Hello dear NextTriber!
Our Mah Jong group in Asheville.
Jeannie Ralston is spending her time in between travels trying to ignite our Asheville NextTribe group. We played Mah Jong on Tuesday and initially she was disappointed that there were only four players who showed up. Then she remembered that it takes time to build a community. In 2017, she would often set up events in Austin, where she was living at the time, and sometimes only one other person would come. Now, Austin has more than 300 active members.
Besides finding out about local events, the other big perk of NextTribe membership is that you get to book trips before they’re released to the public. That’s important because sometimes the trips sell out before the public ever gets a chance to sign up.
This is just what happened with our South Africa trip, which was released to Lifetime Members and then Members and sold out in a snap. (You can still join the waitlist.) If you want to get in on the action for the trips that we’ll be releasing in the next few months—Costa Rica, Egypt, Barcelona/Spain, Mongolia, New Zealand—make sure to join as a member or check to make sure you’re still active (memberships might have lapsed, FYI, since we don’t do auto-renewals).
Google Translate and Duolingo make travel conversations so much easier these days. But warm hugs and smiles are a universal language, especially between women around the world.
Jeannie Edmunds is still leading our trip to Japan, where she and her travelers spent two nights in a gorgeous ryokan by the sea in Toba, not far from Kyoto. The owner’s wife, Noriko Yoshikawa, told her that in May she’s coming to the U.S. to visit her daughter—in Austin! So Jeannie invited her to meet local Next Tribers for a coffee. We love when we make connections like this!
4 Weeks Left to Enter
Before we forget, have you entered our travel photo contest? Deadline is May 15.
You could win $2,000 off a trip, or $1,000 cash.
You don’t have to be a NextTribe member to be eligible to win.
Enjoy the reads!
This Week’s Reads
Not only is it the best time to travel—it’s also the best time to practice that grimly named but important art of Swedish Death Cleaning. Don’t know what that is? Read on. Your loved ones will thank you.
Want more? Check out our library of 1,600 articles.
Happy shopping, and safe travels—
Jeannie Ralston, CEO + Jeannie Edmunds, Chief Operating Officer
Upcoming Trip Previews and After Parties
Wed. April 29th: India Trip Preview, 6:30 pm ET. Meet next year’s trip leader, yogi Kim Cihlar, and learn why slow travel is especially sweet in India. Remember: someone on the Zoom will win a $400 discount on the trip.
Wonder and awe in the Ecuadorian rainforest.
Wed. May 13th: Ecuador & Galapagos After Party, 6:30 pm ET. This when travelers on the 2026 trip gather to reminisce, look at photos and give you live reviews of their experience. Join us if you want the unvarnished truth about our 2027 trip, which will be open for sign ups in May.
Time to Plan Your Next Adventure
Click on a square to see our trip listing.
REMEMBER: We offer interest-free monthly payments
Look What Jeannie Ralston Loves!
Jeannie Ralston says, “I just ordered this because I have gotten so much mileage out of a black linen shirt dress I bought at Monoprix in Paris years ago. Seriously, it goes on almost every one of my trips. It’s about to wear out, though, so I was thrilled to find this almost exact replica from Quince. It’s actually better than my current one because it has POCKETS!!”
