Jeanie Frankel — Finding a Social and Intellectual Experience Online
79-year-old Jeanie Frankel began traveling solo with Road Scholar in 2010 after her husband passed away. Over the next ten years, she enjoyed learning adventures from California to Canada to Italy.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, Jeanie’s passion for exploring the world came to an abrupt halt. Because she was living alone, Jeanie was feeling quite isolated by the time Christmas rolled around that year. That’s when her daughters gave her a Road Scholar Adventure Online as a Christmas gift.
“They thought I needed more interaction with others because so many normal activities had still not resumed,” said Jeanie. Jeanie said that Road Scholar’s Adventures Online did help her fulfill her need for social interaction and companionship during the COVID quarantine, and she continues to glean the social and intellectual benefits of the online programs today.
“I currently have mobility issues due to arthritis in my knee, making it difficult to consider participating in a traditional Road Scholar program,” said Jeanie. “And, until very recently, because of COVID restrictions, I didn’t think travel would be fun or worth the effort.”
Though Jeanie is hoping her knee will improve enough so that she can attend on-site programs with Road Scholar again, she says she will still continue taking Road Scholar’s virtual programs, too.
“The Adventures Online are not merely a substitute for in-person travel,” said Jeanie. “The experts and Group Leaders are terrific, knowledgeable, often with impressive expertise in the subject. I have found the programs valuable in their own right, as a totally unique experience.”