Storytelling And Travel As A Path To Healing

Send us Fan Mail Life doesn’t follow a map, and neither do the journeys that shape us. We’re joined by Shannon Lamkin, author, speaker, and host of the internationally listened to podcast Travel Time Stories with Shannon, for a conversation that starts with travel and quickly gets more honest. Shannon shares how a show built around destinations evolved into a space where people tell the stories that changed them, and why one good conversation can be the first step toward healing. We talk about what it means to rebuild yourself after trauma, including surviving abusive relationships and learning the hard truth that leaving isn’t the same as being healed. Shannon opens up about anxiety and panic attacks, and how a first solo trip to New Orleans became a surprising milestone in confidence and self-trust. We also get into parenting through serious mental illness, the lifelong ripple effects of childhood experiences, and Shannon’s adoption story and search for birth family long before DNA kits and social media made it easier. Caregiving and identity come up in a big way as Shannon describes supporting a spouse through chronic illness, kidney failure, and dialysis, plus the pressure of holding everything together without losing yourself. From there, we shift back to the power of travel as reinvention, including cruising as a way to explore and a Scotland road trip that raised the bar for what felt possible. Shannon also shares what she’s writing now, including her memoir "Map Back to Me" and her novel "Wrong Turns, Right People", built around the idea that detours can bring the right people into your life. If you’re drawn to travel, midlife reinvention, storytelling, mental health, and finding your own travel style in the real world, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a quick review so more listeners can find us. Shannon's Website: https://www.traveltimestories.com/ Shannon's Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/travel-time-stories-with-shannon-real-journeys-real/id1821032644 Download full-color PDFs of my book at prices below Amazon paperbacks. Visit my store at https://shop.jimsantosbooks.com  Subscribe to our Mailing List https://www.buzzsprout.com/2292506/supporters/new http://jimsantos.net https://www.instagram.com/jimsantosblog https://www.youtube.com/@jimsantos508 [email protected] "Wherever We May Roam: Finding Your Travel Style" - On Amazon