Welcome to Type 2 Travel: The Story Behind the Journey
Creating some Type 2 Fun on a recent scouting trip to Kenya. [2024]
Welcome to Type 2 Travel! I'm Laura Ericson, and I'm thrilled to share the story behind my new podcast and the journey that led me to create a group travel business built around what I call "Type 2 Fun."
What is Type 2 Travel?
If you're not familiar with the concept of "Type 2 Fun," let me break it down for you. It's that kind of experience that might be challenging, uncomfortable, or even miserable in the moment—but when you look back on it later, you realize it was actually one of the coolest things you've ever done.
Take my recent trip to Brazil's Pantanal region, the world's largest wetlands. I got absolutely demolished by mosquitoes while trying to capture content for social media. In the moment, I was miserable, covered in what felt like a million bites. But now? I look back on those safaris through the wetlands with such fond memories. That's Type 2 Fun—and that's exactly what my travel philosophy is built around.
From Divorce to Dream Job: How It All Started
My journey into group travel wasn't exactly conventional. Like many people, I traveled as a kid and studied Spanish throughout my years in school, even studying abroad in Spain during college. But then life happened. I got into a long-term relationship at 24, married at 29, and for about 10 years, our travel routine became predictable: the same hotel in Cozumel, Mexico, year after year. Safe, easy—repeat.
When I got divorced at 34, I realized I wanted to completely change how I traveled. I wanted to go to places people many called "sketchy"—Turkey, Colombia, India. But here's the thing about travel in your thirties: getting friends to commit to a weekend trip feels impossible, let alone a 10-day adventure to a country they can't spell correctly (it's ColOmbia, not ColUmbia, by the way).
The Colombia Experiment
The turning point came when I found a stranger in a Facebook group who said she'd go to Colombia with me. Jessica didn't even know where Colombia was, but she trusted me to plan everything. We literally met for the first time in the Atlanta airport.
That trip was incredible—we bathed in mud on top of a volcano in Cartagena, went paragliding, picked our own coffee beans, and rode horses through the Antioquia region. But what struck me most was watching Jessica experience things she never would have planned for herself. She got to do activities she didn't even know she wanted to do because someone else (me) had researched and planned everything.
Bathing in said mudbath. [Colombia, 2021]
That's when the lightbulb went off: I could create these experiences for other people too.
Taking the Leap
In mid-2021, I decided to start Laura Ericson Group Trips. I had exactly one trip planned—Mexico City with four women—and virtually nothing else. No website, no logo, no followers, and my social media was still private.
I gave my 30-day notice at my leadership job in higher education because I knew if I tried to do both, I'd stay comfortable in my safety net. It was survival mode: figure it out or fail. I spent my first year crying at my desk almost daily, stressed about whether this crazy idea would actually work and wondering if I’d made the biggest mistake of my life.
But here's what I learned: one of the only things that separates successful entrepreneurs from those who fail is persistence. When things get hard (and they will), you have to keep going.
My first time going to Pujol, a Michelin star restaurant in Mexico City that I bring my group back to every year. [2021]
What Makes These Trips Different
My group trips aren't your typical tourist experiences. We eat in Moroccan families' homes, play Holi in India (and trust me, it's not like the color run—it's intense in the best kind of way), celebrate Day of the Dead in Mexican cemeteries, and go on safaris in Kenya.
But it's not just about unique experiences. I'm obsessed with travel preparation because I've been on too many trips where I wasn't told to bring extra bug spray or that black pants attract mosquitoes. I always scout destinations first, taking detailed notes about everything from how many headlamps you'll need in Kenya (spoiler: more than one) to making sure everyone has their Cuba travel forms downloaded before landing (no internet means no form access).
An example of a scouting lesson I learned: always protect your hair when playing Holi. The colorful powder is basically permanent hair dye. [India, 2024]
The Philosophy Behind the Fun
Every one of my trips is built around three core principles:
Transformational Travel: We're not just checking boxes, counting countries, or taking surface-level Instagram photos to show off to our friends. We're creating deep, meaningful experiences that change how you see the world—and yourself. We dive beneath the surface to understand the cultural significance of what we're doing, the history behind the traditions, and the people who make these places special. You'll return home with stories that matter, perspectives that have shifted, and a genuine understanding of how interconnected our world really is.
Positive Impact: We believe in traveling with purpose, not just for pleasure. Through our partnership with 1% for the Planet, we donate at least 1% of our annual revenue to environmental and social impact organizations worldwide. But giving back goes beyond financial contributions—every trip includes meaningful ways to support local communities. Whether we're visiting schools in Morocco and India, supporting a café run by acid attack survivors, or walking shelter dogs in Mexico City, we ensure our presence leaves a positive mark rather than just taking from the places we're privileged to visit.
Authentic Connections: We travel with local guides who aren't just showing us around—they're sharing their culture, their stories, and their perspectives. They know which neighborhoods tell the real story of their city, where to find the best local food that tourists never discover, and how to navigate cultural nuances with respect. More than that, they become your window into understanding how people actually live, what challenges they face, and what brings them joy. The depth of knowledge, personal anecdotes, and cultural context our local guides provide transforms a simple sightseeing trip into genuine cultural immersion.
Small Groups, Big Experiences
I keep groups between 10-14 people intentionally. It's small enough that we can have intimate experiences (like eating in someone's home) but large enough that if you don't click with everyone, you have options. We're not that giant tour bus of 30 people waiting for everyone to use the bathroom.
Current Destinations and What's Next
Right now, I'm taking groups to Cuba, India, Kenya, Morocco, Greece, Mexico City, and Georgia (the country, not the state—50% of Americans don't know Georgia is a country). I've also done trips to Canada and Colombia, and I'm adding Japan to the lineup.
My bucket list is long, but Chile, Patagonia, and Pakistan are calling my name next. There's also this fascinating country called Guyana in South America that I just learned about—it's those little-known places that excite me most.
What's Coming on the Podcast
Type 2 Travel will feature guests from my travels, trip recaps, and conversations with interesting people from around the world. You'll hear from fellow travelers who've joined my group trips and can share their own transformational experiences, local guides who've become friends and have incredible stories to tell, and other travel professionals who are doing things differently—whether that's prioritizing sustainability, supporting local communities, or simply refusing to follow the same old tourist trails.
We'll dive into post-trip conversations where I'll unpack recent adventures while they're still fresh, discussing everything that went according to plan and the beautiful chaos that inevitably unfolds when you're exploring new places with a group. You'll also meet entrepreneurs, photographers, journalists, and adventurers who share the Type 2 Travel philosophy of embracing the challenging, authentic, and meaningful over the easy and predictable.
Think of it as the conversations you'd have over wine after an incredible day of travel—honest, unfiltered, and full of the stories that don't make it into the typical travel content.
And yes, future episodes will include wine—just not at 11am when we recorded this first one.
The Real Talk About Entrepreneurship
Running a travel business isn't all Instagram-worthy moments. Yes, I travel constantly, but I also get stung by bees on my birthday, deal with visa requirements changing a week before departure, and carry the weight of making sure 12-14 people have the trip of their lives while nothing goes wrong.
But here's what I've learned about entrepreneurship: it’s a constant weight you carry, worrying about employees, cash flow, and whether you're making the right decisions. But if you can weather those storms and keep pushing forward when everything feels impossible, that's what sets you apart. It's not glamorous, it's not easy, and it definitely doesn't end at 5 PM—but it's worth it when you're building something you truly believe in.
Ready for Your Own Type 2 Adventure?
If this resonates with you—if you're tired of resort vacations and want experiences that will actually change you—I'd love to have you join us. Yes, it might be challenging. You might get eaten alive by mosquitoes or find yourself on the back of a motorcycle with a stranger in India (it's safer than it sounds, I promise). But I guarantee you'll come home different than when you left.
And isn't that the whole point of travel?
Want to join us on a Type 2 Travel adventure? Check out our current trip offerings to Morocco, India, Kenya, Greece, Cuba, Mexico, and Georgia. Remember: pack your sense of adventure and maybe some extra bug spray.
