Relationships Episodes

This week’s episode features one of my favorite people—Kristen Woods, my sister from another mister. We dive into everything from how we met and our unique bond, to our shared travels and deep conversations about faith, and embracing cultural diversity. ✨ Travel Tip from Kristen: What she wishes she knew before her first cruise. 🎤 Special Guest: Kristen Woods 💬 Hot Topics: TV shows, 23 & Me, spirituality, and more This is a heartfelt, real, and refre...

In this episode of Travel Time Stories with Shannon, I open up about one of the most difficult journeys of my life: surviving a narcissistic relationship. I share what these toxic relationships look like, how to recognize the signs, and why setting boundaries is not only important but life-saving. You’ll also hear a deeply personal story of survival that blends the supernatural with faith, reminding us that even in our darkest moments, the light is stronger than the darkness. A...

💜 Do you remember your first love? Was it sweet, silly, heartbreaking, or unforgettable? First loves leave more than memories — they shape how we see ourselves and how we love in the future. In this week’s episode of Travel Time Stories with Shannon, I share my own story of first love, what it taught me, and how those early experiences still echo in our lives today. ✉️ Got a first love story of your own? Drop it in the comments or email me at lamkintravel@gmail.com I migh...

In this raw and honest episode of Travel Time Stories with Shannon, I share the beginning of my story with David — the man I’ve long called “the devil.” What started as charm and protection quickly became control, abuse, and the kind of toxic love that nearly destroyed me. This is the beginning of my descent into darkness, and I tell it exactly as I lived it — the good, the bad, and the ugly. But life, like travel, always has layers. Alongside the shadows, I also bring you ligh...

This week on Travel Time Stories with Shannon, I continue sharing the raw, unfiltered chapters of my life with David — the calm before the storm. After heartbreak and rebellion, I found myself drawn to someone older, magnetic, and dangerous. From runaway nights to secret phone calls and reckless bonfires, my world with David unfolded in ways I couldn’t have imagined. What began as protection and passion soon pulled me deeper into a life that felt both thrilling and terrif...

In this deeply personal episode of Travel Time Stories with Shannon, I continue my story with David—the man who became both my anchor and my undoing. From pool halls and jealousy, to an unforgettable trip to Memphis, and finally a night where love, trauma, and something unexplainable collided, this chapter of my journey is where light and darkness began their battle. Alongside my personal story, I share today’s travel tip about group travel and booking strategies that can save ...

In this deeply emotional episode of Travel Time Stories with Shannon, I share the final chapter of my story with David - a story of love that turned dark, of abuse that nearly cost me everything, and of the moment light broke through the shadows. What began as young love became a journey through fear, control, and survival. This is the story of how I lost myself, found my strength, and learned that even in the darkest moments, there is always a way back to the light. If you or ...

Today’s episode is a little different. It’s a follow-up to my four-part series The Devil I Loved, where I shared my story—raw, real, and unfiltered—about my life with David.” If you’ve listened to those episodes, you know it wasn’t easy to tell. But it was necessary. And today, I want to talk more about what has happened since, how I’ve grown, and what I’ve learned from sharing my truth.

What happens when two best friends hit the road for 6,000 miles? In this episode of Travel Time Stories, host Shannon welcomes Tori and Taryn, the hosts of Healing When Traveling Treasures podcast. They share their incredible journey of friendship that spans over 45 years and their recent 6,000-mile road trip adventure across the United States. The conversation delves into the importance of family connections, healing experiences at a camp for cancer survivors, and the jo...

This episode is personal. In this solo chapter of Travel Time Stories with Shannon, I open up about the season of my life when everything quietly began to change — not because the past disappeared, but because I slowly learned that something steady could exist alongside it. I share the story of meeting my husband Jeff after leaving an abusive relationship, returning to Houston, and trying to piece myself back together while still carrying fear, self-doubt, and unhealed trauma. ...

⚠️ Content Note: This episode includes discussions of grief and loss. Please take care of yourself while listening. Grief doesn’t come with a timeline — and it doesn’t look the same for everyone. In this episode of Travel Time Stories with Shannon, Shannon and Ann sit down with Lisa Rites, certified grief educator and author, for an honest, compassionate conversation about the many forms grief can take — including loss, divorce, and life transitions that don’t always get acknowledged. Toge...

What if the very traits you’ve questioned about yourself are actually your greatest strengths? In this episode of Travel Time Stories with Shannon, we sit down with Marita Tedder — author, speaker, and personality expert — to explore The Personalities and how understanding them can transform the way we see ourselves and others. Growing up alongside her mother, renowned author Florence Littauer, Marita has spent over 50 years helping people understand the why behind their behaviors. This co...

You don’t always recognize abuse when you’re in it. In this deeply emotional and eye-opening episode of Travel Time Stories, Shannon and Ann sit down with Mia Hanks, author of the award-winning memoir Bride-Made, to talk about her 29-year marriage to a covert narcissist—and the long, painful journey to understanding what she had been living through. Narcissistic abuse doesn’t always look the way we expect. It can be quiet. Subtle. Confusing. It can make you question your reality, your wort...

Why do toxic relationships feel so hard to leave? Why is sexuality still so difficult to talk about honestly? And why do humans continue repeating emotional patterns they know are hurting them? In this deep, unfiltered conversation, Shannon and Ann sit down with transformational coach and author Dr. Stephen Paul Edwards to discuss toxic relationships, emotional addiction, sexuality, shame, vulnerability, healing, and the psychology behind human connection. Inspired by his book The Ve...

Why do so many relationships fail—even when both people care? In this powerful episode of Travel Time Stories, Shannon and Ann sit down with internationally known relationship expert Anil Gupta (The Love Doctor) to uncover what’s really behind relationship struggles, emotional blocks, and the search for happiness. Anil’s journey is as powerful as his message. After facing one of the darkest moments of his life—contemplating suicide—he experienced a transformation that led him to help peopl...