we have some great questions from our listeners for Ricky, and he's ready to spill some personal stories that are as funny as they are educational and inspirational!

Let Richard inspire you to explore the world responsibly and make a positive impact—all this and more, only on Speaking of Travel.

Tune in!

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Being a savvy traveler is crucial to ensure safety, comfort, and the best experiences during your travels.

What if you could transform your post-retirement years into a journey full of adventure and fulfillment? Join us as we uncover the vibrant world of travel for older adults in this enlightening episode of Speaking of Travel. Our guest, Betsy O'Leary, an expert in aging and senior lifestyles, sheds light on the expansive opportunities awaiting baby boomers and older individuals to explore the world.

Betsy is the owner of Carolina Living Choices, and a go-to expert in assisting aging individuals in many areas. And with travel being in high demand, she has some invaluable tips for active adults. Betsy offers fantastic advice on traveling with your aging parents to make the journey enjoyable and stress-free.

She shares personal stories and actionable advice to help older travelers or those with disabilities have a seamless and enjoyable travel experience. Communication with travel agencies and family members is key, and we discuss how to customize travel plans to cater to individual needs and preferences.

Additionally, we speak with Tina Kinsey, the newly appointed Chief Administrative Officer at the Asheville Regional Airport, about the airport's dynamic growth and strategic future plans.

Tina provides an insider's look at the ongoing expansion projects, including the eagerly anticipated North Concourse set to debut in June 2025. We also highlight the efforts to maintain accessible parking and the airport's community engagement initiatives.

She shares insights into the master plan for improvements and additions, ensuring the airport is well-prepared for the influx of record-breaking passenger numbers in the near future. A must listen!

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Speaking of Travel continues the LEAF Global Arts Series with Melissa McKinney, International Blues Star, LEAF teaching artist, and member of the popular band, Mama and the Ruckus, and Lucho Serapio of Asheville Multicultural.

Melissa curated the artist lineup for the Black Mountain Blues inaugural festival taking place in downtown Black Mountain, NC, with hundreds of musicians and true Blues music.

Black Mountain Blues Festival is a collaborative event between LEAF Global Arts and White Horse Black Mountain, two non-profit organizations dedicated to connecting communities through music and culture-keeping initiatives.

Melissa shares how the festival unfolded and the excitement in launching a new festival.

Also, Lucho Serapio was born in Mexico and later created Asheville Multicultural, a media platform that shares the stories of Asheville residents from a variety of cultures and backgrounds.

Lucho shares his experience as an entrepreneur, his involvement with LEAF Global Arts, and his vision for using his platform as a multicultural bridge to connect the people and voices of Western North Carolina.

Save the date for the LEAF Global Arts Festival: October 17-20, 2024

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Traveling helps you make your everyday life less boring. Travel experiences ultimately become your passions. So why not try new things and get out and explore the world?

On this episode of Speaking of Travel, Josie Vosoba, founder of Lavender and Vine, a business running small-group tours to France, is an artist who loves landscapes and botanical themes, many inspired by her annual trips to Provence, France.

Josie shares why she loves taking artists to Provence to experience the wonder, excitement, and beauty she finds in nature.

And discover beautiful Western North Carolina, another popular travel destination known for its Southern charm and some of the most ancient mountains in the world, by train.

Dustin McNeely-Wall from the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, fills us in on why this iconic attraction, with its rich history, sense of nature and community, and several special events throughout the year, has become a family tradition.

Make your travel dreams come true and go explore! Tune in to Speaking of Travel and be carried away to places from around the world and right here in your own backyard.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

With a background in spa, wellness, marketing and business development, Liz Galloway has a rich history in international travel, tourism, and adventure spanning 20 years. Liz shares how her adventure-driven passion and determination has led to a transformation in her continued success in life and social change.

And Liz shares how her love of creating a mind-body connection inspired her to begin her nonprofit, The Well Mind Project, providing scholarships to people in support of mental health.

Liz talks about her transition from being a wellness trainer and marketing manager overseas to being a creative director, digital marketer, and travel journalist / PR specialist.

And she shares her experiences in adventure travel and the challenges of extreme outdoor activities. Imagine hiking Fansipan in Vietnam, learning to fly a helicopter, doing solo skydives, becoming certified as a jungle guide in the Panamanian jungle, and doing a 5,000-mile leg of the "Clipper Round The World Yacht Race." Liz did all this!

Discover how stepping out of her comfort zone helped Liz transform and find a place in the world. And how she was inspired to begin her nonprofit.

And what I love about Liz is her transparency in talking about aging, and how she seeks out outlets of inspiration, learning to live with real life-changing events, and supporting other women in moving forward with grace and dignity. And always saying, "Yes."

Liz also talks about her participation in events like TEDx Women and why she's organizing an event in Seattle to amplify female voices, support her community, and give a stage to unheard voices.

You won't want to miss this special episode of Speaking of Travel!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

The Speaking of Travel + Leave No Trace TV Series with Richard Crawford, host of the popular TV series, Leave No Trace TV, continues with insights on conservation, sustainable travel, eco-tourism, and accessibility.

Special guest Darren Edwards, a disabled adventurer, author, and motivational speaker, shares lessons he’s learned from facing the unknown head-on and by redefining persistence, resilience, and change.

Discover how Darren remains positive and focused in the face of difficulties and why he launched Adaptive Expeditions, an interactive educational nonprofit using sport and recreation to provide health and wellness programs to people with physical and sensory disabilities and to help encourage them to push their boundaries.

Also Darren provides advice for other disabled people looking to travel more and how we can all be better advocates for accessibility. And he explains why you don’t need to experience extremes to build resilience.

Find out why there are so many misconceptions about disabilities and how we can begin to talk straight about teamwork, integrity, inclusion, honesty, and creating positive relationships. And how we can support Darren and his programs.

And Ricky shares all the latest about Leave No Trace TV and what's on the horizon for the future. You can tune in to Season One on Amazon Prime.

A must listen! Only on Speaking of Travel!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Rikimah Glymph is a world traveler, a wellness guru, and she puts together exceptional travel experiences. She shares how her work with people of all backgrounds helps identify challenges to think outside of their comfort zones. Rikimah has traveled alone to over 120 countries (72 of those countries with her son), and hosts wellness retreats and logistics conferences all over the world.

Rikimah challenges people to think outside of their comfort zones and helps create innovative solutions necessary for actionable change.

Also on Speaking of Travel, author, seasoned backpacker, and hiker Gary Sizer, shares his passion for travel and how his life was humbled, and changed forever, by walking the entire Appalachian Trail and ultimately writing his best-selling book, "Where's the Next Shelter?"

Gary describes how the spark leading to his love of the outdoors and travel from childhood and into the military created this passion. And find out how his international travel, including a recent trip to Montenegro, all tie into his lifelong love of adventure.

Come along for the hike of a lifetime. One step at a time.

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Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."

Today I am living my dream of taking Speaking of Travel live with three amazing world- changing guests at the LEAF Global Arts Retreat.

LEAF Global Arts plays a significant role in fostering community and over the years has become an essential role of this community and provides opportunities for people to come together and celebrate their shared customs, beliefs, and values.

My guests on this special live show, Masankho Banda, Amanda Lucidon and Chase Pickering, are leaders and visionaries ready to stand up and make a difference.

Amanda is an award-winning photographer, filmmaker, and New York Times best-selling author. She served as an Official White House photographer responsible for documenting President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama from 2013 to 2017 and she is one of only a few female White House photographers in history.

Her two highly-recommended books, Chasing Light: Michelle Obama Through the Lens of a White House Photographer, featuring beautiful photographs of the First Lady, and Reach Higher, her book adapted for young readers, is a beautiful celebration, and powerful reminder, of the impact of a remarkable First Lady.

Today, Amanda is helping bring awareness to adverse childhood experiences with creativity, mindfulness, education, and collaboration to address trauma through her organization, Grounded.Masankho is a multidisciplinary Performing Artist, InterPlay Leader, Spiritual Healer, and Peace Builder from Malawi, Central Africa. He’s been a part of LEAF for the past 20+ years as a performer, lecturer, and adviser.

Using performing arts, he motivates and inspires people of all ages to work together to bring about peace, social justice, and cultural understanding.

Chase is the great-great-grandson of Biltmore's founder George Vanderbilt. He serves as Vice President of the Biltmore House guest experience and operations. He’s also an incredible photographer!

In high school, Chase met Jane Goodall and formed a student group to work with her Roots and Shoots program. He later became a youth leadership fellow and board member with the Jane Goodall Institute.

Travel is not just a movement. It can act as a portal, much like a photographer. It has the ability to encapsulate a moment or memory to allow us to transcend space and time.

On this special live Speaking of Travel, discover life lessons from those who have had the honor to be connected with people they highly admire and how they use these lessons every day.

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There is always a proud sense of community that you find in small towns and communities in our country. And in the North Carolina Mountains, you can add to that something downright magical. Great people, incredible food, and Southern Hospitality to make you all feel like you’re home. People here love to roll out the welcome mat.

Meet Summer Stipe, Founder and Lead Planner of Juniper and Crafted by Juniper. Summer offers customized and personalized itineraries for people traveling to Western North Carolina and for locals looking to freshen up their date nights or adventures.

Summer shares why helping people build deeper connections with the people in their lives and to the places where they land, either temporarily or permanently, as well as supporting businesses who are recruiting candidates to the area, provides a rewarding, and proud business model.

And Tina Kinsey from the Asheville Regional Airport shares how the future could look for this fast-growing airport and what the summer season is shaping up to look like.

Tina invites you to sign up for the new quarterly e-newsletter, INSIGHT: AVL Forward, to access more information about the airport's growth with in-depth articles, photos and videos. The newsletter provides a look into airport strategy, challenges, problem-solving, and questions and engagement.

And so much more! A must listen. Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Vanessa K. Harper runs Travel Cuba With Us, a tour company specializing in ethical traveler tours and yoga retreats to directly support the Cuban people. Vanessa is also the founder of a nonprofit organization prioritizing food and medicine aid to individuals in need, apolitical academic engagement, and micro-grant support for independent artists and entrepreneurs.

Vanessa has practiced yoga since 1997 and became a certified yoga teacher practicing a variety of styles of yoga, including Bikram, Ashtanga, Baptiste, Kundalini, and Mixed-Level Power Vinyasa. She and her husband, Alejandro Berroa, also offer their signature Cuba Yoga Retreats program, an immersion experience that physically, spiritually, and culturally engages guests both on and off the mat.

Vanessa knows Cuba and so can you. Her team offers unique perspectives and intimate insights into Cuba and provide personalized cultural immersion experiences to support the local economy. Their designed custom itineraries for solo travelers and guide group trips specialize in history, culture, artist’s studio visits, photography workshops and rural farm adventures. You really must go!

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Traveling with children is always challenging, but for parents of children on the autism spectrum and/or those who have mood and attention disorders, it can be especially intimidating.

Dawn M. Barclay wrote Traveling Different: Vacation Strategies for Parents of the Anxious, the Inflexible, and the Neurodiverse as the essential resource to make the cultural, educational, and bonding benefits of vacations available to all.

The multi-award-winning parenting and travel guide was recently released in a paperback edition and is an important read for all families and especially those with autistic or otherwise neurodivergent children.

Dawn shares the latest cities and countries that are making a concerted effort to be autism friendly and how the growth of the vacation rental certification company, Becoming RentABLE , is helping families with a commitment to inclusion and the need to reshape the landscape of travel for individuals with disabilities.

And find out how changes at the Champion Autism Network, once known as the Champion Autism Network CAN Card, is now known as AutismTravel.club and the membership makes it easier to plan and enjoy your family fun with access to autism-ready businesses who will help you and your family have a wonderful vacation.

Also on Speaking of Travel, Tina Kinsey, VP of Marketing, PR, and Air Service Development at the Asheville Regional Airport, shares how the airport is like a small city with an interconnected system of tenants and administrators and a tremendously complex system of firefighters, police and groundskeepers.

Today the airport is undergoing major changes and will continue to over the next decade as it adapts to a rapidly growing population base and the region’s ever-expanding reputation as a tourist destination.

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During a 40-year freelance career, Nan K. Chase has written about French Catalonia, urban wilderness in San Francisco, hunting for gemstones in North Carolina, and dozens of other off-beat topics and destinations.

Nan shares how she became a travel writer and what it was like before computers, the Internet, and plastic diapers. And find out how her wanderlust shifted over the years and how she navigates traveling today.

Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, New York Times, Southern Living, and Air & Space Magazine. Nan tells a great story about how that one happened!

With North Carolina her home base for four decades, Nan relocated five years ago to the wilds of Southwest Virginia, where she now writes about wildflowers, bicycling, and learning to shoot. She is the author of "Asheville: A History,"and "Lost Restaurants of Asheville," as well as two books about the edible, drinkable landscape.

An enchanting trip down memory lane. A must listen!

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Deanna Jannuzzi is an Initiated Priestess in the Lineage of the Alchemical Rose, a Somatic Practitioner, and Soul Awakening Coach. Deana facilitates retreats, rituals, and ceremonies around the world.

Weaving in Transcendental Breathwork, Sound Healing, Personal Sovereignty and Empowerment, Shadow Integration, Sexual Reclamation, Consent Culture, and more, Deanna emphasizes the importance of personal sovereignty and self-expression, helping individuals find their voice, align with their purpose, and cultivate connections that nourish the Soul.

Deanna shares how the beauty of travel, and travel itself, is an inward journey just as much as it is an outward journey. She guides the evolving process of self-discovery to help bring actions and ideas into alignment so you can better know who you want to be and how you impact the world you are living in.

Discover how Deanna created her Mary Magdalene Pilgrimage in Southern France and find out about other upcoming retreats and personal retreats.

Also on Speaking of Travel, there’s so much we can learn to allow ourselves to show up, not only for ourselves, but for each other too. Adam Laufer and Erin Everett are Weather Workers and Ceremonial Leaders in the tradition of don Lucio Campos de Elizalde, a master weather worker in Morelos, Mexico.

They dedicate their lives to service, working to bring the balance of weather to their home communities so their lands and the people will thrive and benefit.

Erin and Adam share how we can learn to grow and live from a place of stability and weather storms with more ease. And even become better travelers.

Find out why people follow traditional cultures to uncover what might be missing in our growth. And Erin and Adam explain why traditions and ceremonies are important to be a part of ongoing wisdom that is unbroken from ancient times.

A must listen! Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Justin Belleme, owner and founder of JB Media Group and publisher of Romantic Asheville, shares how working with local entrepreneurs in the community and supporting organizations he believes in helps them achieve their vision. Justin is a travel industry leader and provides strategic direction and expertise in the travel and tourism industry, and is an advocate for sustainable growth and fairness in all business.

JB Media is a B Corp Certified social impact marketing agency dedicated to increasing the reach and authority of social enterprises, conscious companies, and mission-driven organizations across all digital channels. Justin explains how becoming a Certified B Corp brings you into a global community that is using business as a force for good and embraces collaboration with other change makers with shared visions and values.

Also on Speaking of Travel, Tina Kinsey, VP of Marketing, PR, and Air Service Development at the Asheville Regional Airport, shares how aviation organizations help bring others together to leverage knowledge and experiences.

Tina describes how aviation organizations bring industry players together with other players in the industry who they most likely would not have met without specific business or personal relationships. And how they develop a community.

And she explains how the need for information, expertise, or even special help might arise and how everyone comes together for support. You'll also discover why these connections within special aviation organizations are formed and why many in the industry eagerly join without hesitation.

Tune in for some big news happening now at the Asheville Regional Airport! Current updates and more!

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Did you know middle school students who explored nature and took part in outdoor activities like climbing, canoeing, skiing and hiking, displayed improvements in social skills, resilience, and creativity?

Situated on the banks of the French Broad River in Asheville, NC, is a school that provides middle-schoolers with an educational experience that is academically rigorous, outdoor-centric, and ventures far beyond the classroom.

French Broad River Academy (FBRA) is a middle school (6-8 grade), founded in 2012, with strong academics, experiential education, and international travel.

Co-Founder and Executive Director, Will Yeiser, along with Tricia Chan, Girls Program Director, and 8th graders Riley and Noah, share how the two single-gender campuses, one for girls and one for boys, combines a carefully-crafted academic curriculum with relevant, purposeful learning experiences beyond the campus to become confident, compassionate leaders.

The team explains how the community and culture inside of FBRA is set up to challenge and engage students to explore their own strengths and weaknesses. And how they learn to take calculated risks and push their limits in a safe and supportive environment.

A must listen only on Speaking of Travel!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Speaking of Travel continues the LEAF Global Arts Series with Co-Executive Director
Erinn Hartley.

LEAF Global Arts plays a significant role in fostering a sense of community and cultural identity and Erinn shares how over the years, LEAF Global Arts has provided opportunities for people to come together and celebrate their shared customs, beliefs, and values.

LEAF Global Arts is an integral part of community life, promoting cultural cohesion, social interaction, and a sense of belonging. Their mission comes to life as an agent for positive social impact in many ways and places. There are cultural exchanges, residencies, programs, workshops, mentoring, Easel Rider Mobile Art Lab, Learning Journeys, Signature Events, Immersive Experiences, and Partnerships.

Also, discover what is happening at the LEAF Global Arts space in downtown Asheville, NC, and how all their programs, retreats, and festivals, play an integral part of community life, promoting cultural cohesion, social interaction, and a sense of belonging.

SAVE THE DATES FOR 2024!
LEAF Retreat: May 9-12
LEAF Global Arts Festival: October 17-20

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Poet Glenis Redmond has learned to receive beauty without hesitation. Being diagnosed with cancer and amid COVID, she came up with the idea to visit South Carolina's State Parks with her grandson as a life-affirming way for them both to share this poetic journey.

Her new book, “The Song of Everything: A Poet's Exploration of South Carolina State Parks,” is a pocket-sized collection of poems exploring the enduring connection between the natural world and our internal landscape.

In sharing these Park experiences, Glenis explains to her grandson (and us) that goodness and well-being exist worldwide, especially in nature. "There, we can find our truest nature—our highest nature," said Glenis. You will cherish her treasured moments as she shares them with us here.

Glenis has spent almost three decades touring the country as a poet and teaching artist. She explains why poetry is the mouth that speaks when all other mouths are silent, and she invites everyone to rediscover the wonders of the world around us, the stories they have to tell, and the lessons they have to teach us.

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Afro-Latino Travels with Kim Haas is the groundbreaking television series dedicated to uncovering the vibrant Afro-Latino culture across Latin America. Host, founder, and executive producer, Kim Haas, shares how her series allows viewers to discover a smaller group within the Black community. Kim explains how showcasing Afro-Latino communities throughout Latin America, with their rich and diverse legacy of creating vibrant cultures in the Americas, honors the people and shows their vast contributions.

Also, Frank Grindrod, author, public speaker, and veteran, is a seasoned wilderness survival expert known for leadership training with teams in the wild and founder of Earthwork Programs. Frank shares why learning earth skills is a transformative process for all ages and explains how outdoor team building helps build confidence and cooperation while providing space to get to know the natural world around them.

A must listen. Only on Speaking of Travel!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

The Speaking of Travel And Leave No Trace TV series continues with host Richard Crawford, our ambassador to the bigger world. Ricky shares where to watch Season One of Leave No Trace TV and gives an update on Season Two and when the first episodes will be coming out.

Also, Ricky highlights inspiring stories from around the world where good things are happening in and around sustainable and eco-tourism.

Richard shares how travel and seeing the world inspires him, what keeps him moving, and the profound impact travel can have on a person.

And it’s no secret that self-reflection comes when you interact with diverse cultures and people with individual beliefs that might be different than ours. Discover why Richard wants to constantly go on new adventures and some reasons why he continues exploring new places.

The idea of changing the world can be daunting. It's easy and understandable to think, "I’m only one person; what can I really do?” Find out what Ricky will them.

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Author Charlie Birney, Chief Listening Officer at his company, Podville Media in Washington, DC, wrote his new bookThe Tao of Podcasting: An Interpretation of the Tao Te Ching, as a meditation on the purpose of podcasting.

Charlie shares how the book serves as a guide to growth and transformation that can be directly applicable to podcasting.

Written in lovely verse and illustrated by Charlie's own delightful sketches, The Tao of Podcasting shows how podcast production creates memorable stories by remembering the ancient art of listening, deepening the silence before the sound, combining stillness and fluidity, developing auditory wisdom, engaged listening, and talking forward, and reigniting your passion for podcasting

In addition to writing this creative gem, Charlie co-founded Podville Media and produces a wide range of audio and video for a diverse range of clients. He also shares what he calls "Internal Facing Podcasts" which are podcasts not so much looking for growth and monetization, but instead trying to increase communication inside an organization.

And some big news. Charlie is preparing to start podcasting again! His new venture will be called "The Philosophy of Podcasting." Stay tuned!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Sustainable Chef William Dissen, owner of The Market Place Restaurant in Asheville, NC, shares how his passion for building sustainable food systems, his love of hospitality, and serving in the American Chef Corps for the US State Department, has taken him around the world to promote American food culture and sustainability practices.

The Market Place Restaurant, Asheville’s original farm-to-table fixture since 1979, and widely acclaimed for its Appalachian cuisine and community-driven menus, was distinguished with a James Beard Awards “Outstanding Restaurant” nomination in 2024. It’s considered one of the best farm-to-table restaurants in America.

Chef Dissen shares how he came to write his debut cookbook, “Thoughtful Cooking: Recipes Rooted In the New South," and how he takes readers on a transformative culinary journey, carefully organized by the four seasons of Appalachia’s most sought after ingredients.

And just like a restaurant continues to grow, airports are investing in redevelopment plans and new technology to ensure they are prepared to process huge numbers of passengers.

Also on Speaking of Travel, Tina Kinsey, VP of Marketing, PR, and Air Service Development at the Asheville Regional Airport, shares the important role of community airports and how this region is becoming a red-hot aviation market. And find out some tips on how to become a more savvy, and prepared, traveler when navigating an airport today.

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There are many reasons to study abroad. At UNC Asheville, Laura Dobson, Director of the Study Abroad program, along with Study Aboard faculty member Anne Slatton, and Study Abroad students, Emma and Adrien, shares the importance, and benefits, of study abroad opportunities.

Discover how UNCA diversifies participation in the Study Abroad program by making sure students realize there is a right study abroad opportunity for their needs and how providing scholarships, careful advising, and other types of resources and support help students have a great experience that fits their needs.

And find out how the benefits of a study aboardexperience will boost language skills by living in another country, develop new views of the world, and meet people from different places around the globe, all while getting the best education possible.

Study abroad provides one of the most impactful and rewarding learning opportunities of a student's academic career. Experiencing the world, gaining new perspectives, making new friends, and challenging a way of thinking while earning credits towards a degree will also enhance job prospects after graduation.

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Charlie Thomas is an artist and environmentalist based on Waiheke Island, New Zealand. With a strong connection to the ocean and all its inhabitants, Charlie shares how his passion is creating a life of stewardship, leadership, and traveling.

Charlie spent his summer holidays on Great Barrier Island and has worked full-time in wildlife conservation since leaving high school when he was only 16. He has visited, or lived on, some of the most remote (and important) islands in the world, including the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and New Zealand subantarctic islands.

During 2020, Charlie spent nine months on Kure, one of the most isolated atolls in the world, in an effort to restore the island by helping its seabirds and marine wildlife, eradicate invasive weed species, and clear marine debris.

And he shares his recent expedition with the Antarctic Heritage Trust's Inspiring Explorers Expeditions™ in South Georgia as part of the Trust’s visual arts outreach team where he uses watercolor to illustrate South Georgia's incredible wildlife and landscapes.

Charlie works in education and teaches young people about the importance of being guardians for our native species and spaces. His passion for nature, particularly birds, has led him to create art in all forms highlighting how we can help take better care of the planet.

Visit www.charliesbirds.com to learn more about Charlie and how he connects people of all ages and backgrounds to the natural wonders in their own backyards and in places they've never heard of before.

A very special episode on Speaking of Travel! Tune in!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Author and travel professional Nina Zapala shares why she is dedicated to helping people create a personalized, transformative roadmap for self-discovery. Her trailblazing personality paradigm encourages self-awareness through spiritually focused typing.

Nina's typology is the keystone of her debut book, “Unpack Your Personality: Let Your Inner Guide Be Your Travel Guide.”

Andy McNeill, CEO of American Meetings, Inc., shares how hospitality and travel can come together to build lifelong business relationships. He has helped thousands of organizations build stronger relationships through shared human experiences and explains how the history of hospitality is now the cornerstone of today’s travel experience and why it has lasted so long.

A must listen! Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Sarah Benoit is a digital marketing strategist, entrepreneur, and educator. She is also the co-founder and acting lead instructor of the JB Media Institute. And she is a passionate traveler.

Sarah shares how traveling can be a way to deepen your intimacy, connection, and understanding of the people you love. And she explains why sometimes she travels for adventure, but most of the time she chooses to be close to people and to strengthen relationships.

And Sarah shares how she decided to plan bucket list trips for her parents. Discover how she gets out of her comfort zone and exposes herself to uncertainty, exploration, and learning. Being so passionate about traveling, Sarah describes why the result is in her own personal growth along with having greater emotional agility, empathy, and creativity.

Also on this episode of Speaking of Travel is Tina Kinsey, VP of Marketing, PR, and Air Service Development at the Asheville Regional Airport. Tina provides some tips on how to set the tone and ensure your travel experiences run as smoothly as possible. And she shares some info on what it takes moving so many people to their ultimate destinations and provides an update on all the progress being made on the new airport terminals.

A great listen! Only on Speaking of Travel!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Margaret Roach and Ken Druse are gardeners and writers offering up online courses on all things gardening. Margaret and Ken share how The Virtual Garden Club began and how they put together these programs to provide advice, encouragement, and camaraderie, along with answers to your gardening questions!

Margaret is a longtime garden writer and created a website, podcast, and weekly newsletter called A Way to Garden, the title of her 1989 book that was reissued in 2019 in an all-new edition.

Ken is a celebrated lecturer, an award-winning writer, photographer and author of 20 garden books. The American Horticultural Society listed, The Natural Garden, among the best books of all time, and the New York Times called him “the guru of natural gardening.”

Ready to join the club? Click here!

Also, Mark Collins from RomanticAsheville.com, shares how this guide to Asheville and Western North Carolina helps the community grow stronger and fosters inspiration and why RomanticAsheville.com is the most visited travel website for those planning travel to this beautiful part of the world. Find out how they value their partners and readers to maximize exposure and ensure all the content is current and up to date. "There are a lot of moving parts carefully considered to ensure our readers have a seamless and rewarding experience," said Mark.

A must listen! Only on Speaking of Travel!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

In 1995, LEAF Global Arts began as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Their mission... to connect cultures and create community through music, arts education, and experiences, and to cultivate curiosity, preserve cultures and promote global understanding.

An organization like LEAF plays a significant role in fostering a sense of community and cultural identity. Over the years, LEAF has become an essential part of this community and provides opportunities for people to come together and celebrate their shared customs, beliefs, and values.

On this episode of Speaking of Travel, meet two integral participates in the LEAF experience who are helping to pass the magic forward. In this year’s theme of World Changers: Year of The Activist, they are world changers.

Adama Dembele is from the Ivory Coast, West Africa, and is the 33rd generation of a family serving communities through music and culture of the djembe.

Schree Antoinette is a cultural preservationist and heritage practitioner with a passion for safeguarding traditional cultural knowledge, customs, and natural resources.

Together they share how music and dance truly bring people together and break down barriers of race, class, age, gender, nationality, religion and political views.

Let’s be inspired to become active participants in the story of our global community.

SAVE THE DATES FOR LEAF 2024!

LEAF Retreat: May 9-12

LEAF Global Arts Festival: October 17-20

Visit TheLEAF.org for more information!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

I recently read a study showing how researchers have found that when we look at maps, our brains are activated in different ways, creating this unique and enjoyable experience. Enter the future. Today, there are ways to look and interact with maps we could never have dreamed of even just a few years back.

AJ Brau is CEO of Wandermap, a map solution where you can explore every nook and cranny of your chosen destination before you even set foot there. AJ shares the Wander story and explains how tourism boards are key to a sustainable tourism future and what’s next with their new interactive itineraries 🙌

Also, Tina Kinsey from the Asheville Regional Airport, describes how the airport is finding solutions to address rising passenger traffic as they build a beautiful, new terminal. Western North Carolina has needed a bigger airport for a long time and is finally realizing the expansion. The team at the airport are hard at work making it happen!

And with all this building going on, the Asheville Regional Airport continues giving back to the community. Tina shares how they contribute to local organizations and partner with economic development agencies to provide important information about air service to prospective businesses.

A must listen. Only on Speaking of Travel!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

I’ve had some amazing travel experiences when I was sharing those experiences with others on the trip. Traveling with other people provides opportunities to try new things and even increases courage when there are other people around encouraging you to try something new and jump into that opportunity.

Matthew Kent is the founder of Kent World Travel. With his career in professional golf across South Africa, Europe and the USA, and living and playing in over 50 countries worldwide, Matt now spends his time between South Africa and the US hosting his clients on trips around the world.

Also, Noah Kleiner, owner of Equinox Guiding Service in Maine, is dedicated to providing transformative outdoor experiences to empower participants in overcoming fears, embracing challenges, and developing new skills in a supportive and encouraging environment, while challenging them to step out of their comfort zones and create unforgettable memories.

Tune in and discover the importance of getting outside, being with others, and even stepping out of your comfort zone. A must listen!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

The Speaking of Travel And Leave No Trace TV series continues with host Richard Crawford. Richard talks to us while in Australia editing the epic Season Two of the popular Leave No Trace TV show with producer and cameraman, Ben Alcott.

Ricky and Ben share updates and tell us about their day-to-day progress and how they go about editing the show. And all the places we can watch Leave No Trace TV.

And discover how to be more of a savvy traveler and stay safe when traveling. Also, Ricky and Ben provide some examples from their trips and explain why it's important for people to continue exploring and traveling and share the many reasons sustainable travel is important.

A must listen. Only on Speaking of Travel!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Liza Rutledge is the owner of Happy Hiking Company, specializing in leading captivating overnight guided backpacking tours across the stunning landscapes of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Liza shares the benefits of a guided trip over a non-guided trip and why these experiences in nature are beneficial to your mental and physical health, builds outdoor skill sets, and is a great means of meeting new people.

Also on Speaking of Travel, Tina Kinsey, VP of Marketing, PR, and Air Service Development at the Asheville Regional Airport, shares some of the stories of an industry in constant evolution and what the Asheville Regional Airport is doing to transform for this region’s future growth.

A must listen! Only on Speaking of Travel!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

LoAnn Halden (she/her) is the VP of Communications for the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association, IGLTA. Their mission is to provide information and resources for LGBTQ+ travelers and expand LGBTQ+ tourism globally.

IGLTA, the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association, was founded in 1983 and is the world's leading network of LGBTQ+-welcoming tourism businesses. They provide free travel resources and information while continuously working to promote equality and safety within LGBTQ+ tourism worldwide.

IGLTA’s members include LGBTQ+-friendly accommodations, transport, destinations, service providers, travel advisors, tour operators, events and travel media located in over 80 countries.

LoAnn shares how the LGBTQ+ community as a whole has made progress over the past few decades and explains how the transgender community still faces major challenges, particularly in the tourism industry.

Their IGLTA Foundation works with tourism businesses and transgender community leaders to develop a plan for making tourism more welcoming for transgender travelers.

And LoAnn describes their new IGLTA Accredited program, created to serve the gold standard of assurance that travel brands are committed to promoting equality and safety for LGBTQ+ travelers.

LoAnn shares how meeting these standards ensures properties and travel organizations meet comprehensive criteria and evaluation process before being recognized as IGLTA Accredited™.

A must listen! Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Ariel Haas and Jason Moon, business partners at Glassy Stays, Asheville, NC's exclusive glass mirror house, share the benefits of staying at an eco-conscious accommodation for a vacation in the heart of the forest.

Today, the old-school, off-grid lifestyle is not as attractive as it once was, except maybe for those who like the camping lifestyle. Now it’s more about a luxury off-grid lifestyle as people are becoming more mindful of how they travel and where they stay.

Ariel and Jason explain how this sustainable haven is bringing modern luxury into nature. And what makes Glassy Stays and the mirror house special.

Also on Speaking of Travel is Justin Belleme, founder of the JB Media Group, co-founder of the JB Media Institute and the DIY Tourism Marketing Workshop, and the publisher of Romantic Asheville.com.

Justin is a leader in helping shape the future of sustainable travel and shares how alternative accommodations are becoming more popular and necessary.

Tune in! Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Travel the world with LEAF Global Arts. Their mission is to connect cultures and create community through world music, arts education, preservation, and experiences.

Join Chinobay, LEAF Global Arts Chairman of the Board of Directors and a catalyst for positive change through his multifaceted journey beginning in Uganda, and Ryan "RnB" Barber, LEAF’s Spark the Arts artist-in-residence for Black History Month and a staple of Asheville NC's legendary music scene, as they share why music is the world's universal language.

Chinobay and Ryan explain how the world-changing theme for LEAF 2024 resinates with their desire to enhance the lives of children across the globe.

Together they share how music is their vehicle to travel the world and showcase the universal language of music, transcend borders, and unite people in a shared musical experience.

Join artists from around the world at the LEAF Global Arts Experience in downtown Asheville year-round, or at LEAF Global Arts Retreat each May, and LEAF Global Arts Festival each October. You will travel the world through music, culture, and the arts.

SAVE THE DATES FOR 2024:

LEAF Retreat: May 9-12

LEAF Global Arts Festival: October 17-20

Visit TheLEAF.org for more information. Become a part of the LEAF family and help cultivate a thriving global community generated by the power of cultural curiosity, education, connection, and preservation.

Tune in! Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Ever wonder why it feels so great to be out in nature? Amanda Baker, Partner Marketing Manager with Visit North Carolina and oversees North Carolina’s Outdoor NC initiative, and Clark Lovelace, Executive Director of the Transylvania County Tourism Development Authority, share how the love for the outdoors makes us feel happy, inspired, and excited to explore more. And why it's important to to build awareness around responsible travel, destination stewardship, and sustainable tourism concepts.

Amanda explains how North Carolina has a strong commitment to protect and preserve the culture and natural resources of the state. With three flagship programs in place: Leave No Trace, Accessible Outdoors & Trail Town Designation, they have expanded their initiatives beyond responsible travel by providing educational workshops, along with a practical tool-kit, to advance stewardship activities and communications.

Clark shares how Transylvania County is recognized for their long-standing roll in sustainability by creating Transylvania Always and Leave It Betteras their key initiatives.

And with 250 waterfalls in Transylvania County, Clark relates how waterfall safety is a focus they share with land agencies, emergency personnel, and others.

The state and its partners are creating programs with local businesses, residents and visitors to help protect and preserve North Carolina’s outdoor spaces for the future.

A must listen! Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Omi Salevea of the McDowell County Tourism Development Authority in the Blue Ridge Mountains, shares why outdoor recreation is important in preserving natural landscapes and for protecting culture and heritage. And why it's good for your body too!

One of my favorite places to get outdoors is in Old Fort, a small town not far from Asheville in McDowell County, NC. It's a mountain town in the way the Pisgah National Forest and the Blue Ridge Mountains surround this beautiful place.

And there’s a rich history dating back to before the Revolutionary War and so many incredible things to do outside. Omi fills us in on all there is to see and do in this special area and why one trip is just not enough.

Also on Speaking of Travel, Tina Kinsey, Vice-president of Marketing, PR, and Air Service Development at the Asheville Regional Airport, provides an update of the largest construction project in the airport’s history and how they have marked yet another record-breaking year in 2023.

With about a 22.2% increase over 2022 figures, the airport's annual passenger count grew beyond the historic 2 million mark for the first time ever.

The global air travel industry in 2023 demonstrates people are traveling more and more and the Asheville Regional Airport is growing to become a landmark infrastructure project for Western North Carolina.

Find out more! Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Enock Glidden is an accomplished outdoorsman and is found adventuring every season of the year. Born with Spina Bifida, Enock has learned to do things differently than others and shares how attitude is everything.

Also on Speaking of Travel, discover why collaboration and meaningful relationships provide a framework for inspiration. Guest Mark Collins, Partnerships Manager for RomanticAsheville.com, builds strategic partnerships and combines responsibility, sustainability and safety into one coherent voice to help foster conservation and inspiration for growing stronger as a community and as good people.

People making a large positive impact in the world sometimes attribute their passion by what they do differently. And then they inspire others who might recognize they have something special that other folks don’t and can finally move forward to have their voices heard.

A very special Speaking of Travel. Only on Speaking of Travel!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

The Speaking of Travel And Leave No Trace TV Series with Richard Crawford, host of the popular TV series, Leave No Trace, continues with new stories and tips to help change your life for the better and see sights so rich in wonder they will take your breath away.

In this, the first episode of the new year, discover Ricky's backstory... How does a small boy from Paisley, Scotland, end up traveling the globe? And have the opportunity to visit some amazing places that life has to offer? What was it like going from being a luxury brand ambassador to creating a show with an emphasis on protecting the environment?

And Ricky shares some best practices in this tourism sector and how these leaders are making a difference. And find out what it was like to have traveled to all seven continents for Season Two.

The Speaking of Travel audience wanted to find out how Ricky and Ben (cameraperson/producer) decide on the best ways to capture the essence of a destination. Discover how they do it and how they train for their trips.

To ask Ricky and Ben questions, simply contact Marilyn at mb@speakingoftravel.net.

There are new ways to watch Leave No Trace TV, and Ricky explains how to watch, where to watch, and provides updates on Season Two and when the season will be ready for viewing.

All on Speaking of Travel. Tune in!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Real Asia Founder Nick Wang and Associate Nina LaFerla share their passion for Asia and its diverse cultures with US teachers and students and create ways to utilize travel as a means to deepen the understanding between us and the destinations we visit.

Nick has extensive business relationships with Chinese schools, companies, and NGOs and has been leading Real Asia to help many schools across the US with their faculty-led study trips.

Nina is a devoted educator whose engaging, award-winning teaching style has taken her to classrooms around the world, from France to the Tibetan regions of China. Nina fell in love with China on her first trip there when she was only 14 and since then has spent many years studying, teaching, and guiding in China.

Discover why Asia is such a unique travel destination and how Nick began Real Asia to provide the most authentic experience with an immigrant's perspective of helping others travel.

Also, Tina Kinsey, Vice-president of Marketing, PR, and Air Service Development at the Asheville Regional Airport, shares how this airport's improvements and projects address long-term growth and what the airport is doing to keep pace with increased passenger traffic, security and the passengers’ needs.

In the fall of 2022, the FAA announced the availability of $1 billion during 2023 for airport expansion projects, mostly earmarked for airport infrastructure project. Over the last couple of years, there have been many changes to federal funding programs in the U.S. that dramatically widened the scope of airport expansion all over the country.

Find out how this airport is planning on accommodating current and future air service expansion. A must listen! Only on Speaking of Travel!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Tess Vigeland is a longtime journalist and podcaster. And she is an avid photographer who shoots mainly landscape photos around the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Tess shares how sometimes wanderlust shows up and she just must go.

It's been more than five years since Tess returned from her time abroad and she describes what it's like to go so long without real international travel and why she's super excited to get back out again.

Tess is a wanderer and her upcoming trip to Portugal is no exception to her wanderlust. Find out how she rolls with no real plans except to rent a car, get out a map, and just go.

And Tess shares how these last five years of no real international travel has given her more perspective of how much she loves traveling throughout her home region of the Pacific Northwest.

She explains how countless road trips, many of them 1,000+ miles within two states, fills her soul to travel this way in an extraordinarily beautiful corner of the globe, one that draws photographers from all over the world, and what's different for her now versus when she grew up there.

Find out how Tess is looking at all of this literally through a new lens of photography and why she's never so happy as when she's on the road, in her car, with her camera, by herself.

And speaking of being alone, Tess is going to Portugal alone and tells us she's actually not sure she'll ever want to travel with someone again. Not that she'll never say never, but discover why she feels solo travel is it for her!

For more info about Tess and to follow her journey, visit www.tessvigeland.com.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Jane Adams, former director of Partnership Relations with Jane Fortune and Advancing Women Artists, a non-profit organization that was dedicated to rediscovering, restoring, and exhibiting works by women artists found in Florence’s Museums and State deposits, shares how she is continuing to raise awareness about forgotten artists and reclaim their rightful place in history.

Jane explains how meeting Jane Fortune and Advancing Women Artists led to one of the most recent examples of lost art and also one of the most impressive. Sister Plautilla Nelli’s (1524-1588) The Last Supper is the only known depiction of Christ’s last meal by a female artist in the pre-modern age.

The self-taught artist’s massive canvas—about 21 feet long and 7 feet high—is one of the largest works by a woman artist of the pre-modern era in the entire world. Though women were banned from studying anatomy, Nelli defied conventions of the time by taking on a theme reserved for male artists and creating 13 life-size male figures.

There are still so many questions and Jane helps clarify why some of these works were never considered masterpieces. A movement is happening now around Italy's women's art restoration and Jane will bring you into a history that is not just restoring the works of art, but also restoring women’s place in art history. Over the past 10 years, over 70 works of art are now restored.

When you think about it, art has always been used as a means of storytelling and has vastly enriched our lives. The world needs women to inspire us, to raise our spirits, and to serve as role models for our future generation of girls.

A must listen! Only on Speaking of Travel!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

The Asheville Art Museum is an example of how museums engage, inspire and enlighten communities. Museum leaders Kate Faulkner and Neal Page share how the Asheville Art Museum transforms lives through art.

When I’m visiting new places, I like to prepare my options for what to see and do. And one thing always on my agenda is going to a museum. Usually more than one. And why not? Museums are community centers and always make you feel good. Even smarter! And most likely there is a museum near you right now.

And lucky for us right here in Asheville, NC, the Asheville Art Museum was established by local artists and is the third oldest art museum in the state. Big changes happened in the museum building during their major expansion and renovation project a few years ago and now it’s time to catch up!

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Italy looks like a high heeled boot and Puglia is the heel of that boot. Mark Gordon Smith, founder of Private Italy Tours, shares how the eclectic history of Puglia left an imprint on what we see today.

I’d fallen in love with Italy a few times before I traveled with Mark Gordon Smith, and it’s no wonder people love traveling with him. He could be the ambassador to Italy. He knows this country like the back of his hand. Or should I say the heel of the boot!

Travelers new to the region might wonder if Puglia is worth visiting? Mark is here to answer with a resounding yes!

Mark shares why this wonderful part of the world is unique, magical and friendly. With some of the best food, historical sites and deep, rich history, Puglia and Basilicata is a great region to avoid the chaos of the crowds found in other parts of Italy.

Join Mark as he shares all there is to know about traveling in Puglia and Basilicata — some of the most surprising and least traveled of Italy’s regions — and see another side of Bella Italia.

This trip showcases a truly unique blend of culture unlike anywhere else in the county, all largely untouched by tourism and at a leisurely Italian pace.

A must listen! Only on Speaking of Travel!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

The Speaking of Travel And Leave No Trace TV Series with Richard Crawford continues, highlighting the importance of conservation, sustainable travel and eco-tourism. And sharing what the new year has in store.

This is the best time to catch up with Season One of Leave No Trace TV and Ricky shares the details so you can tune in and enjoy. And he provides some updates on Season Two and where you can watch some fun trailers. And Ricky shares how traveling and seeing the world inspires him. And will inspire you!

Also, Ricky loves answering questions from you! If you have questions for Ricky, email mb@speakingoftravel and send along. On this episode of Speaking of Travel, Ricky shares what it's like for him to be on TV and what was his biggest travel mistake. And he tells us about some weird food experiences. Spoiler alert...ICK!

And good news! Being a holiday episode, Ricky sings for you! A must listen!

Only on Speaking of Travel! Tune in and Happy Holidays!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Maria Grazia Marini, Director of Tourism for Ravenna, Italy, shares why this special city, once the capital of the Western Roman Empire, is today a blend of ancient mosaics, Roman architecture, and Dante magic.

I was recently in Italy and among the many places I visited, one of my favorites was the beautiful city of Ravenna. It is impossible to forget the incredible number of historic sites, remarkable buildings, museums, and churches, as well as an important list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Ravenna is a city of inspiration and Maria Grazia explains the story of Dante Alighieri and why his writings and poetry has made him an important voice for our modern times as he emerged as the poet of hope and desire and mercy.

Maria Grazia also shares why the fabulous restaurants and food in Ravenna is reminiscent of what it might have been like a hundred years ago. The food transports you to another time. This is truly a magical place!

A must listen, especially for anyone wanting to visit a part of Italy you might not have ever traveled before. And such a grand place indeed!

Only on Speaking of Travel!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Justin Belleme, founder of the JB Media Group and publisher of Romantic Asheville.com and Tina Kinsey, VP of Marketing, PR, and Air Service Development at the Asheville Regional Airport, share how they are working to shape this region’s future growth.

Justin is a travel industry leader and provides strategic direction and expertise in the travel and tourism industry. He shares his recent experience at a sustainable travel conference called Tourism Cares: The Power of Partnership Stewardship Summit. The summit represented an opportunity to come together and envision a collaborative, cross-sectoral, and inclusive future for travel and tourism. Justin explains how the industry is recognizing a renewed sense of hope and what actionable steps are available to contribute to a more sustainable travel industry and a healthier planet.

Also on Speaking of Travel, the Asheville Regional Airport is one of the fastest-growing airports in the country Tina Kinsey, Vice-president of Marketing, PR, and Air Service Development, shares some of the stories of an industry in constant evolution and what the Asheville Regional Airport is doing to transform this region’s future growth.

Before taking off, it is crucial to dedicate time to prepare, especially if you will be traveling to a new airport. Tina talks about how to begin your journey by thoroughly studying your destination’s airport information and begin to understand specific procedures that you need to be aware of. And she provides an update on all the latest changes at the airport as construction for the new terminal continues.

Only on Speaking of Travel! Tune in!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Lisa Jansen, a traveler and writer based in New Zealand, spent almost five years living in a camper van traveling around New Zealand. Lisa shares her experience and what inspires her to travel unconventionally.

Lisa embarked on a life-changing adventure when she left her successful corporate career at 33. Her mission was to discover life beyond the conventional paths of marriage, parenthood, mortgages, and corporate life.

Discover how these five transformative years spent as a nomadic lifestyle not only provided a broader picture of the world around her, but also unearthed profound answers within herself.

Her latest book - Life Done Differently: One Woman’s Journey on the Road Less Travelled, is a compelling memoir exploring the challenges and triumphs of navigating an alternative path in a world that often follows convention.

Also on Speaking of Travel is Tina Kinsey, Vice-president of Marketing, PR, and Air Service Development at the Asheville Regional Airport to share updates on the new terminal construction and how they are preparing for the expected huge volumes of holiday travelers and what you’ll want to know to be prepared yourself.

Whether you are flying for the first time or as part of your holiday tradition, remember that the skies are vast, and there is always something new to learn.

And with the new terminal construction going on, the key to successful holiday flying lies in continuous learning, thorough being prepared, and a commitment to staying current and proficient.

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Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Larry Olmsted is an award-winning journalist and bestselling author who has published many intriguing books and thousands of articles for major newspapers and magazines worldwide over the past 25+ years.

And he personally broke or set three different Guinness World Records, in skiing, golf and poker. It's no wonder he was named one of the “10 Most Extreme U.S. Journalists” by the Society of Professional Journalists and Travel Writer of the Year by the State of Mississippi.

Larry shares why he wrote his book, Real Food, Fake Food: Why You Don’t Know What You’re Eating & What You Can Do About It, and explains why food is the one unifying element of travel and what he tries to learn about local and regional food wherever he visits.

As an active traveler, Larry is also a passionate cyclist and reveals his love of cycling tours, including his personal favorite, the combination of cycling and gastronomy.

He shares the fun he's had on some of his bike trips in Italy, including Tuscany, the Ligurian Coast, Piedmont and the Veneto. And his visits to Parma, Bologna and Emilia-Romagna touring cheese dairies, ham producers, and taking cooking lessons. Yummy!

With all this travel under his belt, Larry provides some useful and timely travel tips, including why you should hire a guide or take a tour to really get to know the places you travel.

A must listen. Only on Speaking of Travel!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

The Speaking of Travel And Leave No Trace TV series continues. Host Richard Crawford is in Australia editing the epic Season Two of the popular Leave No Trace TV show with producer and cameraman, Ben Alcott.

Ricky and Ben share where they are today in the editing process of Season Two of Leave No Trace TV and what they do in creating the show. And they share how traveling to all the continents this year changed their lives.

Also, Ricky and Ben offer advice to anyone who wants to do something adventurous and different but isn’t sure whether they’re capable and they share some important tips before going on your trip.

They also tell us about some of their most hair-raising moments and what the biggest challenges are in doing the show.

And, find out how their mission to promote sustainable travel determines where they will go next.

Only on https://speakingoftravel.net! Tune in!

And be sure to watch Season One of Leave No Trace TV on Amazon Prime and on many other streaming platforms around the world.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Fede Vargas was born in Mexico and raised in Canada. He’s a former adrenaline-driven sales exec who is now on a purpose-driven podcasting journey and the creator and host of the popular podcast My Most Authentic Life.

Fede shares how he connects with people choosing to live courageously and inspire and empower us to create the life we truly want to explore with self-compassion, self-care, and humility. His podcast was inspired and born because of his own transformational journey while living in Mexico. Discover what authenticity means to him and how travel shapes these experiences.

Also on Speaking of Travel, Tina Kinsey, Vice-president of Marketing, PR, and Air Service Development at the Asheville Regional Airport, shares how the new airport design more than doubles the square footage of the current terminal and is planned to accommodate future growth. Find out how the phasing of the new terminal will unfold to maintain safe airport operations for your passenger experience.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Jan Schroder is a travel writer and editor for close to 25 years and shares how she began her career. Jan provides advice for people who want to be successful travel writers and also reveals some useful travel tips.

For many years, Jan was the managing editor of a travel magazine and a freelance travel writer for well-known outlets including Fodor’s, Orbitz, Global Traveler and International Living. Today she focuses on writing and producing the monthly digital publication The Travel 100, which is part of The 100 Companies based in Atlanta.

Jan explores some of the most challenging parts of being a travel writer and shares some trends she is seeing in travel today.

Also on Speaking of Travel, grab your comfy sweaters and get ready to plan your ultimate getaway to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina. Mark Collins, Partnerships Manager for RomanticAsheville.com, the most popular online travel guide to the mountains and foothills surrounding Asheville and Western North Carolina, gives us the lowdown on the best ways to boost your energy and mood when the temps are cooler and sunshine is scarce.

So stay tuned!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Speaking of Travel takes us into the private world of two maestros of the kitchen who share their passion for community with stories and inspirations to reveal what helped them become modern culinary legends.

Chef Erica McCier, also known as Chef Trudy, is the owner and executive chef of Indigenous Underground restaurant in Abbeville, SC. Chef Erica’s indomitable spirit, talents in the kitchen, and penchant for showcasing local ingredients have earned her a place on the 2023 roster of South Carolina Chef Ambassadors.

Also on Speaking of Travel, renowned Chef Steven Goff, owner and executive chef at Asheville, NC's beloved Tastee Diner, shares his early life experiences and how these life-changing moments launched his career as a chef and restaurant owner dedicated to supporting the local community through his food.

Just like certain people who are really good marathon runners, or pianists, or writers, others have what it takes to become legendary cooks. Stay tuned for more fabulous chefs coming up on the Speaking of Travel Foodie Lover Series.

Tune in! Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Amit Jaipuria, founder of Postcard Travel Club, is connecting luxury travelers with boutique hotels and tours that advance responsible tourism and shares why storytelling helps make travel a force for good. When you put people who live in and care about destinations at the center of travel content, their innate joy in sharing their stories and their passion for place says it all.

Amit shares the importance of storytelling in promoting responsible tourism and how Postcard is helping users identify hotels and tours that advance responsible tourism and helping them build their wish lists to travel more sustainably. And find out what's coming up at Postcard in the near future in terms of features.

With airports set as the core driver of travel and tourism industry changes, they are being transformed in the process. Also on this episode of Speaking of Travel, Tina Kinsey, Vice-president of Marketing, PR, and Air Service Development at the Asheville Regional Airport, shares how the airport is transforming right now and the purpose of all this change.

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Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Travel is known to change you. Surrounding yourself with different cultures, different people and different outlooks on life are bound to change all of us a bit.

That’s one of the greatest things about traveling as a whole - apart from tasting the different cuisines of course! We are on a constant learning curve as we venture from our comfort zones.

The Speaking of Travel + Leave No Trace Series with Richard Crawford continues. Richard is the host of the popular TV series Leave No Trace TV and we highlight the importance of conservation, sustainable travel and eco-tourism.

Ricky catches us up on Season Two of Leave No Trace TV and provides updates on when this new season is coming out. And he shares some ways we can be ambassadors when we travel and where he's most intrigued to go next.

You can watch Leave No Trace TV on Plex, a free, online streaming service.

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Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Speaking of Travel is celebrating our 10-year anniversary by revisiting classic Speaking of Travel conversations from our first decade, like this one with Pico Iyer, essayist and author, best known for his travel writing and one of the most revered and respected travel writers alive today.

Pico brings an understanding of the beauty and wisdom of cultural differences and shares how an emerging global culture benefits your travel adventures how we can all be more mindful travelers.

For over four decades, he’s written 16 books, translated into 23 languages, on subjects ranging from the Dalai Lama to globalism, from the Cuban Revolution to Islamic mysticism. For Pico, travel is a professional devotion as much as a spiritual one.

Travel is a key theme in most of Pico's works. He tries to see within a society or way of life from an outsider's perspective. Pico shares his thoughts and curiosity about the bigger world to help us rethink assumptions and to be mindful about new ideas and insights.

A special conversation with Pico Iyer. “A person susceptible to "wanderlust" is not so much addicted to movement as committed to transformation.” Thank you Pico!

A must listen. Only on Speaking of Travel. Find out more about Pico Iyer.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Marcy Berra shares her travel stories and reflects on travel memories spanning many years and many countries. Marcy explains how to immerse yourself in the local culture by connecting with the people, history and food.

Listening to Marcy's stories fuels imagination. She has the courage to open herself up to taking risks and making changes. She is flourishing and adapting her strength to help make travel memories for her family.

Marcy shares some clues into what travel teaches us and how it's alright to leave your comforts to make new friends, try new things, and appreciate other cultures.

She also provides some timely travel tips if you're traveling with different generations and why sometimes you just have to have the mustard.

A must listen! Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Travel insurance continues to be one of the most confusing aspects of the travel experience. Ben Camille is a foremost travel insurance expert and founder and CEO of Travel Defend, the leading insurance broker. Ben answers questions and shares tips on how to know what to look for to travel smarter.

Ben is an entrepreneur and shares how his businesses begin and develop into leading industry leaders. If you're wanting to begin a business, find out from Ben how he does it.

Smart travelers plan for known travel safety risks. This can include the weather and potential health concerns. Of course, it’s impossible to plan for the unknown, but the good news is there are experts who are there to help you.

Ben Camille is an expert who gets travel insurance. He can put himself into the mindset of travelers and has deep connections in an industry that is still something of a mystery.

If you have a passion for travel and want to be as prepared as possible to get out and about, listen to this special episode of Speaking of Travel!

Contact Travel Defend for quick, professional information.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

The Speaking of Travel and Leave No Trace TV series continues with host Richard Crawford and director and camera person, Ben Alcott. They share tips for safety and health while traveling and what’s coming on Season Two.

You can now watch all episodes of Leave No Trace TV, Season One, on Tubi, the leading free, premium, on-demand video streaming app, and on Bingenetworks.tv.

Ben and Ricky share Season One highlights and what stood out most and when we will be seeing Season Two.

Also, they share what plans for growth and development are in store for Leave No Trace TV moving forward. And some top tips for staying safe and healthy while traveling.

A must listen! Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Ukrainian-born pianist Inna Faliks shares her new book, "Weight in the Fingertips: A Musical Odyssey from Soviet Ukraine to the World Stage,” a memoir of her adventures in music and her hopes for tomorrow.

Inna shares what it was like growing up in Odessa, studying in Chicago, and teaching in Los Angeles. Her poignant, beautiful story about love and hope includes the special people in her life who supported her growth and desires, her own “love story," and how the war in Ukraine and her own life journey in music fosters empathy and compassion.

She also explores how a person’s humanity makes their art honest and their voice unique, and how the life-long challenge of retaining that voice is fueled by a balance between being a great musician and being a human being. Inna provides powerful insights into the role of music in a world of conflict, change, and hope for a better tomorrow.

A must listen. Only on Speaking of Travel. Tune in.

For more information, visit www.innafaliks.com

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Mark Gordon Smith, founder of Private Italy Tours, shares the current state of travel to Italy.

Find out how hotel costs in Italy are changing and which websites you can use to find competitive fares and techniques to negotiate directly with airlines.

Mark also shares where visitors are going in Italy to avoid crowds and large cities, the new itinerary services offered by Private Italy Tours, and their newest tour addition in 2024 to Trentino Alto-Adige.

Also on Speaking of Travel, Tina Kinsey, Vice-president of Marketing, PR, and Air Service Development at the Asheville Regional Airport, shares how design, engineering, financing and construction take significant time in the “airport world,” and how this well-connected airport is leading the way to the future.

Stay tuned! Only on Speaking of Travel.

Guest Links:
www.private-italy.com
https://flyavl.com

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Loti Woods, Co-Founder and Ex. Director of Champions For Wildlife, shares how traveling and educating children about how to love wildlife using art is helping create a passion for helping to change the world.

Loti and her husband travel around the country for their nonprofit Champions for Wildlife with a very simple mission: To inspire kids to fall in love with wildlife using art.

Their focus is on underdog species like the red wolf which only lives in one place in the world - North Carolina.

Before the pandemic, Loti had traveled to over 100 countries. When the pandemic hit, she and husband decided to quit flying and explore the US in an RV.

Loti shares how meeting so many passionate people in conservation has created a community of people who support and advocate for wildlife. Donations and volunteers are always welcome and needed to support the nonprofit.

Also on Speaking of Travel, Tina Kinsey, Vice-president of Marketing, PR, and Air Service Development at the Asheville Regional Airport, shares how one of the best-connected regional airports in the country, is moving to the future and taking off on the most significant infrastructure endeavors in the airport's 60-plus year history.

Tune in!

Guest Links

Champions for Wildlife

Asheville Regional Airport

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Imagine hospitality providers who instill their guests with the confidence and inspiration to try new things and new places to explore.

Jennifer Simpson, CEO (Chief Experience Officer) and co-owner of Bespoke Experiences, based in New Orleans, provides custom, luxury travel services in 17 cities throughout the US and Canada.

Jennifer shares why creating superlative human experiences that connect consumers in new and innovative ways, while doing what is right for society and the planet, is the future and describes some reasons why people adopt luxury travel.

Also on Speaking of Travel is Tina Kinsey, Vice-president of Marketing, PR, and Air Service Development at the Asheville Regional Airport, to share how this airport is standing at a pivotal moment to shape the future.

Tina explains why their groundbreaking historical journey for new growth is bigger than anything experienced in the airport's history and how the construction of the new airport terminal is a natural next step for connecting the Western North Carolina region to the world.

Stay tuned! Only on Speaking of Travel!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Professional dancer and trained musician Mickela Mallozzi is the award-winning host and producer of Bare Feet with Mickela Mallozzi, a dance travel series covering her adventures as she experiences the world, one dance at a time.

Mickela is magical and joyful and so passionate about the people of the world you just want to be with her and dance!

From re-discovering her family’s roots in Southern Italy to dancing tango in Buenos Aires, the series has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, O Magazine Dance Magazine, Forbes, and more.

Mickela said, “I started this show simply to travel and learn as many dances as I could from around the world. What I didn’t expect to happen was the personal connections made by the show. We get some really heartfelt messages that are amazing … people who say they have become inspired to get a passport and travel or take up a dance class."

Mickela shares information about the upcoming Season 6 of Bare Feet with Mickela Mallozzi and the featured communities in New York City including Latinx, Garifuna, Little Sri Lanka, Arab, Little Caribbean and more.

Also, find out how Mickela connects with people and cultures through the universal language of dance and music and how cultural sustainability enriches travel experiences for both travelers and the environment.

Get energized by listening to this episode of Speaking of Travel and discover how you can easily practice cultural sustainability wherever you travel. And dance!

Stay tuned!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Julie Kaplan shares her solo adventure in Iraq and how her visit was transformative, challenged stereotypes and showcased the country's vibrant culture. And how she created a video series, "Julie in Iraq,” that is getting rave reviews.

Julie's passion for travel ignited at the age of 12 when she embarked on solo trips to visit her grandparents on the East Coast of the US. Since then, she has fearlessly embraced a life filled with adventures, both solo and with fellow travelers.

Julie talks about her remarkable travel experiences in the Kurdistan region and how she travelled by hitchhiking, navigating border checkpoints, staying in the homes of strangers, and the amazing food she loved!

Also on Speaking of Travel for those thinking of moving to another country. There are challenges and what could be life-changing experiences. Fellow traveler John Fritchie shares how moving overseas to Portugal has worked out so far and how he made the move happen and why.

Only on Speaking of Travel. Tune in!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Guy Groom, an independent traveler with a passion for going off track into remote locations and exploring isolated cultures, shares how his inspirations for traveling changed over time and why not all those who wander are lost.

Guy explains why the freedom to wake up and do what presents itself to him is priceless, and what it feels like to truly be in the moment in the environment. And how his joy in finding the "golden threads" in this world is so magical.

Also on Speaking of Travel, Tina Kinsey, Vice-president of Marketing, PR, and Air Service Development at the Asheville Regional Airport, shares how the airport is looking to the future as passenger numbers continue to increase and how it projects trafficking for decades to come. Currently the airport is served by six airlines providing nonstop service to 26 unique airport destinations.

As with any airport's growth, a city grows with it. When that growth spikes in the next few years, local businesses and residents must be ready for the swift changes that follow. Tina updates construction and timelines.

Tune in! Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Today we continue with the Speaking of Travel + Leave No Trace Series with Richard Crawford. Richard is the host of the popular TV series, Leave No Trace TV, and together we highlight the importance of conservation, sustainable travel and eco-tourism. And Ricky has been out there traveling!

On this episode, Ricky catches us up on where he and his crew have explored for Season Two of Leave No Trace TV and what the vibe is traveling right now. This is a fast-changing travel world with so many people traveling and Ricky shares what he's seeing.

And he explains what travel is teaching him now and how he handles travel stress and unpredicted situations.

Also, Ricky answers questions from Speaking of Travel listeners about his travel life. And fills us in on where the Leave No Trace TV crew are off to next.

And find out all the locations you can view Season One of Leave No Trace TV.

All right here on Speaking of Travel. Stay tuned!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Key West continues to be a vibrant writers' colony and journalist Carey Winfrey compiled a new eclectic collection, “Key West Sketches – Writers At Mile Zero,” by writers who have lived, worked, and played in Key West.

Carey spent 45 years as a journalist in newspapers, television and magazines, retiring as only the third editor of Smithsonian magazine in 2011, the year he and his wife Jane began spending half the year in Key West. Carey shares how the journey unfolded.

And he explains how thrilling the process was to collect a treasure trove of more than sixty essays, reminiscences, musings, and poems about Key West, long been America's most vibrant writers' colony, tracing its writerly roots to Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, Robert Frost, and so many more.

Also on Speaking of Travel, Brighde Reed, co-founder of World Vegan Travel, shares how you can enjoy being a vegan on a stress-free luxury adventure with dining experiences that are off the charts!

Only on Speaking of Travel. Tune in.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

People began traveling to Jackson County to beat the heat in the 1790s. Guests Nick Breedlove, ED of Jackson County tourism and Brett Stewart of Outland Hospitality in Cashiers, NC, share why this region is the place to cool off.

There is so much to see and do in Jackson County. With charming small towns like Balsam, Cashiers, Cullowhee, Dillsboro, Glenville, Sylva, Tuckasegee, Webster, and Whittier, the area is filled with lots of fun and enjoyable activities from hiking and fly-fishing to artist galleries and historic sites.

Nick shares why people began traveling to the mountains to beat the heat in the late 1790s and brings the story back to modern day with the same perspective and why people beat the heat by traveling there today.

Brett shares what it was like growing in Cashiers and provides a local perspective of what it was like in the 80s and 90s. He explains what is bringing people back to Jackson County today and why they are creating new entrepreneurship businesses.

Outland’s projects include Hotel Cashiers, a reinvented motor lodge in the heart of Cashiers, NC, and Outland Great Smoky Mountains Chalet & Lodge, a unique destination at the doorstep to the Great Smoky Mountains and Blue Ridge Parkway.

Nick and Brett share how the Jackson County Tourism Development Association supports area businesses and how the community is focused on developing talent and helping boost local economy.

And they provide some very helpful travel tips for summer travel, like how to be bear-wise and keep an eye out for wildlife and how to make the most of your trip with the best times to visit with lower rates.

Also, Jackson County is a leader in sustainable tourism with programs like Leave No Trace to help educate and inform travelers to become savvy and responsible travelers.

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Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Neil Weinstein dedicates his life to helping solve some of the world’s biggest challenges. But it wasn't always that way.

Neil shares what it was like growing up in a family that never traveled and how he eventually found his wanderlust. He explains how he transitioned his career to international development, where his job is travel. Over the years he and his wife Annette have lived and worked in Cambodia, the Republic of Georgia, and Myanmar.

Together they started Education First Cambodia, which empowers smart, poor Cambodian women to study at university and become future leaders.

Neil explains the importance for young people to travel in the developing world, how to go about changing careers, and how to get involved in international development work.

He also shares why adaptability, flexibility and being able to roll with the punches, is important while traveling and when working in other cultures that are different from the US and very different from each other.

A must listen! Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

For author Sierra Godfrey, living abroad as a child opened her eyes to the greater world and made her appreciate change. Sierra shares how her love of finding home and transformation helped create uplifting stories.

Sierra is a Santa Cruz, CA, native and her love for her hometown comes through in her debut novel, A Very Typical Family. Her forthcoming novel, The Second Chance Hotel, is set in Greece where she lived with her mother when she was a young girl.

For Sierra, writing is where she discovers home and what home is. She shares how her love of travel and the memories of her adventures have inspired her to create interesting characters. And how writing as a woman helps her come to terms with her own feelings and dreams. A must read!

Also on Speaking of Travel, for all you dog lovers out there, Jeff Krider & Patti Moore of Barkwells, a unique, dog-centric place in Western North Carolina, share why their small, peaceful community of vacation guest homes is the perfect destination for dog lovers and the people who love them.

And, Tina Kinsey from the Asheville Regional Airport, shares how airports today are creating more creative, flexible and innovative methods to keep passengers satisfied while trying to keep up epic growth.

A must listen. Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Sometimes a journey back into family secrets becomes so riveting, you can't help but be transported. For author Dominic Smith, his newest novel, Return to Valetto, transports readers to a near-abandoned town in Umbria, Italy. Dominic shares a story rich in history, resilience, and courage.

Dominic explains the book's connection to Italy and how his research evolved during his travels to become historical fiction. This memorable, engaging and moving story is filled with a kind of magic taking readers to another time and place that is a combination of real and imagined.

Also on Speaking of Travel, Mary Tantillo founded Dolci di Maria after creating delicious desserts inspired by Italian pastries for her children with allergies to gluten and dairy. Today she designs decadent desserts for people with specific dietary needs and lifestyle choices that everyone can enjoy.

And Justin Belleme, founder of the JB Media Group and publisher of Romantic Asheville. Com, shares new information about how brands are applying a regenerative model to take less and give back more.

A must listen. Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Matt Willey is an artist with a love for honeybees. He's the founder of The Good of the Hive Initiative, a global art project with a radical mission of bringing people together through art, bees and conservation. The bee and her hive are his symbol, but the project is about much more than bees.

Matt shares his background as an artist and why he's now painting 50,000 honeybees in murals around the world. Matt's mural paintings convey a story much bigger than honeybees and he explains the existing relationship with them.

And what does this all mean to Matt personally as this is unfolding? Find out what's new at The Good of the Hive and his continued mission, film, book, more community engagement, and even adding species.

"My mission is to get people curious again about everything. Not just pollinators, it's about each other."

Most importantly, Matt shares ideas on how we can all make a difference.

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Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Gerry Ellis is the founder and director of the nonprofit GLOBIO, which he launched in 2001 after a 20-year career as a wildlife-environment photographer/filmmaker traveling the entire planet.

At GLOBIO he continues to travel leading up the organization's filming and media programs in the wilds of Africa and Borneo to bring the plight of great apes and primates into view.

GLOBIO is a global awareness nonprofit that creates environmental films and podcasts, and provides support to conservation organizations around the world. They share their stories globally, while educating the public about shared environmental issues.

Gerry explains how travel became a dominant part of his life both professionally and personally and how travel influenced his travel thinking, from packing, fitting into other cultures, and why he thinks about the world as the place he calls his backyard.

Gerry is co-creator and host of Talking Apes Podcast. Through his three decades of travel around the planet to document apes, he has met with many of the extraordinary people working to ensure apes survive, many of those becoming a guest on Talking Apes. And Gerry is also the creator and cameraman behind Apes Like Us on YouTube.

A must listen. Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Amit Jaipuria is a serial entrepreneur with over 20 years’ experience founding startups across diverse industries. He is also the Founder and Chief Innovation Officer at the Postcard Travel Club where he’s building a social network of mindful travelers interested in promoting mindful travel through storytelling.

Amit shares why traveling mindfully becomes a better way to travel and its role in self-growth and personal transformation. And he explains how storytelling and community help create a positive and meaningful travel experience.

Also, Amit shares how the Postcard Travel Club is fast becoming a global community interested in immersive travel experiences, self-growth and personal transformation.

By sharing local stories, Amit hopes to inspire more people to travel with empathy and understanding and create more sustainable and inclusive practices from their travel experiences.

Postcard Travel Club's mission is to build a global database of local travel stories, believing that these stories are key to unlocking travel as a force for good.

A must listen. Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Palmer McIntyre, Director for the North Carolina Year of the Trail, shares how the celebration of outdoor recreation in NC showcases the state’s beautiful landscapes, provides healthy recreation, and stimulates local economies. She also works for the Piedmont Land Conservancy, a regional land trust in the Triad area.

Palmer explains why and how the 2023 NC Year of the Trail was created by an effort led by the Great Trails State Coalition and supported by the NC General Assembly. Today, the NC Year of the Trail is the largest statewide celebration of trails and outdoor recreation in North Carolina history. Discover how and where to experience trails and why it is important to spend more time outdoors.

Also on Speaking of Travel, there is one particular trail in NC found way up on top of Beech Mountain you will not want to miss. Travel over the rainbow to the yellow brick road and celebrate Land of Oz's annual Autumn at Oz Festival - one of the world’s largest Wonderful Wizard of Oz events. Sean Barrett, artistic director at Land of Oz, fills us in on this annual tradition still going strong today.

Stay tuned! Only on Speaking of Travel!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Erinn Dearth and Dan Beckmann created Letters From Home in the style of USO dances with a witty, modern edge. Their performances are funny and heartfelt and they share stories from their recently completed “Letters From Home 50 States Tour.”

They traveled to every state of the country focusing on what unites us as a country, rather than what divides us. “It kind of makes people think and appreciate the freedoms they’ve been given,” Dan said. “The family of veterans often get teary-eyed and moved. Which we love, because that’s why we’re doing it. It’s very rewarding.”

Discover how Erinn and Dan embrace the power of positive thinking, attitude and effort as they sing and dance their way into the hearts of heros.

Also on Speaking of Travel, find out how to really build bridges and develop partnership frameworks with Mark Collins, Partnerships Manager for RomanticAsheville.com. Mark shares some tips on how to build a successful travel partner network.

And, as passenger numbers climb in air travel, airports are moving forward with expansions. At the Asheville Regional Airport, they are leading the way improving overall efficiency and boosting safety. With all of this comes growth and the airport is expanding to meet the rising demand. Tina Kinsey from the Asheville Regional Airport shares updates on what you will need to know when traveling to and from the airport.

Only on Speaking of Travel

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

The Speaking of Travel + Leave No Trace Series with Richard Crawford, host of the Popular TV series, Leave No Trace TV, continues to help us learn to travel in ways that won't limit our future generations' ability to explore the world.

On this episode of the Speaking of Travel + Leave No Trace series, Ricky is busy finishing up Season Two of the popular Leave No Trace TV series and in Australia with the show’s director and cameraman, Ben Alcott.

Ricky and Ben share updates on where they're going and how they choose each destination. Discover how to be an obsessive environmentalist and the importance of reducing our individual carbon footprints and find ways to make trips more sustainable, like where to go, what to pack, and how to decide getting there.

And good news! You can watch all episodes of Leave No Trace TV, Season One, on Tubi, the leading free, premium, on-demand video streaming app, and on Bingenetworks.tv.

Tune in on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Rachel Durchslag shares the challenges and obstacles she had to overcome while trekking some of the world’s most magnificent mountain ranges, along with her new sense of inner joy. Her new book, “While I Walk,” is Rachel’s personal journey to becoming a better person. The book is part trip guide to some of the best hikes in the world and part travel-log of Rachel’s personal journey to becoming a better walker... technically, spiritually, and mentally.

Rachel shares how she first fell in love with hiking and what made her decide to hike the world's most beautiful hikes. And discover what it is about solo hiking and travel that truly move her. Rachel opens up to what struggles she faced while abroad and how have they helped her grow.

Also on Speaking of Travel is Craig Honeycutt, Secretary of the Board of Directors of Friends of Jockeys Ridge to share how Jockey's Ridge State Park on North Carolina’s coast was saved from destruction and how the Friends of Jockey’s Ridge nonprofit organization was established to support and maintain the premier spot for kite flying, sand boarding and enjoying beautiful sunsets,

A must listen! Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Richard Crawford hosts the popular TV series, Leave No Trace TV. And together with Speaking of Travel, he creates a series highlighting the importance of conservation, sustainable travel, and eco-tourism.

Ricky shares stories from places he explored for Season Two and how he goes about getting it all together along with his photographer and producer, Ben Alcott.

On this segment, Ricky explains why sustainability is an important tool in the battle against climate change and other social, environmental and economic challenges.

Also, we all know travel is sometimes challenging. Discover how things can go wrong when you travel and why being mindful is more important now than ever.

And with many bucket list destinations under his belt, Ricky explores what he has gained about the world. And he provides us with updates on where Leave No Trace TV is going next. So many new adventures, and more bucket list places, are in store!

You can watch all episodes of Leave No Trace TV, Season One, on Tubi, the leading free, premium, on-demand video streaming app, and on Bingenetworks.tv.

Tune in. Only on Speaking of Travel!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Namrata Patel is an Indian American bestselling author of contemporary fiction. She shares how travel informs and enriches her stories and why perseverance pushes her to keep writing and traveling.

Her critically acclaimed debut novel, The Candid Life of Meena Dave, examines diaspora and dual-cultural identity among Indian Americans, multi-generational tensions tied to assimilation, and historical awareness of Indian American achievements.

Her newest novel, Scent of a Garden, tells the story of a perfumer in Paris who is forced to return to her California roots in an exhilarating novel about family, self-discovery, and taking risks.

Namrata has lived in India, New Jersey, Spokane, London, and New York City and currently calls Boston home.

Also on Speaking of Travel, if you’re feeling the wanderlust to travel on a big bucket list trip, Toby Brown, Owner and Safari Coordinator with Sights Of Africa and Owner and Adventure Coordinator with Terra Forma Adventure, shares why Africa, Peru, and Ecuador are worthy adventures of a lifetime.

A must listen! Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Sahara Rose De Vore is a wellness travel coach and founder of The Travel Coach Network, a global community of travel coaches. She shares why travel coaching is reshaping how travel is viewed today.

There is more depth to why people want (or need) to travel and Sahara explains how travel coaches help identify motivating reasons for a trip while helping set specific intentions for the transformation, feeling, and changes the trip provides.

The Travel Coach Network is home to the world's first and only growing database of travel coaches who specialize in a wide range of niches and areas of expertise. Discover the many ways travel coaches can plan and book trips and help work through stepping out of a comfort zone, learning how to create and manage a budget, and using travel as a tool to thrive in personal life, work-life, and beyond.

Also on Speaking of Travel is Kasey Hotchkiss, owner of Asheville Detours and co-owner of Blue Ridge Wine Tours, to share fun opportunities in Asheville to get to know the whole community. Fun times ahead!

And, if you’ve noticed how packed the airlines are for travelers these days, you're not alone! With a huge increase in air travel, the Asheville Regional Airport is creating resources to help you prepare ahead of time. Tina Kinsey with the Asheville Regional Airport tells us more on how to become a savvy traveler.

Tune in right here on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

For award-winning actor and humanitarian, Gary Sinise, 9/11 was a game changer. After playing Lt. Dan, the ravaged Vietnam vet in the Oscar-winning 1993 movie Forrest Gump, Gary recognized there were still deep wounds for the veterans of the Viet Nam war.

His focus shifted from self to service. Gary said, “It set the stage for working with the wounded after that terrible day. I couldn’t sit back. I wanted to let our service members know they were appreciated."

Bobby George, Director of Outreach for the Gary Sinise Foundation, shares how the foundation began and all they are doing today. Bobby explains what inspired his own desire to give back to those who serve and sacrifice for our country and his role as Director of Outreach.

Also, discover why supporting veterans and first responders is so important to Gary and some of the ways his foundation strives to help these heroes. And how you can help, even one person at a time.

Get to know the people who are protecting you right here on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Dawn Barclay, a veteran travel reporter, the mother of two “challenging” children, and the author of “Traveling Different: Vacation Strategies for Parents of the Anxious, the Inflexible, and the Neurodiverse," shares how she created her travel bible based on interviews from over 100 mental health professionals, special needs parents, autism allies, advocates, and certified autism travel professionals.

Dawn's advice can help soothe the travel hiccups of any family wanting to have adventures with their loved ones on the autism spectrum or with invisible disabilities like ADHD.

Discover important tips about starting small, introducing the concept of travel, and having mini-experiences. Find out how you can create the child-centric vacation by doing your due diligence, finding out safety measures, and so much more.

A very important show about a very important topic. If you can understand the differences that ASD brings to a family, you can make a difference by supporting a family affected by autism. This is one of the greatest gifts you can give. It is also very likely that your act of kindness may turn out to be one of the greatest gifts you receive back.

Tune in on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Vic Isley, a traveler, foodie, music lover and a farmer’s daughter from North Carolina, shares her journey from growing up on a tobacco farm to becoming a leader in the travel and tourism industry.

Over her 28-year career, she’s represented destinations including the island of Bermuda; Washington, DC; Tampa Bay, Florida and Durham, North Carolina.

Seasoned leaders bring benefits to their team and the entire organization. Vic shares a timeline of the evolution of destination marketing and destination management and explains the role of a destination marketing organization.

Also on Speaking of Travel, Mary Rose Ridderbusch-Shearer, guest experience manager for the North Carolina Arboretum, the most stunning and peaceful place to enjoy Western North Carolina's beautiful surrounding natural environment, shares a history of the Arboretum and a sampling of the many incredible programs and exhibits. There's no better place to meet friends and explore for hours. Find out more!

Tune in right here on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Heidi Walters, Senior Director of Partner Marketing for Visit North Carolina, shares how the state is championing sustainable travel by working together to preserve the natural beauty of North Carolina.

Thousands of people flock to North Carolina every year from all over the country and the world because there are so many reasons to love this state. Heidi provides an update on the tourism recovery green initiatives and how markets are emerging to grow the industry.

She also shares how sustainability and stewardship help to protect North Carolina's outdoor spaces and how international travel to the state remains strong and steady.

Also on Speaking of Travel, discover how writer, counselor, authenticity and intuition guide, Beth Orr, found the courage to move forward on her own journey when her grandmother inspired her to travel the world to search for her most authentic life.

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Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

A professional stand-up comedian, a TV host, an actor and a podcast host walk into a bar. And what do you know? It’s Mike Siegel himself. Mike’s main passion is travel. He has produced video and written travel content for countless websites and hosts his own travel-themed podcast, “Travel Tales Podcast.” Mike shares his personal travel history and some of his favorite places.

And not all of his travel experiences are great. Some are low and some are bad. Find out some tips to prepare you for the adventure ahead (spoiler... laughing works!). Mike lets us in on some travel hacking and money-saving tips too and describes what the future of travel, tourism, blogging and social media could look like.

What is travel to Mike Siegel? You won't want to miss this special episode of Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Thea Duncan, founder of Doing Italy, shares insights into moving to Italy. Find out what it is like to live in Italy and what to consider when moving there.

Doing Italy offers private consultations and group coaching so you can dive into just about everything you need to know about moving to Italy.

Thea shares insights into the Italian job market and what you need to know about real estate if considering buying an Italian home. Discover what it is actually like living in Italy vs visiting and some of the the first things you should consider when relocating to Italy.

Also on Speaking of Travel, Whitney Williams, founder of TEFLPros, a high-quality online certification, shares all you need to know about how to teach English as a foreign language.

If you are passionate to experience another culture, or perhaps you just love to travel and enjoy helping others realize their dreams, maybe consider becoming an English teacher in a foreign country. Find out all you need to know right here on Speaking of Travel.

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Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Mark Gordon Smith, founder of Private Italy Tours, shares why travelers fall in love with Italy and why people keep going back to visit.

Today Italy is reaping the benefits of travelers wanting to explore this beautiful country. Mark explains the state of travel in Italy today and why unique places like Puglia, Basilicata and Calabria are gaining more attention.

With an increased demand in travel to Italy, Mark is not only leading tours to these wonderful locations off the beaten path, he's also focusing on itinerary planning services to provide a more exclusive option to explore Italy on your own.

Mark loves to share experiences with the Italian culture so he creates the most perfect, relaxing experiences. Imagine being in Italy in your own villa with visits to small, family-owned wineries and interactive cooking classes.

And to get you in the mood for Italy, Mark shares how he puts into words his own memories, now an Italian Trilogy, all providing a uniquely personal look into the beauty of Italy.

Discover how Mark can help you plan your perfect trip to this special travel destination.

Also on Speaking of Travel, Tina Kinsey, Vice-president of Marketing, PR, and Air Service Development at the Asheville Regional Airport, shares how airports are constantly looking at expanding as travel volumes continue to exceed pre-pandemic levels. Find out what future planning looks like when the future is catching up with us.

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Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Pico Iyer helps bring an understanding of cultural differences to all of us by interacting with people whose culture, experiences, or worldview might differ from his own.

For over four decades, he’s written 16 books, translated into 23 languages, on subjects ranging from the Dalai Lama to globalism, from the Cuban Revolution to Islamic mysticism. For Pico, travel is a professional devotion as much as a spiritual one.

Pico shares how he discovered wonder and beauty right in his own backyard and why a physical location is not so important as long as you live life as a good human being. He shares how he came to realize why home lies in the things you carry with you vs the ones that tie you down.

Travel is a key theme in most of Pico's works. He tries to see within a society or way of life from an outsider's perspective. Pico shares his thoughts and curiosity about the bigger world to help us rethink assumptions and to be mindful about new ideas and insights.

Oh, and there's ping-pong too.

A special conversation with Pico Iyer. “A person susceptible to "wanderlust" is not so much addicted to movement as committed to transformation.” Thank you Pico!

A must listen. Only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Australian born singer-songwriter and touring musician with the Smashing Pumpkins, Katie Cole, shares how her emotional honesty comes from a place of determination and persistence.

Katie is releasing her new EP, “Rivers & Roads," a love project created during the pandemic and will launch the final single along with a music video.

In 2022, Katie did a 32-date tour with the Smashing Pumpkins and supported by Janes Addiction. She shares the excitement of playing Madison Square Garden and a sold-out performance at the Hollywood Bowl. Her grounded confidence and years of hard work are shining!

Katie's music is dreamy and seductive. She said, "I just want to make music that makes me excited and proud, and if I'm being truthful in it that will make me really happy. If I’m not doing that, with everything I’ve sacrificed, what would be the point?”

A must listen!

Also on Speaking of Travel is naturalist and nature photographer, Sharon Mammoser. Sharon loves the night sky and shares how we can appreciate the darkness and help reduce artificial lighting.

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Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Jovelle Fernadez knows how it feels to be a fish out of water having navigated through various constraints because of being alienated. She helps us learn and understand about being away from our comfort zones.

Jovelle's story includes the unique experiences of a former woman expatriate and the challenges of living and working as a foreigner in academia, in a male-dominated society, and in the corporate world while juggling the demands of work and family as a wife and mother

She shares stories from her new book, The Expat, that are funny, unbelievable, mind-boggling, and shocking, and she helps provide insight into navigating through constraints because of being alienated, even in your own country.

Tune in to explore more about why it's important to prioritize what matters most, to continue to define yourself, and to let go.

Also on Speaking of Travel is Nicole Foti of Sandy Bee Mine Honey Company, a family owned and operated venture in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina, to share why bees are at the heart of why we love honey and all the benefits we gain thanks to our friends the bees!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Richard Crawford, host of the popular TV show, Leave No Trace TV, and his producer/cameraman, Ben Alcott, recently went to Antarctica to experience the incredible beauty and solitude as polar explorers.

When the two returned from White Desert Antarctica's Echo camp, a pioneering luxury experience, their lives were changed. In episode one of their Great Antarctica Adventure, heard only on Speaking of Travel, Ricky and Ben shared how the out-of-this-world location and the magic they felt really can’t be found anywhere else in the world.

Because there is no other destination on the planet more incredible, overwhelming or epic as Antarctica, one episode to unpack their experience just wasn't enough. Continuing the conversation about the most adrenalin-fueled adventure ever, Ricky and Ben are joined by special guest Patrick Woodhead, co-founder of Antarctica’s only luxury adventure camp, White Desert Antarctica.

Patrick shares how he set about to show the wonders of the interior of Antarctica to people other than scientists and polar explorers, elevating Arctic exploration to a level never seen before.

We all love a good story about extraordinary places and extraordinary adventures. Put your headphones on and listen to this special edition of the Speaking of Travel + Leave No Trace TV Series with today's modern explorers, Richard Crawford, Ben Alcott and Patrick Woodhead.

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Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

What do you do when a friend asks you to pack your things and take a trip ASAP? For Terri Lynn Queen, you just say YES! Find out how a quick, spontaneous trip to Las Vegas became a most memorable adventure.

Terri Lynn is a regional/national media consultant with iHeart Media (for 33 years!) who loves to travel. She shares stories of how traveling with her children when they were young created a special bond on the long road trips with her dad, allowing them to all develop a wandering spirit.

Find out how saying yes to traveling spontaneously with friends is sometimes the best fun of all. Terri Lynn shares some travel tips to make your adventure run as smoothly as possible and even save you money!

Also on Speaking of Travel, Jen Brooks of RomanticAsheville.com, provides some top picks for everything Spring in and around North Carolina's beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.

And Tina Kinsey, VP of Marketing, PR, and Air Service Development at the Asheville Regional Airport, shares how the airport is positioning itself as a catalyst for economic regeneration and growth.

Tune in!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

If you love being out in nature enjoying beautiful, breathtaking views, you’ll love cycling. Cyclists are generally a friendly group of people and riding bikes can be an excellent way to make new friends and create community.

Rob Dull is an avid cyclist and the principal planner at Find The Line Studios based out of Asheville, NC. Rob heads up the firm's master planning efforts around community development and outdoor recreation projects.

Rob shares why community is important to our overall wellbeing and how leveraging natural assets with a healthy lifestyle around cycling is a win-win for everyone.

Discover how Rob's new project in Costa Rica, Buen Camino Bike Park, is becoming the model for creating community around the great outdoors. The mountain bike park offers trails of all experience levels in a lush, tropical mountain forest in the central valley of Costa Rica.

Rob explores how social interactions and building friendships are more meaningful when progressing through physical challenges (and even an element of danger) together.

Find out how physical movement, along with a rush of adrenaline, will help you survive real challenges and how mountain biking allows you to push your comfort level to places you might not otherwise go.

A must listen!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Nancy Stohlmanis a flash fiction writer, a performer, and a professor. She holds workshops and retreats around the world to help you learn about yourself as a writer and a person.

Nancy provides professional and aspiring writers the gift of time, a new community, instruction, and the opportunity to reconnect with your own imagination and sense of possibility so you can confidently bring the work inside you to fruition.

Nancy shares how her workshops, always held in inspiring locations,provide the perfect backdrop for focusing on your writing practice with like-minded short fiction writers. "The world demands more substance and less filler. Flash fiction is all meat and no fat," said Nancy.

Find out how travel inspired her newest book, After the Rapture, a socio-satirical flash novel set in a post-Rapture landscape. A must read!

Also on Speaking of Travel, discover why traveling with your family will build life life-long memories and break you all away from the same old-same old routine. Stephanie Carson, who lives a life full of adventure, sometimes pushing the limits on heart-stopping adventures with her own family, works full-time and is still living the dream!

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Photo credits include Laura Alexander and Lizzie Woofenden, and Kathy Fish.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

The Speaking of Travel + Leave No Trace Series with Richard Crawford, host of the popular TV series, Leave No Trace TV, highlights the importance of conservation, sustainable travel and eco-tourism, and provides tips on how to travel mindfully and why it's important to just say YES!

There is no other destination on the planet more incredible, overwhelming or epic as Antarctica. Ricky and his producer and cameraman, Ben Alcott, recently traveled to Antartica with White Desert Antarctica, a pioneering luxury experience, and are here to tell us all about it!

Ricky and Ben share what was it like to be there... the cold, adventure, history, remoteness, and other worldly vibe, coupled with science, icebergs, and the deep, deep silence.

Discover how this experience created the most adrenalin-fueled adventure, changing their lives forever. And how the magic they felt there can’t be found anywhere else in the world.

There are some people who will push themselves to the limit, leading them to accomplish feats we couldn’t even imagine while in the leading role of our wildest dreams.

A must listen! And stay tuned for the upcoming Part Two of Ricky Crawford and Ben Alcott's Amazing Adventure To Antartica only on Speaking of Travel.

Watch season one of Leave No Trace TV here.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Vincenzo Lodato is a true Renaissance gentleman and skilled at all things he attempts to do. Vincenzo has wide-ranging knowledge in many fields and loves life.

Now living in Florence, Italy, Vincenzo shares why being a huge dreamer and putting yourself out there, past your comfort zone, is the best way to live life to the fullest.

And Vincenzo provides hands-on tips for even considering a move to Italy. His straight-forward observations will save you much time if living in Italy is on your bucket-list.

A must listen!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Noted motorcycle journalist Neale Bayly had two goals when he went off to Ukraine to bring attention to what journalists are experiencing in this war-torn country and to give victims of the war in Ukraine the chance to tell their stories. He hoped to somehow ease their burden by providing an opportunity to tell their stories.

Neale recently returned from a three-week, 6,600-km (approx. 4,100 miles) motorcycle trip across Europe and into war-torn Ukraine under the constant threat of Russian rockets and bombs. He describes Ukraine as a “beautiful country with incredible people standing resiliently against a brutal regime intent on their destruction.”

Neale shares his thoughts and feelings of what he saw while riding his BMW GS motorcycle and how this humanitarian adventure in Ukraine reignited his purpose. "My purpose is very simple," he said. "My goal is to help and bring attention to the underserved. I just want to do more good.”

Please do not miss this incredible story and find out how you can help the people of Ukraine today.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Don Bunnell is a serial entrepreneur passionate about the environment and he is the founder of Swank Guide, a travel platform that helps people uncover exotic destinations, unique lodging, and insider activities.

Don shares how and why he created Swank Guide and how his background in travel, the environment, energy policy, design, and architecture brought him to the intersection of all those things to create a platform to help others have their best travel adventure.

Also on Speaking of Travel, Justin Bellame, founder of the JB Media Group, co-founder of the JB Media Institute and the DIY Tourism Marketing Workshop, and the publisher of Romantic Asheville.com, shares why his deep commitment to the future of sustainable travel is the foundation for his businesses model and how B-Corp companies are benefiting people and the planet.

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Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Michael Juergens is a courageous serial entrepreneur and certified sommelier. As the founder of the Bhutan Wine Company, he is leading the development of the wine industry in the magical Himalayan country.

Michael is an adventure race addict who optimized the runners mindset in all areas of his life. He's a sought-after speaker and author and owns the award-winning SoCal Rum company.

Add to this he's a professor at the Paul Merage School of Business at the University of CA, Irvine. And remember, he invented the wine industry in the Kingdom of Bhutan. Discover how he defies a comfort zone and looks for adventure whenever, and wherever, he can.

Also on Speaking of Travel, Mark Robertson, founder of the destination elopement and micro wedding company, Simple I Do's, shares how his company was founded to bring people together for their special day.

And Tina Kinsey from the Asheville Regional Airport shares some groundbreaking news on how the investments for their future are in motion today. Stay tuned!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Dee Flower made her dreams come true over her life. Her book, "Where The Wind Wills," tells her story of visiting over 40 countries on six continents and embracing cultural differences while seeing all humanity as one tribe.

Dee shares why it's never too late to live the life you have dreamed about and how patience is the solid force necessary for waiting for the opportunities to show up for you to grab them.

Also on Speaking of Travel, Kaye Bentley, founder of Asheville Rooftop Bar Tours, has a passion for her town and its history. And bringing people together. Find out why taking a tour provides the opportunity to learn about the destination and the culture.

Tune in to these wonderful conversations!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Spanish-born Jambo Naphula is a traveling artist and troubadour who goes around the world performing and making music and art to make people happy.

Jambo shares why his love of travel and performing brings him much joy and why his belief that travel facilitates understanding between people of different racial, cultural or national origin promotes world-peace.

Discover why Jambo is passionate about promoting inclusiveness, the values of a culture of tolerance, peace and non-violence.

Also on Speaking of Travel, Jen Brooks of RomanticAsheville.com, the popular online travel guide to the mountains and foothills surrounding Asheville and Western North Carolina, shares why your winter-destination vacation in the Blue Ridge Mountains with cozy accommodations, mouthwatering restaurants, and breathtaking scenery, is a must!

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Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

The Speaking of Travel + Leave No Trace Series with Richard Crawford, host of the popular TV series, Leave No Trace, continues.

Ricky shares some exciting upcoming news on a huge adventure he's embarking on that will push his boundaries and even take him out of his comfort zone. He's off to Antarctica, a bucket list destination!

Discover how Ricky stays inspired to put his dreams and plans into action leading to this amazing journey. And find out how Antarctica is more than just a sprawling white landmass and how it plays a vital role in supporting life around the world.

Also, Ricky answers your questions about sustainability, global warming, and what lessons we can learn from nature. And he has some helpful tips for you on how to create sustainable solutions right in your own backyard.

A must listen! And be sure to watch Season One of Leave No Trace TV on BingeNetworks.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

With long-lasting traditions of winemaking, culinary delights, awe-inspiring landscapes, and certified organic wineries, Tuscany is a shining star.Mary Shea is the Director of Marketing and Hospitality at the organic winery and agriturismo, Querceto di Castellina, in the Tuscan region of Chianti.

Mary shares how this handcrafted, sustainable winery began in 1998 and how they are intensely focused on the art of great Italian winemaking and equally passionate about the Earth. From the process of pruning vines to the selection of grapes, today all the wines are certified organic.

And she explains why hospitality is so important at Querceto. With a heartfelt goal to make their guests feel relaxed, renewed and reconnected, Mary shares why providing an exceptional guest experience is paramount.

Also on Speaking of Travel is Clark Lovelace, Executive Director of Transylvania County Tourism Development Authority in Western North Carolina, to share why this region in the Blue Ridge Mountains is so rich in nature and what they are doing to preserve and protect it.

A must listen!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

This year marks a milestone for Speaking of Travel... 10 years! And more good news... While people are totally wired to visuals, the podcast industry just continues to grow over the years.

Adam Stoker, President and CEO of Relic, host of the Destination Marketing Podcast, and founder of the Destination Marketing Podcast Network, explains how to use the destination’s resources to plan your trip.

Adam recounts his backstory and why owned media is so important in tourism today. And find out some of Adam's favorite destination podcasts.

Also on Speaking of Travel is Kevan Frazier, one of the co-owners of Well Played Board Game Café in Asheville's South Slope, to share why playing games just leaves you happy and why playing board games is a thing!

And Tina Kinsey at the Asheville Regional Airport shares how airports prepare and keep you safe during the winter months and offers up some tips to make sure your flying experience is awesome.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

HATCH founder Yarrow Kraner is a pioneer of social networking and a creative alchemist with a long history of building communities.

Yarrow is a change maker and with his vision and HATCH community unites creative leaders for a better world through mentorship in creativity and innovation. Think of it as an ecosystem of transformative experiences helping to create a beautiful, sustainable, and just world.

Yarrow shares how his early memories of travel impacted his world view and how he incorporated travel into HATCH. He explains how creativity is a critical leadership skill in the new innovation economy.

Growing up in Montana helped Yarrow imagine a bigger world. He said he would "think big and wonder what's on the other side of those horizons."

Follow Yarrow as he tells his recent story of going down the Nile River with extraordinary people while hatching a better world for us all. Find out more about HATCH and the important work the organization is doing to help preserve and protect our planet and help people reach their full potential.

A must listen!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Larry Bleiberg is a delightful, curious and imaginative travel writer who uses all his senses to engage his readers to feel the human experience. He is thoughtful and honest with a passion to inspire others to travel more.

Larry is an eight-time Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Award winner and was honored for editing the best newspaper travel section in the country. He served on a Pulitzer Prize team, is past president of the Society of American Travel Writers, and he writes for some of the top publications.

Larry shares how he created his passion project, CivilRightsTravel.com, a travel guide to historic sites from the Civil Rights movement. And find out why traveling with a purpose today is more important than ever before. You won't want to miss this show!

A must listen!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

The Speaking of Travel + Leave No Trace Series with Richard Crawford Continues.

Richard is the host of the popular TV series, Leave No Trace, and he highlights the importance of conservation, sustainable travel and ecotourism.

Ecotourism has become increasingly popular over the past years with more and more people wanting to spend their vacations in natural environments without disturbing or damaging natural habitats.

Ecotourism helps protect natural habitats and pristine environments and allows countries and communities to build their economies without harming the environment which means that local wildlife can thrive and visitors can enjoy untouched destinations.

Ricky shares examples for reducing our carbon offset and discusses the relationship between nature and happiness. Discover how a personal connection to the living world not only has a positive influence on mental wellbeing, but also brings deeper meaning to your life.

There is also new news about Leave No Trace TV and what’s up next and Ricky tells us about all the new platforms available for watching.

A must listen!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Corey Costanzo and Robin Fann of Still Point Wellness Spa, a destination wellness spa in Asheville, NC, provide effortless relaxation through a combination of world-class services designed to reconnect to your body’s wisdom.

Corey and Robin share what makes Still Point Wellness unique as a destination spa and how their special combination of top quality services—including Saltwater Floatation (sensory deprivation), Esalen® Massage, Cranial Sacral Therapy, and Somatic Experiencing—are designed to support personal development through deep relaxation and self exploration.

Also on Speaking of Travel, Mark Collins, Partnerships Manager for RomanticAsheville.com, the online travel guide to Asheville and the Western North Carolina region, looks back over this incredible year to acknowledge everyone who has worked so hard to be a big part of what makes Western North Carolina, and the travel and tourism industry over, so successful.

A must listen!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

The Speaking of Travel + Leave No Trace Series with Richard Crawford continues. Richard is the host of the popular TV series Leave No Trace, now on Binge.com and other global platforms.

Ricky immerses himself into local cultures and understands what brings people together. Fresh from filming Season Two of Leave No Trace TV, Ricky shares how his trip to Costa Rica unfolded and how much he learned at Finca Casa Blanca, an inn and organic coffee farm.

The people of Finca Rosa Blanca take sustainability and regeneration seriously, because as they say, “It’s the right thing to do.” Costa Rica is considered among the most progressive nations on Earth with respect to climate change.

Also, Ricky explains how we can research our favorite destinations to learn about environmental and social challenges and guide us to be more mindful of what we want to take part in, where to visit, and where to spend our money.

And find out what’s next for Leave No Trace TV! Lots of big news and more ways to get connected to Ricky and the show.

A must listen! Tune in on Speaking of Travel!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

The Speaking of Travel + Gulf Coast Love Story series with Dayna Reggero of the Climate Listening Project is a platform to keep you informed on what’s happening in one of the most beautiful and vulnerable areas, The Gulf Coast.

Joining Dayna is Ebony Stewart, an elite performer, brilliant lyricist and award-winning playwright. Her newest collection, Bloodfresh, blends her understanding of craft with her keen ear for orality.

Ebony stars in Dayna's Climate Listening Project film project: Gulf Coast Love Story, where she is listening to artists and activists working together in the Gulf Coast.

Bloodfresh is a celebration of identity and Ebony reclaims her own narrative to speak against the racism and colorism she's experienced, while criticizing society's treatment of women as sexual objects. This collection is an open letter to acknowledge, overcome, and learn new ways to use poetry as a coping technique.

Cheers to Dayna and Ebony and all the people on the Gulf Coast for sharing their stories.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Southern Scotland is a magical land and is on Lonely Planet’s list of top 30 places to travel in 2023. You can go visit with tour leader Tebbe Davis and Mark Nicol, a native of the Scottish Borders.

Southern Scotland is on Lonely Planet’s list of top 30 places to visit in 2023 and Mark and Tebbe will be visiting sites taking guests back in time through the tumultuous history of the area from Roman and Viking invasions to the 400 year wars of Independence with England.

They will also visit sites which allude to the areas with great spiritual heritage like Stone Circles, Iron Age hill forts and portals to the other world. Mark shares why trees are sacred to the people of Scotland and explains why in the South there are some fine examples of ancient historical and biologically fascinating trees, particularly the Yew tree, revered through history as magical beings with powers to give and take life.

Also on Speaking of Travel, Jen Brooks of RomanticAsheville.com, the most popular online travel guide to the mountains and foothills surrounding Asheville and Western North Carolina, gives us the scoop on why winter is one of the best seasons ever.

And Tina Kinsey at the Asheville Regional Airport shares some exciting news about their new Air Traffic Control Tower and what that means to the ever-growing regional airport. A great show and a must listen!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Mark Wolters helps people help themselves when they are traveling so they can take charge of their own vacations.

Mark shares his family's success as influencers and as our travel go-to resources. Mark is committed to telling it like it is. So, he does. Honest travel isn’t a catch phrase for Mark - it's a way of life for him and his family.

Mark's day job is as a Professor of Marketing (PhD) and he has worked, lived, studied, and taught in more than a dozen countries and traveled to many dozens more. His passion for teaching and helping others to see and experience the world is legendary.

Also on Speaking of Travel, Justin Bellame, founder of the JB Media Group and the publisher of Romantic Asheville.com, shares some guidance, knowledge, and insight on creative ideas to help push nonprofits forward.

And if you're thinking of traveling by air anytime soon, remember it can sometimes be confusing so it's always a good idea to be prepared. Tina Kinsey, VP of Marketing, PR and Air Service Development at the Asheville Regional Airport, fills us in on some important information to put your mind at rest so you can have your best trip ever!

So dream big and tune in. There's a good chance he has videos from that place. Great advice!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

What do you remember most about the '70s? Many people certainly went through a lot of changes in the 70s, but not nearly as many as Amy Edelstein. Amy is a transformative educator, mediation teacher, founder of Inner Strength Education, co-founder of Emergence Education Press and the author of a number of books, including Adventure In Zanskar: A Young Woman’s Solitary Journey To Reach Physical And Metaphysical Heights.Amy shares why she embarked on this solitary journey to reach physical and metaphysical heights and some of the most important things she learned while being there. And she explores how these early awakenings relate to her work establishing Inner Strength Foundation and bringing mindfulness and systems thinking tools to over 20,000 inner city high school students.

A must listen!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

We continue The Speaking of Travel + Gulf Coast Love Story series with Dayna Reggero of the Climate Listening Project to keep you informed on what’s happening in one of the most beautiful and vulnerable areas, The Gulf Coast.

The Gulf is unlike anywhere else in the world. The people and environment combine to form a place with a rich culture tied to the ocean. The Gulf Coast Mural Project is a collaborative of Gulf Coast artists, activists, communities, and allies remembering and visioning.

Special guests to discuss the Lake Charles mural located at 1704 Broad Street in Lake Charles, LA, is Derrick Thorton and Shannon Denise DeJean.

The site of the mural was purposely selected for many reasons, one of which is it's located in the heart of the city on a major artery and secondly it's located on a street where many black owned businesses were located prior to Hurricanes Laura and Delta. Those businesses have not and are not rebuilding.

The mural instills hope by paying homage to businesses or institutions that are no longer in Lake Charles either because of the storms or because of socioeconomic conditions that have plagued the black community causing them to close.

The mural has united a community because of the images and what it represents and has accomplished something that is helping shape the natural heritage, culture, and economy of this region.

A must listen!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Richard Crawford, host of the acclaimed TV series, Leave No Trace, announces big news and shares how easy it is to watch the show and why he highlights the importance of conservation, sustainability and eco-tourism.

Ricky shares some big changes about Leave No Trace TV and the new network platform, binge.com, where you can easily watch all of season one.

Find out where Ricky traveled to record season two and his latest trip to Costa Rica. And discover how to research a destination and accommodation to learn about environmental and social challenges and be more mindful of what to take part in, where to visit and where to spend your money.

Also Ricky explains what's up next for Leave No Trace TV and what’s the most valuable thing he's learned after two seasons traveling to all these amazing places. And hear what are some common problems he's had along the way and how he found solutions.

A must listen!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Jake Sasseville, co-founder of the Imiloa Institute, shares how to experience an awakening of consciousness through a variety of transformational retreats and group experiences in the jungle of Costa Rica.

Jake has been on his own transformational journey and he shares his life challenges and describes his spiritual path and the spiritual markers along the way. Find out ways the unique culture of Imaloa helps you make progress in your own life. "This jungle has brought up so much for me. Imiloa is going to transform your life."

Discover how Jake continues to clarify his vision and how he's learning to let go. If you are on a personal mission to become a better person, this episode of Speaking of Travel is a game-changer.

And a must listen!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Kenny Stockard grew up singing with his family at home, in church and traveling. Today he has a fresh take on traditional R&B, fusing elements of soul, neo soul and jazz with energetic harmonies, pure joy and hope.

Kenny’s love for music and his calling to be a musician began as a young child and he knew he wanted to use his voice to lift people’s hearts. "I sang all the time," he said.

You'll love the vibe and the mood he creates because Kenny’s joy is contagious. He shares the meaning behind his songs and how he makes each performance feel personal and truly unique. Kenny connects to each of us on a deeply spiritual, emotional and loving way.

A must listen!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

The Speaking of Travel + Gulf Coast Love Story series with Dayna Reggero of the Climate Listening Project is a platform to keep you informed on what’s happening in one of the most beautiful and vulnerable areas, The Gulf Coast.

The Climate Listening project is in the Gulf Coast region listening to artists and activists working together for Dayna's new film , The Gulf Coast Love Story.

The Gulf is beautiful and rich with beaches and bayous. But there’s also cancer alley and dangerous oil rigs. Now there are 20+ LNG export terminals proposed along the Gulf Coast. These are huge liquid natural gas export facilities where all the pipelines bring the gas to the coast to ship it overseas with fossil fuel companies profiting billions. It’s dangerous.

Our special guest is Joshua Duttweiler of Corpus Christi, Texas. Joshua was selected for the collaborative Coastal Alliance to Protect our Environment (CAPE) artist activist grant to create community art for Corpus Christi / Coastal Bend activism in collaboration with groups like Texas Campaign for the Environment.

Joshua is a designer, artist, and educator. His multi-disciplinary practice encompasses personal, collaborative, and client-based projects focused on social justice and community building. His work is a critical exploration of societal systems and constructs that makes way for new voices to be heard through interactive design, curation, and installations.

Connect via GulfCoastMurals.com for more information. Support the Gulf Coast to help save this special and important place.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Mandy Lea and Kendrick Callaway are traveling in a Teardrop camper while running a business focused on photography and teaching, guided backpacking trips, and creating rallies for fellow Teardrop enthusiasts.

Such a sweet story too! Mandy and Kendrick were both already living on the road and working when they met and they share what it was like merging two tiny living spaces and lives. And now they've been together full-time on the road for 5 1/2 years.

So what's it like to live together in such a small space and run a business 24/7? What really are the actual logistics of living in such a small space with two people?

Discover how great it is to really follow your dreams, and how challenging it can get when you're working hard to make those dreams come true.

A must listen!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

The Speaking of Travel + Leave No Trace Series with Richard Crawford continues. Richard is the host of the Amazon Prime TV series Leave No Trace, and together we highlight the importance of conservation, sustainable travel and eco-tourism.

Ricky shares what he's seeing as he travels the world and how destinations are making efforts to reduce their environmental impact and are committed to respecting the environment and their local communities.

With current travel trends showing eco-travel and local experiences featuring travelers engaging authentically with the local culture, Ricky looks at why travelers are wanting authentic adventures to engage with the local experience and try to keep a smaller footprint when they’re traveling.

A must listen.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Lance Henson is a member of the Cheyenne Nation of Oklahoma, a poet, cultural activist, and a teacher. His poems draw upon his Cheyenne heritage and he challenges perspectives through his writings and teachings.

Lance's native upbringing and ceremonies are at the heart of his poetry and he frequently incorporates Cheyenne phrases and culture into his writings. He was born in Washington, D.C. and grew up near Calumet, Oklahoma, where his grandparents raised him in the traditions of the Cheyenne tribe.

Lance shares how his early life led to the discovery of his inner voices and how difficult it was to find other poets whose words spoke directly to his culture, visions and experiences.

Through a lifetime of travel, he found community. “It was the poets outside of America that addressed issues I could comprehend — words and metaphoric responses to genocide, ethnocide and human resistance to inhumanity."

A must listen.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Pelumi Nubi provides travelers of color advice, inspiration, and a way to explore the world as part of a community. She shares how traveling can be easy, safe, and doable, especially as a Black, solo female traveler.

Pelumi migrated from Nigeria to the UK when she was just 10. Her early exposure to traveling ignited her love and curiosity for travel and she has visited over 70 countries. Her goal is to visit every single country in the world because she truly believes this fascinating planet deserves to be explored. Discover how you can travel with Pelumi and some important travel tips to ensure your journey is easy and safe.

Also on Speaking of Travel, if you are looking for a home away from home when you travel, why not think about a bed and breakfast experience? Find out how Stephen Collins, along with his wife Robin, owners of The Applewood Manor Inn Bed & Breakfast in Asheville, NC, have created a relaxing place with a personal and family touch.

And Jen Brooks, editor and social media manager of RomanticAsheville.com, the popular online travel guide to the mountains and foothills surrounding Asheville and Western North Carolina, shares how much there is to see and do in the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains during fall and early winter.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories and so much more.

Peter Shankman has been called a rockstar. His magnetic personality is legendary. He's a 5x best-selling author, entrepreneur and corporate keynote speaker, focusing on customer service and the new and emerging customer and neurodiverse economy.

His passion for helping people and companies makes him a worldwide connector known for creating radically new ways of looking at social media, marketing, PR and customer service.

Peter shares why loyalty is the only thing that matters in travel anymore and offers some timely tips to help your travel experience better and more beneficial to everyone around you.

Want to find ways to add meaning and make your life worth living? Check out this sweet, candid conversation with Peter Shankman and learn some valuable lessons on how to be your authentic self and live a life of service and fun.

Imagine turning your passion for adventure into a meaningful cause to help save the planet. Jasper Horsey shares why he and his three mates began Tuk South and spent the last of their savings on two Tuk-Tuks to travel the world and highlight the conservation of wild spaces and the people protecting them.

Discover why Jasper, Josh, Ivo and Robbie, four conservation-minded adventurers living in Kenya, decided to embark on a daring expedition to raise awareness and money for rangers on the frontline -- by driving from Kenya to Cape Town, and beyond, in Tuk Tuks.

Jasper shares why the fab four decided to set out on this odyssey to raise awareness of COVID’s effect on conservation and the importance of wildlife rangers, the heroes who help maintain the balance between communities and wildlife.

With the conservation of some of the planet’s most important habitats and wildlife in danger of poaching, illegal logging and the exploitation of natural resources, raising funds for wildlife rangers was an obvious choice for Tuk South. Their story is about giving back and they are working alongside "For Rangers," a humanitarian charity and wildlife conservation organization.

Also on Speaking of Travel, Tina Kinsey at the Asheville Regional Airport, shares some fall air travel trends and what we can expect moving into the changing season.

Annette Joseph lives half the year in La Fortezza, a medieval fortress in the countryside of northern Tuscany. She loves entertaining and offers creative retreats and workshops teaching styling, photography, painting and cooking. And did I mention shopping?

Annette's book about the renovation journey of La Fortezza is covered in her book, "Italy is My Boyfriend." Her new book about the retreats she holds there, "My Italian Guestbook," is a fun-centric book about life-changing experiences, crazy parties and great food. You feel like you're there and realize you really want to be there!

If you ever dreamed of harvesting Italian grapes for wine, picnicking in olive groves, dining on local streets, painting al fresco, learning to cook like an Italian or enjoying movies under the stars, this is a must listen!

Ciao Ciao!

The Speaking of Travel + Leave No Trace series continues on location in Australia with Richard Crawford where he's busy working on Season Two of Leave No Trace TV. After a whirl-wind few months of travel, Ricky is in Australia with the show’s director and cameraman (and so much more), Ben Alcott. Listening to these two is a real treat!

Ricky and Ben share how they’re witnessing a greener travel space emerge and how their views have changed over these last few years in relation to ecotourism and sustainability.

They fondly share how they gotinterested in travel and sustainability and how the Amazon Prime television show, Leave No Trace, began. Discover some pretty cool places around this world where the destinations are making quiet change for their communities and the planet.

And learn some practical tips for environmentally friendly travel that are easy to achieve. A must listen!

Namrata Patel’s poignant and witty story, “The Candid Life of Meena Dave,” explores diaspora and dual-cultural identity among Indian Americans and why traveling helps to better understand what home really means.

Namrata explores why travel, patience and perseverance are valuable traits to cultivate and pushes you to keep trying. "There’s an old saying that goes, 'If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.' This captures the essence of perseverance. Even when things get hard – which they almost always do – perseverance pushes you to keep trying."

Also on Speaking of Travel, Jen Brooks of Romantic Asheville.com. provides a fall color forecast for the Blue Ridge Mountain region in Western North Carolina and shares how to celebrate one of the most beautiful times to travel.

And Tina Kinsey, Vice-president of Marketing, PR, and Air Service Development at the Asheville Regional Airport fills us in on how the airport is dedicated to community engagement and how it supports the region with a fundamental focus on giving back.

For entrepreneur Becky Cannon, traveling and learning from different cultures is an integral part of providing healthy and practical products for the well-being and development of babies and families.

From an early age, Becky questioned her life’s purpose and wondered, “How can I contribute in a positive way to these overwhelming global challenges around me?” Fast forward 40 years and her marketing message has remained solid ~~ “Take care of your baby, Take care of your self and Take care of the environment.” Green Sprouts, Inc. continues to follow their company values: Intention, Curiosity, Integrity, Connection and Prosperity.

Becky's book, Grow Healthy. Grow Happy. The Whole Baby Guide, is a complete resource for parents to give their babies a healthy beginning. Congratulations Becky on leaving a beautiful, and important, legacy.

Also on Speaking of Travel is Leslie Hartley, Director of Communications for The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area to share how this 25-county region works to preserve, protect, and sustainably develop the rich cultural and natural heritage of Western North Carolina and how you can experience it all.

Mark Chesnut is a New York-based writer and public speaker, covering travel, tourism and hospitality. He's the 2019 winner of the NLGJA Excellence in Travel Writing Award and the author of the new memoir "Prepare for Departure" (Vine Leaves Press, 2022), which explores, among other relatable topics, the transformative power of travel.

Mark shares some of his earliest travel memories and the role travel played in his childhood and adolescence. For Mark, traveling fosters a platform to build human connections by learning about culture, food and language and by discovering how people in other parts of the world live their lives just like us.

Also on Speaking of Travel, travel influencer extraordinaire, Johnny Jet, shares why patience is an essential skill to have when we travel these days and how cultivating and practicing patience will help you experience any situation with grace.

A must listen!

The Speaking of Travel + Leave No Trace Series with Richard Crawford continues. Richard is the host of the Amazon Prime TV series Leave No Trace. And today we have a special guest.

Dr. Rachel Dodds has over 20 years of international experience across a wide spectrum of the tourism industry, is the Director of “Sustaining Tourism,” a boutique consulting firm and is also an Associate Professor at Ryerson University in Canada where she joined the Ted Rogers School of Tourism & Hospitality Management in 2006.

Richard and Rachel understand sustainability means long term planning and management and that experience and understanding of diverse cultures and environments is a fundamental part of tourism. They share examples and tips on how to enjoy sustainable activities that don’t pollute or use energy and how to seek out local experiences.

Rachel's new book, Are We There Yet?: Traveling More Responsibly With Your Children, helps teach new responsibilities when traveling with your children and explores how it helps them to accept new roles through decision making and skill development. You can find Are We There Yet?: Traveling More Responsibly With Your Children, by visiting:store.bookbaby.com/book/are-we-there-yet1. A discount code for the e-pub is AX6DLWA and the discount code for the print edition is 563YVP

And, find out where Richard and his team are headed next. He shares his future travel adventures and where’s he headed for Leave No Trace TV season two. We're all in for a treat.

A must listen!

Chow Chow is a unique culinary event series in Asheville, NC, providing a platform to amplify voices working to sustain and strengthen its community and promote the culture and culinary scene.

Rebeca Lynch is the Executive Director of Chow Chow and has served alongside the passionate and committed volunteer board of directors. She supports the region’s community of creative makers, helping build community by bringing everyone together around the Southern Appalachian table.

Jael Skeffington is co-founder & CEO of French Broad Chocolates and is a founding Board Member and Vice President of Chow Chow. She believes in using business as a force for good and is guided by a mission to source with integrity, craft with intention and build meaningful relationships with sustainable farmers.
Chef Steven Goff’s cuisine has been recognized by Food and Wine Magazine, Bon Appétit, Garden and Gun, The Local Palate, and other local publications. In 2019 he was named Chef of the Year by the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association and is currently the owner and chef at Tastee Diner and is on the Chow Chow Board.

They share how Chow Chow's focuses on involving community (and building community) within the event series and encourages connections to amplify a broad spectrum of voices working within Southern Appalachian foodways.

Discover how equity and inclusivity in programming is building a model of a community- centered, equitable culinary event series that is also a joyous and fun celebration.

*photo by Stephan Pruitt

Traveling across the world as a solo female, Christy Teglo documents her unique experiences along the way. Christy shares what it's like traveling again after these past few years and how it feels to be in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and her nine-day hiking tour in Ecuador.

And Christy talks about her love for long distance thru hiking. Her book, Weathered: Finding Strength on the John Muir Trail, is about her three-week backpacking trip in the California Sierra mountains and how this adventure allowed her time to reflect on the things she holds most important in her life. Discover where she went from there!

Also on Speaking of Travel, Laura Sheets McCall, ED of Asheville’s Independent Restaurant Association (AIR), is an avid believer in giving back to the community and is leading local restaurants to grow the development of the industry with a commitment to collaboration and a focus on quality and efficiency.

And Justin Bellame, a travel industry leader and founder of the JB Media Group, co-founder of the JB Media Institute and the DIY Tourism Marketing Workshop, and the publisher of Romantic Asheville.com, shares current Covid travel considerations and the latest trending topics in the travel industry.

A must listen!

Clark Lovelace, Executive Director for the Transylvania County Tourism Development Authority in Western North Carolina, shares how sustainable and educational initiatives help improve healthy growth and protects natural resources.

Despite the challenges over the past few years, Clark, his team, and members of the community continue to step up. Their tourism leaders understand the needs of locals and guests and want to help improve their quality of life by taking care of each other and the planet.

Clark explores current trends in travel and tourism and the impact to the region and how important it is to be focused on areas beyond simply bringing visitors to the county. Discover how the Transylvania County Tourism Development Authority shifted from a destination marketing organization to a destination management organization in order to focus on sustainability, safety and infrastructure.

Also on Speaking of Travel, go behind the scenes with Tina Kinsey, Vice-President of Marketing, PR, and Air Service Development at the Asheville Regional Airport and find out how great airports keep their priorities straight and focus on what matters to its passengers.

Nicole Smith, founder of Flytographer, a travel service that connects you with hand-picked local photographers in many destinations around the world, turned her side hustle into a multi-million dollar business.

Today, Nicole and her team have grown Flytographer into a multi-million dollar business that operates across six continents and was ranked as one of the fastest-growing startups. She is passionate about sharing her experiences openly to inspire other women entrepreneurs around the world.

Nicole shares how she created her startup from idea to side hustle to over $25 million dollars in sales and how she had to turn her business around during Covid. When the pandemic hit, her sales instantly went to zero and she had to lay off 80% of the team. Nicole explains how she was able to come back and continue to grow a profitable, evergreen business.

Also on Speaking of Travel, find out how Chow Chow, a culinary event in Asheville, NC, is pairing diverse community leaders with chefs to tell their own stories through food.

And discover why being in a fantastic neighborhood in close proximity to historical landmarks is a win-win for your vacation experience. John Zellers, General Manager of the Elevation Lofts Hotel in downtown Asheville, NC, shares how this historic building , originally built over 100 years ago, is so special today.

Gandhi once said, “Though what you have to give may seem insignificant, it is very important that you give it.”

Tanya Weaver, Executive Director of the American Foundation for Children with AIDS (AFCA), has helped families in some of the most underserved and marginalized communities in Africa. AFCA is a non-profit organization providing critical comprehensive services to infected and affected HIV+ children and their caregivers. Their programs are efficient and work successfully by promoting self-reliance and sustainability.

Tanya shares how the organization helps the children in the programs become citizens of their country who are able to take care of themselves and know they have value.

Also on Speaking of Travel, Corey Costanzo, co-owner of Still Point Wellness, a destination wellness spa in Asheville, NC, offers some unique experiences to move you along your quest for well-being. Corey lived and worked at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur and shares why maintaining an optimal level of wellness is crucial to live a higher quality life.

And Mark Collins, Partnerships Manager for RomanticAsheville.com, the online travel guide to Asheville and the Western North Carolina region, shares why delivering on a common purpose to create and develop new solutions helps empower people and organizations with the knowledge and resources they’ll need to reach their goals.

Tune in!

Milenlli Araya Masis is a naturalist guide in the Manuel Antonio region. Born in Costa Rica, she provides education into the country’s biodiversity with a vast knowledge of conservation, wildlife and history.

Costa Rica has 169 areas of conservation protecting 26% of the territory, with 5% of the biodiversity of the planet.

Milenlly shares some of the projects helping create successful conservation efforts in Costa Rica, including the reforestation of mangrove ecosystems in the community of Puerto Nispero, and Jacanas, a team of girls involved in bird watching and programs of conservation and biophilia.

Consistent exposure to natural elements through biophilic design supports longevity and ensures future generations maintain an affinity with nature so they grow up to be stewards of the wild places and diversity of animals making our planet exceptional.

Discover how an education center in Manuel Antonio is helping guarantee sustainability and environmental education in the Pacific of Costa Rica by doing investigation, volunteer programs and responsible tourism.

Also learn how a children's program is helping save the rain forest and the creation of a Marine conservation center for the reforestation of coral.

Milenlly explains how the forest cover now stands at more than 53% after painstaking work to reverse decades of deforestation and how today around a quarter of the country's land has turned into protected parks and reserves.

A must listen!

Francois Lemay is a professional goalie instructor and a hockey ambassador who traveled to North Korea to coach their hockey teams. His book, "If I Ever Make It Back: Coaching Hockey In North Korea," captures some of his stories about spending time with local North Koreans no one talks about and its resilient, humble, shy and down-to-earth athletes.

Also on Speaking of Travel is Chef Luis Martinez from Oaxaca, Mexico. Chef Luis shares how he combines his love for cooking with his passion for social justice.

And Mark Bastin of Yonder Luxury Vacation Rentals explains 2021 vs 2022 trends and observations and shares some travel tips on how to make your journey less stressful.

The Speaking of Travel + Leave No Trace Series with Richard Crawford of the Amazon Prime TV series, Leave No Trace, continues. Learn how to better prepare for traveling and find solutions to become a savvy traveler.

Ricky talks about his latest travel experiences and shares his observations on what we can do to be smarter about traveling and how to get the most value out of this privilege we have again. And how to be more mindful and patient by having realistic expectations.

Today there are so many resources to help guide us to easily find travel info and help make better choices. Discover what you do to make sure everything goes smoothly. Most importantly Ricky reminds us we must "take care of ourselves."

And find out where Ricky and his team are going next for Leave No Trace TV. Season two is off to an awesome start!

Travel writer Joshua Jung traveled to Uzbekistan as a tourist and before long he began to feel as though he was being treated like a local. Josh shares why sometimes it's better to stand out as a tourist.

Josh describes why being immersed in the life, culture, and language of another country through the lens of a local is the experience travelers search for. But for Josh, being an American – Korean-American, he's quickly outed as a tourist and proceeds to have a classic "tourist" experience.

Discover why Josh chose Uzbekistan, a country with a rich culture and one of the last hidden gems in the backpacking community.

Also on Speaking of Travel are Lisa Vann and Ben Krueger, owners of Huli Sue’s BBQ & Grill in Asheville, NC. They share how their long-time success with a restaurant in Hawaii keeps the spirit of Aloha alive and well in their lives.

Connie Berry’s dream of becoming an archaeologist ended when she learned there was more to it than discovering the tombs of lost pharaohs. Instead, she created the Kate Hamilton Mystery series, set in the UK and featuring an American antiques dealer with a gift for solving crimes.

Her sense of place and love of the British Isles sets the tone for adventure and mystery. Connie shares how she first fell in love with the British Isles and what part the setting plays in her novels.

Also on Speaking of Travel, Jen Brooks, the editor of RomanticAsheville.com, the most popular online travel guide to the mountains and foothills surrounding Asheville and Western North Carolina, shares what to see and do this summer and gives us a sneak peek into what we can expect this fall.

Andy Teirstein composes for film, opera, and movement theater and he finds inspiration in the folk roots of modern culture and as a folk fiddle and banjo player. His new album, “Restless Nation,” reflects, musically, on his many travels.

Andy's early life reflects an eclectic background comprised of music, clown work, exploration, and acting. A vagabond by nature, his travels have helped bring strangers together, shatter stereotypes and open our minds to limitless possibility.

The Village Voice said Andy's music "seems to speak in celestial accents of some utopia whose chief industry is dancing." A must listen!

Also on Speaking of Travel is is Tina Kinsey from the Asheville Regional Airport to share tips on what you’ll need to know about air travel this summer.

Marilyn Ball, host of Speaking of Travel, and Richard Crawford of the Amazon Prime show, Leave No Trace TV, share current travel stories and tips to help you become a savvy traveler and equip you with skills to make travel easy.

Even pre-pandemic, there was a surge in consumer consciousness and places were being built on sustainability. Ricky shares tips for choosing certified sustainable accommodations and what standards we should look for.

Marilyn and Ricky also explore sustainable travel and comfort. Today there are ecolodges and tour companies doing their part to protect their communities and preserve cultural traditions that also offer private, luxury accommodations and world class dining. Find out how to be a more savvy traveler, how to prepare, research, explore and keep an open mind. Relax.

Mark Collins, partnerships manager with RomanticAsheville.com, is at the center of creating successful partnerships in the travel and tourism industry and shares how cooperation and partnerships are used to achieve business and community goals.

Mark shares how the resiliency of the travel industry over these past few years has helped turn us more into sustainable tourists, with an aim to travel with a light environmental footprint, to support local communities and to help protect culture and heritage.

Many traveler’s today have a desire to experience history and culture wherever they travel. Mark's hope is to see curious, compassionate, open minded, educated travelers of tomorrow who are finding their own solutions to be kinder and more compassionate.

Diana Ralston is the founder and executive director of Can’d Aid, a national nonprofit that is creating a movement rallying people to become catalysts for change in their own communities through an unconventional approach to giving back.

Diana’s many years of experience in the nonprofit sector and her entrepreneurial approach is changing the way people think about philanthropy.

Can’d Aid's roots were founded along with Oskar Blues Brewery during a natural disaster with a fundamental belief everyone has the ability to give back and do good. Today their mission of creating a movement of do-gooders generates a ripple effect of goodness. Diana believes we are all in this together and encourages community connection through small acts of kindness. And it's working!

Also on Speaking of Travel, Galen Marshall-Clark, the co-owner of Liminal Equus, an immersive trail riding and naturalist experience in Barnardsville, NC. Liminal Equus is a women-owned cooperative business based on connection with land, people, and animals.

Dayna Reggero of the Climate Listening Project is collaborating with Gulf Coast locals to help protect the place they love from oil and gas development through filming and making art to lift up the truth tellers.

The Gulf Coast is not a sacrifice zone for pollution with already existing oil and gas development and now with 24 proposed LNG gas export terminals. This will be very harmful for the fragile environment and will be a hardship for the people living there.

The Gulf Coast is home to beautiful people and communities. It’s a place people love to travel and is important for migratory birds. The Climate Listening Project is bringing the impact of what this would mean to the people and visitors along one of the most important shore lines in the world.

Richard Crawford, host of the Amazon Prime TV show, Leave No Trace, shares his recent journey to Australia and what it's like to travel today, addresses some of the challenges for sustainable tourism, and provides tips for becoming a more mindful traveler.

Richard is passionate about the health of our planet and helps us highlight the importance of conservation, sustainable travel and eco-tourism and inspires our actions through environmental stewardship.

In his television show, Richard travels the world unearthing extraordinary eco-friendly tourism destinations, giving us unprecedented insiders access to places and experiences that are on everyone's bucket list.

Today, more than ever, travelers need resources and solutions to become more mindful when visiting destinations. Richard shares stories and experiences from the locations he visits and shows us why it's important to get to know the people and listen. And he provides tips to make your travel experiences easier and less stressful!

At 15, Hilde Lysiak believes you can accomplish anything, regardless of age or gender. In her memoir, Hilde on the Record, she shares her journey in finding her voice and discovering what is most meaningful in her life. At age seven she launched a newspaper and realized kids can plunge into the world and take action. Today she feels like her own world is just beginning.

Hilde is an American journalist and is a gifted young woman with an open-mind who is bringing her energy, ideas and courage to some of the most complex and important challenges facing the world today.

She is already understanding the big picture better than older generations and has a vision for the future of journalism. Hilde's hope is by telling her story she can help others find their voice and discover what is most meaningful in their own lives.

Also on Speaking of Travel, new data shows the restaurant industry is coming back stronger than ever and the opportunities presented during these past couple of years will ultimately have a high impact in sustaining businesses for the future. Kate Bannasch, co-owner and general manager of Copper Crown, a neighborhood restaurant and gathering place in Asheville, NC, shares how she and her team have created a new model for today’s guests.

Sonya and Frank DiPalma recently spent time in Sardinia, Italy, as part of Sonya’s research for a book about the Homeless European Land Project (HELP) which provided refuge for about a dozen displaced persons in the late 1950s thanks to actress Hope Lange and actor Don Murray. HELP served as a model for the United Nations for resettlement of refugees and it also influenced the creation of the Peace Corps.

Frank planned the trip around the island from Cardedu, Oristano, Simaxis, Sorso, Porto Torres, Castelsardo, Alghero, Sassari, Bosa, Olbia, Costa Smeraldo, Porto Cervo, San Teodoro and then Cagliari.

Sonya and Frank share their journey, along with a history, of this ancient island some call paradise on Earth.

Also on Speaking of Travel, Justin Bellame, founder of the JB Media Group and the publisher of Romantic Asheville.com, shares why vacation and short-term rentals areseeing an uptick and what it means to local economies.

Born in Siena, Italy, a small medieval city in the heart of Tuscany, Marco Caratelli paints traditional Sienese art reprographics, replicating the work of the Sienese painters of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Every piece Marco creates is different, special and unique.

Marco specializes in the egg-yolk tempera technique, as described in the famous manual on painting by Cennino Cennini (14th century). He reproduces the world-renowned "Biccherne" panels which were painted, wooden covers placed over the accounting ledgers of the City of Siena from the 13th to 16th centuries.

The panels were painted by such famous masters of the Renaissance as Duccio di Boninsegna, the Lorenzettis, Simone Martini and Sano di Pietro. As with the originals, Marco's recreations are painted on aged, quality wood and covered in pure gold leaf. Following in the extraordinary tradition of famous classic painters, Marco shares his inspiration and passion for antique techniques

Also on Speaking Of Travel, Clark Lovelace, of the Brevard/Transylvania Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Development Authority in Western North Carolina, provides an update about his county’s efforts to become more eco-friendly and educated as more destinations focus on natural resource preservation and the environmental impact of tourism.

Georgette Blau, founder of On Location Tours, offers the only TV and movie-themed bus and walking tours in NYC and Boston. Discover why her tours are a unique part of tourism and the phenomenon of TV and movie tours.

Georgette founded On Location Tours in 1999 and it has quickly become one of the East Coast’s most popular tourist attractions serving over 100,000 tourists and locals annually. On Location Tours provides an opportunity to straddle fiction and reality so you feel as though you are part of the TV show or movie, ultimately bringing you closer to the characters themselves. Fun times ahead!

Speaking of tours, also on Speaking Of Travel is Kaye Bentley, founder of Asheville Rooftop Bar Tours, a one-of-a-kind tour showcasing the most spectacular views, craft cocktails and historic landmarks in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

And did you know the Asheville Regional Airport has a critical role in unlocking the growth potential of the entire region? Tina Kinsey from the Asheville Regional Airport shares how they are dealing with passenger traffic growth to continue creating a balanced and use-friendly airport experience.

Toby Brown, the U.S. partner, director of marketing, and head safari coordinator at Outdoor Africa, shares how traveling to this special place of the world provides amazing and life-changing experiences.

Toby began 2022 with trips to Tanzania and South Africa and was thrilled to be back to places so near and dear to his heart. Whether you are planning your first safari or a return visit, the team at Outdoor Africa provides deep-seated connections to help you plan a trip created uniquely for you.

And be sure to consider (and sign up) for the Speaking of Travel + Outdoor Africa trip to South Africa in March, 2023. Visit speakingoftravel.net for all the info and come along on this small-group adventure!

Also on Speaking of Travel, Mark Collins, Partnerships Manager for RomanticAsheville.com, shares how the economic impact of the Outdoor Industry helps in preserving and protecting, and promoting, responsibly what we have for future generations.

The Speaking of Travel + Leave No Trace Series With Richard Crawford, continues.

Like many modern-day explorers, Richard has the unique ability to blend adventure with a conscious effort to use his show, Leave No Trace TV, as a platform to raise awareness of environmental issues and sustainability that challenges our world. His passion for the environment leads him on some very impressive adventures.

Richard shares his most recent adventures to Belize and Fogo Island for season two of Leave No Trace TV. From the rainforest to the far reaches of Newfoundland, Richard explains how people are creating sustainable solutions around local community and doing their part to help save the planet.

A must listen!

I’ve heard from many people over the years that riding a motorcycle gives you the total blending of your mind and body and you can actually have a meditative and somewhat spiritual experience.

Michael Gouge, editor of Blue Ridge Motorcycling Magazine and senior lecturer of mass communication at UNC Asheville, shares how motorcycling is a stress reliever and a confidence builder and helps boost your wellbeing.

Also Kyle Ellison, founder of Wai Mauna SUP Tours, explains how paddle boarding lets you feel grounded in the moment and more alive. And offers so many ways to feel more connected to nature.

And discover how the Asheville Regional Airport's long-term design project will culminate in a new, modernized airport to meet the needs of the region for decades to come.

Katie Wilson, Director and CEO of Grow Abroad Asheville, is a born teacher and life-long learner with a purpose to connect people, places and ideas. Grow Abroad Asheville helps create future agents of change and global citizens.

“It is my purpose on this planet to connect people, places, and ideas. I believe in the necessity of empowering one another and believe it is done through fun, play, and support."

Katie shares how Grow Abroad Asheville provides opportunities for intercultural learning and sharing. Find out how you can become a host family and become part of a diverse community where cultural immersion is the name of the game!

Also on Speaking of Travel, Kim Murray, the new Executive Director of the Asheville Independent Restaurant Association, shares how a culture of collaboration and stewardship goes a long way to keep the kitchens cooking and the tables set.

And if you are beginning to travel again, Tina Kinsey from the Asheville Regional Airport,
explains how airports continue to move forward with innovative ideas to ensure you have the best, and easiest experience possible.

Jenny Cressman is an author and occasional travel agent living in Canada who specializes in Cuba. Jenny shares how her recent trip provided an insider’s look at the resourcefulness and resiliency of the Cuban people.

Jenny shares how one of the key reasons for this trip was to deliver some humanitarian aid – mainly basic “medicine-cabinet” items such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen and naproxen.

And some interesting news on the medical front regarding what the Cubans are doing to stay safe. Jenny provides the most current information for how to travel back to this special and enchanting country.

Also on Speaking of Travel is Jen Brooks from RomanticAsheville.com to share how to best plan a spring vacation in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains and foothills surrounding Asheville and Western North Carolina.

Dayna Reggero is a documentary film director and founder of a collaborative storytelling effort called the Climate Listening Project. Kelly Sheehan is the Senior Director of Energy Campaigns for the Sierra Club, where she leads a national effort to advance climate justice and a transition off of fossil fuels.

With huge strides being made in the quest for climate action and the general wellbeing of the planet, Dayna and Kelly highlight what it will take for the population in the Gulf to have a better lifestyle by making of improvements on as many physical systems as humanly possible so they can survive.

Also on Speaking of Travel, if you love science and space, join Tim DeIsle, Director of Software Engineering and Melanie Crowson, Director of Education and Astronomy, from the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI). PARI is located in Rosman, NC, and began as a 1960s NASA station. Today PARI is a nonprofit astronomical observatory specializing in STEM education and dedicated to radio astronomy, archives, satellite communications and research partnerships.

A must listen!

The Speaking of Travel + Leave No Trace Series continues with Richard Crawford, host of the Amazon Prime series, Leave No Trace. Richard reviews principles of ecotourism and provides knowledge on how to create a sustainable way to travel.

As we get out and begin traveling again, it's time for all of us to know the difference between green, eco-, and sustainable tourism. Richard shares how important it is to pay attention when you travel after the pandemic and think about choosing certified hotels, tour operators, and other providers of tourism services so we can move towards becoming more sustainable tourists and how to travel with a lighter environmental footprint.

As Richard moves into Season Two of Leave No Trace TV, he offers up some of the best green destinations and tips for traveling to help save money, sleep better, get off the beaten path, meet locals, and just be a better traveler. It’s time to get out there again and try new things.

Nineteen-year-old James Parton is a photographer and filmmaker and is creating a movie about ecology and the connectedness of global ecosystems. The project focuses on less known issues and brings them into the spotlight to help provide solutions for all of us. James plans to show what we can do to help combat these situations. His stories are uplifting and inspiring as he creates a collective community to help make a positive change.

Also on Speaking of Travel, Garrett Martin, an award-winning documentary filmmaker, outdoor photographer, conservationist and owner of the production company - VentureLife Films, shares his newest venture, THE GREAT FOREST, which follows conservationists throughout southern Appalachia as they look to manage two of the most biodiverse and visited national forests in the country.

And, a conversation with with Tina Kinsey at the Asheville Regional Airport. With so many state and national parks in this country, you might find yourself flying somewhere to be outside someplace else. And that could mean hanging out in the airport for a bit. Tina shares some ideas from what she sees and hears from passengers who are making that wait fun.

Juan Carlos Zuniga is a biologist and the program manager of the Costa Rico site for Ecology Project International (EPI). He shares how their hands-on, science-focused programs around the world are life-changing.

Founded as a nonprofit organization in 2001, Ecology Project International creates positive long-term environmental impacts through its science education programs, conservation initiatives, and engagement with local communities and partners.

EPI's travel programs are designed to nurture the sense of discovery at the heart of all learning. Juan Carlos shares how students and teachers are free to explore, inquire, and investigate all their curiosities. By working with wildlife and helping out researchers, the program ignites a passion for science and conservation that lasts a lifetime.

Also on Speaking of Travel, Justin Bellame, an innovator, successful entrepreneur and travel industry expert, explains how his companies and partners are supporting each other with resiliency and resolve.

And Tina Kinsey of the Asheville Regional Airport sheds some light on what’s new and important to know when you are going through an airport and boarding a plane these days to ensure our trips run smoothly.

Chiara and Federico, based in Rome, Italy, created Ideas 4 Travellers to offer authentic Italian walking tour experiences that uncover a different Rome. Explore the Eternal City with people with so much to share.

Chiara and Federico help you see, hear, taste and smell life as a true Roman does, sharing stories and experiences the way an old friend might – with passion, care and love for their special city.

If you are traveling to Rome, Chiara and Federico add some unique spices to the classic menu of tours in the Eternal City and you will learn something different from what a typical tourist tour provides.

Discover how fellow travelers become like the locals by going off the beaten path, eating great food in open air excursions and sharing informal, heartfelt conversations with these two local hosts. Ciao!

Also on Speaking of Travel, discover how Kate Bannasch, co-owner and general manager of the Copper Crown restaurant in Asheville, navigates the changing landscape of best practices with the safety of their guests and staff a top priority.

The Speaking of Travel + Leave No Trace Series with Richard Crawford of the Amazon Prime TV Show, Leave No Trace, continues to highlight the importance of conservation, sustainable travel and eco-tourism with helpful information to help you create your own personal sustainable travel experience.

Through epic travel experiences in Season One of his highly successful show, Richard reflects back on the impact when the world hit the pause button due to a global pandemic. For Richard and his team, being on lockdown provided opportunities they would never have considered. Discover how staying connected to his world-wide community of people making sustainable choices gave them hope.

Today, Richard is moving forward into Season Two of Leave No Trace TV and is looking forward to traveling again. Find out what destinations are on his radar and why and how you can travel to places where sustainability is applied to every part of your journey, no matter your budget, style, or destination.

Also, Richard shares some exciting news about the growth of Leave No Trace TV. Hear it first on Speaking of Travel!

www.leavenotrace.tv

Matt Bowles co-founded Maverick Investor Group in 2007 as a fully remote real estate brokerage company. He also hosts The Maverick Show podcast while living a location-independent lifestyle as a digital nomad with no permanent base since 2013. Over the last nine years, he's run his company from 65 different countries on six continents. Matt shares how he created his travel lifestyle as a full time digital nomad with no permanent base as a way to find financial success and location independence.

Also on Speaking of Travel is Andrew Nehlig, founder of the Sauna House in Asheville, NC. Andrew created a communal sauna bathing space that delivers health benefits, boosts your mood and provides human connection in a safe, mindful environment.

And join Tina Kinsey at the Asheville Regional Airport for some seasonal travel tips and updates on air travel overall.

Kim Giovacco, owner of Veg Jaunts and Journeys, shows you the world with a vegan focus by supporting vegan businesses like restaurants, food tours and vegan cooking schools. Kim shares how a vegan lifestyle can be easy and healthy.

Her epic tours are expanding to celebrate the whole-food, plant based way of eating which actually differs from vegan way of eating. And instead of mainly offering European tours, half of her tour schedule will now take place in North America, offering vegan tours near national parks in the US and Canada.

Find out why this lifestyle is growing globally and what you can do to learn more by traveling with Kim. Lots of good info here!

Also on Speaking of Travel, discover how to have a perfect winter getaway with plenty of waterfalls, scenic views, iconic forests and wonderful trails for hiking with Clark Lovelace of the Brevard/Transylvania Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Development in the beautiful North Carolina mountains.

And if you’re thinking of traveling by air and maybe haven’t been on a plane in a while, Tina Kinsey at the Asheville Regional Airport fills you in on what’s new and helps you find the answers you need.

When you are passionate about something, there's no stopping you. Susan Gibson started volunteering in her hometown of Toronto, Canada as a teenager. And her book, "How To Be An Amazing Volunteer Overseas," is a practical and useful tool to help motivate aspiring volunteers to contribute in the most meaningful ways.

Susan has been involved in the non-profit world for more than 35 years and has worked and volunteered in 70 countries. She is also a philanthropist actively engaged in the areas of refugees, human rights and education for girls.

Based in London for the past 20 years, today Susan lives in Washington, DC, enjoying promoting her book to young people who are so inspired to have meaningful volunteer experiences locally and overseas.

Also on Speaking of Travel, Mark Collins, Partnerships Manager for RomanticAsheville.com,
shares how resiliency and caring for others really makes an impact.

What’s it like to travel internationally today? Join Richard Crawford of Leave No Trace TV as he highlights his recent trip to Scotland and what he recognized looking at the world today as an environmentalist looking at sustainability. Also learn some new terminology to help you find solutions moving forward.

Discover what to look for in the destinations you choose and how to be more mindful as we begin traveling again. Richard helps us better understand the difference in eco, green and sustainable tourism, how to be an environmentalist on your trip, and why it's important.

Also, a big announcement from Richard on how Leave No Trace TV is growing! Tune in!

Dayna Reggero, a documentary film director and founder of the Climate Listening Project, is partnering with Kelly Sheehan, Director of Energy Campaigns for the Sierra Club, to create the Gulf Climate Listening Project.

Dayna's work on the Gulf Coast started when she was 19, appearing with animals on television to talk about environmental concerns. 2021 Pulitzer Winner Lauryn Higgins wrote: “By trade, Dayna Reggero is an environmentalist. Her work ranges from filmmaking to beginning her career as a spokesperson. However, her most skilled work might come in the form of organizing conversations, or simply starting them.”

Kelly is working in the Gulf with the Sierra Club and local communities to stop fracked gas exports. She shares why we need radical love, real healing, investing in communities and why we all need to all get involved to move beyond fossil fuels and protect the places we love.

Also on Speaking of Travel, discover what we can expect to see in travel in 2022 with marketing and marketing research expert, Chris Cavanaugh, president and founder of Magellan Strategy Group.

Enter the world of Omileye Achikeobi-Lewis. Omi’s life has prepared us for this moment for her to be our guide. Her name means Water Gives Me Joy, Honor, and Dignity and she shares valuable insights on healing, happiness and mindfulness.

Omi is trauma-focused counselor, kids yoga teacher, diversity facilitator, a mom, an artist and an author. She is a total water fanatic and for the last 15 years has traveled to many sacred waterways across the world. And she's been researching the iconography and connecting stories of African and Asian Water Mother Goddesses and how they connect us to each other, and a world of peace.

A must listen for anyone who wants to reawaken to the fact that it is normal to feel.

Chantal Patton has traveled to over 100 countries with her husband and three daughters over the last eight years. They document this amazing journey on their YouTube Channel “Growing Up Without Borders.”

Chantal is a location independent entrepreneur who has traveled to over 100 countries together with her husband and three daughters over the last eight years. They have a family goal to visit every country in the world together and are documenting their journey on their YouTube Channel “Growing Up Without Borders.” Originally from Canada, the Patton family now world schools their kids while sharing their adventures and showcasing the beauty of different countries and cultures.

The three Patton girls have even created a series of online classes for other kids called “Geography Made Fun: Learning Geography from a Kids Perspective.” And, through it all, Chantal continually prioritizes a healthy work/life/education/travel balance for her family.

Chantal gives tips on designing travel itineraries with kids, creating stability anchors, and designing a healthy work-life-education-travel balance. She also explains how she handles healthcare for her family while traveling and shares her #1 affordability hack that enables her family to have inexpensive accommodations all around the world.

And she reflects on the impact long- term world travel has had on her family and her kids, both in terms of their social lives and in terms of the way they see the world and explains how her family collaborates to document their travel journey, create their online content.

Nathan Evans Fox is an accomplished songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His fourth album, Wasted Love, ignites joy, nostalgia and solidarity, shifting simmering anger and contemplative reflection to wry wit and unexpected sass.

Writing the album in the midst of all this loss and uncertainty, Nathan wanted to write songs that would provide respite. In this sense, Fox’s music is all about work: blue-collar work, care work, reflective work.

"We need music to do work for us that we’re too tired to do ourselves. Our feelings are spent and our ability to do work is exhausted and we just need somebody to put some good feeling back in our body," Nathan said.

Nathan was trained as a hospital chaplain and his songs draw on his proximity to grief, his struggles with religion, his love of place, and a fast commitment to reflective work. A must listen!

Also on Speaking of Travel, Jen Brooks of RomanticAsheville.com, the most popular online travel guide to the mountains and foothills surrounding Asheville and Western North Carolina, gives us the lowdown on all there is to see and do in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

And for those of you preparing to get on a plane this winter season, there are some easy tips to help alleviate some stress before you fly. Tina Kinsey at the Asheville Regional Airport provides some helpful tips to help ensure you stay rested, revitalized and ready for what each day holds.

Enjoy this special conversation on Speaking of Travel with Franny of Franny’s Farm and Mike of Pasta & Prana.

What is Pasta & Prana and what does Prana have to do with pasta? It will all be discovered!

Franny and Mike share the inspiration in creating an amazing event that's a love story and not about pasta at all. It's all about Food & Love!

This new interactive dinner theatre is witty, enlightening and educational. It also tells a story of LOVE with Nona, the star of the show.

Franny and Mike are collective thinkers and bring their heart and creative ideas into a system for others to participate, work and thrive.

Join in the revitalizing of Franny’s Farm. You'll find love all around.

The Speaking of Travel + Leave No Trace Series continues and helps inspire actions through environmental stewardship. Richard Crawford is passionate about the health of our planet and finds solutions as he travels the world.

During season one of Amazon Prime's "Leave No Trace TV," Richard brought us inside some of the world's most awe-inspiring destinations and connected us with cultures around the globe. And he delivers solutions to becoming more mindful travelers.

With season two approaching, Richard fills us in on what's in store and where he's headed as our ambassador to conservation, sustainable travel and eco-tourism today and in the future.

Also on Speaking of Travel, laugh to the point of tears with Jen Lauzon, the co-founder of LaZoom Tours in Asheville, NC. Leave your exhausting days and fretful nights behind and get a smile on your face.

And be aware of what to expect this holiday season to ensure you’re a savvy and safe traveler. There are things you really must know. Tina Kinsey at the Asheville Regional Airport provides us with some travel tips.

Asheville Regional Airport Is A Gateway
Asheville Regional Airport is Western North Carolina’s Gateway. When you fly home, you're home!

Prestige Subaru- Welcome To Subieville
We're grateful to serve our community's local charities and non-profits with our Love Promise!

Romantic Asheville Offers Getaway Ideas
Plan A Getaway Trip To Asheville & The North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains And The Land Of The Sky!

Mark Gordon Smith, founder of Private Italy Tours, recently returned from a four-week trip through Italy. Mark shares how easy, based on his experience, travel is today and what you need to know to be stress-free. International travel is changing every day, and Mark provides a first-hand account of what it's really like to embark on a trip overseas to one of the most sought-after destinations in the world.

Also, Don Cason, Executive Director for the Rutherford County Tourism Development Authority in Western North Carolina, fills us in on some fun-filled, and family friendly, winter activities in this beautiful mountain region.

And if you’re taking to the skies this holiday season, be prepared for a drama-free experience. Tina Kinsey, Director of Marketing, PR and Air Service Development for the Asheville Regional Airport, provides some useful tips on how to fly safer and what to expect during the holidays. And where to go for sun and fun!

Andrew L. Nehlig, founder of the Sauna House in Asheville, NC, is an ambassador for health and wellbeing. Discover how Andrew's own wellness journey, and his travels around the world, became the catalyst to create a communal bathing experience.

And Justin Bellame, the publisher of Romantic Asheville.com, shares what the latest travel trends are looking like and how innovative marketing approaches are soaring high.

Also, Tina Kinsey Director of Marketing, PR and Air Service Development at the Asheville Regional Airport, provides an update on their expansion plansfor sustainable growth and success as an airport for the next 50+ years.

Asheville Regional Airport Is A Gateway
Asheville Regional Airport is Western North Carolina’s Gateway. When you fly home, you're home!

Prestige Subaru- Welcome To Subieville
We're grateful to serve our community's local charities and non-profits with our Love Promise!

Romantic Asheville Offers Getaway Ideas
Plan A Getaway Trip To Asheville & The North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains And The Land Of The Sky!

The Speaking of Travel + Leave No Trace Series with Richard Crawford of the Amazon Prime TV Show, Leave No Trace, spotlights Glenn Jampol, an ecotourism pioneer and owner of Finca Rosa Blanca in Costa Rica. Glenn chairs the Global Ecotourism Network, a global group of other ecotourism pioneers and practitioners who want to share their years of experience in ecotourism and sustainable tourism practices, and their wide contact network, to help others.

The Global Ecotourism Network brings the world’s regional and national ecotourism associations, networks and destinations, together with indigenous and rural peoples, global operators, professionals and academics, to grow the industry, provide advocacy, encourage thought leadership and innovation, and add greater authenticity to ecotourism.

Richard and Glenn encourage greater social entrepreneurshipthrough empowerment, skills transfer and capacity building. A must listen!

Also join Katrina Addison Skye-Evans of Asheville Urban Photo Tours as she shares how the amazing places only the locals might know about creates a perfect fit for a local tour about town. Find out how she provides local history, along with some special photo opportunities, to let you be the star of the show.

And since it's been awhile since many have flown, it's important to keep up with what's going on in airports right. There are so many ever-changing updates that if you’re planning on flying out anytime soon, it’s best to find out what’s new and happening today so you’re able to breeze through with confidence and excitement. Here to give us some updates and what you can expect at airports is Tina Kinsey of the Asheville Regional Airport.

Is there hope for the future? In his latest book, A Thing of Beauty: Travels in Mythical and Modern Greece, Peter Fiennes travels to the sites of famous Greek myths on the trail of hope, beauty and a new way of seeing what we have done to our world. Peter explores what the ancient Greeks have to say to us today and why it's the people who give us hope.

Peter walks through stunning and spoiled landscapes on the trail of dancing activists and Arcadian shepherds, consults the Oracle and loses himself in the cities, remote villages and ruins of this storied land. Find out if the ancient Greeks actually had anything to say to us about our climate crisis and our other ecological concerns. From Greek mythology to Greek food and all the way to picturesque beaches of the Greek islands, Peter draws on dreams and moments of hope that he encountered during the first year of Covid.

If you're not able to visit Greece right now, you can visit a little bit of paradise in the North Carolina Mountains. Although every season is perfect to visit the Biltmore Estate, Leeann Donnelly, Senior Public Relations Manager for Biltmore, shares why the holiday season is Biltmore’s most popular.

And with the holidays right around the corner, the Asheville Regional Airport is ready to make visitors feel right at home. Tina Kinsey fills us in on how to best navigate traveling this holiday season.

The autism journey begins very early for some and it can be an exploration filled with challenges. Michele Louzon, Executive Director of Arms Around ASD, a non-profit center providing holistic therapies for people on the autism spectrum, their families, care givers and the professionals who work with them, created a community of supporters and resources to help ensure a happier and more fulfilled life.

The mission of Arms Around ASD is to support the autism community through self-care and development of executive functioning skills promoting the growth of the community as a whole.

What makes Arms Around ASD unique is they support the entire family including siblings, caregivers and support staff. The therapies provided are not typically covered by insurance and are all provided by a team of volunteers. They understand the need for self-care is a priority and not a luxury.

Learn more about this important organization located at the Asheville Mall and support their community.

As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Life is a journey, not a destination.”

Ukrainian-born American pianist Inna Faliks was a performer from the earliest time she can remember and her distinguished career has taken her to thousands of recitals and concerts throughout the US, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. She is currently Professor of Piano and Head of Piano at UCLA.

As a concert pianist, Inna's life was often consumed with traveling from performance to performance, across the country and around the world. In Spring 2020, all that stopped for over a year. Inna explains how she occupied herself through this drastic lifestyle change and began her weekly Corona Friday series.

She also managed to release two new albums, one with music by Robert and Clara Schumann, and the other in which living composers responded to music by Beethoven and Ravel.

In addition to performing and teaching, Faliks founded and is the curator of Music/Words, an award-winning series of collaborations between musicians and distinguished poets, which was the genesis of her current autobiographical show, “Polonaise-Fantasie, the Story of a Pianist."

Suzanne Stavert of AdventuresofEmptyNesters.com is a travel writer, brand ambassador and culinary explorer and she recently returned from a trip to Italy. Find out how she planned her international travel and what you can do to make your travel dreams come true.

Her work with Collette Travel, China Southern Airlines, Tourism Authority of Thailand, Viking Cruises, Hotels.com, Expedia, Oldways, and most recently with Tuscan Women Cook has taken her on culinary journeys through Italy, Japan, Iceland and many other countries in Europe.

But it's been a while since traveling and going to Italy during this time of Covid provided some strategies and preparation to make that dream a reality. Find out what it was like for Suzanne not to travel for so long and what it's like to be traveling in Italy today. Suzanne explores what stood out after all this time and offers some helpful and timely tips for people getting ready or dreaming of travel.

Italy is one of our favorite bucket list destinations but has had a hard time over this time. It's slowly opening up and inviting guests again so tune in to discover all you'll need to know to plan your visit to the country of love, sun, beauty, and joy.

Asheville Regional Airport Is A Gateway
Asheville Regional Airport is Western North Carolina’s Gateway. When you fly home, you're home!

Prestige Subaru- Welcome To Subieville
We're grateful to serve our community's local charities and non-profits with our Love Promise!

Romantic Asheville Offers Getaway Ideas
Plan A Getaway Trip To Asheville & The North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains And The Land Of The Sky!

The Speaking of Travel + Leave No Trace Series with Richard Crawford, host of the Amazon Prime TV series Leave No Trace, continues with Richard reflecting how traveling surprises, and challenges, him.

Richard explains how he first realized his love of travel and what it was like growing up in Scotland across the road from a major airport. After a soccer scholarship brought him to the U.S., he relates how awe-inspiring the excitement of traveling really was and how his life changed when he went out in the world as a brand ambassador.

Over time, his love of travel and his passion for ecotourism and sustainability impacted his future. Today, with his successful TV series, Leave No Trace, he is able to help break down barriers, support the places he loves and highlight the importance of conservation, sustainable travel and eco-tourism.

Mark Gordon Smith, founder of Private Italy Tours, loves to talk about his love affair with the most gorgeous country known for epic architecture, history, food, wine and gracious people.

For a tour company, not touring and traveling equates to great loss. However, for Mark, there was no time for feeling sorry for himself. Instead, he created opportunities to bring together community across the globe.

Mark talks candidly about the challenges and silver-linings during the time of the pandemic. There are new tours and plans unfolding moving forward and Mark explains how he has found strength in the Italian people and their cultures and traditions.

He's ready to share this all with you now. Find out how to come home to Italy.

Suzanne Stavert has a unique perspective to inspire empty nesters (and others) to find adventure wherever they go. Her blog, Adventures of Empty Nesters, is a movement and a valued resource. These stories are a way to open doors to new ideas and experiences and inspire you to find your version of an exciting and adventurous life.

Her newest adventure is a podcast called Travel Connections. Suzanne will be talking with industry professionals and others and highlight special stories to make valuable and long-lasting travel connections.

Discover how Suzanne answered the gnawing question of... "what now?" when the emptiness of the day-to-day fun she and her husband had with with their kids evolved into finding a new life full of joy and excitement for the future. #findadventure

Also on Speaking of Travel, now is the best time to check off your must do list for the upcoming leaf season in the mountains and foothills surrounding Asheville and Western North Carolina. Jen Brooks, the editor and social media manager of RomanticAsheville.com, the most popular online travel guide, provides all the info you'll need for your best fall vacation ever!

Asheville Regional Airport Is A Gateway
Asheville Regional Airport is Western North Carolina’s Gateway. When you fly home, you're home!

Prestige Subaru- Welcome To Subieville
We're grateful to serve our community's local charities and non-profits with our Love Promise!

Romantic Asheville Offers Getaway Ideas
Plan A Getaway Trip To Asheville & The North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains And The Land Of The Sky!

Stephanie Carroll Carson, co-owner of Gypsy Circus Cider Company, has many balls in the air. But she and her husband have found traveling with their kids is the most rewarding, exhilarating experience and builds unforgettable memories.

A recent month-long trip to Ecuador allowed them to explore the country without the pressure that every day had to be phenomenal. Their flexibility paid off when they were able to book a trip two hours before the boat left for the Galapagos and they saved a ton of money on an eight-day first-class cruise.

Discover why seeing this trip through the eyes of their children was the most rewarding part of the trip and how they experienced the "fly by the seat of your pants" approach. Maybe traveling with your kids is something to consider for the future. Stephanie is a pro!

Also on Speaking of Travel, explore how to be good stewards of our planet and support the communities we visit by leaving a smaller footprint. Clark Lovelace, Executive Director of the Brevard/Transylvania Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Development Authority in Western North Carolina shares how the power of sustainable tourism helps improve the quality of life by taking care of each other and the planet.

And, Tina Kinsey from the Asheville Regional Airport provides some strategies on how airports can improve their customer’s travel experience and manage customer service to the highest standards by their commitment to enhancing customer experiences.

Explore the Mediterranean through acclaimed food and wine experiences with Felix Meana of CÚRATE. Felix is a pioneer of sustainable food systems and promotes eco tourism, conservation, and mindful travel.

Felix and his wife, Chef Katie Button, have many endeavors through Katie Button Restaurants, including CÚRATE Tapas Bar and La Bodega by CÚRATE. They're changing the industry at its core by doing what they love.

Felix’s close relationships with importers and wineries throughout Spain and his hyper-focus on guest experience is integral to the CÚRATE brand. CÚRATE Trips allow guests to experience fascinating and unique culinary destinations first-hand.

Felix explains how priceless insider access, life-long connections and a tantalizing insight into the food that shapes the cultural essence of every locale on the itinerary is what makes a CÚRATE Trip so memorable and exciting.

And speaking of tours, think how fun it is to discover new cities on a local tour, with a local tour guide. Also on Speaking of Travel is Kevan Frazier, owner and operator of Asheville by Foot Walking Tours. Find out what makes a good walking tour and why you should try one.

If you're thinking of traveling by air soon, remember all airports have different rules and guidelines so it’s important to check on the official information at each airport and be thoroughly prepared for your trip. Find out all the latest in the aviation and airline industries with Tina Kinsey of the Asheville Regional Airport.

Arnfinn Oines, Secretary of the Soneva Foundation and Social & Environmental Conscience of Soneva, discusses eco-tourism and sustainability and their environmental, social and economic impact programs in the Maldives and the world.

The Speaking of Travel + Leave No Trace Series with Richard Crawford, host of the Amazon Prime TV series, continues with guests from all over the globe, highlighting the importance of conservation, sustainable travel and eco-tourism.

Arnfinn and Richard explore how Soneva's forward thinking ideas are ground-breaking and where the inspiration comes from and they talk about how the Foundation's successes are making huge changes in supporting the development of projects having positive impacts.

Also join Tyler Donaldson, Sales & Marketing Director for French Broad Adventures in Western North Carolina and discover how this small family-owned outdoor company is celebrating its 40th year providing fun and thrilling activities.

Jennifer Ball is a Chinese-speaking, magenta-haired, French horn-playing, rock 'n' roll singer/novelist who focuses on inclusive language. Jennifer explains how travel requires more listening because you're often in a new place. With listening comes thinking about language and word choice so you're not offending another culture. She lived in China for two years and taught English to Chinese college students. In the Fingerpuppets rock band she plays French horn, trumpet and keyboards and she sings too.

Jennifer has an MFA in Creative Writing from San Diego State University and a BFA in Theater from University of California at Los Angeles and is the author of Catalyst, Higher Math, The Book Moose Minnon Never Wrote, and she co-authored of The Verbum Book of Digital.Jennifer Ball's Chinese name is 包弫 Bao Zhen (bao1 zhen3). In Chinese, last names come first. Bao/Ball. Zhen/Jennifer. The little known 弫 means "impactful, powerful." Very true.

Jennifer has researched ancient written languages and has compared cuneiform, hieroglyphs, Maya glyphs, and Chinese Hanzi characters—all ancient written scripts—in order to showcase the similarities that exist between them and the alphabet.

Also on Speaking of Travel, find out how airport art galleries can provide a welcome respite and is a great way to get a feel for the area. For the first time in over a year, local artists and musicians are being welcomed back to the Asheville Regional Airport as part of the Art in the Airport program. Tina Kinsey from the airport fills us in on this exciting news.

For Akira Satake, the act of creation is a collaboration between him, the clay and the fire. Akira shares his experiences finding the beauty in imperfection and the importance of “ma,” the space in-between.

Akira Satake was born in Japan and his first serious passion was American roots music. He taught himself to play guitar and banjo listening to his older brother’s Doc Watson and Flatt and Scruggs recordings. After years of working in the music industry, Akira was looking for a way to destress. He knew after taking his first ceramics class he was meant to be a potter.

Today Akira has a working studio and exhibition space in the River Arts District in Asheville, NC. He has given workshops and presentations all over the world and his work is transformed from the heart.

Also on Speaking of Travel, discover how the power of storytelling brings people together with Riley Coy of Kitcaster, a company with shared storytelling at its core. Riley helps CEOs, Entrepreneurs, and Business Owners share their success stories with the world. And she shares her travel stories with us!

And join in the conversation with Tina Kinsey from the Asheville Regional Airport as she fills us in on how U.S. airlines are laying the groundwork for a travel rebound and how the decisions they’re making now will affect their positioning through this evolving recovery in air travel.

Michael Chowdry, founder of Atlas Air, lived life with passion and enthusiasm. His wife Linda created a special memoir to honor Michael's drive, creativity, charismatic personality and his love of aviation. Her book, "No Man's Son - A Flight from Obscurity to Fame" is the story about her immigrant/entrepreneur husband who came to this country with just about nothing and, through hard work and an undaunted spirit, started several aviation companies, including the highly successful Atlas Air Cargo, which is still running strong today. Through challenges and successes, he soared to the very heights of the airline business.

Also join Andrew Nehlig, founder of The Sauna House in Asheville, NC, and discover why
soaking traditions have been a central part of various cultures for centuries and how they
are more accessible today.

And find out how you can navigate yourself during a layover to help make your journey a little less stressful with some helpful tips provided by Tina Kinsey from the the Asheville Regional Airport.

The Speaking of Travel + Leave No Trace series with Richard Crawford, host of the Amazon Prime TV show "Leave No Trace," features Ben Alcott, the show’s director and cameraman (and more) from Australia, to discuss responsible travel and provide some steps we can take to become more mindful travelers. Ben also shares what it's like to film Ricky on location of Leave No Trace and the challenges he faces. This show is a ball!

Also join Andrew Nehlig, founder of The Sauna House in Asheville, NC , as he shares the history of why soaking traditions have been a central part of various cultures for centuries and how they are more accessible to us today.

And discover how you can navigate yourself during a layover to help make your journey a little less stressful with some helpful tips provided by Tina Kinsey from the Asheville Regional Airport.

Allyn Burrows is the artistic director of Shakespeare & Company, located in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts and one of the world’s top Shakespeare festivals. They are committed to inclusion, diversity and racial and gender equity as its foundation. They believe that live theatre connects us all in the universal pursuit of a purposeful existence and reveals through storytelling the meaning of our humanity and can only be achieved when theatre is genuinely inclusive and reflects the stories of all, particularly those who have been ignored, diminished, or erased.

Founded in 1978, the Company began with outdoor performances at American novelist Edith Wharton’s estate, The Mount, before moving to its current campus. Allyn discusses how Shakespeare & Company recently created The New Spruce Theatre, a gorgeous outdoor amphitheater that ties back to the Company’s history of outdoor performances.

Although the 2020 season was shuttered, Allyn shares how they came up with creative ideas to keep the shows rolling, including partnering with the Berkshire International Film Festival to host pop-up drive-in movies, broadcast digital/streamed productions, and more. This season they are hosting shows outdoors, including King Lear featuring Christopher Lloyd, and taking many steps to keep visitors safe.

Also on Speaking of Travel, travel and tourism leader Nick Breedlove, Executive Director of Jackson County tourism in Western North Carolina, talks about what we can expect as we set out during this prime vacation season.

And with more and more people traveling by air these days, it’s important to remember how airports are important to a community. This year, the Asheville Regional Airport is celebrating their 60th Anniversary and after an eight year hiatus they are bringing back the most unique 5K in the mountains–the Runway 5K.Tina Kinsey from the Asheville Regional Airport fills us in on all the details.

What if you could live for the moment and then take it with you? Holly Christensen, founder of Dune Jewelry, creates unique customized and personalized collections that are perfect for holding on to special travel moments.

Dune Jewelry & Co. creates Experiential Jewelry by handcrafting personalized, custom designs using sand and earth elements from thousands of memorable and iconic locations around the world.

Holly shares her thoughts on what sets Dune apart from other jewelry brands and what makes her company stand out. Over the years Dune has evolved to the one-and-only Experiential Jewelry brand in the world. Discover how Holly manifests abundance in her life to have a healthier well-being.

Also on Speaking of Travel, discover what can you expect when you walk into an airport today and enter into the process of what to do between the time you arrive and leave. Here to break down some of those airport procedures is Tina Kinsey, Director of Marketing, PR and Air Service Development at the Asheville Regional Airport.

Asheville Regional Airport Is A Gateway
Asheville Regional Airport is Western North Carolina’s Gateway. When you fly home, you're home!

Prestige Subaru- Welcome To Subieville
We're grateful to serve our community's local charities and non-profits with our Love Promise!

Romantic Asheville Offers Getaway Ideas
Plan A Getaway Trip To Asheville & The North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains And The Land Of The Sky!

Around the world, live performances are beginning to emerge again. In Cape Cod, there’s excitement in the air as the Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival returns this August after a year of live shows being put on hold.

What I love about the Cape Cod community is the Festival’s first show will be themed as an ode to people who continued to support the local arts scene when they needed it most.

The Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival has been a presenter of chamber music since 1979. After a year hiatus and under the direction of Paul Schwendener, the Festival is transitioning back with inspiring events planned.

Find out how the Festival is moving forward this year and why this is such an important, and special, event for all.

Also on Speaking of Travel is Miranda Peterson of Namaste in Nature, a yoga, hiking and meditation respite in Western North Carolina that helps relieve stress and anxieties while celebrating and appreciating nature.

And Tina Kinsey from the Asheville Regional Airport provides essential information on preventive measures about our health and safety and that of our fellow travelers, especially when we’re traveling by air to keep you and your loved ones safe when you’re traveling.

Asheville Regional Airport Is A Gateway
Asheville Regional Airport is Western North Carolina’s Gateway. When you fly home, you're home!

Prestige Subaru- Welcome To Subieville
We're grateful to serve our community's local charities and non-profits with our Love Promise!

Romantic Asheville Offers Getaway Ideas
Plan A Getaway Trip To Asheville & The North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains And The Land Of The Sky!

I'm excited to announce the new Speaking of Travel + Leave No Trace series with the host of the Amazon Prime series, Richard Crawford. Each month Ricky and I will bring guests to Speaking of Travel to highlight the importance of conservation, sustainable travel and eco-tourism.

On this premier episode, Ricky reveals how he discovered a passion for the health of our planet and modern social issues. He shares his vast experiences traveling the world and explores solutions to inspire our actions through environmental stewardship.

Also on Speaking of Travel, Kaye Bentley, founder of Asheville Rooftop Bar Tours, tells us how she prepared to reopen during this unusual time and created an experience where visitors would feel safe.

And join Tina Kinsey from the Asheville Regional Airport for some helpful tips that will help you get through the airport without raising your blood pressure, allow you to have a pleasant experience in the air and arrive ready to hit the ground at your destination.

Asheville Regional Airport Is A Gateway
Asheville Regional Airport is Western North Carolina’s Gateway. When you fly home, you're home!

Prestige Subaru- Welcome To Subieville
We're grateful to serve our community's local charities and non-profits with our Love Promise!

Romantic Asheville Offers Getaway Ideas
Plan A Getaway Trip To Asheville & The North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains And The Land Of The Sky!

Karina Kennedy’s laugh-out-loud travel comedy novel, “A Not So Lonely Planet: Italy,” is brimming with art, love and sexy Italian adventures. As an intrepid explorer, Karina doesn’t want to miss out on a memory and is even willing to bend the rules. She inspires and entertains others who share her passion to explore the world, fall in love and just have fun.

Discover how Karina's personal travels inspired "A Not So Lonely Planet: Italy," and why she chose Italy for the setting in her new book. Karina gives us a look into the settings of her future books and why she chose those locations. She also provides some important travel tips and recommendations to make your future travels safe and efficient.

Also on Speaking of Travel, George Luther with "Walk With Me Tours" in Asheville, NC. shares how he's uncovering the stories and details of Asheville's past and making them come alive. George loves greeting people from all over the world and immersing them with the history, culture and lifestyle of this special place.

And with airlines offering up some new, and sometimes unconventional domestic routes as they try to capitalize on the huge pent-up demand for leisure travel, find out why many airports, including the Asheville Regional Airport, will provide travelers more choices with new nonstop flights. Join Tina Kinsey, Director of Marketing, PR and Air Service Development at the Asheville Regional Airport as she fills us in on the new nonstop options on their schedule.

JoAnn Reilly Yoder is happiest when traveling the world and fearless when doing so. Bungee jumping, skydiving or paragliding off one of the highest peaks in Queenstown is what she loves to do. JoAnn was born and raised in the Republic of Panama and accustomed to living outside the United States. Traveling continues to teach her to love and accept people for who they, no matter where she is, with no judgement and she always wants to leave people and places better than she found them.

JoAnn realizes it might be through a simple conversation that gives someone hope or teaches them something new. "I can meet anyone on this planet, on any corner of the earth, and ask them 10-15 questions and we will have something in common."

Also on Speaking of Travel is J Chong, she/her, Chef at J Chong Eats. J is participating in this year’s Chow Chow Culinary Event in Asheville and believes there is so much love and happiness to offer if we can just be seen and heard and how food is the easiest way to accomplish this goal. Find out why J came to the U.S. from Canada, how the path has taken her on a culinary journey, and why Cantonese food plays a big part of who she is.

Jill Culiner has crossed much of Europe on foot, travelled by bus, train, car and truck. Imagine having lived in a Hungarian mud house, a Bavarian castle, a Turkish cave dwelling, on a Dutch canal, and even in a haunted house on the English moors. Jill has lived this life. And her artistic work is exhibited in cultural centers, galleries and museums across Europe and Canada.

Jill is truly a kindred-spirit who is a joy to talk to. Her stories reflect her love for life and are juicy tidbits we can all relate to. Her tales of the history of The Fusgeyers, the thousands of Romanian Jewish men and women who were unwilling to tolerate anti-Semitism and left their country on foot between 1899 and 1907 and headed for the new country, are moving and inspiring.

These men and women were destitute but resolute, and supported themselves by giving theatrical performances, or by selling stories and poems. In North America, some worked as peddlers, shopkeepers, café and restaurant owners, actors, and writers in the famous Yiddish theatre; others worked in the gold and silver mines, helped build the railway west, or created the Jewish agricultural communities in Western Canada. My kind of people!

Jill walked in their footsteps across Romania and followed the immigrant trail through Hungary, Austria, Germany, Holland, England, and North America. Her book, "Finding Home," is a detailed account of this amazing Romanian Jewish history and a touching reminder of the courage of our ancestors.

Also on Speaking of Travel, Owner and Innkeeper Angela Harrell of Cumberland Falls B&B and co-owner of Hike Bike Kayak Asheville shares info on why you will want to include a “Bed and Breakfast” as your vacation option.

A must listen!

Chef Santiago Vargas is a chef and consultant who follows his passion for food by lovingly preparing his dishes with a dose of passion, a love of culture and a touch of magic. Santiago is well-loved for his culinary artistry.

Chef Santiago was born in Lima, Perú, surrounded by flavors and traditions from the Andes. From a very young age, he loved the art of cooking. Before becoming a private caterer and chef, Santiago owned an award-winning food truck, "Out of the Blue Peruvian Fusion Cuisine." It won several awards and competitions, and was the first to introduce authentic Peruvian flavor to the city of Asheville.

Also on this episode of Speaking of Travel are Denise Altay and Sean Collinsworth from Killer Bees Farm where you can experience their natural sanctuary and explore their thriving bee and honey scene. Killer Bees Farm is a small, artisanal honey company committed to protecting bio-diversity through sustainable honey bee stewardship and honey harvesting practices.

And if you're itching to travel by plane or have already booked a trip, you probably have a lot of questions. Tina Kinsey, Director of Marketing, PR and Air Service Development at the Asheville Regional Airport is traveling by air and provides an up-to-date review of what her travel experience is like.

Tune in!

Heidi Walters oversees marketing initiatives of group travel, international and sports marketing and industry relations for the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (Visit NC).

Heidi shares how their Outdoor NC initiative and partnership with the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics is helping preserve the state’s precious natural resources.

So what and why does NC need an initiative like Outdoor NC and why partner with Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics? Heidi says, "It only makes sense for us to partner with Leave No Trace. They have 25 years of research and education. This is not new to them."

Find out who benefits from this mission-driven initiative and what success looks like. And then Take The Pledge!

Also join Meredith Leigh who serves on the all-volunteer Board of Directors for "Chow Chow, An Asheville Culinary Event Series." Find out how Chow Chow is welcoming friends and family back to the culinary festival and what's in store for 2021.

And if you're wanting to know what it's like to travel by plane right now, Tina Kinsey from the Asheville Regional Airport is here to fill us in on what it’s like to travel around an airport today. Good info to know!

Toby Brown, U.S. Partner and lead safari coordinator with Outdoor Africa explains what visitors can expect in the days ahead when making plans to journey to this beautiful and exotic bucket-list destination.

Toby shares how their focus on private custom tours is a benefit to travel in a post-Covid environment and how they have spent time building their brand and partnerships all over Africa. Outdoor Africa now can work with partners in Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Uganda and Madagascar, as well as South Africa, and will be able to help you in understanding all the diverse history, culture and wildlife.

Also, with summer approaching and people beginning to be on the move, many people are longing for a change of scenery and someplace to call home for a while. Guest Mark Bastin, CMO of Yonder Luxury Vacation Rentals, fills us in on how to ensure your vacation home meets the highest standards.

And Tina Kinsey, Director of Marketing, PR and Air Service Development at the Asheville Regional Airport, shares the strategies that are in place at airports to add layers of protection to help keep those risks at bay.

Asheville Regional Airport Is A Gateway
Asheville Regional Airport is Western North Carolina’s Gateway. When you fly home, you're home!

Prestige Subaru- Welcome To Subieville
We're grateful to serve our community's local charities and non-profits with our Love Promise!

Romantic Asheville Offers Getaway Ideas
Plan A Getaway Trip To Asheville & The North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains And The Land Of The Sky!

Traveling in an RV creates timeless memories. Jim Calderbank, a former RV manufacturing executive and current campground owner, explains why the RV lifestyle is the best way to connect with the outdoors and with each other.

"The people that come here, they love the outdoors, they love nature, ... at the end of the day just to see the stress drain away from them is very rewarding."

Discover why the RV lifestyle allows you to be in the safety of your home in unsettling times, with family or friends, while traveling to your next personal outdoor adventure.

Also, join Tony and Alex Fraga, owners of the FIRC Group. They have developed and operate several of downtown Asheville’s most successful hotels and restaurants. Discover how they bring communities together to help spur economic growth, while working to preserve and conserve.

And Tina Kinsey, Director of Marketing, PR and Air Service Development at the Asheville Regional Airport discusses how airports are making it easy to feel safe and confident when we're ready to board a plane.

A must listen!

Jenna Torres lives a life that is a tale of two cities. When she signed with Warner Music as a single mom living in NYC and sent to Nashville, her life changed and opened up her heart and her world. Her music reflects the freedom of mind and soul.

Discover how Jenna found her tribe and her heart place within a kindred nature of community. "The minute my foot hit the tarmac, I had a feeling that I was somehow in this heavenly spot," Jenna said.

Find out how Jenna is now emerging with new songs, a new album, and a renewed sense of love and spirit.

La Carmina has a passion to shine a positive spotlight on misunderstood and marginalized subcultures worldwide. She began her La Carmina travel & fashion blog in 2007 as a creative outlet during her studies at Yale Law. Since then, she’s published three books, hosted travel TV shows for major networks and explored over 70 countries for fashion and tourism projects.

La Carmina shares stories about her unique focus on Gothic destinations and culture, including death rituals, which she writes about in positive and meaningful ways. Her intrigue of ancient civilizations and mysteries and the alternative subcultures in Japan, particularly the Goth nightlife, Harajuku fashion, extreme body modifications, and quirky pop culture have led La Carmina on a magical path.

"I was someone who always gravitated to more alternative things, whether it was gothic music or dark fashion. I always felt like I was someone who walked a different path and was a bit outside the norm and connected with people who shared those interests."

La Carmina's life has transformed through her experiences of the world. Find out what has been most life-changing and magical for her as she travels on her path.

Rob Lenfestey traveled the world and after years of expanding his edges, he came to the Appalachian forest and founded Mandala Chocolate, an organic chocolate factory and Mandala Springs, a peaceful sustainable retreat on the edge of the Pisgah National Forest in Western North Carolina. Rob’s passion is to give the gifts of knowledge, empowerment and health to all.

Rob says, "There is no need for us to live anything less than magnificent. Nothing less than magnificence is what we need to create the world we want to give to future generations."

Rob is also a conservation ecologist, a campaign director for Forestkeeper, a lifestyle coach, and he is a Wim Hof Method Instructor with his own youtube channel called Convergence Lifestyle.

Girl About Travel Club makes it easy for women to book incredible holidays but don't know where to begin. Based in the UK, Rebecca Miles is Girl About’s travel editor and freelance journalist who inspires and shares ideas to create memories to cherish.

Girl About offers everything you will need to make your best holiday choices through access to experts and trusted booking partners and from a community of like-minded women.

It is indeed a one-stop-shop when you are choosing where to go and what to do. With their nationwide collective of global travel industry experts and their fabulous women ambassadors providing information about their local communities across the UK, you will have the best of travel ideas, knowledge, inspiration, recommendations and resources.

The best part of being a Girl About will be the new friends you will make, with support and community at the heart of it all.

Stephen R. Brown is a professional photographer and writer who created a life doing what he loves. From his travels to Europe, the Middle East and Morocco, to being a teacher and photojournalist, Stephen follows his intuition and is rewarded with life-changing opportunities.

Stephen’s images and articles on photography have appeared in Smithsonian, Life, Newsweek, Time, Fortune, the New York Times and National Geographic… just to name a few. His work has been exhibited in solo shows here and abroad and over the past 10 years he developed eight titles and sold over 300,000 books. His books are approved by the National Park Service and he works closely with Honor Flight and other organizations to create cherished memories.

A must listen!

Impact Travel Alliance Founder and Executive Director Kelley Louise shares new insights into how we can actively participate in advocating for more impactful initiatives around sustainable tourism. Kelley explains how important it is to take a holistic approach to empowering communities and protecting our environment so everyone is connected.

Also, find out what's in store for travelers moving forward and what we should keep in mind as we get back out and begin exploring again.

ITA is at the forefront of the travel industry to educate and empower travelers on how to travel mindfully so our experiences protect our environment and empowers locals.

Find out how 2021 is shaping up in Italy and plan your trip with Mark Gordon Smith, founder of Private Italy Tours. Mark’s unwavering commitment to providing unique and unforgettable experiences is stronger than ever. Mark is creating a not-for-profit that will focus on Arts Education and the restoration of works by female artists of the Renaissance in Italy and of the Dutch Golden Age and he is creating an archive to house scientific analysis information and all of the photos and videos taken during restorations, a legacy for future generations.

And learn more about Mark's 2021 Italy Tours to the Lake Region, Sicily and Puglia and also his plans for more tours in 2022.

Jenny Cressman is the author of the Cuban Kisses series. The stories and characters are fictional, but Jenny has drawn on her own background and experiences (travel and otherwise) to create an authentic feeling. Many people have commented that the setting is so authentic and transportive, it's like taking a mini-vacation.

For Jenny, Cuba is always on her mind and she's looking forward to the time she can lead a group there again, or even slip away on her own to do more writing. Jenny helps us gain a little better understanding of this beautiful country and shares her insight and love of Cuba.

Amanda Kingsmith and Ryan Ferguson are The World Wanderers and have a passion for travel, living life to the fullest, and finding happiness in all corners of the world. Through their popular blog and podcast, they share their amazing experiences with other travel enthusiasts and explain how travel has changed and impacted their lives in a positive way, how travel has shaped their view of the world, and what it means to be truly happy.

Amanda and Ryan have traveled to six continents, 50+ countries and experienced countless trains, planes and automobiles. They offer up some great tips for people who might want to start working and travel, where to go and how to get started and why anyone can do it!

Justine Abigail Yu is a communication strategist who works to change our world for the better. She is a leader, a mentor and a strong woman not afraid to do the work necessary to be an advocate for social justice and healing.

Justine has worked with organizations operating in North America, Central America, East Africa, and Southeast Asia. Her expertise lies in growing enterprises from the ground up through strategic digital marketing, compelling storytelling and genuine community engagement through a lens of anti-oppression.

She is the Communications Director at Wanderful – a global travel and lifestyle brand that specializes in helping all women travel the world – as well as the Senior Advisor for RISE Travel Institute – a non-profit organization that promotes responsible, sustainable, and ethical travel through education.

Justine is also the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Living Hyphen, an emerging magazine that explores the experiences of living in between cultures as a hyphenated Canadian – that is, an individual who calls Canada home but who has roots elsewhere.

A must listen!

Long-time train enthusiast Bill McClement volunteers as a passenger train host with the NC Train Host Association, a group of ambassadors who ride state-supported AMTRAK trains. Bill provides a history of AMTRAK's 50 years and gives us a rundown of the events leading up to its formation and where it has gone from its beginning. Learn why rail travel makes you feel truly transported.

Jonelle Patrick is the author of five novels set in Japan and has been writing about Japanese culture and travel since moving to Tokyo in 2003. She explores how books transport readers past gatekeepers to immerse us behind-the-scenes to other countries and cultures. Jonelle explains how reading fiction opens our eyes to a lot of things we might walk right past in our travels. Who knows... you might not know those clusters of handsome guys you see walking around Tokyo's red light district work in a host club. But if you read a book set there, you can get inside one, feel what it’s like to be a customer, and even understand what it’s like to work in one. A great conversation that you won't want to miss!

I don’t know if I want to let this secret out of the bag, but Winnipeg has world-class performing arts, is a foodies dream come true, and you can go see polar bears swimming over your head. This place celebrates human rights, and is quietly moving from the center of the continent to the center of our attention.

Vogue calls Winnipeg, “an absolute must-visit destination,” and National Geographic listed it as “one of the best trips on earth,” while Conde Nast Traveler named Winnipeg as one of the 21 best places to go in 2021. So the timing is just right for a visit!

Find out all there is to see and do in every season in The Peg with Cody Chomiak, Winnipeg’s Director of Marketing.

Ray Blakney was raised in Turkey and lives in Mexico with his growing family. Seeing the world outside his office walls and embracing his travel bug is a priority for Ray. His stories of hiking the Incan Trail, driving through Tuscany in a Ferrari and sleeping under the stars in the Saharan desert and almost being killed by a camel named Jimmy are epic. Ray credits being positive, creative, open-minded and a much better problem solver to his travel experiences.
Find out how following his passion is one of the best predictors of his success.

Dr. Sheri Rosenthal is one of the most sought after retreat strategists for coaches, speakers, authors and travel professionals and the owner of Journeys of the Spirit Travel®, a boutique agency specializing in the planning and management of group travel. Through vast experience and her love for travel, Sheri created a totally online business she can run from anywhere in the world.

Through her Wanderlust Entrepreneur Community and her signature course, The Retreat Blueprint Program, she has taught thousands of facilitators how to design exceptional retreats that allow them to stand out in their niche.

Sheri explains how she accomplished her goals and fills us in on how to travel safely from a doctor's perspective. A must listen.

Writer Johanna Garton provides a gripping and powerful tribute to human endurance and one of the greatest unknown stories in mountaineering in her book, "Edge of The Map," a story of resiliency, seeking to find your passions, travel and adventure.

Christine Boskoff, who disappeared while climbing in China in 2006, was the only American woman to summit 8,000 meter peaks. She ran a mountain guiding company and lived her life in a world which was almost exclusively male and found herself under constant scrutiny. But she pursued her passion for climbing and a life in the mountains.

The research and preparation to write the manuscript was Johanna's mother's life and passion until her health began to fail. Johanna explains how she was also captivated by Chris’s story and how important it was for her to finish writing the story her mother had begun.

Johanna also shares her early experience as a journalist and how moving to Asia after college to travel opened a love of China. She and her husband later adopted both of their children from China at the time Chinese adoption was just opening internationally. Her first book, "Awakening East," covers the adoption of her children and their subsequent move to China, where they lived together for a year.

Neale Bayly has a lifetime of storytelling adventures andtravelled in over 80 countries, more than 50 of them on a motorcycle, as a photojournalist, two-time Tele award winning television producer-host, and as a humanitarian. He formed Wellspring International Outreach to benefit sick and abandoned children in Peru, South Africa, and Kenya. Today, Neale is still just as passionate about motorcycles, travel, and philanthropy as ever and is working on his next documentary to bring the old motorcycle of his youth back to life and return to his South Devon, England, home after 35 years. Discover the story behind Neale's Laverda Project, his foundation and how we can all help support what Neale holds dear to his heart.

In his best-selling book, "Global Career: How to Work Anywhere & Travel Forever," Mike Swigunski shares what he's learned from years of trial and error about how to travel long-term and advance your career. Mike is the founder of GlobalCareer.io, an international job board for remote workers.

Mike explores the future and explains how in today's world, the workforce is remote. But he explains how the real future of work will be more flexible and likely to be one where workers are focused on accomplishing goals to a high level of quality as opposed to filling out a timesheet and working 40 hours a week.

Mike has worked and traveled in over 85+ countries over the past decade and loves writing about remote work and entrepreneurship. A must listen!

Brendan Drewniany, Director of Communications at Black Tomato, a luxury travel company in the US and the UK, shares some innovative approaches to create handcrafted travel experiences designed for your new travel memories.

Find out what the newest trends are in travel and where to go in 2021 to shake up your bucket list!

For over a decade, Nancy Stohlman has been writing, publishing and teaching flash fiction around the world. Much of her creative process is finding the sweet spot as a writer, performer and innovator and she teaches at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Nancy tells us about her new book on the writing of flash fiction, "Going Short: An Invitation to Flash Fiction," and her future Flash Fiction Retreats for 2021/2022. Flash fiction is changing the way we tell stories and Nancy is an enchanting storyteller!

While in the Peace Corps in Malawi, Africa, and living in extreme circumstances, Dr. Jack Allison found inner resources allowing him to not only thrive, but to give the best of what he had to those who needed it the most. And he never intended to write the #1 hit song in Malawi or be described by Newsweek as more popular than Malawi’s own president. Since 1967 Dr. Allison has raised $160,000.00 with his music, and he & his wife, Sue Wilson, have given away all of those monies to various charitable organizations, including $30,000.00 to help feed Malawian children who have been orphaned because their parents have died of AIDS. His book, The Warm Heart of Africa is a page turner filled with stories about humanity and the impact this time had on his life.

Patrick Fitzsimmons knows going beyond his comfort zone and taking risks reap rewards. His transition to what was the beginning of a well-planned career move and life style choice became a challenging and exciting chapter of his life. When Patrick was last on Speaking of Travel, he had recently returned from a trip of a lifetime to Patagonia and had certainly added some challenge and excitement to his life. But nothing compared to what was to be an even more challenging and exciting chapter of his life.

Author Larry Jorgensen conducted extensive research in current and former Coca-Cola communities to create The Coca-Cola Trail, a journey to discover the history of the world's most recognized product. Discover why Larry decided to research and write this book and what contributed most to the early growth and popularity of Coca-Cola and how did the bottling of Coca-Cola get started. His new book, "Return to the Coca Cola Trail More People and Places in the History of Coca Cola" further explores why the Coca-Cola bottles have a green tint and how the old country stores continue to bring joy to so many!

Sara Barrack was a child traveler and learned not to be afraid of trying something new and that experiencing new things is a joy. She shares why traveling was a great way to see how one handles life when things don't always go smoothly and why as an adult she is confident in herself, whether traveling or not.

Sara explores the profound influence of traveling early in life and the perspective travel elicits. For her, friendships forged while traveling have a certain elevated quality and its these moments and remembrances that bring her an instant smile. This conversation will bring an instant smile to you as well!

Feeling bummed out you can't travel right now? Stressed about the upcoming holidays? You'll love this show! Jennifer Dougherty is a health/life coach and a comedian who uses humor to help people make a comeback. She explains how you can spark a revolution of positive change in your life with humor and be a happier person.

Setbacks happen to all of us. Jennifer explains how to turn a setback into a comeback. These are no doubt uncertain times, so learn why humor gives us the strength to keep going despite whatever obstacles we face.

Jennifer reminds us this is the time for your comeback, no matter what your circumstances are right now. Allow your process to unfold, find the humor and transform your life into the life you really want to live.

www.jenniferldougherty.com

Do you dream that life would be better living somewhere else? Laura Diffendal, International Living’s Belize Correspondent, moved to Belize in early 2014 and felt so at home she bought a boutique hotel on the beach, and then another. Find out why she moved there, what keeps her there, and what adventures await you. Also find out the current travel conditions in Belize, what to know and why you should consider Belize for an upcoming trip!

Gisele McAuliffe is a global communications strategist with a lifetime of mission-driven work helping people around the world who is now finding herself reflecting on what’s in store for her future.

As an American living in Dublin at a young age for a long time, she found herself with the ability to view the world as American and European. "I consider myself a European and a globalist with a strong American sensibility. I was a globalist before globalism emerged as an economic necessity."

Gisele talks about how she developed a deep fascination of other cultures and what challenged her as she faced new brick walls. Gisele explains what propelled her to travel more and how she's learning to adapt to a new phase of life as life moves forward.

For Raquel Aurilia, writing music and performing fills her heart and her stories of travel and performing will fill yours. Raquel shares her passion with highlights including opening for John Waite and her travels to Mexico.

Raquel offers some great travel tips for traveling to Mexico during the pandemic. Find out what you need to know about the forms you have to fill out how they are dealing with safety precautions.

She has worked with music icons including Grammy winning producer Tony Papa (James Brown, Willie Nelson, John Denver), Gardner Cole (Madonna, Jodi Whatley), Wade Martin (R. Kelly, 50 Cent) and Grammy nominee Billy Smiley (Johnny Cash, Bebe and Cece Winans, Vince Gill).

Raquel is an inspiring and talented artist and you're going to love this show!

Today, many Americans are considering packing up and leaving the country or have already made the move and love it. For some, it might be economic reasons, maybe taxes, sometimes work opportunities. But for many Americans, retiring abroad is the way to go due to the benefits of retiring in another country, from lower living costs to better weather to less stress.

Join Lezlie Green, world traveler, hair designer, massage therapist, yoga teacher, home remodeler and dog rescuer, for some insider tips about how she recognized the best way to retire comfortably and have a better quality of life was to move to Ajijic, a small idyllic town in Mexico. Find out how she did it, why she chose Ajijic, and what she loves most.

How can you find peace and meaning today? Joseph Ranseth helps people transform their lives using the same blueprint and principles that transformational leaders like Gandhi and Dr. King used to change the world.

Discover how you can unify the world in today's divisive atmosphere and how you can inspire others by your own greatness and help create a better world for everyone. If you have an inner yearning and something inside of you is telling you that there is something more and you’re destined to have a bigger impact than you’re having right now, this conversation will rock your world.

Chris DiCroce and his wife are experiencing an inner journey that people are undertaking now due to the inability to travel physically. But instead of feeling as if they've been backed into a corner, they’re discovering a door they never knew was there before.

Chris is a best-selling author, musician, speaker, and sailor. After they sold their house and almost everything they owned to move onto a sailboat, they discovered the greatest triumphs sometimes came from their greatest challenges.

Today they are back from an adventure in the Baja Peninsula that left them with new questions and thoughts for the future. Chris shares stories describing how the fear of the unknown did not keep them from going on what would became a magical trip and would end up giving him the space and energy to write his latest book, "The Quiet Goings On."

Dayna Reggero of the Climate Listening Project discusses why sustainable travel is so important as we move into the future and provides solutions for how we can leave a minimum negative impact on the places we visit and leave a positive impact on society.

Are you looking for a once in a lifetime experience in Italy? Enjoy this charming conversation with Annette Joseph, author of the book “Italy Is My Boyfriend, talking to us from her Italian countryside home, La Fortezza, a creative space for visionaries from around the world. Annette lives half of the year in Italy and is an expert on entertaining, cooking, and styling. Her next book, "La Fortezza Cookbook," is sure to be a keeper! Let's all go to her creative retreats and workshops and learn styling, photography, painting, and how to cook! Discover how Annette made the move to Italy and why La Fortezza is not only her home, but her gift to all of us!

Also on this episode of Speaking of Travel is an update from Tina Kinsey of the Asheville Regional Airport and Karen Proctor of Bryson City in Swain County NC.

Tune in!

Victoria Bond is a major force in 21st century concert music and leads a dual career as a composer and conductor. Imagination, fantasy and travel are all part of her creative life and her work is transformative. Travel has always been a part of her creative life and the first opera she wrote was called “Travels,” based on Jonathan Swift’s “Gulliver’s Travels.”

Victoria recently completed another version of the Swift novel, this one going back to the original and called “The Adventures of Gulliver.” Written with librettist Stephen Greco and director/designer Doug Fitch, this opera is specifically written for puppets and will premiere with a puppet theater in 2022. Her own travels around the USA as a conductor also brought her to China, Europe and South America, and she has used these experiences in her creative works.

Victoria was the first woman to be awarded a doctorate from Juilliard’s orchestral conducting program and also the first woman to be placed with a major orchestra in the Exxon/Arts Endowment Conductor Program where she spent two years with the Pittsburgh Symphony. An uplifting and passionate conversation!

We need imagination now more than ever. For Annie Sullivan, author of the young adult novels A Touch of Gold, Tiger Queen and A Curse of Gold, fantasy and imagination goes hand-in-hand with travel.

Annie bases some of the scenery and characters on things she has seen and done when traveling and exploring new cultures. She embraces her young readers and encourages them to love themselves for who they are and to find strength in the things they perceive as flaws about themselves. Enjoy an enchanting conversation.

Jason Holland, International Living’s Roving Latin America Editor, lives with his family in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Jason shares why living internationally can be a reality if you truly want it to be. In 2012, Jason, his wife, then four-year-old son, and two dogs made their way to Costa Rica and now they are enjoying life in the the UNESCO World Heritage town of San Miguel.

If you're thinking of what it would be like to move abroad with your family, Jason explains how the transition is for kids and ways to ease them into it and make them part of the process. Find out the different types of “traveling families” there are and the many options available along with the rewards and practical benefits. And what about safety? Is it safe to bring your family to these countries? Are you worried about crime? Jason describes what you will need to know to stay safe and sound.

Adventure travel writer Linda Ballou has rafted, kayaked and horseback ridden through pristine wilderness areas around the world. The most memorable of these journeys are chronicled in her book Lost Angel Walkabout. Linda shares her adventure journeys with memorable stories and explains how to use your downtime to create new platforms for your own travel storytelling. In her book, Get Great Trips for Free, she describes how to create a roadmap during this time to build a platform and become a travel journalist or a travel photographer. Thinking of a road trip? In her book, Lost Angel in Paradise, she shares 32 of her favorite day trips along the coast of California.

Mag Dimond, the award-winning author of “BOWING TO ELEPHANTS, Tales of a Travel Junkie,” explores practices to achieve peace of mind when facing tough times. Mag shares stories and personal discoveries from her life traveling around the globe to describe how mindfulness of our own inner peace helps protect our core emotions.

Mag has been a world traveler since age 11… living with her mother in Italy for 3 years. She has traveled in Europe and the US, as well as Bhutan, Burma, Cambodia, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Galapagos, Guatemala, India, Japan, Kenya, Peru, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Mag Dimond says, “My aspiration has always been to understand how we humans learn about ourselves in alien and exotic landscapes, how we find communion with our fellow beings, develop some sort of spiritual path, and how we heal ourselves from childhood wounds by becoming part of the larger world.”

Winton Churchill, author of “The New Retirement: The Rise of the Gig Economy and How You Can Profit From It,” has helped people turn what they know and enjoy into income they can earn from anywhere.

Winton makes a powerful case for people retiring in a new way that allows you to create income and gain more control. Find out how positive it is to freelance in retirement and work wherever you want.

Would you rather be restricted by a low budget or by a job you're just not that into? Winton explains how freelancing online a few hours a day puts you more in charge and provides a measure of freedom, engagement and structure. He provides resources to help you make choices for yourself that will be beneficial, and way more fun, moving forward.

Asheville-based singer/songwriter Jane Kramer and her husband Jason Sandford, founder of the popular blog Ashvegas, are adjusting to a new reality and creating solutions to support each other during these changing times.

They share how the art community finds creative ways to reach people virtually during a time that prevents us from experiencing music, art and culture with others in person.

Jane discusses what she believes is the role of artists and musicians in society, particularly during times of great change and what it's like being a full-time musician during this global pandemic and how this affects her work.

Jane and Jason talk about what is inspiring them now and how people can best support artists and musicians.

Photo by Carrie Kramer Frey

We’re all looking forward to the end of social distancing and being able to travel and hug and go back to a time when we were together. But right now it’s important to remain calm and try to keep a clear head. Uncertainty is tough. We all like knowing what’s up.

Join Dayna Reggero of The Climate Listening Project as she helps us get a grip on what we can do to take some action, manage our emotions and protect our mental wellbeing when we are not able to travel. Dayna explains how to stay balanced and cope with stress in a healthy way to help make you, the people you care about, and your community stronger.

Although it might not look like it right now, I’m convinced the travel industry has a future. Tonya Fitzpatrick, the co-founder of World Footprints, a socially conscious travel media platform that includes the award-winning World Footprints podcast, brings us up-to-date on current travel challenges and industry trends. Tonya explores the future of travel globally and domestically and how she continues her connection to people around the world. The future is bright. People will travel again.

Kingston Lim was born and raised in San Francisco. He’s currently on a global odyssey figuring out how to make the biggest splash in the shortest amount of time. His plans never included a pandemic, but that has not stopped him and he keeps on traveling. Find out from an insider what it is like on planes, trains and automobiles around the world today.

Learn more about flexible, work-anywhere ways you can pay for your life in retirement. Jeff Opdyke, editor of the Savvy Retiree, explains how most people want a sense of purpose in retirement, an opportunity to keep growing and to keep their mind and body active. This is the focus at The Savvy Retiree and Jeff is a retirement reformer with a simple message: Live richer, not wealthier. If you’d like to learn more about flexible, work-anywhere ways you can pay for your life overseas, sign up for The Savvy Retiree Daily, a free e-letter from International Living.

thesavvy-retiree.com

Apple Cider is making a tremendous comeback across the US and there are many reasons to love it. Katie Moore with Barn Door Ciderworks and Dave Bowman from Black Mountain Cider and Mead explain what is happening now with cider, such as the revival of traditional heritage cider and the more modern versions. Learn the history of cider in England and Spain and how Katie and Dave’s travels inspired them to bring the art and craft of cider making to their community.

Mark Stevens is finding success writing mystery novels about western Colorado. Mark explains how he found inspiration for his Allison Coil character and the challenge of featuring a female lead character as a male writer. He also discusses the importance of writing networks, writing groups and writing communities. Mark is a storyteller, author, writer and traveler.

Reptile expert Bruce Shwedick of the Crocodilian Conservation Center of Florida is a member of the IUCN- Species Survival Commission Crocodile Specialist Group, the world’s largest organization focused on the conservation and management of the world’s crocodilian species. Bruce shares his travel experiences in Sri Lanka when he attended the 22nd World Crocodile Conference and explains how biodiversity conservation and ecosystem health helps support the balance of the planet.

Bruce began attending meetings in southern Africa that included many CSG members back in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. In addition to attending CSG meetings in other countries, such as Argentina and Colombia and in Gainesville, Florida, Bruce also submitted reports and photographs of his work with crocodiles to the CSG’s quarterly newsletter.

In 2002, Bruce was formally invited to become a CSG member and has served on the steering committee since 2008.

Tonya Fitzpatrick is the co-founder of World Footprints, a socially conscious travel media platform that includes the award-winning World Footprints podcast. Tonya is a 3x TEDx and international speaker, lawyer and author. World Footprints is one of the most reputable sources for meaningful, socially-minded travel content. Tonya and her husband Ian bring history to life, share unique treasures from the destinations they visit,and inspire, educate and connect communities around the world.

Tonya shares the WHY behind the mission of World Footprints and discusses the transformative power of travel. She also explores the future of travel post-coronavirus and how the world will be changed.

Ken Druse is a celebrated lecturer and an award-winning author and photographer known as “the guru of natural gardening.” Ken has written over 20 garden books published over the past 25 years. He shares tips from his most recent book, The Scentual Garden: Exploring the World of Botanical Fragrance.

Working with perfumers’ classifications, Ken Druse develops 12 master scent categories that range from floral and fruity to spicy and medicinal. His encyclopedia of fragrant plants includes hundreds of familiar and unusual flowers, shrubs, and trees, with photographs and detailed notes about scent and suggestions for their use. Ken also explains how and why plants produce fragrances, how perfumers capture floral scents, how to smell plants (almost like wine tasting), and much more.

In addition, find out why the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC, established the Ken Druse Collection of Garden Photographs.

Now is the time to plan for your future. Suzan Haskins and Dan Prescher of internationalliving.com are specialists in retiring overseas, particularly in Latin America, although they’ve spent a good bit of time traveling the world in recent years.

Suzan and Dan are the go-to experts for those of us looking to retire soon and considering doing that overseas. They explain why now—when we can’t travel—is the perfect time to do your research. Find out the best places and top considerations for someone wanting to retire overseas. They have the important resources for making your life-changing choices.

Suzan and Dan's books, The International Living Guide to Retiring Overseas on a Budget and Live Richer, Spend Less: International Living's Ultimate Guide to Retiring Overseas, are also perfect resources to get going. Visit internationalliving.com for more information.

Mike Andress, founder of Exploration Local, understands first-hand how much the experience of being outdoors in nature reduces stress and increases mental health. Mike explains how his belief in the positive health benefits of nature helped him become intentional about getting outdoors and experiencing local businesses as he created Exploration Local.

Also a recap of the week in aviation and what's happening at the Asheville Regional Airport with Tina Kinsey, Director of Marketing, PR and Air Service Development at FlyAVL.

Be swept away with Roland Colton, an author, pianist, attorney and world-traveler. His groundbreaking novel, "Forever Gentleman," mates music with the written word in a style reminiscent of 19th century authors. Some of the compositions in the e-version of the book had never been written (since they are composed by characters in the story). Find out how Roland came up with the idea for a music e-version and what process he used to create the amazing compositions. Roland discusses how he chose Victorian England (circa 1869-1870) as the setting and what research he performed for writing "Forever Gentleman" and how he immersed himself in 19th-century literature.

Dayna Reggero of the Climate Listening Project details her new documentary, "Planet Prescription." The film connects science and stories and offers hopeful solutions for humanistic health care for a healthier future.

“Planet Prescription” centers around the Southeast: rural Tennessee, city of Atlanta, Georgia, suburbs of North Carolina, listening to an epidemiologist, pulmonologist, intensive care unit nurse, cardiovascular surgeon, internist, immunologist, registered nurse health navigator, social worker, counselor, and pediatric pulmonologist. Dayna and her team follow healers where they work: at huge hospitals, community hospitals, an elementary school, a university wellness center, a doctor’s office in a suburban mini mall, a Southeast Narrative Healthcare Symposium, and a Mothers and Others for Clean Air Grand Rounds Training.

For more Speaking of Travel + Climate Listening Project series episodes, visit speakingoftravel.net/climateseries

In these times of uncertainty, pulling together as a community is crucial to the health, well-being and stability of our local friends and neighbors. Some communities need help more than ever. And although it may seem daunting at first, there are ways to lend support, funds or even a helping hand.

New Belgium’s Community Ambassador Mike Craft gives us info on the New Belgium Bar & Restaurant Relief Fund supporting food and beverage communities in their hometowns of Fort Collins, CO and Asheville, NC, who are in need of financial assistance due to the COVID-19 economic disruption. Mike explains ways the company comes together to support the community and also provides info on One Buncombe, WNC for The Planet and the synchronized firefly experience in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Also an update from Tina Kinsey, Director of Marketing, PR and Air Service Development at the Asheville Regional Airport. Tina describes how the airport is working diligently to keep the airport safe and operational during this uncertain time.

Jeff Greiner, owner of the Adventure Center in Asheville, managing partner at Nantahala Gorge Canopy Tours and member of the Wildwater Adventures family, provides tips on how to keep everyone active during challenging times by planning activities together, being outdoors and reconnecting with your youth.

Jeff provides a historical overview of how his family's original outdoor adventure business, Wildwater Adventures, along with its expansion from mostly a rafting focus, evolved into aerial adventures as a result of the family traveling both times they expanded into broader services. Jeff explains how a family doing things together, being outdoors and challenging themselves, is the key to staying optimistic and healthy in these challenging times.

Also on the show is an update form Tina Kinsey, Director of Marketing, PR and Air Service Development at the Asheville Regional Airport. The dedicated team at AVL is working diligently to keep the airport safe and operational during this uncertain time.

And join Doc Lawerence, host of The Gourmet Highway, as he shares a first-hand account of Dr. Martin Luther King enjoying a wine tasting. This one-of-a-kind story confirms Dr. King's sophistication and penchant for excellence and is saturated with timeless history.

Speaking of Travel provides updates on the coronavirus crisis and ways airports are focusing on safely transporting passengers who need to travel and how to best make changes to their travel plans with guest Tina Kinsey, Director of Marketing, PR & Air Service Development for the Asheville Regional Airport.

Also onboard is Michael Poandl, Development Coordinator of the WNC Aids Project, as he discusses what was learned from the AIDS epidemic and how they are responding to COVID, along with current protocols and ways we can all help our communities.

Fellow traveler Doc Lawrence, host of The Gourmet Highway, gives us a nostalgic review of where we've been over the past two years and how to prepare for new adventures moving forward.

The world is coming together and Speaking of Travel is here to bring updated information for you, while acknowledging the spiritual wonder of travel with a commitment to seek new places and faces to enrich our lives. Stay safe and healthy. And remember, Don't Postpone Joy.

Gabe Swinney, founder of Swinney Creative, shares how a pilgrimage is not about the destination but rather a journey of the spirit. He explains how a pilgrimage enhances a person's beliefs and faith and reminds us to live our lives in harmony. Being at a crossroads in our lives, there is no better time to think about how to create a deeper sense of spirituality, healing and forgiveness. Gabe tells us about his pilgrimage on the Way of St. Andrews in Scotland, how he learned about it, and his near death experiences. Later he traveled on the Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage in Japan. Find out about this spiritual journey and a history of the route.

Also on the show are special segments with William Dissen, owner and chef at the Marketplace Restaurant in Asheville who shares ways we can help our local economy at this time, and a conversation with Johnny Jet who gives us some important travel information on what is happening in the travel industry and why we must keep dreaming and planning for traveling in the future.

A few years ago, I had what I then believed was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It was a dream trip on an African safari. And I can tell you, there isn’t much to prepare you for the sheer scale and natural beauty of this amazing landscape and the different sights and sounds you’ll encounter.

Now is the time to make your dream trip come true. Toby Brown, marketing director and lead safari coordinator of Outdoor Africa, an on-the ground private safari operator in South Africa offering custom-designed and privately guided tours all over southern Africa and beyond. Toby explains why there really is nowhere else on Earth quite like Africa and why traveling into the natural parts of Africa is to travel into the heart of Mother Nature in all its raw beauty. At the very least it is amazing, and at the most, life changing.

From what I’m hearing, you can never get bored in South Africa and the country loves to surprise you. Toby tells us about all there is to see and do besides seeing animals on safari and that you can easily create a packed two-week itinerary and never set foot in a safari vehicle. It's really mind-boggling. Keep dreaming and make your plans!

What makes a river cruise different from an ocean cruise is the emphasis on the places visited and the experiential experiences provided. Kathy Brock with Ama Waterways explains why river cruising is a bucket list vacation idea. Times are changing on Europe's rivers as operators are investing in new ships that incorporate more of today's contemporary features. Find out the essential reasons to take a river cruise and discover the ways shore touring is central to the concept of river cruising. Not to mention the food, wine and fellowship!

Australian singer/songwriter Katie Cole is not afraid to rock the boat with the stories she tells, the emotions she shares and the subjects she covers. Katie’s emotion comes from a real place and people all over the world can relate and ultimately find themselves moved by her emotional honesty. Katie tells us about her epic 2019 world tour with the Smashing Pumpkins and how her life will never be the same. While she was in Europe she also embarked on a two week tour opening up for Billy Corgan in various countries, joining him during his set. Wow! And that's not all. They also played a month of shows in America and Canada. Last year Katie visited a total of 19 countries! She is living the dream! And is an inspiration to us all.

James Ziskin discusses his newest novel, Turn To Stone, a 1960s-era locked-room mystery taking Ellie Stone to Italy, a seemingly idyllic setting, which in this case has sinister undertones. The story puts an inventive twist on Boccaccio’s Decameron and takes the reader on a richly-imagined and entertaining journey to Florence and the Tuscan countryside. Jim's books have been finalists for the Edgar, Barry, and Lefty awards. He worked in New York as a photo-news producer and then as director of NYU’s Casa Italiana before spending 15 years in the Hollywood postproduction industry, running large international operations in the subtitling and visual effects fields. He also spent four years in India and speaks Italian and French. Turn To Stone is the seventh in the Ellie Stone series and a must read!

If you love sparkles, smoothies and rock-n-roll, you’re going to love Taraleigh Weathers. With her desire to maintain the magic of live music every day, she helps guide you to rock your most healthy self. Taraleigh does songwriters retreats, retreats with musicians for their fans and curated getaways for live music-loving friends who want an intimate and bonding experience. Live music is what makes her tick which is why she works with people who are in love with live music and want to tune into their best selves. Taraleigh and her husband run a retreat center in Vermont called This Wonderful Place where they put on their own retreats and events as well as host others. With her training and schooling, she's skilled at using her unicorn magic to guide you to rock your most healthy life with her blog and online coaching programs. Check her out at rockinglife.com

Sisters Katie and Nancy Moore take us along their journey of travel, education, adventure, cheese and cider, culminating in their tours to a region with deep roots and a thriving local food culture. Katie is the executive director of the WNC Cheese Trail, and she and Nancy combined their education and travel experience to create an exciting tour to Northern Spain. The WNC Cheese Trail was started by a small group of local cheese makers who wanted to be sure people learned about the amazing cheese being made in Western North Carolina. The Trail’s mission is to promote the production and sale of WNC artisan cheeses, facilitate consumer education, and encourage tourism to the region to benefit member producers. They also feel strongly about the preservation of farmland and the important role small cheesemakers play in that preservation. Highlights from their tour of Northern Spain includes meeting local food producers and entrepreneurs, the geography going from central Spain to the northern coast and learning the history of this amazing part of the world. More information can be found at explorenorthernspain.com

Steve Henderson, a Vietnam War vet and Marybeth Burns, a board member of the Blue Ridge Honor Flight, explain how Brothers Like These provides healing for vets through the arts and creative writing. The Blue Ridge Honor Flight is honored to partner with The NC Veterans Writing Alliance Foundation to present Brothers Like These, a staged reading by Vietnam War Veterans who perform their own written stories through poetry, prose, and nonfiction essays. These stories of selfless service and unimaginable courage unite us in our shared humanity. It’s an enduring testimony to their sacred sense of community, love and brotherhood. Established in 2006, Blue Ridge Honor Flight’s mission is to transport America’s veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit the memorials dedicated to honor the sacrifices of themselves and their comrades.

Ida and Bernie are heading home to Washington, D.C., after a quick trip to Asheville for Ida’s birthday. Bernie travels regularly for work, and he picked up a few helpful tips along the way.

“I’m always trying to stay hydrated,” Bernie said. “It’s healthy for you, and it helps if you’re going to be on long flights. Bring your own stainless steel, reusable water bottle. [Then you] have… the ability to fill up your canister with filtered water, so you’re not having to buy plastic bottles.”

Flying out of AVL was the perfect way to end Bernie and Ida’s Asheville adventure. “It’s very clean, and everyone is helpful and friendly,” Ida said. “The TSA agents were great getting us through with our luggage. It’s been a great experience.”

Desiree is New York bound for business. She travels regularly for work and leisure, so this frequent flyer knows her way around AVL.

“I am always ready to just get home,” Desiree said. “So, I park on the highest [level of the] parking deck. I know exactly where my car is and can find it without forgetting.”

Desiree knows that flying AVL means flying home, and she loves the ease and familiarity of the Asheville Regional Airport. “I really love… the new parking deck. [It] is really helpful getting in and out,” she said. “I also appreciate the designated pre-check lane. For people like me, it is everything. I’m always able to come in, have a little bit to eat or do some email before my flight. It’s an easy-to-navigate airport.”

Diana is kicking off an overnight trip to Orlando for a holiday party, and Asheville’s nonstop flights help her travel with ease. As a flight attendant, Diana is a pro when it comes to making her way through an airport.

“I think passengers don’t realize that they can bring an empty bottle through security and, on the other side of security, fill that bottle up with water,” Diana said. “That way, they can stay hydrated on the plane. That’s super important when traveling.”

Diana loves the convenience and easy connections at AVL. “I live five minutes from the Asheville Airport,” she said. “I’m able to park my car, hop right through security and hit a nonstop flight. The different destinations out of Asheville are very convenient for me.”

Lance is on his way to Orlando to visit family and friends back home. He currently lives in Waynesville, and he’s no stranger to flying in and out of AVL. He says preparation is the key to stress-free travel.

“Pack as soon as you can,” Lance said. “Don’t do it last minute. Just try to relax. Grab a coffee, and just chill.”

Lance enjoys the simplicity and efficiency of traveling through the Asheville Regional Airport. “It’s a smaller airport, so you can just walk right in and get through security fast,” he said.

Jen Stevens is the author of the Ultimate Travel Writer’s Program and Executive Editor of International Living. Over the years, Jen has taught hundreds of folks with no prior travel writing experience to get paid to travel. Discover how to travel the world and get paid for your stories and even travel for free. Jen explains how you can get paid to travel and why now is the best time to get into travel writing. And you don't need an English degree! Find out how you can combine your interests and expertise with travel writing, whether it's knitting, skydiving, eating or hiking. And, if you take photos, learn why it's a great way to make even more income. Find out more at www.greatescapepublishing.com

Nicole Will and Sue Ann Fisher, owners of Asheville Wellness Tours, have created a network of local health and wellness practitioners and craft experiences to encourage connection with ourselves, others and nature. Discover what led them to Asheville and the creation of Asheville Wellness Tours and why they've chosen this niche market of wellness tourism. Nicole and Sue Ann share some great wellness travel tips and explore Asheville's wellness history from the past to the present. Find out how their network of health and wellness experts are carefully curated to include the best of the best so you are guaranteed the most memorable experience.

Timmy and Susana have a passion for performing, teaching and entertaining with family concerts and educational school programs. But life as a touring artist sometimes includes the good, the bad and the strange. Traveling for them is a way of life and brings smiles to so many, but some odd things do happen on the road! Timmy and Susana delight us with stories and songs guaranteed to bring a smile to your face! Ever heard the one about Fellini the Flea and his circus antics? Tune in for an enchanting show!

Mark Gordon Smith, founder of Private Italy Tours, shares why falling in love with Italy is easy. Italy is more than pasta and wine. With historic cities, beautiful coastlines, endless history and the nicest people, one visit is just not enough. Mark has traveled across Italy for over 35 years and presents small group tours of Italy through its most beautiful and inspiring regions. Find out how to discover the art, the history, the food, and the people that are Italy. It you’ve ever thought of traveling to Italy, learn from an expert all there is to see and do and make your dream trip come true.

Kelly Hayes-Raitt is a full-time traveler and house sitter, journalist and inspiring public speaker. Kelly shares her travel stories and how she discovered house sitting as a flexible way to live and write. For the past decade, Kelly has cared for other people’s homes and pets in far-flung places like Maputo, Mozambique and Ya’an, China, as well as fabulous cities like Hanoi, Paris, Singapore, Berlin and even London during the Olympics. In 2003, she reported live from Baghdad just weeks after the U.S-led invasion. In an effort to put a human face on U.S. foreign policies, she’s written about her experiences in refugee camps in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. Kelly’s work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times and several local newspapers, as well as in several anthologies and literary journals.

Robert and Scott are The Cerny Brothers, an Americana duo based in Nashville. Their inspiring music is born from traveling and meeting fans on the road in diverse cities and rural areas all over the US. The brothers grew up in the heartland of Illinois, but after college we went to L.A. and had a completely different experience. For Robert and Scott, touring allows them the opportunity to meet all sorts of people. Their new album, Looking For The Good Land, was recorded in Nashville and is a collection of powerful working-class rock that moves with the spirit of John Mellencamp, Bruce Springsteen, and Tom Petty. Rolling Stone named the band a “New Americana Artist You Need to Know” in 2019.

The Speaking of Travel + Climate Listening Project Series with Dayna Reggero recaps conversations with experts from around the world on how to find common ground and connect climate change stories with discovery. We understand climate and weather are important factors in our decision-making around travel. And this year we shared new and challenging opportunities for those involved in climate change and how it relates to travel. Our goal is always to focus on hope and to help you be more prepared as you make your travel plans.

Chris Webber, Development Manager of Make-A-Wish® in Central & Western NC, explains how the gift of a wish helps transform the lives of children with critical illnesses and ways we can help make dreams come true. Find out the Make-A-Wish® history, hear some inspiring travel wishes and ways you can get involved. The Make-A-Wish® Foundation has tens of thousands of volunteers, donors and supporters helping grant wishes of children diagnosed with a critical illness. You can be one of them!

Madeleine Besson is a French singer, songwriter and artist. Her new EP, “In The River,” showcases hersoulful and blues-flavored style and is creatively immersed with original songwriting and vocalizing. After developing her musical talents as a multi-instrumentalist while just a young child, Madeleine spent her early years touring the world on movie sets and theaters with her artistic parents. This all led up to her beautiful 2014 debut record, “Blossom” that she recorded in Europe after having developed her skills as a live performer. She shows the full range of her musical abilities with songs about departures, destinations and the lessons learned along the way.

Yolanda Robertson is the owner of Savored Moments Travel and is a travel-planning expert who helps family, friends and groups deepen their connections through well-planned, savory travel experiences. For most of her adult life, she was a single mom who struggled to find time for herself, and it was often difficult to find the quality time to connect with her children. Now that her children are grown, she has found the best way to connect with them and others is through her passion for travel, wine, and food. She started Savored Moments Travel as a way to share her love of travel planning and to orchestrate culinary experiences with not only her friends and family but yours too.

The Speaking of Travel + Climate Listening Project Series with Dayna Reggero continues with special guest, Veronica Butcher, joining us from Mothers and Others for Clean Air (M&O). M&O is a unique partnership of leading public health and child advocacy organizations working to advance public policy to improve air quality and fight climate change in order to reduce the effects of air pollution on public health, especially children’s health. M&O works to reduce pollution from transportation and other sources and promote clean renewable energy sources, energy-efficiency and conservation.

To unite new partners and to have more of an impact, M&O is expanding throughout the Southeast and now has staff in both Georgia and North Carolina.

M&O and its partners are working to reduce pollution from coal-fired power plants, cars, trucks, building and industrial energy use, and promote clean renewable energy sources, energy-efficiency and conservation.

Veronica Butcher has over 19 years of advocacy and policy experience on the national and state levels. She served as Policy Advisor on Energy & Environment to Governor Beverly Perdue, the first woman Governor of North Carolina.

What if there was a way to really discover more about your destination, tailored just for you, from locals like you? Where you can find out what to do, what to know and where to go. Well, good news! Patrick Gallagher is Founder & CEO of the LGND (Legend) Travel App, an easy-to-use app where you can get great recommendations on all there is to see and do by local people who live in that city. And you can access it anytime, anywhere.

Deb is on her way to home to Charlottesville, Virginia. She was in Asheville for business but got to mix in some much-needed family time during her visit. As a regular traveler, Deb has learned a thing or two about being prepared.

“Never check your bag when you’re flying to [a destination], because you may not have it when you get there,” Deb said. “I haven’t faced that very often; but there was one time when my flight was delayed because of a storm, so I had to spend the night somewhere that I didn’t expect.”

“I think it’s great,” Deb said. “It’s a small airport, really friendly. Love these rocking chairs. Easy to get in and out!”

Yolanda is on her way back home to St. Louis. She’s been working in the Asheville area for several months now, but she always makes a weekly trip home to connect with friends and family. As someone who travels often, Yolanda knows the importance of traveling light.

“Travel lightly, carry only the necessities,” Yolanda said. “Always check your bag. It’s too much… especially when you have connecting flights.”

Yolanda loves the experience she has at AVL. “It’s small, very personable,” she said. “The employees have always been a pleasure.”

Chelsea is Ohio-bound after spending some time in Asheville for business. She travels on a weekly basis for work, so she is a practiced hand with several helpful travel tips.

“Have everything ready,” Chelsea said. “If you have TSA pre-check, that’s very convenient. If you don’t, make sure you have your liquids ready and have easy shoes [to remove]. Pack as light as you can, that way you don’t have to worry about a checked bag.”

“It’s very convenient,” she said. “It’s not like some of the bigger airports where you have to take two hours to get through security. It just takes a couple minutes, and then you’re at your gate.”

Maria and Ron are headed home to Miami. The couple was visiting Asheville for a convention, but they made sure to hit the highlights during their stay. Ron is no stranger to travel, and he has few tricks up his sleeve.

“I like… TSA pre-check. It saves time,” Ron said. “It was pretty easy. You just sign up online, get your appointment and… do it within a half hour. It gets you in and out pretty quickly.”

Maria loved her time at AVL. “It’s not too crowded and people are friendly,” Maria said. “We’re not rushing in any way.”

Josh and Rachel travel a lot for work, but this time they are headed to see family in Mississippi. Being frequent flyers, Josh and Rachel are pros when it comes to maximizing flexibility and convenience on the go.

“Always pack a carry-on bag, never check a bag,” Josh said. “You don’t have to wait for your bags at the end of a trip.”

“It’s a lot easier if you’re boarding in a later zone or if you’re in a rush, it’s easy just to shove under your seat,” Rachel said. “Then you can get up and go.”

Josh and Rachel love the convenience of their hometown airport. “It’s like a second home to me,” Rachel said. “It’s really easy to navigate and super easy to get in and out of. It’s helpful that whenever you are here, you’re home. You can go straight home and not have to worry about traveling a couple extra hours.”

Remi Oguntoye, co-founder of ExplorEquity, explains how approaching an overriding theme of equity with travel makes the experience meaningful and provides tips to travel mindfully and sustainably. ExplorEquity is educating and growing awareness of global equity issues by developing immersive experiences in areas hardest hit by circumstances beyond their control, including Puerto Rico. Discover what ExplorEquity is currently working on and lessons learned along their brief entrepreneurial journey.

Did you know the Asheville Art Museum is the third oldest art museum in North Carolina? It was established by local artists and incorporated in 1948, and has seen several homes over the years. And now, with its current state-of-the-art facility, the museum will celebrate its 70th anniversary with the opening of the new Asheville Art Museum at 2 South Pack Square. Join Kristi McMillan and Lindsey Grossman of the Asheville Art Museum to hear about events and programs for this exciting new chapter.

Nashville-based singer-songwriter Betsy Phillips has a voice as serene and calming as the flatlands of her native Midwest. Her new EP, “Like We’re Talking,” with Dan Knobler, features material touching on everything from personal relationships to her childhood home. Find out how she came to pursue her love of music, her love of travel and how she made the decision to move to Nashville.

The Speaking of Travel + Climate Listening Project continues with Dayna Reggero and special guests to talk about the wild places we love to explore. For almost 40 years, Patagonia has supported grassroots activists working to find solutions to the environmental crisis. But in this time of unprecedented threats, it’s often hard to know the best way to get involved.

That’s why through Patagonia Action Works, they are connecting individuals with their grantees, to take action on the most pressing issues facing the world today. Three of these grantees are California Trout, Save the Boundary Waters and Accelerating Appalachia. Find out how you can make a difference by becoming a sustainable traveler and taking action, one person at a time!

Guest Alex Falconer is from Save the Boundary Waters in Minnesota. This organization is creating a national movement to protect the clean water, clean air and forest landscape of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and its watershed from toxic pollution.

Guest Megan Nguyen is from California Trout and helping solve complex resource issues while balancing the needs of wild fish and people to ensure resilient wild fish thriving in healthy waters for a better California.

Accelerating Appalachia is supporting innovative businesses building a regenerative economy aligned with people, place and prosperity to preserve farmland, sequester carbon, and protect our environment.

One of downtown Asheville’s most iconic landmarks is the red 1963 British Lodekka Coffee Bus at 41 Biltmore Ave. Greg Bounds first brought the bus to Asheville with an incredible amount of hard work and determination and opened its doors as a coffee bus in 1999. In 2009, Karen and Jeff Lazzaro purchased the incredibly cool, eclectic bus and have owned and operated it ever since as Double D’s Coffee & Desserts. Find out how this vintage red bus has warmed its way into the hearts of so many!

One year after returning from her soul-expanding adventure, Tess Vigeland is settling into a stateside life. But Tess believes nothing is permanent and change is always afoot even if you don’t know or feel it. Now living back in her hometown of Portland, OR, Tess explains how she really is getting pretty good at just going with the flow and how her life keeps showing up wherever she goes. Tess is feeling happy to have some roots growing underneath, but knowing her, that is all subject to change!

Melody King, founder of Urban Escape Vehicles, loves the freedoms offered by van life. Her van rental service in Asheville, NC, provides the opportunity to rent a van before investing in a rig and heading out onto the road. Discover why Melody's passion for outdoor recreation and desire to share these things with others motivated her to begin a camper van rental business. With van life so popular, people are able to share their experiences with others, build on ideas and inspire each other. But is it for you? Listen to learn more about this movement that is sweeping across the country.

Larry Jorgensen interviewed Coca-Cola families and conducted research in communities where Coca-Cola history is told through photos of historic buildings, museums, outdoor murals and memorabilia collections. Did you know Coca-Cola once sold the rights to bottle Coca-Cola throughout the United States for $1? Or that Coca-Cola was first bottled in Vicksburg, Mississippi, not Atlanta? These are just two of the interesting stories revealed in Larry's book, “The Coca-Cola Trail”, People and Places in the History of Coca-Cola.”

Larry tells the real stories of those pioneer bottlers, the challenges they faced, and how they were instrumental in creating the world’s most recognized brand.

The time after returning from a trip creates space to think about how we’ve changed and gives us the wisdom and skills we have gained from traveling. Three friends share fun stories and travel tips. Perhaps they’ll inspire you to travel, whether it’s to the town over from yours or to an exotic place on your bucket list.

The Speaking of Travel + Climate Listening Project continues with Dayna Reggero and guest Joshua Martin, the Director of the Environmental Paper Network, to discuss the launch of the new #UnwrapTheTruth campaign.

The Environmental Paper Network is made up of 160 organizations who are working together to address the rising wasteful use of paper and make shifts to responsible paper production. #UnwrapTheTruth is all about shining a light on individuals as leaders in a solutions-focused movement to protect our climate, forests, and communities.

The Environmental Paper Network is a model for collaboration and looked to by advocates around the world.

Their network of non-profit organizations is effectively empowering and motivating consumers, corporations and governments to protect forests, climate, air, water and communities through more sustainable production and consumption of pulp and paper.

And you can help! Tune in to find out what each and every one of us can do to create transformational change and help save our forests.

Melissa Reardon, editor-in-chief of WNC Magazine, presents leaf-peeping experiences that are big on color and light on crowds and why the North Carolina mountains are the perfect place to discover fall. Find out what weather conditions make for great fall color and discover resources to keep tabs on the status of the leaf change. Peak color doesn’t just happen in a single weekend here in the mountains. It actually begins at the highest elevations and trickles down to the valleys below. So you can really catch peak color for a full 4 to 6 weeks if you know when to look. Tune in to learn more!

Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park is the perfect place to spend quality time unplugging and immersing yourself in nature. And this fall is a lovely time to get outdoors and explore all the Park has to offer.

Emily Walker, Senior Naturalist at Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park, explains why this season is so spectacular and shares all the unique opportunities to celebrate the season, like the popular Flock to the Rock event. Discover why fall bird migration is so intriguing and what birds are traveling through. And if you love leaf peeping, this is the place to be! Wildflowers, leaves and birds, oh my!

For more info and a list of all the activities you can enjoy, visit www.chimneyrockpark.com

New Belgium’s Community Ambassador Mike Craft and Sustainable Coordinator Sarah Fraser explain how kindling social, environmental and cultural change as a business role model works for the community. New Belgium Brewing is of course the makers of Fat Tire Amber Ale and a host of Belgian-inspired beers, but did you know it is recognized as one of Outside Magazine's Best Places to Work and one of Wall Street Journal's Best Small Businesses? They have an entire team of coworkers dedicated to understanding and improving New Belgium’s impact on ecosystems. Learn more about this 100% employee-owned company and their commitment to the planet and to their community. Dedicated to proving that business can be a force for good, come visit New Belgium Brewing in Asheville. Free tours and great beers!

Evie Ladin is a dancer, musician, vocalist, songwriter and square dance caller, balancing performing and traveling with hands-on teaching. She’s created a sustainable career doing all the creative things that she loves. Evie talks about her upbringing with music and dance as a part of social communication and how she balances her career and family, all saturated with music. She brings Appalachian traditions to collaborations with musicians and dancers of other styles, including West African, Afro-Cuban, African-American, Indonesian and more, bending and blending forms to create exciting new works. Evie also works extensively with her husband Keith Terry, renowned Body Musician, and his multi-cultural rhythm-based music and dance projects produced by the non-profit arts organization Crosspulse, Inc. Her music is a product of a lifetime immersed in the study of culture, as well as a depth of experiences, of total joys and deep disappointments, illuminating the paradoxes living life in this world.

Speaking of Travel continues the Climate Listening Project Series with Dayna Reggero and some special guests. Sisters Amanda and Allison Rodriguez talk about inspiring stories of human connection to wild places and new ways of knowing and understanding the world and the interconnectivity of existence. Amanda Rodriguez is a writer, poet, and climate activist who works protecting Southern forests with Dogwood Alliance. She recently produced a film series called, “Stories Happen in Forests” that features inspiring stories of human connection to wild places. Allison Maria Rodriguez is an interdisciplinary artist who creates immersive experiential spaces that challenge conventional ways of knowing and understanding the world. Her work focuses extensively on climate change, species extinction and the interconnectivity of existence. Her award-winning work includes the video installation “Wish You Were Here: Greetings from the Galápagos” and a residency at the Churchill Northern Studies.

Chow Chow is a multi-day immersive experience held in Asheville, NC, from September 13-15, 2019, to celebrate the region’s vibrant culinary scene from farmers to brewers, chefs, crafts people and artists. Featuring nationally recognized chefs to multi-generational farmers to millers, bakers, potters, weavers, and brewers, Chow Chow is shining a light on the spirit of this region. Join guests Kevin Barnes, founder of Ultimate Ice Cream, Connie Matisse, co-founder of East Fork, Jael Rattigan, co-founder of French Broad Chocolate and Chef Katie Button of Katie Button Restaurants, and discover what makes this event different, including highlights of key events, Chow Chow's charity focus and the awesome activities guests and local makers will be doing over the weekend. Come celebrate with Chow Chow!

Miranda Peterson is the founder and owner of Namaste in Nature, a yoga, hiking and meditation respite in Western North Carolina that helps relive stress and anxieties while celebrating and appreciating nature. She founded Namaste in Nature in 2017 to provide a fun, safe, unique and sustainable experience for both mind and body. Miranda has practiced yoga since 2008 and completed her RYT® 200 Yoga Teacher Training in traditional Hatha style yoga at Ayur-Yoga Eco Ashram in Southern India. She has led or participated in international classes and training across North America, South America, and Asia and believes yoga is for every body and should be accessible to everyone. Namaste in Nature offers multiple options for each person in the practices she guides so they are inclusive of everyone from beginners to experts.

Have you been thinking about learning another language? Cindy McMahon serves on the Buncombe County School Board and has over 25 years of management experience in nonprofits and small businesses. This summer, Cindy’s taking a sabbatical from her work to relax and have some adventures, including participating in a language immersion school in Cuenca, Ecuador. Cindy explains why she chose to dive head first into the deep end of language immersion in Cuenca, what it was like during her two-week stay, and how the community welcomed her with open arms. If you've ever considered taking the leap and participating in an immersion school, Cindy shares tips on how to research and what to look for in planning such an adventure.

Kelley Louise, founder of Impact Travel Alliance, the world's largest community for impact-focused travelers and travel professionals, provides insights and solutions for creating sustainable and positive travel experiences and how travelers are making a difference throughout the world. The organization aims to educate travelers on how to travel mindfully so our experiences protect the environment and empowers locals. Kelley discusses the importance of building resiliency in travel and shares stories from her recent visit to Puerto Rico and her time with ExplorEquity, a socially conscious travel company exploring food systems and sovereignty in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.

Whether you’re a local or visiting Western North Carolina for the first time, Leap Frog Tours offers fun opportunities to explore the area, from beer to art and everything in-between. They offer tours with set itineraries, custom excursions, and transportation services all over the area.

Ann Smith, owner and founder of Leap Frog Tours, explains why they love showcasing Western North Carolina. Discover how you can sip your way through the extensive craft beer scene, see elk in their natural habitat, learn about the benefits of hemp and CBD, explore the history of the French Broad River and so much more.

Visit leapfrogtours.com and book your tour today!

Meagan is heading home to Denver after visiting WNC for the first time. As part of her best friend’s bachelorette party, she spent the weekend exploring every nook and cranny of Asheville. Given her busy itinerary, Meagan knew it was important to pack light.

“Of course, check the weather," she said. "I had a max of two outfits per day. I rolled them up as tightly as I could to fit as many as I can in my bag.”

Meagan loved the amenities at AVL. “It’s been great,” she said. “One of my favorite things [is that] they have a lot of different charging stations.”

Alex and Mark are flying home to Denver. Their Asheville weekend was filled with a friend's wedding festivities, but they ended up falling in love with the city itself. This weekend trip called for a quick turnaround, and Mark knew just what to do.

“Download mobile passes and don’t check a bag,” he said. “We did this time, and it’s been the only slow part of our travels.”

Alex and Mark love the intimate size of AVL. “The Asheville Airport is small and easy to get around, so it’s made flying nice,” Alex said.

Robert took the plunge! He and his family traveled from Cape Coral, Florida, for his destination wedding. Traveling with such a large entourage can be quite the organizational feat, but Robert has it down to a T.

“Traveling with such a large group of people, I always make a checklist,” Robert said. “We don’t leave anything or anyone behind.”

Robert has visited the area before, and he loves flying in and out of AVL. “It’s a nice airport,” he said. “Everybody is super nice out here.”

Mary and Hannah have a unique carry on. They’re heading out for a summer adventure in Wisconsin with Bear, a fluffy ten-week old Leonberger puppy. Mary and Hannah have taken Bear on trips in the past and they know the drill when it comes to bringing a dog onboard.

“Wear them out, and pray for no delays,” Mary said. ‘Get their energy out, make sure they are taken to the bathroom before you leave, and hopefully they sleep the whole way.”

Mary and Hannah love the ease of traveling out of AVL. “[It is] super convenient,” Mary said. "Small, quick, no-hassle. This is just a piece of cake. It’s really lovely. It’s a really nice environment to fly in and out of.”

Dayna Reggero discuss the latest Climate Listening Project film, "Earth-People-Words" and shares how the power of stories holds humanity together. The film explores how we've worked together to protect our earth and the actions shared in trying to be better people and how hope is handed down through our words to future generations. Stories are the vessel that always has held, and continues to hold, Earth, People, and Words in unity and balance. The film features four poets: Joy Harjo, Laura Hope-Gill, and guests Elizabeth Bradfield and Sean Hill.

The Blue Ridge Honor Flight is dedicated to honoring our veterans for the sacrifices they have made to keep our nation safe by providing them with an all expense paid trip to visit the memorials in Washington D. C., that symbolize the spirit, sacrifice, and commitment of these American heroes. JoAnn Naeger is the registration coordinator for the Blue Ridge Honor Flight and shares memorable stories of of what this trip means to veterans and how the efforts of a community help to honor our veterans and how you can get involved. Visit www.blueridgehonorflight.com for more information.

Terry Lawson Dunn, a wildlife biologist, conservation educator, author, and artist has worked in the rain forests of Panama, the swamps of Florida and the mountains of Idaho. Based on her experiences with travelers, she founded the ecotourism website, EcoTripMatch.com to make it easier for people to find ecolodges and ecotours all over the world in support of conservation. Discover why Terry created the site and what kinds of ecolodges and tours you'll find.

Peter Krull and his wife Melissa Booth love traveling together and explain how this shared passion builds a happy relationship based on the excitement to discover the next adventure and escape their comfort zones. Find out how they research and plan their trips and why travel feeds their dreams.

The Brevard Music Center is home to celebrated artists, distinguished faculty, and students from all over the world who come together each summer to prepare and perform in a beautiful park-like setting. From the end of June to the beginning of August, gifted young musicians participate in a rigorous program of instruction and performance including orchestral ensembles, private lessons, chamber music, and opera. They will be joined by some of the most celebrated names in music, from classical superstars to pops legends to acclaimed composers, for more than 80 unforgettable performances under the stars!

See their comprehensive schedule at brevardmusic.org.

To celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the United States Climate Action Network (USCAN), members Nakisa Glover of Sol Nation and Susannah Tuttle of NC Interfaith Power & Light (NCIPL) join Dayna Reggero of the Climate Listening Project to talk about solutions for traveling and protecting the places we love with compassion, justice and love for people and place. The USCAN is a vital network for 175+ organizations active on climate change, all working together to fight climate change in a just and equitable way. Nakisa Glover, founding director of Sol Nation, provides pathways to solutions that can help communities thrive through resiliency and revitalization as we move to a Green Economy. Susannah Tuttle, director of NC Interfaith Power and Light, connects the faith voice around climate change, encouraging mitigation of the effects and resilient communities by advocacy with compassion.

Author, musician, speaker and sailor Chris DiCroce and wife Melody sold their house and almost everything they owned to move onto a sailboat and discovered the greatest triumphs often came from their greatest challenges.

Tired of the lives they were living, Chris and Melody, along with their dog Jet, took a leap of faith in their attempt to break away and were brought face to face with the reality that things don't always go as planned, and how, sometimes, that's the best plan.

In what was supposed to be a one year experiment is now seven years later. Discover how the dream evolved and how they keep it going today.

www.mondovacilando.com

Explore one of Western North Carolina’s most iconic places with Mary Jaeger-Gale, General Manager at Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park. The Park features six hiking trails, an Animal Discovery Den, rock climbing with instructors, monthly guided hikes and more. Special moments you'll cherish await you here. Visit Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park once, and you’ll want to come back for more. An annual pass provides you unlimited visits to the Park for a year, exclusive events and special deals at the Park’s shops and restaurants. And you get discounts at other area attractions, too. Visit chimneyrockpark.com.

Continuing the Speaking of Travel + Climate Listening Project Series with Dayna Reggero and special guest, Sara Day Evans, the founding director of Accelerating Appalachia. Accelerating Appalachia is the world’s first nature-based business accelerator, connecting innovative businesses, investors and mentors aligned with people, place and prosperity. Find out how they are creating a new regenerative economy to improve soil, retain water, sequester carbon, and help communities by accelerating nature-based entrepreneurs where mining, logging, textile and tobacco/farming industries are on the decline. Accelerating Appalachia supports a regenerative economy, sustaining good jobs and keeping thousands of sustainable farmers on the land.

Peggy Ratusz and Paula Hanke are on the road delighting audiences with their sensational act, “Love Is a Rose: Celebrating the Music of Torch Singer Linda Ronstadt,” featuring some of her best works. Peggy and Paula have been friends for over a decade and collaborated before, but their newest chapter is truly a project from the heart. “Love Is a Rose: Celebrating the Music of Torch Singer Linda Ronstadt,” is part of an ongoing project, the Women Who Make Music History Concert Series. Find out what led them to develop, produce and launch their brand and why they are simpatico as two women who own their own business and travel together. Although quite alike in many ways, they are different enough to benefit the partnership in just the right ways! A fabulous conversation!

The Asheville Art Museum is opening its renovated and expanded building in summer 2019. Big changes are happening during their major expansion and renovation project in the heart of downtown Asheville, NC. When the Museum opens, you’ll see fresh approaches, additions to the Collection, exhibitions, educational programs, and so much more.

Melissa Reardon, editor-in-chief of WNC Magazine, the regional lifestyle publication that captures the wonder of one of the most beautiful places in the world, highlights some of the top ways to experience summer in the mountains and explores fun travel opportunities in Western North Carolina from Lake Toxaway to Boone to Blowing Rock. Melissa also offers up some great ideas to begin planning your fall leaf-peeping vacation.

Much of what happens around us or to us happens rather by chance. You may initiate actions, but what follows depends upon many factors. Sometimes situations arise on their own, such as an accident or a chance meeting. Or in the case of Maestro Murry Sidlin when he happened upon a book entitled Music in Terezín: 1941–1945.And so began his journey to find out how Jewish prisoners at a World War II concentration camp staged 16 performances of Verdi's Requiem. The performances came to symbolize resistance and defiance and demonstrated the prisoners’ courage to confront the worst of mankind with the best of mankind. The remarkable story of how and why a group of overworked and underfed inmates sang the towering “Requiem” is told in the powerful concert-drama, “Defiant Requiem."
Defiant Requiem: Verdi at Terezín was conceived and created by Maestro Murry Sidlin. It combines the magnificent music of Verdi with video testimony from survivors of the original Terezín chorus and footage from the 1944 propaganda film about Theresienstadt.

"I'm merely a messenger of the people who were there. I'm telling their story. That's all it is. I'm in the service of their souls, their spirits." ~~Maestro Murry Sidlin.

Johnny Morris hiked the entire Appalachian Trail to raise money and awareness for MemoryCare, an Asheville nonprofit founded by his mother, Dr. Margaret Noel, that provides services to caregivers and patients with dementia and other memory impairments. Find out how Johnny carries the experiences and lessons he had on the AT forward into a different lifestyle and how those experiences/ lessons changed or informed the decisions he makes today.

From MemoryCare is Mary Donnelly, a daughter, caregiver, support group leader and now dementia educator and consultant, along with Becky Anderson, a member of the MemoryCare board and a recipient of their caregiver services.

Discover what makes MemoryCare unique and how their model helps uphold the dignity of people with dementia who are too often neglected by a fractured health care system and helps their caregivers receive real help for how to deal with it.

Visiting with Michelle and Dale Isom at the lovely 1915 Historic Federal Courthouse and Post Office in Wilkesboro, NC, home to the Blue Ridge Artisan Center and The Artisan Café.

Find out how they are expanding cultural horizons for children and communities through educational programs to help preserve traditions from one generation to the next and how they are supporting and promoting local and regional artists, musicians and performing artists through the sharing of resources.

The Artisan Cafe is a local eatery and cafe also located in the 1915 building, serving amazing coffee and local, fresh products. A place to relax.

For hours, exhibits and other news, including information about the 2019 Carolina in the Fall Music & Food Festival, visit blueridgeartisancenter.org.

Speaking of Travel is on location in the heart of North Carolina’s Surry County and the Yadkin Valley wine country. Discover all there is to see and do in and around an area rich in history, recreation and wineries. The Surry County Wine Trail is showcased in a full-color map brochure highlighting 16 wineries in and around the Yadkin Valley, along with five breweries and distilleries. The map simplifies the experience of spending time tasting wines and touring vineyards.

The Yadkin Valley is home to NC's first federally-recognized American Viticultural Area, the Yadkin Valley AVA. The wineries are small, with intimate wine tasting rooms providing more access to the winemakers and owners (often one and the same).

The wine is amazingly good, the hospitality is truly outstanding and there are miles and miles of trails and rivers to explore!

Visit yankinvalleync.com for your free wine trail map, a recreational map of the four rivers and to plan your trip to the Yankin Valley.

Trevor is on his way to a coaching convention in Tampa with a unique accessory. As a director of basketball operations, his hat was prominently adorned with a piece of a basketball net — telling a story of its own. The piece was cut from a net the night before, symbolizing Appalachian State University’s Women’s Basketball Team’s victory in the Invitational National Tournament. As a professional tasked with arranging travel for the team, Trevor is a seasoned pro.

“A big thing for us is making sure you always have your ID,” Trevor said. “People take that for granted. We’ve gotten into situations when it’s not necessarily where you think its going to be all the time. Make sure you always have that, even before you get in your car.”

This marks Trevor’s first time flying AVL. “This is definitely one of the better regional airports I’ve ever been to,” he said. “It’s clean. There’s a great restaurant and a great shop inside once you get in. Getting through security maybe took… five minutes. It was great and this place seems packed right now.”

Burt is to off Tampa. The trip has become routine, as he flies down most weekends to continue the process of becoming permanently settled in Florida. As a frequent flyer, Burt knows how to make the most of his time in the airport.

“If you can get TSA Pre-[check] or Global Entry, you can get through security lines much, much quicker,” Burt said. “There’s usually no line, so that saves 15 or 20 minutes.”

Burt loves the stress-free experience of flying AVL. “There is very little stress to fly here,” he said. “It is very relaxed. You don’t see a lot of people very nervous… it’s about as laid-back an airport as you’ll ever find.”

McCall is ready for vacation. She is from Franklin, North Carolina, and is traveling to Florida for a sunny escape with friends. McCall lives an hour away from the airport, so she is a practiced hand when it comes to planning ahead.

“Wherever I’m flying to, I have the app downloaded on my phone,” McCall said. “I check in before I leave and try to get here about an hour and 30 minutes early, just so I have plenty of time.”

McCall loves flying AVL. “I love that it’s a small airport, so it’s very easy,” she said. “You know where you’re going and then you just get to your gate and wait.”

Alice and Chuck meet up with friends in different locations every year, and this year’s vacation brought them to WNC. They are originally from Ohio and decided to explore Asheville after hearing that it was a great place to be. When it comes to taking vacations, Alice likes to be prepared.

“I’m a great organizer,” Alice said. “I have things planned out. I start laying stuff out. By the time I’m ready to pack, it only takes minutes because everything is right there.”

Alice and Chuck love the relaxed nature of AVL. “I like small airports. They’re much more comfortable and relaxing,” she said.

Joseph is heading home. Some might call it St. Petersburg, but Joseph calls it paradise. While he may not be a native, Joseph is a regular visitor to Asheville; and he has a few tips when it comes to smooth travel.

“Depending on the airline… make sure you download the app,” Joseph said. “You can check in.”

Joseph loves the ease of traveling through AVL. “The one thing about Asheville Regional is that it’s a smaller airport,” he said. “The rental cars are on-site… and baggage claim is a few yards away from the gate. Everything is concise and expedites the whole process — getting in, getting out and getting on your way.”

Since 2006, the Blue Ridge Honor Flight, a non-profit organization, has been transporting veterans from WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War to Washington, DC on an all-expense paid visit to the memorials dedicated to their honor.

Honor Flight Board VP Marybeth Burns and Fundraising Chair Lisa Parham share how the efforts of a community help to honor our veterans for the sacrifices they have made and how you can get involved. On May 4, 2019, they will fly again, giving those who have served our country a chance to experience the hope, healing, and welcome home they so deserve.

The Speaking of Travel + Climate Listening Project Series continues with Dayna Reggero and celebrates Earth Day with guests Jill Kubit of DearTomorrow and Frida Berry from Parents Roar in Sweden. Dayna heads to New York to participate in the United Nations Women's International Forum (WIF) Leave It Better Than We Found event and Earth Day 2019 with women from around the world.

Jill Kubit tells us about DearTomorrow, a digital and archive project for people to personally connect with the issue of climate change. Frida Berry called in from Sweden and is the founder of Our Kids' Climate, a global network of parent-focused climate organizations, and is the spokesperson for Swedish parent and climate organization Föräldravrålet (Parents Roar).

Bruce T. Martin is an American Fine Art photographer who uses photography to document the world, explore perceptions and question our viewpoints. Using his knowledge and imagination, Bruce blends a unique mosaic of visual details in his photographs to create a fresh perspective on the Maya's endangered worldview and disappearing legacy.

His book, Look Close See Far, A Cultural Portrait Of The Maya, is a collection of images and ideas gathered while traveling throughout the Maya region of Central America. Since 1987, he has taken more than 10,000 photographs over a range of landscapes and attitudes in an attempt to make a distinctive portrait of the Mayan Culture.

Bruce is also a leading architectural photographer, making photographs for the nation's foremost architects, designers and publications.

The Speaking of Travel + Climate Listening Project Series continues with Dayna Reggero and guests. Artist/biologist Shannon Bodeau has a new Climate Listening Project – From The Same Soil, a collaboration with the UNC Asheville McCullough Fellowship. Shannon interviewed people from around the world and created hand-drawn graphite portraits, weaving science and storytelling through art. Also, two 9th grade students and their teacher Jerry Lubos from the Franklin School of Innovation in Asheville, NC. They are creating podcasts focused around relevant connections to the guiding question “how do small actions lead to big changes?”

Daniel Young is a talented and highly successful badass of fun and travel and has created a lifestyle that’s truly coming from a soulful place. Daniel is known for his gift of spreading positive energy and charisma, and know-how, in whatever scene he chooses to show up. From 2012 to 2014 he worked as a guide to whitewater kayaking in Costa Rica and Ecuador. Also being a talented musician, he looked for drum and bass shows in Quito and San Jose. Eventually he was performing internationally. Daniel discusses how his new platform for promoters and musicians, Beatdrifters, was inspired and how he figured out how to connect artists with promoters while traveling.

The Honor Flight Network flies WWII, Korean and Vietnam vets to DC to experience their memorials. Guests include Jeff Miller, president and co-founder of the Honor Flight Network, board member Marybeth Burns and Viet Nam War vet Warren Dupree. The Blue Ridge Honor Flight is dedicated to honoring our veterans for the sacrifices they have made to keep our nation safe by providing them with an all-expense paid trip to visit the memorials in Washington that symbolize the spirit, sacrifice, and commitment of these American heroes. Jeff Miller has distinguished himself as an advocate for America’s veterans and his commitment has led to thousands of veterans being able to visit their war memorials in Washington, DC.

Taylor and Natalie are coworkers who enjoy traveling together for business. When they realized they were both scheduled to fly through the same airport for connecting flights to their differing final destinations, they decided to seize the opportunity to chat and catch up in the terminal.

The Denver-based friends are experienced travelers and know how to make the most of their trips.

“Always be nice to your flight attendants,” Taylor said. “Say hi to them on the way in, maybe buy them a snack. I’ve gotten lots of free drinks and snacks on the plane from it. Always give them a smile and say 'hey.' They appreciate it.”

For Natalie, a well-planned itinerary is the key to success while traveling.

“I get to the airport extremely early just in case something random happens,” Natalie said. “It’s always nice to have some wine or beer along the way.”

Taylor and Natalie love flying through AVL. “It’s really personal,” Taylor said. “You don’t have to worry about long security lines. They have a great little restaurant here. It’s great customer service; everyone is super sweet. It’s small, [so] you’re in and out pretty quick. It’s a great experience.”

Hunter is headed back home to Maine after a busy semester at Brevard College. After locating his gate, he also found he had some company to help him pass the time. Samson, one of the airport’s Paws for Passengers therapy pets, was there to offer Hunter an enthusiastic greeting.

“We have 23 registered therapy dogs who volunteer here at the Asheville Regional Airport,” said Karen, Samson’s handler. “They volunteer to help mitigate travel stress or boredom or entertain people who happen to be at the airport.”

There are several things that Karen enjoys about the airport, but she thinks the therapy pets are a special touch to the AVL experience. “It’s a cool airport,” Karen said. “We have rocking chairs and wi-fi, but we also have 23 fuzzy little ambassadors who are here to make you appreciate your time while you’re at the Asheville Regional Airport.”

Hunter echoes that sentiment, explaining that it was a great part of his travel experience. “It’s really unique,” Hunter said. “I’ve never seen a program like that. When you’re bored and you have a couple hours to waste, it’s nice when you just get to sit and pet a dog.”

Straw hat in tow, Wesley and Madison are ready for a sunny escape. The couple is flying to Fort Lauderdale for a tropical cruise around the Mexican Riviera. This adventure marks Wesley’s first-ever flying experience, so he is depending on Madison’s expertise to navigate the airport smoothly.

“Always plan early. Traffic, TSA – you never know if they are going to get something in your bookbag or not,” Madison said. “Make sure you have all of your toiletries in your checked bag or in a quart size bag.”

Madison and Wesley enjoy taking the easy way out at AVL. “It’s small,” Madison said. “I can park right outside and come right in [without having] to worry about getting a bus over here or spending two hours waiting in line at TSA. It’s in and out.”

EJ is gearing up for the adventure of a lifetime. EJ works with a Christian outreach ministry in Brevard, and he is excited for his 15-day excursion exploring the history behind biblical texts in Israel. With an extensive packing list and a family at home, EJ understands the importance of preparation.

“I needed to look over the packing list a million times,” EJ said. “This is a trip I have been preparing for [over] the last six months, so this week has been wrapping things up.”

EJ loves his hometown airport. “I love flying in and out of Asheville Regional Airport because it is so efficient and quick,” EJ said. “I checked my watch when I came through security and… from the time my wife dropped me off until the time I came through security took 14 minutes. That’s really awesome. It’s also 25 minutes from my house which makes it extremely convenient.”

Doreyl Ammons Cain, co-founder of the Appalachian Mural Trail, explains how honoring the rich mountain heritage through the arts is the core essence of the Appalachian Mural Trail’s vision and how storytelling is a vivid part of Appalachian culture, folk tales, Cherokee legends, mountain music & the beauty of nature. There are over 75 murals online at muraltrail.com and you can find directions for where to go and how to view these magnificent murals in the communities and towns of the Appalachians.

Travel South USA is the official regional destination marketing organization for the southern United States. This non-profit organization promotes travel to and within its member states of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Speaking of Travel is on location at the Travel South USA Domestic Showcase in Myrtle Beach, SC, where over 700 tourism professionals gathered for collaborative meetings with a goal of delivering more visitors in the South. Travel South USA was formed in 1965 by a resolution presented at the Southern Governor's Conference by the Southern Travel Directors Council.

Speaking of Travel is in Myrtle Beach, SC, for the Travel South Domestic Showcase, the premier marketplace event in the South where over 700 tourism professionals gather for three days of collaborative meetings with a goal of delivering more visitors to spend more time and money in the South. Travel South USA serves as an information source for journalists, tour operators, retail travel agents and other travel professionals. Find out from industry leaders how the Travel South USA partnership provides a foundation for collaboration by state tourism offices to position tourism as a vital and dynamic element in the region’s economic development. And enjoy some great travel storytelling!

LaBet Prichard knows travel changes us. She entered an eight-year solo vision quest to find her authentic voice with a soul-searching travel process that has carried her through many high and low roads. Her openness and willingness required courage, trust, and faith as this serendipitous and synchronistic pilgrimage took her from the mundane through the threshold into the miraculous. Her faith in intuition to guide and support her, although her the path isn’t always clear, has freed her to find delight in the unknown and embrace uncertainty. She explains how getting out of her head and living in the present to find joy of being feels good. And LaBet believes in the words of Ram Dass... "We are all just walking each other home.”

Dayna Reggero of the Climate Listening Project and Suzan Satterfield, director of the PBS series Ecosense for Living, share solutions geared for treading lighter on the planet and improving the quality of life. Ecosense for Living aims to empower viewers with practical solutions to help save money, leave no trace and improve our quality of life. All important things we need to know inside/out. A must listen!

Town Mountain is an independent-minded steward of classic bluegrass, but their take on Appalachian music is infused with a modern-day feel that allows the group freedom of expression. With Town Mountain's newest album, New Freedom Blues, the band discovered a way to build off their past to craft something new and exciting, and so authentic in terms of who they are as musicians and as people. Banjo/vocalist JesseLanglais, mandolin/vocalist PhilBarker, and bass player Zach Smith share what life on the road means to the band, change, bluegrass and how their creative process unfolds.

Tim Lewis is president of TALA Professional Services, an international technology and innovation firm. By bringing innovative ideas to life, he impacts entire communities and helps create a focused vision. Tim explains how his work helps communities embrace and leverage technology for economic development, education and workforce training such as The Gateway Innovation and Discovery Center in Tuscaloosa, AL. He is also a leader with the Equal Justice Initiative and is committed tochallenging racial and economic injustice and protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society.

Sunil Patel is the founder/farmer of Patchwork Urban Farms and Sunil’s Indian Suppers in Asheville, NC. He is an accomplished chef and visionary and is laying the groundwork for a citywide food system by creating networks of sharing relationships that can support a village scale food production platform. Sunil explains why having farming out in the open, where people can experience it on a daily and seasonal basis (just by seeing it happen in their neighborhood), will in a subtle but powerful way shift how we relate to the land we live on and the food we eat. Sunil's Indian Suppers are created with love and a mixture of Sunil's farming background and worldly travels, creating an experience spanning the range of the diverse array of Indian cuisines. The local-seasonal menu is always cooked from scratch, with Sunil's care for the earth, nutrition and heart, leading to a feeling of fusion but still a wholly Indian experience.

Today’s music scene is a golden age for women. French pop-rock soul singer Madeleine Besson and Australian-born, singer/songwriter and instrumentalist Katie Cole are two such Nashville-based women who are shining a light for others to follow. Madeleine tells us about her new recording Journey Home, an album about departures, destinations, and the lessons learned along the way. It provides insight on Besson's own journey, which began in her childhood home of Paris, France, how she traveled the world as a child and eventually moved to Nashville as an adult. Katie is the touring keys player for The Smashing Pumpkins among many other musical endeavors, and recently released her newest solo offering, Things That Break, Part 1, featuring rootsy instrumentation, weaving Americana moodiness and Katie's own brand of soaring melodies. "I just want to make music that makes me excited and proud," said Katie.

Graham Sharp, banjoist for the Steep Canyon Rangers since they first came together 20 year’s ago, talks about their life on the road, how the band has evolved over the years, their relationship with Steve Martin, and what’s ahead moving forward. Graham talks about how the band continues to evolve with a fresh sound and identity all its own and how the creative process unfolds. With such a passionate and energetic on-stage style, they really know how to put on a show. The band also features Woody Platt (acoustic guitar), Mike Guggino (mandolin), Nicky Sanders (fiddle), Mike Ashworth (box kit/cajon) and Barrett Smith (upright bass).

The Warner family will be spending their holiday season across the pond in London, England. Commuting to visit relatives in Somerset is an especially interesting experience for the Warners. “We will drive down,” Doug said. “What is interesting about the drive is that you go… within 50 yards of Stonehenge.”

As a family who frequently travels together, the Warners know what it takes to get the job done. “Get here early,” Doug said. “Do whatever you have to do to get out of the house quickly and relax at the airport.”

The Warner family loves the convenience of AVL. “We live one exit away,” Doug said. “It is literally a five-minute drive.”

Why is biodiversity important to the places we love to travel? The 2019 Speaking of Travel Climate Listening Project Series with Dayna Reggero begins with a discussion around Dayna’s recent photography series “Voices of Hope for Forests,” featuring individuals from around the world who are working together to protect forests as part of the Environmental Paper Network. The Environmental Paper Network is made up of 140 organizations who are working together on a Global Paper Vision for the pulp and paper industry. Guests include Josh Axelrod of the NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), Beth Porter of Green America and Amy Moas of Greenpeace.

Steven is off to New Orleans to spend the holidays with family, but he is not going alone. He is bringing along his favorite four-legged travel companion, Levi. As someone who frequently travels with a pet, Steven knows a thing or two about bringing furry friends on board.

“He is fun to travel with,” Steven said. “He has traveled everywhere with me. A lot of people like him and try to pet him.”

Steven likes the ease of traveling in out of the AVL. “It is an easy airport to travel out of,” Steven said. “It is not like a big airport where you have so many planes coming in.”

Grace is heading south for winter. She will spend the season with family in Arizona. Her dog is also joining in on the fun, awaiting boarding in her carrier.

“You have to pack a lot of stuff.” Grace said. “That is why we… carry her the way we do. We have so much to handle, to check in and out.”

Grace likes how easy it is to navigate her way around AVL. “It is friendly and small,” Grace said. “It is just easy to get around. I enjoy it here.”

The Keaton family is making their first-ever trip to Rome, Italy. With the holidays on the horizon, the Keatons are eager to celebrate in a different way and make memories together over the holidays. When it comes to traveling as a family, Michael understand the importance of patience and flexibility.

“It can try the patience a little bit,” he said. “Kids want to do their thing, and parents have ideas of what the kids should be doing. We give them enough freedom, and it all works out.”

Michael loves starting his adventures at AVL. “It is very convenient,” he said. “The parking is close to the terminal. It is very affordable. It is much faster than taking a long two-and-a-half-hour drive… and it is great that at the end of your trip you do not have a two-and-a-half-hour drive awaiting you when you are all exhausted and just want to go home.”

Robert is Memphis-bound for the holidays to be with family. The Tennessee native was only in town briefly, picking up his son who attends college in the area. With such a quick turnaround, he came prepared to navigate the airport with efficiency.

“I always anticipate the TSA stop. Wear stuff that is easy to get off and put back on. Have a backpack to keep it all so you do not misplace it. It will fit in the overhead bin – no matter how small the plane is.”

Robert likes the convenience and speed of traveling through AVL. “I picked Asheville for our… flight because it is easy to check in and check out,” Robert said. “If you rented a car, you can drop it off.”

Best known as The Midlife Comic, Jason Scholder is also the inventor of a yoga product called the Three Minute Egg. His curiosities take him down many roads, both literally and figuratively. Jason tells us about how travel began impacting his life at an early age, studying abroad in Ecuador, hitchhiking the entirety of Turkey, studying yoga in India and how his travels have taken him to France, Spain, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Holland, Germany, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Italy and Greece. And why comedy became a way of life for him. Funny guy! Funny show!

Since 2006, Jeff Miller and his Blue Ridge Honor Flight team has transported veterans from WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War to Washington, DC, to visit the memorials dedicated to their honor and sacrifice. On May 4, 2019, they will fly again, giving those who have served our country a chance to experience the hope, healing, and welcome home they so deserve. Learn more about this great mission, how you can get involved or how you can send a deserving veteran to DC for a day of honor. www.blueridgehonorflight.com

Each month in 2019, Dayna Reggero of The Climate Listening Project, along with guest experts, will discuss climate change and its impact on the places we love to travel and how how we can become sustainable travelers. We’re about to embark in this new transformative year of wonder and discovery. Remember, only dreams give birth to change. So let’s all dream BIG! As we move into the new year, you’ll have more opportunities to listen to experts and learn how we can find common ground and become more conscious of leaving a smaller footprint as we embark on our journeys.

Kent Wolff and his two daughters, MaryKent and Cami, have a tradition of traveling together and love it. Find out how they make time to travel often and how their time together brings them closer. The family talks about their reasons for travel and their favorite traveling experiences. Explore with them as they tell us about their favorite cities and why and how traveling inspires them.

Emily Rathmanner’s mission to build a fair trade brand with artists brought her to the Intag Region of Ecuador where she witnessed what a small group of women could do to create positive change. She's been traveling since college, about 4.5 years, and is a graphic and web designer. A recent entrepreneur, she began a business partnering with women in Ecuador to make handbags made from cactus called "Made by Minga." Find out how Emily began traveling and what led her on this mission and what she's been up to in the past year. Emily is a compassionate 27 year-old and is already making change happen that she wishes to see in the world.

Kenny Capps is a cancer patient advocate and the executive director for Throwing Bones for a Cure. In January of 2015, Kenny, an avid ultra marathon runner from Black Mountain, NC, had to stop running after being diagnosed with stage two Multiple Myeloma, which currently has no cure. Kenny tells his epic story of running the Mountains to Sea Trail in NC to raise awareness to Multiple Myeloma. "You only have so many opportunities to do something that is monumental in life," said Kenny. Find out how he made all this happen and how his team rallied to help him get there.

Sierra is the Marketing and PR Coordinator at the Asheville Regional Airport. As part of the marketing team, she helps organize AVL’s art and music programs for passengers and airport visitors.

“We invite local artists to come and play for our passengers,” she said. “It sets a nice relaxing tone for everyone.”

Highlighting local talent in the terminal allows passengers to have an immersive Asheville experience before they even leave the airport.

“Our art gallery features a lot of local artists,” Sierra said. “It allows people to get a taste of Asheville and gives them something to do while they are traveling.”

Arielle is headed home to New York and she likes to strike the balance of cute and comfortable.

“I like to get travel size makeup,” she said. “Whether it be mascara, my lashes or just some quick lip gloss. You have to look good when you travel. You don’t know who you’re going to see on the plane.”

Arielle likes the customer service she receives at AVL. “It’s very intimate,” she said. “United lets me know when things are delayed or on time. I enjoy it because the customer service is nice here. I know that I can get checked in… and go through the process pretty quickly.”

Gabriele is a PhD student from Italy studying Finance in Oklahoma. Over the past four years, he has learned a thing or two from traveling around the United States.

“I try to avoid the touristic places,” Gabriele said. “I try to walk around the city and meet locals. That’s the best way to discover a city, to feel the atmosphere. Wherever the atmosphere is right, step in those places and look around and talk to people.”

Gabriele came for a conference, but spent his free time exploring Asheville. “The few things I’ve seen here in Asheville, they’re all beautiful,” Gabriele said. Beautiful city, great people, very friendly. It was a great experience.”

Michael works for Delta Airlines at the Asheville Regional Airport. As an avid traveler with 13 years of airline experience under his belt, Michael knows the and ins and outs of travel from both sides of the counter.

“I love [working here],” Michael said. “Every day is a new day… there’s different challenges and different experiences. Meeting all types of people on a daily basis; I truly love it.”

Michael likes to leave room for spontaneity when he travels. “If you really want to enjoy some place or take it all in, don’t overpack or overthink,” he said. “We only have one life, so it makes a big difference.”

Meghan is taking an impromptu trip to Las Vegas. By checking into the amenities offered at her destination, she was able to pack as quickly as possible.

“I’m hoping that by staying at a house, it will have most of the necessities I need,” she said. “I pretty much just packed a couple pairs of clothes.”

With little time to spare, she was thankful for the flexibility and convenience of her local airport. “I like that it is conveniently located near my home, so I didn’t have to prepare too far in advance before leaving,” Meghan said. “I had plenty of time to get here, and now I’m enjoying the company in the terminal.”

Cynthia is on her way to Indiana and she has a unique way of passing time while traveling.

“[Knitting] is a really good thing to do in the airport or on the fly to entertain yourself,” Cynthia said. “You actually get something done and have something to show for… spending time waiting.”

Cynthia likes the convenience of flying out of AVL. “It’s really small and it’s easy to get through the line for security,” “It’s a lot faster than at a larger airport.”

Stephanie Pace Brown is a travel and tourism professional and director of the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority (BCTDA). Stephanie talks about how she began in the tourism industry and what travel means to her. Since travel was part of Stephanie's professional education early on, she believes travel changes with the stages of your life. She also discusses how the BCTDA promotes Asheville to visitors, and how they keep it real to connect visitors to local businesses.

Tina and Geoff Kinsey and their four boys love to travel and share their favorite family adventures. Each of the boys are named after special places and feel a connection to these places, even unseen. Over the years, they have shared their most memorable family adventures when they have pilgrimaged to the name places. Find out what it means to Bryce, Blake, Tim and Lucas to have been named after different locations that are special to their mom and dad and how they have all bonded around their travel experiences. Plus learn some great travel tips on how to create a family vacation that works for you.

Melissa Reardon, editor-in-chief of WNC Magazine and her husband Ryan Reardon, the director of the Asheville Music School, love to travel. After serious planning for a trip to Spain, they covered some epic ground, hitting nine cities in 2.5 weeks by doing three in-country flights, two car rentals, one train, and a grand finale at the Las Fallas Festival in Valencia. Find out how they did it with months of advance planning and an 11-page Google doc!

Darren Nicholson of Balsam Range and Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters tell us about what life is like as traveling musicians and break down some perceptions of what it is like on the road. Darren is the founding member of Balsam Range (2018 IBMA Entertainer of the Year) and travels the world. Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters were on a European tour to England, Scotland, Ireland, Spain, and The Netherlands this past summer and both Darren and Amanda talk about travel, food and life as a road warrior!

Since 2003, award winning journalist/photographer Mark File of RomanticAsheville.com has provided travelers the opportunity to make the most of a visit to Western North Carolina and makes a difference by contributing back to the region. Each year, RomanticAsheville.com gives back in paid and in-kind sponsorships to 200 non-profits in tourism, arts, heritage and environment. From the annual Giving Calendar fundraiser for land conservancy to special campaigns to restore trails or buy fire equipment to fight wildfires, Mark is making a difference and enriching so many. In this episode, Mark fills us in on the 2019 Giving Calendar and why land conservancies are so important. He also shares info on where we can find some great protected places to visit this winter.

In late 2015, Tess Vigeland embarked on a remarkable journey. Home now, she talks about her lessons learned, the logistics of travel, the experience of being an expat and her midlife philosophical journey. Tess visited 20 countries in two years and eight months, finishing up with her time abroad in Maldives, Australia, Brunei, Singapore, Cambodia, Indonesia and South Korea. Find out what Tess misses about her life in Bangkok and what she's enjoying now that she's back stateside.

Linda Williams is passionate about living in community and brings her communication skills from the Living in Community Network in Sarasota FL. Find out how to decide if this is your type of lifestyle, how to get started in shared housing, how to find perspective housemates, what the benefits and challenges might be, how to downsize, and where to begin exploring your path to living more in community. Linda herself winters in Sarasota and spends her Asheville summers in a series of different home sharing arrangements.

Chef and food writer James Beard said: “Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” Taking those words to heart, Katie Button and Felix Meana create food experiences to unite people. Katie & Felix are the husband and wife partners behind Katie Button Restaurants in Asheville and Cúrate Trips, the culinary travel expeditions to Spain and Portugal. An intimate conversation around the table about community, food, travel, sustainability, preservation and collaboration. Yummy!

It’s beginning to look and feel Like autumn in the mountains of Western North Carolina!And while the Great Smoky Mountains are beautiful at any time of year, there is just something magical about the seasons changing and the weather becoming crisp and cool. And if you're looking for the best of the mountains in one place, head to Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park. General Manager Mary Jaeger-Gale shares info about hiking trails, fall and winter specials, photo contests and more. Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park is located a short, lovely drive south of Asheville and you’ll find the most beautiful scenic vistas, hiking trails and rock climbing adventures. It’s truly one of the area’s most popular attractions.

Tom is off to Germany for an eight-day bike trip. Touring the country by bike leaves little room for excess when it comes to packing, and Tom understands the key is packing only the necessities. “I packed once and then I cut it in half,” Tom said. “People don’t need all that they pack.” Tom loves starting his travels at AVL. “Every chance I get I come out of Asheville because it’s small,” Tom said. “These guys actually know me. I travel a good bit, and it’s easy. Lines are almost not existent and I love the friendly mountain people.”

April and three-month-old Carter are making the trip back home to Orlando after visiting with family here in Asheville. With family in California and a six-year old at home, she knows the ins and outs of flying with kids. Traveling with a baby can be daunting, but April has some great tips for moms on the move. “We usually go to the dollar store and get a bunch of little items – they don’t even have to be toys – maybe calculators or boxes with things in them," April said. "I find the best way to keep him occupied is to have anything that he hasn’t seen before, lots of snacks, let him engage with other kids on the flight and explore.” For April, flying out AVL makes all the difference. “I love going out of small, nice airports. It makes traveling with kids so much more convenient and less stressful.”

Natalie and her family can’t wait to begin their family vacation! They're flying from the Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) to Tampa to kick off their cruise to Cozumel and the Grand Cayman Islands. Natalie’s children enjoy the perks of traveling with family. “They love traveling with their cousins,” Natalie said. AVL helps Natalie start her vacation as quickly as possible. She said, “I love that it is so close to us, and that it has direct flights.”

Dan and Jen are making their way to Phoenix, Arizona, for a family event. Both Dan and Jen travel for work and they have figured out the secrets to packing like a pro. “Pack for the security line to get in and out as quickly as you can,” Dan said. “Make sure you have liquids handy at the top of your bag… and reduce the number of electronics that you carry on with you.”

Drayton is a customer service representative for United Airlines. After working with an airline for 17 years, he knows all the tricks to traveling with ease. “Have your ID available,” Drayton said. “If you are traveling internationally, you must make sure you have your passport.” Drayton loves working at the Asheville Regional Airport. “I like the customers, working with the public and interacting with people is what I love to do most,” he said. “Some travel a lot and you get to see their faces a lot and you know them personally.”

Beth and Randy Fluharty are active hikers so taking a vacation usually includes some hiking adventures. They talk to us about why you should consider taking a hiking vacation and discuss various ways to go about it and what advantages and disadvantages might look like. Is it better to participate in an all-inclusive package or do a self-guided tour? Find out what to look for in picking a touring company and whether the tour matches your personal hiking level. Beth and Randy are a wealth of info on hiking vacations and you'll be ready to grab your backpack and get on the trail!

Kelly McEnany is Chair of the Behavioral Sciences department at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (AB Tech).

She also serves as AB Tech’s Global Education Committee Chair and Coordinator. She and her team develop global programming and encourage students to pursue the study of foreign languages and international travel. Kelly regularly presents at conferences on topics of curriculum infusion, global and local connections, and creating viable partnerships to benefit students. Find out how she and her colleagues are helping to change the way students view the world and make change happen for the better by breaking down stereotypes and opening their minds.

Hemp is one of the oldest crops and has been used for paper, textiles and fiber for thousands of years around the globe. Hemp is grown as a renewable source for raw materials and is incorporated into thousands of products. Its seeds and flowers are used in health foods, organic body care, and so much more.

Join Franny Tacy of Franny's Farm, the first woman to grow hemp in North Carolina and Dayna Reggero of The Climate Listening Project, as they explain the benefits of hemp, not only for health-related reasons, but also for the environment around the world. And find out how you can become involved in this grass-roots movement!

Gabriele Marewski is a 64 year-old adventurer who knows the difference between being fully alive and just existing. She helps us process how to let go of our fears and create the life we want to live. Gabriele began traveling in 1969! Find out how she started her adventure lifestyle, why she loves solo traveling and where she's heading next.

We are celebrating the one-year anniversary of The Gourmet Highway on Speaking of Travel and Doc Lawrence is onboard sharing a conversation about people, places, food, wine and history! Doc and I reminisce about great cities and wonderful sites and we review some of the special destinations we've visited during 50+ shows. You will learn so much about quality travel and the amazing towns and cities we all call home. thegourmethighway.com

Tracey Nesbitt, editor of Solo Traveler, an online publication and community where people who share a passion for traveling alone go for tips and advice, shares wisdom and encouragement for solo travel. She’s also the moderator of the Solo Travel Society on Facebook, a very active group of over 230,000 travelers around the world. And she has traveled solo for over 20 years! She provides useful tips on how to get started, safety and more!

Brian Biro has delivered over 1,300 presentations around the world and is one of the nation's foremost speakers and teachers of leadership, possibility thinking, thriving on change and team building and is the author of 11 books including bestseller, Beyond Success! Brian talks to us about how travel is so empowering and how staying in our comfort zones can become confinement zones. He loves people and believes in being fully present in all we do and how everyone has their own potential to have an amazing life. A great show!

Dayna Reggero of The Climate Listening Project, Rita Frost of Dogwood Alliance and Rev. Leo Woodberry of the Justice First Tour, discuss forest conservation and how to protect our connection to nature. Forests are life-sustaining. Forests provide us with the very air we breathe and clean our drinking water supply. They are our connection to nature and can help us cope with stress, fatigue and anxiety. For over 20 years, Dogwood Alliance has worked with diverse communities, partner organizations and decision-makers to protect Southern forests across 14 states.The Justice First Tour calls for a strong network of grassroots and frontline organizations working together to advance climate justice and forest protection, with a focus on 100% clean energy for 100% of the people.

Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park and Lake Lure is just a short forty-minute ride from Asheville and within the Blue Ridge Foothills of Western North Carolina. I love this place! Find out all there is to see and do with my guests from Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park, the Broad River Inn, the Esmeraldo Inn, Lake Lure Inn, and the Burntshirt Vineyards Tasting Room and Bistro. There’s all this and more as Speaking of Travel broadcasts from Chimney Rock and Lake Lure, NC.

Liquid Spark Foundation founder Julie Thorner leads small groups of women through Eastern Tibet with a mission to connect with women on the other side of the world and learn a different way of life. She began the non-profit foundation to help provide education sponsorships to Tibetan young women to go to college, as well as fund projects at the nunnery they visit based on the needs and interests of the nuns. With the help of a few tour guides in Tibet, Julie designed a tour that includes home stays with village women and nuns as well as plenty of hiking and exploring the culturally rich region of Tibet.

Asheville Van Life founder & director Micah Pulleyn explains how the van life culture is rising to stardom. Find out how people thrive in their careers while exploring the world and enjoy the freedom and flexibility of being digital nomads. Asheville Van Life operates with the principles of respect, imagination, curiosity, connection and humility. The beauty of the van life community is in its diversity and high standards of respect and personal dignity.

Drew Binsky has visited 140 countries since 2012 and brings the world to all of us. He inspires people to step out of their familiar zone and shows us we are all one with his unique videos and stories. Drew is a blogger, teacher, traveler, entrepreneur and innovator. And is well-loved by many! Drew tells us about his journey so far and how he's made a career from making travel videos online and why building an audience is so important for him. Drew is a delightful person who is making our world a better place. Someday we're going to say we knew Drew when. He's a rising star!

Grant and Megan Baird are self professed travel junkies and took a giant leap of faith when they left to travel around the world. Find out how they shook things up and changed their lives for the better. We talk about making the decision to leave comfortable careers, their home and pets, and how they prepared for this epic journey and created the freedom to find themselves.

Adriana Chavela Stamey and Ron Stamey are a husband and wife pair and lifelong entrepreneurs who founded Hola Carolina Magazine. While Adriana and Ron are business partners, they insist that couples going into business together remember to put the same investment into their own relationship. In fact, they share the same thirst for adventure and love traveling to new places just as much as they love each other.

For Eytan Elterman and Marco Bollinger, making the film 2.5%-The Osa Peninsula, was the catalyst that led them to launch Lokal Travel and work to transform the travel industry for the better. Eytan and Marco fell in love with the Osa Peninsula while filming their documentary and partnered up to form Lokal Travel in an effort to address the lack of support for local communities like in the Osa Peninsula. 

www.lokaltravel.com

Did you know spending time in nature improves your brain, reduces stress and keeps you fit? I know when I walk through the forest and climb up to a mountain overlook, it clears my head and allows me to reboot. As John Muir said, "The clearest way into the Universe is though a forest wilderness.” At home in NC’s Great Smoky Mountains, naturalist and writer George Ellison and his artist wife, Elizabeth, share their creative insights into nature and speak about inspirations and love of discovery.

Eryn Murman and Jason Hite of 5jBarrow recently took a one-year tour of the US, moving their life out of NYC and into a van, getting married, and finding out how different our culture is from town to town. They explain how busking is different in cities and towns like NYC, Asheville, New Orleans, Burlington, San Francisco, and how they witnessed their music to be an amazing tool in breaking down walls between themselves and strangers. Travel has taught Eryn and Jason to go with the flow and trust that things will fall into place.

Mark and Patrick took a trip of a lifetime to Patagonia and added challenge and excitement to their lives. They ventured outside of their bubble of protection to live this adventure to the fullest and explain how the trip unfolded and why they chose to go there. Find out why this epic journey was so worth all the effort to make it happen and the gifts they received for this incredible experience.

Mike Aiken is a musician whose love for singing, songwriting, and sailing has taken him all over the world. He talks to us about sailing the world in search of music, what it's like to view the world from the deck of a sailboat and his newest album, Wayward Troubadour. And he reminds us that no matter where you travel, there are good people everywhere!

Are you longing to get happy, kick back and have a real California beach experience? Kelly Miller, President of Visit Huntington Beach, the official destination marketing organization for Surf City, USA, (which by the way was recently ranked one of the happiest places to live), explains why Surf City's endless summer is the place for you. Kelly is a longtime travel professional who loves to road cycle throughout the OC every chance he gets!

Danielle Visco and Ryan Rabidou are entrepreneurs who took a turn leading Airstream’s Endless Caravan. Danielle and Ryan traveled to the best snowboarding spots in the US like Jackson Hole, Big Sky and Sun Valley. They left their schedule purposefully flexible to chase winter storms over the two-month journey. Find out what it’s like to take an adventure-packed winter trip living a nomadic lifestyle. With their dogs!

The Speaking of Travel Climate Listening Project Series continues with Dayna Reggero and guests Carl Chesick of the Center for Honeybee Research and Phyllis Stiles of Bee City USA. We discuss how places are working to be pollinator friendly, how climate change is impacting bees, why pollinators are important for food and biodiversity, why bee research is important and more!

Although Jane Kramer’s roots are in the traditional music of Appalachia, she tells us how traveling influences her songwriting and explains her method for tapping into the soul of each place she visits. And she sings for us too! Jane's newest album will be released this fall. www.janekramermusic.com

Bistra Hristova is a photographer who grew up in Bulgaria and has lived in the US for 20 years. Her interest in traveling is fueled by a connection to nature and a desire to explore a simpler way of life. Bistra talks to us about travel, hiking and how art is a big part of her upbringing. She also explains what it was like coming to the states and finding her true self.

I’ve lived in Western North Carolina for 40 years and had never been to MerleFest until a few weeks ago. And I'm here to tell you MerleFest is one of the most organized music events I’ve ever attended with an amazing lineup of talent. This was the 31st year and it's like a big camp for musicians and music fans held on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Imagine over 100 incredible performers on 13 stages over four days. Some highlights of MerleFest 2018 are included in the conversations I had with some of this year’s performers in their element. Enjoy!

What is Green Travel really? The Speaking of Travel Climate Listening Project Series continues with my guests Dayna Reggero and Sam Ruark-Eastes, director of the Green Built Alliance. We discuss why and how to offset travel carbon, what to look for in green travel destinations, how hotels can be greener, how Airbnb homes can be green built certified and more! Sustainable travel is about creating a positive effect on the communities you visit. A resourceful and timely conversation.

MerleFest, founded in 1988 and one of the best music festivals in the country, is an annual homecoming for musicians and music fans, held on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, NC. Learn about the history of the festival and hear from some of the top performers, including Town Mountain, The East Pointers and Nu-Blu! A fun time is always had by all so get to MerleFest!

Michele Laub believes the path of transformation is often revealed on a journey to a sacred site and she leads guided spiritual journeys to Teotihuacan, The Pyramid City in Central Mexico, the Ancient Home of the Toltecs, known as Artists of the Spirit. Michele explains the history of Teotihuacan and what happens to a traveler on a spiritual journey, the connection of don Miguel Ruiz, author of The Four Agreements, Toltec Wisdom and Teotihuacan, and how you can have an experience in Teotihuacan with a Toltec teacher.

Imagine traveling the world with your bestie who is your twin! Gregg and Ross Levoy take a month-long trip every year and they have fun stories to share! Traveling with your twin does have benefits! Gregg and Ross tell us about the advantages of traveling as twins, their hunger for novelty and why they travel for a month out of every year... (hint--because they can!) and why they love getting close to the Edge. Gregg joins us from Asheville, NC and Ross from Santa Cruz, CA.

Mary Jaeger-Gale, GM at Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park, is back in the studio with an update on all things Spring! Park Improvements, Hiking Adventures, Photo Workshops, Mother’s Day Weekend Special, Spring Break Family Fun, Earth Day, SprinGo in Chimney Rock Village and Memorial Day Weekend Family Fun! One visit will just not be enough! Photo credit: Dave Johnston

Jonna Kwiatkowski has researched and taught about the psychology of creativity and aesthetics for 22 years and recently took a sabbatical on the island of Mallorca. What she experienced is transforming. Jonna and I talk about why she took take a sabbatical and how she decided to go to Mallorca. We also talk about what it was like to live somewhere she didn’t intend to live for long and how the setting helped with her research. For more information about Jonna's research project, The Embodied Aesthetics Through Yoga, visit www.embodiedaestheticsyoga.com.

Imagine being able to meet and make new friends while learning how to cook! Liisa Andreassen and John Godts have a passion for cooking and travel and decided to combine the two. Their cooking classes are interactive and their intimate home setting makes people feel comfortable. Liisa, John and I have a lively conversation about food, traveling and how to make a living doing what you love to do!

The Speaking of Travel Climate Listening Project Series 2018 launches the year with Dayna Reggero of The Climate Listening Project. Dayna will join me in the studio and we’ll be featuring guest experts connecting climate change and travel. Today's conversation is around climate change, travel, words, poetry and an incredible journey to Scotland with Laura Hope-Gill, founder of the Asheville Wordfest Multicultural Poetry Festival.

Kim Giovacco is the founder of Veg Jaunts and Journeys, a full-service tour company specializing in travel for vegans. The good news for vegans is there are many places accommodating to your life-style! Kim explains how to travel confidently with her small group tours and discover all the exciting new vegan places sprouting up around the world.

Randy Fluharty, president of the Carolina Mountain Club in Western North Carolina, along with members Elaine Tennen and Carroll Koepplinger, loves to hike. There is so much to know about the physical, mental health and spiritual aspects of taking a good hike, and they explain why a good hike is good for us, where to go, what to wear and how to get going.

George Steinmetz loves to travel and has a restless curiosity for the unknown like remote deserts, hidden cultures and the mysteries of science and technology. He's a contributor for National Geographic and a TEDX speaker. George talks about his journey from his early years of knowing he wanted something more from life and leaving college, to hitchhiking through Africa with a borrowed camera, to developing a career where he can create projects that feed his passions. His latest passion is exploring how industrialized agriculture will meet the growing demand of food production. Join us for this impactful, inspiring and fun conversation! georgesteinmetz.com

Tebbe Davis is an artist and history geek with a Welsh lineage. His upcoming History & Mystery Tour of the Scottish Borders with Mark Nicol will uncover the history, intrigue & mysteries of the Scottish Borderlands on this exciting guided tour. Feel the thrill of standing on sacred ground where Scottish clan battles were fought, Romans once walked and ancient ceremonies were held. Mark Nicol is the driving force behind Discover Scottish Borders, with a lineage going back to the 600's in Scotland. His researching and scouting of this historic Border Region helps provide you the most informative information and will bring the history and tales to life that are almost forgotten. discoverscottishborders.com

Susan Portnoy is known for her lush photography & unique storytelling. Susan loves life-changing experiences and is out there doing what she loves ... celebrating the magic of world travel and using her award-winning photography and original storytelling to inspire us to go have adventures and make connections wherever we go! She talks to us about some of her fabulous adventures, like taking a walking polar bear safari, traversing the Amazon in Peru and chasing the northern lights!

Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park in Western NC is the best of the mountains in one place! Mary Jaeger-Gale shares updated info about new hiking trails, winter specials, seasonal photo contests and more! The Naturalist Niche series, special guided hikes, are offered each month, March – December. You can start signing up to participate now. They also have winter specials at the Old Rock Café where you will find historical photos of the Rock. There's so much to see and do, one visit will not be enough!

Wouldn't you love to come away from your vacation refreshed and re-charged and remember your vacation as a fulfilling experience and a great time of true happiness? Nina Zapala's new book helps travelers plan vacations in a way that caters to their specific needs and desires. Nina explains how her book provides a personalized travel blueprint designed to reduce stress triggers and help you plan a vacation with the goal of returning renewed, more creative and happier.

Buongiorno! Thinking about Italy? Mark Gordon Smith founded Private Italy Tours in 2003 and has traveled across Italy for over 35 years and is the author of several books about his experiences of traveling in Italy. The heart and soul of Private Italy Tours is Mark’s unwavering commitment to providing unique and unforgettable experiences to his clients. Find out the best ways to travel around this amazing country!

Dale Stewart is a naturalist, an explorer and a savvy traveler. He explains why taking a microadventure and stepping out of your comfort zone is an excellent way to get more travel into your life!

Larry Pearlman is a spiritual being who loves life and adventure! When a youngster, his dad piled the kids in the car traveling to unknown places leading Larry to have his own amazing journey. Although he spent most of his first 22 years in NJ and 30 years in Arizona, he has traveled to all 50 states, four continents and 16 countries.

In the past five years, his bumper sticker has been, "Not all who wander are lost" as he has not had a real address until just last July. Larry welcomes the call of Spirit to take him to places far and near!

Angie and Nelson Stegall made a total life transformation and spent six years downsizing from two houses to a 38' motor home, finding satisfaction in travel, writing, and photography. They tell us about how their Grand Canyon adventure in 2013 helped them realize they wanted to radically change how they were living and how they spent six years downsizing. Angie's recent book "Make Some Room" and Nelson's photography inspire people to appreciate and preserve our natural spaces and encourages people to get out of their comfort zone, see more and do more, with less.

How is climate change impacting places we love to travel? Places people also call home. How can birders, travelers, communities and each of us as individuals work together for real solutions for the places we love? This birding ecotourism episode with Dayna Reggero of The Climate Listening Project and guests Kim Brand of Audubon North Carolina and Tom Tribble of Elisha Mitchell Audubon Society opens our eyes about the Wood Thrush migration and how migratory birds are a climate change connector.

"Everything you carry should be light" became Evans Prater's personal mantra, a way of living after he hiked the entire Appalachian Trail. It was the first design he made and sold on stickers around Western North Carolina. And then he began to see how a company that celebrated the wonder of our world could really exist. And thus began Mount Inspiration Apparel Co. His words and stories are inspiring and real. A must listen!

Imagine what it would be like to actually go in and improve lives around the world, advance leadership skills and help increase global stability. Robertson Work is an international development practitioner and worked in over 50 countries conducting community, organizational and leadership initiatives. He shares how to become a mindful activist. His recent book is "A Compassionate Civilization: the Urgency of Sustainable Development and Mindful Activism - Reflections and Recommendations."

Michele Zehr had a vision that came to her as she was completing her hike of the entire Appalachian Trail. She is a veteran, an adventurer and the visionary behind We2. Michele empowers women and always pursues those things that speak to her heart, despite hearing time and time again that she "should" consider something else. She also formed a non-profit, the Center for Earth-Based Healing, offering trauma-informed ecotherapy programs for survivors of sexual and domestic violence. In other words... She ROCKS!!

We are continuing our Speaking of Travel Climate Listening Project Series with Dayna Reggero of the Climate Listening Project and Laura Lengnick of Cultivating Resilience. On this episode, they discuss climate change and travel and how scientists, farmers & consumers work together to cultivate resilience.

Travel+SocialGood is a nonprofit global community of travel professionals. Executive Director Kelley Louise explains how we can take action today to build the travel industry of the future. She tells us that in order to build a better travel industry, we must move sustainable tourism from niche to mainstream. And in order to shift this mindset, the best place to start isn’t while we’re traveling, it’s actually at home. Sustainability is a lifestyle.

J.R. Harris has an insatiable curiosity, a restless soul and a love of adventure. His experiences and many stories are recounted in his new book, "Way Out There, Adventures of a Wilderness Trekker." J.R. offers us hope that embracing curiosity can lead to a whole new way to live life and view the world! And sometimes what keeps us from leading a rich life where we fully realize our potential to soar is just holding back.

TBEX is the world's largest gathering of travel bloggers and other social media travel industry pros. CEO Rick Calvert shares how TBEX began and why it is the most talked about event in the industry.

Diann Schindler went from being a homeowner in Florida to a woman traveling the world with only enough to fit in a medium-sized suitcase, a guitar and her laptop. She’s an author and an adventurer. Her transformation continues to morph into more independence and a greater acceptance that her spirit needs to be free! How did she do it and why?

A wonderful and enlightening conversation with Layne Hanson of Semester at Sea, an academic program that allows students to travel, grow, explore, learn and build a community of global minded people.

www.semesteratsea.org

Join guests Dayna Reggero of the Climate Listening Project, meteorologist and science storyteller Paula Hennon of ScienceTango and Kathi Petersen of Climate City's The Collider as they discuss how climate change is impacting places we love to travel and the places people call home. Find out how scientists, media, businesses, organizations, communities and each of us as individuals can work together for real solutions for the places we love.

Welcome to Martha's Vineyard! Join Speaking of Travel's host Marilyn Ball and Nancy Gardella, Executive Director of the Martha's Vineyard Chamber of Commerce & Tourism, and find out why so many fall in love with this magical and special island off Cape Cod and why it remains one of the most popular and picturesque destinations in New England.

You can experience the world in an easy, hassle-free way with Small Footprint Travels. Benjamin Porter shares why traveling with a small group is so special and provides some great travel tips too.

smallfootprinttravels.com

Greg Shapiro, author of 12 Hours in Havana, tells us how travel impacts his life choices and how he looks at the world. His early experiences, including a cruise to Alaska in 8th grade and a birthright to Israel trip, began a love of traveling. Greg took a a semester off during college for a 3-month group backpacking trip through Bolivia and Peru and was a guide on the first cruise to Cuba from the U.S. in 50 years and has led many tours in Havana. A must listen!

A family road trip is a great way to have fun and create memories. And my guests today are here to tell us about how they make the road trip journey the adventure and why you should consider a road trip for your next family vacation! For the Kunst family, road tripping is a tradition and reached epic proportions when their oldest daughter sat in the driver’s seat on their latest cross-country trip. They still like each other!

Vero Beach is an unspoiled beach paradise! Their motto, “Sunrises, not High-Rises,” is a promise to everyone who visits this 26-mile paradise on Florida’s east coast. Joining me on Speaking of Travel to tell us all about a different kind of Florida is Allison McNeal, Director of Tourism for the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce and Amanda Aucoin, Director of Sales and Marketing for the Costa d’Este Beach Resort & Spa. Let's all meet at Vero Beach!

Doc Lawrence of Down South Today shares colorful insights and a deep history of tailgating. There are countless folks out there showcasing food and beverages with a genuine hospitality to celebrate! Tailgating Down South is first and foremost about travel, with over 30 cities covering the entire South plus Penn., Mass., NY, Ind., Missouri and Texas.

Rick Fornoff is addicted to travel, traveling to 14 countries and every state except Montana and South Dakota. Based on his experiences, he provides some useful tips and resources for travel planning, including couch surfing ideas, the pros and cons of taking a fixed tour vs planning your own, and so much more!

You know South Africa is on your bucket list, so why wait? Get planning with Outdoor Africa, a custom photographic safari & adventure company. Toby Brown tells us what we need to know to get going!

In 2015, Tess Vigeland left most everything and bought a one-way ticket abroad to see what life was like away from all she knew. Tess has learned a lot in the last 2+ years spent traveling throughout SE Asia and beyond. She has learned about herself, about traveling, and about the world in general. Some of the things she's learned are funny, others have a deeper meaning and helped Tess put her life into perspective. Closing in on 20 countries later, she has many learned life-lessons to share.

On this episode of Speaking of Travel, we catch up with Tess Vigeland, an expat journalist living in Bangkok. Tess talks about her past 18 months of travel, the joy of loving a place for what it is, and how people are people everywhere she goes. In late 2015, Tess left pretty much everything in her life and bought a one-way ticket abroad to see what life was like away from all that she knew. Follow her story as she finds adventure and happiness in her new life of travel.

My guest today, Tess Vigeland, is indeed living her life fully! In fact, day after day she’s challenging herself with new adventures. She is definitely NOT postponing joy! Tess Vigeland is now exploring an entirely new life, and she has absolutely NO IDEA where it’s going to take her. On her Face Book page, Tess describes herself as a journalist, author, and a wanderer at Wherever I Happen To Be Now!

My guest today, Tess Vigeland, is about to feel some changes. In just a few weeks, she’s setting off on an open-ended journey to explore the world. She’s putting all her stuff in storage, and leaving her old life behind to begin a new chapter. Tess was a longtime host with public radio’s Marketplace, and then walked away from a dream job a few year’s ago and has since been moving beyond the predictable boundaries of her comfort zone and testing the waters outside.

She’s a woman in motion and I’m thrilled to have her on the show today!

Talking about Narrative 4, students and teachers from Swain County High School discuss how bringing people together to hear one another’s stories helps create empathy and understanding.

Dayna Reggero of The Climate Listening Project and The Story We Want, is a savvy, smart woman who is making an impact in helping us understand what climate change means to real people through real stories. She has traveled to work, study and explore all over the world as a filmmaker and storyteller for the environment for 20 years. Learn how we can all participate in helping connect people globally and right in your own backyard!

Nestled in 33 acres of beautiful landscape surrounded by the Appalachian mountains of Western North Carolina, Farmer Franny inspires, educates & entertains at Franny’s Farm. And she grows hemp too! A wonderful conversation with Franny! Yoga with goats? Yes!

J.C.Geiger, a Wildman himself, embarked on a 4,300-mile interactive cross country road trip in the ’93 Buick that inspired his novel, Wildman, and raised funds for America’s libraries. He MADE IT! Travel has continued to play a major role in his life, and everything in his author bio is true!

jcgeiger.com

Want to have an adventure in Cuba? Travel with Jenny Cressman, the creator of JennicaCuba.com. Based in Ontario, Canada, Jenny talks to us about what's new around travel to Cuba and how Americans can travel with her. And she has some great tours coming up!

Visit www.jennicacuba.com

A family vacation to Poland, Prague and Germany left Bruce, Leslie and their teenage son Malcolm with many life-changing and impactful moments. Their shared memories of honoring the survivors of Europe’s past will last forever. An impactful, and uplifting, conversation.

Unfortunately, there is this perception – especially among Americans – that travel is some huge undertaking and incredibly expensive. Well, it can be, if you choose to make it that way. But travel can be affordable, if you plan for it and prioritize it in your life.

Jaime Byrd and Adam Cohen have made travel a priority. They’re here to talk to us about how they saved money to travel and how it's actually been less expensive for them to travel as nomads then it is living in the states.

My guests, Marla Tambellini, Paul Schattel and Stephanie Carson, tell us all about Iceland... The beautiful people, the amazing geography and landscapes, soaking in the hot pools and so much more. If you've ever dreamed of a trip to Iceland, tune in... this is one place that will move to the top of your bucket list!

Tamara Lee stepped out of her familiar zone to begin a path of self-discovery, which includes travel. She recently reignited her spark for adventure after spending a month in Fiji and New Zealand. Find out how you can plan your dream trip too!

"Birding is popular due in part to its simplicity," says Simon Thompson of Ventures Birding Tours. He leads small groups of naturalists and birders on trips in the US and throughout the world. Destinations include the Peruvian Amazon, Belize, Galapagos, Greece, France, England and Australia. Ventures also runs daytrips throughout North and South Carolina and offers weekends and longer trips to many of the top birding sites throughout the US. Birding... you just have to listen.

Once a high school geek, Jon Levy is now a world-traveling behavior scientist and author of “The 2AM Principle,” which combines life-changing lessons with concrete science to show how to live more fully. Jon’s reputation as one of the foremost authorities on adventure is EPIC!

Elizabeth Blair, a senior radio producer and reporter, travels for her work and loves to travel just for fun. She once lived in Paris and co-produced Le Jazz Club From Paris with Dee Dee Bridgewater.

-Whitney Biennial, New York through June 11 www.npr.org/2017/03/18/520254685/from-striking-photos-to-surprising-stained-glass-a-wide-ranging-whitney-biennial

-Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Rooms www.npr.org/2017/03/01/516659735/priestess-of-polka-dots-yayoi-kusama-gives-gallerygoers-a-taste-of-infinity

Kathy Triplett tells us how experiencing places you’ve never been impacts your worldview and changes the way you view humanity. She discusses her latest trip to Iran and the warm hospitality and friendliness of the Persians!

In 1991, Billy and Akaisha Kaderli retired at the age of 38 and took off for travels unknown. Today they are recognized retirement experts and internationally published authors. In our conversation, they talk about their travel lifestyle and how they have made it work over all these years. Learn from their wisdom and experience!

RetireEarlyLifestyle.com

Mandy Lea has an insatiable desire to explore and document the beauty all around us through photography. She left her day job to pursue freelance photography, and she lives on the road out of her teardrop camper, and is following her dream!

Mandy says: Don't Wait • Be Brave • Be Grateful • Love Our Planet • Love Each Other • Love Yourself!

www.mandyleaphoto.com

Dustin Berra understands the world isn’t fully explored and never will be. So he’s off exploring the less explored, exotic, physically challenging, and largely unknown places of the world.

Sarah Benoit, co-founder at the JB Media Institute, recalls memories of happiness from her travels and how each journey contributes to her confidence, joy and contentment long after the trip is over.

Sarah Jane Wilson went off traveling in 2002 and never looked back! She talks about traveling solo as a woman, meeting so many special and kind people everywhere she went and the impact of traveling around the world.

Gaby Kristensen spent 16 years working in the UK as a pilot. But she sold all her belongings, quit her job and with “Fox,” her BMW motorcycle, she hit the road looking to venture into new horizons.