Travel Time Stories: Real Journeys, Real Stories, Real Healing

Why do so many relationships fail—even when both people care?

 In this powerful episode of Travel Time Stories, Shannon and Ann sit down with internationally known relationship expert Anil Gupta (The Love Doctor) to uncover what’s really behind relationship struggles, emotional blocks, and the search for happiness. 

Anil’s journey is as powerful as his message. After facing one of the darkest moments of his life—contemplating suicide—he experienced a transformation that led him to help people around the world break through emotional barriers, heal their relationships, and discover lasting happiness. Now, having worked with individuals, couples, celebrities, and leaders across 18 countries, Anil shares the tools and insights that can change everything. 

✨ In this episode, we explore:

 • Why relationships fail—even when there is love 

• The hidden emotional blocks that sabotage connection 

• The truth about happiness (and why most people get it wrong) 

• How to improve communication and understanding 

• Practical tools you can start using immediately 

• The difference between love… and fear 

This conversation will challenge the way you think about relationships, yourself, and what it truly means to live a fulfilled life. 

💬 Comment below: What do you think is the biggest challenge in relationships today? 

Connect with Anil at: https://meetanil.com/ 

✨ Subscribe for more conversations on travel, healing, relationships, and the journeys that shape our lives. Become a Member of our Community, Join The Story Circle: https://www.traveltimestories.com/join/ 

 #podmatch #newpodcastepisode #relationships #anilgupta #thelovedoctor #tunein #happiness #gratitudepractice #relationshipcoach #traveltimestorieswithshannon 

https://www.traveltimestories.com/

 What does it mean to walk through history… not as a tourist, but as a witness? 

In this deeply moving episode of Travel Time Stories, Shannon and Ann sit down with author and historian Briana Gervat to explore her extraordinary 500-mile journey along the Western Front. 

In 2022, as the world began to emerge from the isolation of the pandemic, Briana set out alone—on foot—from the border of France and Switzerland to the North Sea in Belgium. Over 36 days, she crossed the mountains of the Vosges and walked through some of the most historically significant and war-scarred landscapes in Europe, including Verdun, the Marne, and the Somme. But this wasn’t just a physical journey. It was a search—for peace, for understanding, and for meaning in places shaped by unimaginable loss. 

Through her memoir, There Will Come Soft Rains: A Journey Along the Western Front, Briana reflects on what it means to: 

• Walk through landscapes marked by war and memory 

• Experience history beyond books and classrooms

 • Confront the idea that we may not have learned from the past 

• Search for hope and healing in places shaped by devastation 

This conversation is quiet, powerful, and deeply reflective—an invitation to slow down, to listen, and to consider what the past still has to teach us. 

✨ Some journeys change how you see the world. 

✨ Others change how you understand it. 

💬 Comment below: Would you ever take a journey like this? Why or why not? 

Connect with Briana at: https://www.theperegrinepilgrim.com/ 

🎧 Subscribe for more stories of travel, transformation, and the journeys that shape who we are. Become a Member of our Community, 

Join The Story Circle: https://www.traveltimestories.com/join/ 

Until next time… Keep traveling your story and keep making memories for life. #podmatch #tunein #newpodcastepisode #authors #authorsofinstagram #healingjourney #traveltimestorieswithshannon #travelpodcast #history #westernfrontway #westernfront #warmemories #wwihistory #battlefields #historian #books 

https://www.traveltimestories.com/

Are you traveling to find yourself… or to escape yourself? 

In this thought-provoking episode of Travel Time Stories, Shannon and Ann sit down with clinical psychologist Bryan Gastelle to explore the deeper psychology behind why we travel—and what we’re really searching for when we do. Because let’s be honest… Sometimes travel isn’t just about adventure. It’s about stress, burnout, overwhelm… and the desire to feel different. 

But here’s the truth: 

✨ Wherever you go… you bring yourself with you. 

Bryan shares powerful insights into: 

• The difference between healthy travel and emotional avoidance 

• Why changing your environment doesn’t always change how you feel 

• How anxiety, burnout, and ADHD impact the urge to “get away” 

• Practical tools to help you feel better—whether you’re traveling or staying put

 • How to use travel as a tool for self-discovery instead of escape

If you’ve ever felt like you needed to “get away from everything,” this episode will help you understand what’s really going on—and what to do about it. 

💬 Let us know in the comments: Do you travel to explore… or to reset? 

Connect with Bryan at: https://www.empowermytherapy.com/ 

✨ Subscribe for more real conversations about travel, healing, and the journeys that shape who we are. Become a Member of our Community, 

Join The Story Circle: https://www.traveltimestories.com/join/ 

Until next time… Keep traveling your story and keep making memories for life. #podmatch #tunein #newpodcastepisode #therapy #therapyhelps #healingtravel #traveltimestorieswithshannon #travelpodcast #emotionalavoidance #selfdiscovery 

https://www.traveltimestories.com/

Why do toxic relationships feel so hard to leave? 

Why is sexuality still so difficult to talk about honestly? 

And why do humans continue repeating emotional patterns they know are hurting them? 

In this deep, unfiltered conversation, Shannon and Ann sit down with transformational coach and author Dr. Stephen Paul Edwards to discuss toxic relationships, emotional addiction, sexuality, shame, vulnerability, healing, and the psychology behind human connection. 

Inspired by his book The Venus Fly Trap: Sex, Lies, and Repercussions, this episode explores the emotional truths many people quietly struggle with—but rarely say out loud. 

🎙️ In This Episode: 

✨ Why toxic love can feel addictive 

✨ Emotional chaos vs. real intimacy 

✨ Why sexuality is still considered taboo 

✨ The connection between shame and desire 

✨ Relationship truths people avoid facing 

✨ Healing after toxic emotional cycles 

✨ What emotionally healthy intimacy actually looks like 

This episode feels less like a formal interview… and more like sitting at the table late at night talking honestly about love, attraction, heartbreak, and human behavior. 

Find Dr. Stephen Edwards here: 

Website: https://vft23.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephen_sapereaude/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seemiracles/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vft23_official?lang=en 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575468609762 

X: https://x.com/Stephen_Edwardz 

Read the first 3 chapters of his book for free: https://bit.ly/4n1lyvv 

Here is the Coaching link with discount code for Dr. Edwards: Coaching and Counseling: https://vft23.com/coaching-and-counselling/?utm_source=Shannon+Lamkin&utm_medium=Travel+Time+Stories+with+Shannon%3A+Real+Journeys%2C+Real+Stories%2C+Real+Healing&utm_campaign=Podcast+Interview+-+Shannon+Lamkin 

Discount Code : VFT23! 

💬 COMMENT BELOW: What relationship lesson did you have to learn the hard way? 

🔔 Subscribe for more conversations about healing, growth, relationships, and real human stories. Visit our website at https://www.traveltimestories.com to learn more about joining our community, our private FB group The Story Circle, and our group travel events. 

#vft23 #traveltimestorieswithshannon #newpodcastepisode #tunein #toxicrelationships #toxicrelationshiprecovery #toxicrelationshipsurvivor #toxicrelationshiphealing #healingjourney #authors #indieauthor 

https://www.traveltimestories.com/

You don’t always recognize abuse when you’re in it. 

In this deeply emotional and eye-opening episode of Travel Time Stories, Shannon and Ann sit down with Mia Hanks, author of the award-winning memoir Bride-Made, to talk about her 29-year marriage to a covert narcissist—and the long, painful journey to understanding what she had been living through. 

Narcissistic abuse doesn’t always look the way we expect. It can be quiet. Subtle. Confusing. It can make you question your reality, your worth, and your voice. For years, Mia didn’t have the language for what she was experiencing. Like so many others, she found herself trapped in a cycle of gaslighting, emotional manipulation, and coercive control—feeling stuck by fear, financial dependence, and the hope that things would change. But eventually… something shifted. 

In this conversation, Mia shares: 

What covert narcissistic abuse really looks like 

How gaslighting and manipulation affect your sense of self 

Why it’s so hard to leave these relationships 

The moment she realized she needed to break free 

What healing and rebuilding life looks like after abuse 

Most importantly, Mia’s story is a reminder that: 

✨ You are not alone 

✨ What you’re feeling is real 

✨ And there is a way forward If this episode resonates with you—or with someone you love—please share it. You never know who might need to hear these words. 

💬 Comment below: What part of Mia’s story stood out to you most? 

⚠️ Content Note: This episode discusses emotional and psychological abuse, including narcissistic behavior and coercive control. 

❤️ If you or someone you know is in an unsafe situation, please seek support from a trusted friend, professional, or local resource. 

Subscribe for more stories of healing, resilience, and transformation. 

Find Mia at: https://miajhanks.com/ 

Join our community The Story Circle: https://www.traveltimestories.com/join/ 

Our website: https://www.traveltimestories.com/ 

Until next time… Keep traveling your story and keep making memories for life. #narcissisticabuserecovery #narcissiticabuse #narcissism #narcissist #narcissists #covertnarcissist #covertnarcissism #abuserecovery #healingjourney #healingfromabuse #healingfromtoxiclove #healingfromtrauma #newpodcastepisode #tunein #traveltimestorieswithshannon #authorsofinstagram #memoirs #indieauthors #podmatch 

https://www.traveltimestories.com/

What does it mean to truly witness the world? 

In this episode of Travel Time Stories, we sit down with veteran broadcast journalist Barry Maughan, whose life and career were shaped by decades of reporting across the African continent. 

Barry shares the extraordinary story of traveling the length of Africa with his wife in a Volkswagen Kombi bus, journeying from Egypt to South Africa and visiting fifteen countries along the way — an adventure that would forever shape his understanding of the continent and its people. 

But his time in Africa was about more than travel. While living and working in Ethiopia in the early 1970s, Barry was one of the few journalists reporting on the historic coup that toppled Emperor Haile Selassie and among the first to bring global attention to the devastating famine in northern Ethiopia that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. 

In this powerful conversation, we explore: 

🌍 What it was like to drive the length of Africa in the 1970s 

🚌 Life on the road in a Volkswagen Kombi bus 

📡 Reporting on the Ethiopian revolution and famine 

📰 The responsibility of journalists to bear witness to history 

✈️ Barry’s philosophy on meaningful travel 

His memoir, Beneath the African Sun, captures these unforgettable years — blending adventure, history, and the human stories behind the headlines. 

This episode is a reminder that travel can do more than show us the world — it can help us understand it. 

Find out more about Barry & his book: https://www.barrymaughan.com/ 

Ready to join The Story Circle: https://www.traveltimestories.com/join/ 

Our Website: https://www.traveltimestories.com/ 

Tell us in the comments: What place in the world has changed how you see life? #africatravels #travelhistory #Journalism #ethiopiahistory #travelstories #traveltimestories #traveltimestorieswithshannon #wanderlust #serendipity #podmatch #worldtraveler #newpodcastepisode #tunein #travelpodcast 

https://www.traveltimestories.com/

What if your life didn’t begin here… and doesn’t end here either? 

In this powerful and thought-provoking episode of Travel Time Stories, Shannon and Ann sit down with Donna Hartley—international speaker, past-life reader, and survivor who has crossed over six times and returned with a completely different understanding of life, purpose, and the soul. 

Donna’s experiences challenge everything we think we know about life and death. After facing multiple near-death experiences, she began to uncover patterns that go far beyond this lifetime—patterns that may be shaping your relationships, your fears, and even your purpose today. 

✨ In this episode, we explore: 

What really happens when we die (according to someone who’s been there) 

How past life patterns can show up in your current life 

Why certain fears, relationships, and struggles may feel so familiar 

How to begin healing patterns that didn’t start in this lifetime 

What it means to truly awaken to your purpose 

This conversation is deep, emotional, and at times mind-expanding—whether you’re curious, skeptical, or somewhere in between. 

✨ You may not remember your past lives… 

✨ But they may remember you. 

💬 Let us know in the comments: Do you believe past lives are real? 

To Reach Donna Hartley: https://donnahartley.com/ 

🎧 Subscribe for more conversations about travel, healing, spirituality, and the journeys that shape who we are. 

✨Join us inside The Story Circle where your story becomes part of the journey. Membership information is available on our website traveltimestories.com. When you become a member you will gain access to bonus episodes such as my private past life reading with Donna Hartley!

Until next time… Keep traveling your story and keep making memories for life. This episode explores personal experiences and perspectives on past lives and spirituality. 

#podmatch #pastlives #crossingover #donnahartley #survivor #tunein #traveltimestorieswithshannon #newpodcastepisode 

https://www.traveltimestories.com/

What happens when your life changes in an instant? 

In this powerful episode of Travel Time Stories, we sit down with trauma and traumatic brain injury survivor Nicholas Ruchlewicz to talk about the motorcycle accident that changed everything—and the unexpected path that followed. 

Nicholas shares what it was like to go from living a normal life to navigating the physical, emotional, and mental challenges of a traumatic brain injury. From identity loss and mental health struggles to finding meaning in the aftermath, this conversation is raw, honest, and deeply inspiring. But this isn’t just a story about survival… It’s about transformation. 

✨ In this episode, we discuss: 

The day of the accident and immediate aftermath 

Living with a traumatic brain injury

The hidden mental health battles after trauma Losing—and rediscovering—your identity 

Finding purpose and unexpected “gifts” in pain

 If you’ve ever faced a life-altering moment, struggled with mental health, or wondered how to rebuild after everything falls apart—this episode is for you. 

Find Nicholas at https://linktr.ee/giftofperspective 

💬 Let us know in the comments: What part of Nicholas’s story resonated most with you? 

Become part of the TTS community by becoming a member find more information on our website traveltimestories.com.

#podmatch #traveltimestorieswithshannon #newpodcastepisode #traumaticbraininjury #healingjourney #mentalhealth #advocacyinaction #tbirecovery #tbiawareness #survivorstory #tunein 

https://www.traveltimestories.com/

What happens when you leave everything behind… without a plan? 

In this deeply reflective episode of Travel Time Stories, Shannon and Ann sit down with Chip Scholz to explore a journey that wasn’t just about moving across the country—it was about letting go of control, navigating uncertainty, and discovering what truly matters. 

With two adults, two kids, two dogs, and five cats packed into a 19-foot travel trailer, Chip and his family set out from Los Angeles to North Carolina with no jobs waiting and no clear roadmap forward. 

What followed wasn’t just a relocation—it was a month filled with unexpected challenges, small crises, moments of doubt, and quiet grace. But somewhere along the way, everything shifted. In this episode, Chip shares how that experience reshaped his perspective on: Transition and starting over The illusion of control The difference between moving fast and moving honestly Finding meaning in life’s quieter moments And how uncertainty can reveal what truly matters 

As the author of Every Dog Has Its Day, Chip brings a thoughtful, grounded perspective on how life’s biggest lessons often come from the moments we don’t plan for. 

This conversation is for anyone navigating change, feeling uncertain, or learning to trust the process—even when the path ahead isn’t clear. 

✨ Sometimes the road doesn’t give you answers… it gives you perspective. 

👍 If this episode resonates, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share it with someone who might need it. 

Chip Scholz: scholzandassociates.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/chipscholz/ https://www.facebook.com/Chippturns https://www.instagram.com/chipscholz/ 

🎧 Listen, reflect, and remember— Join the community at www.traveltimestories.com learn more about us and our past guests, read our blogs and sign up to be a part of The Story Circle by becoming a member. 

You’re allowed to move forward… even when you don’t have it all figured out. 

#podmatch #traveltimestorieswithshannon #tunein #storytelling #newpodcastepisode #healingjourney #authors #adventureawaits 

https://www.traveltimestories.com/

What would it take for you to walk away from a successful life… and start over in another country?

In this episode of Travel Time Stories, we sit down with bestselling author, TEDx speaker, and transformational attorney Wani Manly, whose life changed dramatically when she made a bold decision: sell everything, leave Miami, and move to Paris alone — with no plan, no French, and no safety net. 

After more than two decades advising Fortune 500 companies as a corporate lawyer, Wani chose reinvention over comfort. What followed was a journey of identity shifts, resilience, and building a life across cultures. 

In this conversation we explore: 

✈️ The identity shift that happens when you live internationally 

🌍 What expat life is really like beyond the Instagram photos 

⚡ The risks and rewards of starting over in a new country 

💡 Why embracing change can become your greatest superpower

 🇫🇷 The moment Wani decided to leave everything behind for Paris 

Wani’s story is a powerful reminder that sometimes the biggest transformations happen when we step into uncertainty.

If you've ever dreamed about moving abroad, reinventing yourself, or leaving the life you built to create the life you want — this episode is for you. 

Tell us in the comments: Would you ever move to another country with no plan? 

Wani's Website: www.wanimanly.com 

Join the community at www.traveltimestories.com learn more about us and our past guests, read our blogs and sign up to be a part of The Story Circle by becoming a member. 

#expatlife #movingabroad #reinventionjourney #lifechange #parislife #traveltimestorieswithshannon #personalgrowth #wanimanly #changeyourmindsetchangeyourlife 

https://www.traveltimestories.com/