What My 96-Year-Old Grandmother Taught Me About Travel

About this episode

Brad Ryan shares the transformative journey he took with his 96-year-old grandmother across U.S. national parks, exploring themes of healing and connection.

What would happen if you called your grandmother out of the blue and asked her to go camping that night? For Brad Ryan, that impulsive phone call sparked a seven-year journey across all 63 U.S. national parks. Along the way, he and Grandma Joy, now 96, healed old wounds, faced down lifelong fears, and became unlikely internet stars. Brad's new book, Grandma Joy and Me: A Journey of Healing One National Park at a Time, out June 16th, tells the whole story. In this episode, Brad talks with host Aislyn Greene about what he witnessed in his grandmother over those years—the phenomenon he describes as reverse aging, the way movement and purpose and intergenerational connection seemed to make her healthier and more coordinated over time, not less. He also reflects on the healing that happened in the car: the long stretches of road through South Dakota, the yellow line hypnosis, the conversations that finally surfaced after years of silence. And he shares what he learned writing the book: about his father, about his family's Irish roots, and about what it means to find pride in an imperfect lineage. In this episode Why Brad made the call—and what was happening in his life that led him…

People in this episode

Host: Aislyn Greene

Guest: Brad Ryan

Topics covered

• travel
• family
• healing
• national parks
• intergenerational connection

Keywords

• travel
• national parks
• healing
• family
• intergenerational connection
• road trips
• reverse aging

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Grandma Joy and Me: A Journey of Healing One National Park at a Time

Places: South Dakota

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