Lisa Niver's Blog: We Said Go Travel, page 35

February 28, 2023

What do you LOVE? Niver’s News: Feb 2023

Feb News 2023 with Lisa Niver & We Said Go Travel:

In February, do you think about WHAT DO YOU LOVE? I love Travel and I love speaking about TRAVEL! This month I spoke in Los Angeles at the Travel and Adventure Show–the 3rd of 4 cities where I am a speaker for America’s Favorite Travel shows!

Did you see me on TV with Bob DeCastro from GOOD DAY LA? Watch it here:

Click here to read more about the Travel and Adventure Show

When I spoke in Chicago, I explored with CityPass and went to amazing attractions including Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, SkyDeck on the 103rd floor of Willis Tower and The Ledge, The Bean, Art Institute of Chicago, 360CHICAGO and Cloud Bar on the 94th floor of the John Hancock Building. I had dinner at Esquire by Cooper’s Hawk. SEE VIDEOS from my adventures below:

When I spoke in NYC, I climbed a skyscraper! It was AWESOME!! I highly recommend CityClimb!

While I was in NYC, I also went to IMM North America which is TravMedia’s Leading Media Networking Event. I had so many exceptional meetings I had to make TWO VIDEOS: Part 1 and Part 2

I loved the PLACES TO LOVE Season 6 party in NYC with Samantha Brown! Places to Love is about seeking the little-known spots and haunts where innovators and disruptors create a brand new travel experience. In the sixth season, Samantha explores the incredible Belfast and Antrim Coast, the breathtaking Inside Passage of Alaska, chilly Madison, Wisconsin, and much more…

Have you explored Go City? At my talk in Los Angeles, I gave away two GoCity Explorer Passes. I cannot wait to use mine! Thank you FeedSpot! I am lucky number #13 on your Travel Lifestyle List! Is it your DREAM to travel by private jet? What a party with Planet Nine!

I am honored to be a speaker at FOUR Travel & Adventure Shows in 2023! I spoke in Los Angeles, Chicago and NYC in January and February! Please join me in DALLAS –April 1 and 2, 2023 at Dallas Market Hall.

“Discover endless vacation options from the top travel providers and destinations from around the globe. Meet one-on-one with thousands of travel experts who are on hand to help you find, personalize, and book your next trip. Uncover thousands of dollars in savings with exclusive travel deals and show-only specials. Receive expert advice and learn how to travel like an insider from dozens of educational seminars. Plus, meet Samantha Brown, Andrew McCarthy, Peter Greenberg, Pauline Frommer, Patricia Schultz, LISA NIVER and more!Click here to buy tickets and get a special rate with my discount code GOTRAVEL23

WATCH my video podcast, “MAKE YOUR OWN MAP: Are YOU ready to be BRAVE?” on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube PodcastGoogle Podcasts, Audible, AnchoriHeart Radio Wondering where to travel next? I loved my two trips to Ireland and meeting with Tourism Ireland at the Maybourne Hotel in Beverly Hills:

Learn more about my adventures in Ireland in these two articles below:

Why did I go to Kilkenny Ireland and Beyond?

Sláinte mhaith: To good health and an unforgettable St. Patrick’s!

Thank you to the Jewish Journal for publishing my articles for thirteen years! See my articles from Jan 2023 here.

WHERE CAN YOU FIND MY TRAVEL VIDEOS?

Here is the link to my video channel on YouTube where I have NEARLY TWO MILLION views on YouTube! (Exact count: 1,795,000 views)

Thank you for your support! Are you one of my 3,855 subscribers? I hope you will join me and subscribe! For more We Said Go Travel articles, TV segments, videos and social media: CLICK HERE

Find me on social media with over 150,000 followers. Please follow  on TikTok: @LisaNiver, Twitter at @LisaNiver, Instagram @LisaNiver and on FacebookPinterestYouTube, and at LisaNiver.com.

Spotify Video Podcast: “Make Your Own Map!”

Fortune Cookie SAID:

It’s nice to be important but its more important to be nice.

Look for happiness and you will find it.

I LOVED speaking at the Los Angeles Travel and Adventure Show Feb 18, 2023! More photos and video coming SOON!!!!!

Photos and video from my 38th friendship anniversary with Carl in Park City, Utah coming soon!!

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Published on February 28, 2023 09:00

February 26, 2023

Niver In PRINT: Blog Bytes Jan 2023 Jewish Journal

Thank you to the Jewish Journal for publishing me online for over twelve years. Since they resumed print publication in Fall 2021, I have been in the Blog Bytes section more than thirty times! Here are the two issues that I was in during Jan 2023: Jewish Journal Jan 6, 2023: p. 28

From my Happy Holidays Dec News:

At our house we lit the Chanukah candles and I love how every religion celebrates a festival of lights at this time. We all need HOPE especially when we feel we are alone in the DARKNESS. I hope your 2022 celebrations have brought joy, light and warmth to your heart.


Jewish Journal Jan 13, 2023: p. 28

From my article, Meet me in PHILLY for LOVE and HISTORY:

“Philadelphia is a combination of two Greek words: love (phileo) and brother (adelphos) and known as the city of brotherly love. The city’s founder, William Penn, hoped it would become place where freedom would ring and it is the home of the Liberty Bell.”


THANK YOU TO THE JEWISH JOURNALSee my stories that were in

2021

the September print issuesthe October print issuesthe November print issuesthe December print issues

2022

the January print issuesthe February print issues

the April print issues

the July print issues

the August print issues

the WINTER Print Issues

2023

the Jan Print Issues

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Published on February 26, 2023 09:00

Niver In PRINT: Blog Bytes 2023 Jewish Journal

Thank you to the Jewish Journal for publishing me online for over twelve years. Since they resumed print publication in Fall 2021, I have been in the Blog Bytes section more than thirty times! Here are the two issues that I was in during Jan 2023: Jewish Journal Jan 6, 2023: p. 28

From my Happy Holidays Dec News:

At our house we lit the Chanukah candles and I love how every religion celebrates a festival of lights at this time. We all need HOPE especially when we feel we are alone in the DARKNESS. I hope your 2022 celebrations have brought joy, light and warmth to your heart.


Jewish Journal Jan 13, 2023: p. 28

From my article, Meet me in PHILLY for LOVE and HISTORY:

“Philadelphia is a combination of two Greek words: love (phileo) and brother (adelphos) and known as the city of brotherly love. The city’s founder, William Penn, hoped it would become place where freedom would ring and it is the home of the Liberty Bell.”


THANK YOU TO THE JEWISH JOURNALSee my stories that were in

2021

the September print issuesthe October print issuesthe November print issuesthe December print issues

2022

the January print issuesthe February print issues

the April print issues

the July print issues

the August print issues

the WINTER Print Issues

2023

the Jan Print Issues

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Published on February 26, 2023 09:00

February 6, 2023

Meet me in LOS ANGELES at the Travel and Adventure Show 2023

l will be speaking in LOS ANGELES at the Travel and Adventure Show!Meet me Saturday, February 18, 2023 in the Savvy Traveler Theater at 3:15pm for my talk: “Becoming Brave– Steps to Make Your Dream Vacation Happen” I will be speaking LIVE at FOUR of America’s Favorite Travel Shows! Come see me at  The Travel & Adventure Show 2023I spoke in CHICAGO –Jan 14-15 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention CenterNEW YORK CITY – January 28-29 at the Javits Convention Center

NEXT:

LOS ANGELES— February 18-19 at the Los Angeles Convention CenterDALLAS–April 1-2 at the Dallas Market Hall 

“Discover endless vacation options from the top travel providers and destinations from around the globe. Meet one-on-one with thousands of travel experts who are on hand to help you find, personalize, and book your next trip. Uncover thousands of dollars in savings with exclusive travel deals and show-only specials. Receive expert advice and learn how to travel like an insider from dozens of educational seminars. Plus, meet Samantha Brown, Andrew McCarthy, Peter Greenberg, Pauline Frommer, Patricia Schultz, LISA NIVER and more!” 

Buy tickets at a special rate with my discount code GOTRAVEL23 or use these links for these cities: CHICAGONEW YORK CITYLOS ANGELES–DALLAS Watch my Spotify Video Podcast: Click here for Season 1 with guests: Deepak Chopra, Alka Joshi and Patricia Schultz. Lisa Niver and BJ Korrus at the National Arts and Entertainment Journalism AwardsLearn more about my articles, videos and awards: LisaNiver.com My YouTube channel has nearly two million views. Sign up for my newsletter so you will be the first to know about when you can pre-order my memoir from Simon and Schuster! LA DISCOUNT TICKETS: See you at my talk! We Said Go Travel is a media partner for the show!WHERE?
Los Angeles Convention Center – Hall G&H 1201 S Figueroa St Los Angeles, CA 90015WHEN?
Saturday, February 18: 10am – 5pm

Sunday, February 19: 11am – 4pm

Thousands of Vacation Options, Up to Date Travel Information and Top Travel Celebrities – All Under One Roof The world of travel is ready for you! February 18th and 19th in at the LA Convention Center.

The Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show is back and ready to give you the tools you need to make your travel decisions for 2023 and beyond.

Explore the hottest destinations and travel providers from around the world that are open for travel now, and meet the experts who are on-hand to:

Give you the most up to date information and new offeringsAnswer all of your travel related questions on where to go, what to do, how and when to get thereHelp you plan your itinerary based on your needs

Learn the Latest Travel Tips and Advice, All Included with Your Ticket

The top names in travel are all ready to teach you how to travel like a pro on 3 on-the-show-floor theaters.

On the Travel Theater, you’ll receive advice from the top travel celebrities:

Rick Steves, Host & CEO, Rick Steves’ EuropePauline Frommer, Editorial Director of the Frommer’s Travel Guides and Publisher, Frommers.comPeter Greenberg, Emmy Award Winning Investigative Reporter, Producer and CBS News Travel Editor

The Travel & Adventure Show Series has connected over 2.1 million travel enthusiasts with over 4,500 unique travel brands in top cities around the U.S.

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Published on February 06, 2023 09:00

February 5, 2023

THANK YOU! Chicago Travel Show & PADI 2023

It was an honor to speak in CHICAGO Travel and Adventure Show at the Dive & Water Sports Pavilion this month on behalf of PADI (Professional Association of Dive Instructors) My talk, “SCUBA Changed My LIFE: Diving Adventures AROUND the WORLD,” can be watched here:

Thank you to PADI and CityPASS for the giveaways for my talk! All of the winners are so excited for their upcoming adventures. We have a special discount code for YOU! You can use my CODE: CHICAGO10 for a one time discount on the PADI site for either an open water e-learning course or reactivate e-learning course.

SIGN UP TODAY! for your PADI e-learning class I learned to dive in 1990 and fell madly in love with exploring the underwater world.See my articles and videos all about scuba: CLICK HEREWhat happened in Chicago?I will be speaking LIVE at America’s Favorite Travel Shows! Come see me at  The Travel & Adventure Show 2023CHICAGO –Jan 14-15 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention CenterNEW YORK CITY – January 28-29 at the Javits Convention CenterLOS ANGELES— February 18-19 at the Los Angeles Convention CenterDALLAS–April 1-2 at the Dallas Market Hall 

“Discover endless vacation options from the top travel providers and destinations from around the globe. Meet one-on-one with thousands of travel experts who are on hand to help you find, personalize, and book your next trip. Uncover thousands of dollars in savings with exclusive travel deals and show-only specials. Receive expert advice and learn how to travel like an insider from dozens of educational seminars. Plus, meet Samantha Brown, Andrew McCarthy, Peter Greenberg, Pauline Frommer, Patricia Schultz, LISA NIVER and more!” Buy tickets at a special rate with my discount code GOTRAVEL23 or use these links for these cities: CHICAGO –NEW YORK CITY —LOS ANGELES–DALLAS

Lisa, Adrianne, Steve and Anthony at the PADI BOOTH at the Chicago Travel and Adventure Show Jan 14, 2023 Thank you to PADI and CityPASS for the giveaways!

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Published on February 05, 2023 09:00

January 31, 2023

Speaking at FOUR Travel Shows: Niver’s News: Jan 2023

Jan News 2023 with Lisa Niver & We Said Go Travel: I am honored to be a speaker at FOUR Travel & Adventure Shows in 2023! I spoke in Chicago and NYC in January! Please join me in LOS ANGELES— February 18-19 at Los Angeles Convention Center! and DALLAS –April 1 at Dallas Market Hall.

“Discover endless vacation options from the top travel providers and destinations from around the globe. Meet one-on-one with thousands of travel experts who are on hand to help you find, personalize, and book your next trip. Uncover thousands of dollars in savings with exclusive travel deals and show-only specials. Receive expert advice and learn how to travel like an insider from dozens of educational seminars. Plus, meet Samantha Brown, Andrew McCarthy, Peter Greenberg, Pauline Frommer, Patricia Schultz, LISA NIVER and more!Click here to buy tickets and get a special rate with my discount code GOTRAVEL23

WATCH my video podcast, “MAKE YOUR OWN MAP: Are YOU ready to be BRAVE?” on ANCHOR or SPOTIFY We Said Go Travel is read in 229 COUNTRIES! Thank you to Dr. Bill for interviewing me on his Influencers Podcast. Enjoy my interview with Patricia Schultz about WHY WE TRAVEL!Thank you to the Jewish Journal for publishing my articles for thirteen years! Cher Calvin, Lisa Niver and Kimberly Cornell: Team KTLA!

Thank you to the Los Angeles Press Club. From 2017 to 2022, in the Southern California Journalism Awards and National Arts And Entertainment Journalism Awards, I have won five times and been a finalist 20 times for my broadcast, print and digital stories.

Thank you Harvard Westlake School for the amazing alumni event: When Women Lead: What They Achieve, Why They Succeed, and How We Can Learn from Them–with Julia Boorstin, Nicole Brown, Kara Nortman & Laura Ross. A fascinating panel discussion about female leadership. Congrats to Julia on her new book!

Thank you to Prowly! I am #33 on their list of Top 100 Travel Journalists in the US! WHERE CAN YOU FIND MY TRAVEL VIDEOS?

Here is the link to my video channel on YouTube where I have NEARLY TWO MILLION views on YouTube! (Exact count: 1,770,000 views)

Thank you for your support! Are you one of my 3,820 subscribers? I hope you will join me and subscribe! For more We Said Go Travel articles, TV segments, videos and social media: CLICK HERE

Find me on social media with over 150,000 followers. Please follow  on TikTok: @LisaNiver, Twitter at @LisaNiver, Instagram @LisaNiver and on FacebookPinterestYouTube, and at LisaNiver.com.

Spotify Video Podcast: “Make Your Own Map!”

Fortune Cookie SAID:

Do it now! Today will be yesterday tomorrow.

Your efforts are budding-results will appear soon!

I love SCUBA Diving and I love traveling and I LOVED speaking about both at the Chicago Travel and Adventure Show on behalf of PADI!

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Published on January 31, 2023 09:00

January 27, 2023

Exploring Chicago in Winter

Lisa Niver in the three story wine tower at Esquire by Cooper’s Hawk

I loved exploring the attractions and dining at Esquire at Cooper’s Hawk in CHICAGO before I spoke at the Travel and Adventure Show in January 2023. Thank you to Chicago CityPASS–I loved everywhere I went but The Bean and the Art Institute of Chicago Impressionists collection were my favorites! I did love the views from SkyDeck and 360Chicago–one has THE LEDGE and the other has TILT and the CloudBar however both have spectacular city views. The Field Museum exhibit, “Life’s Greatest Mystery,” on what happens after we die was provocative and the Shedd Aquarium was having a free weekend so I will explore there further on my next visit! Watch my videos below to join me on my adventures:

CHICAGO CityPASS adventure #1 —Field Museum

“See the world’s wonders at the FieldMuseum. Experience SUE, the largest, most complete, and best-preserved tyrannosaurus rex ever discovered, descend into an ancient Egyptian tomb, and explore over 10,000 years of Chinese history and culture. With 4.6 billion years in one place, you’ll be taken around the world and back in time.”

CHICAGO CityPASS adventure #2 Shedd Aquarium

“Shedd’s exhibits share incredible animals from around the world. Dive deep into coral reefs and flooded rainforests and stroll along the craggy Pacific Northwest coast. Beluga encounters, beach clean-ups and 360 virtual dives with Caribbean reef sharks are all tools that deepen connections with wildlife and inspire you to recognize that our waterways are home to beauty worth saving.”

CHICAGO CityPASS adventure #3: SkyDeck on the 103rd floor of Willis Tower and THE LEDGE

“Step outside the third tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. At 1,353 feet in the air, the Ledge’s glass boxes extend out 4.3 feet from the Skydeck!” Do you feel BRAVE?

THE BEAN

“Cloud Gate, aka The Bean is one of Chicago’s most popular sights. The monumental work of art anchors downtown MillenniumPark and reflects the city’s famous skyline and the surrounding green space.”

CHICAGO CityPASS adventure #4: Art Institute of Chicago

“View the greatest Impressionist collection outside Paris. Stand before classics like Van Gogh’s Self-Portrait, and travel the globe through galleries featuring the art of ancient Greece, Japan, Africa, and the Americas–5,000 years of art and culture in the ♥ of Chicago.”

CHICAGO CityPASS adventure #5 360CHICAGO: 94th floor of the John Hancock Building

Ready to TILT in the SKY & DRINK at CloudBar? “Experience breathtaking 360-degree views of Chicago’s skyline and lakefront and four neighboring states from 1,030 feet above The Magnificent Mile. Observatory on the 94th floor of the John Hancock Building with a tilting glass lookout!”

Dinner at Esquire by Cooper’s Hawk

Cooper’s Hawk was founded in 2005 –and now has 54 restaurants and counting. Are you part of the largest wine club in the world? There are over 600K members. Guests pick up their wine each month at their local location. At Esquire which is the flagship location in downtown Chicago–there is a three story wine tower as well as tasting room, wine-shop, bar and large dining room. There are celebrity chef dinners which have included Chefs like Tyler Florence, Tom Colicchio, Carla Hall as well as wine collaborations with celebrities like John Legend, Zach Brown Band, Katie Lee, Francis Ford Coppola and global wine club trips!

At Esquire in downtown Chicago, where I ate, there is a Visiting Chef Series which brings celebrity chefs to Chicago – so people can experience their cooking. Brooke Williamson, winner of Top Chef, Judge on Chopped has her menu there RIGHT NOW! Esquire also has the largest wine collection in Chicago with over 1,600 selections of Cooper’s Hawk, Classic & Famous, and Cult wines from around the world. They have won a Best of Excellence Award from Wine Spectator for the last 3 years.

Cooper’s Hawk is the official wine of the SAG Awards – with two custom blends each year that are on the tables and served that night! I loved my dinner and especially the Cooper’s Hawk Prosecco.

Thank you again to Chicago Travel Show, CityPASS and Cooper’s Hawk for an amazing visit to CHICAGO! Lisa Niver at Cloud Gate “THE BEAN” in Chicago’s Millennium Park

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Published on January 27, 2023 09:00

January 24, 2023

Meet me in NEW YORK CITY at the Travel and Adventure Show 2023

l will be speaking in NYC at the Travel and Adventure Show!Meet me Sunday Jan 29, 2023 in the Savvy Traveler Theater at 11:15am: “Are You Brave Enough? How to Make Your Dream Trip Happen” I will be speaking LIVE at America’s Favorite Travel Shows! Come see me at  The Travel & Adventure Show 2023CHICAGO –Jan 14-15 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention CenterNEW YORK CITY – January 28-29 at the Javits Convention Center LOS ANGELES— February 18-19 at the Los Angeles Convention CenterDALLAS–April 1-2 at the Dallas Market Hall 

“Discover endless vacation options from the top travel providers and destinations from around the globe. Meet one-on-one with thousands of travel experts who are on hand to help you find, personalize, and book your next trip. Uncover thousands of dollars in savings with exclusive travel deals and show-only specials. Receive expert advice and learn how to travel like an insider from dozens of educational seminars. Plus, meet Samantha Brown, Andrew McCarthy, Peter Greenberg, Pauline Frommer, Patricia Schultz, LISA NIVER and more!” 

Buy tickets at a special rate with my discount code GOTRAVEL23 or use these links for these cities: CHICAGONEW YORK CITYLOS ANGELES–DALLAS Watch my Spotify Video Podcast: Click here for Season 1 with guests: Deepak Chopra, Alka Joshi and Patricia Schultz. Lisa Niver and BJ Korrus at the National Arts and Entertainment Journalism AwardsLearn more about my articles, videos and awards: LisaNiver.com My YouTube channel has nearly two million views. Sign up for my newsletter so you will be the first to know about when you can pre-order my memoir from Simon and Schuster! NYC DISCOUNT TICKETS: See you at my talk! We Said Go Travel is a media partner for the show! Thousands of Vacation Options, Up to Date Travel Information and Top Travel Celebrities – All Under One RoofReady to travel but not sure where to start? The world of travel is ready for you January 28th and 29th in at the Javits Convention Center.

The New York Travel & Adventure Show is back and ready to give you the tools you need to make your travel decisions for 2023 and beyond.

Explore the hottest destinations and travel providers from around the world that are open for travel now, and meet the experts who are on-hand to:

Give you the most up to date information and new offeringsAnswer all of your travel related questions on where to go, what to do, how and when to get thereHelp you plan your itinerary based on your needs

For a full list of exhibitors and sponsors, click here.

Learn the Latest Travel Tips and Advice, All Included with Your Ticket

The top names in travel are all ready to teach you how to travel like a pro on 3 on-the-show-floor theaters.

On the Travel Theater, you’ll receive advice from the top travel celebrities:

Samantha Brown, Emmy Award Winning Host, PBS’s “Samantha Brown’s Places to Love”Pauline Frommer, Editorial Director of the Fommer’s Travel Guides and Publisher, Frommers.comPeter Greenberg, Emmy Award Winning Investigative Reporter, Producer and CBS News Travel EditorAndrew McCarthy, Award Winning Travel Writer, Actor and DirectorPatricia Schultz, NY Times Bestselling Author of “1,000 Places to See Before You Die”

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Published on January 24, 2023 09:00

January 21, 2023

WATCH: Patricia Schultz, Why We Travel

Meet Patricia Schultz and I in person at the New York Travel and Adventure Show January 28-29, 2023! Watch our interview below about her new book, Why We Travel:

Do you wonder why we travel? Find 100 reasons to see the world in Patricia Schultz’s new book! I have been fortunate to meet her in Los Angeles at several travel events and always learn more from the author of the New York Times bestselling series, 1,000 Places to See Before You Die!

Why We Travel is filled with personal stories and anecdotes, quotes that inspire, and reasons to motivate-plus images so lush you can’t wait to be there. For years Patricia Schultz has been telling us where to travel, and we love listening. Now, in telling us why to travel, she reveals what makes her such a compelling guide and what makes travel such a richly rewarding experience. There’s the time she was on safari in Zambia yet found her most lasting memory in a classroom of five-year-olds. The comedy of mishaps that she and friends endured on a canal trip through southern France–and how it brought them together in an unexpected way. She quotes favorite authors and luminaries on the importance of travel and, in a series of memorable aphorisms, gets to the essence of why to travel. And gives us a few travel hacks, too. Travel is, as the writer Pico Iyer says, the thing that causes us to “stay up late, follow impulse, and find ourselves as wide open as when we are in love.” Why We Travel is all about rekindling that feeling. Just book a ticket, pack a bag, and dive headlong into an adventure. (Workman Publishing)

OUR INTERVIEW: Sept 12, 2022

Lisa Niver:

Good morning. I’m so honored to be here today with Patricia Schultz the incredible author of so many books who has taken us so many places. Patricia, welcome. I’m so excited to talk to you today.

Patricia Schultz:

Lisa, thank you. We know each other for so many years, but this is the first Zoom. Doing it in Zoom land is better than no land at all.

Lisa Niver:

You and I have had to make a lot of COVID adjustments and there’s been a lot more Zoom.

Patricia Schultz:

In the beginning I thought, no, I’m not doing Zoom that’ll go away. Little did I know.

Lisa Niver:

We’ve all had to evolve and adapt. So, tell us in this time of adapting what inspired you to write this new book? First, congratulations on your new book, Why We Travel. What inspired a new book of 100 Reasons?

Patricia Schultz:

Well, in fact it was very much prompted by the pandemic, which continues still, because we suddenly had a whole lot of time to step back and reflect. We weren’t going any place except in my case, you know, to the refrigerator back and forth. And speaking of, you know, the kitchen a lot of people were baking Irish soda bread, and you know cleaning out their closets and you know organizing their shelves. And I took the moment to organize my thoughts, because I realized that in all the time I had been traveling and doing these books and updating and revisions and whatnot, 1,000 Places, you know, go here, go there, don’t miss this, don’t miss that. That people were always asking me where are you going next? Where have you just come back from? But nobody had ever asked me why I traveled it was always where and when.

So, there is this wonderful quote about once you understand the why’s in life, then you can deal with everything else and everything else becomes, you know, comes more into focus. And so, I just tried to kind of commit to paper why I felt, and why I’ve always felt that travel is very important to us, and it was actually easier said than done. A 100 Reasons is the tip of that iceberg, but it’s because travel is such a very personal thing. And you ask a hundred different people why they travel you get a hundred different answers, but ofttimes I find that the answers you get really, you know, echo back to one or two different things. And that is that travel makes us better people, travel opens our world and travel is food for the soul. And then how you then interpret that can be done in a million different ways.

But the book is coming out at a very auspicious time, because these past few months have not been easy. There has been a pent-up demand for travel that has created a perfect storm, so that everybody in the world has, you know, been off to the airport, grabbing their passports, wanting to make up for lost time and it’s really, you know, tested our mettle. Do we really want to travel that much? And apparently, we do, because the next many months and hopefully into next year it’s going to be the same quantity, the same numbers of people who are making up for lost time.

Lisa Niver:

Yes! Airports are at capacity, and just like every other industry, airports are suffering from missing staff either due to lack of staff or staff who are ill or staff can’t get from one place to the other. Was there something that really surprised you when you were putting together this list of 100 reasons?

Patricia Schultz:

It kept coming back to me that travel is a journey and the journey without reflects the journey within. These aphorisms and encouragements and thoughts and comments and age-old quotes really reflect as much about our life journey as grabbing your passport and jetting off to Paris for the weekend. So, it became much more philosophical and much more of, as they say, a deeper dive than I had originally thought. I always knew it would be very profound, because travel is very, very much one big life lesson, and the most beautiful and in the most exciting and in the most thrilling and fun way.

It’s not meant to be drudgery of here we go another life lesson. It’s meant to bring us great joy and great pleasure. It is what we do when we have those precious weeks or moments. But I was pleasantly surprised when I realized that this was a book truly for everyone—travelers and for non-travelers.

Because people don’t travel not because they don’t want to, often, just because they’re weighed down with circumstances and logistics, Now boomers are caring for their parents as much as for their children. The sandwich generation is facing these responsibilities and where to spend their money. We’ve been in a pandemic and not everybody sails through it easily, and not everybody received personal loans from the government to support them.

People have been challenged in many different ways and as we come out of this very, very unprecedented, I mean that word has been overused, this unprecedented period and we find ourselves very much still in the midst of it in 2022.

My new book is colorful, it’s bright, it’s encouraging, it’s beautiful. It’s some of my favorite places and some of my all time favorite “aphorisms.” I wasn’t quite sure what that was when my editor said that it would be peppered with aphorisms, but all of these pearls of wisdom and moments of inspiration will be found throughout the book. It’s a smaller book than my 1,000 Places type books that I’ve always attacked previously. But it’s rather a very beautiful gift book for one’s self as well as for the person in your life who you maybe would like to see get off the couch a little bit more.

Lisa Niver:

I agree with you– it’s a very beautiful book. And it is interesting what you’re saying that we have not all had the same experience in the pandemic. One of my Rabbis’s said, “We’re all in the same storm, but we’re not all in the same boat.”

Patricia Schultz:

Oh, for sure. That’s beautiful.

Lisa Niver:

You were talking about how people experience travel and that it’s an inner journey. And I remember someone telling a story about that you find what you look for. So, if you go traveling and you expect to find the good in people, that’s what you see. And if you expect to find a place that’s hard to travel in, full of obstacles and the people aren’t nice, you find that also. Much of the inspiration in your book and the aphorisms are about finding the path– the higher path– the path of well-intentioned travel.

Patricia Schultz:

That’s interesting about finding what you look for. And one of the other encouragements is to get lost, turn off the GPS so that the path reveals itself. Put down the map, throw away the map, just wander and then serendipity will step in. It’s always the best tour guide.

Every trip, be it ever so humble, to the state park down the road that’s an hour from your home or the business trip to Chicago that turns out to be some epiphany of your life that Chicago is the second city. However, it’s the first city in my book. But every trip brings you to another level, and you are a little bit of every place you’ve been to and so you evolve.

And so, you become a different person, and everything stays with you in some manner or form be it superficially or profoundly. So, the more travel has meant to you in the past, the more it becomes almost a guaranteed value with every trip that comes next.

Because you approach each trip very differently with different appreciation, and with different expectations and a different reality view of the world. And I mean I still have trips that I took decades ago, and then trips that I took yesterday, and I come back with a different insight. But you always come back with something. I mean, the worst imaginable trip is always worth its weight in gold. There’s no such thing as a bad trip, right, it’s always a good experience. It’s always an invaluable experience. A good trip is a wonderful trip and a bad trip is experience, we say in retrospect. 

Lisa Niver:

Yes. We say that. But I love the story in your book about your first trip out at the beach when you were 4 years old and your mom was searching for you, pulling out her hair, asking the lifeguards, “Where is my daughter?”

Patricia Schultz:

She never let me forget it. And I don’t know if it was her constantly reminding me decades into my adult life or if I inherently remembered it. But it was very traumatic, not because I thought there was anything unusual about me wandering away down to the beach in Atlantic City that in my eyes just went on until forever. But it was traumatic because she kept reminding me that she thought they’d find me afloat somewhere face down miles away. My poor mother. But I wanted to explore? It was the sand, the surf, the sea and it was a good time. I had enough of the family blanket and off I went. That was my indication that being tethered to the family towel was just not where I wanted to be.

And bring your kids and travel! It doesn’t need to be extravagant. You don’t need to bring your kids to Fiji. We went to Atlantic City every August and I was the luckiest kid on the block. I still remember those vacations. I remember the family time. I remember the smells and the dive-bombing seagulls, and I remember where we went for dinner. It was a special night out with my parents. I saw my father rarely. So, travel and the impressions it makes upon us are indelible whether you’re 4 years old or 40 years old. And this idea that the kids are too young, they won’t remember, I don’t buy that.

Lisa Niver:

I think that’s such good advice on both sides. For young children, it’s a great education. My parents took us traveling and those are some of my earliest memories. And my dad grew up in Margate and in Atlantic City. But I often tell people that your backyard counts. Going outside or driving home from work a different route, you can find something new and great. It doesn’t have to be a thousand-dollar flight and an expensive hotel room, so I agree with you, you can find adventure. Again, you find what you’re looking for.

Patricia Schultz:

At the end of the day, it’s all about one thing and that is curiosity. Because what happens to that curiosity that we have as kids? What encouraged me to just wander off and go look and see and experience and explore?

Where is that curiosity as you grow into your teens and college and post-college life and then Wall Street and the expectations of career advancement?? What happens to that curiosity? And don’t you want to stoke it and keep it alive and keep it active and keep it always forefront in your character?

And whether travel does that or secures that or guarantees that or merely helps it along, I think it does because there’s so much to be curious about. There is no cure for it, then you become even more curious as the decades go by. I always see things that maybe the average person doesn’t. And I don’t know if I was born with that and will die with that or if it’s after, it comes from a lifetime of travel. Hopefully, both.

Lisa Niver:

That’s a really good question. Where does curiosity come from?

Patricia Schultz:

Where does it go, also?

Lisa Niver:

Also where does it go? Good point. So, if people are curious, do you host trips? Can people travel with you?

Patricia Schultz:

I used to host quite a number of trips, and as with everything with the pandemic, we put the kibosh on that. The last trip was postponed and postponed and postponed again and finally it was the most recent one that was kind of post-lockdown. I don’t want to say post-pandemic, because it’s still very much in the present tense, but it was Romania and Bulgaria. And that was an eye-opener, because Romania is stunningly gorgeous and it’s so much more than Dracula. Bulgaria also was a real eye-opener. It was one of those who knew countries. And they were the last two countries in Europe that I had to visit. I realized in Bucharest that I can check these off and that became my 43rd and 44th European country that I had visited. I’m not much of a country counter, but we were sitting around the table comparing countries and it seems to come up.

Lisa Niver:

It does.

Patricia Schultz:

Yeah. But it follows the question of how many of these thousand places have you been to? And that’s usually followed by how many countries have you been to? Now I’ve been to every country in Europe, and I will start all over again.

Lisa Niver and Patricia Schultz Feb 2018 at the Travel and Adventure Show

Lisa Niver:

I know we’ve seen each other many times at the Travel and Adventure Show. Can people see you there? Will you be at this year’s Travel and Adventure Show?

Patricia Schultz:

The Travel and Adventure Show resumed last year and prior to that they were virtual for that limited period of time. There are 10 or 12 of them across the US, so I hope people can make it to the closest one. I’m only doing a few this year, because I’m in the middle of updating 1,000 Places for our 20th year special edition. I am doing the shows on the East Coast: Boston, New York and DC. On their website, you can see where all the different shows are in LA, San Francisco, Chicago, Dallas, across the USA.

Lisa Niver:

Thanks to you I might be a speaker at the show in Los Angeles!!!

Patricia Schultz:

I certainly hope so. That’s a great show. That’s one of the biggest shows, which means that there’s the biggest attendance, but it also means that there’s the widest variety of exhibitors. LA has such a great airport and everybody’s 10 minutes away from getting on a plane to go somewhere fantastic in the world. Exhibitors come from all over the world including Nepal, Rio de Janeiro, many US tour operators — there’s food and music and it’s exciting. And the vibe of it, the energy of it will have you rush home and start planning again, hopefully.

Lisa Niver:

Is there an elusive destination that’s still on your list that’s the top of your list? I’m sure you have a long list still!

Patricia Schultz:

I do. And it always amazes me when people say: I have a handful of places on my bucket list. And I think– really a handful? That should be in the triple digits.

I’ve never been to New Zealand. Have you been to New Zealand?

Lisa Niver:

I have been to New Zealand. It’s amazing.

Patricia Schultz:

Yeah. I mean, I’ve never heard anything less than people just gushing upon their return the people, the south islands…

Lisa Niver:

The haka.

Patricia Schultz:

What?

Lisa Niver:

The haka — the war dance.

Patricia Schultz:

Yes! And the difference between the north and south, and more sheep than there are people. And just the physical beauty of it, you know, for its sounds, the national parks. So, I know I’ll go there, I just don’t know when. It’s not all that close.

Lisa Niver:

I agree it’s not all that close. One of the things I found most interesting about New Zealand –was the difference in Australia and the way the aborigines were treated and in New Zealand the way the Māori were treated. Because I was looking at how the people moved through the South Pacific, and how the language changed, and I thought that was a striking difference in the way that the indigenous people were treated.

Patricia Schultz:

That’s very, very interesting. And I’ve found with this update of a 1,000 Places, in doing the Australia chapter with two or three friends of mine who are travel writers living in Australia, and the number, the movement and the sensitivity and the recognition and the honoring of the original first people, first nations, aborigines, the original owners is really very impressive. The younger, the current generation, the government regulations that are switching names and ownership, returning ownership. So, it’s a slow, but steady movement and it seems to be picking up steam within the last years. So, it’s very impressive, and way overdue and very fascinating. So, I hope to go to New Zealand and see it for myself as well.

Lisa Niver:

Well, I hope that you will. I thought it was beautiful and you have to go sand surfing in the north. It was crazy fun. I loved it. I mean, I screamed the whole time, but it was fantastic!

Another thing that’s in your book, Why We Travel, that I think is really important, is you talk about the kindness of strangers and how people along the journey make such a difference. Do you think there’s some way as travelers and as writers of travel that we can help encourage that more?

Patricia Schultz:

I think just the fact that people are traveling more these days. I think the more you travel, I don’t think you travel more and more unless you’ve understood the inherent importance and nature of travel. I think if you’re not a good traveler, you give it a shot, you have a few trips and say: what’s the big deal? You stay home for the rest of your life. The more you travel the more it opens you up to be more respectful and more curious, to explore more and to always go the extra mile. And I think the more you do the more you meet people and the more you understand that at the end of the day we have so much more in common than we do that sets us apart.

And people always ask what do you never travel without? They want to hear Ziploc bags, moisturizer, a charger for my iPhone. But I always say respect, and curiosity and this realization that we are visitors in someone else’s home.

So, consider that your visit to the next region or country or continent is someone else’s home. Always realize that you’re the interloper, you’re the trespasser, you’re just passing through. Would you want to be somebody’s guest and put your feet up on the dining room table? I don’t think so. And you always get in return what you put out, you always reap what you sow, so be respectful.

It doesn’t take much, it’s free, nothing else is that free and that easy. Even if you were raised in a barn, as my father said, the inherent sense of respect should always be with you the minute you…actually, not even the minute you arrive in this country, but the minute you leave your front door, because it’s just as important here in our backyard, in our home country, in our hometown. I think we need a bigger dose of respect in terms of what’s happening in America and what’s happening worldwide. So, it never goes out of fashion, and it’s always appreciated. You are an ambassador of America.

It’s the impression that people get of Americans in general when they walk away from having an exchange with us whether it’s a smile or a purchase or your Uber driver or a nice conversation in broken English. People will walk away with that memory, and you want it to be of you and of how they see Americans to be. And you want it to be positive for many reasons. The idea of the ugly American won’t go away, but I do think it’s less now and I do think it’s not as severe as it was in decades past.

Lisa Niver:

Well, you have been such an incredible ambassador for people to want to travel. Congratulations on 20 years for 1,000 Places to See Before You Die.

Patricia Schultz:

There is that expression about find what you love to do in life and you’ll never work a moment, which is totally untrue. But I do get the sentiment behind it, because I’ve seen a lot of 5 a.m. deadline submissions, but when you do what you love then it takes on a very different satisfaction and gratification. 20 years has gone by so quickly.

Lisa Niver:

Your new book, Why We Travel, that launches this week—Congratulations. You’re finally getting to answer the why, which I think may help a whole different group of people make the choice to go out and travel.

Patricia Schultz:

You don’t need to look very far for the why. But you must look, otherwise you just are on automatic pilot and you’re booking your next trip and you’re booking your next flight and you’ve got your next four vacations all planned. But I think it’s the moment during the pandemic, following the pandemic to step back and reflect not just on travel, but on life.

And whatever you love to do you need to do more of it, because we saw there are no guarantees and there’s nothing promised to us. And whatever brings you joy you need to really go out there and search for it and make it happen, because you should fill your life with it.

So, I encourage people to travel as far as they can as well, because this 90-year-old woman I met in Machu Picchu, it was her first passport and it was her first stamp. They were celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary and she said to me, “You know, dear, your knees have expiration dates. You have to do the difficult places first.” So, that’s another anecdote in the book, because it’s been many years since I met her and I walked away thinking I need to be her when I’m 70 or 60 or 95. But she wanted something so much her entire life that she finally made it happen. Ideally, we do not wait until we’re 90 to say that, but you’re never too old and it’s never too late.

Lisa Niver:

Oh, my goodness –that’s beautiful. So, you’re never too old, it’s never too late. Where can people look for you and where can they buy the book?

Patricia Schultz:

For the book I’m happy to say, I have the most wonderful publisher, Workman Publishing, and the book is available everywhere. We support our independent bookstores, but it’s also available online at Amazon, at Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million.

And where you can find me, on a book tour! I’m going to a number of different cities in the USA and it’s on my website, which is 1000places.com.

Lisa Niver:

Yes, I’m very excited to see you live in Pasadena at Vroman’s and I just wish you all the success with the new book. And I also want to say, personally, thank you for all your support. Every time I see you you’ve been so supportive of me and my travels and my book and I really, really do appreciate that. So, thank you.

Patricia Schultz:

Oh, Lisa, you’re a kindred spirit. We’re cut from the same cloth.

Lisa Niver:

Thank you and congratulations. And this is such an auspicious time. It’s going to be Rosh Hashanah, it’s the New Year, you have a new book, and the 20th anniversary. And I wish you all the success and to see you on the New York Times Best Seller list, again.

Patricia Schultz:

Thank you, Lisa.

WATCH ON SPOTIFY

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Published on January 21, 2023 09:00

January 19, 2023

Influencers Podcast interviews Lisa Niver

Dr. Bill: What inspired you to do what you do today?

LISA NIVER: As a teenager my parents took my sister and I on a cruise to the Mediterranean. I felt like all of my history books came to life. We saw the parthenon in Greece, the Pyramids in Egypt,  the Western Wall in Israel and the Ephesus library in Turkey. I was mesmerized and wanted that trip to never end. Later in life, I worked on cruise ships for nearly seven years and have traveled now to over 100 countries. I love sharing my adventures in videos and articles. I have worked as a teacher and a journalist for years sharing stories from the road. Since 2020 and the great pause, I have been at my desk working on a memoir about doing 50 challenges before I turned 50. I cannot wait for your listeners to read it next year when it is published and available in bookstores.

What top 3 Mistakes can you help our listeners AVOID?One mistake is waiting for the right time to start. I think about the Chinese proverb which says: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” Start your blog or join YouTube or Pinterest TODAY! Believe you can do it.Another mistake is comparing to other people. Someone will always have more views or be more famous or have more stuff. ONLY compare yourself to yourself—Think about one year from now—do I want to still waiting to get started? Or what goal do you want to have already accomplished.Perfectionism kills so many good ideas. Done is better than PERFECT. Do your best and try something new. Remember you aren’t getting graded on your tasks. There is no A+ in suitcase packing.What is your GREATEST Failure Story? What did you learn and how did you recover from it?

My biggest life reinvention was after my marriage imploded. I had sold my car, quit my job and rented out my condo in order to travel with my then husband for a year in Asia. While we were on the road, I realized we were both fully 1000% on his team doing things his way and there was no space for me. It was very unhealthy. I felt that I was living his dream his way and needed to have a chance to do things that were important to me. It was really hard to start again. I felt like a failure and it was a struggle to keep going but it was necessary to make that change. I made new goals and new friends and started my 50 things before 50 project. I started to go to dance class and art class and little by little I built myself a new even better life.

What are your top 3 success secrets?

**The secret to my success has been to follow my passions. once I learned to scuba dive, I changed everything in order to travel more and explore around the world underwater. 

**Another secret  is to have Faith that you can do it, remember what – Martin Luther King, Jr. said: “You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” Believe you can do it and build the steps along the way.

**I loved interviewing 3 time Emmy award winner Gaby Natale she told me that “Starting SMALL does not mean thinking SMALL” small steps can lead to big changes

What is happening NEXT for you?

I am so excited for my book to be published and to go on the road to talk to people about my 50 things project. So far, everyone has been interested to hear more about my challenges and to think about ones they can do themselves

How do you overcome Challenge Life throws at you?

For me, I overcome challenges by always being ready to start again—Listen to the Chinese Proverb which says Fall down 7, Get up 8!

What Are You Grateful For Today?

I am grateful for my family and friends who have believed in me even when I did not believe in myself. I would never have finished my book without their endless support.

Who is Your Living Mentor ?

I have been fortunate to have many mentors who I can call when I feel unsure about my next steps in my career. Everyone has dark moments when they feel uncertain and everyone needs advice from a trusted source.

What do you want to be remembered for?

I want to be remembered for bringing light, love and laughter to my community. I have helped many people to learn about far away places and build bridges of cultural understanding.

How Do You Start Your Day?

Since reading Michelle Obama’s book, The Light We Carry, I started a new morning tradition where I look at myself in the mirror and say HEY BUDDY! I think very positive happy thoughts while I greet myself.

Why Being Impactful Is Important to you?

We all impact those around us. We have a choice to lift those around us with grace, gratitude and happiness. We can make our corner of the world a more positive and inspiring place.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

I would tell my younger self—do not worry so much—our life is like a rollercoaster there are ups and downs and sometimes it seems like we are falling out —but we have a seatbelt on— and everything will work out GREAT in the end.

Once you have a revenue-generating idea, how do you convince your partner?

When I have a new business idea, I take it to my advisory council and listen carefully to their suggestions. I know my blind spots and make sure to have a team who complement me.

How can our listeners find you?

I would love your listeners to pick a video on my YouTube channel @LISANIVER to watch and comment on. They can follow me across social media @LisaNiver. I have a monthly newsletter and two websites: We Said Go Travel and LisaNIver.com that way you can be among the first to know to pre-order my book. Find it in bookstores in the Fall of 2023

Thank you Dr. Bill for the super questions and for inviting me to participate on your show. It is an honor to share this time with you and your listeners. My dad is also a dentist like you and people always ask—do I have to floss all my teeth and he says NOPE only the ones you want to keep! And I think that is great life advice. Whatever you focus on, that will flourish!


What would you say as a final word?

Every culture has a festival of lights in this darkest time of the year. During Chanukah, when we light the candles, I always think of how one candle the leader, lights all of the others but it does not diminish the flame. Make sure to share your light with others. —check on your friends and family, hug them close and tell them how much you love them.

WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW: LINKS BELOW

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/video/live/urn:li:ugcPost:7014624494203940864/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/611903679/videos/1181281782805438/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/drbill_williams/status/1608858645734821888

Twitter broadcast: https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1MYGNgBPRXOJw

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcOK2kCUpKk

HOST: Dr. Bill Williams  from Atlanta GA USA is a Founder, Leadership Council member, and Brand Ambassador of ONPASSIVE, a sought-after international speaker and coach, a Master of the Academy of General Dentistry, Host of The Influencers Podcast and the $10,000 A Day Dentist Podcast,  and Author of two #1 Best Selling Books:  Marketing the Million Dollar Practice and The $10,000 A Day Dentist.

The post Influencers Podcast interviews Lisa Niver appeared first on We Said Go Travel.

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Published on January 19, 2023 09:00

We Said Go Travel

Lisa Niver
Lisa Niver is the founder of We Said Go Travel and author of the memoir, Traveling in Sin. She writes for USA Today, Wharton Business Magazine, the Jewish Journal and many other on and offline publica ...more
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