Ep. 232: Don’t Let Fear Stop You From Taking That Trip
EQ: In what ways is travel a means to build empathy and global awareness, how does it serve as an escape from everyday life, and when does it constitute just another form of consumption?
Guest: Lauren Broeseker, Fora Travel Advisor.
Today we’re embarking on a conversation with Fora travel advisor Lauren Broeseker about her transition from the classroom to the travel industry, the difference between being a tourist and being a traveler, and what it means to travel thoughtfully in 2026. Drawing on everything from budget hostels in New York to the ethics of luxury travel, we wrestle with big questions about privilege, empathy, authenticity, and what travel demands of us as guests in other people’s spaces. Inspired in part by Agnes Callard and the 2023 The New Yorker essay “The Case Against Travel,” we examine whether travel broadens perspective or simply reinforces spectatorship. We ask listeners to consider whether the way we move through the world matters just as much as where we go. We also discuss how travel feels different as women, how the global travel landscape has shifted in an increasingly unstable world, why travel advisors still matter in the age of AI and influencers, and what destinations are currently sitting at the top of the bucket list.
Follow along and connect with the guest on Instagram at @blonde_vagabonds and through her newsletter for more travel inspiration and insight.
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Annie: shout out Rick Steves! You may not be able to afford Paris in the spring time, especially with the rising cost of jet fuel, but local travel is also helpful for developing the presence of mind, awareness, and self-trust needed for future adventures.
Hope: James Baldwin’s essay “Equal in Paris” (from his collection Notes of a Native Son); Ta’Nehisi Coates book “The Message” therein he talks alot about his experience traveling to Palestine & Israel; Travel in Black and White Oana Cogeanu
Lauren: Rick Steve’s guidebook Travel As a Political Act and Born A Crime (especially the audiobook).