Podcast
Speaking of Travel® With Marilyn Ball
Hosted by Marilyn Ball · EN
Founded in 2013, Speaking of Travel is a media platform dedicated to meaningful, responsible travel storytelling. Through conversations with global explorers, conservation leaders, cultural visionaries, world-changers, musicians, historians, conservationists, industry leaders, and everyday adventurers, we explore how travel connects people, preserves culture, and protects the planet.
After a decade of global change, including a pandemic and climate-driven disruptions, Speaking of Travel continues to lead the conversation on travel as a force for good.
Listen in, dream big, and let’s explore the world together. Because remember, life is short. Don't postpone joy!
Subscribe now and let the journey change you. 🌍✈️
38episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
It's Never Too Late To Write Your Next Chapter With Michael Cowan
3w ago00:44:47Tap to summarizeMichael Cowan has lived many lives.He's been an attorney, educator, businessman, musician, songwriter, and now, an author. His debut novel, John B. Peoples, is proof that some of life's most meaningful adventures begin long after we think we've settled into who we are.In this episode of Speaking of Travel, Michael shares what inspired him to finally write the novel that had been quietly waiting inside him, why France, and especially Paris and Marseille, became such important settings, and how travel has shaped both his storytelling and his perspective on life.Together we explore what it means to keep growing, embrace curiosity, redefine success, and discover new purpose through every season of life.Whether you're dreaming about your next journey, considering a new creative path, or wondering if it's ever too late to begin again, this conversation is a reminder that the best chapters are sometimes the ones we never saw coming.A must listen! Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.
Transcribe →
Travel with Purpose: A Conversation With Jared Sternberg Of Gondwana Ecotours
3w ago00:50:13Tap to summarizeTravel has the power to change us. But what if it could also help change the world for the better?On this episode of Speaking of Travel, join Jared Sternberg, founder and CEO of Gondwana Ecotours, for a thoughtful conversation about what it really means to travel with purpose. Jared shares how an unexpected journey took him from law school and backpacking adventures to building an international ecotourism company, challenging the idea that travel is simply about seeing new places.Together we explore how every trip we take leaves an impact and why the communities we visit should benefit from our presence. Jared invites us to think differently about travel, not just as something we experience, but as something that can strengthen communities and inspire positive change.This episode is an invitation to look beyond the itinerary and consider a bigger question: What kind of traveler do we want to be?"Travel isn't just about where you go. It's about recognizing that your presence has an impact and choosing to leave people and places better because you were there."Join us for a conversation that may forever change the way you see the world and your place in it.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.
Transcribe →
Singer-Songwriter Katie Cole From The World Stage To The Soul
Jul 500:50:59Tap to summarizeSome conversations feel like catching up with an old friend. And that's exactly what it was like welcoming Katie Cole back to Speaking of Travel. Katie is not only a remarkable singer-songwriter, she's one of the kindest, most genuine people you'll ever meet. From her years touring with the Smashing Pumpkins to performing the iconic music of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit before audiences around the world, she's inspired countless people through both her extraordinary talent and her generous spirit.In this episode, Katie shares the deeply personal journey behind her upcoming album, FOREST, a collection of songs shaped by love, loss, healing, and discovering who we become after life changes us. Her honesty is inspiring and her music stays with you long after the last note. Katie's story is a beautiful reminder that even through life's hardest seasons, hope is never far away."Healing isn't about finding your way back to who you were. It's about learning to love the person you've become." A must listen! 🎧🎸🎹Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.
Transcribe →
The Journey Home To Yourself With Anthony Dyer
Jun 2400:42:54Tap to summarizeThe world teaches us how to move forward, but it rarely teaches us how to heal. But healing may be one of the most courageous adventures we ever undertake.On this deeply human episode of Speaking of Travel, meet Anthony Dyer, whose extraordinary journey from military service to healing is a powerful reminder that our most important journeys are often the ones no one else can see.Originally from Sylva, North Carolina, Anthony spent more than a decade flying high-risk missions around the world, where split-second decisions could mean the difference between life and death. His extraordinary service earned him multiple honors, including the Air Force's prestigious Jolly Green Rescue Mission of the Year in 2018. But Anthony's most important journey began after the missions ended.Drawing from his memoir, Moon Child, Anthony shares the invisible challenges many veterans carry long after returning home, from trauma, PTSD, addiction, isolation, to the difficult process of rebuilding an identity beyond military service. Together we explore how true strength isn't found in carrying pain alone but in allowing ourselves to heal.Whether you're a veteran, someone navigating your own challenges, or simply seeking inspiration, Anthony's story is a powerful reminder that even after our darkest moments, there is always a path forward.Some stories change the way we see the world. Others change the way we see ourselves. This conversation with Anthony Dyer may do both.Tune in...Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.
Transcribe →
A Seat At The Table And A Window To The World With Cottage Cooking
Jun 1600:46:20Tap to summarizeWhat happens when a love of food becomes a passport to the world? On this episode of Speaking of Travel, we're joined by Liisa Andreassen and John Godts, the husband-and-wife team behind Cottage Cooking, whose adventures have taken them across six continents and more than 40 countries.What began as a creative way to fund their travels has evolved into a meaningful journey centered on food, storytelling, cultural exchange, and human connection. John and Liisa have discovered that food is one of the world's most universal languages.In this conversation, we explore how travel has expanded their perspective and inspired them to create experiences that bring people together. We discuss the ways curiosity can lead us beyond our comfort zones and how some of life's most memorable moments happen when we slow down and truly connect around a table.At its heart, this conversation is about connection. It's about saying yes to new experiences and embracing the unfamiliar. Liisa and John show us how some of the most meaningful moments in life happen when we gather around a table and listen with an open heart. And allow ourselves to be transformed by the journey.A must listen! Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.
Transcribe →
The Maine Windjammer Way: Sailing, Storytelling, and Slowing Down
Jun 700:45:20Tap to summarizeSome journeys change the way we see the world. On this episode of Speaking of Travel, we're setting sail along the coast of Maine with Justin Schaefer and Jocelyn Schmidt, owners and captains of the historic Schooner J. & E. Riggin.Together they've created an experience where the wind sets the pace and the sea shapes each day. And how the simple moments become the memories that stay with us long after the journey ends.As proud members of the Maine Windjammer Association, Justin and Jocelyn are helping preserve a treasured maritime tradition while inviting travelers to reconnect with a slower, more meaningful way of exploring the world.Sustainability is woven into every voyage, from traveling under sail to supporting local communities and celebrating the natural beauty of Maine's coast. And we also talk about one of the highlights guests never forget... the food. As the schooner's chef, Jocelyn crafts memorable meals inspired by locally sourced ingredients.Whether you've always dreamed of sailing the Maine coast or simply find yourself longing for a different rhythm of life, this episode is a reminder that some of the most meaningful adventures aren't measured by how far we travel, but rather by how deeply we connect with a place and with ourselves."There's nothing quite like that moment when the wind fills the sails and everything else simply falls away."Join us and discover why sometimes the best way to move forward is to let the wind lead the way. Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.
Transcribe →
A Journey To St Helena Island And The Transformative Power Of Place With Ryan Enslin
Jun 100:43:21Tap to summarizeWhat if time isn't something to chase, but something to experience?In a world that constantly urges us to move faster, do more, and keep up, this conversation with Ryan Enslin offers a different perspective. A gentler one.As a journalist and photographer from Johannesburg, South Africa, Ryan has learned that some places seem to exist outside the pace of modern life. One of those places is St Helena Island, a remote island in the South Atlantic that has profoundly shaped the way he thinks about time and presence. And what it means to truly pay attention.In this inspiring episode of Speaking of Travel, Ryan shares how travel can become much more than a journey to a destination. Together we explore the remarkable story of St Helena Island while reflecting on self-discovery, resilience, curiosity, and the importance of living with intention in a fast-moving world.Ryan's experiences remind us that meaningful travel isn't measured by the number of places we visit, but by our willingness to be present for the moments that change us."When the distractions fall away, you begin to realize time isn't passing you by. You're finally present for it."If you've been searching for perspective or simply a conversation that nourishes the soul, this episode is a beautiful reminder that some places can change our relationship with time, not because the clock moves differently, but because we do. 💕Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.
Transcribe →
The Quiet Magic Of The NC Arboretum With Drake Fowler
May 2100:48:37Tap to summarizeSome places do not ask for your attention. They change you quietly.You arrive carrying noise, deadlines, distractions and the weight of everyday life. And then somewhere between the trees, the silence, the air itself, something begins to soften. You remember there is another way to live in the world. More connected. More awake. More human.This episode of Speaking of Travel lives inside that feeling.What unfolds here is more than a discussion about nature or stewardship. It is a reflection on presence, on caring deeply for the land and for one another, and on the quiet power of creating spaces where people can reconnect to something larger than themselves.Drake Fowler, Executive Director of The North Carolina Arboretum, brings a rare kind of humanity to this conversation... thoughtful, grounded, compassionate, and deeply aware of the relationship between the natural world and the human spirit. You can hear the sincerity in his story and feel the intention behind the work being done.At the heart of this episode is a sacred connection and understanding that nature is not separate from us, but essential to who we are as human beings. Through stories, reflections, and insight, we explore the ways wild spaces can restore us and reconnect us to ourselves and to each other.This conversation is filled with authenticity and quiet wisdom and reminds us that places created with intention and care can become sanctuaries where people feel seen and are welcomed. Through education, conservation, and community connection, the NC Arboretum is a place where nature and humanity meet in meaningful ways. This is a beautiful and heartfelt conversation that will leave you inspired and comforted. And perhaps seeing the world a little differently. ❤️Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.
Transcribe →
Bassoonist Frank Morelli And The Journey Of A Life Well Played
May 1200:48:01Tap to summarizeSome conversations stay with you because of what a person has accomplished. Others stay with you because of who that person became along the way. Internationally acclaimed bassoonist Frank Morelli is both. His story is about far more than music. It’s about what happens when a lifetime of dedication shapes not only an artist, but a human being.There’s something deeply moving about a person who spends a lifetime devoted to music and still meets the world with humility and a genuine sense of wonder. In this heartfelt episode of Speaking of Travel, Frank reflects on the deeper journey behind a life in music and the ways it shaped not only his career, but his understanding of purpose and gratitude.For more than 60 years, Frank’s path has carried him around the world, from concert halls and international performances to decades spent mentoring and encouraging young musicians. Yet what stands out most is not simply his remarkable career, but the kindness and sincerity he brings to every part of his life.There is a gentleness in Frank that immediately puts people at ease. Even after years of recognition and accomplishment, he remains deeply grateful for the experiences music has given him. His love for teaching shines throughout this episode, along with his belief that music can open hearts and create connection in ways few things can.This conversation moves beyond performance and into something far more human. It becomes a reflection on what happens when someone continues evolving through every season of life.“The longer I’ve lived with music, the less it feels like performance and the more it feels like gratitude.”Frank Morelli continues to inspire not only through his artistry, but through the quiet grace and humanity he brings to the world around him. 💕Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.
Transcribe →
The Asheville Regional Airport Reflects The Heart Of Western North Carolina
May 800:48:29Tap to summarizeThere’s something deeper unfolding at the Asheville Regional Airport and you can feel it the moment you step into this conversation with Angi Daus, VP of Air Service and Corporate Communications.This isn’t surface-level support. It’s a lived commitment to Western North Carolina, shaped through real relationships and a genuine presence in the community that shows up in how they collaborate and how they listen. And how they continue to grow alongside the people and businesses around them.As the airport continues through a major expansion and transformation, Angi shares how every step forward is being approached with intention. It’s not simply about building for today’s demand. They're creating an airport experience that reflects the future of the region while staying connected to the people who make this community so special.What really stays with you is how much they care about their partners and the steady focus on creating opportunity that reaches beyond the airport itself and into the lives of the people who call this place home.As Angi shares, “This community is at the heart of everything we do. When we grow, we’re growing together. And that’s what matters most.”This episode of Speaking of Travel opens the door to something bigger than travel. This is about connection that feels real and leadership that stays grounded. It’s about what becomes possible when people show up for each other in a meaningful way. ❤️A must listen! Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.
Transcribe →