About this episode

Alua Arthur shares her transformative experience on a bus ride in Cuba that reshaped her understanding of life and death.

Season 2 begins with Alua Arthur—world-renowned death doula and New York Times bestselling author of Briefly, Perfectly Human . In this conversation, Alua shares the story of a chance encounter that changed everything: a 14-hour bus ride in Cuba with a woman her age who was dying of cancer. That experience set her on a path to rethink everything she thought she knew about purpose, mortality, and what it means to live fully. Follow along on Instagram @beforewegopodcast for more stories, behind-the-scenes moments, and reflections on living and dying. Thank you to our Sponsors: Quince : Visit www.quince.com/beforewego for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. This podcast is brought to you by Podcast Nation. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

People in this episode

Guest: Alua Arthur

Topics covered

• death doula
• mortality
• purpose
• living fully
• personal story

Keywords

• death doula
• Alua Arthur
• purpose
• mortality
• Cuba
• living fully
• Briefly, Perfectly Human

Sponsors

Quince

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Podcast Nation

Books & works: Briefly, Perfectly Human

Places: Cuba

More episodes of Before We Go

• Alexandra Breckenridge Shares her Grief · November 20, 2025 · 39 min
• Nikki Boyer Learns to Let Go · November 13, 2025 · 37 min
• BJ Miller Sees The World Differently · November 6, 2025 · 36 min
• Ricki Lake Lives for Love · October 30, 2025 · 38 min
• Mark Cuban and Dr. Fumiko Chino Try to F-Up Healthcare · October 23, 2025 · 40 min
• Kirsty Parsons Meets Her Future Self · October 16, 2025 · 36 min

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