Speaking Of Travel ®

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

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, an

The Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) is more than a place to catch a flight. This airport is a special part of our community, our economy, and our lives. Every day, neighbors, friends, and family work behind the scenes to keep the airport running smoothly, connecting Western North Carolina to the world while staying grounded in the values of the people who call this place home.AVL knows that being part of the community is essential to its future. Innovation, intentional design, and human connection aren’t just buzzwords here. They’re how the airport ensures its neighbors, coworkers, and travelers are cared for, respected, and valued.On this episode of Speaking of Travel, Angi Daus, Vice President of Air Service and Corporate Communications, shares how AVL builds service from the inside out: “Every decision we make is about creating an experience that feels authentically Western North Carolina by being efficient, welcoming, and deeply human."At AVL, passengers are never just numbers. By prioritizing peopl

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 you

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 closel

This episode of Speaking of Travel 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

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 shar

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 e

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 spiri

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

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 mo

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 int

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. Onl

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, cl

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 list

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.

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 harmo

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 mu

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 where

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.