Travel Pro Suzanne Stavert on Adventures in Empty-Nesting
Sponsored by Joylux
Show Snapshot:
Faced with an emptying nest, stay-at-home mom Suzanne Stavert went from daily crying jags to a life of adventure as a travel writer, culinary explorer, travel podcast host, and the creator of the multimedia platform Adventures of Empty Nesters.
We cover the sadness (and opportunity) of empty-nesting, why midlife is the right time to launch a small business and post-pandemic travel.
If you are itching to pack a suitcase, want off-the-beaten-path ideas for your next trip, or are craving inspiration for turning a passion into a second-act career, this show is for you!
In This Episode We Cover:
How Suzanne turned the sadness of empty-nesting into a thriving travel business.
Want to launch an empty-nest business? First, ask yourself – what lights me up?
Yes, you can take classes, read business books, hit Google – but the #1 way to get a business launched may surprise you.
Get you summer travel on—under-the-radar finds, adventure travel, trips for families, and romantic getaways.
Why Suzanne wants you to rethink group tours. Plus, why she loves Tuscan Women Cook and Collette Travel.
Got culinary tours of Italy on your mind? Ask Katie about her fabulous experience with Majella Tours of Abruzzo.
Are Trip Advisor reviews trustworthy?, cities not to miss, best budget-travel hack.
Why you should always take the trip!
Quotable:
I launched Adventures of an Empty Nest in 2014 and it really stemmed from the fact that I was sad, and I didn’t quite know what to do. My kids were gone, my husband was traveling, and I started writing about the empty nest, the realities, the excitement and how once you aren’t tethered to your children’s schedules you have this newfound freedom.
I’ve let the sails kind of take me. I move left if something happens; I move right if something else happens, or comes toward me, or I talked with someone new, and they offer something new and interesting.
More Resources:
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Transcript
Katie Fogarty [0:21]:
Welcome to A Certain Age, a show for women who are unafraid to age out loud. We are midway through May, which means two things: graduation season is catapulting students out of the nest and into the world, and we are a few short weeks away from summer travel kicking into high gear. Today’s guest is a woman who is going to help us think through where to travel and how to reinvent as we become empty nesters or crave a second act.
Suzanne Stavert is a travel writer, host of the podcast, Travel Connections, and is the founder of a blog that grew into a business called Adventures of Empty Nesters. If you love to travel, want off-the-beaten-path ideas for your next trip, or are craving inspiration for turning a passion into a second, third, or fourth act career, stick around, this show is for you. Welcome, Suzanne.
Suzanne [1:15]:
Thank you. Thank you for having me. What a lovely introduction, I love it.
Katie [1:19]:
Oh, thank you. I’m really excited, this is such a fun topic. I got to cover it last summer when I had a travel writer come on the show as well, but I wanted to focus on empty nesting and when I went in search of somebody on this topic, your website caught my eye and I thought, this is such a fun marriage; this idea of having this extra time as our kids fly the nest and what are we doing with it?
You really did what many people dream about when they think about empty nesting, you took what you were most passionate about and turned it into a new career. So, I would love for you to do some stage-setting, when did you launch Adventures of Empty Nesters?
Suzanne [2:04]:
I launched it in 2014 and it really stemmed from the fact that I was sad, and I didn’t quite know what to do. My kids were gone, my husband was traveling, and I started writing about it. So, I initially really wrote about the empty nest and the realities and the excitement of the empty nest. And then once you aren’t tethered to your children’s schedules and you have this kind of newfound freedom, we started traveling a lot more. So, I started writing about it and then I ended up working with travel brands and travel destinations and a new career was born! I am having a blast.
Katie [2:45]:
That’s so fun. I bet. This was not something that when you started, you didn’t say to yourself, “Okay, I’m creating a second act, empty nest job.” It really just grew out of a passion.
Suzanne [2:57]:
It did, absolutely. And it’s been so much fun. What I’ve done is I’ve let the sails kind of take me; I move left if something happens, I move right if something else happens, or comes toward me, or I talked with someone new, and they offer something new and interesting. I’m always interested to find adventure, and this has really been an amazing experience for me. Personally and developmentally, it’s been great! Who knew you could learn things later in life? My goodness!
Katie [3:31]:
[laughs] I love that spirit. So, do you feel like you had to become an empty nester to make this happen? Did getting to midlife play any kind of role in your willingness to become an entrepreneur and try new things? Could you have done it earlier or did you have to get to this moment in time?
Suzanne [3:49]:
That’s a really good question. I think I had to get to this point because I was a passionate mother and wife and volunteer and I was so busy with so many things and then when that goes away, you have this kind of empty place in your life, and you need to fill it. And so many people are so miserable and honestly, I was pretty miserable when my daughter left. She was the first one and my kids are 5 years apart and I cried almost every day, sometime during the day. Finally, my husband said, “Suzanne, she didn’t die, she went to college. And she’s having a blast! You did your job.” So, I agreed, and I said, “You’re right.” And then our son only went to UCLA, which was only an hour away but still, I was super sad and a little lost. And this really helped me figure it out. And honestly, I have never had so much fun and now with the podcast, I am learning new things and talking with new people. I’ve got COVID behind me and I am ready to go. [laughs]
Katie [4:59]:
Oh my gosh, we’re going to come to that in a minute because I do want to get your intel on where we should be traveling and how the pandemic affected that, now that we’re getting back to it. But before we go there, because that is such a big topic, what advice would you give to a listener who is sitting here thinking, "I’ve got my kids flying the coop, graduation is upon us. I’m going to have more time. I’m looking at the empty nest, looking at that sadness” if they want to take a passion or a side hustle and maybe turn it into their day job, what are a few really tactical steps that maybe you think they should take to get going?
Suzanne [5:38]:
You know it’s interesting, I even wrote a little eBook, it’s about 25 pages and it’s on Amazon, called, How to Find Adventure in the Empty Nest. And really my goal was to help people almost make a list, make a list of things that make you happy. What lights you up? You’re so focused on your children and your family. Sometimes... and I’m speaking for women right now, they get lost, and they’re like, "I don’t even know what I like.” I’ve had friends say that to me, "I don’t even know what I like. I like what my kids are doing.” I think that that’s what people need to do.
I don’t necessarily advocate going to get a new career, but I do advocate doing research and trying new things. Who cares if you fail? I think that people are afraid of failing different things. We’ve all failed at one time or another and my advice is to try it. If you like it, if you’re a knitter, if you’re a crafter, if you’re a writer, if you have this innate passion for something, try it. Because you never know.
Katie [6:43]:
Absolutely. You never know. And I love that you said that you don’t have to reinvent in a new career. You don’t have to become an entrepreneur. And I think that’s such a smart thing to say because there are so many different ways to be happy, there is no one right path. No one’s requiring you to go out and get a new job or launch a business. But you can become passionate about becoming creative, or maybe learning a new skill, or being of service, volunteering. There are so many different ways to get in action.
What you said about the women in your own life saying, “I’ve forgotten what lights me up” ... Listeners who have been tuning in over the last couple of weeks might remember that I talked to Eve Rodsky, who wrote a book called, Find Your Unicorn Space: How to Reclaim Your Creative Life in a Too Busy World. And if anyone is sitting here thinking, “I really need to figure out how to reclaim what lights me up,” I recommend going back and listening to that podcast episode. I recommend maybe getting her book out, listening to it as an audiobook as you walk around because there are a lot of great recommendations about reconnecting to what lights you up.
So, that’s such a great suggestion Suzanne, that people inventory their own life. If somebody is thinking though, “Suzanne has this incredible job and I’ve always wanted to launch a culinary business,” or a woman in my town just opened up a cupcake shop, which feels so fun. So, for women who are thinking, “I really do want to be an entrepreneur” ... You shared there was a bit of a learning curve. You had to, probably, google a lot of stuff, you had to learn to podcast. What are one or two things that you did to acquire new skills that you think have made a difference for you in growing your own business?
Suzanne [8:29]:
That’s a big question. I think you have to be open. I think sometimes people think they know everything, and I don’t believe that I do. And I ask a lot of questions and I go searching for the answers. I had not the first clue about how to create a podcast and I started googling and found, that there are so many people that are so kind, are experts in their field, and are so willing to share their knowledge, it’s incredible. So, that’s what I did. I started going out, getting an education, not so much in travel but in the podcast world, in particular. I asked a lot of questions, I went to conferences, I watched videos, I’m a big reader, I read an awful lot, so I did read a lot of books, took a lot of notes, and then I started trying things. A lot of them clicked, some of them didn’t and that’s what I recommend.
Katie [9:32]:
Yeah, you’ve got to really immerse yourself. And it’s never been easier today to acquire new knowledge. In my day job, I do a lot of career coaching and sometimes people will say, we talk about agism and fears about being relevant and marketable, and my coaching is that it’s up to us to stay relevant and marketable. And it’s never been easier to acquire new skills, you can get on e-learning courses, there are sites like Coursera or Udemy, and there’s LinkedIn Learning; you can acquire new skills pretty easily if you keep on keepin’ on.
Suzanne, we’re going to head into a quick commercial break but when we come back, I want to switch gears and talk about travel and ask you if travel is back after the pandemic.
[Ad break]
Katie [11:40]:
Suzanne, we’re back from the break. We had a crazy two years with the pandemic, what are you seeing? What can you expect for summer? Is travel back?
Suzanne [11:49]:
Yes, it is back, I am happy to report. I did, actually, a lot of traveling during the pandemic. I was in between moving from southern California to the Seattle area because my daughter was giving birth to twins, which is a whole other podcast episode. [laughs]
Katie [12:04]:
[laughs] I’m sure.
Suzanne [12:08]:
[laughs] So, I have really been on the ground floor watching the whole thing evolve and I just returned, I flew in yesterday from Los Angeles, and the airports were packed. I just read in The Wall Street Journal that they were worried if people were going to wonder how they felt about wearing a mask on a plane and all of that, and they’re not finding people having a problem with it. What I saw, myself is a little mixture of people wearing them, and people not wearing them. I felt comfortable, I think the people around me felt comfortable. I felt positivity in the air.
The business really did die down, obviously, during those two years. That was really hard for me and that’s why I did pivot to the podcast, to try to support an industry that was really very quiet. And what I’m now seeing is I’m getting a lot more inquiries and a lot more people reaching out because they’re figuring out, that people do want to get out there and go. I’m loving watching Instagram and I’m seeing fellow writers and friends and they’re traveling, and they’re excited, they’re sharing, and it’s great. It’s just a wonderful feeling.
Katie [13:23]:
It feels so wonderful. I’m just going to jump in to say that I just returned recently from a trip to Scotland to visit my daughter who goes to university there, and I’m going to echo that. The airports were full, it felt so amazing to be traveling, I felt very safe. There are still COVID protocols in place, so you can travel with a degree of safety and comfort. And it felt so fun to be in a different place and just experience new things again. I will say, international travel still requires more hoops to jump through because there’s still testing before you get back into the country, but it’s definitely worth it.
So, if somebody is willing to jump through those hoops right now, what is on your list for an international summer travel plan, that you might do as an intergenerational group? If you wanted to bring your kids who are now older, what are destinations that are good for groups that you can recommend?
Suzanne [14:18]:
Well, immediately I think of Italy. I’ve done several multigenerational trips where my mother went, my kids went, my husband and I went, and we all traveled together. A lot of people are renting homes as opposed to getting individual hotel rooms. I think it’s a wonderful way to reconnect with people by living in the same space. That is just wonderful.
Hawaii, Maui, oh my gosh! Just getting back over there again just felt so good. And I do know friends that are renting condos. Some are renting hotel rooms also. I think Maui is great. I think a lot of people are going to the state parks. The state parks, the national parks, holy cow. National parks are just bursting with people. I’m actually going to three of them in the next couple of months. I’m going to Glacier National Park in Montana, I’m going to Yellowstone, and what’s the third one... the Grand Teton National Park, that’s in Wyoming. People are looking for wide-open spaces too, which is kind of a whole other topic.
Katie [15:30]:
You know, I think everything that you just suggested... This notion of renting a house, while it’s so convivial and cozy, and fun to do to reconnect with family, it’s also pretty COVID-friendly because you just have a smaller pool of people that you’re interacting with than in a hotel. And it’s also true of what you shared with the national parks. I think those really boomed because people feel safe being outside.
So, if we want something romantic... Intergenerational travel is amazing, there’s room for that. But if we’re looking to be kid-free, what would you recommend to somebody who is looking for some midlife romance? [laughs]
Suzanne [16:09]:
I’ll tell you; I’m going to give a little plug to my Pacific Northwest friends. I have discovered Whidbey Island. Whidbey Island is about 30 minutes north of Seattle. It is charming, it is quiet, but it’s not so quiet that you’re bored. There are beautiful places to hike and bike and do all these fun things. Plus, fantastic restaurants, fantastic shopping, and really quaint hotels to stay in. I’m really a big fan of the Northwest and I think it’s a great, kind of, in-between big city and national park kind of feeling if that makes sense. Carmel in California is an excellent place to go for a romantic getaway. Big Sur... Goodness, that’s all on the west coast.
Katie [17:04]:
My friend Lisa just got back from Big Sur; she did one of these glamping trips.
Suzanne [17:09]:
Oh, she did, did she like it?
Katie [17:10]:
Oh, she adored it, I’ll have to find where she stayed and put it in the show notes. It’s this wonderfully romantic, gigantic oversized, other-worldly tent that you’re in... it was almost like a domed tent, it was super cool. There are so many wonderful travel options. I know by looking at some of the recent podcast episodes that you’ve done that you really focus on these different types of trips that people can take. You mentioned active travel, I know you’re a fan of culinary tours, but equestrian travel caught my eye. What’s that all about?
Suzanne [17:43]:
Well, that’s so fun. So, I had Laura Fernandez, who is a VP at SXM Media; that would be Sirius Radio, Pandora, Stitcher. But the fun part about her is we can talk podcasting and audio, plus she’s an equestrian. I think that’s a really interesting niche of travel... There are a lot of people that ride horses, maybe they do Western, maybe they go to other kinds of shows. Now, those people are going to kind of different destinations because it’s more horse areas.
And so, she and I had a great conversation talking about where she goes, like the desert, or Temecula. Temecula is a fun place, that’s in California; that has wineries and kind of rural, culinary kind of places to go. But the whole equestrian thing is a fun thought, I think. It goes along with active travel. I give active travel a big umbrella because I just think everyone wants to get out and do things. They’re less about shopping and indoor things, do you know what I mean?
Katie [18:58]:
Yup. So, what would active travel be? Hiking, biking, all of the above? What can we look for...?
Suzanne [19:04]:
Yeah, that’s my term. It would be hiking, biking, or anything outside. Anything that you’re not just sitting around, or sitting in a bus, just observing. You’re participating in active travel, and I think people of all ages want to be outside and breathe fresh air. I think there’s this mental connection with safety and travel and fresh air and being outside. So, I think that’s going to stay around for a while.
Katie [19:33]:
So, that’s definitely a trend. When you said this kind of experiential type of travel, I think culinary tours go into that camp. I had the wonderful pleasure of traveling to Abruzzo, Italy with a good friend of mine who runs these very small tours – and I’ll put her business into the show notes as well – but you’ve really got to have this undiscovered taste of Italy, it’s off the beaten track, the food is to die for. And we did a lot of stuff where we were involved; we made pasta, which a lot of tours do, but we also go to harvest saffron because we were there during that time.
Suzanne [20:08]:
Oh, that’s fun!
Katie [20:10]:
It was very fun, and it made me realize why saffron is so bloody expensive, it is not easy to harvest! It’s super labor-intensive, and you have to be very careful as you very patiently remove the stamens from the flowers. It was such a treat to, you know... I use saffron all the time because we make a lot of paellas, it’s my husband’s favorite thing to make.
Suzanne [20:35]:
Ooo, that’s fun!
Katie [20:36]:
Yeah, and I have a new appreciation for what goes into those ingredients that I would not have had I not traveled and had that experience. So, what do you think people... This is your passion, obviously, you love to hop a plane and discover new things, but what do you think travel brings to people?
Suzanne [20:52]:
Oh my gosh, I think it fills your soul. I think travel is about connecting with people. I do like learning things and seeing the authenticity. In September, I went on another culinary tour with Tuscan Women Cook it is in the hills of Tuscany, and it was like the first time people were getting back into travel after not traveling for so long. They were so welcoming and there was this connection and joy between cultures. It’s almost indescribable, and that’s what travel does for me. It lights me up, completely. And I think most people think that. I think it’s educational, I think it’s freeing, I think it takes stress away. There’s a long list of lovely things that travel can do for you.
Katie [21:48]:
And for you, it sounds like it really helped fill some of the sadness that you were experiencing, as your children moved on and that period of time of active mothering. We’re always mothers, that never goes away.
Suzanne [22:03]:
This is true, [laughs] it doesn’t go away.
Katie [22:06]:
It never goes away. There’s always the worry, the joy, the excitement, and the connection. But the daily active mothering, where you’re really involved with the day-to-day does end as your kids move on and move into their own homes.
For listeners who are perhaps not mothers, they don’t have an empty nest, but they do have a desire to experience the world and they might not have a family or partner to travel with. What are some recommendations about being a solo female traveler? What are good trips? Are there companies to work with? Are there watch-outs? What is your recommendation?
Suzanne [22:43]:
Yes, and that’s an excellent question. I actually have a lot of readers for Adventures of Empty Nesters, that are not in fact empty nesters; they are midlife people that are really doing many of the same things, they just don’t have children.
But as far as what a single person or a couple can do: small group tours. I am a huge fan of small group tours. You wake up in the morning, everything is laid out for you, you have someone educating you during the day, and you have someone else do the work for you. I was kind of not sure that was going to be my thing, but I am a huge fan. International Culinary Tours goes to, I want to say 10 or 12 different countries, where she takes a small group, meaning 8 to 10, maybe. And you make friends, you don’t have to be best friends, but it is such a lovely way to travel because you have this camaraderie between people.
Collette Travel does an amazing job, I’ve been on several tours with Collette, and they do an amazing job. I’ve been to Iceland, I’ve been to Japan... They do things here in the United States that are so lovely, they just do an excellent job.
Katie [23:59]:
And so, do you recommend that a female traveler work specifically with companies that work with women? Or does it not matter?
Suzanne [24:09]:
I don’t think it matters. There are some that definitely cater to females, which I think is lovely and there’s nothing wrong with that. I don’t think that’s necessary. I think you should kind of decide on your destination and then research from there. There are so many options out there and I think you just have to do a little homework and then ask around. Ask your friends, where have you been? Have you heard of anyone who has taken a trip lately that’s been spectacular? Go on Instagram and put in a hashtag for a certain location or small group tours. You’d be surprised, the information... Pinterest, hello! [Katie laughs] Oh my gosh, it is such a great place to build a board that you know, includes all of the things that you are personally looking for, just by putting that in the search bar.
Katie [25:04]:
I love that tip because everything old is new again. [Suzanne laughs] So, if you want to take a trip, somebody’s taken it. And you can learn a lot from people. And I remember that when I first went to Italy, when my youngest son is 14 now, but he was 5... So, my kids were probably 5, 10 and 12. I’m making that up, but Will was 5, I remember that he lost his tooth, and he was very excited. And he got a euro from the tooth fairy. He was very worried the tooth fairy wouldn’t find him and I’m like, "Well the tooth fairy only has euros here, so that’s what you’re getting.” [Suzanne laughs] I had read an article, googled family trips to Italy, and found a woman who wrote an article about her family trip, it sounded so amazing. I literally copied the entire thing; I stayed in the exact same places, we went to the same restaurants she recommended, and it was wonderful.
Suzanne [25:58]:
Oh, I bet.
Katie [25:58]:
You don’t have to invent the wheel. There are people like you that are doing a lot of research. There are travel bloggers, there’s Instagram. I have a file on my phone that says “Vacations.” Whenever I’m on Instagram and I see a beautiful place that someone is posting from or a hotel that looks good, I just screenshot and dump it into my Vacation album. My phone is a mess, otherwise, I would never find it again. I love that advice, to access the internet or see what other people are doing on there.
Suzanne [26:32]:
That’s the beauty of travel writers and travel bloggers. It’s so authentic, they’ve done it. I’ve touched it, I’ve done it, I’ve been there, I have videos. If you want to know what it feels like to be on a Viking cruise, go read my article about it and you can watch my videos and say, “Oh, I wasn’t sure I’d like that, but look at that!”
Katie [26:53]:
Totally. Suzanne, this popped in my head. This is a real, honest question. Do you think we should be trusting Tripadvisor reviews and Yelp reviews? Because sometimes I’m reading them, and I can't decide if I should be... What is your professional take on this question? [laughs]
Suzanne [27:10]:
My professional opinion is that I believe that some of those are paid for, and you really want the authentic, I don’t know... That is not the place I go if that gives you any indication on how valuable I find it. It is not a place that I go.
Katie [27:30]:
Gotcha. Okay. I love this notion of maybe finding someone on social media or in your life, who has taken great trips and asking for their advice. Because you could figure out who sort of travels like you.
Quick question too, you mentioned your husband, your children. Do you make all the travel decisions in your family? Does your husband get to weigh in? How does that work when you live with a professional travel writer, organizer, or influencer, I guess? Does he get to weigh in or is it all you? [laughs]
Suzanne [28:02]:
[laughs] That’s a really good question. I would say, for the most part, it’s me. But you know what, he tends to like what I like. If I’m invited somewhere that’s a whole different story, then he doesn’t get a say-so in that. But we do talk about it, and we plan it out. So, I’ve got most of my travel planned for 2022. I think there are some holes in it, but you know... he gets a say-so, but he has been on some pretty awesome trips with me, so he doesn’t complain. He thinks I do a good job. [laughs]
Katie [28:36]:
Okay, he trusts you.
Suzanne [28:37]:
Yes, he does.
Katie [28:38]:
So, is he an empty nester as well? I mean, he’s an empty nester with you but is he retired? Has he created...?
Suzanne [28:44]:
No, he’s still working. He’s in high tech. So, he still travels a lot and that was kind of what got me going years ago because he was doing so much business travel. He was grounded here for a couple of years, but now he’s back out and visiting North and South America. It’s fun for him. I think it was time. We’ve been spending a lot of time together. [laughs]
Katie [29:09]:
This is why we’re all excited to travel, [both laugh] we’ve all been cooped up with our family. Okay, so tell me what’s on your summer travel bucket list?
Suzanne [29:21]:
Oh my goodness. It’s not even a bucket list, it’s actually planned. Let’s see, I’m going to Camano Island, which is an island off the coast here, off Seattle. I’m going to Napa Valley I’m going to Montana, Wyoming. Later in the year, I’m going back to Maui and to Ireland and Scotland. So, that’s what I have, at least for now. And then things just pop up sometimes. Now that we have this flexibility, we can do that. We can say, "Wait, can we go? Can we fit it in? Yeah, let’s do it!” I never say no, I almost never say no. [laughs]
Katie [30:03]:
Yes, always take the trip. I posted that on social media the other day. Always take the trip, because there’s always a reason to say no to things. We have work, we have clients, we’ve got to wrangle COVID tests. You can put a lot of things in your way, but you’re never going to regret taking the trip.
Suzanne [30:23]:
No. So you’re tired, sleep a little more when you get home.
Katie [30:26]:
Exactly. Or just power through, just get another cup of coffee.
Suzanne [30:29]:
Exactly.
Katie [30:32]:
All right, Suzanne, we’re going to be moving into our speed round in just a minute.
Suzanne [30:35]:
Oh my goodness. Okay.
Katie [30:36]:
Nothing to be afraid of, it’s just quick one- two-word answers.
Suzanne [30:40]:
Okay.
Katie [30:41]:
Launching my own business, Adventures of Empty Nesters, was _____.
Suzanne [30:46]:
Delightful.
Katie [30:47]:
Delightful, I love it. City vacation or country?
Suzanne [30:51]:
Country now. It used to be city!
Katie [30:54]:
I know, we change. What we want changes.
Suzanne [30:56]:
I know, I know. There are still some cities that I can’t live without, but I’m going to go with the country right now.
Katie [31:01]:
Okay, what would be a city you can’t live without?
Suzanne [31:03]:
Tokyo. Greatest city ever.
Katie [31:04]:
Oh my gosh. Yes, yes. I’ve lived in Japan. Okay, best–
Suzanne [31:08]:
Oh my gosh, that’s so cool!
Katie [31:09]:
It was amazing. I taught English after college, so I lived there for two years. This is not about me; this is about you. [laughs] Best budget travel hack: _____.
Suzanne [31:19]:
Bring your own champagne.
Katie [31:22]:
Ooo, I love it. [Suzanne laughs] Favorite travel indulgence worth a splurge: _____.
Suzanne [31:29]:
Travel indulgence?
Katie [31:31]:
Yes. What do you splurge on, without guilt?
Suzanne [31:34]:
What do I splurge on? I splurge on purses.
Katie [31:39]:
Love it.
Suzanne [31:41]:
Yes, purses.
Katie [31:42]:
Surprise, this super trendy, hot destination disappointed me: _____.
Suzanne [31:49]:
Well, I don’t like Las Vegas at all I’m afraid. Everyone else does, but I would say Las Vegas, I don’t love it.
Katie [31:57]:
All right, that works. How about this one? Put this underrated destination on your list: _____.
Suzanne [32:04]:
Oh, my goodness. You will be shocked when I tell you.
Katie [32:09]:
Shock me.
Suzanne [32:09]:
I would say, North Dakota.
Katie [32:12]:
Wow! Okay, why?
Suzanne [32:14]:
It is awesome. [laughs] I don’t think that’s going to be the top of someone’s destination list. I found it charming and beautiful. There was another national park there. There’s so much history and western history there. I just found it absolutely charming.
Katie [32:32]:
I love it. If anyone is listening to the show from North Dakota, please DM me, tell us what we should be including in the show notes to do in your beautiful and underrated state.
Okay, the country I could return to again and again: _____.
Suzanne [32:49]:
Italy.
Katie [32:50]:
Yes, I’m here for that.
Suzanne [32:52]:
I’ve been nine times so far.
Katie [32:53]:
Oh my gosh, make it ten, you need it.
Suzanne [32:55]:
I know. I do, I do, I do.
Katie [32:57]:
On my bucket list: _____.
Suzanne [32:59]:
Antarctica. Hands down.
Katie [33:02]:
Nice. Nice, nice. Finally, your one-word answer to complete this sentence. As I age, I feel _____.
Suzanne [33:09]:
Invigorated.
Katie [33:11]:
Nice, I love it! This has been so fun; you have gotten me excited. I do not have all my summer or yearlong travel planned, but you better believe I’m going to be spending some time on your Instagram and your website and coming up with ideas. Thank you, Suzanne, this was really fun.
Before we say goodbye though, how can our listeners find you, your company and learn more about your podcast?
Suzanne [33:32]:
Well, first of all, come to adventuresofemptynesters.com, it’s a real comprehensive website. Up at the top on the homepage, you can find my podcast, Travel Connections. On Instagram, my handle is @SuzanneStavert, and I also have another one of @AdventuresOfEmptyNesters. I’m also on Facebook and LinkedIn and on Pinterest.
Katie [33:54]:
I’ll put those all into the show notes. Thank you, Suzanne!
Suzanne [33:57]:
You’re welcome.
Katie [33:58]:
This wraps A Certain Age, a show for women who are aging without apology. Join me next Monday when I talk with an entrepreneur and women’s walking evangelist, Joyce Shulman. Joyce is on a mission to get a million women walking. We dive into how lacing up your sneakers can help you better care for your body, mood, and mind.
And before we say goodbye, I have a favor to ask. Please take a minute to rate or review A Certain Age over on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. This is super easy to do. Just find A Certain Age on your podcast app, scroll down to the bottom, and tap on the stars to rate or leave a written review. Both matter! Because reviews and ratings help the show grow. Thank you, your support means the world.
Special thanks to Michael Mancini who composed and produced our theme music. See you next time and until then: age boldly, beauties.