Type 2 Travel

Laura Ericson
  • 4.9 (29)
  • PLACES & TRAVEL
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Join host Laura Ericson on "Type 2 Travel" - your weekly companion for authentic travel adventures. From hilarious language mix-ups to transformative cultural encounters, Laura and her diverse guests share real, unfiltered stories from the road. Whether you're a solo explorer seeking community, a conscious traveler navigating sustainable tourism, or simply dreaming of your next escape, this podcast delivers practical tips and heartfelt tales. Dive into local perspectives, troubleshoot travel SOS moments, and discover how travel shapes not just where we go, but who we become. Listen in as Laura guides you through the art of meaningful exploration, one story at a time.

  1. APR 1

    The Power of Culinary Tourism with Flavor Expert Emmanuel Laroche

    Emmanuel LaRoche is the kind of person who makes you look at a vanilla bean, a jar of honey, or a tincan of caviar completely differently. He's a flavor industry insider, a podcaster, and now a two-time author, and this conversation genuinely changed how I think about the ingredients in my kitchen. We talk about Emmanuel's fascinating journey from growing up in France, learning to cook quiche Lorraine from his mom, landing in the flavor and fragrance industry, and going to Madagascar for vanilla but staying for so much more. Emmanuel's second book, A Taste of Madagascar, is part travel log, part ingredient deep-dive, and part love letter to the farmers, beekeepers, and entrepreneurs who rarely get credit for the extraordinary things we eat every day. He also shares what responsible food travel actually looks like, both in your own grocery store and halfway around the world, and why understanding where ingredients come from can genuinely change lives, including your own. Upcoming Trips Mentioned: Mexico City Foodie Tour WaitlistJapan Waitlist Links & Resources (Emmanuel) Learn more: flavorsunknown.comPodcast: Flavors UnknownBook: A Taste of Madagascar Conversations Behind the Kitchen DoorInstagram/Facebook/TikTok: @flavorsunknownLinkedIn: Emmanuel LaRoche Links & Resources (Laura) Follow my personal IG: @lolawhiskeyFollow my business IG: @lauraericsongrouptripsFollow our podcast IG: @type2travelpodcastLearn more about upcoming trips: lauraericson.comCheck out our podcast page: lauraericson.com/podcastJoin my Facebook group: @lolalovestravel Thanks for being here! As always, rate, review, share with a friend, and tag us if you're listening.

    1h 1m

  2. MAR 25

    Why Ecuador is the New Years 2027 Group Trip Destination You Don’t Want to Miss

    When I had eight hours to decide whether to send someone to scout Ecuador as a potential group trip destination (while I was in the middle of a move, prepping for several weeks of back to back Cuba trips, and basically in the midst of total chaos), Krista Parks was the first person who came to mind. Not because I had a formal plan, but because I knew she'd say yes without blinking — and she did. What started as a small group scouting trip with other travel industry professionals ended up being a private, one-on-one tour of Ecuador with our incredible guide Jose, and it couldn't have gone better. Krista went in not knowing what to expect and came back a self-proclaimed bird watcher, cacao convert, and Ecuador evangelist. She hand-fed hummingbirds at sunset with the Andes as her backdrop, crawled through a cave that only four people know how to find, met with an all-female Amazonian tribe and their shaman, got a medicinal cacao facial in Mindo, and ate octopus in the middle of the Amazon rainforest. That's the pure magic of Ecuador. We're officially taking a group there for New Year's Eve 2027, and after hearing everything Krista experienced, I am convinced this was meant to be. Listen in to hear everything we'll be doing on our upcoming group trip, and then make sure to claim your spot ASAP. There's no promise we'll be doing this one again! Upcoming Trips Mentioned: Ecuador: NYE 2027 (December 26, 2026-January 2, 2027) Links & Resources (Krista) @krista_kat901Episode 19: Trusting Your Gut: How Body Wisdom, IFS, and Astrocartography Guide Travel Decisions Links & Resources (Laura) Follow my personal IG: @lolawhiskeyFollow my business IG: @lauraericsongrouptripsFollow our podcast: @type2travelpodcastLearn more about upcoming trips: lauraericson.comCheck out our podcast page: lauraericson.com/podcastJoin my Facebook group: @lolalovestravel Thanks for being here! As always, rate, review, share with a friend, and tag us if you're listening.

    42 min

  3. MAR 18

    Street Cat Travel Tips Around the World with Author Jeff Bogle

    If you know me at all, you know that my six-year-old self would have absolutely lost her mind knowing that one day I'd get to interview the Rick Steves of cat travel. Jeff Bogle is a freelance travel writer and award-winning photographer whose work has appeared in the Washington Post, BBC Travel, Good Housekeeping, Fodor's, and more — but the reason I had to get him on the podcast before I left for two months of travel was his book: Street Cats and Where to Find Them, a travel guide covering 20 destinations across 5 continents, all built around finding, photographing, and connecting with street cats. What I love most about this conversation is that yes, we absolutely geek out about cats — we swap stories from Turkey to Morocco to Old San Juan, debate the ethics of wet food versus dry food for street feeding, and rate destinations by cuddliness (Lima, Peru gets five toe beans, for the record). But the conversation goes so much deeper than that. We talk about resilience, slowing down, and how the smallest, scruffiest creatures can be the best travel guides you never planned for. Jeff also shares the story of Tilly, his soul cat, and why this book is partly his way of making sure she's never truly gone. Plus, Jeff tells us all about his upcoming street cat cruise through the Mediterranean, which is exactly as amazing as it sounds. And stick around to the end because Jeff and I are doing a co-branded giveaway: a signed copy of Street Cats and Where to Find Them, some cat gear from Jeff, and a couple of my favorite cat t-shirts from my merch store. Upcoming Trips Mentioned: Cuba (TBD for future group trip when possible)KenyaMorocco: September 4 - 13, 2026 Links & Resources (Jeff) Street Cats & Where to Find Them@owtkMuckrack Links & Resources (Laura) Follow my personal IG: @lolawhiskeyFollow my business IG: @lauraericsongrouptripsFollow our podcast: @type2travelpodcastLearn more about upcoming trips: lauraericson.comCheck out our podcast page: lauraericson.com/podcastJoin my Facebook group: @lolalovestravel Giveaway for a signed copy of Jeff's book and a cat t-shirt from our merch store Thanks for being here! As always, rate, review, share with a friend, and tag us if you're listening.

    1h 11m

  4. MAR 11

    How to Fly Business Class for Less with Ashley Gets Around

    If you've ever looked at business class prices and immediately closed the browser tab, this episode is for you. I sat down with Ashley, founder of Ashley Gets Around — the only woman-owned, premium-only flight deal service out there. Ashley has visited over 90 countries on seven continents, and she built her entire business by obsessively solving her own problem: how do you fly business class without paying $5,000 to do it? We got into everything — how Ashley stumbled into entrepreneurship after losing her job and landing in Thailand, why airline loyalty is often working against you, the truth about points and miles (spoiler: she's kind of over it too), and how to actually think about finding and booking premium flight deals. We also went deep on the wild world of flight deal theft, Instagram trolls, and why she once cried on a Delta inaugural flight over Wi-Fi. It's a good one. Upcoming Trips Mentioned: Morocco: September 4 - 13, 2026 Links & Resources (Ashley) Ashley Gets Around@ashleygetsaround Links & Resources (Laura) Follow my personal IG: @lolawhiskeyFollow my business IG: @lauraericsongrouptripsFollow our podcast: @type2travelpodcastLearn more about upcoming trips: lauraericson.comCheck out our podcast page: lauraericson.com/podcastJoin my Facebook group: @lolalovestravel Thanks for being here! As always, rate, review, share with a friend, and tag us if you're listening.

    1h 21m

  5. MAR 4

    Childfree Living and Designing Your Own Path with Emily Paulsen

    Emily Paulsen is one of those rare humans who makes you think differently about life choices - not in a preachy way, but in a "wait, I never thought about it like that" kind of way. She's the host of Curious Life of a Childfree Woman, a podcast she started because she was tired of feeling invisible. Whether she was tuning into shows about marketing, fitness, or travel, parenthood somehow wove its way into every conversation. So she built the space she wanted to see - content where that just wasn't part of the equation. This conversation hit me at a particularly interesting time. My life is shifting in ways I never expected, and I'm learning firsthand how quickly circumstances can change and how uncomfortable it feels when you don't fit neatly into any of the boxes you thought defined you. Emily fully understands this complexity - she talks about building intentional lives, filling our time with what actually matters, and giving ourselves permission to evolve without apologizing for it. We're diving into why waiting for the perfect moment is a trap, how travel fits into designing the life you want, why representation matters (especially when you're coloring outside the lines), and what happens when life refuses to stay in its lane. Links & Resources (Emily): Podcast: Curious Life of a Child-Free WomanSubstack: Emily Paulsen Links & Resources (Laura): Follow my personal IG: @lolawhiskeyFollow my business IG: @lauraericsongrouptripsFollow our podcast: @type2travelpodcastLearn more about upcoming trips: lauraericson.comCheck out our podcast page: lauraericson.com/podcastJoin my Facebook group: @lolalovestravel Thanks for being here! As always, rate, review, share with a friend, and tag us if you’re listening.

    1h 8m

  6. FEB 25

    Under Construction: Lessons in Entrepreneurship, Love, and Burnout with Laura Ericson

    I've been hinting at big life changes for months across episodes, emails, and social media, and I kept telling myself I'd explain it all eventually, but time never slows down for me. Well, eventually is now. This is my first solo episode — and probably my last for a while — but it felt like the only way to finally put it all in one place. I'm sharing what's been happening behind the scenes over the past year—and why things need to change. After five years of running a travel business, I've hit a crossroads. The business I built to give me freedom and flexibility has become something that's depleting me instead of filling me up. And ironically, just as I finally found the relationship I'd been searching for, I have no time to actually live my life. This episode is about the reality of solo entrepreneurship that no one talks about—the burnout, the guilt, the realization that success doesn't look the way you thought it would, and the courage it takes to admit that something needs to change. If you're in your own version of "under construction" right now, I see you. This episode is for you if: You're an entrepreneur questioning whether your business is serving you anymoreYou've been told to "hustle harder" but you're already exhaustedYou've built something successful but don't feel successfulYou're wondering if it's okay to change your mind about what you want If you've made it this far in reading these show notes, thank you. And if you listen to the full episode, thank you even more. This was uncomfortable to record, but I hope it resonates with someone who needs to hear it. Upcoming Trips Mentioned: IndiaKenyaMorocco Links & Resources (Laura) Follow my personal IG: @lolawhiskeyFollow my business IG: @lauraericsongrouptripsFollow our podcast: @type2travelpodcastLearn more about upcoming trips: lauraericson.comCheck out our podcast page: lauraericson.com/podcastJoin my Facebook group: @lolalovestravel Thanks for being here! As always, rate, review, share with a friend, and tag us if you're listening.

    36 min

  7. FEB 18

    From Havana to Spain Part 2: An Update on Cuba Guide Andrés Asevis

    Andrés Asevis is someone I genuinely cannot stop rooting for — and if you've ever traveled to Cuba with me, you already know exactly why. If you haven't listened to our first episode together, listen here—I can't recommend it enough. It remains one of our most listened-to episodes on this podcast, and it's the kind of conversation that stays with you. Andrés spent his entire life in Cuba — all 38 years of it — and in that first episode, he gave us one of the most honest, raw portraits of what daily life on the island actually looks like. The blackouts, the internet restrictions, the economy, the feeling of living behind a window: able to see the outside world, but never quite able to reach it. Since I was in Cuba this past January, things on the island have only gotten worse — a humanitarian crisis triggered by the Venezuela conflict, streets gone quiet from fuel shortages, flights canceled due to oil scarcity. I'll be honest: I genuinely worried he might get stuck before he ever got his chance to leave. But he made it. Andrés is in Spain. And he's here to tell us all about it. This episode is the raw, one-week-in version of what life looks like on the other side of that window. We talk about the state of Cuba as he left, catching what may have been one of the last regular international flights out, and then his first week in Madrid — the food, the technology, the culture shock, the smells, the joy, and the profound experience of walking into a store and simply having options. You can support Andrés and his husband Yunior as they start their new life in Spain here: http://spot.fund/ANewLifeInSpainForAndres Upcoming Trips Mentioned: Cuba (TBD for future group trip when possible)Spain: 2027 Links & Resources (Andrés) @andresasevis (Instagram)Purchase your copy of Andrés' book, Cosa NegraEpisode 13: From Havana to Spain: A Cuban Guide's Journey to Freedom w/ Andrés Asevis Links & Resources (Laura) Follow my personal IG: @lolawhiskeyFollow my business IG: @lauraericsongrouptripsFollow our podcast: @type2travelpodcastLearn more about upcoming trips: lauraericson.comCheck out our podcast page: lauraericson.com/podcastJoin my Facebook group: @lolalovestravel Thanks for being here! As always, rate, review, share with a friend, and tag us if you're listening.

    1h 14m

  8. FEB 11

    How to Afford Your Dream Honeymoon or Vacation with Sara Margulis of Honeyfund

    I'm always fascinated by people who've turned their own travel frustrations into solutions that help millions of others. That's exactly what Sara Margulis did with Honeyfund. Sara is the co-founder and CEO of Honeyfund, and her story started with a simple problem: she and her then-husband wanted to honeymoon in Fiji but didn't need another toaster. So they created a way for friends and family to fund their honeymoon instead. That personal solution has now helped nearly 1.6 million couples receive over a billion dollars in wedding gifts - and completely changed how we think about gift giving. What I love about this conversation is how it challenges the traditional wedding playbook. We talk about why couples are finally prioritizing experiences over stuff, how the wedding-to-honeymoon spending ratio is shifting dramatically, and why Gen Z is rewriting all the rules. Sarah breaks down 2026 honeymoon trends (spoiler: Japan just knocked Mexico out of the top three), shares creative ways couples are using Honeyfund beyond just travel, and explains why unscheduled time might be the most important thing to include in any honeymoon. We also get into the psychology of why travel strengthens relationships, the surprising data showing couples who honeymoon are more likely to be happily married a decade later, and why asking for what you actually want shouldn't feel taboo. Upcoming Trips Mentioned: Georgia: October 2 - 11, 2026 Links & Resources (Sara) Honeyfund@honeyfund (Tiktok)@honeyfund (Instagram) Links & Resources (Laura) Follow my personal IG: @lolawhiskeyFollow my business IG: @lauraericsongrouptripsFollow our podcast: @type2travelpodcastLearn more about upcoming trips: lauraericson.comCheck out our podcast page: lauraericson.com/podcastJoin my Facebook group: @lolalovestravel Thanks for being here! As always, rate, review, share with a friend, and tag us if you're listening.

    51 min
See All (42)

4.9
out of 5
29 Ratings

About

Join host Laura Ericson on "Type 2 Travel" - your weekly companion for authentic travel adventures. From hilarious language mix-ups to transformative cultural encounters, Laura and her diverse guests share real, unfiltered stories from the road. Whether you're a solo explorer seeking community, a conscious traveler navigating sustainable tourism, or simply dreaming of your next escape, this podcast delivers practical tips and heartfelt tales. Dive into local perspectives, troubleshoot travel SOS moments, and discover how travel shapes not just where we go, but who we become. Listen in as Laura guides you through the art of meaningful exploration, one story at a time.

Information

  • Creator
    Laura Ericson
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    42
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Laura Ericson
  • Show Website
    Type 2 Travel

You Might Also Like