Speaking of Travel® With Marilyn Ball – Details, episodes & analysis

Meet Karen Urosevich, founder of Well Placed Travel, where she helps people discover the places that bring them purpose, peace, and joy. After a 20+ year career leading global design and development projects, Karen followed her calling, and her own wanderlust, to help others explore the world in ways that transform, restore, and inspire. 

With nearly 40 countries explored and certifications in yoga and Reiki, she blends culture, wellness, and thoughtful planning into journeys that protect your time, your investment, and your sense of wonder.

In this episode of Speaking of Travel, Karen gets real about shedding old identities, navigating grief and reinvention, and how travel became a mirror for self-discovery. She shares the birth of Well Placed Travel, the challenges and rewards of helping people find their place, and the deeper truths behind what we think we want from travel versus what we truly crave. 

Whether you’re chasing restoration, adventure, or clarity, Karen’s insights will make you see travel, and yourself, in a whole new way.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Step into the world of David Belmont and you’ll find yourself somewhere between a jazz riff, a poetry line, and a road trip that definitely skipped the exit ramp. David is a lifelong musician, writer, mixed-media artist, and a certified original, the kind of counter-culture cool you don’t try to manufacture. He’s effortlessly hip, wildly curious, and just mischievous enough to make life more interesting.

On this episode of Speaking of Travel, David takes us on a joyride through a life lived off-script. From seeing America for the first time through a car window to accidentally landing in a secret Mardi Gras parade, from a double rainbow over a Scottish loch to jamming on a Trinidad beach, sharing songs with strangers in Jamaica, joining a Balinese funeral, or trading musical conversations on the Yangtze River, this is a life powered by curiosity, connection, and a refusal to stay in one lane.

The conversation is funny, soulful, and delightfully unpredictable, just like David himself. It’s about listening closely to the world, riffing with it, marching to its weird little rhythms, and trusting that the best moments usually happen when plans fall apart. This is travel as improvisation. In other words equal parts art, rebellion, and heart.

By the end, you’ll feel like you’ve wandered alongside him, laughing at the beautiful chaos of it all, catching glimpses of hidden magic, and feeling the itch to shake things up in your own life. 

David quietly reminds us that the coolest way to move through the world is with curiosity, compassion, and a little funk, weaving music, kindness, and community into every space, and proving that real change starts by listening and showing up as your most authentic self.

Only on Speaking of Travel! Stay tuned! 

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Our wellness is the heartbeat of our lives, the quiet rhythm that keeps us balanced, open, and whole. Yet in the rush of everyday living, we often forget to pause, to breathe, to simply be. There are sacred places in this world where we can return to ourselves, places that hold space for healing, reflection, and transformation. 

High in the whispering Blue Ridge Mountains of Boone, North Carolina, the Art of Living Retreat Center awaits you, a sanctuary where the air feels lighter, time slows, and your spirit begins to exhale. Here, wellness becomes a journey of rediscovery through yoga, meditation, Ayurveda, and soulful connection with nature.

In this episode of Speaking of Travel, I’m joined by Kelsey Daniels, Workshop Sales & Partnership Specialist, who helps bring the retreat’s transformational teachers and wellness leaders together to create life-changing experiences. Together we explore how this mountain haven inspires renewal, community, and deep inner peace.

If your heart is calling for stillness, clarity, or a chance to reconnect with your true self, this conversation will remind you that transformation begins the moment you choose to listen.

A beautiful, restorative listen, only on Speaking of Travel.

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Author and travel professional Nina Zapala shares why she is dedicated to helping people create a personalized, transformative roadmap for self-discovery. Her trailblazing personality paradigm encourages self-awareness through spiritually focused typing.

Nina's typology is the keystone of her debut book, “Unpack Your Personality: Let Your Inner Guide Be Your Travel Guide.”

Andy McNeill, CEO of American Meetings, Inc., shares how hospitality and travel can come together to build lifelong business relationships. He has helped thousands of organizations build stronger relationships through shared human experiences and explains how the history of hospitality is now the cornerstone of today’s travel experience and why it has lasted so long.

A must listen! Only on Speaking of Travel. 

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Sarah Benoit is a digital marketing strategist, entrepreneur, and educator. She is also the co-founder and acting lead instructor of the JB Media Institute. And she is a passionate traveler.

Sarah shares how traveling can be a way to deepen your intimacy, connection, and understanding of the people you love. And she explains why sometimes she travels for adventure, but most of the time she chooses to be close to people and to strengthen relationships.

And Sarah shares how she decided to plan bucket list trips for her parents. Discover how she gets out of her comfort zone and exposes herself to uncertainty, exploration, and learning. Being so passionate about traveling, Sarah describes why the result is in her own personal growth along with having greater emotional agility, empathy, and creativity.

Also on this episode of Speaking of Travel is Tina Kinsey, VP of Marketing, PR, and Air Service Development at the Asheville Regional Airport. Tina provides some tips on how to set the tone and ensure your travel experiences run as smoothly as possible. And she shares some info on what it takes moving so many people to their ultimate destinations and provides an update on all the progress being made on the new airport terminals.

A great listen! Only on Speaking of Travel! 

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

Margaret Roach and Ken Druse are gardeners and writers offering up online courses on all things gardening. Margaret and Ken share how The Virtual Garden Club began and how they put together these programs to provide advice, encouragement, and camaraderie, along with answers to your gardening questions! 

Margaret is a longtime garden writer and  created a website, podcast, and weekly newsletter called A Way to Garden, the title of her 1989 book that was reissued in 2019 in an all-new edition.

Ken is a celebrated lecturer, an award-winning writer, photographer and author of 20 garden books. The American Horticultural Society listed, The Natural Garden, among the best books of all time, and the New York Times called him “the guru of natural gardening.”

Ready to join the club? Click here! 

Also, Mark Collins from RomanticAsheville.com, shares how this guide to Asheville and Western North Carolina helps the community grow stronger and fosters inspiration and why  RomanticAsheville.com is the most visited travel website for those planning travel to this beautiful part of the world. Find out how they value their partners and readers to maximize exposure and ensure all the content is current and up to date. "There are a lot of moving parts carefully considered to ensure our readers have a seamless and rewarding experience," said Mark.

A must listen! Only on Speaking of Travel! 

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

In 1995, LEAF Global Arts began as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Their mission...  to connect cultures and create community through music, arts education, and experiences, and to cultivate curiosity, preserve cultures and promote global understanding.

An organization like LEAF plays a significant role in fostering a sense of community and cultural identity. Over the years, LEAF has become an essential part of this community and provides opportunities for people to come together and celebrate their shared customs, beliefs, and values.

On this episode of Speaking of Travel, meet two integral participates in the LEAF experience who are helping to pass the magic forward. In this year’s theme of World Changers: Year of The Activist, they are world changers.

Adama Dembele is from the Ivory Coast, West Africa, and is the 33rd generation of a family serving communities through music and culture of the djembe.

Schree Antoinette is a cultural preservationist and heritage practitioner with a passion for safeguarding traditional cultural knowledge, customs, and natural resources.

Together they share how music and dance truly bring people together and break down barriers of race, class, age, gender, nationality, religion and political views.

Let’s be inspired to become active participants in the story of our global community.

SAVE THE DATES FOR LEAF 2024!

LEAF Retreat: May 9-12

LEAF Global Arts Festival: October 17-20

Visit TheLEAF.org for more information! 

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

I recently read a study showing how researchers have found that when we look at maps, our brains are activated in different ways, creating this unique and enjoyable experience. Enter the future. Today, there are ways to look and interact with maps we could never have dreamed of even just a few years back.

AJ Brau is CEO of Wandermap, a map solution where you can explore every nook and cranny of your chosen destination before you even set foot there. AJ shares the Wander story and explains how tourism boards are key to a sustainable tourism future and what’s next with their new interactive itineraries 🙌

Also, Tina Kinsey from the Asheville Regional Airport, describes how the airport is finding solutions to address rising passenger traffic as they build a beautiful, new terminal. Western North Carolina has needed a bigger airport for a long time and is finally realizing the expansion. The team at the airport are hard at work making it happen!

And with all this building going on, the Asheville Regional Airport continues giving back to the community. Tina shares how they contribute to local organizations and partner with economic development agencies to provide important information about air service to prospective businesses.

A must listen. Only on Speaking of Travel!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

I’ve had some amazing travel experiences when I was sharing those experiences with others on the trip. Traveling with other people provides opportunities to try new things and even increases courage when there are other people around encouraging you to try something new and jump into that opportunity.

Matthew Kent is the founder of Kent World Travel. With his career in professional golf across South Africa, Europe and the USA, and living and playing in over 50 countries worldwide, Matt now spends his time between South Africa and the US hosting his clients on trips around the world.

Also, Noah Kleiner, owner of Equinox Guiding Service in Maine, is dedicated to providing transformative outdoor experiences to empower participants in overcoming fears, embracing challenges, and developing new skills in a supportive and encouraging environment, while challenging them to step out of their comfort zones and create unforgettable memories.

Tune in and discover the importance of getting outside, being with others, and even stepping out of your comfort zone. A must listen! 

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

The Speaking of Travel And Leave No Trace TV series continues with host Richard Crawford. Richard talks to us while in Australia editing the epic Season Two of the popular Leave No Trace TV show with producer and cameraman, Ben Alcott.

Ricky and Ben share updates and tell us about their day-to-day progress and how they go about editing the show. And all the places we can watch Leave No Trace TV.

And discover how to be more of a savvy traveler and stay safe when traveling. Also, Ricky and Ben provide some examples from their trips  and explain why it's important for people to continue exploring and traveling and share the many reasons sustainable travel is important.

A must listen. Only on Speaking of Travel! 

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.