Travel Time Stories with Shannon: Real Journeys, Real Stories, Real Healing

Author Spotlight: poet Nicole Goodwin (GOODW.Y.N.), author of Warcrimes, on trauma, motherhood, love, and writing through war. 

Host Shannon Lamkin explores how a raw poetry collection becomes a tool for resilience and healing. Candid conversation about trauma poetry, creative process, and finding connection after conflict. Runtime 42:16. 

GOODW.Y.N.'s experiences as a soldier in Iraq didn't simply disappear when the deployment ended. In our conversation, we explore what happens when the physical war is over but another battle continues within—and how poetry became a place to confront experiences that weren't always easy...

What if the problem… was never you?

In this powerful episode of Travel Time Stories, Shannon and Ann sit down with Russell Van Brocklen, known as The Dyslexia Professor, to talk about what it really means to grow up with dyslexia—and how one shift in understanding can change everything.

For years, Russell believed the message so many struggling learners hear:
 You’re not smart enough.

But that story wasn’t true.

And it’s not true for the millions of children and adults navigating dyslexia today.

 📚 Welcome to the very first episode of The Author Spotlight Series!

Presented by Travel Time Stories with Shannon

Limited Series: Sept - Nov

Twenty authors. 

Twenty books. 

All genres. 

And twenty completely different minds waiting to be discovered. 

For our first Spotlight, Shannon and Ann sit down with poet Anthony Prieston, author of Whispers of Distress—an unapologetically dark, gothic and philosophical poetry anthology exploring love, suffering, decay, human nature and...

What if laughter could help save your life?

In this powerful and surprisingly uplifting episode of Travel Time Stories, Shannon and Ann sit down with comedian, author, and mental health advocate Dave Mowry to discuss bipolar disorder, severe anxiety, homelessness, recovery, and how stand-up comedy became a turning point in his healing journey.

After losing everything to mental illness and enduring what he calls “14 lost years,” Dave discovered a comedy class designed for people living with mental illness—and it changed everything.

Today, he uses humor, storytelling, and honest...

What happens when travel becomes more than a vacation?

In this inspiring episode of Travel Time Stories, Shannon and Ann sit down with Eleanor A., founder of Elevate Your Escapes, to talk about meaningful travel, cultural connection, emotional transformation, and what exploring more than 70 countries has taught her about life.

This conversation goes beyond travel tips and bucket lists.

It’s about:
 ✨ Traveling with intention
 ✨ Finding beauty in slower experiences
 ✨ The emotional impact of seeing the world
 ✨ Why meaningful travel changes us
 ✨ And how the journeys we take often bec...

Paralyzed at 20… and yet, this is not a story about loss. 

It’s a story about what’s still possible. 

In this powerful episode of Travel Time Stories with Shannon, Ann sits down with Ken Kunken—whose life changed forever during a college football game at Cornell University. A single moment left him almost completely paralyzed from the shoulders down. 

But what came next… is what makes this story unforgettable. 

Ken went on to: 

✔ Return to Cornell and complete his degree 

✔ Earn multiple advanced degrees in education and psychology 

What happens when your life takes a turn you never saw coming? 

In this fascinating episode of Travel Time Stories with Shannon, I sit down with Eric Robinson, a recently retired FBI Special Agent whose journey is anything but ordinary. 

Before spending 24 years in the FBI—working cases involving counterterrorism, crimes against children, gangs, drugs, and public corruption—Eric spent 12 years in Christian ministry, including pastoring a church. From the pulpit… to SWAT operations. From saving souls… to chasing criminals. 

This conversation dives into what it really looks like to step into a completely...

🚢 What if your next trip changed more than your location? 

Travel Time Stories is leaving the microphone behind and taking our community to SEA! 🌴 Everyone who books becomes part of something that will always be remembered as the first and be Founding Members of the TTS travel community.

Join Shannon & Ann for our FIRST Story at Sea aboard the Crown Princess®, sailing the Southern Caribbean March 14–21, 2027. This isn't just about taking a cruise. It's about bringing together the people who have listened to the stories, shared their own stories, traveled with us, laughed with us, a...

Brownies… for breakfast? 

It sounds too good to be true—but today’s guest says it’s not only possible… it might actually be better for you. 

In this fun, insightful, and surprisingly practical episode of Travel Time Stories, Shannon and Ann sit down with Lynne Bowman—aka the Glam Grandma—author of the bestselling cookbook Brownies for Breakfast: A Cookbook for Diabetics and Those Who Love Them. 

After being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, Lynne completely rethought the way she approached food, health, and life—and what she discovered might surprise you. 

✨ In this episode...

What if your life had a soundtrack… and you could rewrite it?

In this deeply personal episode of Travel Time Stories, Shannon and Ann sit down with therapist and author Johnzelle Anderson to explore his powerful memoir, Mixtape: A Memoir—a story of survival, identity, and the journey from silence to voice. Told in “tracks” instead of chapters, Mixtape weaves together memories of growing up mixed race in 1990s Virginia, navigating childhood abuse, neglect, and racism, and searching for belonging in a world that often made him feel like an outsider. But this isn’t just a story abou...

Why do so many relationships fail—even when both people care?

 In this powerful episode of Travel Time Stories, Shannon and Ann sit down with internationally known relationship expert Anil Gupta (The Love Doctor) to uncover what’s really behind relationship struggles, emotional blocks, and the search for happiness. 

Anil’s journey is as powerful as his message. After facing one of the darkest moments of his life—contemplating suicide—he experienced a transformation that led him to help people around the world break through emotional barriers, heal their relationships, and discover lasting happiness. Now, having worke...

 What does it mean to walk through history… not as a tourist, but as a witness? 

In this deeply moving episode of Travel Time Stories, Shannon and Ann sit down with author and historian Briana Gervat to explore her extraordinary 500-mile journey along the Western Front. 

In 2022, as the world began to emerge from the isolation of the pandemic, Briana set out alone—on foot—from the border of France and Switzerland to the North Sea in Belgium. Over 36 days, she crossed the mountains of the Vosges and walked through some of the most historically significa...

Are you traveling to find yourself… or to escape yourself? 

In this thought-provoking episode of Travel Time Stories, Shannon and Ann sit down with clinical psychologist Bryan Gastelle to explore the deeper psychology behind why we travel—and what we’re really searching for when we do. Because let’s be honest… Sometimes travel isn’t just about adventure. It’s about stress, burnout, overwhelm… and the desire to feel different. 

But here’s the truth: 

✨ Wherever you go… you bring yourself with you. 

Bryan shares powerful insights into: 

• The difference between health...

Why do toxic relationships feel so hard to leave? 

Why is sexuality still so difficult to talk about honestly? 

And why do humans continue repeating emotional patterns they know are hurting them? 

In this deep, unfiltered conversation, Shannon and Ann sit down with transformational coach and author Dr. Stephen Paul Edwards to discuss toxic relationships, emotional addiction, sexuality, shame, vulnerability, healing, and the psychology behind human connection. 

Inspired by his book The Venus Fly Trap: Sex, Lies, and Repercussions, this episode explores the emotional truths many people quietly struggle with—but rarely...

You don’t always recognize abuse when you’re in it. 

In this deeply emotional and eye-opening episode of Travel Time Stories, Shannon and Ann sit down with Mia Hanks, author of the award-winning memoir Bride-Made, to talk about her 29-year marriage to a covert narcissist—and the long, painful journey to understanding what she had been living through. 

Narcissistic abuse doesn’t always look the way we expect. It can be quiet. Subtle. Confusing. It can make you question your reality, your worth, and your voice. For years, Mia didn’t have the language for what she...

What does it mean to truly witness the world? 

In this episode of Travel Time Stories, we sit down with veteran broadcast journalist Barry Maughan, whose life and career were shaped by decades of reporting across the African continent. 

Barry shares the extraordinary story of traveling the length of Africa with his wife in a Volkswagen Kombi bus, journeying from Egypt to South Africa and visiting fifteen countries along the way — an adventure that would forever shape his understanding of the continent and its people. 

But his time in Africa was about more than...

What if your life didn’t begin here… and doesn’t end here either? 

In this powerful and thought-provoking episode of Travel Time Stories, Shannon and Ann sit down with Donna Hartley—international speaker, past-life reader, and survivor who has crossed over six times and returned with a completely different understanding of life, purpose, and the soul. 

Donna’s experiences challenge everything we think we know about life and death. After facing multiple near-death experiences, she began to uncover patterns that go far beyond this lifetime—patterns that may be shaping your relationships, your fears, and even your...

What happens when your life changes in an instant? 

In this powerful episode of Travel Time Stories, we sit down with trauma and traumatic brain injury survivor Nicholas Ruchlewicz to talk about the motorcycle accident that changed everything—and the unexpected path that followed. 

Nicholas shares what it was like to go from living a normal life to navigating the physical, emotional, and mental challenges of a traumatic brain injury. From identity loss and mental health struggles to finding meaning in the aftermath, this conversation is raw, honest, and deeply inspiring. But this isn’t just a...

What happens when you leave everything behind… without a plan? 

In this deeply reflective episode of Travel Time Stories, Shannon and Ann sit down with Chip Scholz to explore a journey that wasn’t just about moving across the country—it was about letting go of control, navigating uncertainty, and discovering what truly matters. 

With two adults, two kids, two dogs, and five cats packed into a 19-foot travel trailer, Chip and his family set out from Los Angeles to North Carolina with no jobs waiting and no clear roadmap forward. 

What followed wasn’t ju...

What would it take for you to walk away from a successful life… and start over in another country?

In this episode of Travel Time Stories, we sit down with bestselling author, TEDx speaker, and transformational attorney Wani Manly, whose life changed dramatically when she made a bold decision: sell everything, leave Miami, and move to Paris alone — with no plan, no French, and no safety net. 

After more than two decades advising Fortune 500 companies as a corporate lawyer, Wani chose reinvention over comfort. What followed was a journey of identity shifts, resilience, and building a lif...

What if the word “disability” isn’t something to avoid… but something to understand? 

In this powerful episode of Travel Time Stories, we sit down with Jenna Udenberg — author, disability advocate, accessibility educator, and founder of Above & Beyond With U.

Diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis at just seven years old, Jenna has spent her life navigating physical challenges while reshaping the conversation around disability, inclusion, and what true accessibility really means. As a 2020 Bush Fellow and the author of Within My Spokes, Jenna shares how her journey of resilience became a mission to create spaces that go beyond m...

What happens when a combat medic comes home — and her body and mind begin to collapse? 

In this powerful episode of Travel Time Stories, we sit down with Brandi “Bee” Doyle — nurse practitioner, combat veteran, trauma survivor, and spiritual guide — to explore the journey from PTSD and autoimmune illness to deep, integrative healing. 

After serving in Afghanistan, Bee returned home expecting to resume normal life. Instead, she faced the unraveling of her physical and mental health. What followed wasn’t a single solution — it was a profound journey bridging functional medicine, plant medicine, trauma work, astrology, and s...