Hello Lovely NextTriber:

I would like to report that I had a helluva great BIRTHMONTH. But in all honesty, I can’t say that. Yes, there were parties and cakes and gifts and this video that made me cry tears of joy. (Thanks to all!)

But other kinds of tears were shed this past month—my dear brother-in-law passed just after my birthday. I have known Bill Dudney—my older sister’s husband—since I was 10. He was a true brother to me, not just a legal one.

He helped and guided me in so many ways. For example, when I ran out of money during my semester in London my junior year in college, he sent me some dough and kept the secret from my parents.

He was a great father, a successful banker and was generous with his financial know-how as well as his wallet. When he and my sister visited me in New York City when I was in my 20s, he would pay for everything saying, “You’re showing me your town. Let me thank you.” When I was visiting my sister and him in my hometown of Kingsport, Tennessee, he’d pay for everything saying, “You’re my guest.”

My adored sister is surrounded by family and friends and lots of love, which is a comfort. Still, his death has hit me—and a lot of other people—really hard. He was only 70 years old, and the first of my generation in our extended family to leave us, which makes me feel my mortality acutely right now. He will be dearly missed. Bless you Bill!

Even though we practically guarantee you’ll make new friends on a trip, we know many women out there would feel more comfortable trying a new trip with a friend they know already. We want to encourage that, so here's the deal. We're running a New Year's Special:

For the month of January only, we are offering this: Any current traveler who brings along a friend (who has never traveled with us before) on a trip, BOTH OF YOU will get $250 off of that trip!

The $250 credit will be applied to the last payment. In addition, if you've already signed up for a trip and you want to bring a friend who hasn't traveled with us yet, you'll both get $250 off that trip. Again, the credit will be applied to the last payment. Sign ups must happen in the month of January.

Also for January only, we are changing our newsletter referral program because we found out you don't really want a sticker or a free yoga mat. You want to travel.

So if you want cash off of a future trip, hit that “Click to Share” button below and get your unique code to share with your pals. We’re looking for fun women over 45 who are interested in traveling. If 3 of these friends sign up for the newsletter, you'll get $100 credit.

If 10 register, you'll get a $500 credit. And 20? That’s a $1,000 credit. That will go a long way to helping you go a looong way.

The referral program will keep track of your progress and will let you know when you’ve earned a dollar reward. See section at the end of this newsletter, which will explain it all.

Remember: They just need to sign up for the newsletter. They don’t have to spend any money to help you earn money. But because we want easy-going, positive travelers, make sure you only refer women you think would be a good fit with the NextTribe vibe.

Heads up on a new policy—every trip we introduce in 2026 will start off at an Early Bird Price.

As usual, the trip will be offered first to Lifetime Members, then to Members and then it will be opened to the public.

30 days after the public listing, the price will automatically go up. So don’t dillydally when you see a trip you like. Bonus: the sooner you sign up, the lower your monthly payments!

We’ve noticed that after a trip, travelers love to stay in touch, to reminisce and continue the magical feelings generated on our adventure. So, while you're still feeling the post-trip euphoria, you'll be invited to an online "after-party." It'll be a reunion for all of you, and we'll also open it up to anyone who is interested in the destination so they can find out in real time what all the fuss is about. They'll be able to ask questions at the end of the party for an honest "live review."

Our first After Party will be Feb. 4th, following our India trip. If you’ve ever wanted to visit India and want to see photos and hear from travelers fresh from the subcontinent, please join us. RSVP here.

I’ve written about my many missed chances to get to the Galapagos Islands. (Even my suitcase got there before me!) We are going to the Galapagos at the end of a tour of my favorite country, and we have two spaces on the private yacht we rented for the excursion. (It holds 14 people max so I mean, very private.)

We’ll be living large (jacuzzi on the deck, private naturalist and dedicated staff) as we cross off this major bucket list item. If you’ve always dreamed of walking in Darwin’s footsteps in this enchanted archipelago, but didn’t have the time or funds for our full Ecuador trip, now’s your chance to do it in style!

 Cheers—

Jeannie Ralston
Founder and CEO

All Trip Previews at 6:30 pm ET.

Someone at each Zoom event will win a $400 discount in a random drawing.

Click on a square to see our trip listing.

REMEMBER: We offer interest-free monthly payments

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Note: When you click the link below, you’ll be redirected to your Referral Progress page. From there, you can copy your unique referral link and share it with friends or colleagues.

THIS SPECIAL OFFER FOR DISCOUNTS ON TRIPS ENDS JANUARY 31, 2026.

You can also track your progress anytime on that page, so be sure to bookmark it! 🌟

To keep the referral program fair and meaningful, we only count referrals from real, engaged subscribers. This ensures that rewards are earned by genuine participation, not bots or fake signups.