The Art of Mindful Travel: Lessons from an Italian Tour Guide

September 15, 2025

00:00 54:05

Listen on Your Favorite App

Spotify

Apple Podcasts

RSS

What’s the difference between rushing through a city and truly receiving it? In this episode of the Unhurried Living Podcast, Gem Fadling talks with Lauren Mouat—a writer, instructor, and licensed tour guide based in Tuscany, about how to travel with intention, depth, and presence.

Lauren, originally from California, moved to Rome more than a decade ago and now leads tours through her company, Unlock Italy. With humor, eloquence, and a gift for storytelling, she doesn’t just share history facts she invites people into the stories, beauty, and humanity of the places they visit.

In this conversation, Gem and Lauren explore:

Why stories make travel experiences more meaningful
The difference between “checking boxes” and traveling at a soulful pace
Practices like journaling, walking, and stillness that deepen connection
How to resist hurry and savor beauty, curiosity, and wonder
Ways to stay present and be moved by the places we encounter

Whether you’re planning your next trip or simply longing to live more mindfully where you are, this episode will inspire you to slow down, notice, and receive life as a gift.

______________________________________________________

Connect with Gem on Instagram and learn more on the Unhurried Living website and her new book, Hold That Thought: Sorting Through the Voices in Our Heads

Learn about PACE: Certificate in Leadership and Soul Care

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

More Episodes

See all episodes

Meet Your Hosts

Alan Fadling (MDiv) is a founding partner of Unhurried Living, Inc. in Mission Viejo, CA. He writes and speaks as an expert in the challenge of hurry in contemporary life and work and how to overcome it.

Alan consults and coaches leaders and their organizations in the U.S. and around the world, helping them work towards long-term productivity that lasts rather than settling for quick fixes that don’t. He is the award-winning author of five books, including An Unhurried Life, An Unhurried Leader, and A Non-Anxious Life.

Gem Fadling, CLC, is a founding partner of Unhurried Living. She is a trained Spiritual Director and a Certified Life Coach who trains people at the intersection of spiritual leadership and soul care.

Gem is the co-host of the Unhurried Living Podcast as well as the author of Hold That Thought and co-author of What Does Your Soul Love? Her work has appeared in Propel Women and Our Daily Bread.