Insider Secrets to Fearless Travel with IBD Featuring Sarah McGovern — About IBD Podcast Episode 203

Insider Secrets to Fearless Travel with IBD Featuring Sarah McGovern — About IBD Podcast Episode 203

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Certified travel advisor, business owner, and ulcerative colitis patient Sarah McGovern joins Amber to give tips and tricks on traveling with IBD. Sarah relates her IBD journey, including a rare medication side effect that landed her in the hospital. Now in remission, Sarah breaks down her blueprint for traveling with an invisible illness. On this episode, you’ll learn concrete, practical strategies for traveling with IBD and how a travel advisor can help you relax on your next trip.

Resources:

Find Sarah McGovern and Halcyon Travel at:

Find Amber J Tresca at:

Key Chapters & Timestamps:

  • 00:04 — Introduction to Sarah McGovern
  • 02:16 — Sarah’s Ulcerative Colitis Journey
  • 04:18 — Medication-Induced Pancreatitis
  • 09:03 — Planning Travel with IBD
  • 14:23 — Packing Tips for IBD Travelers
  • 20:39 — Managing Food Restrictions While Traveling
  • 25:38 — The Value of a Travel Advisor
  • 33:00 — Traveling to Disney with IBD
  • 37:03 — Disney’s Disability Access Service
  • 43:46 — Travel Hacks
  • 48:16 — Essential Travel Programs
  • 55:07 — Where to Find Sarah Online

What you’ll learn:

  • Experiences with medication-induced pancreatitis and its impact on treatment choices.
  • Strategies for planning travel with IBD, focusing on accessibility and comfort.
  • Importance of researching destinations for bathroom availability and dietary accommodations.
  • Packing tips for travelers with IBD, including creating detailed packing lists and emergency kits.
  • Navigating dietary restrictions while traveling, including pre-checking restaurant menus.
  • Benefits of working with a travel advisor for personalized travel planning and support.
  • Accessibility features and accommodations at popular travel destinations like Disney parks and cruises.
  • Travel hacks to enhance the travel experience, such as TSA PreCheck and packing snacks.
  • The value of travel insurance and its role in providing peace of mind during trips.

Transcript

[Music: IBD Dance Party]

Amber Tresca 00:00:04 I’m Amber Tresca and this is about IBD. I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis as a teen and had surgery ten years later. Now I help people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis understand their disease and feel seen on about IBD. You’ll get real talk on symptoms, treatment, and life with IBD straight from patients, caregivers, and experts. You’ll learn, feel less alone, and even have a laugh along the way.

Sarah McGovern is a certified travel advisor, business owner, and proud mom who knows firsthand just how valuable family time is. She understands how overwhelming it can feel to plan a vacation that truly works for everyone. She started Halcyon Travel Company to help families enjoy seamless, stress free vacations that create lifelong memories. Sarah also lives with an IBD, so she thinks about travel from an accessibility standpoint.

Sarah, welcome to About IBD.

Sarah McGovern 00:01:09 Thank you so much for having me. It’s so great to finally meet you.

Amber Tresca 00:01:13 Same. When we started talking, you reached out to me, which I so appreciate. And then we realized that we live in the same state.

Amber Tresca 00:01:22 And so why don’t we get to, you know, get together and do this in person? So slightly different way than I normally do the show, but I think it’s going to work out really well. And I appreciate you being so willing to meet me. We haven’t met before today in person and come to a third location and and record with me and three cameras and microphones in your face. So I appreciate you being.

Sarah McGovern 00:01:43 So new adventure. So let’s lose to it.

Amber Tresca 00:01:46 I figured that might be the case, considering that you are a travel advisor, that maybe this wouldn’t be such a big lift for you. You know, I’m a writer from home for a reason, so it is a little bit out of my comfort zone, but I like getting pushed out of my comfort zone. So. All right, well, I’m just going to start peppering you with questions when we talk about some travel today. But the first thing that I want to know is about the ulcerative colitis we always start out on kind of a bummer, but we’ll end it up a little higher.

Amber Tresca 00:02:16 so tell me about your journey, maybe about how you were diagnosed and what that was like.

Sarah McGovern 00:02:22 Yeah. So I was diagnosed back in 2003. So I have, had this for about half my life now. And, you know, it started off kind of mild and progressed over the years. I’ve been on every medication possible, tried every natural route, tried, you know, any, supplements and, you know, acupuncture therapies. I’ve run the gamut of.

Amber Tresca 00:02:53 So you didn’t just leave it at medications and go for that. You tried everything.

Sarah McGovern 00:02:56 Just trying everything. Yeah. and, after a few hiccups with medications, one of which, caused pancreatitis, I was hospitalized for that twice. you know, it’s like 0.1% of people get pancreatitis from a certain medication, and. Hi. That’s me. So fun. and, finally and then had to go the biologic route and all of that. And thankfully, I’ve been in remission for about two and a half years or so now. Finally found something that works.

Sarah McGovern 00:03:36 and I’m very grateful to to have that because, you know, struggles going through your 20s with the disease, but then also becoming a mom at one point. And, you know, I had one of probably the worst flare, of my disease when my son was about one for the first couple years of his life. So having to navigate it, you know, with a toddler, with the exhaustion and the pain and all of that stuff was, was really tricky. But, you know, we navigated through and here we are finally in remission. So, yeah. So it’s been a it’s been a roller coaster of a journey over the years.

Amber Tresca 00:04:18 But, I want to ask you about the pancreatitis, though, because I think you may be the first person that I’ve had on this show that that’s come up. Do you remember, like, how did it present and how did they diagnose that?

Sarah McGovern 00:04:36 It took a while for them to figure out what it was. I had a pretty severe pain in, like, my back, my sort of my min back on my left side that would radiate kind of around the front.

Sarah McGovern 00:04:52 and, you know, for a long time, I just thought it was like, back pain or something, or we really had no idea what it was, and they didn’t know that it was related to the medication either. But I had just started. It was actually like a five aza medication, that I had started not too long before this pain started. and I guess they just ran, some blood work, like my pancreatic enzymes, and they were, like, through the roof. Oh, so they, I remember they called me one morning. We’re like, you need to immediately go to the emergency room. Oh, geez. but this was after dealing with the pain for a few weeks, and, So. Yeah, so I was in the hospital for a couple of days with that. and then they kind of put it together that. Oh, it’s probably this medication, even though it’s super rare. Yeah. You know, they didn’t want to believe it at first. they were looking at other things like my gallbladder.

Sarah McGovern 00:05:50 because that caused pancreatitis. So they removed my gallbladder as a precaution.

Amber Tresca 00:05:54 Oh my gosh.

Sarah McGovern 00:05:55 So that was fun. so that was, quite the journey. And then they kept me, I stopped taking the medication orally. but they kept me on it topically for a few years, thinking, okay, it’s not going systemically through your body, and it’ll be fine. and then about a year after my son was born, it happened again, and I actually pinpointed it. I knew, like, because the pain was.

Amber Tresca 00:06:22 So.

Sarah McGovern 00:06:23 Familiar. I was like, I don’t feel right. And I called my doctor and I said, hey, can you request some blood work for my pancreatic enzymes? And again, they were like through the roof. So they were like, you are never taking anything that has to do with this medication again. Right. and thankfully I’ve been fine for almost ten years since then. It hasn’t happened again. so. Yeah, but it was like a, it was, it was a very sharp like left sided pain.

Amber Tresca 00:06:55 Yeah. And it’s like what is that. That could be so many things. So you just start going down the list and pancreatitis is not high. No list.

Sarah McGovern 00:07:03 And because I didn’t really have you know, I was in my mid 20s, you know, I wasn’t there was there. There were no other like things that typically causes pancreatitis. Right. That would cause it. So they they weren’t even thinking of it. so yeah. But luckily it was like just the because there’s acute pancreatitis which is that or. Yeah chronic. And it didn’t turn into like a chronic issue thankfully does it.

Amber Tresca 00:07:33 Is it kind of I’m going to put like something in your brain that’s probably you don’t want there. but is it in the back of your mind sometimes that like you just go to take like anything really cold medicine? Like, I don’t know that it’s associated, but I’m just saying, like anything that you consider to be maybe a little benign, and then all of a sudden it’s like, oh, no, like what? What if this could cause pancreatitis? I think that might bother me.

Sarah McGovern 00:07:56 Not even just pancreatitis, but I seem to be that person who is like the 0.1% of everything I know. so, you know, if if I have any weird reaction to something, it’s like, of course, of course I do.

Amber Tresca 00:08:10 Like. Yeah.

Sarah McGovern 00:08:11 Yeah. So, Yeah, any, I mean, any new medication. I think that’s why I was so hesitant to go on biologics. Sure. And why I did, like the natural route. because it was after that. Then I started looking into other options because I was like, I’m scared of these medications now. Like, what are they going to do? Yeah. so that’s what led me. But the natural thing, really nothing worked.

Amber Tresca 00:08:35 yeah, unfortunately.

Sarah McGovern 00:08:36 And probably not getting traditional care for as long as I did. Probably could. Made it worse. You know, at some point. so. But I’m just grateful that research has improved so much in the last even decade. Yes. That the medications have gotten so much better and more effective, that, you know, we are where we are.

Sarah McGovern 00:09:00 And that kind of gives me hope for the future, too.

Amber Tresca 00:09:03 So yeah, 100%, 100%. So we really want to talk about travel after we’re done with the whole pancreatitis debacle. I want to talk about travel and IBD because it’s not easy to do. And I think for myself, sometimes I think about maybe going back to someplace I’ve been before versus going someplace new, because I might already know where the bathrooms are. And like, you know what I’m up against there. So what are your suggestions for people with IBD about planning travel?

Sarah McGovern 00:09:36 and I share that same sort of feeling that you did is, is always easier to kind of go somewhere familiar where you know, where everything is. first of all, research, you know, is I’m a research junkie, and I love to to learn about new destinations and, and all those things. So I really get into the specifics of destinations, you know, what are the accessibility options? You know what? How many bathrooms are located. and so I, I mean, some of my favorite trips for me personally to take because of it and, you know, to suggest to people are things like cruises are wonderful because you’re so close to your room.

Sarah McGovern 00:10:20 If you need to just lie down and take a nap, it’s literally steps away. there’s bathrooms on every floor. you can always find something. and they’re also really great with, dietary restrictions, too. When you make a reservation, you note any issues that you may have. So it’s on there. And then when you get to the dining rooms, They know, of your of your allergy, your whatever aversion that you have. but also there’s medical team on board. There’s a doctor on every ship. So God forbid something were to go wrong. You have that, a person there to, like, help you and things like that. So those feel like they just always feel like very safe places, you know, if, if you need anything. But. Yeah, just looking into places that, are accessible. Theme parks are great. Any of the theme parks are all sort of, you know, really accommodating to any disability, not just IBD. and they have a million bathrooms available, which is great.

Sarah McGovern 00:11:27 but even, you know, doing things like, road trips or, traveling to Europe or anywhere else, it’s a matter of just doing research in terms of exactly where you’re going. You know, what your specific needs are and finding what kind of works best for your situation so you feel comfortable. I feel like the more that I know about something, and the more prepared I am, the more comfortable I feel, even if I’ve never been there. So.

Amber Tresca 00:11:55 Right. Yeah, sometimes I worry that, like, I don’t deal well with uncertainty. So it’s kind of like and and nothing is really certain in life. You could be the point 1% of people that get pancreatitis, you know. So it’s kind of like trying and also like control issues. I think maybe that sort of is something as people that live with IBD for a long time, we sort of it just sort of like happens to us unfortunately, you know, but to your point, being able to do the research so that you do feel comfortable can go a long way towards making you feel like, okay, I can go on this vacation and right, and maybe relax, I don’t I don’t know what that word means.

Amber Tresca 00:12:32 I’m the type.

Sarah McGovern 00:12:33 Of person who runs like, I will run. I will, like, visualize the whole step of my trip, you know, just so I’m like, okay, I’m going to be here, here and here and like, I’ll even like street Google street map things so I can see it and it just brings that level of comfort. So okay. And even like, say you were going to a museum or something like looking at the museum map and being like, hey, the bathrooms are here on this floor, so or wherever. So just kind of knowing when you enter the building like, okay, this is where everything is. So if I need something, I kind of have an idea of it, in doing that in advance so that that’s what has helped me over. Yeah. Over time. Yeah.

Amber Tresca 00:13:16 Agree fully. And also sometimes having that information and knowing it is calming enough. Yeah. That then you feel like I’m I might not have a problem.

Sarah McGovern 00:13:27 Exactly.

Amber Tresca 00:13:28 I think that’s especially true for Ulcerative colitis.

Amber Tresca 00:13:30 I don’t know about Crohn’s disease. I can only speak from the ulcerative colitis standpoint, but I think that the anxiety definitely comes into play there. So knowing where things are and so many things, I think you have to know that a lot of places do put maps online. You can find that information. Or we could do it old school and just get on the phone and call somebody and ask them and you know, and do that too.

Sarah McGovern 00:13:54 Yeah, most places have everything available to you if you just take the time to look for it or, you know, that’s kind of where I come into play for my clients is doing that research for them. and I like doing it. So it’s not like it’s a tedious tour for me. so, Yeah, but just feeling as prepared as possible, so.

Amber Tresca 00:14:23 Okay, let’s talk about hacking for a minute, and I’m going to make a confession. Hello. My name is Amber, and I’m an over packer, and I feel like that’s Because as people with IBD, we literally don’t know what’s going to happen to our bodies and what we’re going to need.

Amber Tresca 00:14:42 So it comes from years of packing an extra set of clothes, maybe being worried about forgetting something, being stuck somewhere. I mean, because it’s it only has to happen to you once, and it has happened to me more than once that you’re making due somewhere that is less than optimal for what you’re experiencing. So I’m wondering what you think about with hacking as a travel advisor, and especially from that accessibility and IBD standpoint.

Sarah McGovern 00:15:16 Yeah. So a couple of things. First, hacking, I have an incredibly detailed list for my family that I keep, like on my computer, and I use it for every trip and then update it. You know, if I say I forget something, I’ll update it for the next trip or take something off. and then, you know, adjust it depending on where we’re going or whatever. and I’ve kind of taken that and I also have created them for my clients in terms of, you know, if you’re going to a theme park, here’s a packing list. And if you’re going to on a cruise, here’s a packing list.

Sarah McGovern 00:15:52 Not as specific as, you know, my family’s one, but more of a generic one, that people can, you know, customize what you need. So for me, my packing list is my number one thing. And my son, now he’s ten. He knows the ritual of packing. The list comes out. We got to go through everything. We check it off. He like, he goes step by step with me. so because I. I am also an incredible Uber packer. I’m getting better with it. And we’ve actually moved to carry ons, which is, like, shocking. Yeah. but it is so much easier to travel with. But we’ve I’ve been able to, to whittle it down. Packing cubes are a lifesaver because they squish everything so you.

Amber Tresca 00:16:37 Can double squish. It’s like you squish it in the packing cube, and then you can squish it in your luggage.

Sarah McGovern 00:16:41 Exactly. So it allows you to over pack. Yeah. Without without doing that two thing. From an IBD standpoint, I always have kind of I don’t say it’s like an emergency kit, but it’s just kind of something that I keep in my carry on bag or my bag that I’ll be taking out with me that have certain things that nine times out of ten, I’m not going to need, but just make me feel more comfortable that knowing that they’re there, you know, things that I needed, you know, now being in in remission, I really don’t need things as much, but things that I needed, you know, in the middle of a flare that were like life saving emergency kits, you know, just like extra prayers, underwear or wipes, things like that.

Sarah McGovern 00:17:24 And just having them with me at all times. that is always a go to, but also to help with the over packing. you know, more recently, I have been finding places that have laundry and making it a point to do laundry on vacation. because, you know, instead of packing five pairs of shorts, you can pack 2 or 3 and just wash them and then you don’t have to bring as much and you know, the same goes, you know. And then if you multiply that for everyone that you’re traveling with, it just really condenses everything down. And I know people are like, I don’t want to do laundry. I’m on vacation, of course. but I just find that it’s it’s, you know, so much easier. You throw it in at night when you get back from what you’re doing. and it’s done and ready for you. And then you don’t have as much laundry when you get home. Yes. You know, it only becomes minimal. So, that’s kind of become a real crucial thing for when my family travels.

Sarah McGovern 00:18:24 Now we’re I’m always like, okay, I want to make sure it has laundry. and I’m finding that more of my clients are are looking for or looking for places, especially people traveling with kids. Yes. because you know what kids like. They’ll just spill things. And, you know, you do have to bring extra clothes for kids. So having laundry is so much easier. So that’s that’s been a real help in, in the over packing situation. Yeah.

Amber Tresca 00:18:51 Yeah I like the I like to do laundry. It sounds wild, but when I can work it out, I will do all the laundry before we leave. You know, like, this is a good gift to.

Sarah McGovern 00:19:02 Yourself when.

Amber Tresca 00:19:03 It is when I come home. And then we just, like, put most of the stuff away and don’t worry about washing it. Yeah, it is a tiny little gift to myself. Yeah. When we were when we went to Europe, our plan was to do laundry, but they didn’t.

Amber Tresca 00:19:15 It’s not like the hotels have washing machines. So it was more of a hotel laundry situation. The cost? Yes. The cost was a little eye popping. but when you considered if we didn’t do that, we would have had to bring more luggage. And now checking luggage costs X. Yeah. Like, that’s.

Sarah McGovern 00:19:39 Kind of you have to factor that things in, you know, which is, which is more. And traveling to Europe is is interesting too. With that I mean we went to London last year and we did have a hotel that had self-service laundry, but they didn’t have dryers available. And we also stayed in a house that had a washing machine but didn’t have a dryer. So we had to hang everything. And that’s much more common in Europe, which, you know, you don’t think of it. You say like, oh, there’s a washing machine. Not there’s going to be thinking that. Yeah. It’s just you would in America that’s they come together but they’re they don’t.

Sarah McGovern 00:20:15 so you have to take that into consideration. That was a that was a fun surprise.

Amber Tresca 00:20:19 But your timing.

Sarah McGovern 00:20:20 We just had clothes hanging everywhere. But it was fine.

Amber Tresca 00:20:22 Yeah. I mean, I love to hang stuff, especially outside in the summer. I like to hang my towels out or whatever, but like, you gotta have a whole day to do it. Yeah, it’s not a quick.

Sarah McGovern 00:20:32 Plan that more plan it.

Amber Tresca 00:20:33 Yeah, yeah. So that’s a good tip. Make sure that there’s actually a chance if you’re traveling overseas.

Sarah McGovern 00:20:38 Yeah.

Amber Tresca 00:20:39 All right. The other big thing. Food. So I have experience not only for myself and my own restrictions, but you’re not too many. Just like I can’t eat too much like kale. Okay. Yeah. I don’t know what it is. Like other things I can get away with, but, like, kale is an absolutely no completely off the menu.

Sarah McGovern 00:21:00 I can’t either.

Amber Tresca 00:21:01 But I’m also an allergy mom, so we were dealing with that as well.

Amber Tresca 00:21:06 And that, of course, is more than just when it comes to me. I’m like, okay, whatever. So I don’t feel good for a little while. Big deal. But when it comes to like an allergy, that’s really like a more serious situation and you don’t want to ruin everybody’s vacation with a, you know, stabbing somebody with an EpiPen and then going to the hospital. So, what are your thoughts? Do you have any kind of a playbook for thinking about food when there’s, you know, this multi-generational and there could be probably more than one person that has some kind of restriction.

Sarah McGovern 00:21:35 yeah. And again, that that goes into the the research part too. I when I’m planning trips for people, I like one of the services I offer is to like, really get into detail and plan like dining, you know, all of their restaurants and things, or even just give suggestions. and so many places have menus online now, and but the thing is, restaurants that don’t have their menus online, I won’t recommend to people, especially if they have no, you know, knowing if there’s some sort of issue because, you know, I need to know that they’re going to be safe or, you know, there’s food.

Sarah McGovern 00:22:14 You know, I have a few restrictions to food that I can eat. I also have a I don’t have an allergy kit, but I have a very picky eater. So I have to make sure that yeah there’s things available for him. but yeah just you know doing that research, making sure like for instance, I have a client who’s going to Greece this summer with her family and one of her kids has a shellfish allergy, which is terrible to go to the Greek isles for the shellfish allergy. and they’re doing a cooking class, and, you know, she was super concerned, you know, like, do you think we’ll be able to do it? Like, what are they going to be? So, you know, I was able to contact the the destination management company that I’m working with who contacted the person doing a cooking class, got the menu of what they’ll be making just to, you know, make them feel more comfortable. Like, okay, everything on there is safe. They know you know what they’re doing.

Sarah McGovern 00:23:05 And and it’s also a matter of informing, you know, where you’re going that you have the allergies. So, you know, if you are, say, going on a cruise, letting them know and let everybody know, and then they’ll be more aware or, you know, letting the restaurants know. I found that Europe is actually way more allergy, way more friendly than here. And I was so surprised by that. I didn’t really know that. And I mean, everywhere we went, people were every place was asking.

Amber Tresca 00:23:34 The first question they asked to sit.

Sarah McGovern 00:23:35 Down, which doesn’t happen here. No, no. and you like it because it it’s so prevalent, you would think. And I was really pleasantly surprised by that. I felt much more comfortable there than I expected to. so I think, you know, I do have a lot of clients that are worried about, you know, going abroad, like, what’s the food, you know, are they gonna go, I’m like, I have to tell you, you feel way more at ease there than you probably would here.

Sarah McGovern 00:24:05 because they are very conscious of it. So that was that was really nice. but yeah, just, you know, looking, doing the research and if you do, you know, have really, really specific things, making sure you’re staying somewhere that’s close to a grocery store so you can go shopping and get like, essentials or even like breakfast foods or things that, you know, like I can’t eat eggs. So breakfast is like and I don’t like sweet breakfast. So like, breakfast can be a little tough for me, I know. so it can be a little, tough. And so, you know, just having a place, you know, knowing that we’re staying somewhere that’s either near, like a bakery where I can get, like, a croissant or like something or, a grocery store that has, like, fresh fruit that I can go get, knowing that that is nearby. So planning where you’re staying around, that kind of stuff is super helpful, I think. Yeah.

Amber Tresca 00:24:59 Yeah.

Amber Tresca 00:24:59 I really don’t like, like I don’t necessarily get into into that much of planning, but I don’t like staying in a hotel that does not have like a restaurant on site like that doesn’t, you know, go well. Yeah. For me.

Sarah McGovern 00:25:13 And it’s hard, like, you know, a lot of, you know, staying at, like, Airbnbs and stuff are becoming more common. Yeah. And I do I like having, like, a restaurant. so I tend to not be as much of the Airbnb traveler, but if I do, I need to stay somewhere that has something nearby.

Amber Tresca 00:25:38 All right. Sarah, we have been talking about travel, and you’ve given so many reasons why that working with a travel advisor is important. what about for people living with IBD? Or even. Let’s just open it up to, you know, people that need to find things that are accessible for one reason or another. Like, what’s the advantage of working with someone like you?

Sarah McGovern 00:25:59 Yeah, I actually get asked that all the time because.

Amber Tresca 00:26:03 Justify your existence.

Sarah McGovern 00:26:05 You know, with the with online travel booking today, people are like, it’s so easy to just go to Expedia or Priceline, but it’s so nuts. And yeah, and they’re like, so why do I even need you? And, the thing is, is there’s so many options out there. Yeah. Like, how do you know you’re getting not even the best deal? You know, a lot of people are like, do you have good deals? And I’m like, I’m not about the deals per se. It’s what fits you in your family best, right? And, you know, part of my job is just to constantly learn about what’s out there. I’m I take multiple webinars a week from different suppliers just on updates on, you know, their new products or their new offerings or, you know, cruise lines. Here’s our new ship or this is our, you know, one with Marriott. Here’s a new hotel we have or anything. so I’m always just learning and learning more about the industry and what’s out there.

Sarah McGovern 00:27:01 and, you know, also part of what I do is to form relationships with different suppliers. So having that relationship, knowing that, you know, we’re advocating for our clients if they need something. so it’s basically just like having somebody in your corner to help assist you. You know, like you’re going on vacation to not have stress. You know, that’s the whole point. Yeah. So why should it be stressful to plan it? You know, like it. And it just makes it, you know. Did I, you know, when you get there, did I, did I actually finalize that car rental, you know. Did I make that dining reservation? Things like that. So knowing that it’s all kind of handled for you don’t have to worry about it. You know, that’s what we do. And then, you know, hopefully it won’t happen. But then things happen when you travel. And, especially people, you know, with IBD and things you don’t know, you don’t know if you’re going to have a health issue if if something’s going to come up.

Sarah McGovern 00:28:02 So it’s it’s nice to have someone to help you. And in your corner, it’s like if you book with Expedia, you’re calling an 800 number and you’re going to get someone you’ve never spoken to that doesn’t know anything about you. Your trip. Your situation. you know, if you’ve been working with a travel advisor, I know you. I know your family’s names. I know what your kids like. I know you know exactly your itinerary and where you’re supposed to be today. so I’m there to help, in that situation. I mean, I, I prefer it when my clients don’t call me on vacation, because that means everything is kind of going.

Amber Tresca 00:28:40 Smoothly.

Sarah McGovern 00:28:41 And there’s no hiccups. so I don’t like hearing from them, but, you know, when I do, of course, it’s like, I will help them in any way possible. And, you know, that happens a lot, especially living up here in the northeast. Winter travel is wildly unpredictable. And, you know, I’ve had in my own travels this past winter, we with all the snow that we had here.

Sarah McGovern 00:29:05 Yeah. we were traveling. I was on a business trip and then meeting my family, and my husband and son got stuck in the snow and we had to, like, navigate all these things. And I was like, oh, I wish I had a travel advisor to help me with this. I don’t want to be doing this.

Amber Tresca 00:29:21 Yeah, yeah. I don’t want to be rebooking flights.

Sarah McGovern 00:29:23 For my family. Yeah. I wish somebody was here to help me. but yeah. So just all of that, it’s just having someone to assist you and, you know, and plan all those details for you. So.

Amber Tresca 00:29:37 Yeah, I love when I travel sometimes for work and I’m, you know, working with a client that plans to travel. It really does feel like having your nails done. I mean, it’s like showing up at the airport and having somebody, like, having a car there and, like what? Or even just having, like, a phone number to call and just again, it takes away that unpredictability a little bit.

Amber Tresca 00:30:02 I mean, stuff does happen. We absolutely landed in London and the driver was not there. And then, you know, I had to basically just go and get us a cab, which is not a difficult thing to do at an airport. We just wanted the cab station. And it’s something that I’m used to from traveling. So much for work, but, but we did have somebody to call and be like, what is going on? And, you know, how is this going to impact the rest of our bookings and, you know, all of that. And, and, and having also that intermediary we called our travel agent, she dealt with them. Yeah. Like I didn’t have to deal with them. I didn’t have to.

Sarah McGovern 00:30:39 Knowing that you can still go and enjoy your vacation and all that stuff is being handled for you, and you’ll get an update on what it is.

Amber Tresca 00:30:46 Got an update?

Sarah McGovern 00:30:47 Because otherwise you’re going to be calling whoever and.

Amber Tresca 00:30:51 Want to.

Sarah McGovern 00:30:51 Do that. Yeah, no.

Amber Tresca 00:30:52 I want to fly all the way to London to like, be on the phone with random.

Sarah McGovern 00:30:55 I know exactly.

Amber Tresca 00:30:56 How to driver people.

Sarah McGovern 00:30:58 Yeah. No one wants to go with that. So and also like, you know, I personally always make sure my clients have travel insurance. Yes.

Amber Tresca 00:31:06 We absolutely.

Sarah McGovern 00:31:06 And a lot of people just don’t think it’s necessary or, you know, they’re like, oh, we’ll be fine. so I like to share, you know, my even my personal stories and not just my client stories about how, I mean, that trip I mentioned back in the winter with my husband son, we had to rebook so many things and stay. They had to move days that they were traveling. We had to do all this stuff. And I mean, I got, I think about a $1,600 reimbursement from the insurance company, right? you know, otherwise we would have been out that money. But I felt fine. I was like, fine, let’s just rebook it without having to think of that sort of the monetary portion, like, oh, can we afford to do this? I’m like, well, I have insurance and they’re going to cover this, so we’re good.

Sarah McGovern 00:31:53 So it sort of adds that, that peace of mind. So it’s also like educating my clients about, you know, this is why things are beneficial. I know it’s extra money, but in the long run it’s like it’s another piece of mind that you’ll have. Right. So, so it’s just kind of helping people, you know, think of things that maybe they haven’t thought of before or even finding really cool experiences, you know, that I have access to or that I’ve seen, on, you know, one of the trainings I’ve done. that they might not know about. So it’s, it’s just kind of having that knowledge, but also the advocate for you.

Amber Tresca 00:32:28 So yeah, I love it.

Sarah McGovern 00:32:30 Or therapist, whatever. You know.

Amber Tresca 00:32:32 Therapist.

Sarah McGovern 00:32:33 Whatever you feel like, whatever it is.

Sarah McGovern 00:32:35 That has come into play. Yeah. 

Amber Tresca 00:32:40 Yeah. You know, I could definitely see that.

[MUSIC: About IBD Transition]

Amber Tresca 00:32:44 Up next, hear from a travel advisor about some travel hacks.

Amber Tresca 00:33:00 All right. We’re going to get to what might be both of our favorite question that we’re going to talk about. We’re going to talk about Disney for a minute. Okay. having been to I’ve been at Disneyland once, Disney World many times, and I enjoy Disney World, so at Disneyland as well, because a lot of the issues around food and bathrooms and accessibility are already dealt with and solved. And I don’t have to think about, you know, that kind of thing. So I, you know, I guess I’m going to be a big advocate for people with IBD, going to Disney. but I’m wondering from your perspective, you know, how you think about it and what you tell your clients that are looking for those, those, you know, looking for the bathrooms and the theme parks are looking for the, you know, the food allergy menu, things like that.

Sarah McGovern 00:33:55 so I’ve been going to Disney for over 40 years now, and like, I’ve probably been there. I don’t even know.

Amber Tresca 00:34:02 I stopped counting. We were trying to figure it out.

Sarah McGovern 00:34:04 I don’t know. No idea. Yeah. And it’s always been, like, a second home to me. But, you know, when I got IBD and, especially during flares and stuff, it was the only place that I felt comfortable traveling to for years. Yeah. we didn’t really venture out anywhere else and kept going back to Disney. And people were always like, why are you going to Disney so much? I’m like, what are you doing? Yeah. And I’m like, you know, it it really is the the only place that takes any sort of accessibility. Like give it IBD or whatever, anything really into deep consideration where you can feel comfortable traveling there with your family. and, like you mentioned, that’s how I found you online was about the, the multiple bathrooms. And I was like, this is exactly why I go there. because there’s literally bathrooms every, like, you know, everywhere 30ft.

Amber Tresca 00:34:58 And I’ve been in them all.

Sarah McGovern 00:34:59 Yes, I know exactly. You could plop me anywhere and be like, where’s the closest bathroom? Yeah.

Amber Tresca 00:35:03 That’s right.

Sarah McGovern 00:35:04 Yeah. Right over there. Yep. So. Yeah, that just it makes everything way more comfortable. But, you know, the food part of it. they have separate allergy menus at every single restaurants that you can request. well, when you make your dining reservations, you can list any allergy that you have, and then they’ll that’ll be on your reservation when you show up, and they’ll give you a special allergy menu. And then, the thing that I like the best, because there was a time, you know, when I was trying all different natural ways that I was doing every elimination diet under the sun, so I wasn’t eating gluten or dairy or anything for a while. but. So when you actually flag those things and say you have an allergy, the chef will come out to your table and it’s a non-negotiable. They’re like, if you say you have an allergy, the chef is coming out.

Sarah McGovern 00:35:58 and so, like, now that I’m kind of more aware of what I can eat, there are certain foods like I can’t eat straight, I can eat eggs, like, cooked into things, but I can’t eat like scrambled eggs. yeah. And I can’t eat like bell peppers. so I, I can pick that stuff out of the menu. so I tend to not when I’m at Disney not tell them that, because then it, like, alarm bells go off and the chef comes out and it like it.

Amber Tresca 00:36:25 Has like.

Sarah McGovern 00:36:25 That it becomes the whole thing. And I’m like, it’s not that bad. I’m okay. so. But that’s how serious they take it. So it, it, it can make people with, with any sort of food issue just so much more comfortable and that it’s not just the, the, you know, the restaurants that you sit in. It’s it’s the quick service locations. It’s the grab and goes. It’s everywhere, things like that. So, everything is really super comfortable and, you know, and I think you might have mentioned this to me, but it’s it’s a little unfortunate how their policies have changed on their accessibility.

Sarah McGovern 00:37:03 so you used to and I mean, I used to, which was great when I was having players be able to take advantage of, you get just called the, the days pass, so it’s a disability access service, but, where you would, prior to your trip, you call in, you have, like, a video interview with someone to determine your need for the pass. and then, you would either get approved or denied for a pass, and they still have this, but they really only limit it now to people, with like, autism or sensory. Right. disabilities, things like that. who can’t physically, who can’t wait in line for long periods of time. and it’s really unfortunate that they’ve changed it for people like us because, I mean, there were many times, even before having the past, I would have to run out of a line 100%. Yeah. And, like, leave my family and be like, I gotta go, I.

Amber Tresca 00:38:04 Gotta.

Sarah McGovern 00:38:04 Go. Yeah.

Sarah McGovern 00:38:05 Like, So having that made it made me feel so much more comfortable about being there. so, you know, I wish they would reconsider stuff like that, but there were people who were abusing the system, unfortunately. Yeah. but there are ways to get around that. And, you know, someone who I kind of know all the tips and tricks on Disney is to, like how to avoid waiting in lines. And, yeah, you know, you can utilize the lightning lane system to, to avoid doing that and all of those things which again you have to pay extra for but worth for me it’s worth a thousand times worth it. Yeah. so just to like again, have that peace of mind, that I’m not going to have to run somewhere in the middle of, you know, waiting after waiting, like, an.

Amber Tresca 00:38:51 Hour a long.

Sarah McGovern 00:38:52 Time, and then you’re like, oh, so but yeah, there’s also things. I mean, you can always talk to cast members. I have found that they are so accommodating there as well, as long as as long as you are nice to them and explain your situation, they’re going to do anything they can to help you.

Sarah McGovern 00:39:08 So if you’re like, I can’t wait on this line because you know, of this issue, oftentimes they will let you come back, you know, like, you know, okay, wait this long and come back and I’ll let you in. And if you you can get that personal one on one on one relationship with them. So I don’t know.

Amber Tresca 00:39:27 Yes it absolutely. Oh I almost died doing this. But I did do it one time I was waiting for, the safari that I can’t remember the proper name for it right now. in Animal Kingdom and we were we didn’t have Lightning Lane. We were on a school trip. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Anyway, everyone was in line. I went, I came out and I said to the cast member, I have really got to go to the ladies. And they said, are your people in line? I said, yeah, actually they are. And he said, tell them when they get to the end to just tell the cast member there, let them hold for a second.

Amber Tresca 00:40:04 And then when you’re done, come back. And then he told me that the, the super secret way to get back, to get back into it. And then I met them there. And so it wasn’t like I was trying to subvert anything. It was like like they were waiting in line for me. So sorry to my friend that was doing that, but, but it worked it out so that I could still go on the ride. Right. We did wait in the line. It wasn’t trying to, you know, get any special treatment, but honest to goodness, I couldn’t. I couldn’t do it anymore. Yeah. You know, Kilimanjaro Safari, that’s what it’s called. Yeah. And and they were so lovely about it, you know. And so I think I learned for myself, like, just ask for help, even though it’s like, ask for help. What? Why? No. Not me. but if you do that.

Sarah McGovern 00:40:48 That’s an autoimmune type of person that you don’t ask for help.

Sarah McGovern 00:40:52 No, because you’re used to toughing. You tough it out through everything. So I guess.

Amber Tresca 00:40:57 I didn’t want to be accused of trying to, like, subvert. Exactly. Because I would never, you know, I mean, I never got I never got one of those. I didn’t know it existed years ago. I didn’t know until I think I was traveling with someone who lives with an ostomy. And we were like, we absolutely have to to do this. You know, there’s just no. And it’s like, come on, can we go? Can we go by Ada rules? Yeah. You know.

Sarah McGovern 00:41:17 I didn’t think about it either. For the longest time. I didn’t think I was because I was like, I don’t have a like I always thought of it as somebody who can’t physically stand right or. Yeah. Has some like physical limitation that they can’t do that. And it just dawned on me one day, like when just like your situation, I live and I’m like, oh, I actually qualify for this because I can’t wait online either.

Sarah McGovern 00:41:41 but yeah. So, I wish they would reconsider it at some point. I don’t know, I don’t know how to get around that with them, but at least the cast members are nice enough to do things like that. And they really it’s just kind of the level of Disney service. And that’s the problem. When you go there so much, you kind of get used to it and you go somewhere else and you’re like, what is this?

Amber Tresca 00:42:02 Yeah, what do you mean?

Sarah McGovern 00:42:04 Yeah.

Amber Tresca 00:42:04 Are you gonna help me? Yeah. Why aren’t you telling me to have a magical day? Come on. I know.

Sarah McGovern 00:42:09 But, like. Yeah. So, I mean, I think it’s like that comfort knowing that even though you don’t know this person. Yeah, they’re still going to help you if you need it. Unlike, you know, if you just go somewhere else, you really don’t know. So they’re trained to, to help people. So it feels much more comfortable. I always I mean, Disney is an animal is a total beast these days in terms of planning and timing.

Sarah McGovern 00:42:34 And it’s, it’s a lot. And people get really overwhelmed by it. But, I still think it’s one of the best places to travel to as a family. and then Disney Cruise Line is just I know I’m now obsessed with it, so I, I didn’t want to go on cruises. I was never I never wanted to. I was like, they’re not. For me. It seems weird to be stuck on a big thing in the middle of the water. And we tried one. there was a cruise out of New York, so I was like, all right, we don’t have to fly anywhere. Yeah, let’s just try it. And we did a four night, on the Disney dream to Bermuda, and we were like, this is the most amazing thing we’ve ever done. And now, you know, I’ve been on five.

Amber Tresca 00:43:24 So amazing.

Sarah McGovern 00:43:26 We don’t leave until we have the next one booked. Like, I can’t wait to get back on a ship. So I have the bug.

Amber Tresca 00:43:33 Yeah, I understand that.

Sarah McGovern 00:43:35 Yeah.

Amber Tresca 00:43:46 All right, sir, let’s talk about some travel hacks. I’m going to tell you my travel hack. And it’s such a dumb little tiny one, but I am so.

Sarah McGovern 00:43:53 Excited.

Amber Tresca 00:43:54 About it. And people ask me every time they see me do it. So I found out how to put up the on a plane, the aisle armrest. Yeah, okay. Like you can put them up. They’re all a little different depending on which plane you’re on. But if you reach and you feel under there, you go all the way to the back of the arm and you look for it. There’s probably a button and you can raise it up. And I’m not kidding. Every time I do it on a plane, somebody goes, oh.

Sarah McGovern 00:44:21 I know what?

Amber Tresca 00:44:22 Because I have gotten big bruises on my legs from trying to get in and out. And it’s just it’s a lot now you got to put it back down otherwise before you land. Otherwise they’re coming at you and telling you to put it down.

Amber Tresca 00:44:32 but that’s my tiny little travel hack. How about you? What are some travel?

Sarah McGovern 00:44:36 That’s a really good one. my husband does that too. Especially just trying to get all your stuff. Just try.

Amber Tresca 00:44:41 To.

Sarah McGovern 00:44:41 Get in. It’s just. It’s hard. That one’s great. one thing that I love. is. And I’m. I’m not sponsored by this brand at all, but it’s a it’s a bag called a fold. Have you seen those?

Amber Tresca 00:44:56 I have.

Sarah McGovern 00:44:56 One. Oh, yeah. Yes.

Amber Tresca 00:44:58 You know what? I have the teal one. I’m not even lying. Yeah.

Sarah McGovern 00:45:02 Yeah. but they, That has been a game changer with us for travel because we’re like okay, we’re only you always I mean you always come home from vacation with stuff. Totally. Always. You’re never not going to have extra stuff. so instead of hacking another large bag, you know, it folds up into about this bag. Yeah. You put it in your luggage and then you have a I mean, it it gets pretty big.

Amber Tresca 00:45:27 It gets very big for something that’s like half the size of a piece of paper, that’s kind of the size that it folds up to.

Sarah McGovern 00:45:34 And it. And so you have this whole other bag so you don’t have to worry about it. Yeah. coming back and that has been a total game changer because we always have to use to find. I mean, I know people who like, buy luggage on.

Amber Tresca 00:45:46 I’ve seen it. I’ve seen it.

Sarah McGovern 00:45:47 Bring stuff home.

Amber Tresca 00:45:48 Yeah.

Sarah McGovern 00:45:49 so that has been a huge thing. If you want to sponsor me for Aldi, I gotcha. but, Yeah. so that one is has been really huge, but also, you know, traveling with kids and stuff just to, like, just pack snacks. I know it’s I know it’s like a stupid hack, but, like, a lot of times you don’t think about it when you’re packing your clothes and your toiletries and stuff, just, you know, keeping yourself and the other humans you travel with. well fed protein.

Amber Tresca 00:46:24 Yes.

Sarah McGovern 00:46:25 avoids a lot of, fighting and.

Amber Tresca 00:46:29 And and hangry. Yeah. Agree?

Sarah McGovern 00:46:31 Exactly.

Amber Tresca 00:46:32 Agree.

Sarah McGovern 00:46:32 Totally. But. Yeah. not a ton of, like, travel hacks, I guess I don’t know.

Amber Tresca 00:46:39 I mean, I think those are big ones. I now like to bring the folding and I will carry on. If I can. Now, if they’re gate checking, I’m a girl. Yeah. I will hand it over and and do a gate check, because I always have a change of clothes, like in my backpack, you know. So I’m good, but I’ll bring the full D and then on the way back if I have to check it. But also I have an airline credit card. Again, this is you know, my privilege is showing, but I have an airline credit card and I kind of got it because then I don’t have to check a bag because I travel enough that it makes sense, you know? And then that first bag is free. So on the way back, I checked that bag.

Amber Tresca 00:47:22 And then also on the way back, like, I don’t care. Like on the way there, I care where my stuff is. Yeah. On the way back. I don’t care if it gets lost, like for a couple of days. No biggie. it’s just on the way there that I get a little precious about it, but on the way back, it’s like, it’s totally fine. And you know what else I’ve done? Now that I can check a bag for free because I have the credit card when I’m flying one particular airline, no hope of them ever sponsoring me, so I’m not going to say the name. but my fold is my snack bag. Oh, that’s my snack bag. Yeah. Fill it full of snacks. I put in, like like my heating pad and, like, stuff that if it goes missing for, like, a day, like, or two days, like we can live. I’ll be fine. but also kind of stuff that we might use while we’re, while we’re there, you know.

Amber Tresca 00:48:11 And then I’ve got the room for souvenirs on the way back. You know.

Sarah McGovern 00:48:16 That reminds me, too. one thing is to make sure. So a lot of us, you know, we take medications daily for IBD and everything. Yeah. To always keep that on you. Always, like, always keep that in your carry on. Like with you, no matter what. because that’s the last thing you want is for your bag to get lost and then to not have that have what you need in there. So any of those essentials, make sure that they’re with you at all times for sure. but I agree looking into good. You know, if, if you do travel, not even a lot. you know, even if it’s.

Amber Tresca 00:48:55 Like.

Sarah McGovern 00:48:56 Once.

Amber Tresca 00:48:56 A year.

Sarah McGovern 00:48:57 Looking two things, looking into a good, travel credit card. you know, if there is an airline local to your area that, you know, is something that, you know, you travel all the time, you do have, I mean, having perks like that.

Sarah McGovern 00:49:11 I also have one where it, you know, you get that bag for free, you can check it. And for over packers, you don’t feel bad about bringing the big suitcase.

Amber Tresca 00:49:20 Then you also get on a little earlier. Not very early. Yeah, a little earlier. I’ve never had I haven’t had a gate check in a while because I get on in their space for me. Right.

Sarah McGovern 00:49:30 But then also like, you know, having points and things. Even if you know you do just travel once a year, you don’t have to pay for your flights and that is a like a. Flights are so expensive these days that being able to cover it with any sort of airline points or miles or whatever you know, your thing takes, is it can be a huge saver and make your travel a lot more affordable. and then also to look into like TSA PreCheck. especially for people with IBD, because.

Amber Tresca 00:50:02 Those.

Sarah McGovern 00:50:02 Those security lines there can get long and those people don’t care about.

Amber Tresca 00:50:06 Absolutely.

Sarah McGovern 00:50:07 yeah. They don’t care if you’re getting.

Amber Tresca 00:50:09 You will not get out of line. It doesn’t matter how nice, how nice you try to be. Yeah.

Sarah McGovern 00:50:12 PreCheck is such a lifesaver. And it is. It is in I think it’s like $120.

Amber Tresca 00:50:20 Yeah, 500, 200 for five years.

Sarah McGovern 00:50:22 Yeah, yeah. And all kids are covered. So anyone? I think it’s under 12. I want to say, are covered under yours.

Amber Tresca 00:50:29 I think it’s even higher than that No. So I think it’s actually 17 and under because I just traveled with my daughter who was 16. She did get to come with me through pre-check, but then I forgot, like right after my son turned 18 to get his, I forgot. So one of the first things that we did is I sent him and he went and got his because.

Sarah McGovern 00:50:48 I didn’t go through security and go by.

Amber Tresca 00:50:50 I mean, we did do it that time. We had to do that time because it didn’t occur to me. But then when we got home, I was like, okay, go and handle it.

Amber Tresca 00:50:57 Go. It was like literally just like going to the staples and with a birth certificate or whatever.

Sarah McGovern 00:51:01 It’s so easy and it seems like an extra cost. But like if you look at it like.

Amber Tresca 00:51:07 Time anxiety.

Sarah McGovern 00:51:08 All of that, it is so worth it. because, I mean, you know, especially I mean, if you’re going to Florida, sometimes those lines in Orlando to come back from Disney can be up to an hour. I mean, we saw this over, you know, with,

Amber Tresca 00:51:23 The governor, the government.

Sarah McGovern 00:51:24 Shutdown.

Amber Tresca 00:51:24 Or who knows if that’ll happen.

Sarah McGovern 00:51:26 Yeah, you never know. So to have PreCheck is has been I will never travel without it again. And then if you’re going internationally, look into things like Global Entry, things like there’s a bunch of different things. Yeah. if you’re traveling to different places, but that will really save you not only time, but like anxiety of having to wait in line and things like that. So.

Amber Tresca 00:51:50 Yeah. Absolutely. And then I have another confession to make.

Amber Tresca 00:51:54 This is my privilege of showing again. I did also sign up for clear. I wasn’t convinced now. Your airport has to have it. Yeah. So Westchester County has a JFK, has it? I’m not sure where else, but Orlando has it. Yeah. And it really did help us, like a lot.

Sarah McGovern 00:52:13 Is it faster than pre-check? Yes. Okay. Yeah.

Amber Tresca 00:52:17 Yes. Because they honestly take you right to almost the front of the line. Yeah.

Sarah McGovern 00:52:23 Like separate.

Amber Tresca 00:52:25 It’s a separate thing and it depends on the airport. So you’re not It’s not always going to work the same way wherever you are. But in Orlando we went like right to the front of the line. And again, I want to say, because I have the airline credit card, I got a little discount. I want to say it was like $130. And then I’ll tell you what happened. Then they sent me an email and said, you can have three free passes. Oh, so guess what? My husband and I, he doesn’t have clear.

Amber Tresca 00:52:56 I just have it because I’m on planes like once a month, and I was able to give him a free pass. So then he was coming with me somewhere.

Sarah McGovern 00:53:04 Great.

Amber Tresca 00:53:05 Amazing. Yeah. You know, again, it’s adding a couple hundred dollars onto your trip. Yep. and I don’t know how often you have to renew it, whether it’s every year or every couple of years, so you will have to renew it. But for right now, I’m just like the way that my body is behaving. It has taken so much anxiety off me.

Sarah McGovern 00:53:27 You know, he’s like finding any of those, you know, thinking about what causes you stress when you travel. Like, what is it? What are those little things? And then finding how to put ease to those and to just to make them a little easier because, you know, there’s there’s always something it just sometimes takes a little bit of digging, or, you know, talking to a travel advisor who might know how to help you or whatever.

Sarah McGovern 00:53:52 Yeah. like, again, going to Europe now, there’s a lot of there’s new restrictions on going to Europe that actually just went into effect. So like I’ll get notices about that. And then any of my clients that are traveling, you know, I’ll send it out to them. Whereas they might not know that, you know, if.

Amber Tresca 00:54:09 You could be in the middle of a trip.

Sarah McGovern 00:54:10 Yeah, something could change. So, yeah. it’s just, you know, being aware of those things that, you know, might cause you some stress or anxiety and just figuring out how to make it more comfortable for you can make travel so much more accessible for everyone. So. Yeah. yeah, I, you know, I think travel is so important. just for, you know, mental health to get out, get out of your every day, but also to, like, experience other cultures, meet new people, like, you know, just do different things. It’s so important. so I hate to think that people are, you know, limiting themselves because of, say, a disability they might have and not wanting to, to do that.

Sarah McGovern 00:54:56 And there is a there’s always a way to, to make everything comfortable for them.

Amber Tresca 00:55:02 Yeah. You just have to ask. Yeah.

Sarah McGovern 00:55:04 Well, that’s the worst.

Amber Tresca 00:55:07 Sara, I want everybody to be able to find you. I wish I had met you some years ago, because you could have helped me out with, some of our big family trips that we. That we took. so where can folks find you online? Where can they find Halcyon Travel?

Sarah McGovern 00:55:26 so, I have a website that’s Halcyon Travel dot CEO Soco. and I’m on Instagram. Facebook. I have, my business site, which is Halcyon Travel Co. for both of those, which are more fully travel, related information in terms of destinations and travel news. and then my personal is Sarah McGovern, 99, which is also travel travel related. But more of my personal travels, and my daily life, like my wildlife garden that’s going on outside my house at the moment. So you’ll get daily bird updates if you’re into that too.

Amber Tresca 00:56:08 I’m 100% into that.

Sarah McGovern 00:56:10 Yeah, but it’s a mix of travel and, daily mom life things in there, too. Yeah. Yeah.

[Music: IBD Dance Party]

Amber Tresca 00:56:17 Amazing. Yeah. Thank you so much for doing this with me. Well, the beginning is, is that you reached out to me and were like, hey lady, I am also like digging the Disney and let’s work on something together. And so I loved that you did that and that we were able to make this work. And then this is great. We got on our call together and realized we were we live at like a half an hour.

Sarah McGovern 00:56:38 I don’t even think it’s that far. We’re so close. So it’s great. I know, I know, I love it.

Amber Tresca 00:56:43 And then I was able to find a place for us to get together and record.

Sarah McGovern 00:56:46 I know this is wonderful. It was like a added bonus. I just thought I was gonna reach out to someone. But now I know some someone new here in Connecticut. Yeah.

Amber Tresca 00:56:54 Absolutely.

Amber Tresca 00:56:55 We will know with friends. Yeah. Of course, like you will never get rid of me. I am so sorry to say, but that’s how it works.

Sarah McGovern 00:57:02 I’m done.

Amber Tresca 00:57:02 So excellent. Thank you so very much.

Sarah McGovern 00:57:05 Thank you so much for having me. It’s been really fun.

Amber Tresca 00:57:10 Hey, super listener. Check the show notes to find links and information about the topics discussed in this episode. Plus get a written transcript and much more on my website About IBD. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider sharing it with someone else or leaving a rating in your podcast app. Reviews and ratings help me grow this show and bring you more great content. Thanks for listening and remember, until next time, I want you to know more about IBD.

About IBD is a production of Mal and Tal Enterprises.

It is written, produced, and directed by me, Amber Tresca.

Mix and sound design is by Mac Cooney.

Theme music is from Cooney Studio. 

Sarah McGovern 00:57:58 We could like.

Amber Tresca 00:58:00 We could like go to a beach or something and just sit there together.

Sarah McGovern 00:58:04 Go to a vineyard.

Amber Tresca 00:58:07 Oh, that’s I like that even more.

Sarah McGovern: It could be cool.

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