I talk with Dr. Gina Paige, co-founder of African Ancestry, a DNA company that traces African lineages using genetics. She travels the world helping people of African descent demystify their roots so that they may better understand who they are by knowing where they’re from. Gina shares what sparked her love of travel, what led her to co-found African Ancestry, and how their company is different. She also talks about their curated "family reunion" heritage trips, and how one African country is n...
Mar 04, 2022•38 min•Season 4Ep. 66
I talk with Dr. Antoinette Harrell, renowned community activist, genealogist and historian specializing in African American History in Louisiana. For the past two decades she has researched peonage and modern day slavery across sixteen states. This work was featured in the VICE documentary, The Slavery Detective of the South. Antoinette shares what led her to genealogy, how travel became intertwined with her family history research, and how she began helping others uncover their roots. She also ...
Feb 18, 2022•43 min•Season 4Ep. 65
I talk with Kelly McCoy, a Seattle-based travel product developer and consultant specializing in cultural heritage and adventure tourism. She loves researching and illuminating little-known history in special places, and bridging the past with the present. Kelly shares what sparked her love of travel, her experiences traveling to African countries, and what led her to work in tourism. She also talks about upcoming travel projects highlighting Black history, her recent research trip to Charleston...
Feb 04, 2022•33 min•Season 4Ep. 64
In this episode I talk with Joy Barnett, copywriter and solo road tripper based in Austin, Texas. So far she has driven over 6000 miles, primarily going to U.S. destinations that are important to Black history. Joy shares what sparked her love of travel, why she started road tripping solo, and about some of the places she's visited. She also shares how travel can offer space for healing, why she focuses on Black history, and her top road trip tips – particularly for women traveling solo. You can...
Jan 21, 2022•42 min•Season 4Ep. 63
In this episode, I talk with Nikki Vargas, a travel editor, author, video producer and public speaker based in New York City. She is the Founding Editor and Co-Founder of Unearth Women, a unique publication that celebrates travel and women’s stories. Nikki is also an editor for Fodor's Travel, and her bylines have appeared in VICE, Food & Wine, Roads & Kingdoms, Cosmopolitan, and more. Nikki shares what sparked her love of travel, what led her to become a travel writer and editor, why he...
Jan 07, 2022•37 min•Season 4Ep. 62
In this episode I talk to returning guest Mickela Mallozzi, Emmy award-winning host and Executive Producer of Bare Feet, a travel series highlighting the diversity of dance which airs on PBS and Amazon Prime Video. Mickela shares why she devoted an entire season of her show to DNA travel, about a few of her favorite episodes from that season, and what it was like to travel to the places her ancestors are from. She also talks about her upcoming new season, and her travel plans for 2022 - includin...
Dec 17, 2021•43 min•Season 4Ep. 61
In this episode I talk with Terrell Lozada, an American visual artist living in Paris since 2018. She uses imagery and language to create works that explore the metaphysics of gender and power in contemporary society. Terrell shares what sparked her love of travel, what led to her decision to move to Paris, and how she was able to make it happen. She also talks about what it’s been like living in France during the pandemic, and offers tips for those interested in experiencing Paris long term. Yo...
Dec 03, 2021•30 min•Season 4Ep. 60
In this episode I talk with D’mitra Smith, a talented musician and singer for multiple bands including Static People and Ex’s with Benefits. She’s also an activist who has worked with a long list of civil rights organizations, and is the former Chair of the Sonoma County Commission on Human Rights. D’mitra shares about early transformative experiences abroad, the intersection of travel and human rights, and traveling while Black. She also shares why she decided to move to France, some lesser kno...
Nov 19, 2021•36 min•Season 4Ep. 59
In this episode I talk with Nisreene Atassi, Senior Director of Global Communications at Expedia, and host of the Expedia podcast, Out Travel the System. Nisreene shares what sparked her love of travel, how she ended up living in Dubai, information about the Out Travel the System podcast and much more. She also talks about why she values and encourages heritage travel, and shares resources and tips to help you successfully navigate travel during a pandemic. You can learn more about Nisreene Atas...
Nov 05, 2021•39 min•Season 4Ep. 58
Although I planned to end the Globetrotter Lounge podcast at the end of last year, some personal events over the last year inspired me to produce one more, final season. I share what led me to that decision, and give a preview of upcoming guests and topics. I also announce my new podcast project, Traveling My Roots, which will document my travels to where my adoptive and biological ancestors are from. Along the way I will explore Black history, the immigrant experience, the complexities of adopt...
Oct 22, 2021•25 min•Season 4Ep. 57
For the final episode of Season 3, I talk with Deesha Dyer, former White House Social Secretary and co-founder of beGirl.world, an organization that empowers Black teen girls through global education and travel. She is also the Founder and CEO of Hook & Fasten, a social impact agency that builds transformational partnerships between communities and corporations. Deesha shares what sparked her love of travel, how she ended up in the White House, and her experiences traveling with the Obamas. ...
Oct 09, 2020•55 min•Season 3Ep. 56
Meet traveler, friend and former colleague Robin Little Wing Sigo, a member of the Suquamish Tribe. Her community is located near Seattle, in fact the city itself was named after famous Suquamish leader Chief Seattle. Robin is Director of the Suquamish Foundation, sits on Tribal Council, and travels frequently to represent her community. Robin talks about her childhood, what led her into political work and travel, about the annual Tribal Canoe Journeys and more. She also shares about her interna...
Sep 25, 2020•1 hr•Season 3Ep. 55
I talk with Kim Haas, Executive Producer, host and creator of the new PBS travel series Afro-Latino Travels with Kim Haas. The series celebrates the historical and cultural contributions of Latin America’s African descendants in countries like Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and Mexico. Kim talks about what sparked her love of travel and languages, her work in Spanish media, and what led her to create the show. She also shares how she overcame funding challenges, how she’s n...
Sep 11, 2020•44 min•Season 3Ep. 54
Meet Sierra Redmond, military spouse and creator of the Daily Impressions Lifestyle blog. She created her blog to encourage military families to travel and explore from wherever they are stationed. She also hopes to inspire families in general - providing information and tips about accessible domestic and international travel. Sierra shares what sparked her wanderlust, what military family life is like, and why being in the military can offer unique travel opportunities. She also talks about tra...
Aug 28, 2020•37 min•Season 3Ep. 53
I talk with Alison Van Dusen, a backcountry park ranger who has worked in 20 U.S. National Parks over the last 28 years. In between seasonal work, she lives as a nomad and travels around the world – often doing volunteer service work. She has been to at least 30 countries on six continents, and even spent 2 summers working in the South Pole. Alison shares what sparked her love of travel, how she became a park ranger, and why she started traveling internationally. She also shares amazing stories,...
Aug 14, 2020•45 min•Season 3Ep. 52
Meet Petronella Lugemwa, founder of Petronella Photography, an award-winning international wedding photography studio that specializes in multicultural and interracial couples. Based in New York, her work has taken her around the world and has been featured in Essence magazine, Martha Stewart Weddings and more. Petronella shares what sparked her wanderlust, how she got into wedding photography, and some favorite travel adventures. She also talks about navigating the pandemic and the current focu...
Jul 31, 2020•35 min•Season 3Ep. 51
I talk with Valerie Stimac, a travel writer who specializes in astrotourism and space tourism. She is creator of the travel blog Valerie & Valise, and the Space Tourism Guide website, which focuses on all things space-related. A regular contributor to Forbes and Lonely Planet, she is author of the book Dark Skies: A Practical Guide to Astrotourism, published in September 2019. Valerie shares what sparked her love of travel, how she became an astrotourism expert, and why this type of travel s...
Jul 17, 2020•49 min•Season 3Ep. 50
I talk with Liz Warner, an inspiring traveler and runner. In early 2019, Liz launched Run to Reach, an 18-month fundraising campaign to run 30 marathons in 30 countries before turning 30. Her goal was to raise money to support local women-empowerment organizations in each country. We talked only a few days after she successfully completed her project. Liz shares what sparked her love of travel, why she started running, and what inspired her to create Run to Reach. She also shares some challenges...
Jun 26, 2020•43 min•Season 3Ep. 49
I talk with Nour Brahimi, the first female Algerian travel vlogger. In 2019, Africa Youth Awards named her one of the 100 most influential young Africans. Later that year, she was nominated as Algeria's best Instagrammer and YouTuber of 2019. Nour shares how and why she started traveling, the challenges of being a female travel content creator in a male dominated industry, and some of her favorite travel experiences. She also shares a story from a recent trip to Latvia that restores faith in hum...
Jun 12, 2020•33 min•Season 3Ep. 48
In this episode I talk with Kylee Nelson, a Neonatal Infant Care Unit travel nurse and solo traveler. She is the creator of the Passports and Preemies blog, which provides travel tips, resources and inspiration for nurses and travelers. She also provides one-on-one mentoring. Kylee shares what sparked her love of travel, how she made the leap from staff to travel nursing, why she loves solo travel and how it helps her prevent burnout. Kylee also shares some great travel stories, including a very...
May 29, 2020•42 min•Season 3Ep. 47
In this episode I talk with Lori L. Tharps, a writer, academic and podcaster who explores identity, race and culture. An avid traveler, she is the author of the award-winning memoir, Kinky Gazpacho: Life, Love & Spain. She is also creator of the My American Meltingpot podcast and blog. Lori shares about her early travel experiences (including study abroad), her career and focus on multiculturalism, and her intimate relationship with Spain. She also talks about sabbaticals as a way to travel,...
May 15, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Season 3Ep. 46
To kick off Season 3, I talk with Anjali Desai, an avid traveler and global health professional who has 40 countries under her belt. She is the Director of Strategy at Panorama, an action-tank that works to solve pressing global problems. She leads a team focused on outbreak preparedness and the COVID-19 pandemic. Anjali talks about what sparked her love of travel, where her studies and career have taken her around the world, and her work addressing the current global health crisis. She also thi...
May 01, 2020•41 min•Season 3Ep. 45
For the last episode of Season 2, I talk with Nikki Roda, a friend who quit her corporate career in community informatics to travel the world and dive into the unknown. She is now a certified yoga instructor, and is working on a graphic novel about her travels and what she's learning about the human spirit. Nikki talks about her career journey, her early experiences living abroad, and her decision to embark on a year and a half of uninterrupted and unplanned solo travel. She also shares how trav...
Dec 27, 2019•54 min•Season 2Ep. 44
Meet Lola Akinmade Åkerström, Nigerian-born travel photographer and writer whose award-winning work regularly appears in National Geographic, BBC, Travel + Leisure, Forbes, The Guardian and more. She is the author of the award-winning book Due North and bestselling book LAGOM: Swedish Secret of Living Well . She is editor-in-chief of Slow Travel Stockholm and founder of NordicTB Collective, which brings together the top professional travel bloggers and digital storytellers from Sweden, Finland, ...
Dec 12, 2019•34 min•Season 2Ep. 43
This is part 2 of my interviews with women I met at the Women in Travel Summit in Riga, Latvia earlier this month. I talk with Carly Hulls (Austrian Adaptation, Coffee with Carly), Tayo Jaiyesimi (The Five to Nine Traveller), Stefanie Bielekova (Postcards from Stef), and Michelle Olorunda (Pearls of Bay). They share what brought them to WITS Europe, recent adventures and projects, and how travel has changed their lives. They also share some of their favorite tips and travel tools. If you haven’t...
Nov 30, 2019•44 min•Season 2Ep. 42
I recently went to Wanderful’s first Women in Travel Summit Europe in Riga, Latvia where I had the opportunity to capture the diverse experiences and insights (and accents) of multiple travelers. In this episode I talk with Jennifer Fein (You Live to Travel), Lavina DeSousa (Continent Hop), Jamie-Lee Abtar (The Travel Marketer) and Tegan Wylie (The Travel Curve). They share what brought them to WITS Europe, recent adventures and projects, and how travel has changed their lives. They also share s...
Nov 29, 2019•48 min•Season 2Ep. 41
I talk with Olga Maria, an award-winning solo female traveler whose blog, Dreams in Heels, features adventure and luxury travel, food and wine, and budget tips. She hopes to inspire women to pursue their travel and lifestyle dreams. She is also the creator of Latinas Who Travel, a bilingual travel community that empowers Latinas to travel more. Olga shares about her journey from small town girl in Puerto Rico to full time writer and world traveler, why she travels in heels, and many of her favor...
Nov 21, 2019•34 min•Season 2Ep. 40
I talk with location-independent traveler and podcaster Debbie Arcangeles. As the host of The Offbeat Life Podcast, Debbie interviews fearless nomads who have ditched conventional lifestyles to live their best life. From backpacking single mothers to prominent travel bloggers, her guests share their passions, struggles and how they make traveling full-time work. Debbie shares what sparked her love of travel, the twist and turns of her career journey, and how she was able to start podcasting full...
Nov 07, 2019•37 min•Season 2Ep. 39
I talk with Rachel Rudwall, Emmy-Nominated On-Camera Host, Producer, Camera Operator, Writer and Photographer. Her work has taken her to all seven continents and nearly 70 nations. From TV hosting for the Travel Channel to producing shows like Ice Road Truckers and Ax Men, Rachel is always up for a storytelling adventure. Rachel shares what led to her working in media, what the challenges and rewards have been, and how travel has increased her ability to connect. She also shares her top tips for...
Oct 24, 2019•44 min•Season 2Ep. 38
I talk with financially savvy traveler Danielle Desir, host of The Thought Card, an award winning travel finance blog and podcast. She is also founder of the WOC Podcasters community, which supports over 2100 women of color from 50+ countries. Danielle shares how she started traveling internationally (26 countries and counting), how she kept travel a financial priority while paying off student loans and buying a house, and her favorite travel resources and budget strategies. She also shares abou...
Oct 10, 2019•36 min•Season 2Ep. 37
