It’s a Family Thing —Three Generations of Growth with Road Scholar
“My parents traveled a lot in their retirement,” says Road Scholar Lois B. “They went on more than 15 programs with Elderhostel, as it was called then, and Road Scholar, and loved it. They did some really cool things — studied architecture in Florence, photography in Utah. My dad was an amateur photographer,” she adds, “but my mom actually won a photo contest on one program.”
Lois and her husband in St. John, Caribbean.
And now, as a member of a new generation of Road Scholars, Lois is planning her own exploratory discoveries. “So far, I’ve planned programs in Costa Rica, Galápagos, Egypt and Istanbul. My son is actually coming with me to Istanbul, so that will make us a three-generation Road Scholar family.”
Lois’s parents’ experience no doubt helped fuel her own love of travel. “My husband and I are independent travelers — we love to meet locals wherever we go, experience the culture and daily life wherever we are and really learn through that experience,” she says. “We love learning, love experiencing, but to curate an experience that in depth takes a lot of effort — it can become a full-time job.”
Knowing that she had a resource at her fingertips that valued learning as much as she did, she turned to Road Scholar when she decided she wanted to explore Egypt. “Road Scholar makes experiential, educational travel so easy! And, of course, important people in my life have had wonderful experiences with Road Scholar.” Not only had her parents loved their time as “Hostlers,” but her business partner has been on 25 programs. “My parents and my mentors talked about Road Scholar all the time, so I feel like I’m carrying the torch.”
Lois's parents on a RS program in Sedona, Arizona
And she’s got a long list of destinations already. “I just love the wish list feature on the website,” she says. “I have Cuba, the Greek Islands, Vietnam, Laos, and Antarctica listed so far. One of my dreams is to explore all seven continents.”
During the winters, Lois and her family live on the island of Saint John, in the Caribbean. “It’s a national park, so we meet a lot of people who are there to really experience the culture and explore nature, hiking, snorkeling.” Many of the people she and her husband meet on the island are also Road Scholars. In fact, one day she and her husband were snorkeling and happened to strike up a conversation with a nearby couple. “They had just gone to Galápagos with Road Scholar, and they were so enthusiastic about it, we decided we had add it to our list too!”
In 2014, Cornell University published a study that found people who spent their resources on experiences rather than items found far greater happiness overall. “Cornell got it right,” Lois enthuses. “The anticipation of travel brings so much more joy to our lives. I’m a big believer that travel changes you, your belief system, your dogma and your perspective,” she adds. “When we travel, I feel like we come back smarter every time. Who knows what kind of growth I’ll see, but I look forward to it.”
Lois's former business partner and his wife, Jack and Errett
With so much personal value placed on exploratory travel, she finds herself aligned with the Road Scholar ethos. “Road Scholar provides that experiential element. I like to meet locals. I don’t know any other travel facilitator that allows you to get involved on that level. I’m interested in meeting other lifelong learners, and I’m so looking forward to learning from experts and the vetted, curated itineraries,” she says. “Road Scholar’s reputation makes you certain you’ll have a wonderful experience.”
Where will you go next? Join the conversation with the Women of Road Scholar on Facebook.