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

What if the word “disability” isn’t something to avoid… but something to understand? 

In this powerful episode of Travel Time Stories, we sit down with Jenna Udenberg — author, disability advocate, accessibility educator, and founder of Above & Beyond With U.

Diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis at just seven years old, Jenna has spent her life navigating physical challenges while reshaping the conversation around disability, inclusion, and what true accessibility really means. As a 2020 Bush Fellow and the author of Within My Spokes, Jenna shares how her journey of resilience became a mission to create spaces that go beyond minimum ADA standards — because people are not a checklist. 

In this conversation, we explore: 

✨ Why “disability” is not a bad word 

✨ The difference between compliance and compassion 

✨ Why accessibility benefits everyone — not just a few 

✨ What inclusion truly feels like 

✨ The emotional and healing process of writing her memoir 

✨ How her nonprofit, Above & Beyond With U, is transforming communities 

This episode will challenge the way you think about language, design, empathy, and belonging. Inclusion isn’t extra. Accessibility isn’t optional. And disability isn’t something to whisper. It’s part of the human experience. 

Jenna's Website: https://www.aboveandbeyondwithu.org/ 

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. 

Let us know in the comments: What does true inclusion mean to you? 

#DisabilityIsNotABadWord #accessibilitymatters #inclusionforall #WithinMySpokes #disabilityadvocate #traveltimestorieswithshannon #inclusivedesign #disabilityawareness #disabilityempowerment #podmatch #tunein #newpodcastepisode #aboveandbeyondwithu 

https://www.traveltimestories.com/

What happens when a combat medic comes home — and her body and mind begin to collapse? 

In this powerful episode of Travel Time Stories, we sit down with Brandi “Bee” Doyle — nurse practitioner, combat veteran, trauma survivor, and spiritual guide — to explore the journey from PTSD and autoimmune illness to deep, integrative healing. 

After serving in Afghanistan, Bee returned home expecting to resume normal life. Instead, she faced the unraveling of her physical and mental health. What followed wasn’t a single solution — it was a profound journey bridging functional medicine, plant medicine, trauma work, astrology, and soul-level awakening. 

In this conversation, we explore: 

🪖 Life as a combat medic in Afghanistan 

🧠 How PTSD lives in the body 

🧬 Functional medicine & healing beyond prescriptions 

🌿 The role of plant medicine in trauma recovery 

🌙 Astrology as a tool for purpose and healing 

✨ What it means to awaken in midlife 

📖 The message behind Keepers of the Light Bee speaks with rare credibility — grounded in science, informed by lived trauma, and guided by spiritual insight.

If you’ve ever felt broken by your past… If your body is carrying stress you can’t explain… If you’re curious about healing that bridges medicine and mysticism… This episode offers compassion, clarity, and hope. 

Drop a comment below: Do you believe healing requires both science and spirit? 

Subscribe for more conversations on travel, transformation, resilience, and the courage to reclaim your story. 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. 

Bee's website: https://doublelibraastrology.com/

#ptsdrecovery #veteranstories #traumahealing #functionalmedicine #plantmedicine #spiritualawakening #astrology #healing #psychedelicmedicine #traveltimestorieswithshannon #podmatch 

https://www.traveltimestories.com/

What do you do when the “perfect life” you built suddenly falls apart? 

In this powerful episode of Travel Time Stories, we sit down with transformational speaker and Journey to Purpose founder Anna Quigley to talk about what happens when life implodes — and how travel can become the doorway to clarity. 

When Anna’s carefully constructed life unraveled in a short period of time, she made an unexpected decision. Instead of immediately job hunting or calling attorneys, she boarded a plane to India and joined her cousin at an Ashram. What followed was not escape — but transformation. 

In this episode, we explore: 

✈️ Travel during major life transitions 

🕉️ What an Ashram in India revealed during crisis 

💥 Leaving toxic work environments 

🧭 The difference between escaping and realigning 

🌿 Trusting your inner wisdom 

✨ Designing your next chapter with intention Anna shares how her signature Uncover, Realign, Emerge framework was born from her own lived experience of spiritual shifts, relocation, and rebuilding. 

If you’re navigating a transition… If something in your life no longer fits… If you feel called toward change but fear the unknown… This conversation will remind you that sometimes collapse is the beginning of purpose. 

Drop a comment below: 

Have you ever taken a trip during a major life transition? 

What did it teach you?

 Subscribe for more stories of travel, healing, reinvention, and the courage to begin again. 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. 

Anna's Website: https://journeytopurpose.org/

 #lifetransitions #spiritualjourney #TravelAndTransformation #findingpurpose #AshramInIndia #traveltimestorieswithshannon #midlifereinvention #podmatch 

https://www.traveltimestories.com/

What happens when your cruise almost doesn’t happen?

In this episode of Travel Time Stories, Shannon and Ann sit down with their sister and best friend Kristen to break down her recent Virgin Voyages sailing — starting with the travel chaos that nearly kept her from ever boarding the ship. 

From stressful flight delays on the way to Miami… to the first impression stepping onboard… to the now-famous balcony hammock — we’re diving into: 

🚢 Boarding Day experience 

🛏️ Cabin layout & comfort 

🍸 Food, restaurants & entertainment 

🌴 Excursions & ports 

🚪 Debarkation Day 

✈️ Flights home 

And the big question everyone wants answered: How does Virgin Voyages compare to Carnival and Royal Caribbean?

We talk honestly about: 

⭐ Favorite thing about the cruise 

⚠️ The biggest disappointment 

💰 Is it worth the price? 

🎉 Who this cruise line is really for

If you’re considering Virgin Voyages or just love hearing real travel stories — this episode is packed with insight, laughter, and a few hard-earned travel lessons. 

Drop a comment below:

Have you sailed Virgin? Carnival? Royal Caribbean? 

Which would you choose and why? 

Don’t forget to subscribe for more real travel stories, honest reviews, and unforgettable adventures. 

Visit our website: traveltimestories.com Join the community 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.

 #virginvoyages #cruisereview #cruiselife #travelpodcast #carnivalcruise #royalcaribbean #womenwhotravel #traveltimestorieswithshannon #tunein #newpodcastepisode #chipotle #bimini #bahamas 

https://www.traveltimestories.com/

Midlife has a way of asking hard questions. 

Who are you when the roles you built your life around begin to shift? 

Who are you after divorce? 

What happens when “home” no longer feels like home?

In this episode of Travel Time Stories, we sit down with Tracy Smith, author of The Purpose of Getting Lost, to talk about rebuilding identity after divorce and navigating a midlife reset with honesty and courage. 

After her life changed in ways she never expected, Tracy began traveling solo across more than 30 countries — not to escape her life, but to understand it. What she discovered is something many women quietly experience: sometimes losing the life you knew is the beginning of finding yourself. 

In this conversation, we explore: 

✨ Starting over in midlife 

✨ Rebuilding identity after divorce 

✨ The grief of losing “home” 

✨ Belonging vs. performance 

✨ Solo travel as a path to healing 

✨ The quiet courage it takes to rebuild from the inside out 

This episode is for anyone who feels like their life no longer fits — and wonders what comes next. 

If you’re navigating divorce, midlife reinvention, or simply rediscovering who you are beyond the roles you’ve played, this conversation will remind you that starting over isn’t failure… it’s transformation. 

📘 Tracy’s book: The Purpose of Getting Lost: A Story of Finding Myself 

🔗 https://tracysmithauthor.com/ 

If this episode speaks to you, share it with someone who may be quietly rebuilding. And don’t forget to subscribe for more conversations about travel, healing, identity, and the human journey. 

🔗 Travel Time Stories website: https://www.traveltimestories.com/ Join the community 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.

 #midlifereset #divorcerecovery #startingover #solotravel #womeninmidlife #findingyourself #traveltimestorieswithshannon #tunein #podmatch #newpodcastepisode #tracysmith #authors #travelpodcast #healingjourney 

https://www.traveltimestories.com/

What happens when you travel to more than 120 countries together… and stay married? 

In this episode of Travel Time Stories, we sit down with John and Ann Cinnamon — a couple who have traveled to all seven continents, all 50 U.S. states, and more than 120 countries around the world. 

Their documentary, Journey on the Trans-Siberian Railway, aired on PBS stations nationwide, and their newest book, Travel Is No Vacation: A Love Story, shares the honest, unfiltered reality of what life on the road is really like. 

In this conversation, we explore: 

🌍 What it takes to travel the world as a couple 

🚂 Behind the scenes of the Trans-Siberian Railway journey 

💍 How travel tests — and strengthens — a marriage 

✈️ The difference between vacation and true travel 

🌎 Lessons learned from visiting over 120 countries 

❤️ What keeps their partnership strong after decades of adventure 

Travel isn’t always glamorous. It’s exhausting. It’s unpredictable. It’s sometimes uncomfortable. But for John and Ann, it’s also been the foundation of a shared life filled with connection, perspective, and purpose. 

If you’ve ever dreamed of seeing the world — or wondered whether you could travel long-term with your partner — this episode offers inspiration and honesty in equal measure. 

John & Ann's website: https://travelisnovacation.com/ 

Their documentary: https://youtu.be/YFduON7XuUk

Drop a comment below: Could you travel to 120 countries with your spouse? 

Subscribe for more real travel stories, transformative journeys, and conversations that go beyond the destination. 

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 this growing community. #couplestravel #TravelIsNoVacation #transsiberianrailway #worldtravel #travelpodcast #MarriageAndTravel #traveltimestorieswithshannon #traveljourneys #authors 

https://www.traveltimestories.com/

 What if the very traits you’ve questioned about yourself are actually your greatest strengths? 

In this episode of Travel Time Stories with Shannon, we sit down with Marita Tedder — author, speaker, and personality expert — to explore The Personalities and how understanding them can transform the way we see ourselves and others. 

Growing up alongside her mother, renowned author Florence Littauer, Marita has spent over 50 years helping people understand the why behind their behaviors. This conversation goes beyond labels and dives into compassion, self-awareness, and healthier relationships. 

In this episode, we discuss: 

✨ What The Personalities are and how they work 

✨ Why we react differently in relationships 

✨ Common misconceptions about personality typing 

✨ How focusing on strengths changes everything 

✨ Living authentically instead of trying to “fix” yourself 

✨ Building deeper compassion for others 

This isn’t about putting yourself in a box — it’s about understanding how you’re wired so you can live with more intention, freedom, and connection.

If you’ve ever felt misunderstood… 

If you’ve ever wondered why you and someone you love see the world so differently… 

This episode will give you language, clarity, and hope. 

🎧 Listen now and discover how self-awareness can lead to stronger relationships and a fuller life.

Marita's resources: https://thepersonalities.com/ 

 #traveltimestorieswithshannon #personalitytypes #selfawarenessmatters #personalgrowth #healthyrelationships #emotionalintelligence #thepersonalities #maritatedder #podmatch #selfgrowth #selfdiscovery #podcastinterview 

https://www.traveltimestories.com/

What if a single handmade bed could spark a global movement? 

In this episode of Travel Time Stories with Shannon, we sit down with Luke Mickelson, founder of Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP), the nonprofit organization on a mission to ensure that “No kid sleeps on the floor in our town.” 

What started in a garage with one bunk bed has grown into more than 400 chapters across 47 states and 4 countries — delivering over 350,000 beds to children in need. 

In this powerful and inspiring conversation, we explore: 

🛏️ What child bedlessness really means 

🏠 How Sleep in Heavenly Peace began 

💥 The moment Luke realized this was bigger than a single project 

🌎 How communities can get involved 

❤️ The joy of service and “Humans Helping Humans” 

⚡ Finding purpose in tiny moments Luke shares the heart behind the mission, the challenges of scaling a nonprofit, and the profound impact that something as simple as a bed can have on a child’s confidence, safety, and future. 

This episode is a reminder that ordinary people can do extraordinary things — and that sometimes the smallest acts create the biggest ripple effects. 

If you’ve ever wondered how to make a difference in your community, this conversation will inspire you. 

🔗 Learn more about Sleep in Heavenly Peace and how to get involved at shpbeds.org 

👍 Share this episode with someone who believes in service. www.traveltimestories.com 

#sleepinheavenlypeace #shpbeds #ChildBedlessness #nonprofitimpact #servicematters #HumansHelpingHumans #traveltimestorieswithshannon #communityleadership #robschneider #mikerowe #americanninjawarrior #lukemickelson #helpingkids #podcast #communityservices #tunein #newepisodealert #makeadifference #podmatch #buzzsproutpodcasts 

https://www.traveltimestories.com/

What does it really mean to live in alignment with yourself?

In this episode of Travel Time Stories with Shannon, Shannon and Ann sit down with Kristen Swan — life and spiritual guide, journal creator, and workshop facilitator — for a thoughtful conversation about self-discovery, intentional living, and the significance of the inner journey shaped by personal stories, the impact of shame, and the importance of curiosity in healing 

Kristen shares her transition from business coaching to guiding individuals in discovering their truth and aligning their choices with their values. The discussion touches on navigating relationships, the power of journaling, and the necessity of embracing a creative mindset. Listeners are encouraged to reflect on their own stories, understand their emotions, and recognize that it's never too late to rewrite their narratives. 

In this episode, we explore:
 ✨ Discovering your truth and core values
 🧭 Living intentionally instead of on autopilot
 📖 The power of personal storytelling
 🖊️ Journaling as a tool for clarity and alignment
 🌱 Making aligned choices without drastic life changes

This conversation is for anyone who feels called to slow down, listen inward, and make choices that truly reflect who they are — not who they think they should be.

🎧 Available on podcast apps and YouTube
 📌 Kristen’s journals and workshops 

 https://kristanswan.com/ 

So grab your favorite beverage, get comfortable, and join us for a conversation that honors curiosity, self-trust, and the courage to live aligned.

Key Takeaways:
Curiosity opens doors that shame keeps closed.
Understanding our stories helps us align our choices with our values.
Shame can prevent us from moving forward in life.
It's important to grieve the end of relationships, regardless of who initiated it.
Writing can help clarify thoughts and feelings.
We can change our minds and choices at any moment.
Self-discovery can be a joyful process, not just laborious.
Living forward means being present and open to new experiences.
Judgment can keep us stuck; curiosity can lead to growth.
Every experience contributes to our wisdom and understanding.

Visit our website for more information about us and to join our community!

#podmatch #podcast #healingjourney #journaling #tunein #newpodcastepisode #traveltimestorieswithshannon #personaldevelopment #personalgrowth #transformyourlife 

https://www.traveltimestories.com/

What if adventure didn’t have an expiration date? 

In this episode of Travel Time Stories with Shannon, Shannon and Ann sit down with Belinda Coker — lifelong traveler, solo hiker, and creator of Soul Treader — to explore what it means to keep choosing adventure across every season of life. 

Belinda began traveling in the 1980s, long before smartphones, social media, or easy online bookings. As a young woman, she worked on a solar power project in the remote mountains of Ladakh, northern India. Over the decades, her journeys have included multi-day solo hikes across Australia’s Red Centre and a solo crossing of Greenland’s Arctic Circle. 

Now in her 60s, Belinda travels full time, building her life around slow travel, multi-day hiking, and deep connection to place. Through Soul Treader and The House Sitting Collective, she shows how adventure can be sustainable, affordable, and deeply meaningful — without rushing or burning out. 

In this conversation, we talk about: 

🥾 Solo hiking and trusting yourself in remote places 

🌍 Traveling before technology — and what we’ve lost and gained 

🧭 Slow travel vs. checklist travel 

🌱 Sustainable ways to see the world without draining savings 

✨ Reclaiming adventure at midlife and beyond 

This episode is for anyone who feels the pull to explore — whether that means crossing continents, hiking solo, or simply listening to the quiet voice inside that says there’s more. 

🎧 Available on podcast apps and YouTube 

📌 Belinda’s blog and resources 

https://soultreader.com/ 

https://housesittingcollective.com/ 

Use Promo Code hstravel for 10% off The House Sitting Collective Courses. 

So grab your favorite beverage, get comfortable, and join us for a reminder that adventure doesn’t fade with age — it evolves. 

Visit our website to join the community and find our more about us and our past guests. https://www.traveltimestories.com/ 

#podcast #travelpodcast #hiking #solohiking #housesitting #slowtravel #podmatch #newpodcastepisode #tunein #seniortravel #immersivetravel 

https://www.traveltimestories.com/