Speaking of Travel® With Marilyn Ball

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." Discov...

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 th...

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 ab...

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 nee...

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...

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 Time...

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 movi...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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.   Thanks...

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 migh...

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 l...

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-...

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 Wa...

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 moun...

Neale Bayly has a lifetime of storytelling adventures and travelled 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 motorcycl...

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 remot...

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!  Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel ! Visit speakingoftravel.net for...

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...

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 wi...

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...

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 bo...

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...