Where Next? Travel with Kristen and Carol

Five years ago, we hit record with a simple question: where should we go next? Somehow, that question turned into a friendship ritual, a passport of conversations, and a surprising education in places we had only half-understood. To celebrate our anniversary, we get personal, grateful, and a little stunned by how fast time moves when you keep saying yes to curiosity. Then we jump to what’s coming and what just happened. Kristen is gearing up for an intense horseback trek and discovers she ac...

In this episode, fan favorite Christy Teglo of Teglo Goes returns to the podcast to talk about one of Asia's most underrated destinations. Christy unpacks her three-week solo trip across Taiwan, starting in Taipei and working south, with side quests for mountains, cafes, and the kind of street food you’ll still be thinking about months later. We get practical about planning a Taiwan trip: Christy walks us through the EasyCard system, high-speed trains, and what it costs to get from cit...

Maryann Walters is back to take us beyond Brussels and into the heart of Belgium, a country often overlooked by travelers but packed with history, culture, and character. We explore Flanders and its legendary cobblestone cycling routes, including the famous Tour of Flanders, before heading to Ronse, a border town where French and Flemish cultures meet. Along the way, Maryann explains the differences between Flemish and Dutch, how Belgium's history shapes modern identity, and why friendships h...

A sleeping bag on the ice as “bed number 75” might be the most unexpected invitation we’ve ever heard, but it kicks off a real conversation about what it’s like to travel to Antarctica and how to plan it well. We talk with an experienced traveler who’s been three times, including a trip to the Antarctic Peninsula with her dad and a rare, explorer-style route to the Ross Sea that only a tiny number of tourists ever see. We get practical about Antarctica expedition cruise logistics: where ship...

Alaska can make you feel small in the best possible way and not because it’s scary, but because the scale rewires your sense of distance, weather, and “normal.” We sit down with the longtime travel blogger behind Ottsworld, who’s spent 20 years turning real-world travel stories into practical guidance and small-group adventures. Along the way, we even detour into kitten fostering as the perfect “pet life” for someone who’s constantly on the move. Then we get into the Alaska travel questions ...