Untethered & Wanderwise: Female Travel Over 45
After decades of putting others first, Nicky and Heide found themselves single after 45 and feeling untethered, they chose to embrace the chance to spread their wings and explore the world on their own terms.
Untethered & Wanderwise is a weekly podcast where Nicky and Heide share their adventures, insights, and mishaps as newly single women rediscovering themselves through travel. With each episode, we pull back the curtain on destinations around the globe, diving deep into the cultures, cuisine and experiences that come from wandering off the beaten path.
Whether you're dreaming of a sabbatical, newly single, empty nesters, or simply craving an injection of wanderlust into your life, join Nicky and Heide for straight-talk, helpful tips, and wild tales from ther adventures embracing life as a globetrotting "wanderwise" woman.
Join our dynamic duo each week as they explore uncharted territories, share travel tales, and inspire women to embrace adventure after 45.
Untethered & Wanderwise: Female Travel Over 45
The Sober Traveler's Guide: Discovering the World with Clear Eyes
What if the path to adventure doesn't lead through a wine tour in Tuscany or a pub crawl in Dublin? What if the most vibrant travel experiences come not from what's in your glass from being fully present in each moment?
Today, Heide and Nicky talk with travel writer and sober adventuress Teresa Bergen, author of the Sober Travel Handbook, who shares how those who don't drink - or who are simply sober curious or on a break - can enjoy the world alcohol-free.
# Sober Travel and Adventure - Interview with Teresa Bergen
[Show Introduction]
What if the path to adventure doesn't lead through a wine tour in Tuscany or a pub crawl in Dublin? What if the most vibrant travel experiences come not from what's in your glass, but from being fully present in each moment?
Welcome to Untethered and Wanderwise, where adventure has no age limit. We're your co-hosts Heide Brandes and Nicky Omohundro, and we're here to inspire and celebrate women over 45 who are embracing their independence and want to explore the world on their own terms.
[Guest Introduction]
Teresa Bergen has hiked remote trails, connected with local communities, and discovered that sobriety isn't a limitation—it's a superpower for the curious traveler. Whether you're sober, sober-curious, proudly alcohol-free, or simply seeking more mindful ways to experience the world, Teresa's insights challenge the notion that alcohol and adventure go hand in hand.
Teresa is a Portland, Oregon-based travel writer. Her main niches are outdoor adventure, eco, vegan, and sober travel. Teresa loves water—she's an open water swimmer, beginning scuba diver, and lover of bathtubs and hot springs. She's on a mission to kayak or SUP in every U.S. state and Canadian province.
Whenever she gets the chance, she wanders in old cemeteries and frequents cat cafes. She tries to pet random cats on the street (maybe it's your cat!). Teresa's work appears in many publications including AAA, USA Today, South China Morning Post, and Sober Curator, a leading sober lifestyle website.
She's the author of "Easy Portland Outdoors" and "Sober Travel Handbook" and co-author of "Historic Cemeteries of Portland, Oregon." Today, Teresa is in Westerville, Ohio, once known as the dry capital of the world. She's come to visit the Anti-Saloon League Museum and Archive.
**Heide**: Hi Teresa, welcome to the podcast.
**Teresa**: Thanks so much for having me on the show.
**Nicky**: So we talked a little bit. You're in Westerville, Ohio. When did you get there?
**Teresa**: I just got here last night and it's this really cute town that's just outside Columbus.
**Heide**: Well, your work combines travel writing with science, sober living and outdoor adventures. Can you tell us how these different threads in your life came together?
**Teresa**: I feel like especially the sober travel, it kind of comes from when you make your weakness your strength, because I was going all these places where it seemed like the emphasis was always on visiting a winery or going to some craft brewing place, and I was always like, "Oh, can I get out of that? Oh, can I do something else?" And then I realized instead of looking at it that way, there were lots of people that don't drink and I could turn it around and find the things that non-drinkers want to do in a place rather than miss out on the things that drinkers were doing.
[The conversation continues with clear speaker labels for **Heide**, **Nicky**, and **Teresa** throughout the rest of the transcript]
[Discussion about sober travel experiences, outdoor adventures, and personal growth]
[Show Closing]
**Heide**: Thank you so much for that resource. And Teresa, thank you so much for joining us. We know you are so busy. You're always on the road, you're always doing something fun. And the whole yoga certification thing is fantastic. So we really appreciate you taking the time and talking to us and our listeners about sober travel.
**Teresa**: Oh, thank you. And I hope I get to see both of you in person one of these days before too long. I think it's really cool you started this podcast and I hope it's super successful.
**Heide**: Well, thank you. And again, my name is Heide Brandes.
**Nicky**: And I am Nicky Omohundro.
**Both**: And we are the Untethered and Wanderwise podcast. So until next time, pack your bags, leave the bottle at home and get ready for your next adventure.
[Outro]
Be sure to like, follow, and subscribe wherever you get your podcast fix. Check us out on Instagram at untetheredwanderwise (that's no "and") for even more travel inspiration and tips. Until next time, happy travels.
