Travel Journal
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Where In the World Is Jeannie Ralston?
Co-Founder and CEO of NextTribe Curates Unique Travel Experiences for Women Over 45
July 2026
Jeannie Ralston, Co-Founder & CEO of NextTribe
Photo Credit: Susie Lang
Photo Credit: Susie Lang
By Carol Lippert Gray
The word peripatetic doesn’t even begin to capture Jeannie Ralston, a whirlwind, a travel writer, and a lifelong globetrotter who has turned her knowledge of destinations, local experiences, and effective budgeting into a thriving business.
I recently spoke with Jeannie Ralston while she was catching her breath at home in Asheville, North Carolina, in a brief lull between her second wedding and next trip.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in East Tennessee, not far from where I live now. When I was a child, I spent four years in Switzerland.
I recently spoke with Jeannie Ralston while she was catching her breath at home in Asheville, North Carolina, in a brief lull between her second wedding and next trip.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in East Tennessee, not far from where I live now. When I was a child, I spent four years in Switzerland.
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Were you always intrepid?
My dad [once] wrote that while he was watching my brothers and sister and me as our plane started down the runway, I was the only one who wasn't [frightened looking]. Then when I was in college, I spent a semester in London. It wasn't so brave to go to London, but it changed my life in the sense that the world is open to me and I'm going to take advantage of it. I think it also prepared me for living in New York after college. I could handle a big city, the subway, and all that. It allowed me to feel confident. You started your career as a journalist. I did a lot of travel writing as a freelancer. I wrote for Life, Time, National Geographic, and all the women's magazines. I’d done a lot of work for Conde Nast Traveler, Travel & Leisure, and The New York Times travel section. Where does NextTribe come in?
NextTribe wasn't originally a travel company. It was originally a digital magazine for women over 45. That's my comfort zone, so I was just going along with that, thinking, ‘We’re going to figure out a way to make this make money.’ Everyone was saying, ‘No, you can't do it. A digital magazine does not make money.’ After three years, I realized no, you can't do it. I started offering trips. Even [during] the first year, I realized that's what could make money. |
Surfing a Sand Dune in the Sahara
Photo Courtesy: Jeannie Ralston |
A Sisterhood at the Beach
Photo Courtesy: Jeannie Ralston |
Was it hard to pivot from journalist to travel coordinator?
My first husband was a National Geographic photographer, so he was going everywhere. I'd go with him on many of these trips. I would often help him arrange logistics and things, so I got some of that in me. Also, I'm not intimidated by [traveling] huge distances to far-off countries. He was doing that all the time. Sometimes I’d go with him; sometimes I’d just be involved [in the planning]. Then we lived in Mexico for four years. He was restless and wanted to do and see and explore. It was a great experience. This was when our boys were in elementary school. After four years, the oldest was in middle school, and he needed more. Both boys needed more opportunities for different kinds of schooling, different extracurricular activities, that kind of thing. We decided to move back to the States but didn't want to get mainstream. Yet we weren't ready to go right from being [abroad] into the public education mainstream thing, so we decided to homeschool for a year and travel. We liked it so much, that one year became a second year. Then, we liked it so much we did a third. We traveled with the boys everywhere: through South America and Africa; we did a lot in Europe. We did an ancient history tour where we went to Egypt, Greece, Turkey and Rome. We did it chronologically — [starting in Egypt], the first civilization. Greece was next. We did the chronology of their empire. We ended up in Egypt during the Arab Spring, so I took my boys to a revolution, which is like, ‘Oh my God what's wrong with me?’ There's a whole story behind that, but my husband kept saying, ‘This is going to be the best time to go, this is going to be the best time to go.’ But I'm like, ‘We're taking an 11- and a 13-year-old.’
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Do they still love to travel or have they become homebodies?
The older one married a woman who's completely there. They go, go, go, always. The younger one, too, but not as much, because of opportunities, money, time, all that. The interesting thing is I believed in our life. Nothing was tied down. Things happen. I don't think anything's wasted.
The older one married a woman who's completely there. They go, go, go, always. The younger one, too, but not as much, because of opportunities, money, time, all that. The interesting thing is I believed in our life. Nothing was tied down. Things happen. I don't think anything's wasted.
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And you were the family travel agent.
I had to do a budget for every trip and present it to my husband before he’d give it the thumbs up. Of course, I'd have to keep track of all the money we spent. I had little notebooks and wrote down every cup of coffee. Did I know I was learning this important skill, being able to estimate a trip? You're taking these people and you know it's another country, different currency, how do you do that? Well, I was doing it for a family of four. When I started these trips for NextTribe, I already knew I could stay on budget (except in Italy, but if you're going to go over budget anywhere, Italy is the place to do it). The other thing is I'd write those '36 Hours In…' columns for The New York Times. I’d really have to think about the way things are put together, like maybe something active, then in the afternoon something less active. How does everything flow? How does it make sense to go here first, or is there another way around? I didn't know I was going to be needing [those skills] for an actual business, but it certainly has helped me put together trips. A lot of times I’d check out hotels for Conde Nast Traveler’s Hot List, so I got the sense of what makes a good hotel, what makes a good quality experience.
I decided — I think after COVID-19 started — that I wanted to shift from a magazine to a travel company. I used to say NextTribe's a magazine that offers cool trips. Now I say NextTribe is a travel company that has a cool magazine. We still publish travel-related essays and content about the things we think about as women this age: making transitions; retiring; finding your next chapter through the lens of the traveler; or being okay with treating yourself to something that maybe you never did before. It's like, ‘Okay, I've raised my family and put in long hours working; this is the time I can devote to myself.’ The kind of growth and the experiences you have in travel really sweeten this stage of life. |
Jeannie in Gubbio, Italy
Photo Courtesy: Jeannie Ralston |
NextTribe also offers social gatherings in different U.S. cities.
We have communities in different cities. The Austin community started with three or four people. Now it's like 300 women who get together and do things. Now we're doing it in Asheville, Washington D.C., Chicago, Seattle, San Antonio, Houston and New York.
We have communities in different cities. The Austin community started with three or four people. Now it's like 300 women who get together and do things. Now we're doing it in Asheville, Washington D.C., Chicago, Seattle, San Antonio, Houston and New York.
River Boat Fun
Photo Courtesy: Jeannie Ralston |
I wanted that to be an element because I understand it’s expensive to travel. I want to help expand [our members’] horizons. They're curious by nature, even if they can't go on regular trips. I wanted to have a place where they could get together. I'd say it's community building. That's what my passion is really. Women who are optimistic about the future. I hope they'll find NextTribe helpful and inspiring.
Who goes on your trips?
We have a ‘no diva’ policy. That means we discourage anybody who has to have things going exactly [a certain way]. We encourage flexibility. I don't believe in going to five-star hotels. We stay in nice places; we have nice food. But we don't go over the top because I feel you shouldn’t get into a bubble. Part of it is being more immersive in the culture. You're more exposed to ups and downs — traffic snarls or whatever. There might be a few snags, but usually our people just go along, and we work through it. There's always a bit of the unexpected, which makes it extra special. One of the things I learned doing the trips for our family and watching my budget is that great experiences don't always cost a lot. Those are the things I'm looking for, to leverage your money to get the best experiences. We get behind the scenes into people's homes and have a happy hour in somebody's apartment in Porto or some theater, making it more personal. We're affordable luxury we like to say, but we're committed to getting experiences that are more hands-on. You feel connected with the culture versus just looking at it through a window. |
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And I’ve identified a quality that happens during our trips. I feel we give each other grace. What I mean by that is, if we have somebody struggling with something on a trip, nobody gets mad at them or frustrated. We understand things happen at this age, or people might be having a bad time, or whatever. It's a throughline for all our groups that there's a generosity of spirit extended to others. That's important to me because, especially if the people are traveling alone and don't know anybody, it’s important to feel folded in quickly. I want everyone to feel swept in, and they do. We always have people saying, ‘I didn't know anybody, but I left with 12 new besties.’
What’s your favorite travel hack? It’s a long-sleeved, black t-shirt. I get them in the nurses’ supply store. They go under anything. If it's cooler than you thought, it’s an extra layer. If you put it on in the morning and it's chilly, but then in the middle of the day it's hot from the sun beating down, you just take it off in the bathroom of the restaurant or whatever. I'll wash it in the hotel bathroom, and it’s dry by morning. And because you're not sweating on your blouses and things, it preserves them. They don't take up much room in your suitcase. |
Exploring Together
Photo Courtesy: Jeannie Ralston |
At the Ranch
Photo Courtesy: Jeannie Ralston |
"One thing I love is getting to meet so many women. Everybody has an incredible story. We've all done so much. We’ve been through stuff and come out the other side." ~ Jeannie Ralston Any advice for a woman who might be reluctant to travel alone? Really look at the [travel] company and try to get a sense of what the company is and what the vibe is. We’ve published lots of travel articles in our newsletter. There’s a feeling, I hope, of being fun but inclusive, friendly and positive. For all of our trips, we have previews. So, before you sign up, you can go on Zoom and hear me or another leader talking through these things. You get a sense of the company, of who's going to be there, and what it will be like. Read the testimonials. People say the same thing: ‘I couldn't believe it. I didn't know anybody, and now I have all these friends, and it happened so quickly.’ Obviously, you want to know the itinerary [and that you'll get to] do some great things. But see if people are talking about the women. Does it sound like there's a real person there talking to you? Also, if you travel solo, be open. Think: These are great people, and I want to know them. Be ready to chat and laugh. One thing I love is getting to meet so many women. Everybody has an incredible story. We've all done so much. We’ve been through stuff and come out the other side. |
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What’s the best thing that’s happened to you on a trip?
A pure knock-my-socks-off was in the Galapagos in March. We had a private yacht. There were 14 of us. The captain thought he saw dolphins feeding, so we went there. As we approached, we could see a lot of dolphins with their fins going up and down. All of a sudden, in the middle, was a dolphin that just jumped up in the air really high, did a flip, and went down. I was completely stunned because of course it looks like something from SeaWorld, but it's in nature. Then we went where all the dolphins were, and they were interested in us. They were racing along with us. The boat would speed up and they'd speed up. My sister was with me. We were leaning over the front of the boat. It was like we could almost touch them. I started crying. It was just amazing. Where do you find sanctuary? I swim. I used to listen to music. You can have those waterproof earbuds. But I stopped because there's something about the quiet. Your head’s underwater. A few times I’ve wanted to cry, but I'll just go swim instead. I bike and do other kinds of working out. Here in Asheville, I go up into the mountains and hike. And a new husband keeps things fresh. He's very much feeling like a sanctuary, too. After I got divorced, there was this time where I felt like I was floating. Now I feel very rooted in our home. Home has wonderful connotations. It's more than a roof over my head. It feels very loving. That's so beautiful, and I find it almost harder to travel because I keep thinking I'd rather be here. So, it's dangerous meeting someone you want to spend time with when you’re in the travel business. |
Besties at the Beach
Photo Courtesy: Jeannie Ralston |
Machu Picchu Selfie
Photo Courtesy: Jeannie Ralston |
Editor's Note: “I first learned about NextTribe from my sister, who took several trips with them. I’ve gone on two, one to Santa Fe and one to Savannah. The groups bonded quickly, the women all were lovely, and the experiences were unique and fun. I’m looking forward to the next one, wherever and whenever that may be.” ~ Carol Lippert Gray |
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Carol Lippert Gray is an award-winning public relations professional and longtime freelance writer and editor. Her career has spanned books, newspapers, magazines, broadcast, and online media in fields as diverse as crafts and corporate finance, parenting and philanthropy. She is Sanctuary's associate editor.
