NextTribe | Jeannie's Monthly Journal

How Did I Get Here?

I wonder that a lot. I didn’t start NextTribe thinking I’d be running a travel company. I started it 8 years ago this month as a digital magazine for women over 45. I had no background in the hospitality industry—except as a travel writer, if that counts.

But life, I’ve come to believe, is all about blooming where you’re planted (I wrote a book about that years ago) and pivoting as needed. My travel instincts spring from a desire to bring women together in a community, have them experience a place rather than just see it, and give the best bang for the buck where ever we are.

I’m thrilled to be celebrating NextTribe’s 8th year—especially since there were many times (the pandemic, for instance) when I thought we’d not make it. A huge thank you to all who have helped us along in this journey—readers, members, travelers, cheerleaders. All of you have given us such a boost.

Celebrating 8 Years

To celebrate our astounding (to me, at least) anniversary, I’m heading to Austin, where it all started, for a series of parties and get togethers. If you’ve traveled with us and are anywhere near Austin on Feb. 13th, you’re invited to a NextTribe Travelers’ Reunion. (RSVP here.) This is where you can catch up with pals you’ve met on past trips or with women who will become your pals on future trips.

We hope to have a travelers’ reunion once a year—in a different city each time to include more of you in the fun.

A Special Souvenir

I accumulated many souvenirs on our truly outstanding visit to Morocco—in addition to the priceless memories of camel riding to a luxury camp in the Sahara and surfing down sand dunes. But one memento will stay with me forever—the tattoo I got in Marrakech.

I long thought a “genie” lamp would be an ideal tattoo for me, echoing my name. And when one of our travelers—a tattoo enthusiast—told me she had found a top-notch tattoo artist in Marrakech, I jumped at the chance to get that very image while I was, appropriately enough, in the land of Aladdin. One other traveler got a tattoo as well. We three became sisters in ink!

Part of me thinks I should get a tattoo for each new international trip. The other part of me says, “Down, girl!” What do you think?

Asheville Update

I’m often asked for an update on how Asheville is coping after Hurricane Helene. We’re rebuilding and coming back strong. Almost all restaurants, hotels and major sites are open and eager to host guests.

The New York Times recently wrote about the resurgence of the restaurant scene in Asheville and the travel section chose my dear city as the 16th top destination to visit in 2025. (You won’t believe what number 1 is—a trip we’re offering!!)

The city is encouraging visitors to “be part of the comeback.” And I’m inviting you to visit me and my hometown on our Asheville Insider Tour in April. Would love to welcome you and show you why I love this town.

Hope to see you down the road…

Jeannie Ralston, CEO and Co-Founder

P.S. Want to know what kind of women travel with us? Check out this video I made that explains it all.

Upcoming Info Sessions

Join us on the following dates to learn more about each of these trips we’ve carefully planned for you. You’ll be eligible to win a discount on each trip just for attending.

Wednesday, Feb. 5th: Downtown NYC Insider Tour RSVP here.

Wednesday, Feb. 12th: Discover Vietnam RSVP here.

Wednesday, Feb. 19th: Chicago Summer Escape RSVP here.

Wednesday, Feb. 26th: Rocky Mountain Adventure Trip RSVP here. 

Tuesday, March 4th: Perfect Seattle Weekend RSVP here.

Tuesday, March 11th: Olive Harvest and Truffle Hunting in Umbria RSVP here. 

Tuesday, March 25th: Fall in Florence and Tuscany RSVP here.