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They sold the farm, let go of the stuff, and pushed off the dock lines with a shared promise: sail around the world together. From their boat in French Polynesia, award-winning author and lifelong sailor Alison Gieschen joins us with her husband Dan to tell the full story behind their liveaboard sailing life on their 43-foot sailboat, Equus, including what it takes to keep moving when the dream gets expensive, exhausting, and genuinely scary.

We dig into the turning points that make a circumnavigation real: how Alison’s horsewoman roots and an early “out of nowhere” sailing vision turned into skills, how they met during a sailboat race, and why they decided to sell everything and commit. Then we go straight into the hard part, including their worst storm experience in the Gulf Stream, the damage that forced a turnaround, and the PTSD that lingered long after the repairs. Alison also shares the moment a trusted mentor helped reframe the fear, and why that single conversation kept them out there for eight years and counting.

We also talk about the quieter day-to-day realities that rarely make the highlight reels: staying close to kids and grandkids from far away, how minimalism changes your priorities, and how life at sea can create the focus to write books across memoir, children’s literature, and adult fiction. We wrap with their current route plans across the South Pacific, favorite stops like the Azores, and a practical travel-planning lesson from our own Europe prep about booking early when thousands of travelers hit the same ports and airports.

Subscribe for more conversations about long-term travel and real-world ways to make it happen, and if you found value here, share the episode and leave a quick review so more travelers can find us.

Alison's Website: https://alisongieschen.com/

Also check out: https://sailmates.org/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sailingequus

Download full-color PDFs of my book at prices below Amazon paperbacks. Visit my store at https://shop.jimsantosbooks.com

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jim@jimsantosbooks.com

"Wherever We May Roam: Finding Your Travel Style" - On Amazon

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Life doesn’t follow a map, and neither do the journeys that shape us. We’re joined by Shannon Lamkin, author, speaker, and host of the internationally listened to podcast Travel Time Stories with Shannon, for a conversation that starts with travel and quickly gets more honest. Shannon shares how a show built around destinations evolved into a space where people tell the stories that changed them, and why one good conversation can be the first step toward healing.

We talk about what it means to rebuild yourself after trauma, including surviving abusive relationships and learning the hard truth that leaving isn’t the same as being healed. Shannon opens up about anxiety and panic attacks, and how a first solo trip to New Orleans became a surprising milestone in confidence and self-trust. We also get into parenting through serious mental illness, the lifelong ripple effects of childhood experiences, and Shannon’s adoption story and search for birth family long before DNA kits and social media made it easier.

Caregiving and identity come up in a big way as Shannon describes supporting a spouse through chronic illness, kidney failure, and dialysis, plus the pressure of holding everything together without losing yourself. From there, we shift back to the power of travel as reinvention, including cruising as a way to explore and a Scotland road trip that raised the bar for what felt possible. Shannon also shares what she’s writing now, including her memoir "Map Back to Me" and her novel "Wrong Turns, Right People", built around the idea that detours can bring the right people into your life.

If you’re drawn to travel, midlife reinvention, storytelling, mental health, and finding your own travel style in the real world, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a quick review so more listeners can find us.

Shannon's Website: https://www.traveltimestories.com/

Shannon's Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/travel-time-stories-with-shannon-real-journeys-real/id1821032644

Download full-color PDFs of my book at prices below Amazon paperbacks. Visit my store at https://shop.jimsantosbooks.com

Subscribe to our Mailing List

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2292506/supporters/new
http://jimsantos.net
https://www.instagram.com/jimsantosblog
https://www.youtube.com/@jimsantos508
jim@jimsantosbooks.com

"Wherever We May Roam: Finding Your Travel Style" - On Amazon

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You can’t “budget” your way to a better trip if you don’t know where the money leaks actually happen. We sit down with Australia-based author, travel writer, and travel coach Linda King to unpack a practical approach to budget travel that feels empowering, not restrictive: save with intention so you can travel more often and for longer stretches.

We get tactical on the big pre-trip wins, including smarter research, price monitoring, and why paying upfront can sometimes unlock better rates and extras. Then we move into real-world daily strategies that keep your travel budget intact, like free activities, free walking tours, and the simple meal math that adds up fast: breakfast included, supermarket meal deals, and choosing when to splurge on restaurants. If you’ve ever come home to a painful post-trip bill, this conversation is built to prevent it.

Next, we dive into points and miles and credit card rewards without the hype. Linda explains how to choose loyalty programs, learn partner options, and build a redemption strategy that fits your routes. We also talk about the non-negotiables that make travel hacking work: understand annual fees, use the card enough to justify it, and always pay in full so interest doesn’t erase your rewards. We even address those “point multiplier” offers and why doing your own research usually wins.

Finally, we explore AI travel planning, solo travel confidence, and what mindful travel and sustainable travel look like in practice, from better prompts to “leave no trace” habits. Subscribe, share this with a travel buddy, and leave a quick review so more people can find the show.

Linda King's Website: https://www.thesmarttravelista.com/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thesmartravelista

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Thesmartravelista

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

The Smart Travelista Guide Series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F5NHMYGQ

Antics Abroad Series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GRV1YT5F

Download full-color PDFs of my book at prices below Amazon paperbacks. Visit my store at https://shop.jimsantosbooks.com

Subscribe to our Mailing List

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2292506/supporters/new
http://jimsantos.net
https://www.instagram.com/jimsantosblog
https://www.youtube.com/@jimsantos508
jim@jimsantosbooks.com

"Wherever We May Roam: Finding Your Travel Style" - On Amazon