Choose Your Happy Place – Details, episodes & analysis

Raimee Iacofano has been featured on Good Morning America and is a known TikTok travel influencer. With over 500,000 followers across socials- Raimee is inspiring people across the world to travel. At the age of 14, she took her first international trip to Honduras and Belize and she fell in love with experiencing different cultures. From there she spent time all over Europe from study abroad programs in Ireland, Germany France and the Netherlands.

She worked for the incredible nomadicmatt remotely managing media and content while getting to explore 5 different continents. In 2021 she had a TikTok she made about one of her travel experiences in Greece go viral and she has been sharing her travel tips, tricks, advice and recommendations every since.

In this episode we will dive deep into learning more about Raimee's life and the story behind her social media. We will discuss

Solo traveling tips

Tips for points and miles

Tips for becoming a travel influencer

Best vacations and must do in each of those locations

Mary Ellen is one half of the Wonderland on Points podcast duo. She was born and raised a Southern Girl who, as an adult, has bounced up and down the East Coast. She's a busy mom, who spends most of her days dreaming about travel while shuttling kids to sports practices and picking up shifts as a nurse at her local hospital. She's an expert in maximizing credit card rewards for travel and has redeemed thousands of dollars worth of free travel flying her family of 5 to magical destinations. A few of her biggest inspirations that helped mold her personality were Lucille Ball and Pippi Longstockings.

In this episode we will talk all about Brevard North Carolina and Cedar Mountain. In this episode we will cover:

Best time of year to visit Brevard North

Weather in Brevard

Best airport to fly into when visiting Brevard

Food to try in Brevard

Fun airbnbs in Brevard

Things to do in Brevard

 

Katie is the creative force behind the Traveling Spud blog, an award winning travel and lifestyle blog based in Boise, Idaho. With a focus on showcasing unique ways to explore the world, Katie offers travelers insider tips, unique accomodations finds, and attainable travel advice. From road trip itineraries to packing essentials, her blog and socials are valuable resources for anyone looking to dive more into travel. In this episode we will discuss Boise Idaho and the surrounding areas. If you are looking for roadtrip ideas or side trips around Idaho you won't want to miss this episode. We cover:

Weather in Boise Idaho

Top 5 favorite food places in Boise Idaho

Top things to do in Boise Idaho

Where to stay in Boise Idaho

Side trips from Boise Idaho

Road trip ideas in Idaho

 

Karen Rosenblum is from California but moved to Spain six years ago.  After a brief stint in Madrid, she now considers Málaga to be home.  A travel industry veteran, Karen has worked for several travel companies including STA Travel and Airbnb.  In 2018, she founded Spain Less Traveled, a Spain travel planning service where she works with her clients to plan and personalize their trips to Spain.  Karen is also the founder of the Travel Spain! community on Facebook, a forum to discuss Spain travel planning with almost 40,000 members.  In her spare time, Karen enjoys traveling the world, riding her bike, walking and exploring, and meeting her friends for pub quizzes.

In this episode we will discuss everything you need to plan your next trip to Spain. We will talk about:

Travel to Málaga Spain

Weather in Málaga Spain

Transportation in Málaga Spain

Best time of year to visit Málaga Spain

Day trips from Málaga Spain

Tours to take in Málaga Sapin

What to do in Málaga Spain

Food to eat in Málaga Spain

Museums in Málaga

Best beaches in Málaga

Top things to see in Málaga Spain

Erin Bellere was born and raised in Pasadena Maryland and still lives there 40 years later. She loves to travel with her husband and two children using points and miles. When she is not traveling, she's researching and planning her next trip. 

Erin fell in love with Aruba and has returned again and again. In this episode we will discuss all the things to help you plan your trip to Aruba. We will cover:

Best time to travel to Aruba

Weather in Aruba

Best place to stay in Aruba

Food to try in Aruba

Top things to do in Aruba

Ideal Itinerary for Aruba

Jen was born and raised in New Zealand and calls the South Island home, despite being born in the North.  She was inspired to start Backyard Travel Family after taking an "easy" hike and found herself using chains to pull herself up with a baby in tow - not exactly what she planned on an easy hike.  From here she started her website to provide lots of practical advice about travelling around New Zealand and adventuring with kids to give parents the info they actually need to plan a trip with kids.   Now a full time photographer and freelance journalist, she documents her travel with kids in New Zealand and around the world.   In this episode we will discuss everything you need to plan your trip to New Zealand. We will discuss   Best time to visit New Zealand Weather in New Zealand How to get around New Zealand How much time should you plan in New Zealand Unique food to try in New Zealand Where to stay in New Zealand Hikes to do in New Zealand Ideal Itinerary for the South Island of New Zealand Top things to do in New Zealand

Stephanie Loaiza is one of the founders of the food media company, Six Sisters’ Stuff. With over 4 million followers across their platforms, they focus on quick and easy recipes and ways to bring your family together. She has co-authored 10 cookbooks which have sold over 500,000 copies. In her spare time, you can find her reading, playing pickle ball, or traveling with her husband and 5 kids.

In this episode we will discuss everything to plan your perfect trip to Los Angeles California. In this episode we will cover:

What to eat in Los Angeles

Top things to do in Los Angeles

Favorite beaches near Los Angeles

Best activities in Los Angeles

Transportation for Los Angeles

Where to stay in Los Angeles

Christina McEvoy is the founder of the brand Macs Explore and Adventure Together, which is devoted to helping adventurous families with teens get outdoors and travel to unique destinations around the world. She is also the host of the hit podcast, Your Limitless Life, which explores the intersection of travel, entrepreneurship and self-development. Christina is an adventure travel expert, mom to two teen boys, Stage 4 cancer survivor, and a self-proclaimed "travelpreneur". Having built a successful multiple six-figure a year income from travel content creation, Christina has also helped hundreds of other travel creators build and monetize their own businesses. She also hosts group trips all over the world for women in places like Iceland, Bali, Costa Rica, Swizterland, and Fiji. When Christina isn't traveling or building her dream business, you can often find her outdoors in her home state of Utah--skiing, hiking, paddle boarding, mountain biking and canyoneering. 

In this episode Christina will be sharing her expertise in talking about traveling with teens, getting paid to travel, and her women only trips. She shares:

Favorite destinations for her teens

How travel has been different with teens

Favorite destinations

Getting paid to travel

Womens only trips and retreats

Dian Holland is district sales manager for the Jamaica Tourist board. Her passion for Jamaica and her natural flare for sales and marketing led her to join the Jamaica Tourist board in Kingston, Jamaica in 1978. She was later transferred to Miami Florida then to Los Angeles, California. Realizing that she enjoyed being on the road, connecting with both trade and consumers Diane seized the opportunity to apply for the position of business development manager and now channels her energetic personality, and encourages others to travel to Jamaica. 

In this episode we will cover everything for you to plan your perfect trip. We talk about

The history of Jamaica

What airport to fly into 

Best time to visit Jamaica

Food to try in Jamaica

Where to stay in Jamaica

Must see things in Jamaica

How to get around Jamaica

Safety in Jamaica

Melinda is a mom, entrepreneur, business owner, and influencer. Born and raised in Spanish fork Utah. She is the mom of 4 kids from the ages of 7 to 15. I first found Melinda through instagram when I saw an ad for her bags. A little something about me. I am obsessed with good bags and so when I saw these, I knew I wanted to try it out. I bought one of her bags and fell in love with it and bought another one. She is a beautiful soul who shares their life and struggles and everything in between. Melinda is the owner of Tobiq Travel- bags made by a mom for moms to help simplify packing for your next trip. After growing up in Utah, Melinda moved with her family to Grand Junction Colorado and shares all about this little hidden gem that you will want to add to your next road trip. In this episode we will cover

Best way to get to Grand Junction

Best time of year to visit Grand Junction

Best food places in Grand Junction

What to do in Grand Junction

Favorite hikes in Grand Junction