PODCAST APPEARANCES
Becky Livingston’s world imploded twice. First, her partner Bob was diagnosed with aggressive brain cancer and died six months later. Then, 18 months after that, her daughter Rachel’s brain tumour returned. Most people would have stayed on the floor. Becky got up, packed her daughter’s ashes, and spent 26 months scattering them across the places Rachel had dreamed of visiting.This is a conversation about the most devastating thing that can happen to a person, and the extraordinary decision to find gold in the wreckage. Becky shares Bob’s life lessons (including the one that stopped me cold), how gratitude actually works when you have every reason to be bitter, and why changing your outer view can change your inner one. Her book is called Joyful Mourning, and after you hear this, you’ll understand why that title isn’t a contradiction.
Becky Livingston didn’t just survive the loss of her daughter Rachel, she took her on one last trip.
For 26 months, Becky traveled the globe with Rachel’s ashes in her suitcase, scattering them in the places Rachel had always dreamed of visiting—from the Taj Mahal to the peaks of the Andes. This is the visceral, logistics-heavy, and deeply moving account of that journey. Becky shares the reality of carrying an urn through airport security, the ritual of “leaving a piece of her” in every country, and how a 26-month trip designed for a dead daughter ended up saving the mother who was left behind. If you’ve ever wondered how to move forward when the person you love is gone, this is the roadmap.
Have you felt that quiet nudge in midlife — the sense that something needs to shift? In Part 1 of this conversation, travel and life coach Becky Livingston shares how slow, intentional travel helped her navigate deep grief, rediscover her identity, and see her life with new perspective after the loss of her daughter. We talk about solo travel, the power of changing your environment, and why midlife can be a season of renewal rather than decline. This episode focuses on the why behind travel as a midlife reset.
Becky shares practical ways women in midlife can begin exploring travel — even if getting on a plane isn’t possible right now. We talk about building confidence through small adventures, preparing your mind and body for new experiences, and Becky’s simple STAMP framework for designing travel that brings clarity, connection, and renewal. If you’ve been feeling the pull for something new in this season of life, this episode will give you practical ways to start moving toward it. In This Episode Becky’s STAMP framework for intentional travel Creative ways to make travel more affordable Why travel supports brain health and cognitive vitality How to build confidence through small “micro-adventures” Simple ways to step outside your comfort zone today
Top 10 Episodes of 2025 
Midlife Strategies for Badass Women
As we close out 2025, this special countdown episode highlights the conversations that resonated most deeply with our community of bold, midlife women. These are the stories that sparked courage, challenged comfort zones, and reminded us what’s possible when we stop playing small and start listening to ourselves. This is not about perfection. It’s about truth, resilience, and choosing yourself.
#5 – Becky Livingston: If Not Now, When: Reclaiming Life Through Slow Living
When life breaks you open, what do you do next?
In this emotional and empowering episode of Midlife Strategies for Badass Women, Sue sits down with author, adventurer, and travel coach Becky Livingston, who turned unimaginable grief into a 26-month global journey of healing and rediscovery.
Becky Livingston is a Certified Travel and Life coach, speaker, and Founder of Vital Journeys at Any Age. She is the author of the best-selling memoir The Suitcase & The Jar: Travels with a Daughter’s Ashes, and has been featured in The Vancouver Sun, CBC News, Journey Woman, Medium, and Modern Loss.
Becky has presented on CBC Radio, at Whistler Writers Festival, Word Vancouver, the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada, and at international gatherings. Born and raised in England she now calls Canada home. Becky is an Integral Associate Coach™ and combines careers in global public education, peer support consulting, and creative writing.
Can you imagine packing your suitcase and your child’s ashes and setting off around the world for 26 months? That’s exactly what today’s guest, Becky Livingston, did after the death of her daughter Rachel.
In this episode, Becky shares how traveling with Rachel’s ashes became a pathway to healing, eventually leading her to write her book The Suitcase & The Jar. If you are a bereaved mom searching for hope, meaning, or simply a reminder that you’re not alone, this conversation will give you perspective and encouragement for your own journey.
