In this solo episode of Soul of Travel, Season 7: Women's Wisdom + Mindful Travel, Christine offers a soulful launch, celebrating 6 years of Soul of Travel Podcast and the kick off of Season 7 with our Trailblazer Series, produced in collaboration with Strictly Jane Austen Tours.

Words of Wisdom

I am so excited to bring you this season and I hope that we can continue to be a space for connection, growth, and belonging. And do it in a way that allows for us to show up as our most human selves while navigating a complex and beautiful world, together.

~Christine Winebrenner Irick

What is the Soul of Travel?

When someone asks you or me what the Soul of Travel is, I hope you will share this: it is a podcast about wise women in travel yes, but it is about curiosity, strength, inclusivity, dreams we dare to dream, it is about the beating heart of humanity that we strive to share as we bring people through the world using this beautiful tool we call travel. Above all, it is about hope and love and that glimmer in each of us that catalyzes the work we do that eventually becomes the Soul of Travel.

The Pause and Return of the Soul of Travel

From last March through October, I was navigating one of the harder seasons of my life. I started experiencing an increase in my chronic migraines (anywhere from 14 to 30 symptom days a month), and it all began taking a real toll. Trying to show up for the podcast, for my family, for my life while managing that level of pain became something I simply couldn't sustain.

Soul of Travel has always been a labor of love, and something I've largely financed myself, with the help of a few sponsors and listeners who have made monthly and one-time contributions along the way. I am so grateful for your continued support. Last fall, some realities in my life made it no longer feasible to carry that financial weight alone.

So in October, we paused podcast production in the hopes of taking two or three months to reset. Here we are in May, later than I would have hoped, but I truly believe everything happens in its season.

Meet Our New Title Sponsor: Strictly Jane Austen Tours

I am so deeply happy to weave Theresa McDermott and Strictly Jane Austen Tours into the Soul of Travel tapestry as title sponsors for our upcoming Trailblazer series. Strictly Jane Austen Tours is Bath's most ostentatious travel company, delivering premium bookable Jane Austen experiences and bespoke programs from expert-guided walking tours and regency dancing to immersive experiences, bringing to life the elegance and wit of her literary world for groups and individuals alike.

Collaborating with Soul of Travel aligns so naturally with Strictly Jane Austen Tours' mission to create meaningful, story-rich travel experiences that are rooted in culture, connection, and women's voices. And supporting the podcast allows them to champion thoughtful, independent travel storytelling while reaching a community of travelers who value depth, authenticity, and literary discovery.

I have really enjoyed exploring the ways that we can co-create and tell stories together with this aligned mission of meaningful storytelling that amplifies the voices of women.

You can find a list of all of our podcast allies and community partners, sponsors, and advertisers on the homepage. If you would like to be a part of this wave of support and of these important conversations and spaces, um, and allowing us to continue to move forward, you can go ahead and email me at souloftravelpodcast@gmail.com.

Celebrating the Soul of Travel Podcast

Being back means getting to say something I've been looking forward to: we just celebrated our sixth anniversary, and last week Soul of Travel crossed 50,000 lifetime downloads!

I want to take a moment and recognize what a huge accomplishment that is. And I love that these downloads are from countries all around the world, listeners joining us from every continent except Antarctica (although I've had listeners say that they would listen there so that we can hit that milestone as well!)

Many podcasts don't survive a single season. We are heading into Season 7, and I am more committed to this work than ever. Thank you — for listening, for sharing, for showing up.

Trailblazers Incoming!

Next week, we launch our Trailblazer series, and without giving too much away, you won’t want to miss it!

Soul of Travel has always been a place to highlight people doing positive work in tourism and around the globe, and I am so grateful for this container for celebrating women and the impact they are making in so many different ways as we examine the intersection of tourism and social justice.

We kick off next Wednesday, May 27th, with Sophie Lianos, board secretary of the Porter Voice Collective, whose work bringing equity to extractive industries — including tourism — is exactly the conversation that belongs in this space.

In partnership with Becky Rupp, founder of Trailblazer Wellness — one of my biggest supporters and someone who believes in this vision sometimes more fiercely than I do — I'm also launching the Soulful Trailblazer Campaign. This is your chance to celebrate a woman in your life who is amplifying women's voices, championing local communities, and creating positive change. Visit the Soul of Travel website to submit your recognition in audio, video, or written form, and we'll select one or two Soulful Trailblazers to interview on the podcast.

Submit your recognition in audio, video, or written form here: Soulful Trailblazer Campaign! We hope that you will share about a woman who inspires you and who is working to amplify the voices of women, champion local communities and working to create positive change in the world.

What This Community Continues to Mean to Me

Tune in to the episode for the story of how a couple of social media posts sparked life and love I will never, ever forget. I am so grateful for the wave of support I received just in showing up authentically and revealing the realities behind what we might see online.

It is not lost on me that I am building a community I have longed to belong to my whole life. I am beyond proud, excited, and ready to launch into the next season with you.