In this episode of Transformative Escapes, I sit down with Barbara Gagel, an artist, curator, and guide whose work lives at the intersection of creativity, place, and personal awakening.

Barbara doesn’t just create art — she creates thresholds. Through our conversation, we explore how art can act as a compass during times of transition, how travel deepens creative intuition, and why stepping into unfamiliar landscapes often unlocks parts of ourselves we didn’t know were waiting.

We talk about:

• Art as a mirror for personal transformation

• The courage it takes to follow creative curiosity

• How place, memory, and movement shape the stories we tell

• Why slowing down — really seeing — can change everything

This episode is for anyone who has ever felt called by a city, a canvas, or a quiet inner nudge that says there is more. It’s a reminder that transformation doesn’t always arrive loudly — sometimes it whispers through beauty, presence, and art.

✨ Learn more about Barbara’s work and creative offerings at https://bgarts.online

🎧 Listen now and let this conversation open a door you didn’t know you were ready to walk through.

✨Contact me at info@transformativeescapes.com rebecca.housley@fora.travel visit my website at transformativeescapes.com or Join my TikTok tribe @transformativeescapes

In this episode of Transformative Escapes, I’m joined by writer and traveler R. Thaddeus Lech, the mind behind The Adventures of Alexander Dixon: Podcasts from the Edge of Decency.

I had the opportunity to read the book as an advanced copy, and from the very first pages it was clear—this isn’t a traditional travel narrative. It’s a sharp, witty, and deeply honest exploration of what happens when travel stops being curated and starts being consequential.

We dive into the origins of Alexander Dixon, a self-made character who believes authority comes from experience—not permission. Thaddeus shares how confidence earned the hard way shaped both the character and his writing, why an impulsive TikTok led to the purchase of a crumbling villa in Southern Italy, and how Venice during Carnival became Alexander’s natural habitat for indulgence without apology.

We also explore the humbling moments—like being taken down by a Venetian mosquito—and how vulnerability sharpens creativity, the power of cuisine and place (including a deep love for Harry’s Bar in Venice), and the difference between destinations that call us back and those that feel complete after one visit.

From Italy to New Mexico, this conversation uncovers how place quietly rewires our definition of success, identity, and what it means to live well. We close with a powerful reflection on why true transformation doesn’t happen on a checklist—but in the ordinary moments of life lived somewhere else.

If you’ve ever felt pulled toward a place you couldn’t explain, this episode is for you.

https://a.co/d/9BXkpf1