Women Who Travel Podcast: Comedian Heather McMahan Can't Get Enough of Italy and Cruises
LA: And I resent everyone who reminds me about a ticking clock. But then I'm also like, shit, shit.
HM: I know. I turned 38 this year and my mom had me at 40 and she's like, "You're going to be fine." I'm like, you had good eggs. You were smoking cigarettes and drinking wine every night when you were pregnant with me. And I'm over here taking my supplements and making sure I take melatonin to go to sleep and wearing an aura ring. And I'm like, how am I doing all the things that I think are healthy? And this is why I am telling you I will go to Europe and that's where I'll get pregnant. I will just relax. It's like once-
LA: The shoulders drop.
HM: The shoulders drop, I lose 10 pounds. Next thing you know I'm pregnant with twins. I think everyone's IVF, it's the same price so if you could spend the money to either do IVF or just go to Italy for two weeks and you'll probably get knocked up, because you'll finally relax. And that's what it is, we're so wound tight. We're trying to chase the goal and the dream and doing all these things that we never relax. I mean, obviously easier said than done, but that's why I take off. I am very specific and my team knows I will work to the bone from January to June, but damn it, you better give me three weeks in the summer just to turn my brain off and turn my phone off. And that is what I give myself.
LA: When you are planning those three weeks, I mean clearly you're going to Europe.
HM: Yes.
LA: Italy.
HM: Well, actually this year we're going to Portugal and Majorca. We're switching it up a little bit. I will get to Italy for Christmas. Don't worry, I will see my friends and family in Florence. But yes, I'm going to go to Portugal.
LA: Have you been before?
HM: I haven't been.
LA: Oh, that's so exciting.
HM: Well, and because everybody in my travel space was like, "Heather, you have to branch out." I've been all over the world and I've done a lot of Europe that they were like, there's places you need to see, so we're going to go to Portugal. I'm very excited about that. And then do a little bit of Majorca.
LA: How do you go about planning and going into a trip when you haven't been to a place before? Do you have any hacks or approaches to how you do it? Do you just fly by the seat of your pants? Are you very organized?
HM: When it comes to my vacations, here's the deal. I work so much and I look forward to this so much that I don't want a moment to be wasted, so I like to plan the hotels, the travel. I get such a joy off of following other travel content creators. And then I like to curate the whole trip. And when I find a good spot, I keep meticulous notes. And then if you DM me or you text me or call me, once I go to a place and I meet the people, I will go back and I love to have that familiarity. Or just like the family. There's a restaurant in Rome called Il Falchetto. I am obsessed with them. They are my family now. And I have a place called Il Parione in Florence. And these, I mean, I go back and visit these people once or twice a year. They're just my people. They feed me. If you feed me, I will come back and I will shout it from the rooftops that everybody needs to go there.
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