Speaking of Travel® With Marilyn Ball

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 th...

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 j...

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 Trac...

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 b...

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 Whitti...

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 work...

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 Gre...

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...

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 a...

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 aw...

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 sel...

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 effor...

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 apprecia...

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 A...

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 b...

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...

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 w...

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 transformatio...

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...

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 prof...

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 a...

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...

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 tr...

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 co...

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...