Gen X Childhood, Religious Trauma & Healing Through Travel with Heidi K. Brown

Remember 70s and 80s beach trips? It was all zero sunscreen, looking out for Jaws, and getting sun poisoning so bad you and your siblings would take turns peeling each other's skin off. But for author Heidi K. Brown, the beach meant working—specifically, pounding the hot sand to recruit kids for her parents' strict Vacation Bible School. Bitchin' summer? NOT!  In this episode of Strangers With Kittens, Eileen sits down with Heidi K. Brown to discuss her powerful new travel memoir, THE MAP I DRAW. They dive deep into growing up in a conservative fundamentalist Gen X childhood, facing family dysfunction, and using solo travel as a tool for deep emotional healing. Heidi shares how an unexpected trip to Rome became a turning point in her life, leading her away from a rigid legal career and into a life of creative writing. Plus, Eileen and Heidi talk about aging powerfully in midlife, breaking free from fear and rebellion, and building a daily writing practice using morning pages and journals. If you are looking for inspiration on healing from religious trauma, reinventing yourself after 40, or embracing Gen X nostalgia, this episode is for you. They dig into family, faith, fear, rebellion, and the idea of “aging powerfully” instead of quietly accepting limits. Heidi is a Law Professor and Associate Dean for Upper Level Writing at New York Law School. She earned her master’s degree in Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania in 2021. She crafted a life of flourishing through teaching, writing, boxing, jumping up and down at U2 concerts, studying Italian, and traveling the world solo. You can find out more about Heidi at: Grab Heidi’s memoir: The Map I Draw [https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-map-i-draw-a-memoir-of-travel-as-a-passport-to-self-heidi-k-brown/44490500bf2cd8a7?ean=9798992980707&bkshp-astro=t] Follow Heidi K. Brown: IG: https://www.instagram.com/introvertedlawyer IG: https://www.instagram.com/heidiographia/  Substack: https://heidiography.substack.com/ For information about Heidi's books and speaking engagements please email her at: [email protected].   ✨ Hit the FOLLOW button on Spotify so you never miss an episode of Strangers With Kittens! Support the show Strangers With Kittens is a podcast created by Eileen Kelly and Produced by Ashley Aker. Original music composed and performed by Chris Hajian. You can listen to full podcast episodes on Spotify, Amazon, Audible, and Apple Podcasts.  ✨ If you love raw, authentic Gen X stories, hit the FOLLOW button on Spotify to help our podcast grow! Follow Strangers With Kittens On Social Media  Facebook  Instagram TikTok YouTube Keep The Conversation Going  https://www.strangerswithkittens.com/