Why Your Most Embarrassing Travel Moments Become Your Best Stories

Clean Beauty Myths Every Traveler Needs to Know with KOOK Sunscreen

Most of us have grabbed a bottle of SPF 50 at the airport without reading a single ingredient. And most of us have stood at the edge of the water thinking we're doing the right thing because the label says "reef safe." Christina Kuklinski would like a word. She quit a career that was killing her, spent two years diving the world's most protected reef systems, watched her hair break off from daily saltwater exposure, and couldn't find a single product that solved the problem without making the reef situation worse. So she built one. Kook is an ocean-first beauty brand that's B Corp certified and donates 5% of revenue to mangrove restoration. But most importantly, the products actual work and don't damage the ocean's fragile ecosystem. In this episode, Christina pulls back the curtain on what "clean beauty" and "reef safe" really mean, how your sunscreen is affecting the ocean (even on days you never get in the water), and what self-care actually looks like when you're sweaty, sun-baked, and bouncing between time zones. She also gets real about burnout, the identity crisis that comes with walking away from a high-earning career, and why the best business ideas usually come from the thing that's been driving you absolutely crazy. And if you're coming to Camp Lola Whiskey [https://www.lauraericson.com/camp-lola-whiskey-2026] this summer, you'll get to try Kook firsthand — Christina is one of our amazing sponsors and will have samples at camp. If you can't wait until camp, all listeners can use code TYPE2TRAVEL20 for 20% off your first order at gotkook.com [https://gotkook.com/]. Upcoming Trips Mentioned * Camp Lola Whiskey [https://www.lauraericson.com/camp-lola-whiskey-2026] (August 27-30, 2026) * Greece [https://www.lauraericson.com/travel-greece-september2026](September 19-27, 2026) Links & Resources (Christina) * Website: gotkook.com [https://gotkook.com/] * Instagram: @got.kook [https://www.instagram.com/GOT.KOOK] Links & Resources (Laura) * Follow my personal IG: @lolawhiskey [https://www.instagram.com/lolawhiskey/] * Follow my business IG: @lauraericsongrouptrips [https://www.instagram.com/lauraericsongrouptrips/] * Follow our podcast: @type2travelpodcast [https://www.instagram.com/type2travelpodcast/] * Learn more about upcoming trips [https://www.lauraericson.com/group-trips] * Check out our podcast page [https://www.lauraericson.com/podcast] * Join my Facebook group: @lolalovestravel [https://www.facebook.com/groups/lolalovestravel/] Thanks for being here! As always, rate, review, share with a friend, and tag us if you're listening.

Travel for Free Using Credit Card Points and Miles with Katie Holden

Katie Holden didn't come to the points and miles game because she wanted a hobby. She came because she needed to make travel work on a real budget. Like funding a nine-month family gap year on $50 a day budget. Once she did, she realized there wasn't a lot of good information out there for people in her exact situation. So she built it herself. Katie is the founder of Katie's Travel Tricks, and her philosophy is simple: you shouldn't have to pay money to learn how to save money. Whether you're brand new to this or you've been at it for years, her approach is the kind of refreshingly practical advice that actually sticks. In this episode, we get into the mistakes most beginners make, the Chase 5/24 rule, a card combo she swears by that most people have never heard of, and why she won't let anyone on her team use the word "devaluation." If points and miles have ever felt overcomplicated or just not designed for the way you actually travel, this is the conversation you've been waiting for. Links & Resources (Katie) * Website: katiestraveltricks.com [https://katiestraveltricks.com/] * Podcast: Points for Normal People [https://podcast.katiestraveltricks.com/] * Instagram: @katiestraveltricks [https://www.instagram.com/katiestraveltricks/?hl=en] Links & Resources (Laura) * Follow my personal IG: @lolawhiskey [https://www.instagram.com/lolawhiskey/] * Follow my business IG: @lauraericsongrouptrips [https://www.instagram.com/lauraericsongrouptrips/] * Follow our podcast: @type2travelpodcast [https://www.instagram.com/type2travelpodcast/] * Learn more about upcoming trips [https://www.lauraericson.com/group-trips] * Check out our podcast page [https://www.lauraericson.com/podcast] * Join my Facebook group: @lolalovestravel [https://www.facebook.com/groups/lolalovestravel/] Thanks for being here! As always, rate, review, share with a friend, and tag us if you're listening.

How to Eat Your Way Through New York City Like a Local

There are friends who come to your city and let you take them wherever, and then there are friends who have a whole system. Alec Johnson is that guy, and New York City is his city. In this episode, we cover the Instagram problem that broke the "trust the line" rule, why Times Square restaurants don't have to even try to be good, the tourist spots that are actually worth it (I was wrong for years--Katz's Deli is not overrated), and how eating exceptional food in one place ruins you for the mediocre version everywhere else. Plus: the epic Portland vegan strip club story. You'll understand when you get there. Listen to hear all of Alec's food wisdom, his takes on the best neighborhoods, and why our recent group trip to Georgia changed his mind about group travel forever. Trips mentioned: Georgia - October 2 - 11, 2026 (coed) [https://www.lauraericson.com/travel-to-georgia-2026] Links & Resources (Alec) * He doesn't have social media. He doesn't do podcasts. Getting him on this one was a minor miracle. Links & Resources (Laura) * Follow my personal IG: @lolawhiskey * Follow my business IG: @lauraericsongrouptrips * Follow our podcast: @type2travelpodcast * Learn more about upcoming trips: lauraericson.com/group-trips * 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.

Desert Island Survival and the Power of Discomfort with Alone UK Winner Tom Williams

What happens when you stop avoiding discomfort and start chasing it? Tom Williams — founder of Desert Island Survival and winner of Alone UK Season 1 — has built his entire life around that question. In this episode, Tom shares how a childhood defined by failure, bullying, and being written off by his own teacher led to one of the most remarkable reinvention stories you'll hear. We talk about his pivot moment mapping coral reefs in Honduras, walking 370 miles to the North Pole, and what 35 days alone in the Canadian wilderness taught him about happiness, health, and what human beings are actually built for. Tom came out of that experience physically transformed, mentally reset, and genuinely convinced that modern life has us living at a fraction of our actual capacity — and that the antidote is simpler than we think. We also dig into Desert Island Survival — what really happens on one of his expeditions, who goes, and why the most transformative breakthroughs tend to happen in the moments that scared you a little when you first signed up. If you've ever needed a push to book something that makes you slightly nervous, this episode is it. Links & Resources (Tom) Learn more about Tom: https://tomwilliams.tv/ Use code DIS150 for £150 off a Desert Island Survival Expedition: desertislandsurvival.com [http://desertislandsurvival.com] Instagram: @tomwilliamsalone Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/desertislandtom/ Links & Resources (Laura) Follow my personal IG: @lolawhiskey Follow my business IG: @lauraericsongrouptrips Follow our podcast: @type2travelpodcast Learn more about upcoming trips: lauraericson.com/group-trips 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.

Understanding the Psychology Behind Why We Travel with Sahara Rose De Vore

Sahara Rose DeVore is someone I've been connected to in the travel industry for over four years, but we've never met in person. She's a fellow Wisconsinite, founder of the Travel Coach Network, and the creator of the world's first ICF-accredited certification program for travel coaches. She's traveled solo to 84 countries--and not from privilege, but from sheer determination, working five jobs while finishing college to save enough for that first one-way ticket. Her story is a reminder that the desire to travel will find a way. But this episode isn't really about the countries. It's about the why behind the wanderlust. Sahara has spent years studying the psychology of why we travel, and the conversation we had honestly changed how I think about the trips I plan, the travelers I lead, and my own deeply personal reasons for doing this work. We're talking about what we're really searching for when we book a flight, how travel builds confidence in ways nothing else can, what to do with post-travel depression when you land back in reality, the difference between using travel as escape versus using it as a tool for transformation, and how to actually bring those hard-won lessons home with you instead of losing them in the laundry pile. Sahara also shares something she rarely talks about publicly — the real, raw reason she started traveling in the first place. Links & Resources (Sahara) Learn more about Sahara: https://thetravelcoachnetwork.com/ Follow Sahara on socials: @saharaRosethetravelcoach and @thetravelcoachnetwork 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 our Facebook group for women: @lolalovestravel Thanks for being here! As always, rate, review, share with a friend, and tag us if you're listening.