Travel Connections

Today's episode is a two-for-one! I am introducing you to the man behind the mixing board of this podcast, Erik Hulslander. With his expertise, every episode sounds professional and fantastic! We will take you behind the scenes of Travel Connections and how Erik, my audio engineer, is an active global traveler and marathon runner. He loves to see the world on foot, 26.2 mil...

Did you know that our debut episode for Travel Connections was published on October 1, 2021? We have created 17 episodes thus far! I am so thrilled that I joined this new platform. Have you listened yet?

I love talking with other people in the travel space. The podcast gives me a unique opportunity to go even further inside of a tour or a destination and into the ...

Does the idea of a culinary tour sound enticing? Since 1990, International Culinary Tours has been one of the premier boutique tour operators specializing in culinary, wine, and cooking tours to Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, and Morocco. They have also expanded their tours to include ones with ...

In Part Three of my special three-part series of Whidbey Island, WA, I have a wonderful conversation with Holly and David Price. The couple moved from Seattle to Whidbey 28 years ago, and they built their dream home on five acres on the South end of the island. David has developed his career as a painter, showing in galleries in California, Oregon, Arizona, and Seattle. 

His encaustic paintings are ...

In Part Two of my special three-part series of Whidbey Island, WA, I have a fantastic conversation with restaurateur and business owner Jenn Jurriaans.  

She takes us through her early connections growing up visiting Whidbey Island as a child to their exciting beginnings creating their restaurant Prima Bistro. Prima Bistro is a Northwest Bistro inspired by French Classics located in Langley on Whidbey Island. They offer an impressi...

On each episode of Travel Connections, I ask each guest: “Travel Connections is about the deeper connections we make when we travel. I would love to hear about special trips and connections or personal travel stories that have made an impact."  So this introduction to Whidbey is my travel...

January 2022 is the perfect beginning to create better health! We all need good health for travel and just for living each day. My special guest Eddie Stone, CEO of Touchstone Essentials, is a health industry expert, someone I trust, and a good friend for many years!

I am confident that the more information we gather about our health, the better, and if we're all hoping to tr...

As an Italian food lover, today's episode was extra delightful for me as I interviewed executive chef Michael Lombardi of SRV Boston. We met while traveling to Italy on tour with Oldways in Northern Italy. 

Although he earned his degree in business, his travels to Europe to study Italian cuisine helped pave the way for an illustrious restaurant career in Paris, Italy, New York, and Boston.

Food is family, and Michael's Ital...

Have you ever thought about walking the Camino De Santiago in Spain? Are you familiar with this intriguing challenge? Every year thousands of adventurers from around the world, walk part or all of this ancient pilgrimage 500+ miles across Spain. Travelers are drawn to this journey for their own reasons, and author Meg S. Maloney shares her incredible and insightful adventure in her book Slow Your Roll, Ruminations and Reflectio...

Suzy Mighell is a Dallas-based influencer and the personality and content creator behind the popular blog and lifestyle brand Empty Nest Blessed. 

EmptyNestBlessed.com is where Suzy shares everything from fashion and beauty to travel, wellness, parenting, and more! Known for her joyful spirit, she shares her life with her followers while creating content to encourage and inspire them.

Suzy has collaborated with brands including Nor...

Hey travelers, Welcome to Episode, lucky number 7. This is a super exciting episode for me! I absolutely love to read, and travel has provided me with the perfect excuse for keeping my nose in a book. I read books made of paper as well as read electronically on my iPad. I am not the one who is downloading and binging on the latest Netflix series. No, I am deliriously happy to sit and read for hours on the plane, guilt-free.

The hol...

I have just returned from a glorious 16 day trip to Italy. It was so important to me to share my adventures with you and tell you the truth of what it's like to travel now in 2021.

In this episode, you will find current and practical information for a trip to Europe. Protocols and rules may change, but this will give you some great info regarding Passenger Locator Forms and my experience with COVID tests.

Wow, did I have an exciting and fun-filled discussion with Laura. Let me introduce you!

Laura Fernandez is a trailblazer in the audio space, which led her to her current position as SXM Media's Travel + Tourism VP-Head of Industry.

Her work has focused on developing media solutions that connect travel brands with their target consumers in innovative ways using the p...

Sara Baer-Sinnott is President of Oldways and it is a nonprofit food and nutrition organization helping people live healthier, happier lives, through cultural food, traditions and lifestyles. She has been an instrumental figure at Oldways since its early days, joining the staff in 1992.

Oldways was created to preserve and promote traditional foods and traditional ways of eating. The founder Dun Gifford, through travel had found tha...

Coleen Kirnan is the host and owner of Tuscan Women Cook. Suzanne enjoyed the tour four years ago and had an incredible time there learning to cook the most delicious Italian dishes.

Imagine having a best friend in Tuscany, who knows all the best places to cook, to dine, and to shop. She is on a first-name basis with the best gelato makers and has exclusive access to the most spectacular vineyards where they'll create personal ...

In this solo episode about the transformative powers of travel, Suzanne shares how her first trip abroad as a UCLA college coed fueled her passion for travel, why she created Travel Connections, and what you can expect to hear in the coming episodes.

How did she manage to see The Rolling Stones with tens of thousands of Austrians in a football stadium outside of Vienna? This life-changing moment was part of this European tour she t...