Host Kristin Carlson welcomes Rachna Patel, founder and director of RAAC Academy and author of the memoir "Empowering Echoes," to share how surviving a childhood brain tumor shaped her life and teaching. Rachna describes severe, sporadic pain beginning around age seven, an MRI revealing a large right-side brain tumor, and a high-risk surgery in Atlanta with lasting impacts to vision and memory that required relearning basic skills. With intensive support from family and key mentors, she rebuilt confidence through art, games, and movement-based activities, later becoming an educator who personalizes learning around student interests. She explains RAAC’s growth to 37 project-based classes (K–12), including NASA-themed competitions, hands-on labs, and trivia-buzzer reviews, emphasizing inclusive, meaningful, alternative education for homeschool communities.

www.RAACAcademy.com

Host Kristin Carlson welcomes Colby Sherban, a mother, artist, and community space-holder, to share how her family left small-town Canada during an Alberta winter for a one-way move to Guadalajara, Mexico, seeking more culture, options, and connection to her husband’s Mexican roots. A planned six-month trial became a long-term life after pregnancy and COVID, later leading them to Puerto Vallarta with only a few local contacts. Colby describes ongoing settling, balancing working abroad, and finding community through homeschool meetups and hands-on activities. She explains their interest-led homeschool/unschool approach, managing outside judgments, and how creativity shows up beyond art. They discuss limited “me time,” late-night creating, learning to say no, and hosting an Art and Earth festival.

@mamacocreativa

Life is an education and an adventure from start to finish. We often spend much time dreaming up our early years and planning for how we want our life to unfold. But we don't often give the post retirement years nearly as much attention or thought as they deserve. How can we best honor those years of wrapping a bow on a life well lived? How can we support those that find themselves approaching that phase of life? And what are the practical and logistical preparations that one can take to leave a lasting legacy with their loved ones?

www.AgingSolutionsNW.com

The Voice of Aging Podcast