It was my honor to interview the Travel Goddess, Samantha Brown. I first met her in person at the Travel and Adventure Show in 2016 and in 2023, I was a speaker at the same show! Find Samantha Brown’s Show, Places To Love on her website and visit her on Instagram. In 2024, it will be 25 years that she has been sharing her travels. As she says, “girl with the best job in the world.”
Good morning. This is Lisa Niver from We Said Go Travel and I am beyond thrilled that today I am with none other than the travel goddess Samantha Brown. Hi, Samantha.
Samantha Brown:
Hey, Lisa. How are you?
Lisa Niver:
Oh, my gosh, I’m so excited to get to talk to you. I have been watching you at the travel show for years, and years and years and I am so excited. I even wore this map in your honor that I got to also speak at the travel show this year. I thought oh, my gosh I’m speaking at the same show as the goddess.
I know that you’ve been such a generous speaker and you have just inspired so many women. I spoke with Alex after the Women’s Travel Fest where you were the keynote speaker. And she was saying how for many people it was their longtime dream come true to be able to be there and hear you speak. That you really inspire so many women to get out on the road.
Yeah, that’s probably what I am most proud of, and most shocked by in my career. I never thought I would be someone who people look up to. And I guess that’s why I do have the best job in the world is that I get told, on almost a daily basis, what my work has meant to someone else and that is phenomenally validating. So, not only do I have this amazing job, but the people that I have been able to be a part of their community in terms of whether they watch me on TV, or now they’re on social media or whatever it is. It’s just something I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be that person and I never take it for granted.
Lisa Niver:
I think that’s so beautiful. And as you said just now, and as it says on your Twitter bio, “girl with the best job in the world,” can you tell people a little bit about how did this happen? When you were little were you drawing on maps? Did you always want to be on TV? How did it happen?
Samantha Brown:
I went to college at Syracuse University for musical theater, and that’s what I wanted to be. I wanted to be an actress and I wanted to move to New York City, and so, at Syracuse I studied acting, singing, and dancing. And when you are in musical theater you are considered a triple threat, because you can do all three. And then I moved to New York City and I wasn’t threatening at all.
In fact, I was really bland compared to the unbelievable talent that is out there. Actually, I saw that you had Pauline Frommer as a guest and she was also in musical theater as well. I remember seeing her at the auditions, I knew she was a lot more successful than I was in theater, but you should ask her about that. So, we share that in common.
So, I just kept auditioning, and I got this strange job on the Travel Channel. I had to audition for it, to be their host for a new show called Great Vacation Homes. And my first reaction was what’s a host? Why am I auditioning for this? But I thought, okay, I’ll just get a reel because I wanted to go to Los Angeles to make it in sitcoms. So, that was my plan and I am so glad it did not work out. The Travel Channel really hit it off, I loved my time there, I had amazing experiences and I had a job I never thought I would have.
Lisa Niver:
That’s so inspiring. Because for a lot of us, when things don’t go how we planned, there’s often a feelings of being a failure or a mistake, but you’re saying it was the best thing.
An outcry over my support for Israel in my Jewish Journal columns forced me to withdraw from my commencement address at Georgetown Law School. Here is the speech I was going to give.
In a sold-out event at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, WIZO (Women’s International Zionist Organization) hosted its annual Mother’s Day Luncheon.
He became the first senior adviser to Democratic Majority for Israel PAC, helping elect pro-Israel politicians to Congress and winning more than 80% of races.
The challenge is how we can reinvent rabbinical training so that it’s not clinging to models that no longer work, is sustainable, and addresses the needs of today and tomorrow’s Jewish community.
It’s not just a momentous occasion for the congregation but is significant for the larger Palisades community as well, as it helps restore a sense of faith that the community will reemerge stronger than ever.
The story centers on Esther Perez (portrayed by Leïla Bekhti), a Moroccan-Jewish immigrant and devoted mother of six. When her newborn son Roland is diagnosed with a clubfoot and given a bleak prognosis, Esther refuses to accept limits placed on his future.
In the introduction to the book about the U.S. community I wrote about a decade and a half ago, a little story about Foxman appeared, which I thought was appropriate as a farewell to this man and to an era.
Perhaps this also signals a belated reckoning for other false-flag NGOs claiming to promote human rights. The damage from terror-supporting propaganda will take many years to reverse, but at least further abuse can finally be prevented.
Emphasizing Israel’s value to America must become a community-wide effort. From the ADL to the AJC to the Federation system to Hillel and every pro-Israel activist group in the country, the collective priority must be to strengthen the U.S.—Israeli relationship.
More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.
Journey into the World of Wanderlust: Samantha Brown, Travel Goddess
Lisa Ellen Niver
It was my honor to interview the Travel Goddess, Samantha Brown. I first met her in person at the Travel and Adventure Show in 2016 and in 2023, I was a speaker at the same show! Find Samantha Brown’s Show, Places To Love on her website and visit her on Instagram. In 2024, it will be 25 years that she has been sharing her travels. As she says, “girl with the best job in the world.”
Listen or watch our interview on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or your favorite podcast platform
READ THE TRANSCRIPT BELOW
Lisa Niver:
Good morning. This is Lisa Niver from We Said Go Travel and I am beyond thrilled that today I am with none other than the travel goddess Samantha Brown. Hi, Samantha.
Samantha Brown:
Hey, Lisa. How are you?
Lisa Niver:
Oh, my gosh, I’m so excited to get to talk to you. I have been watching you at the travel show for years, and years and years and I am so excited. I even wore this map in your honor that I got to also speak at the travel show this year. I thought oh, my gosh I’m speaking at the same show as the goddess.
I know that you’ve been such a generous speaker and you have just inspired so many women. I spoke with Alex after the Women’s Travel Fest where you were the keynote speaker. And she was saying how for many people it was their longtime dream come true to be able to be there and hear you speak. That you really inspire so many women to get out on the road.
Samantha Brown and Lisa Niver at Women’s Travel Fest 2023
Samantha Brown:
Yeah, that’s probably what I am most proud of, and most shocked by in my career. I never thought I would be someone who people look up to. And I guess that’s why I do have the best job in the world is that I get told, on almost a daily basis, what my work has meant to someone else and that is phenomenally validating. So, not only do I have this amazing job, but the people that I have been able to be a part of their community in terms of whether they watch me on TV, or now they’re on social media or whatever it is. It’s just something I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be that person and I never take it for granted.
Lisa Niver:
I think that’s so beautiful. And as you said just now, and as it says on your Twitter bio, “girl with the best job in the world,” can you tell people a little bit about how did this happen? When you were little were you drawing on maps? Did you always want to be on TV? How did it happen?
Samantha Brown:
I went to college at Syracuse University for musical theater, and that’s what I wanted to be. I wanted to be an actress and I wanted to move to New York City, and so, at Syracuse I studied acting, singing, and dancing. And when you are in musical theater you are considered a triple threat, because you can do all three. And then I moved to New York City and I wasn’t threatening at all.
In fact, I was really bland compared to the unbelievable talent that is out there. Actually, I saw that you had Pauline Frommer as a guest and she was also in musical theater as well. I remember seeing her at the auditions, I knew she was a lot more successful than I was in theater, but you should ask her about that. So, we share that in common.
So, I just kept auditioning, and I got this strange job on the Travel Channel. I had to audition for it, to be their host for a new show called Great Vacation Homes. And my first reaction was what’s a host? Why am I auditioning for this? But I thought, okay, I’ll just get a reel because I wanted to go to Los Angeles to make it in sitcoms. So, that was my plan and I am so glad it did not work out. The Travel Channel really hit it off, I loved my time there, I had amazing experiences and I had a job I never thought I would have.
Lisa Niver:
That’s so inspiring. Because for a lot of us, when things don’t go how we planned, there’s often a feelings of being a failure or a mistake, but you’re saying it was the best thing.
READ THE FULL INTERVIEW on WE SAID GO TRAVEL
LISTEN on APPLE PODCAST: MAKE YOUR OWN MAP
Lisa’s book: Brave-ish, One Breakup, Six Continents and Feeling Fearless After Fifty
Did you enjoy this article?
You'll love our roundtable.
Editor's Picks
Israel and the Internet Wars – A Professional Social Media Review
The Invisible Student: A Tale of Homelessness at UCLA and USC
What Ever Happened to the LA Times?
Who Are the Jews On Joe Biden’s Cabinet?
You’re Not a Bad Jewish Mom If Your Kid Wants Santa Claus to Come to Your House
No Labels: The Group Fighting for the Political Center
Latest Articles
The Book and the Sword
In the Desert – A poem for Parsha Bamidbar
A Bisl Torah — Your Time Capsule
Not Wandering in the Wilderness with Bewilderness
A Moment in Time: “Me Time”
Inaugural ‘Core Vital Voices Conference’ for Orthodox Women Who Provide End of Life Care
Print Issue: The Speech I Won’t Give at Georgetown Law | May 15, 2026
An outcry over my support for Israel in my Jewish Journal columns forced me to withdraw from my commencement address at Georgetown Law School. Here is the speech I was going to give.
Israel’s Noam Bettan Advances to Eurovision Grand Final
This is the fifth time that Israel has qualified for the Eurovision final in the past six years.
The Klezmatics Are Made for These Times
“We Were Made for These Times” is as inventive and joyous an album as I’ve heard in a long time. And the most proudly Jewish.
Motherhood, War and Media: WIZO Luncheon Reflects a Changing Reality Since Oct. 7, 2023
In a sold-out event at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, WIZO (Women’s International Zionist Organization) hosted its annual Mother’s Day Luncheon.
Brian Goldsmith’s Senate Bid Rooted in Fighting Antisemitism in California
He became the first senior adviser to Democratic Majority for Israel PAC, helping elect pro-Israel politicians to Congress and winning more than 80% of races.
AJU’s Ziegler School: Growth and Transformation
The challenge is how we can reinvent rabbinical training so that it’s not clinging to models that no longer work, is sustainable, and addresses the needs of today and tomorrow’s Jewish community.
A Guava Gourmet Cheesecake for Shavuot
Let’s just say, Shavuot gives us a wonderful, guilt-free excuse to indulge in this guava mango cheesecake!
Celebrate National Hamburger Month
While there may be limitations on how to enjoy burgers due to the laws of kashrut, it just means Jews have to get a little more creative.
Table for Five: Bamidbar
Counting Soldiers
Kehillat Israel to Return to Palisades 16 Months After Devastating Fire
It’s not just a momentous occasion for the congregation but is significant for the larger Palisades community as well, as it helps restore a sense of faith that the community will reemerge stronger than ever.
‘Once Upon My Mother’ Brings Roland Perez’s Extraordinary True Story to the Screen
The story centers on Esther Perez (portrayed by Leïla Bekhti), a Moroccan-Jewish immigrant and devoted mother of six. When her newborn son Roland is diagnosed with a clubfoot and given a bleak prognosis, Esther refuses to accept limits placed on his future.
An American Shabbat
When I travel in America, I love being invited to observe Shabbat building bridges – uniting tribes – among Christians.
Synagogues Have Become the New Front Line for Jews in New York
The moment Jewish houses of worship become targets for political intimidation, the line between activism and harassment disappears.
Rosner’s Domain | Remembering the Inimitable Abe Foxman
In the introduction to the book about the U.S. community I wrote about a decade and a half ago, a little story about Foxman appeared, which I thought was appropriate as a farewell to this man and to an era.
The Remnant of Israel and the Meaning of Monticello
America’s third president’s home survived thanks to the efforts of a proud Jew thankful for freedom of religion in the United States.
The End of an Anti-Israel Propaganda NGO – More to Come?
Perhaps this also signals a belated reckoning for other false-flag NGOs claiming to promote human rights. The damage from terror-supporting propaganda will take many years to reverse, but at least further abuse can finally be prevented.
Shavuot: Return to Sinai
Shavuot is that moment in the year where all becomes one – People Israel, Torah, memory and the Divine – a unification begun at Sinai.
A New Jewish College
This idea is not just about fleeing antisemitism, nor proving native loyalty. It is about experiencing life from a different angle than the coasts.
Two Down, One to Go
So now, for my wife and me, it’s time for the mezinka, an Ashkenazi Jewish wedding custom that is observed when parents marry off their last child.
AIPAC and Israel Are Good for America
Emphasizing Israel’s value to America must become a community-wide effort. From the ADL to the AJC to the Federation system to Hillel and every pro-Israel activist group in the country, the collective priority must be to strengthen the U.S.—Israeli relationship.
More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.