Andrés Asevis is someone I genuinely cannot stop rooting for — and if you've ever traveled to Cuba with me, you already know exactly why.

If you haven't listened to our first episode together, listen here—I can't recommend it enough. It remains one of our most listened-to episodes on this podcast, and it's the kind of conversation that stays with you.

Andrés spent his entire life in Cuba — all 38 years of it — and in that first episode, he gave us one of the most honest, raw portraits of what daily life on the island actually looks like. The blackouts, the internet restrictions, the economy, the feeling of living behind a window: able to see the outside world, but never quite able to reach it.

When I was in Cuba this past January, things on the island have only gotten worse — a humanitarian crisis triggered by the Venezuela conflict, streets gone quiet from fuel shortages, flights canceled due to oil scarcity. I'll be honest: I genuinely worried he might get stuck before he ever got his chance to leave.

But he made it. Andrés is in Spain. And he's here to tell us all about it.

This episode is the raw, one-week-in version of what life looks like on the other side of that window. We talk about the state of Cuba as he left, catching what may have been one of the last regular international flights out, and then his first week in Madrid — the food, the technology, the culture shock, the smells, the joy, and the profound experience of walking into a store and simply having options.

You can support Andrés and his husband Yunior as they start their new life in Spain here.

Upcoming Trips Mentioned:

1. Cuba (TBD for future group trip when possible)
2. Spain: 2027

Links & Resources (Andrés)

1. @andresasevis (Instagram)
2. Purchase your copy of Andrés' book, Cosa Negra
3. Episode 13: From Havana to Spain: A Cuban Guide's Journey to Freedom w/ Andrés Asevis

Links & Resources (Laura)

1. Follow my personal IG: @lolawhiskey
2. Follow my business IG: @lauraericsongrouptrips
3. Follow our podcast: @type2travelpodcast
4. Learn more about upcoming trips: lauraericson.com

I'm always fascinated by people who've turned their own travel frustrations into solutions that help millions of others. That's exactly what Sara Margulis did with Honeyfund.

Sara is the co-founder and CEO of Honeyfund, and her story started with a simple problem: she and her then-husband wanted to honeymoon in Fiji but didn't need another toaster. So they created a way for friends and family to fund their honeymoon instead. That personal solution has now helped nearly 1.6 million couples receive over a billion dollars in wedding gifts - and completely changed how we think about gift giving.

What I love about this conversation is how it challenges the traditional wedding playbook. We talk about why couples are finally prioritizing experiences over stuff, how the wedding-to-honeymoon spending ratio is shifting dramatically, and why Gen Z is rewriting all the rules. Sarah breaks down 2026 honeymoon trends (spoiler: Japan just knocked Mexico out of the top three), shares creative ways couples are using Honeyfund beyond just travel, and explains why unscheduled time might be the most important thing to include in any honeymoon.

We also get into the psychology of why travel strengthens relationships, the surprising data showing couples who honeymoon are more likely to be happily married a decade later, and why asking for what you actually want shouldn't feel taboo.

Upcoming Trips Mentioned:

1. Georgia: October 2 - 11, 2026

Links & Resources (Sara)

1. Honeyfund
2. @honeyfund (Tiktok)
3. @honeyfund (Instagram)

Links & Resources (Laura)

1. Follow my personal IG: @lolawhiskey
2. Follow my business IG: @lauraericsongrouptrips
3. Follow our podcast: @type2travelpodcast
4. Learn more about upcoming trips: lauraericson.com
5. Check out our podcast page: lauraericson.com/podcast
6. Join my Facebook group: @lolalovestravel

Thanks for being here! As always, rate, review, share with a friend, and tag us if you're listening.

Hannan Zary is someone who's been quietly changing the way I think about food, travel, and what it means to truly connect with people. If you attended Camp Lola Whiskey last year, you already know exactly who I'm talking about - she's the chef behind Tamoont Dining and Gathering who created those incredible meals that had everyone losing their minds.

But here's what you don't know about Hannan: She's been traveling since she was two years old, took her first solo trip at seven, and has spent her entire life navigating between two cultures while teaching herself to cook by obsessively watching the Food Network as a teenager. She's someone who was working in professional kitchens at 15, grinding through culinary school and restaurant jobs, all while fighting this nagging feeling that something wasn't quite right.

Hannan's traveled to over 20 countries across four continents, and everywhere she goes, she's paying attention to how people gather, how they slow down, and how they use food to build something that we're desperately missing in American culture - genuine connection. This conversation goes deep. We're talking about the lost art of slowing down, what it means to trust your instincts even when everyone thinks you're crazy, why Americans have completely forgotten how to relax, and her dream of getting entire communities to sit down and share food together.

Upcoming Trips Mentioned:

1. Kenya: March 11 - 21, 2026 + March 25 - April 4, 2026
2. Morocco: April 10-19 + September 4 - 13, 2026
3. Camp Lola Whiskey: August 27-30, 2026

Links & Resources (Hannan)

1. Tamoont Dining
2. Instagram: tamoontgathering
3. Facebook

Links & Resources (Laura)

1. Follow my personal IG: @lolawhiskey
2. Follow my business IG: @lauraericsongrouptrips
3. Follow our podcast: @type2travelpodcast
4. Learn more about upcoming trips: lauraericson.com
5. Check out our podcast page: lauraericson.com/podcast