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This Travel Tribe

Make the Most of Your Travel Adventures with these Mindful Practices

·22 min·2 clips
Author Ralph Velasco reveals how to be a mindful traveler, shifting from destinations to intentional experiences.
In episode 338 of This Travel Tribe, host Lisa Andrews shifts from destination-focused content to explore mindful travel with guest Ralph Velasco. Ralph introduces himself as a Chicago-based international tour organizer and professional travel photographer with 17 years of experience, having led over 120 trips worldwide. He defines mindful travel as being present and intentional, a concept he first grasped during a high school volunteer trip to Peru when a teacher advised him to 'be here now.' Ralph emphasizes the need to put down cameras and smartphones to truly experience places, suggesting setting timers as reminders. He contrasts this with the common tendency to document everything, using concerts as an analogy. The conversation moves to slow travel, where Ralph advocates for deeper, fewer experiences over rushing through many attractions. He also discusses incorporating journaling and meditating into travels, mentioning his books that include activities like coloring mandalas and writing gratitudes. Ralph shares personal travel habits, such as using white noise apps and Vicks VapoRub on trips. In a Q&A segment, he names Spain as a favorite destination, details his packing essentials, and reveals plans to scout northern Portugal and northwestern Spain for a potential move. The episode wraps with resources for connecting with Ralph and his work.

As heard by us

A thoughtful case for putting down the phone and making room for slower, more intentional travel.

This Travel Tribe shifts from destination tips toward a broader question: what travel should actually feel like. The host and Ralph Velasco, a Chicago-based international tour organizer and professional travel photographer, talk through mindful travel by way of everyday…

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Why you'd press play

For a trip that trades frantic checklists for phone-down moments, slow cafe pauses, and conversations that let a place come closer.

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