In this episode, I'm talking with someone who proves that adventure doesn't have an expiration date. I met Kim Kephart last year at a travel conference in Spain, and we connected instantly because she's just refreshingly real about the messy, beautiful side of creating your own path.

Kim is a solo travel writer, hiker, and military spouse who's basically the poster child for writing your own story. She's lived across Europe and Asia, built a travel blog and career while navigating the unique challenges of military life, and is passionate about showing women that it's never too late to choose adventure over convention. Through her blog, Kimberly Kephart Travels, she helps women build confidence through travel, especially those who feel like they've somehow missed the right window for bold choices.

We're diving into her journey from following someone else's timeline to creating her own path, why the best time to start your adventure might be right now, and how she's carved out independence while moving countries every few years. Plus, we're talking about that invisible permission we think we need (spoiler: we don't) and why the grass isn't always greener - even when you're living in Europe.

Kimberly Kephart is a travel writer, solo hiker, and unconventional military spouse who's contributed to Stars and Stripes Europe and Military Families Magazine. After years of moving across Europe and Asia with her husband's military career, she learned to carve out her own path through solo travel and hiking. She shares her adventures and hard-won wisdom on her blog, Kimberly Kephart Travels, showing others they can do it too - even when they have no idea what they're doing yet.

Upcoming Trips Mentioned:

Georgia: October 3 - 12, 2025

Links & Resources (Kimberly)

• Instagram: @kimberlykepharttravels
• Facebook: @KimberlyKephartTravels
• Website: kimberlykepharttravels.com

Links & Resources (Laura)

• Follow my personal IG: @lolawhiskey
• Follow my business IG: @lauraericsongrouptrips
• Follow our podcast: @type2travelpodcast
• Learn more about upcoming trips: lauraericson.com
• Check out our podcast page: lauraericson.com/podcast
• Join my Facebook group: @lolalovestravel

Thanks for being here! As always, rate, review, share with a friend, and tag us if you’re listening.

What happens when 30 adults decide to recreate summer camp magic with craft cocktails and zero adult supervision? You get epic storms, spontaneous tattoos, a pickle fountain malfunction, and the kind of weekend that makes you believe strangers can become family in 72 hours.

This week I'm sitting down with three brave souls who survived our inaugural Camp Lola Whiskey in the Wisconsin Dells - Troy from Milwaukee (who proved engineers can be the life of the party), Rachel from Michigan (who said yes to adventure with just two days' notice), and Megan from Texas (who got an old fashioned tattoo before catching her flight home because that's apparently what you do after Wisconsin camp).

We're breaking down everything from Chef Hannan's mind-blowing food that had people comparing camp to "a wedding in the woods," to the borderline tornado that turned into the weekend's most bonding moment, to the cow hunting game that nearly started a camp civil war. Plus we're talking about Troy's secret life as camp's unofficial intern, Rachel's musical chairs injury, and how a single tarot card survived a storm to become the perfect camp memento.

If you've ever wondered what happens when you combine Wisconsin hospitality, craft cocktails, adult games, and Mother Nature's wildest mood swings, this episode is your behind-the-scenes pass to the chaos.

Upcoming Trips Mentioned:

• Camp Lola Whiskey 2026

Camp Sponsors Mentioned:

• Siren Shrub
• Dancing Goat Distillery
• Beren's Old Fashioned Brandy
• Driftless Glen Distillery
• 45th Parallel Distillery
• Lazy Coconuts
• Olympia Granola
• Viiq Wellness

Links & Resources (Laura):

• Follow my personal IG: @lolawhiskey
• Follow my business IG: @lauraericsongrouptrips
• Follow our podcast: @type2travelpodcast
• Learn more about upcoming trips: lauraericson.com
• Check out our podcast page: lauraericson.com/podcast
• Join my Facebook group: @lolalovestravel

Thanks for being here! As always, rate, review, share with a friend, and tag us if you’re listening.

Erin Fish is my travel insurance partner, and before you roll your eyes thinking this is just a boring sales pitch - hear me out. This is one of those partnerships that happened organically because Erin genuinely gives a shit about travelers and the world, not just profits.

Erin co-founded Wanderwell Travel Insurance, a certified B Corp that's legally required to consider their impact on travelers, employees, and the planet. While most travel insurance companies feel designed to collect your money and find creative ways to avoid paying claims, Wanderwell actually walks you through the process like humans instead of robots.

We're diving into why travel insurance isn't just another expense to grudgingly add to your trip budget, but actually one of the smartest investments you can make in your adventures. From the traveler stuck in a Thai hospital with dengue fever to someone whose entire European itinerary got derailed by a massive air traffic control meltdown - Erin's seen it all.

This conversation covers the real stuff: when you actually need coverage, the difference between travel insurance and your credit card "coverage," and why some claims involve people sleeping outside under desert stars (you'll have to listen for that story).

Upcoming Trips Mentioned:

• Morocco: April 10 - April 19, 2026
• Cuba: Dec 27, 2025 - Jan 3, 2026
• India: Feb 25 - March 7, 2026
• Kenya: March 25 - April 4, 2026

Links & Resources (Erin):

• Get travel insurance through Wanderwell
• Learn more about Wanderwell
• Follow Wanderwell on social: @go.wanderwell

Links & Resources (Laura):

• Follow my personal IG: @lolawhiskey
• Follow my business IG: @lauraericsongrouptrips
• Follow our podcast: @type2travelpodcast
• Learn more about upcoming trips: lauraericson.com
• Check out our podcast page: lauraericson.com/podcast
• Join my Facebook group: @lolalovestravel

Thanks for being here! As always, rate, review, share with a friend, and tag us if you’re listening.

Casey Hanisko is one of those women in the travel industry who I genuinely look up to - the kind of leader who makes you think, "I want to be like her when I grow up."

We're diving into something that's keeping a lot of us up at night - how do you keep exploring the world when it feels like everything is falling apart? Casey has spent over 25 years building and leading teams in the adventure travel industry, and she's got the perspective we all need right now.

I really wanted to pick Casey's brain about this: How do we navigate our fears about traveling when the news cycle feels relentless and the world seems more uncertain than ever? We're talking about the difference between smart risk management and letting fear hijack your passport, plus some seriously questionable decision-making that led to the best travel stories ever.

Upcoming Trips Mentioned:

Cuba: Dec 27, 2025 - Jan 3, 2026

India: Feb 25 - March 7, 2026

Kenya: March 25 - April 4, 2026

Morocco: April 10 - April 19, 2026

Links & Resources (Casey)

• Learn more about Casey: caseyhanisko.com
• LinkedIn: @caseyhanisko
• Leading Naturally newsletter
• RISE Travel Institute
• Adventure Travel Conservation Fund
• Casey's Blog Post: Scared to Travel Right Now?

Links & Resources (Laura)

• Follow my personal IG: @lolawhiskey
• Follow my business IG: @lauraericsongrouptrips
• Follow our podcast: @type2travelpodcast
• Learn more about upcoming trips: lauraericson.com
• Check out our podcast page: lauraericson.com/podcast
• Join my Facebook group: @lolalovestravel

Thanks for being here! As always, rate, review, share with a friend, and tag us if you’re listening.

Today I'm sitting down with someone who's been my partner in questionable decision-making for many years - my former sister-in-law and current travel buddy, Kari Chance. We're diving into our most ridiculous travel mishaps, the kinds of stories that literally had us crying from laughter while recording.

Kari is living proof that I won my divorce by keeping my sister-in-law. By day she's a dental hygienist, but she's also a Laura Ericson Group Trips Turkey and Mexico City survivor. When Kari is involved, ordinary travel moments somehow transform into the kind of stories you'll be telling for years.

Fair warning: if you've ever wondered how two supposedly responsible adults can turn a simple trip into a comedy of errors, this is the episode for you. From Turkish bath confusion to airport bathroom disasters, we're sharing it all.

Kari Chance (aka "Auntie Kari" or "Uncle Kari" when she's wielding her mini chainsaw) is a dental hygienist from Wisconsin and Laura's former sister-in-law turned travel partner in crime. Known for her love of naps, cats, and creating armpit fart sounds at inappropriate moments, Kari proves that the best travel companions are the ones who aren't afraid to laugh at themselves - even when things go hilariously wrong.

Upcoming Trips Mentioned:

Cuba: Dec 27, 2025 - Jan 3, 2026

Mexico City: Oct 26 - Nov 3, 2025

Links & Resources (Kari)

• Instagram: @adventureswithauntiekari
• Facebook: @kari.lyn.56

Links & Resources (Laura)

• Follow my personal IG: @lolawhiskey
• Follow my business IG: @lauraericsongrouptrips
• Follow our podcast: @type2travelpodcast
• Learn more about upcoming trips: lauraericson.com
• Check out our podcast page: lauraericson.com/podcast
• Join my Facebook group: @lolalovestravel

Thanks for being here! As always, rate, review, share with a friend, and tag us if you’re listening.

Today I’m joined by Andrea Andree—leadership and embodiment coach, mom of two, and a traveler from my Cuba trip earlier this year. We dive into what it really looks like to prioritize solo travel as a parent, how to navigate fear (yours and other people’s), and how making space for your own joy actually makes you a better parent.

In this episode we talk about:

• Why Andrea said yes to a solo trip to Cuba—and left the mom guilt at home
• The myth of “once you’re a parent, adventure stops”
• How to handle loved ones projecting fear onto your travel plans
• Why it’s crucial to model boldness and curiosity for your kids
• How Andrea coaches parents to reconnect with their identities beyond parenting

There’s a pervasive story in our culture that once you become a parent, especially a mom, you’re no longer supposed to want big adventures—or if you do, you should feel guilty about them. Andrea is here to challenge that narrative. This conversation is for any parent who's ever felt pulled to explore more, reconnect with themselves, and model courage and joy for their kids.

And if you’re not a parent? It’s still a powerful reminder that you don’t need anyone’s permission to live a big, bold life.

Links & Resources

• Learn more about Andrea: https://andreaandree.com/
• Follow my personal IG: @lolawhiskey
• Follow my business IG: @lauraericsongrouptrips
• Follow our podcast: @type2travelpodcast
• Get on the waitlist for Camp Lola Whiskey 2026
• Learn more about upcoming trips: lauraericson.com
• Check out our podcast page: lauraericson.com/podcast
• Join my Facebook group: @lolalovestravel

Today's episode is all about dating while traveling, and joining me is one of my closest friends and fellow globetrotter, Tamara Robertson. We’ve known each other for over 20 years, since our wild camp counselor days in California.

Tamara and I have shared countless travel stories-many hilarious, many horrifying, especially when it comes to dating. We’ve both been through the chaos of trying to find love on the road. Spoiler alert: it’s not easy. But, ironically, we both found serious relationships around the same time recently, and we finally get to reflect on all the frogs we kissed (metaphorically… mostly).

Tamara opens up about her mom’s influence on her love for travel (yes, she has the best flight attendant story involving the Mile High Club), how losing her parents pushed her to take a solo year-long trip around the world, and the memorable-and awkward-ways she spread her mom’s ashes across 24 countries.

We also dive into:

• What it’s really like to date when you’re constantly moving
• Our most cringey dating fails from around the world
• How grief, growth, and gut instincts led Tamara to a trip that changed everything
• Why finding love as a traveler is a whole different ball game

This episode is funny, heartfelt, and real—and I couldn’t think of a better person to share it with than Tamara.

So grab your headphones, settle in, and let’s talk about what it means to find love (or not) on the road.

Links & Resources

• Follow my personal IG: @lolawhiskey
• Follow my business IG: @lauraericsongrouptrips
• Follow our podcast: @type2travelpodcast
• Learn more about upcoming trips: lauraericson.com
• Check out our podcast page: lauraericson.com/podcast
• Join my Facebook group: @lolalovestravel

Hey everyone! I’m so excited for this episode of the Type Two Travel Podcast because I finally got to sit down and record a convo with my dear friend, retreat photographer, and fellow water-loving wanderer, Allie Jorde!

Allie and I first met when she shot my Arizona retreat a few years ago, and since then she’s joined me in Greece, danced with me in Oaxaca, and basically become my favorite person to laugh across continents with. Whether we’re floating in the Aegean or eating ceviche on a patio doing absolutely nothing—every trip with her is pure gold.

In this episode, we talk all things travel photography, from the gear she actually uses (spoiler: it’s not about having the fanciest stuff) to how she balances being present vs. capturing the moment. If you’ve ever wondered how to make your travel photos feel less basic and more story-driven, this one’s for you.

Here’s what we got into:

• How Allie went from Arizona weddings to photographing retreats around the world
• Her most surprising travel destination
• The real key to telling a story through your photos, not just snapping pretty pictures
• What to pack (and what to leave behind) if you’re traveling with camera gear
• Why your iPhone is more powerful than you think, especially when you’re just starting out

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by photography or unsure where to start, Allie’s advice is such a breath of fresh air. You don’t need a fancy camera. You just need to notice things and be intentional. That, and maybe be willing to look a little ridiculous in the middle of the road trying to get the perfect shot.

Cheers to that. (And yes, I was drinking rosé from our Greece trip during this episode. Obviously.)

xo,

Laura

Learn more about Allie Jorde Creative: https://www.alliejordecreative.com

Follow Allie’s work + travel adventures on Instagram: @alliejorde

Links & Resources (Laura)

• Follow my personal IG: @lolawhiskey
• Follow my business IG: @lauraericsongrouptrips
• Follow our podcast: @type2travelpodcast
• Learn more about upcoming trips: lauraericson.com
• Check out our podcast page: lauraericson.com/podcast
• Join my Facebook group: @lolalovestravel