Can travel actually help you live longer? What if the secret to longevity isn’t just what you eat or how often you exercise but where you go?

In this episode, we explore the growing movement of wellness travel, slow travel, solo travel and the transformative power of journeys, especially for women over 50.

We’re joined by Carolyn Ray, CEO and Editor of JourneyWoman, a global resource founded in 1994 to support and inspire solo women travelers. It has grown into one of the most trusted platforms for women 50+ who want to travel confidently and independently.

A lifelong entrepreneur, Carolyn made headlines in 2018 when she downsized to a backpack and began traveling full time. In 2023, she was named one of the most influential women in travel by TravelPulse. In 2025, she co-authored Never Too Late: How Women 50+ Travelers Are Making the Rules with Lola Akinmade Åkerström, spotlighting women who are redefining midlife through travel and reinvention.

In this conversation, we discuss:

This episode is for anyone curious about how travel supports longevity, vitality, and purpose.

Pack light. Stay curious.

journeywoman.com

Once upon a Monday, before clothes dryers hummed behind closed doors, the world of women paused for laundry day. A rope stretched across a backyard became a stage for white sheets lifting like sails, overalls drying in the noonday sun, aprons whispering in the breeze.

Whether it was truly a simpler time or simply feels that way in memory, the clothesline has come to symbolize a gentler pace. Neighbors chatting over fences. Children running between fluttering towels. The scent of soap and sunshine lingering long after the clothes were taken into the house.

In remembering the clothesline, we remember a rhythm of life measured not by machines, but by daylight, fresh air, and the quiet satisfaction of work well done.

The Clothesline by Andrea VanSteenhouse and Irene Rawlings was published by Gibbs Smith in 2010 and is still available on Amazon.

THE HARD LINE—the 15th in this best-selling series—starts with a blown safe house in Tunis. Then…the Gray Man barely escapes from an ambush in the jungles of Nicaragua. Now key members of the U.S. counterintelligence community are being assassinated—one by one—in their own neighborhoods. With the feds compromised, it’s up to the Gray Man and his team to stop the hit squads. 

Trust me. This action thriller is fast paced with a unexpected twists. I read it well into the night…stopping only when my eyes could no longer focus.

In the interest of full disclosure: My son, Lt. Col. Hunter “Rip” Rawlings IV (USMC, Retired), worked with Mark Greaney on RED METAL, a best seller that was published to high praise, especially from Tom Clancy fans. There are rumors that a sequel is in the works.

www.markgreaneybooks.com

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/786216/the-hard-line-by-mark-greaney/

Darla Worden is the Editor-in-Chief of Mountain Living magazine and Colorado Homes & Lifestyles magazine. She joins us to talk about Cockeyed Happy, her book about Ernest Hemingway’s summers in Wyoming with his second wife, Pauline.

www.leftbankwriters.com

Here’s the NYT article about the signed Hemingway book:

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/23/arts/hemingway-book-nobel-sister-immaculata.html

Many of us have read and enjoyed The Paris Wife, a fictionalized account of Ernest Hemingway’s marriage to the first of his four wives, Hadley Richardson. It was a New York Times bestseller. Now, Paula has written Skylark, another Paris-based book—two parallel stories, one taking place in 1664 and the other in 1940s Nazi-occupied Paris. It is an uplifting book about the strength and resistance of the human spirit—and a page-turner and a really good read. It is Good Morning America’s Book Club pick for January 2026.

More about Paula McLain: paulamclain.com

Some of Paula’s favorite spots in Paris:

A bit more about the geology and history of the Paris Catacombs

A bit more about the Gobelins Manufactory

A bit more about the the River Bièvre

The American West is a geographical location—thick forests of pine and aspen, snowy mountains, alpine lakes, and sweeping vistas. But there is also the almost-mythical version of the American West—a vision of wide-open spaces where the “call of the wild” has resonated for centuries. This passion for living in the west is as strong ever.

Chase Reynolds Ewald (writer) and Audrey Hall (photographer) have collaborated on seven books—including American Rustic and Cabin Style. www.gibbs-smith.com

As they researched Modern West, their newest book, they noticed something interesting. “The nature of the ‘western dream’ is different than it was even 20 years ago,” says Hall. “We are seeing a shift not only in the architecture and design of modern western homes…but also in the people who are building and living in them.”

The book features 15 gorgeous homes. We step inside two of them—a rescued grain elevator and a 1950s ranch reimagined by the president of French fabric brand Maison Pierre Frey.

To purchase MODERN WEST:

https://www.amazon.com/Modern-West-Chase-Reynolds-Ewald/dp/1423667662

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Modern-West/Chase-Reynolds-Ewald/9781423667667 

Chase Reynolds Ewald

Website and to sign up for newsletter: chasereynoldsewald.com

Pinterest:

https://www.pinterest.com/chasereynoldsewald/

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chase-reynolds-ewald-819a0551

Instagram: @chasereynoldsewald

Audrey Hall

Website and to sign up for newsletter: audreyhall.com

Pinterest:

https://www.pinterest.com/audreyhallphoto/

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/audreyhallphotography/

Instagram: @audreyhall

Here’s the story: The culinary world imagined by Churchill is full of closely guarded recipes and secrets that can create powerful spells. We are taken inside the Brindille School of Culinary Arts and Magic where we are enchanted by magic, mystery…and recipes.

About the author: Marisa Churchill (an award-winning pastry chef) was a contestant on Top Chef (Season 2), constructed the city of San Francisco out of Rice Krispies and chocolate for the Food Network’s Edible Cities Challenge, and hosted her own cooking show in Greece. marisachurchill.com

Good Fortune Cookies: marisachurchill.com/good-fortune-cookies/

The Edible Cities Challenge: https://teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2025/12/10/where-recipe-meets-magic-a-guest-post-by-marisa-churchill/

Coupe du Monde de la Patisserie: cmpatisserie.com/en

and facebook.com/CoupeMondePatisserie/videos/1807091213369633/

Churchill will be at Tattered Cover Tattered in Denver on February 1st.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/marisa-churchill-with-allison-wagner-live-at-tattered-cover-colfax-tickets-1979361734230

Request from Irene Rawlings: If you enjoyed this podcast, please tell your friends. And send me an email. I’d love to hear from you. [email protected]

I don’t normally interview business leaders. There are plenty of podcasts that do.

But…

I was introduced to Garry Ridge by a mutual friend who said I’d love reading his new book—Any Dumb-Ass Can Do It. I was intrigued, read the book and could hardly wait to talk with Garry.

It did not hurt that Garry had served as CEO of the WD-40 Company for 25 and made it a household brand. I mean everyone knows WD-40 now. I also learned that he served on the board of Gorilla Glue.

Why am I so impressed by this?

I think you all know that I’m a member of Sisters on the Fly, the largest women’s group in the U.S. and Canada focusing on camping, fishing, riding horses, buying vintage trailers, and other outdoor activities. There are more than 26,000 members. And NONE of us (truly) leaves home without a good supply of WD-40, Gorilla Glue and bailing wire.

Forbes says: The book is part leadership playbook, part personal reflection, and all heart.  And I agree. Totally.

For more about Garry’s book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Garry-Ridge/

Or look on Amazon

For more about The Learning Moment:  https://thelearningmoment.net/

For more on Ken Blanchard: https://www.kenblanchardbooks.com/kens-bio/

The Inn Crowd: Artistic Getaways and The Modern Innkeepers who Crafted Them is a gorgeous coffee table book—written and photographed by the incomparable Jackie Caradonio. Each of the images gives us a privileged peek into more than 20 unique and stylish inns. The accompanying stories describe each of the innkeepers, every one passionate about creating memorable experiences in a beautiful setting—from quaint escapes to luxurious retreats.

For more about The Inn Crowd: phaidon.com

For more about Jackie Caradonio: jackiecaradonio.com

As dusk descends on Christmas Eve, my family gathers to hear a recording of Dylan Thomas reading, A Child’s Christmas in Wales. His baritone transports us—though time and across distance—to his childhood Christmases in Swansea, Wales.

It gives me great pleasure to share my story with you.

Thank you for listening and supporting my podcast.

I wish you an abundance of peace and joy in 2026.

You can see photos and read more of my story at Everett Potter’s Travel Report

https://www.everettpotter.com/2024/12/a-childs-christmas-in-wales/

More information about Swansea: visitswanseabay.com

More information about Dylan Thomas’ birthplace: dylanthomasbirthplace.com

More information about Laugharne: visitwales.com

To hear Dylan Thomas read: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFSs2IdDmuU