Media in Minutes

Wendy Altschuler: Travel and Adventure Writer and Author

• Angela Tuell • Season 3 • Episode 21

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For some, travel is a fun pursuit or hobby.  For Wendy, travel is a lifestyle.  Listen as she shares her youthful adventures with AmeriCorps, study abroad experience in India, transition to freelance writing, and fully embraces her calling as a travel and adventure writer that includes training her children to be curious about and engage in the world around them.  

Follow Wendy’s life and work here: https://www.wendyaltschuler.org/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendyaltschuler/ 

 

DePaul University: https://core.depaul.edu/uwide-info/ 

Karm Marg: https://www.karmmarg.com/ 

Sun-Times Media Group: https://www.linkedin.com/company/chicago-public-radio 

Paws Up Montana: https://www.pawsup.com/contact-us/request-adventure-journal 

Better Together: https://publishherpress.com/better-together-book-sales-benefit-publishing-grants-for-underrepresented-women-authors/ 

Forbes (Guides): https://www.forbes.com/sites/wendyaltschuler/?sh=1c0cae0f7386 

Nebraska  - Cranes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/wendyaltschuler/2019/10/29/nebraska-is-not-for-everyone-but-maybe-it-is-for-you/?sh=7f1317007588 

Nara Prefecture: https://www.japan-guide.com/list/e1228.html 

Katsuragi City Sumo Museum: https://www.the-kansai-guide.com/en/directory/item/11416/ 

Perfect Day Chicago: https://www.wendyaltschuler.org/blog/perfect-day-chicago 

AmeriCorps: https://americorps.gov/ 

Windy City Derby: https://www.windycityrollers.com/                                                                                    

Thank you for listening!  Please take a moment to rate, review and subscribe to the Media in Minutes podcast here or anywhere you get your podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/media-in-minutes/id1555710662  

Angela Tuell:

Welcome to Media in Minutes. This is your host Angela Tuell. This podcast features in-depth interviews with those reports on the world around us. They share everything from their favorite stories to what happened behind the lens and give us a glimpse into their world. From our studio here at Communications Redefined, this is Media in Minutes. In today's episode we are talking with Chicago based expert Travel and Adventure freelance writer and author Wendy Altschuler. Wendy is a seasoned and prolific writer focusing on culture and the great outdoors. With work published in Tripsavvy, Forbes Travel + Leisure, TripAdvisor, Modern Luxury, Country magazine and many more. She's been a guest travel expert on WGN and CBS news stations in Chicago as well as WLS radio, a thought leader, panelist and speaker on travel and travel writings, and a trusted resource for intrepid travelers. Her acclaimed book, Perfect Day Chicago, which highlights fun things to do and see and eat in the Windy City, is new for 2023. Hi, Wendy, I am extra excited to talk with you today.

Wendy Altschuler:

Oh, thank you so much for having me. I'm excited to be on the podcast and talk about all things travel.

Angela Tuell:

Yes. And you know, in preparing for our conversation, I learned that you're a graduate of DePaul University in Chicago, and began in the travel industry right out of college. I would love to hear more on how you started and got to where you are today.

Wendy Altschuler:

Well, I feel like this has been such a long road to get right where I am in this like super sweet spot of getting to travel all the time and write about it. But my story began, I would say at DePaul, really because I studied abroad in India. And part of that short term study abroad program was at this organization called Karm Marg. It's a nonprofit home for children. And they provide like a safe space with education and things like that. And but really, the experience of being in India kind of just opened up my mind to the possibilities of learning about different cultures and communities and just how other people live. And, a good portion of my degree was writing about, you know, this experience in India. So I got that kind of opportunity to write about what I was experiencing. And so that kind of set me off on a path of just loving travel in general. And then from there, I right out of college got a job at a boutique travel company as an itinerary writer. And that gave me this great opportunity to just learn about all these different destinations and be a part of conversations when you know, tour operators and hotels would come in and kind of give informational meetings about their business. And there was a lot of research involved. So I'm researching different destinations and putting it together for these itineraries. And so I loved that -

Angela Tuell:

And the wander lust is growing.

Wendy Altschuler:

Yeah - the wander lust is growing. Yeah. And then I feel like the kind of left turn came when I decided I wanted to have a family. And I didn't want to have to commute. You know, I had an hour commute on either side of that job. So I was like, this is just not going to work. And so I knew I needed to move into more of a freelance role. And so that's what I did. I started freelance writing, I got a wonderful job at Sun Times media and I wrote for like the the there used to be in Chicago, these hyperlocal newspapers for each of the suburbs. There are 32, of 32 of them. And so I wrote advertorials and things and all of those magazine inserts you see inside of newspapers. That was me. I wrote those and so yeah, so having like kind of a the news background, cutting my teeth on news, writing, and advertorials and stuff really gave me a different perspective on writing. Yeah, and then from there, I moved to more like when my kids got a little bit older, I started moving into travel writing, so then I just, you know, took my clips and experience and parlayed that into travel magazines and websites. And you know, one thing leads to another have one little clip leads to a bigger clip leads to a bigger clip and and then here we are.

Angela Tuell:

So how long have you been doing that where you're a real travel writer?

Wendy Altschuler:

I guess it's probably - so I've been freelancing for about 16 years, and I think travel writing probably for the last like seven.

Angela Tuell:

So what outlets are you currently writing for and what type of travel stories are your favorite to write?

Wendy Altschuler:

So I write for so many different outlets but I would say my biggest eggs in my basket are I write for Forbes, Tripsavvy, Travel + Leisure, TripAdvisor, Country magazine. I also do a bunch of special projects. Next, like one of my favorites is the resort at Paws Up in Montana, I write stories for their Adventure Journal. And that's fun for me because I'm from Montana originally, that's where I grew up. And so getting to write about my home state, even though I live here in Chicago, gives me great pleasure. So I love that job. And then I'm also the author of three books this year. I wrote a guide book, I have a book of poems. And then, most recently, I'm part of an anthology, which is really special because it's called Better Together. And 100% of the proceeds from the sales of this book will go to publishing grants for underrepresented women authors. So super happy to be a part of this, you know, female led publishing house for this project. So and then to answer your question, my favorite type of stories, I love magnifying voices that aren't normally heard, or businesses that people might not have heard about. So for example, I just have a whole bunch of stories out in Forbes recently that are on guides, so guides that I traveled with while hiking in Ireland, or, you know, I went surfing with someone in Costa Rica. And I wrote about that guy that backpacking in the Grand Canyon wrote about that guide. So it's been really fun to kind of feature these people that are leaders in their industry, but but you don't really know too much about their background and how they became adventure guides. So love featuring people like that, that are doing really cool things, because they're driven by passion for the outdoors or for wildlife. And, you know, they make their their whole lives out of it. So, yeah, so really fun to amplify those voices.

Angela Tuell:

Yeah. And I bet those are ones that aren't from big companies that have their own PR people or are able to hear their stories as much.

Wendy Altschuler:

Yeah, exactly. You know, so it's, especially Yeah, those smaller companies that don't, you know, have an in house PR firm to kind of, you know, promote those things. It's, it's fun to talk about those businesses and those those guides.

Angela Tuell:

Yeah, we'll definitely link to all of this in our show notes, too. How can PR pros get your attention, since we brought them up on a destination or an experience?

Wendy Altschuler:

I think the main thing is to establish a relationship. So the best PR companies that I work with are ones that I've been working with for years. And that happens because there's a relationship that's been built. You know, so like, the press releases I get from them are really targeted to my swim lane, which is helpful. Because I write about travel and adventure and focus on the outdoors. Those are mainly like, kind of the press releases that I want to receive. So if I'm getting something on makeup, I'm like, well, that PR company, they don't know what I write about. They're not, you know, so. So yeah, targeting my swim lane, building a relationship with me using my name for God's sakes. I've gotten a lot of Dear Sir or Madams. So making, you know, making communication targeted, and personalized, I think, is key.

Angela Tuell:

Yes, that's what I was going to ask next. Any pet peeves that you just said? So any others, you know, especially when it comes to pitching or even taking hosted trips?

Wendy Altschuler:

Yeah, well, I think, again, communication is key respect of time is key. You know, often journalists are juggling so many balls in the air. We have pitches in play with all these different outlets, we have deadlines, upcoming travel, you know, thread threads with other PR companies. So I feel like one of the things is, you know, if I need an image or a quote, and I've given a deadline, for when I need this, I don't want to have to reach back out for what I need. So I think that's probably one of the maybe the biggest ones is just getting the information I need at the time that I've set. So that way I can, you know, follow through on my end with publishing stories. And I think second, I love a clean inbox. Angela, I love a clean inbox. And it's difficult because I get upwards of 50 to 100 emails a day.

Angela Tuell:

From PR people?

Wendy Altschuler:

From PR people, from, you know, just other communication. And so if there are, you know, multiple repeat pitches, especially after I've communicated that it's not a fit, or I don't have time for it. I think that's a pet peeve is not paying attention to my responses on something. So cause I like to limit that in my inbox.

Angela Tuell:

Yes, completely get it. So talking a little bit about your travels, you have been all over the world. Places that focus on culture and outdoors and adventure, as you mentioned, such as traveling solo to Hong Kong, surfing in Valley, El Salvador and Costa Rica, swimming with the whale sharks and Mexico, nurse sharks in Belize and manta rays in Hawaii, hiking the Grand Canyon rim to rim, riding a camel through part of the Sahara desert and rappelling in an erosion crater in Israel, just to name a few. What are some of your most memorable adventures? These all sound like it.

Wendy Altschuler:

Yeah, those all were pretty memorable for sure. I always say that the best adventure or the best destination is the one I haven't had yet. The one I haven't been to yet. So I really love variety and newness. So if there's an experience I haven't had before, that's the thing I'm sort of seeking. And so one memory that kind of stands out is kind of unexpected, because it happened in Nebraska. They have a campaign that they had out that was said that said, Honestly, it's not for everyone. Like Nebraska, honestly, it's not for everyone. And the amazing thing about -

Angela Tuell:

That is great!

Wendy Altschuler:

And the best part about that is they're being cheeky, they understand that people aren't flocking to Nebraska. And because of that, it put Nebraska on the map. And it sort of increased the amount of visitors to their state. And they went from, they went from last or least likely state for travelers to visit to the 45th. So that pulled them up five states, so but anyway, that's pretty good. So I went to Nebraska, because I was there for the Sandhill Crane migration. And cranes are the oldest living birds on the planet. They're large, they have these massive wingspans, and they travel -

Angela Tuell:

They look sort of dinosaurish.

Wendy Altschuler:

They're like dinosaurs. And they, they have been found as far north as like Alaska and Eastern Siberia. And in order to do it, they it's kind of like a funnel, so they make like this hourglass shape. And in the middle, they stop along the Platte River to kind of fatten up and eat in the fields. So the trip that I was on was like, we would go and hide in a, like a hunting blind in the dark, you know, in the middle, like right before sunrise, when it's still dark, and just wait for all of them to wake up. And then all of a sudden, they wake up and you start hearing them, like, you know, make their noises and their sounds and just the cacophony of sound when they're all up and they fly and they head out to the fields was just the most amazing thing, especially because we're like, you know, freezing in this hunting blind waiting for something to happen. And then you see the sunrise and these cranes and like...So anyway, unexpected to watch 500,000 cranes, you know, wake up and fly out into these fields. And, and again, with the campaign that they I just all of that made it really special and unexpected. So I loved that.

Angela Tuell:

Did you write an article about that?

Wendy Altschuler:

I did. Yeah.

Angela Tuell:

Okay. We'll have to link to that as well, because that definitely sounds like one to read. And I love that, that, yeah, the crane thing sounds amazing, but definitely not for everyone.

Wendy Altschuler:

It's not for everyone.

Angela Tuell:

What about your funniest travel experience?

Wendy Altschuler:

So with our family a few years ago, we traveled to Japan, and we went to the Nara Prefecture and that's where they have these deers. They're wild deer. But the deer have interacted with tourists for so long that they've learned to bow their heads for like a cracker. And so you have these crackers and you give them to these deer and they bow and you get to interact with the deer like up close. But in that area, like just outside of Osaka. They have sumo wrestling there's, it's called Katsuraji City Sumo Museum, and they sort of just educate people on the art of Sumo wrestling and they have sumo wrestlers come in and do a demonstration and you just watch like this intricate dance that they do and just like power and force and muscles and just like how they come together and push each other outside of the ring. And my family were there were watching this and then they offered my kids to get up and try to wrestle with the sumo wrestler. And so, the memory, the memory I have of watching like my littlest kid not want to touch a 400 pound man in a loincloth. Sweaty, you know, basically naked and, and

Angela Tuell:

Sweaty. this guy was so wonderful. He had we was this large man, but he had this like little like, hehehe voice to him, that was so disarming and he would pick up my you know, pick up my boys and kind of swing him around. He was like fully playing with them and they were just like, in awe at the sheer size of him. So I think seeing the whites of my kids eyes when they picked him up when the sumo wrestler picked them up and swung them around I think is something that's a core memory that will watch on my dead deathbed - it was so glorious. I hope you got video of that, right?

Wendy Altschuler:

Yes. Yeah.

Angela Tuell:

Okay. I'm sure it's on social - we'll have to look for it there. I don't know how I missed that one. Oh, that's great. Since we're talking about animals a little bit, I have to say you recently traveled with a client of ours, Dream Yacht Worldwide to Tahiti. I heard you had a pretty epic experience in the water with humpback whales. We must hear more.

Wendy Altschuler:

Well, first of all, I've seen humpback whales. And so many times from big ships, you know, they're often the distance and you see a water spout or the tail and, and you're like, Oh, that's amazing. Look at there's humpback whales. And this experience was a chance encounter. And I think the magic of Dream Yacht is the staff that they have on board are so incredible. And they've, they've, of course, built relationships with the other captains on other boats in the sailing community. And so one day, we were just kind of having our breakfast and a little dinghy rolled up. And there was a captain from a different boat that told our captain that he saw a humpback whale. And then our captain was like, Hey, you guys want to go see it? Duh - yes, we want to go see it. So we all jump in the dinghy. And we go out to like the great big blue out in the open ocean. And he drops us off because he is very respectful of the animal and doesn't want to disturb the animal. So He lets us off in the water with snorkel gear, and we just start swimming. And at one point, the whale, we saw one big whale and it turned and kind of starting to come towards us. So we stopped and just let it come towards us, which was a little terrifying because of the sheer size of these creatures. And we just stayed there, let it come as close as it wanted to, which was I want to say about 50 feet. And I know, I know, you're supposed to be within 100 feet of an animal. But they they came to us and we stayed there in the water. And there was just just us out there. And it was a mama and a baby and the mama kept lifting up the baby to be able to breathe and learn how to be a whale and just seeing this like primal act of a mother supporting her baby and keeping it alive. Even when it risks her own health and well being was just like this amazing experience that I feel like will never happen again. And but some of us were crying. I mean, it was just so beautiful. We're just in the water crying at how beautiful it was. So, yeah, it was an amazing, unexpected experience that could not have happened if we weren't on this kind of intimate experience, you know, with Dream Yacht. And you know, there were no other boats around. It was not, you know, one of those animal counters or you feel a little controversial about surrounding an animal. This was just it was just us, just our bodies in the water with with these humpback whales. And yeah, it was beautiful. It's beautiful.

Angela Tuell:

Did they finally just swim away? Or did you get -

Wendy Altschuler:

Yeah, they they ended up swimming away after about 20 minutes or so. So yeah, they they swam away slowly. And oh, yeah, it was just and then we swam back to the boat and wiped our tears.

Angela Tuell:

That is so cool, so cool. So I was going to ask also about a time that when things didn't go as planned, because we all know, as we travel, one of the biggest maybe benefits for us is to be flexible and to go with the flow if things don't go as planned. So what has been one of your experiences with that?

Wendy Altschuler:

Well, I feel like you know, the more you travel, the more you're going to subject yourself to when things don't go as planned. You know, flights get canceled, plans get derailed. But ultimately, I feel like these are just grand opportunities to see what you're made of. See what your your grit is because you're you know, you're learning through these struggles and disappointments and you'll have deeper conversations ultimately about what's happening in the world and, you know, realizing how our actions affect others. And so one I guess one thing that comes to mind is also on that Japan trip when we were there with our family that there was an earthquake in Osaka when we were there. It was like a 6.6 or 6.7 on the Richter scale and it was pretty big like enough to where we were staying in like this Airbnb and like, the kids were all hiding in like a door jamb. Like it was enough to be scared. And, but nothing happened ultimately as far as like damage to the city, but it shut down all the public transportation. And so we just had this day of, I think we walked 14 miles that day to get to our next, you know, destination and during that time we were in this taxi queue like just waiting to get a taxi and there were just a whole bunch of people in this queue. And this woman collapsed, and her daughter, like screamed, and was, you know, just saying something that we couldn't understand. And nobody was jumping to help her. And so we were just really concerned about our boys, our boys, well her obviously, but then our boys watching someone die, you know, so yeah. So we kind of jumped into action. We actually sent, sent one of our kids to go alert someone inside the building to call an ambulance, which is difficult when you can't say that in Japanese, right. And then my husband started giving her chest compressions and mouth to mouth and and then she she came to so it was an amazing kind of experience. And that night, one of my kids was like, this was the worst day ever. Like, this is so terrible. It's so bad. And my husband and I were like, No, this was the best day! What are you talking about? We saved someone's life today. Like, you know, we were able to, like change the course of someone's life and help them, you know, survive. And we did that by acting and doing something so. So just kind of that teaching moment of being able to reframe something that seems so awful and such a struggle, but reframe it as, you know, like, how did you respond? What was your, you know, you were tested, like, what did you do? And how did you help? And how did you be of service? Was a good, good lesson for the kids. But yeah, that's definitely a time things weren't as planned.

Angela Tuell:

No, I have goosebumps telling that. That is such great teaching moments for for kids. Especially Yeah, I know is you're talking about with kids, I know you travel with them often. And have taken them on some amazing adventures this recently, as you mentioned, and India, Thailand, Singapore, etc. We travel with our kids too. And as you know, travel with kids takes travel to a whole other level. I would love to hear more about your travels with kids and any advice you have for parents that you know need to or want to do that.

Wendy Altschuler:

So I have three boys and my boys are, they're close in age, I had three boys in four years. I know. And it was planned. And I say that out loud that sounds completely nuts, but that was planned.

Angela Tuell:

So you could get to traveling.

Wendy Altschuler:

Exactly. But they are they're a tumbleweed of puppies. They're constantly romping around in like a playful pile. And when you pull one of those puppies out of the orbit of the pack, I'm telling you something magical happens, you realize that your kid traveling with you one on one, for example. They have completely different opinions and musings and behavior than when they're with their feral little cluster of brothers. So I so just having this opportunity, I think to learn about my kids and travel with them one on one is something I'm super, super proud of as parents. And just thinking about how you know as the age to get bigger, when they go through all these different milestones. It's kind of fodder for understanding, getting a complex understanding of who they are and how they understand the world. So probably one of one I think, is something that I think is really great. And one thing that I do as a travel writer is I pay them which sounds like a bribe, but it kind of is to be a journalist in training, I will give my son's $1 per well thought out question. And the aim of this is for them to interact with, you know, like the museum docent, the shopkeeper or the kids playing by the fountain. If my kids want to earn some pocket money to spend on their trip, they're gonna have to make eye contact and muster up some courage to interact with people and learn about their -

Angela Tuell:

I love that!

Wendy Altschuler:

Yeah, learn about their cities, their professions, their perspectives. So I think just having that opportunity is really special. And and then the other two of my boys when they're at home, they are bonding with each other in a new way. They're spending time with my husband, and he'll take the opportunity to like, you know, build skate ramps in the garage or play on guitars or video games. So yeah, so they can connect in that way. So yeah, so I think one on one solo travel with your kids is, is definitely worthwhile.

Angela Tuell:

That's great advice. Now that the most recent trip you took them all,

Wendy Altschuler:

yes, this last summer was a whirlwind of a trip. I don't know that I recommend going to Southeast Asia in the summer. It was so hot. But yeah, my husband and I both travel for work. And so we just sort of a massive, massive amounts of of points and miles. And it makes it really feasible to go anywhere in the world at least once a year. So we generally just like okay, where should we go this year, and we pick a place and we make it happen and sometimes that involves lots of different legs of flights so we can use our miles in a certain way and yeah, yeah, this summer was we went to Dubai, we went to Singapore, India, Thailand, and um, yeah, spend a few weeks just kind of roaming around those different countries and, you know, taking in as much as we could take in.

Angela Tuell:

That's amazing. I'm curious to know how much you personally typically travel in a year and how you manage that with life, with family and kids.

Wendy Altschuler:

Yeah. Well, I travel about once a month. If it's a longer trip, or if it's like a two or three day trip, I'll do it two a month. So about a week out of every month, is how much I travel. Yeah. And my husband also travels for work for his job. And so yeah, it's a lot to coordinate. It's not for the weak, I'll be honest with you, it's, it's a logistical nightmare, often. But I think ultimately, we support each other. And I think picking a good partner who wants you to go after your, your dreams and your drive and have passion is, you know, the key and I love that my kids get to see both my husband and I going after what, what we love and what our passions are, and because I would want the same for them. I want them to pick a partner that supports them in their career and, you know, is conducive and supportive to help them go after those things as well.

Angela Tuell:

That's wonderful. We talked a little bit about advice, you know, with traveling with kids, but what about in general, I'm sure you get asked that.

Wendy Altschuler:

Yeah.

Angela Tuell:

Do you have any general advice?

Wendy Altschuler:

I do. I think, again, this is coming from someone who travels a lot so it might not be great advice for the regular travel. But I never check a piece of luggage. And so when we travel as a family, we still don't check luggage. And that's whether we're gone for a week or a month, we don't check any luggage. So in general, I say, you know, one roller board or backpack per person plus a little backpack for their carry on. And if your kids are older, they should be responsible for their own backpack, you know, that they're carrying. But that just keeps it simple. It makes it easier to get from one place to the other. From, you know, one hotel to the other quickly. And there's, you know, obviously creative ways of washing stuff, when you get to a hotel. Dropping it off in the laundry or washing stuff in the sink, to be honest. But the less you have, I feel like the simpler it is to manage, especially when you have a large family like we have a family of five. So dealing with tons of suitcases and stuff, would just not work. And then if you have a lot of connections when you're flying, it just makes it a lot easier. If you had a delayed flight, for example, to make that connection. If you check luggage, you might miss it, and it could derail your trip. So keeping it simple by packing light is my number one and two, I would say snacks. Seems like such a simple thing. But bring snacks. Often when my kids get, you know, ornery -

Angela Tuell:

Especially with kids.

Wendy Altschuler:

Or yeah, you just give them a granola bar or something and suddenly their mood changes a little bit. So snacks are so important. Even as an adult honestly, when I find myself getting a little like short tempered, I'll be like, Oh, maybe I need a snack.

Angela Tuell:

We've learned we've learned that recently, if we have more room, you know, in luggage to or the in the carry on. We pack it as full as we can with snacks for them, because there's so much happier and better moods when we have that. Yeah.

Wendy Altschuler:

Another one I think is letting kids be a part of the planning and the decision making. If they feel like they have agency in how their day is going to go often they'll be more invested in it and care more. And you know, be a less whiny part in the decision making process. So giving them jobs or tasks with that, I think is really helpful.

Angela Tuell:

Yeah, that's great. That's great. I know we mentioned earlier about you being an author. And one of your books Perfect Day Chicago was just published this year, we'd love to hear how it came about and a little bit more about it.

Wendy Altschuler:

Oh, yeah, thank you for mentioning that. So Perfect Day Chicago is a guidebook on 29 different neighborhoods in the city. And it's just been a really wonderful experience as the first time for me becoming an author. So just the task of doing what I do normally every day in my job, but kind of on a larger scale has been an interesting project and getting to promote the book on my city that I love, you know, on news stations and radio stations has been really fun. And, you know, having book signings and at libraries and bookstores has been really rewarding. So yeah, it's almost like getting a lot of feedback on your work when normally I don't get a ton of feedback on stories that I published with different outlets. That has been different. So it's been really fun to have, you know, my work be kind of like fodder for for conversations with people. So yeah, I've really enjoyed it. It's been a it's been really fun to work on and I'm really proud of it. So yeah.

Angela Tuell:

Awesome. Well, we'll link to how you can purchase it as well. If you're heading to Chicago or live there. I'm sure you'll learn things you didn't know so you will definitely link that. Before we go, I saw you are an alumni of AmeriCorps. We'd love to hear more about how you got involved and your experience with it.

Wendy Altschuler:

So AmeriCorps is one of the best experiences I've ever had. Because when I graduated from high school, I didn't know what I wanted to do, like many young people I didn't know. And so in many ways, it was sort of like taking a gap year just to kind of figure it out. And AmeriCorps is the domestic Peace Corps, and you travel around the US and you do different volunteer projects. And you basically live with the same group of people that are all around your age. And you give back. So you know, I've worked in two different schools underprivileged schools as like a teacher's aide, I did tornado relief and flood relief, I worked in retirement communities, I did trail maintenance, and park cleanups. And all of this kind of helped frame my experience because I was able to look at how other people are living and surviving and their needs, and how I could give back and help and really make a difference. And all of these different communities that were hard hit by natural disasters or poverty or whatever it is, knowing that I can be an agent of change was really helpful. And then at the end of that, I got a little a little dough for college. So that then put me on the college track after that. So yeah, great experience. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a gap year or is young and not knowing what to do and not totally ready for college. It's a good kind of thing to do right before.

Angela Tuell:

Yeah, all the life things you can learn. I can only imagine. For our listeners who don't know you are also an alum of the Windy City derby. From my rollerblading days, not derby days. I've always thought that would be so fun. What is something most people don't know about being a roller derbier? I don't know if that's the right word.

Wendy Altschuler:

Well, roller derby is one of the fastest growing female sports all over the world. And there are teams in almost every major city, there's a team. So anyone who's listening, I encourage you to just go look up your city or So cool. I saw photos, too. We'll have to post that as well. your team and go see about because it's just this collection of really strong, empowering, inspiring women of every career, every body type, every you know, size, and all coming together for the collective goal of, you know, creaming the other team and winning. It was really fun to be part of a team. I didn't do team sports in high school. So this was my first kind of introduction to team sports and I love it. So how can our listeners get in touch with you online? having like a physically challenging thing, using your body to like its full potential is something that I really loved doing and yeah, it was just a really, really fun thing to be a part of. And our games are at UIC Pavilion in Chicago. Yeah, the Windy City Rollers are are such a cool, eclectic group of people. And it's definitely worth seeing a game. So Instagram is a great way@WendyAltschuler. And I also have a website, wendyaltschuler.org. Those are the two best ways to get in touch with me.

Angela Tuell:

Wonderful. Thank you so much, Wendy.

Wendy Altschuler:

Oh, thank you, Angela. I loved being a part of this. Thank you so much.

Angela Tuell:

That's all for this episode of Media in Minutes, a podcast by Communications Redefined. Please take a moment to rate, review and subscribe to our show. We'd love to hear what you think. You can find more at CommunicationsRedefined.com/podcast. I'm your host, Angela Tuell. Talk to you next time.