When Liz was unavailable I said I was going to go LIVE with my husband Matt to discuss Artificial Intelligence. Liz got wind of this and pulled her jet-lagged-self together for a chat about travel.
I can’t BELIEVE we forgot to discuss the time we went camping for my 31st birthday and got in a very significant fight over Bear protocol, but I’m confident that will weave its way in to a future episode.
And speaking of A.I.—even though I have lots of thoughts and hesitations about it, Liz showed me how to use it for good to make timestamp prompts of our episodes.
For that, I thank you, dear Robots.
For my human friends, leave all your best travel tips in the comments and questions you want to ask Matt for when we do get around to having our A.I. chat.
Until then, here’s what you can expect from Friday’s episode, besides these two cross-stitchable quotes:
“Come to us for a travel LIVE where we just make up facts about places in the world.” - Joy
“I am a sleep PRINCESS.” - Liz
🕰️ Main Moments & Timestamps
🎙️ Opening Banter
00:00–00:01
Joking about oversized wine glasses and Stanley Cups.
🇮🇹 Travel Talk – Italy, Venice, and Over-Tourism
00:01–00:03
Discussing anti-tourism protests in Spain and Italy (water guns spraying tourists, Jeff Bezos wedding in Venice).00:02:27–00:03:55
Venice feeling like Disneyland vs. a living city.
Liz shares her experience visiting Venice—initial wonder, then overwhelm. Joy talks about what Paris has done to keep it a living city.
🖼️ Florence vs. Venice
00:07–00:08
Clearing up confusion about where Michelangelo’s David is (Florence).00:07:48–00:08:08
Florence described as feeling alive, unlike Venice.
🧀 Food Adventures – Burrata & Spain
00:08–00:09
Joy’s birthday trip to Puglia, birthplace of burrata cheese.00:08:52–00:09:19
Pan con tomate and stracciatella—food memories from Spain.
🦗 Durian, Insects & Eating Weird Things
00:09–00:14
Durian fruit—smells like “rotting flesh,” tastes like “dirty feet.”00:10:59–00:12:00
Eating century eggs and fried insects.00:12:00–00:13:08
Joy describes eating sheep brain in Paris (“once in a lifetime”).
🌏 Work Trips & Integrating Kids
00:14:21–00:16:00
Liz’s work trip to Thailand leading Noonday Collection ambassadors.00:16:08–00:20:00
Liz taking her middle son to Hawaii for agro-research on cacao.00:19:50–00:21:30
Realization: building a life that integrates work, adventure, and kids.
👦 Holden Co-leading the Trip
00:21:28–00:22:13
16-year-old Holden managing trip logistics (tipping, ironing clothes).
👧 Solo Kid Trips & Parenting Reflections
00:22:17–00:25:00
Joy’s trip to Michigan with Emerson, how solo trips transform connection.00:25:04–00:26:38
Seeing kids’ personalities emerge without their siblings.
🗺️ Staycations & Intentional Traditions
00:26:38–00:27:40
Viewer shares: overnights at 5, domestic trips at 10, international trips at 15.
🧒 Building Agency & Confidence
00:28:00–00:31:30
Liz describes having Theo fundraise and present a project to earn a trip to Miami.00:31:40–00:33:20
Theo giving a PowerPoint at family dinner (nervous but empowered).
🧠 Encouraging Growth & Taking Risks
00:33:00–00:34:15
Joy shares feeling adrenaline presenting in her daughter’s class.00:34:15–00:35:00
How to encourage kids without overwhelming them.
✨ 35:00–37:30
Everyday Agency & Reverse Psychology
Liz shares how she frames tasks as “who gets to do this?” instead of making them sound scary.
Examples: letting kids order, pay, ask for help in public, or go find items in stores.
🧒 37:30–39:30
Millie’s Different Reactions
Joy reflects on Millie sometimes “crumbling” when challenged.
Discusses how phrasing things with excitement can change kids’ reactions.
Joy: “If we’re losing our minds with excitement, they’re going to be excited about it.”
👫 39:30–41:00
Sibling Dynamics & Encouraging Participation
Liz jokes about pitting kids against each other with “only one gets the opportunity.”
Explains that framing even mundane tasks like picking up cow patties as a competition can get buy-in.
💬 41:00–45:00
Wrap-Up Reflections
Both share how important it feels to model curiosity, risk-taking, and agency.
Liz: “I want my kids to see that you can be nervous and still do the thing.”
Joy agrees: “That’s the whole point—showing them you can feel the butterflies and not stop.”
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