What was meant to be a five-day trip to visit my daughter for her birthday in Thailand…turned into two very unforgettable weeks in foreign hospitals when Marley had yet another unexpected medical emergency. In this episode, Ryan and I share our experiences with Marley – from having the time of our lives on a tropical island with Marley, to the dreadful night it all went downhill and the hospitals became our hotel.

Without giving it all away, I’ll say this… God has a way of delivering incredible little gifts of light in hard and heavy circumstances. This trip was no exception. A thing that felt so scary to experience on the other side of the world turned into quite the experience full of bonding mother-daughter moments, inside jokes and laughter, and mind-blowing top-notch medical care from Bangkok.

Bonus? If you ever want to REALLY get to know the person you are dating, have a family emergency 30 hours away that extends your trip while being stuck in a hospital room with them. Safe to say, Ryan passed with flying colors.

In this episode, I share:

• Our entire medical experience in Thailand: hospitals visited, cost of care, insurance used

• The story behind it all – including how Marley is healing

• All about our Thailand travels – Bangkok to Koh Samui

• The beautiful gifts of grace that we found along the way

• Some pretty sweet relationship lessons I’m learning from Ryan’s kindness

• Why learning to let someone else lead changed everything

• The hidden strength that emerges when you’re running on empty

If this episode moved you, please like, comment, subscribe, and share. It truly helps our little community grow. ❤️

Watch the full episode on YouTube here or head to https://www.youtube.com/@RealHeidiPowell.

Here are the key moments from the episode:

0:00 The Story Behind This Episode

5:25 The Call Every Parent Dreads

7:25 Fear in a Foreign Hospital

10:58 What Saved Us in Thailand

14:46 First Impressions of Bangkok

18:02 The Side of the City No One Sees

21:43 Jet Lag, Street Markets & Getting Scammed

26:10 When I Finally Let Go of Leading

30:04 Learning to Be Led

33:56 Love That Survives Life’s Tests

37:48 When Parenthood Pushes Your Limits

41:29 Finding Faith in Fear

45:18 The Gift Hidden in Breakdown

49:04 When a 5-Day Trip Turns Into 2 Weeks of Survival

53:10 Gratitude in the Messiest Moments

57:42 The Lesson I Didn’t Expect

1:02:25 The Spiritual Side of Surrender

1:07:01 Parenting Grown Children

1:11:42 The Beauty of Being Fully Present

1:16:18 Coming Home Changed Forever

1:23:22 Why Hard Seasons Reveal Who We Are

1:27:58 How Love Looks Different After This

1:32:43 From Fear to Faith: The Lesson I’ll Never Forget

1:37:16 What I Hope You Take From This Story

Connect with Heidi:


Website: https://heidipowell.net/

Email: podcast@heidipowell.net

Instagram: @realheidipowell

Facebook: Heidi Powell

YouTube: @RealHeidiPowell


Train with Heidi on her Show Up App: https://www.showupfit.app/

My daughter Marley’s first big adventure abroad—a four-month humanitarian trip in Thailand—turned into one of the scariest moments of my momming life. Every parent’s worst fear happened when she was rushed to a hospital in a small Thai town called Phitsanulok with unbearable abdominal pain. So far from home. So far from mom.

In this episode, I open up about what happened, my own kidney stone journey, and the lessons I’ve learned as a mom watching my child suffer from afar.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• The terrifying night I got the call from Thailand
• How my past health struggles prepared me for this moment
• Why pain can be life’s greatest teacher
• The hardest part of parenting no one tells you
• Tips for you and your kids as they travel abroad.

If this resonates, please like, comment, subscribe, and share. It means the world to me and helps others find these conversations. Watch the full episode on YouTube here or head to https://www.youtube.com/@RealHeidiPowell.

Here are the key moments from the episode:

0:00 Why I Had to Record This Episode

3:03 The Emergency Call That Changed Everything

7:59 What Kidney Stones Really Feel Like

16:06 When Marley’s Diagnosis Was Confirmed

17:04 Surgery or Wait? The Impossible Decision

20:15 Discovering Thailand’s Health Care System

23:14 The Helpless Reality of Parenting From Afar

27:04 The Moment Marley Realised She Was an Adult

31:10 Becoming Your Own Safety Net

36:39 Why Struggle Is the Greatest Teacher

39:39 A New Perspective on My Own Mom

43:14 Trusting Our Kids’ Inner Strength

46:08 The Song That Captures It All

Connect with Heidi:


Website: https://heidipowell.net/

Email: podcast@heidipowell.net

Instagram: @realheidipowell

Facebook: Heidi Powell

YouTube: @RealHeidiPowell


Train with Heidi on her Show Up App: https://www.showupfit.app/

❤️ Do you ever really “get over” someone you loved? Ryan is back for round two of unofficial co-host auditions, and this time, the conversation gets deeply personal.

In this episode, we talk about Dave, my best friend, partner, and someone who shaped so much of my life, and what it’s been like to grieve for him while moving forward. Ryan opens up about what it’s like to love someone who has loved and lost, and why true emotional safety matters more than anything.

We also laugh about our early days of getting to know each other, weird CrossFit coincidences, and yes — I may have told an overshare-worthy pee story at the end.

✨We explore in this episode:

• The reality of grief years later and why it still shows up
• How feeling emotionally safe changed everything for me
• Why keeping someone’s memory alive can be an act of love
• The surprising way new love can help you process old pain
• Funny moments, inside jokes, and real-life behind-the-scenes

🫶🏻 If this episode resonated with you, please like, comment, subscribe, and share with someone who needs to hear it. Watch the full episode on YouTube here or head to https://www.youtube.com/@RealHeidiPowell.

Here are the key moments from the episode:

03:05 Our Surprising Start: From Nicknames to Hairlines

05:56 Birthday Vibes & Why I Skipped a Heavy Episode

08:06 Exosome Therapy for Hair Loss

11:51 Botox Mishap & The Forehead Story

14:53 The Question Ryan Was Nervous to Ask Me

18:02 Protein Shake Wars Begin

21:06 The Delivery Box Letdown

27:14 Protein Preferences & Relationship Compromises

30:25 CrossFit Memories & The Unexpected First Meeting

33:42 Ryan Asked Me, “Do I Miss Dave?”

37:45 How Grief Shifts From Missing to Gratitude

41:05 Why Keeping Someone’s Memory Alive Can Be Healing

46:12 The Partner Who Awakens Your Inner Child

49:20 Taking Off the Mask – Secrets, Shame & Judgment

52:47 The Healing Power of Radical Honesty

56:05 Unfinished Business? What I Really Feel About Dave

01:00:25 Grief, Death, and Why Collective Pain Hits So Hard

01:06:20 Youth Trauma, Reality TV & The Awakening After 2015

01:08:10 When Laughter Turns to “Should We Call 911?”

Connect with Heidi:


Website: https://heidipowell.net/

Email: podcast@heidipowell.net

Instagram: @realheidipowell

Facebook: Heidi Powell

YouTube: @RealHeidiPowell


Train with Heidi on her Show Up App: https://www.showupfit.app/

About Ryan Isaac:


If you caught Episode 70, you already met my favourite off-camera co-host and yes, Ryan’s back for round two of co-host tryouts! By day, Ryan is a financial advisor and co-founder helping professionals make sense of money and big life decisions. He also spent a decade behind the mic, hosting one of the top finance podcasts in his space. But today, he’s here for something even more valuable: to hold space, ask big questions, and help me unpack love, loss, and life’s messiest moments. Trust me. You’ll leave this one feeling seen.