There's a moment many women know well — the house goes quiet, the kids are gone, and you find yourself standing in the middle of your own life wondering, now what? For Mary Baskin, that moment became a doorway. Instead of shrinking into the silence, Mary said yes — to a spontaneous detour through the lavender fields of Provence, to a van full of antiques and six overstuffed suitcases, and to a wild idea that maybe she could build something entirely new on the other side of 50. What followed was a travel company, a beautifully restored historic inn, a luxury print magazine, and a life that most people only daydream about. And here's the thing — she'll be the first to tell you she's not special. She's just someone who decided to go. In this warm, funny, and deeply inspiring conversation, Mary shares how she built Vagabond Travel Co. from a single trip to Provence into a beloved small-group travel company taking women all over the world — France, Morocco, India, Kenya, Egypt, Ireland, and beyond. She talks about restoring the stunning English Merchants Inn, a 1915 cotton merchant's mansion in Waxahachie, Texas, into one of the most charming boutique stays near Dallas. And she introduces us to Found Travel and Living Journal, the gorgeous biannual print magazine she co-founded to celebrate slow travel, artisan culture, and the soul of the places we visit. But more than any of that, this episode is about you — the woman who's wondering if it's too late, if she's too old, if she has what it takes. Mary's answer is simple and unwavering: you do, and it's not. We talk about: The 36-hour Provence trip that sparked an entirely new chapterWhy intimate, immersive travel changes people in ways a bus tour never couldThe 79-year-old on the back of a motorcycle in the Moroccan desert — and what she teaches us allHow Mary pushed through every fear before turning 50, one brave decision at a timeWhat it really means to reconnect with who you were before life got so loudIf you've ever felt the pull toward something more — more adventure, more meaning, more you — let Mary Baskin be the permission slip you didn't know you needed. ✦ Vagabond Travel Co. leads intimate, design-focused group tours for women over 50 to France, Morocco, India, Ireland, Kenya, Egypt, Spain, and beyond. ✦ Found Travel and Living Journal is a biannual luxury print travel magazine celebrating artisans, slow travel, and the world's most captivating destinations. ✦ The English Merchants Inn is a six-room boutique bed & breakfast in historic Waxahachie, Texas — named the Best Day Trip from Dallas by the Dallas Observer. 📍 Find Mary: @TheVagabondTravelCo | @FoundTravelJournal | @EnglishMerchantsInn 🌐 VagabondTravelCo.com | FoundTravelandLiving.com | TheEnglishMerchantsInn.com Support the show
