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 experience the world in a way that honors people, place, and planet.

These are journeys that go beyond sightseeing, inviting travelers to listen, learn, and contribute in ways that are ethical, impactful, and deeply personal.

If you believe travel should enrich lives, protect cultures, and leave a positive legacy behind, this episode will resonate deeply.

Tune in and discover how travel, when done with intention, has the power to transform the world, one journey at a time. 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.

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 spirit, Elizabeth reflects on how landscapes mirror our private truths, how displacement can open doors we didn’t know were locked, and how surrendering control in the creative process can make a story sing with honesty.

For anyone who loves travel, transformation, and the quiet magic of being reshaped by the world, this conversation with Elizabeth Birkelund is a luminous journey and one you won’t want to miss.

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.

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 than career paths. And be sure to check out his podcast, Go And Find Out.

If you’ve ever felt the tug to break the script, color outside the lines, or simply see what happens when you stop knowing what happens next, this conversation will nudge you toward a little more courage, curiosity, and wonder, one step, one story, and one hitchhiked ride at a time.

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.

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 more savvy traveler.

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 into his memoir, Landings in America, turning fleeting moments into lasting stories.

If you love vintage aircraft, soul-stirring landscapes, or the art of savoring the journey, this conversation is your boarding pass to enchantment.

Tune in, settle in, and let this gentle adventure remind you that sometimes the best way to explore the world… is to float through it slowly.

Let's Fly Away! 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.

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. 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.

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, clarity, or a chance to reconnect with your true self, this conversation will remind you that transformation begins the moment you choose to listen.

A beautiful, restorative listen, 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.

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 listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.