Adventures Beyond Limits
The 'Let's Go Together' podcast is a rich tapestry woven with narratives of individuals who redefine what travel means. Season highlights include a remarkable
episode featuring a quadriplegic adventurer conquering Machu Picchu, showcasing immense determination. Another compelling story follows a gay couple who traded urban life for the freedom of exploring national parks from their 26-foot RV, demonstrating a commitment to a life on the road less traveled. These accounts, among others, exemplify the podcast's commitment to showcasing the extraordinary within the realm of travel, encouraging listeners to consider their own potential for adventure, regardless of personal circumstances or conventional norms. The podcast acts as a powerful platform for diverse voices, proving that the spirit of exploration knows no bounds and can lead to profound personal growth and unique life experiences.
Ancestral Roots Explored
Delving into heritage travel, the podcast features an episode with a genealogist offering insights into tracing family history through dedicated trips. This theme is further explored in Season 2, Episode 26, which specifically discusses unlocking the past via DNA heritage travel with expert Nicka Sewell-Smith. These segments highlight how journeys can be deeply personal, connecting individuals to their ancestry in tangible and meaningful ways. By encouraging the exploration of one's lineage through travel, the podcast provides a framework for understanding identity and belonging across generations, transforming a simple trip into a profound exploration of self and heritage.
Cultural Immersion & History
Beyond personal journeys, 'Let's Go Together' champions respectful engagement with diverse cultures and historical narratives. Season 2, Episode 25 focuses on the importance of respecting and celebrating Indigenous cultures and spaces within the U.S., emphasizing mindful travel practices. Another episode, Season 2, Episode 24, takes listeners to Hilton Head Island to explore Black history, offering a lens into a significant cultural heritage. These episodes underscore the educational and enriching aspects of travel when approached with a commitment to understanding and honoring the places and people visited, fostering a more profound and responsible way of experiencing the world.
Unique Travel Lifestyles
The podcast illuminates a wide array of unique travel lifestyles and career paths. Listeners can learn from Kate McCue, the first American woman to captain a cruise liner (Season 2, Episode 22), and hear about the travel plans of 'Mean Girls' star Jonathan Bennett and fiancé Jaymes Vaughan for their LGBTQ+ cruise company (Season 2, Episode 19). Emily Hampshire shares her affection for the locals in the town that inspired TV's 'Schitt's Creek' (Season 2, Episode 23). Further showcasing diverse experiences, Marriott executive Diana Plazas-Trowbridge discusses 'Running With Suitcases' (Season 2, Episode 20), while an episode tackles fighting to save coral reefs in a beautiful beach destination (Season 2, Episode 21). These stories reveal that travel can be integrated into various professions and passions, from maritime leadership to environmental conservation and even creative inspiration.
Overcoming Challenges on the Road
Several episodes of 'Let's Go Together' and related Travel + Leisure podcast features address how individuals navigate the world while facing specific challenges. Stories include traveling safely during the pandemic with an epidemiologist's advice (Season 2, Episode 4), exploring the world with a physical disability (Episode 16), and how Black female travelers defy limitations (Episode 10). The podcast also features insights from a quadriplegic climbing Machu Picchu (Episode 1), a deaf traveler communicating globally (Episode 23), and a pilot with Type 1 Diabetes (Episode 22). These narratives are crucial for fostering inclusivity and demonstrating that the desire to explore can overcome significant obstacles.
LGBTQ+ and Identity in Travel
A significant portion of the content celebrates and explores the experiences of LGBTQ+ travelers and other diverse identities. The podcast features a gay couple living in an RV (Episode 2), lesbian couples sharing their travels (Episode 18), and transgender travelers exploring the U.S. and world (Episode 15). Episodes also touch upon LGBTQIA+ travel stories (Season 2, Episode 7) and highlight individuals preserving LGBTQIA+ history. The podcast aims to create a welcoming space for all identities, recognizing the unique perspectives and journeys within the LGBTQ+ community and encouraging visibility and representation in the travel sphere.
Cultural and Social Narratives
The podcast delves into powerful social and cultural narratives that intersect with travel. Stories include reclaiming segregated spaces through Southern food (Season 2, Episode 10), the journey of Vietnamese refugees in New Orleans (Season 2, Episode 6), and the significance of the Apollo Theater to the Black community (Season 2, Episode 8). It also highlights Asian voices in travel (Episode 5) and features individuals like Morgan Jerkins, who is Black, bilingual, and reclaiming her roots (Episode 7). These episodes use travel as a backdrop to explore broader themes of identity, history, community, and cultural preservation.
Solo, Family, and Inspirational Travel
'Let's Go Together' and its associated podcast episodes cover a wide spectrum of travel companions and motivations. It features a Black female blogger traveling solo (Episode 14), globetrotting as a single mom (Episode 21), and widowed women embracing solo travel (Episode 6). The series also includes stories from faith-based travel influencers (Episode 24) and a Latina outdoorswoman hiking her way around the world (Episode 9). These diverse narratives showcase that travel is a personal pursuit, adaptable to various life stages, relationships, and spiritual beliefs, offering inspiration for everyone looking to embark on their own adventure.
