Episode notes
What happens when your family history spans Russia, China, Japan, Hawaii, and the United States?
In this personal episode of Just Travel with Sandy, Sandy shares the fascinating global story of her family and the discoveries she has made while exploring her roots. Her Russian grandmother, her father Solomon Raphael Colling—born in Shanghai in 1919 and raised in Tientsin (now Tianjin), China—and his years in the Merchant Marine reveal a family history shaped by migration, travel, multiple cultures, and a rapidly changing world.
Sandy explores what it means to grow up with a family story that crosses borders and cultures, and how old photographs, postcards, documents, and memories can reveal connections between generations.
From Russia to China and beyond, this is more than a genealogy story. It's a conversation about cultural identity, family history, migration, travel, and the ways our ancestors' journeys can shape our own understanding of the world.
If you've ever wondered where your family came from, how cultural heritage shapes identity, or what old family photographs and documents can reveal, this episode will give you plenty to think about.
About Your Host Sandy
Sandy is a luxury travel advisor, author, and podcast host who has traveled to 39 countries, speaks three languages, and has made it her mission to help women 50+ travel the world without the overwhelm. From leading small group tours through the Christmas markets of Germany and France to sharing hard-won travel wisdom in her book The Travel Lounge Life, Sandy specializes in curated, confidence-building travel experiences for women in midlife.
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Learn how to travel with confidence and ease with luxury travel advisor Sandy. Get practical inspiration for your next trip.
Topics include: Russian heritage, family history, genealogy, Shanghai, Tientsin/Tianjin, China in the 1930s, the Merchant Marine, multicultural families, cultural identity, migration, travel, and bridging cultural gaps.