Explore every episode of the podcast Finding Gina Marie - Travel the World
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 48 hours in Barcelona is NOT enough time | Spain Travel Guide | 07 Sep 2024 | 00:19:54 | |
Ep.115 The beauty of Barcelona makes a journey there worth your time, but we had to work hard to fit in as much as we did on our short stay. The architecture is distinctively organic, the food markets are full of delights, and the harbor and beaches give everyone something to enjoy. ❤️ Watch us on YouTube! | |||
| Sell, Donate, Gift, or Trash Your Stuff | Downsizing for Full-Time Travel and Retirement | 04 Sep 2024 | 00:15:08 | |
Ep.114 Downsizing is a big task! Whether you’re doing a Swedish Death Cleaning, preparing for a life of less stuff in retirement, becoming a minimalist, or you’re getting rid of everything to travel the world like we did, there are 8 critical questions you should be asking to make the most of your time and energy. We also share 5 realities you should know to set yourself up for success. This is the second in our multi-part series on downsizing. ❤️ Watch us on YouTube! | |||
| Positano: Hiking the Path of the Gods plus Private Sunset Cruise | Italy Travel Guide | 06 Jul 2024 | 00:17:18 | |
Ep.105 The crowds in Positano can be overwhelming, but we knew the views would be gorgeous. We avoided some of tourist congestion by taking an early morning hike along the Path of the Gods and then a private sunset cruise to see some hidden gems along the coast. Both live up to the hype for absolutely stunning scenery. If you’re looking for an itinerary for the perfect day on the Amalfi Coast, this is it! ❤️ Watch us on YouTube! | |||
| Can we live in Portugal as Digital Nomads? | 20 Jul 2022 | 00:17:12 | |
Ep.15 One solution to being stalled from acquiring an Italian Residency Visa is to move to Portugal… at least for a little while. In this episode, we talk about the D2 and D7 visa options and why we’ve planned a trip to Lisbon and Porto in September. | |||
| The Schengen 90/180 Days Rule explained in 60 seconds | 13 Jul 2022 | 00:19:12 | |
Ep.14 After picking an Italian city in episode 13 that we would love to call home, we hit a roadblock. This led to brainstorming a solution and gaining a better understanding of the Schengen 90/180 days rule. This is a good episode to watch on YouTube. | |||
| Where to live in Italy? Exploring 6 Cities in 12 Days | 06 Jul 2022 | 00:28:46 | |
Ep.13 Follow us on our journey to find a new home in Italy. From Lucca to Florence, then to Parma, and on to Verona and Venice, before we finish our tour in Bologna. We share beautiful views, foods, and experiences. At the end, we reveal our favorite city. This is an episode you’ll want to watch on YouTube. | |||
| Picking our Top 5 places to live in Italy | 28 Jun 2022 | 00:27:18 | |
Ep.12 On New Years Day 2022, we planned a 6 city trip to Italy to find our next home. We explain our top 9 criteria that a city has to meet to inspire us to move there. There’s also a senior moment shaving incident and a lot of laughs. | |||
| Using the 1948 Case for Italian Citizenship | 22 Jun 2022 | 00:28:47 | |
Ep.11 After Judy hit several dead ends with her quest to be an Italian citizen, a glimmer of light appeared at the end of the tunnel. A friend’s wedding in Guildford is an excuse to fly to the UK and more birth family meet-ups happen in California. Judy also breaks down the 1948 and 1983 Italian rulings for citizenship. | |||
| Italian Dual Citizenship - How hard could it be? | 15 Jun 2022 | 00:28:27 | |
Ep.10 In 2021, Judy and Kevin travelled to Buffalo to finally meet her sisters and celebrate a 90th birthday party for Kevin's aunt and uncle. We also bought e-bikes and rode them to Napa for my birthday trip. Judy also breaks down our first attempts with Italian Dual Citizenship. | |||
| A setback and a move forward - the COVID lockdown | 08 Jun 2022 | 00:25:15 | |
Ep.9 Immediately after Judy’s family reunion, COVID shut everything down. While Judy stayed connected to family via video chats, Kevin struggled with depression during the summer of 2020. A move to a new apartment in the fall gave us renewed energy and rekindled the idea that Judy should seriously explore Dual Italian Citizenship. | |||
| Meeting my birth mom for the first time! A Family Reunion | 01 Jun 2022 | 00:29:26 | |
Ep.8 A hug from a mother after 55 years is an emotionally charged moment. Meeting a dozen family members for the first time amplifies the love. This reunion episode might even have you reaching for a tissue. | |||
| First contact with my birth family using 23andMe | 25 May 2022 | 00:29:07 | |
Ep.7 Only a month after returning from Italy, DNA results led to first contact with a cousin. Soon after that, the floodgates poured open and more family was connected. The best was yet to come when Judy listened to her voicemail. Episode 7 is packed full of special moments… including finding Gina Marie. | |||
| A Surprise in Italy - 23andMe Results | 18 May 2022 | 00:27:00 | |
Ep.6 While traveling in Italy at the end of 2019, Judy got an email with some amazing 23andMe DNA test results. In this episode, we talk about what led up to this moment and share pictures of our trips to Rome, Florence, Milan, and Venice. Finding Gina Marie was suddenly closer than we ever expected. | |||
| Watch BEFORE visiting the Amalfi Coast | Italy Travel Guide | 29 Jun 2024 | 00:15:58 | |
Ep.104 These are the NEED-TO-KNOW tips before you schedule your bucket list visit to the Amalfi Coast. Amalfi, Positano, Ravello, and Capri are beautiful destinations, but do you know how much it costs to move between these places? Don’t blow your budget before you arrive! We tell you everything you need to know about where to stay, how to avoid problems on the buses and ferries, and when to take a taxi. There’s also a lot of gorgeous scenery to look at while we tell our top tips. This is the first of a multi-part series from one of the most beautiful parts of Italy. ❤️ Watch us on YouTube! | |||
| Downsizing our lives - Houston to San Francisco | 11 May 2022 | 00:30:13 | |
Ep.5 We decided to flip our lives around 180 degrees and move from our multi-car, 6 people in a house lifestyle in Houston to a new biking/walking, apartment-dwelling, empty nester lifestyle in San Francisco. Not only did we have to change every routine in our lives, but we accidentally set ourselves up to be much closer to Finding Gina Marie. | |||
| Discovering our love for cities in Europe | 04 May 2022 | 00:30:46 | |
Ep.4 After living in Houston for over 25 years, we make our first trip to London — little did we know how much this would change our lives. The timing of these trips to Europe led us to our next stage of finding Gina Marie. | |||
| She left us too soon - One door closes and another opens | 27 Apr 2022 | 00:27:51 | |
Ep.3 Leaving family is hard and losing them even harder. But sometimes sad events can lead to discovering more about ourselves. It can also lead to clues, like finding adoption paperwork. Visit findingGinaMarie.com to find all our links and contact information. | |||
| Goodbye, Buffalo! Starting our new life in Houston | 24 Apr 2022 | 00:27:53 | |
Ep.2 From Buffalo, New York to Houston, Texas to San Francisco, California. This wasn’t exactly the plan. Watch this episode on YouTube or listen to our podcast to find out more. Visit findingGinaMarie.com to find all our links and contact information. | |||
| Finding Gina Marie - Starting a new chapter of our lives | 24 Apr 2022 | 00:13:12 | |
Ep.1 Welcome to our video podcast, Finding Gina Marie. In this first episode, you’ll find out how our journey started and a little bit about where we are going. This episode will introduce you to us, Judy and Kevin Hoctor, and explain what this podcast is all about. You can watch us on YouTube or listen to our podcast. Visit findingGinaMarie.com to find all our links and contact information. | |||
| Orvieto, Italy: You MUST See This Charming City | 26 Jun 2024 | 00:27:22 | |
Ep.103 We love Italy, but Orvieto raised the bar even higher for us. Come with us as we walk you through this beautiful hillside town and explore its many delights — including some of the most delicious pasta we’ve ever tasted! Of course, we share prices at the end too! ❤️ Watch us on YouTube! | |||
| Our Incredible 48 Hours in Seoul 🇰🇷 South Korea Travel Vlog | 01 Jun 2024 | 00:22:47 | |
Ep.102 We couldn’t leave South Korea without visiting Seoul. Busan was amazing, but there’s so much to see and do in Seoul. We fit as much of the food, coffee, and culture into 48 hours of fun. ❤️ Watch us on YouTube! | |||
| Epic Busan Adventures: Beach Comparisons, Sky Capsules, and Coastal Wonders! | 25 May 2024 | 00:25:24 | |
Ep.101 Our four-hour walk to the Oryukdo Skywalk did NOT go as expected! The picturesque hike along the Igidae Coastal Trail ended in a way we never imagined. In this episode, we also compare the bustling Haeundae Beach with the serene Gwangalli Beach, explore the Sand Art Festival, and take rides on both the Sky Capsule and Beach Train. Don't miss out on this adventure-packed journey that we filmed vlog style! ❤️ Watch us on YouTube! | |||
| Busan South Korea was NOT What We Expected 🇰🇷 Travel Guide | 18 May 2024 | 00:23:09 | |
Ep.100 Come with us to Busan and explore the food, culture, and many delights this South Korean coastal city has to offer. Don’t miss our tips on the best way to navigate the metro and bus systems, weather, where to stay, and apps to help you communicate better. This is a bucket-list country for us, and South Korea did NOT disappoint! ❤️ Watch us on YouTube! | |||
| Comparing Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand: What Lies Beyond the Postcard | 11 May 2024 | 00:16:38 | |
Ep.99 We spent over four months in Southeast Asia and want to share all that we’ve learned so you can decide if any of these three countries are right for you. There’s a lot to love about all the cities we stayed: Saigon, Hanoi, Hoi An, Siem Reap, and Chiang Mai. ❤️ Watch us on YouTube! | |||
| Taiwan Night Market Street Food Tour: Our Top 3 in Taipei | 05 May 2024 | 00:23:06 | |
Ep.98 One of our favorite things to do in Taipei was to explore the night markets. We rank three of them and bring you along with us as we taste an assortment of flavors, including a few Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand winning stalls. Are you team Shilin, Ningxia, or Raohe? We share the prices for everything we tried and even total up what we paid at each. ❤️ Watch us on YouTube! | |||
| Our First Time in Taiwan: Ultimate Taipei Travel Guide | 27 Apr 2024 | 00:25:08 | |
Ep.97 We take you through all the places you’ll want to see in Taipei and give you tips to make your visit the best it can be. Visit Taipei 101 and see the city from over 90 stories up, taste savory beef noodle soups, delicious dumplings, and even Japanese inspired meals. We’ll also tell you where we stayed and how much it costs to tour Taipei. ❤️ Watch us on YouTube! | |||
| Our 5 Biggest Travel Mistakes… and how to avoid them | 22 Apr 2024 | 00:30:12 | |
Ep.96 Mistakes can happen to anyone, regardless of how seasoned of a traveler you are. One mistake is silly, one could have had seriously unpleasant consequences, and all are preventable. While it might be less embarrassing to keep these private, we’d prefer to have you learn from us and save yourself the hassle of making these same errors. ❤️ Watch us on YouTube! | |||
| Verona & Lake Como Two of the Most Charming Places in Italy | Italy Travel Guide | 31 Aug 2024 | 00:17:30 | |
Ep.113 We take you to the lovely city of Verona to show off our favorite spots. Then we stayed overnight in Bellagio so we could explore Lake Como and spent the day in Varenna to soak up all its beauty. It was a fantastic way to end our 2024 Tour of Italy. ❤️ Watch us on YouTube! | |||
| Would you know what to do during a Natural Disaster on a trip? | Taiwan Earthquake | 13 Apr 2024 | 00:15:16 | |
Ep.95 We were in Taipei during the biggest Taiwan earthquake in over 25 years. It made us think, “Are we prepared for a natural disaster as full-time travelers?” Not only do we talk about how to prep for emergencies before traveling, we also offer a FREE downloadable emergency packing list on our website that includes what to do in every type of disaster. ❤️ Watch us on YouTube! | |||
| Top 8 Amazing Things To Do in Hoi An 🇻🇳 Vietnam | 06 Apr 2024 | 00:24:47 | |
Ep.94 We’ve talked about improving travel by getting to know the locals, well this episode is proof that it works. We visit a fishing village, taste rice wine, make mats and noodles, take a cooking class, and dive into the history of the Cham people at My Son Sanctuary. ❤️ Watch us on YouTube! | |||
| Hoi An: The Cultural Capital of Vietnam | ULTIMATE Travel Guide (2024) | 30 Mar 2024 | 00:33:34 | |
Ep.93 At the suggestion of our viewers, we traveled back to Vietnam to explore Hoi An. It’s one of the most beautiful places we’ve visited, but there is more to it than what meets the eye. We take you to into some hidden alleyways, historical shops, provide tips on the best areas to stay, introduce you to amazing foods, and help you to see all facets of this city of lanterns. ❤️ Watch us on YouTube! | |||
| Our Travel Epiphany: How Connecting with Locals Beats Tourist Traps | 23 Mar 2024 | 00:22:47 | |
Ep.92 We discuss how we’ve adjusted our travel after 16 months because of an experience in Chiang Mai. This episode digs deep into how we feel about full-time travel. ❤️ Watch us on YouTube! | |||
| Chiang Mai Thailand Has Everything | 16 Mar 2024 | 00:23:41 | |
Ep.91 We spent five weeks in Chiang Mai and were amazed by how it met our every need and want. It’s walkable, has delicious, inexpensive food, night markets, and so much more. Watch our deep dive that also includes what we paid. ❤️ Watch us on YouTube! | |||
| Chiang Mai Charmed Us Into Staying Longer | Thailand Travel Guide | 09 Mar 2024 | 00:16:23 | |
Ep.90 We enjoyed Cambodia, so how does Thailand compare? Watch as we point out how the people of Chiang Mai captured our hearts. It was so good, we extended our stay to longer than a month! ❤️ Watch us on YouTube! | |||
| Elephant Nature Park Chiang Mai: We had an AMAZING experience! | 02 Mar 2024 | 00:16:35 | |
Ep.89 Most elephant parks are not kind to the animals. We found an ethical sanctuary that put the happiness of the elephants above that of the tourists. And it was a wonderful experience that we’ll never forget. ❤️ Watch us on YouTube! | |||
| Thailand: Top 22 Things to Know Before You Go to Chiang Mai | 24 Feb 2024 | 00:12:35 | |
Ep.88 We learned so much from our 30+ days in Thailand and thought a quick tips video would help make your trip more enjoyable. We talk about e-visas, where to stay in Chiang Mai, what foods to try, how to get around, and so much more! We have several Thailand videos coming, so make sure to subscribe. ❤️ Watch us on YouTube! | |||
| Angkor Wat: Don’t go until you watch this video! | Cambodia Tour Guide | 17 Feb 2024 | 00:20:52 | |
Ep.87 The Angkor Archeological Park is massive! So before you go, you need a plan. We take you through the top 10 temples and give you the tips and advice that will help you make the most of your time in the world’s largest temple complex. ❤️ Watch us on YouTube! | |||
| Siem Reap, Cambodia: Why It’s the Most Popular City in Cambodia | 11 Feb 2024 | 00:24:40 | |
Ep.86 Have you ever visited a place and thought, “I could live here!” We take you around this tourist-friendly city and show you why we were so impressed. By the end of this episode, you too might be wondering if Cambodia is a country worthy of an extended stay. ❤️ Watch us on YouTube! | |||
| Our Hard-Earned Advice for Downsizing | Full-Time Travel Prep | 27 Aug 2024 | 00:15:58 | |
Ep.112 Viewers have been asking us how we made the transition from living in San Francisco to full-time travel, so we decided to create a series to help anyone who wants to travel more or just simplify for their retirement. In this episode, we talk about our best tips for making these process easier and more stress free. We have a couple of bloopers at the end, too! ❤️ Watch us on YouTube! | |||
| Medical Tourism in Thailand 2024 | Our Hospital Visit with Costs | 03 Feb 2024 | 00:29:47 | |
Ep.85 Ever wondered how hard it is to get medical care while traveling or worried about how much it might cost? We visit Chiang Mai Ram Hospital, which is known for its outstanding medical care in Thailand. We did a full battery of screenings and addressed some health issues. We met with specialists in cardiology, the liver, an ENT, had a CT scan, and even had some skin biopsies.We tell you what to expect, whether we’d recommend it, and what it ALL costs. ❤️ Watch us on YouTube! | |||
| The TRUTH about Our Lives as Full-Time Travelers | 27 Jan 2024 | 00:21:32 | |
Ep.84 If you’ve ever come back from a vacation and wished you could stay longer or wondered what it would be like to quit your job and travel the world, this episode is for you. We sold/donated everything we owned in 2022 to travel as digital nomads. There are good things… and not so good things about this “road less traveled.” We give you the real scoop about all of it. ❤️ Watch us on YouTube! | |||
| First time in Vietnam: Things to know before you go | Vietnam Travel Guide | 20 Jan 2024 | 00:16:56 | |
Ep.83 We had very different experiences between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, but there are many tips that apply to both. Join us as we explore the history, food, culture, chocolate, and coffee of Vietnam. This is everything you need to know as a first-time visitor to this country. ❤️ Watch us on YouTube! | |||
| Do NOT make these mistakes in HO CHI MINH CITY | Vietnam Travel Guide | 13 Jan 2024 | 00:14:21 | |
Ep.82 We knew very little about Vietnam before we spent a month there and we made a couple of big mistakes. Before visiting, watch this video to make the best choice about where to stay and visit in both Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. ❤️ Watch us on YouTube! | |||
| HOW WE PACK as Full-Time Travelers | Packing Tips & Tricks | 08 Jan 2024 | 00:34:21 | |
Ep.81 We’ve learned A LOT in the last year of traveling full-time around the world. We share WHAT we carry now, what we STOPPED carrying, and TIPS to make packing easier. We have no home base, so what we show you is everything we own. Our gear serves us in all but extreme cold weather, which we try to avoid whenever possible! ❤️ Watch us on YouTube! | |||
| Hiroshima: The most inspirational city in the world! | Japan Travel Guide | 30 Dec 2023 | 00:16:22 | |
Ep.80 Japan is full of beauty, but when that beauty comes from a desire to make our world a better place, it becomes inspirational. We explore the history of Hiroshima, its delicious okonomiyaki Japanese pancakes, Peace Memorial Park, and we fold our own origami cranes to donate to The Crane Project. We also take a ferry to hang with the wild deer of Miyajima Island. ❤️ Watch us on YouTube! | |||
| Japanese Luxury Hotel with PRIVATE Hot Spring ONSEN | Ryokan Experience | 23 Dec 2023 | 00:14:17 | |
Ep.79 We trade cramped, budget Japanese hotels for a night of opulence and indulgence at a ryokan outside Kyoto overlooking Lake Biwa. We give you a tour of our spacious accommodations at Biwako Ryokusuitei and share our 12-course traditional Kaiseki dinner feast and Japanese breakfast. Enjoy our outdoor hot spring onsen while we watch the sunrise. ❤️ Watch us on YouTube! | |||
| Top 11 Kyoto Temples, Shrines, & Gardens | Japan Travel Guide | 17 Dec 2023 | 00:25:53 | |
Ep.78 With so many temples and shrines in Kyoto, it can be hard to know which ones you should visit. That’s why we take you to 11 of the top ones and rate each for why it may be the best for you. We bring you all the beautiful fall colors, too! And at the end, we show off a bonus temple for cat lovers. ❤️ Watch us on YouTube! | |||
| Top 10 Money-Saving Travel Tips | 14 Dec 2023 | 00:26:31 | |
Ep.77 You have questions and we have answers! After a year of full-time travel, we share our best tips for the cost-conscious traveler to help you save money while you explore the world. Our tips work for vacation travel as well! Watch us on YouTube! | |||
| Don't Skip KYOTO! | Japan Travel Guide | 09 Dec 2023 | 00:25:48 | |
Ep.76 We loved Kyoto and this video shows why. Come with us to the Bamboo Forest, explore the many levels of Kyoto Station, watch our tips on hotels, and enjoy all the food experiences we had in this fabulous city. ❤️ Watch us on YouTube! | |||
| Florence day trips to Cinque Terre, Pisa, & Lucca | Italy Travel Guide | 24 Aug 2024 | 00:26:47 | |
Ep.111 Even though we only spent 4 days in Florence, Italy, we were able to take day trips and capture the highlights of Monterosso and Vernazza in Cinque Terre, snap some photos of the iconic Leaning Tower of Pisa, and explore the ancient walled city of Lucca. Thanks to the Italian train network, our day trips were quick and inexpensive. ❤️ Watch us on YouTube! | |||