Shows
We Can Laugh About it Now: Travel StoriesSan Jose, Costa Rica with Natalie McSwain: There are schedules to be maintained, even in Costa Rica.True Crime? This is as close as it gets on our podcast. Natalie McSwain, a high school Spanish teacher, shares her frightening experience while on a study abroad program in Costa Rica. Her night out with friends takes a wrong turn when they realize they are not on the bus they thought they were. Listen in to hear how this tale unfolds…spoiler: it’s not a Dateline episode, but it’s worth a few laughs – now. Explore travel to Costa Rica: https://www.visitcostarica.com/en/costa-rica/knowing-costa-rica/san-jose https://costarica.org/cities/san-jose...
2023-07-2147 minWe Can Laugh About it Now: Travel StoriesPuerto Rico with Tracy Butcher: Livin' La Vida LocaToday’s episode takes us to the beautiful island of Puerto Rico. My friend and colleague, Tracy Butcher, who recently returned to Ohio where is is continuing to teach high school, had the good fortune of participating in the Exchange Student Program while attending the University of Akron. Her choice of locale resulted in huge personal growth and enrichment, and provided some hilarious stories from those seemingly easy, carefree college days. Listen as she shares some highlights of her antics during her semester in the Caribbean the nearly cut her time short. Explore travel to Puerto RicoPl...
2023-06-301h 01We Can Laugh About it Now: Travel StoriesParis, France with Laurie Johnson“See Paris for its bones.” Laurie Johnson, a retired 39-year veteran teacher, joins the podcast to share her love of Paris and all things travel. France is near and dear to her heart as it truly runs in her blood. Years of teaching high school French has given her the benefit of being fluent, which is an asset when traveling abroad. But even she was not immune to the tactics of those looking to take advantage of a tourist. Listen as she shares her experience on the crowded Paris subway that elicited a visceral response. Although...
2023-06-231h 02We Can Laugh About it Now: Travel StoriesMexico City and Beyond with Kelly Rogers: She works hard for the money...or does she?Kelly Rogers returns to the podcast with more tales from her 7 and 1/2 week road trip adventure with her mom, granny, sisters and cousins. She shares some of the highlights from the two weeks spent in Mexico, including cliff divers, bull fights, and pyramid climbing. But, most importantly, she reveals a deep, dark secret about the trip and how she capitalized on her own cousin to turn a profit from a truly "dirty job." If you haven't heard my first interview with Kelly, be sure to check out Episode 1, Monterrey, Mexico with Kelly Rogers: https://podcasts.apple...
2023-06-1643 minWe Can Laugh About it Now: Travel StoriesCaptiva Island, Florida with Audra Diaz: Going, Quite Literally, Off the GridParents usually have the best intentions at heart, yet sometimes that can be a huge burden, especially when travelling. Audra Diaz, a high school history teacher, shares her first vacation experience with her infant daughter and how her overzealous packing efforts caused undue stress for her husband shortly after hitting the road. Fortunately, the frustration melted away soon after arriving in Captiva Island. Listen in as she shares how her husband was suddenly taking an “off the grid” vacation and gives her recommendations for anyone wanting to escape to the beautiful gulf co...
2023-06-0931 minWe Can Laugh About it Now: Travel StoriesWales, UK with Diane Mikolon: Finding Her RootsIt’s not often that people get the opportunity to travel to the country where their family originated, but Diane Mikolon was fortunate enough to do just that. Thanks to her father’s exhaustive research on the family ancestry, she and her parents, brother, and grandmother toured all of Wales for two weeks, leaving what felt like no castle unturned. Listen in to hear all the good, old-fashioned family fun that ensued during this historical and hysterical trip abroad. Learn more about travel to Wales, UK and London, England: https://www.visitwales.com/http...
2023-06-021h 00We Can Laugh About it Now: Travel StoriesNew York City and Broadway with Greg Burdick: In a New York State of MindThe New York City of 1988 was quite a different experience than it is today. Greg Burdick is a Theatre Arts teacher and playwright, with 30 years of experience as an educator. He also happens to be my husband. In this episode, Greg shares the story of his first trip to The Big Apple and the nerve-wracking incident he and his friends experienced while exploring the city. While traveling with his high school theater group, he had the good fortune to see multiple Broadway shows and take in many of the sights and sounds of Times Square and the Theat...
2023-05-2655 minWe Can Laugh About it Now: Travel StoriesDisneyland Tokyo with Morgan Stark, host of Just Some Magic podcast: Disney fans unite!!Morgan Stark, host of Just Some Magic podcast, joins me for a collaboration and dishes all things Disney. She shares how, as a former Disney College Program Cast Member, living her best life, frequently visiting Disneyland, and being an early Disney IG influencer, led to a chance meeting with the host of a popular Disney-themed podcast, The Dis Unplugged. She also gushes over the wonders of Disneyland Tokyo and her love for Sleeping Beauty. Join us as we chat about all the magic of Disney. And follow Morgan for even more. Morgan Starkht...
2023-05-1952 minWe Can Laugh About it Now: Travel StoriesKnoxville, TN and the 1982 World's Fair with Cat & Martha McDonald: Calling all Gen-Xers!Come along for a trip back in time to the 1982 World’s Fair – the International Energy Expo – showcased all things tech. Cat and Susan McDonald are sisters who recount their tale of the family road trip to Knoxville, TN and the surrounding Great Smoky Mountain area. Cade’s Cove, Clingman’s Dome and the Nahantahela River are just a few of the highlights of this trip. Listen in to hear how the natural world impressed them, even as young children, more than the latest and greatest technological advances. Learn about travel to Tennessee: https://www...
2023-05-121h 10We Can Laugh About it Now: Travel StoriesIstanbul and Antalya, Turkey with Susan Infield: Don't Leave Home Without It!"Travel while you're young" is great advice, although it's age and experience that give us the wisdom we need for a smooth trip. Susan Infield has worked in the aviation industry for most of her career and has had the good fortune to visit every continent, except Antartica. She shares her hysterical tale of traveling with a friend to Istanbul and Antalya, Turkey, immediately followed by a cruise with a different friend. Susan walks us down memory lane as she recounts the more glamorous days of air travel, contrasted with the not-so-glamorous aspects of her back-to-back trips. List...
2023-05-051h 02We Can Laugh About it Now: Travel StoriesNorthern Germany with Lily Beery: All Aboard for Adventure!Kids love trains, so a two-hour trip should have been a fun and easy first adventure. Lily Beery, a graphic designer and former Walt Disney World Cast Member, shares her story of traveling through northern Germany by train as a young child via several other countries. Listen as she describes the valiant attempt by Lily's mother to give her and her brother a new travel experience, made even more challenging by her choice of hostess gift. Explore travel to Germany: https://www.germany.travel/en/home.htmlhttps://www.germany.travel/en/inspiring-germany/ma...
2023-04-2824 minWe Can Laugh About it Now: Travel StoriesNew York City with Daphne Harris: To Airbnb or Not to Airbnb, that is the question.Vacation rentals have so much to offer over a standard hotel room, but be sure to read the reviews before booking. Dr. Daphne Harris, and Literacy Coach and colleague of mine, shares what happens when her attempt at giving her daughters a feel for "real New York" by staying in a residential neighborhood, instead of a touristy hotel, goes wrong. She details how their week-long trip, centered around the musical, Hamilton, nearly unravelled less than two hours after arriving in the city. However, her protective instincts and decisiveness served her well as she brought the issue to res...
2023-04-2136 minWe Can Laugh About it Now: Travel StoriesVenice, Italy with Sarah Lenhart: Lurkers, Lusters, and LuggageSolo travel can be treacherous, in more ways than one, especially when you don't speak the language. Sarah Lenhart, a choir teacher, free-lance musician, and friend of mine, regales us with her hilarious, and sometimes scary, tale of traveling solo to Venice, Italy. She proves that women can travel alone with confidence and that, when incidents do arise that set off our internal alarms, we don't need to be completely "derailed" from our adventure. Sarah also provides us with so many travel tips, she may need to consider launching her own podcast. She's an invaluable resource for anyone...
2023-04-1456 minWe Can Laugh About it Now: Travel StoriesChattanooga, TN with Cassidy Wade: A romantic mountain retreat or cabin of terror?A quick getaway to a quaint mountain retreat quickly turns frightening, even before they've unpacked. Cassidy Wade, a former student and now colleague of mine, weaves a nail-biting tale of a romantic rendezvous in the Tennessee mountains gone wrong. She shares what she enjoyed about the trip and what she learned about herself as a result of this experience. Explore travel to Chattanooga: https://www.visitchattanooga.com/https://www.tnvacation.com/https://www.rubyfalls.com/https://www.seerockcity.com/plan-your-day/https://www.reagansretrobar.com/https://www.westboundbar.com/To...
2023-04-0751 minWe Can Laugh About it Now: Travel StoriesWelcome to We Can Laugh About It Now with Toi BurdickI love to travel. And I'm inspired when I hear other people share their travel stories. At work, I have a giant map of the United States on my wall, with pushpins in all the destinations I’ve visited around the country, and pictures of me and my family in each of these locations. The map is always a conversation starter when people stop by my office. So it's only natural that I decided to create a podcast based around travel stories. My new podcast is all about those awkward or frightening travel mishaps that may not have...
2023-03-3103 minWe Can Laugh About it Now: Travel StoriesMonterrey, Mexico with Kelly Rogers: Gravity's the Enemy"The bus rolled down the mountain today," read her sister's postcard to their father back home. In the summer of 1974, my dear friend, Kelly Rogers and her all-female traveling companions, encountered some gravitational challenges in the mountains of Mexico. Never fear; however, as Granny secured a boulder behind the tire to keep it from rolling backwards. Listen as Kelly shares how their perilous adventure resolved with the help of some friendly locals. Explore travel to Monterrey: https://www.mexperience.com/https://www.lonelyplanet.com/https://www.zonaturistica.com/en/To stay up to da...
2023-03-2932 min