Conversations for Curious Travelers

Why travel matters • Finding connection and perspective • Resilience and joy

Do you feel overwhelmed by the state of the world? In this episode you’ll discover how travel can give you the tools to meet these challenges with empathy, curiosity, and resilience.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why travel in uncertain times isn’t an escape but a pathway to resilience
• How encounters while traveling reduce prejudice and build shared human...

Travel Coaching • Intentional Travel • Meaningful Journeys

What happens when travel is more than just a vacation? In this conversation, Sahara Rose De Vore, founder and CEO of the Travel Coach Network, shares how her journey from broke college student to visiting 84 countries solo led her to pioneer a new field: travel coaching.

Sahara is a TEDx speaker and global thought leader in the travel industry. She has been featured in over 2...

Family travel • Parenting tips • Roadschooling

Family adventures are filled with possibility—new places, shared discoveries, and chances to grow closer. But they can also test patience and resilience. 

In this heartfelt conversation, I’m joined by my longtime friend Sara Cole, a certified parent coach with over 20 years of experience supporting families. Sara and her family spent 400 days roadschooling across the United States, weavi...

Museums can be awe-inspiring and are often highlights of our travels. But they can also be overwhelming, crowded, and exhausting. In this episode  I’m sharing insider museum tips that will help you make the most of your visit.

You’ll learn lesser-known strategies like skipping the longest lines, finding hidden discounts, avoiding museum fatigue, and deepening your connection with the art, history, and culture around you. 

What You’ll...

Family Travel • Hiking with Kids • Building Connections 

What can hundreds of miles on the trail teach us about family, nature, learning, and ourselves? In this inspiring episode, educator and outdoor adventurer Missy Meskell shares the unforgettable experience of hiking the entire Oregon section of the Pacific Crest Trail with two of her children.

Together, we explore how travel in nature—especially with kids—can stretch our perspec...

Educational Travel • Student Trips • Teaching Through Travel

In this inspiring episode of Conversations for Curious Travelers, Erica connects with longtime friend Scott Rainey. Scott is a two time finalist for Traveling Teacher of the Year and the founder of the nonprofit East County Student Travel. 

He has spent decades helping middle schoolers see the world—and themselves—through travel. Scott shares powerful stories from the annua...

Awe & Wellbeing • Solo Travel • Travel Experiments

In this inspiring episode of Conversations for Curious Travelers, Tracy Smyth, travel coach and founder of Travel Bug Tonic, shares how awe, curiosity, and solo adventures have transformed her travels—and her life. We explore how to approach each trip as a personal experiment, why travel is a profound learning environment, and how moments of wonder (even in your own backyard!) c...

Welcome to Conversations for Curious Travelers Episode 1

Ready to enhance your travels? In this premiere episode of Conversations for Curious Travelers, host Erica Forrest invites you into a new kind of travel podcast—one that helps you learn more about the world and yourself travel. Whether you're a lifelong learner, a parent planning a family trip, or someone craving more connection in your travels, you're in the right p...

Welcome to Conversations for Curious Travelers, the Trip Scholars podcast hosted by certified travel education coach Erica Forrest. This show is for lifelong learners who want to travel with more meaning, connection, and curiosity.

In this short trailer, Erica shares what you can expect from the podcast and invites you into a space where travel becomes a powerful tool for connection, growth, and understanding. Whether you're pl...