Soul of Travel: Women's Wisdom and Mindful Travel Christine Winebrenner Irick, presented by JourneyWoman

In this episode of Soul of Travel, Season 5: Women's Wisdom + Mindful Travel, presented by @journeywoman_original, Christine hosts a special soulful and unscripted conversation with Dee Gibson.
Dee is an award-winning British Sri Lankan designer and hotelier. She built Kalukanda House in 2017 to reconnect with her heritage. Dee has a vision to create space for women to use their voices. She believes that there is a wealth of talent and dynamism in Sri Lanka and that we should reframe the way we see the island. She runs events in Sri Lanka and the UK, where she lives, to inspire and empower female entrepreneurs. Kalukanda House has been listed in Conde Nast's Best Places to Visit in 2024, being noted for its retreats and female empowerment initiatives. She is proud and excited to announce Hera Project X Island Immersion, an innovative venture set to redefine the landscape of retreat experiences. Scheduled for June 2024, this groundbreaking retreat is tailor-made for creative women seeking inspiration, connection, and personal growth in a dynamic setting like no other.
Christine and Dee discuss:


· Dee’s mission to change the narrative around travel in Sri Lanka
· How the story of Sri Lanka is told, and the way stories of countries are told as destinations
· Hera Project X Island Immersion
· Creating travel experiences that move beyond surface-level connection and understanding to create space for more depth in our engagement with community and in cultural awareness
· Ways to empower women and artists and create a better understanding of the value of both, economically and culturally
Join Christine now for this soulful conversation with Dee Gibson.
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To read our episode blog post, access a complete transcript, see full show notes, and find resources and links mentioned in this episode, head to the Soul of Travel Website. 

LOVE these soulful conversations? We rely on listener support to produce our podcast! Make a difference by making a donation to Lotus Sojourns on PayPal.  
Are you a Soul of Travel subscriber? Click here to subscribe to Apple Podcasts, so you don’t miss the latest episodes!
Listener reviews help expand our reach and help us rise up the ranks! Rate and review your favorite episodes on Apple Podcasts or your preferred podcast app.
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Reserve your spot in the HERA Project X Retreat scheduled for June 2024 here.
Read about HERA Project X in this Hip Hotels Article and in the Sri Lanka Daily Mirror.
Connect with Dee on social media: HERA Project X Instagram / Kalukanda House Instagram / Dee’s Instagram / Dee’s LinkedIn
Learn more about Kalukanda House.
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Looking for ways to be a part of the Lotus Sojourns community? Learn more here!
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In this episode of Soul of Travel, Season 5: Women's Wisdom + Mindful Travel, presented by @journeywoman_original, Christine hosts a soulful conversation with Alice Morrison.
Alice is an author, adventurer, and TV presenter living in the heart of Morocco. For the first 8 years of her life, Alice got to run free in the African Bush, roaming around the foothills of the Mountains of the Moon in Uganda, hunting tadpoles and running away from snakes. She studied Arabic and Turkish at Edinburgh University and spent time in Syria, Egypt, England, Scotland, and more. She has presented through Middle East Broadcasting, BBC News, and served as CEO of Vision+Media, a company dedicated to growing creative industry.


Christine and Alice discuss:
How her global upbringing led to a life of adventure and travelLearning to fit in and get along with people from all around the worldHow studying around the world opened her eyes to different culturesThe path of media colliding with journalism, writing, and adventureJoin Christine now for this soulful conversation with Alice Morrison.
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To read our episode blog post, access a complete transcript, see full show notes, and find resources and links mentioned in this episode, head to the Soul of Travel Website. 

LOVE these soulful conversations? We rely on listener support to produce our podcast! Make a difference by making a donation to Lotus Sojourns on PayPal.  
Are you a Soul of Travel subscriber? Click here to subscribe to Apple Podcasts, so you don’t miss the latest episodes!
Listener reviews help expand our reach and help us rise up the ranks! Rate and review your favorite episodes on Apple Podcasts or your preferred podcast app.
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Get to know Alice Morrison and read about her latest travels.
Check out Alice’s books: Dodging Elephants, Morocco to Timbuktu: An Arabian Adventure, Adventures in Morocco, and Walking with Nomads.
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Looking for ways to be a part of the Lotus Sojourns community? Learn more here!
Find Lotus Sojourns on Facebook, or join the Lotus Sojourns Collective, our FB community for like-hearted women. Find solo travel trips for women over 50 on JourneyWoman.
Follow us on Instagram: @journeywoman_original, @lotussojourns and @souloftravelpodcast.
Credits. Christine Winebrenner Irick (Host, creator, editor). Alice Morrison (Guest). Original music by Clark Adams. Editing, production, and content writing by Carly Oduardo.
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In this episode of Soul of Travel, Season 5: Women's Wisdom + Mindful Travel, presented by @journeywoman_original, Christine hosts a soulful conversation with Mickela Mallozzi.
Mickela is the four-time Emmy-winning host of Bare Feet with Mickela Mallozzi, a travel series highlighting the diversity of dance that airs on PBS nationwide and on Amazon Prime around the world. A professional dancer and trained musician, Mickela decided to start a journey around the world, taking her camera with her to follow dance in the lives of everyday people wherever she went. From rediscovering her family’s heritage in southern Italy to dancing tango on the mainstage in Buenos Aires, Mickela’s series covers her adventures as she experiences the world one dance at a time. She has been featured in the New York Times, Oprah Magazine, Forbes, AFAR, and more, and she has performed on various television shows–including Sesame Street.
Christine and Mickela discuss:
· The way Mickela has been able to bring her love for travel and dance together
· Inspiring others to seek out local performances and dance culture
· The types of connections that slow travel allows
· Building your dream job and how much goes on behind the scenes
· Why it’s so important to be relatable and authentic as we share our journey 
Join Christine now for this soulful conversation with Mickela Mallozzi.
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To read our episode blog post, access a complete transcript, see full show notes, and find resources and links mentioned in this episode, head to the Soul of Travel Website. 

LOVE these soulful conversations? Make a difference by making a donation to Lotus Sojourns on PayPal. Click here to subscribe to Apple Podcasts. Rate and review your favorite episodes on Apple Podcasts or your preferred podcast app.
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Visit Bare Feet with Mickela Mallozzi at https://www.travelbarefeet.com/.
Book your Bare Feet Tour with Mickela to see the world through the lens of music and dance.
Get your copy of Your Brain on Art, Mickela’s current read.
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Looking for ways to be a part of the Lotus Sojourns community? Learn more here!
Find Lotus Sojourns on Facebook, or join the Lotus Sojourns Collective, our FB community for like-hearted women. Find solo travel trips for women over 50 on JourneyWoman.
Follow us on Instagram: @journeywoman_original, @lotussojourns and @souloftravelpodcast.
Credits. Christine Winebrenner Irick (Host, creator, editor). Mickela Mallozzi (Guest). Original music by Clark Adams. Editing, production, and content writing by Carly Oduardo.
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In this episode of Soul of Travel, Season 5: Women's Wisdom + Mindful Travel, presented by @journeywoman_original, Christine hosts a soulful conversation with Alexis Bowen.
Alexis Bowen is a respected expert in the travel and tourism industry and co-founder of Elsewhere, a travel marketplace connecting travelers with local experts worldwide. She has been featured by top publications such as the New York Times, Vogue, and USA Today, and was chosen as the face of Canva’s ‘Start-up Success Story’ in their prime-time international television campaign. Drawing on her experience working with major industry players, and as a response to the state of the industry, Alexis co-launched Elsewhere in 2021 to shake up the all-too-traditional tourism space with a digital approach, values-driven mission, and direct-to-local model. The company was acquired by Lonely Planet in 2022. When not focused on growing her company, Alexis can be found exploring. She has hitchhiked and couch-surfed her way around the world and is happiest in her simplest state – with only a backpack and a limited schedule. A California native, Alexis spent the last ten years living in Paris before recently relocating back to her home city of San Francisco to begin a new adventure - raising her little girl.
Christine and Alexis discuss:
· Shared passion for getting economic impact direct to local economies and communities
· How to avoid economic leakage in tourism
· How local experts add incredible value to travelers’ experiences
· Roller coaster of the entrepreneurial journey
· Being acquired by Lonely Planet
· Alexis’s solo travel journey to London with a case of wine as her only luggage
Join Christine now for this soulful conversation with Alexis Bowen.
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To read our episode blog post, access a complete transcript, see full show notes, and find resources and links mentioned in this episode, head to the Soul of Travel Website. LOVE these soulful conversations? We rely on listener support to produce our podcast! Make a difference by making a donation to Lotus Sojourns on PayPal.  
Click here to subscribe on Apple Podcasts!
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Discover your next adventure with Elsewhere by Lonely Planet.
Connect with Alexis on LinkedIn. 
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Looking for ways to be a part of the Lotus Sojourns community? Learn more here!
Find Lotus Sojourns on Facebook, or join the Lotus Sojourns Collective, our FB community for like-hearted women. Find solo travel trips for women over 50 on JourneyWoman.
Follow us on Instagram: @journeywoman_original, @lotussojourns and @souloftravelpodcast.
Credits. Christine Winebrenner Irick (Host, creator, editor). Alexis Bowen (Guest). Original music by Clark Adams. Editing, production, and content writing by Carly Oduardo.
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In this episode of Soul of Travel, Season 5: Women's Wisdom + Mindful Travel, presented by @journeywoman_original, Christine hosts a soulful conversation with Allison Boyle.
Allison Boyle is a backpacking educator and life coach. She is the founder of the outdoor blog She Dreams of Alpine and the creator of the outdoor coaching program, Become a Backpacking Badass, where she teaches women how to become safe, confident, and self-sufficient in the outdoors. Allison loves having the chance to talk about hiking and backpacking every day, and has become an inspiring outdoors content creator and entrepreneur.
Christine and Allison discuss:


· How one backpacking trip in Yosemite changed the course of Allison’s life
· Growing confidence on the trail
· How leaving the airport can be the first win of many on a solo international trip
· Going all-in on an identity of travel and outdoor experiences
· How one idea leads to another in entrepreneurship, and the power of following your curiosity
Join Christine now for this soulful conversation with Allison Boyle.
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To read our episode blog post, access a complete transcript, see full show notes, and find resources and links mentioned in this episode, head to the Soul of Travel Website. 

LOVE these soulful conversations? We rely on listener support to produce our podcast! Make a difference by making a donation to Lotus Sojourns on PayPal.  
Are you a Soul of Travel subscriber? Click here to subscribe to Apple Podcasts, so you don’t miss the latest episodes!
Listener reviews help expand our reach and help us rise up the ranks! Rate and review your favorite episodes on Apple Podcasts or your preferred podcast app.
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Get to know Allison and explore the outdoors at She Dreams of Alpine.
​Join the waitlist for the next Backpacking Badass Program.
Connect with Allison on social media: Instagram / Facebook / Pinterest / YouTube
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Looking for ways to be a part of the Lotus Sojourns community? Learn more here!
Find Lotus Sojourns on Facebook, or join the Lotus Sojourns Collective, our FB community for like-hearted women. Find solo travel trips for women over 50 on JourneyWoman.
Follow us on Instagram: @journeywoman_original, @lotussojourns and @souloftravelpodcast.
Credits. Christine Winebrenner Irick (Host, creator, editor). Allison Boyle (Guest). Original music by Clark Adams. Editing, production, and content writing by Carly Oduardo.


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In this episode of Soul of Travel, Season 5: Women's Wisdom + Mindful Travel, presented by @journeywoman_original, Christine hosts a soulful conversation with Maria Baltazzi.
Happiness explorer and travel designer Maria Baltazzi is an Emmy-winning veteran television producer and wellbeing teacher whose extraordinary life has taken her to every corner of the globe. Her remarkable journey across all seven continents, walking over 8,500 miles for charity, summiting Kilimanjaro twice, and trekking to Everest Base camp in search of her own road to happiness, is a testament to her commitment to making a positive impact. With a Ph.D. in Conscious-Centered Living and an MFA in film, Maria is well-equipped to inspire others to embark on their epic treks toward happiness. Maria also offers script consulting services through Stage 32, the premiere writer’s platform with over a million members and going. You can choose to attend Sojourn Wholebeing classes, experience transformative adventures with Sojourn Explorers, or delve into Maria's insightful award-winning book, "Take A Shot at Happiness: How to Write, Direct & Produce the Life You Want,” which, accompanied by an interactive app, offers practical, creative, and inspiring ways to embrace conscious living.
Christine and Maria discuss:
· The inspiration for Maria’s book and how it surfaced during her time as a TV producer
· The intersection between wellbeing and travel
· How we can understand happiness as a state of being and not a destination
· How Maria’s book helps readers develop their own relationship with happiness
Join Christine now for this soulful conversation with Maria Baltazzi.
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To read our episode blog post, access a complete transcript, see full show notes, and find resources and links mentioned in this episode, head to the Soul of Travel Website. 

Support the podcast on PayPal. Click here to subscribe to Apple Podcasts, so you don’t miss the latest episodes!
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Get your copy of Take a Shot at Happiness: How to Write, Direct & Produce the Life You Want.  Visit https://mariabaltazzi.com to learn more about Maria and connect with each of her projects. Book your next solo or small group travel experience with Maria and Sojourn Explorers.
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Looking for ways to be a part of the Lotus Sojourns community? Learn more here!
Find Lotus Sojourns on Facebook, or join the Lotus Sojourns Collective, our FB community for like-hearted women. Find solo travel trips for women over 50 on JourneyWoman. Follow us on Instagram: @journeywoman_original, @lotussojourns and @souloftravelpodcast.
Credits. Christine Winebrenner Irick (Host, creator, editor). Maria Baltazzi (Guest). Original music by Clark Adams. Editing, production, and content writing by Carly Oduardo.
Support the Show.