Just Travel with Sandy

Meet Monica Walls: Founder of Keca's Usna, a Croatian Heritage Beauty Brand Monica Walls spent years as an HR executive in Silicon Valley, leading with purpose in the boardroom and showing up just as much outside of it, volunteering at food drives and walk-a-thons along the way. Her Croatian roots and love of travel eventually pulled her in a new direction, and she founded Keca's Usna, a lip color...

Ever come home from a trip needing a vacation from your vacation? In this episode I sit down with California licensed psychotherapist Kim McLaughlin, author of Feed Your Soul, Nourish Your Life, to talk about why so many of us can't actually relax when we get away, and what to do about it. We get into setting real boundaries with work while you travel, why food routines matter more than people thi...

What happens when your family history spans Russia, China, Japan, Hawaii, and the United States? In this personal episode of Just Travel with Sandy, Sandy shares the fascinating global story of her family and the discoveries she has made while exploring her roots. Her Russian grandmother, her father Solomon Raphael Colling—born in Shanghai in 1919 and raised in Tientsin (now Tianjin), China—and hi...

Karen Gershowitz left home at seventeen, flew to Europe alone, and didn't come back for three years. That was the beginning of a life built entirely around travel. She has since visited more than 90 countries, climbed Kilimanjaro, witnessed Berlin shortly after the Wall came down, and collected stories, friendships, and meals in places most people only dream about. She studied ceramics in college...

Meredith Brace Sloss spent 15 years building content for Netflix, Disney, Lucasfilm, Apple, and the British Film Commission. Three weeks after returning from maternity leave, she was laid off, and instead of retreating, she built something entirely her own. She is the founder of Wanderous, a travel beauty platform that matches your skincare and haircare to the climate of your destination. She is a...

Amy Graves has traveled to some of France's most beautiful corners, including the fairytale towns of Colmar and Strasbourg in the Alsace region. But beyond the cobblestone streets and Christmas markets, Amy noticed something: food in Europe just feels different. And that is exactly what she has dedicated her career to unpacking. As a food educator, published author, and founder of Hidden Consumers...

Liv had already visited 40 countries by the time she was 30. But it was one trip to South Africa that changed everything. Twenty years and countless journeys later, South Africa is now home, and there is still so much left to discover. As a bespoke travel curator based in Cape Town, Liv designs effortless, mid to high-end South African experiences for busy, high-performing women. Her approach is v...

Charlie Clarey spent two decades leading multi-million-pound marketing projects for global brands including Coca-Cola, Cadbury, Disney, and Samsung. Then she made a decision a lot of women in midlife are making: she walked away from corporate life and built something entirely on her own terms. Charlie has taken that freedom literally, including a house swap from London to San Francisco, proof that...

Sustainable travel tips, regenerative tourism, and why slow travel matters. ICF-certified travel coach Courtney Rosiak-Quinto joins Sandy Colling for an honest conversation about conscious travel and real impact. The travel content flooding your feed every day is curated, filtered, and often missing the full story. And the consequences for destinations, communities, and environments are real. In t...

From COO to the Trail: Building Community for Women in Midlife with Nechumah Getz Nechumah Getz spent over 25 years leading complex organizations in the corporate and nonprofit sectors, most recently as Chief Operating Officer at Greenpeace and American Forests. Then life threw her a curveball — laid off twice in two years, both times due to leadership changes outside her control. Instead of chasi...

What if the most powerful travel experiences weren't the ones everyone talks about, but the ones most people never find? In this episode, Sandy sits down with Abigail Vacca, writer, storyteller, and host of the Global Treasures Podcast, to talk about UNESCO World Heritage Sites and why they deserve a spot on every traveler's list. Abigail shares her favorite sites, the stories that make them unfor...

About Jackie Cote Jackie Cote is a Freedom Mentor, International Speaker, Bestselling Author, and full-time RV Adventurist. As the founder of Jackie Cote Coaching, she helps ambitious women simplify their lives, ditch the noise, and build lives overflowing with time, money, freedom, and love. A proud Jersey girl, Jackie spent 30 years leading in the restaurant industry mentoring hundreds of people...

In this episode, I am joined by Jen Parlin, founder of For the Love of Greece, a Greece-focused travel consulting company inspired by her deep connection to the country and years of exploration. Jen works one-on-one with travelers who want to experience Greece in a way that feels intentional, authentic, and well supported. With a background in sustainability, fair trade, and hospitality, she belie...

In this episode, I’m joined by Charisse Pierce, a Master Certified Professional Coach and founder of Cordison Consulting. We talk about what it looks like when life appears successful on the outside but feels misaligned on the inside, how early signs of being out of rhythm often show up quietly, and why balance needs to be compassionate and season-aware. We also explore how stepping away from the...

In this episode, I’m joined by Lisa Allen, founder of EverFar, a sustainable travel essentials brand created for travelers who want to explore the world thoughtfully, without excess, waste, or overwhelm. EverFar was born from Lisa’s own experience trying to stay low-waste while traveling. After years working as a creative project manager in the consumer packaged goods industry, she saw firsthand h...

A grounded, reflective episode on how intentional travel can quietly change who you are and why the space before 2026 begins is the best time to protect time for it. The conversation focuses less on bucket lists and more on using even one well planned trip as a reset for your nervous system, perspective, and identity. Travel breaks everyday autopilot and forces presence, which naturally creates gr...

In this episode, we sit down with Aly Breathe, a Business & Mindset Mentor known for helping high-achieving women redefine who they are before refining what they do. If you’re navigating a career shift, craving clarity, or searching for a more aligned path in leadership, this conversation offers powerful, grounded guidance. Aly shares her journey of immigrating alone at 22, rebuilding her identity...

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Kristin Foust, the heart behind Foust Family Travel, where she and her husband Jason help families create smoother, more joy-filled vacations. Kristin holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commercial Recreation and Tourism and has spent years exploring cultures across the world. As a mom of three energetic boys, she learned firsthand what so many families face: the travel...

Why do so many of us default to familiar trips like Disney — even when our hearts crave something more? In this episode, Sandy shares her honest reflections on family vacations, the quiet fears that hold travelers back, and what it really means to explore the world with confidence and calm. Discover how to create travel experiences that feel richer, more personal, and deeply fulfilling — no magic...

Travel is more than a destination, it’s a doorway to who we become. Join Sandy Colling and guest Ana Oliveira, a journey curator known for The Speakeasy Experience, as they explore creativity, culture, and the art of meaningful connection through travel.

Welcome back to Just Travel with Sandy! 🌍 I’m Sandy—travel advisor, world explorer, and author of The Travel Lounge Life. I help busy professional women 50+ create journeys that go far beyond a vacation. Because travel isn’t just about where you go—it’s about who you become. ✨ My guest today is Noemi Beres, a true citizen of the world. She’s traveled widely and now makes her home in Cyprus, wher...

Welcome back to Just Travel with Sandy! 🌍 I’m Sandy—travel advisor, world explorer, and author of The Travel Lounge Life. I help busy professional women 50+ create journeys that go far beyond a vacation. Because travel isn’t just about where you go—it’s about who you become. ✨ In this episode, I sit down with Amy Keats, founder of Kefi Tours After 30+ years in New York’s textile business, Amy tu...

Join Sandy, travel advisor and author of The Travel Lounge Life 📖 Get the book here , as she sits down with Julie Marx, founder of China Expat Spouse , for a journey beyond the typical tourist path. 🌏 In this episode, you’ll discover a breathtaking, little-known region of China filled with stunning landscapes, vibrant minority cultures, and traditions most travelers never experience. ✨ What you...

Join me as I sit down with Ustad Nawab Khan, 9th-generation classical musician, Santoor master, and founder of Raaga Science—a transformational music and healing festival held in Jodhpur, India. In this episode, we explore: What is Raaga Science and how it supports emotional and spiritual healing The power of the Santoor and Indian classical music Behind the scenes of our upcoming India 2026 group...

This week, we’re joined by Michelle Gruening — ✨ Personal Development Coach, Leadership Trainer, and author of Stop Doom Scrolling. After 20 years climbing the corporate ladder 🧗‍♀️, Michelle realized she was building someone else’s dream. So she stopped making excuses, got real with herself, and built her own. 💥 From summiting Mount Kilimanjaro 🏔️ to helping others create meaningful change, Mi...