A Family Legacy of Learning: Three Generations Embark on Road Scholar Adventures
- Karen’s great aunt, Pauline, was a pioneer Road Scholar who inspired her family’s love of learning and traveling.
- Following in Pauline’s footsteps, Karen’s parents were also longtime Road Scholars, going on more than ten programs and forming new connections along the way.
- Now, Karen has set off on her own Road Scholar journey alongside her husband and sister-in-law, making her the third generation of her family to go on our learning adventures.
When Karen I. embarked on her first program in May 2024, she became the third generation of her family to learn with Road Scholar. Originally from Boston, she settled down in Chicago after college, launching a career in the human resources industry. Now, she’s continuing her family's legacy of travel, wanting to understand more about the world around her .
But decades before Karen set off on her own Road Scholar journey, her great aunt Pauline was paving the way by heading out on some of our first adventures. As a social worker and active member of her community, as well as a pioneer of our earliest programs and the first Road Scholar of the family, Pauline would inspire generations to come.
“She was a lifelong learner,” Karen says. “My Aunt Pauline was always on the road. Her apartment had collections of a million little mementoes. Some of them, I’m sure, she got on programs with Road Scholar.”
Karen's parents in Vietnam
Making Lifelong Friends Through Road Scholar
Karen’s parents were also longtime Road Scholars, going on over ten programs. “My father and my mother had always traveled a lot,” Karen says. “My father had business in Europe and Asia, so my parents had traveled quite a bit generally. And they were always lifelong learners — I wouldn't be surprised if Pauline's experiences influenced their decision to begin traveling with Road Scholar.” Their learning adventures included Greece, Vietnam and England.
On one program, her parents formed what would become a long-lasting friendship with another Road Scholar couple, Margaret and Peter. “They became very close with them, even visiting them for a month in New Zealand,” Karen says. Her family also went on a safari in Kenya with these friends right after Karen finished college. “My parents truly made lifelong friends through Road Scholar.”
Outside of traveling, Karen’s parents continued to form connections and inspire curiosity. After her father retired, he taught classes at the Harvard Institute for Learning and Retirement.
“Even just months before he passed away, he was teaching classes on chaos theory and photography to other retirees,” she says.
Karen’s Adventures Across the World
Now, Karen has begun her own Road Scholar journey alongside her husband and sister-in-law. First, they set off to Greece and Turkey, exploring everything from the ancient ruins of the Acropolis to Istanbul to the island of Chios, best known for producing mastiha resin, known as the world’s first chewing gum.
“Because it was such a great program and we met such wonderful people, we signed up for another one!” Karen explains. Their second program took them to the Galápagos and Peru, where they had the opportunity to see marine iguanas in the Galápagos and learn about Machu Picchu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Another highlight for Karen: An expert-led expedition about agricultural diversity in the Sacred Valley where she learned unique farming techniques in the Andes.
“It’s probably the best travel journey we’ve ever taken,” Karen says. “We made some friends that I think we’ll stay in touch with.”
Karen and her husband in Peru
Looking Forward to Her Next Learning Adventure
With two great experiences under her belt, Karen has already enrolled in her next Road Scholar adventure to Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan. “It’s been on my must-do list since I’ve had a must-do list,” Karen explains.
What keeps Karen returning to Road Scholar? The same things that drew her aunt and parents back again and again.
“Road Scholar is geared toward learners. It’s for people who are curious and want to attend a lecture on geopolitical situations after dinner,” Karen says. “The programs are also extraordinarily well run. The logistics have been flawless in both our programs.”
Karen has also been looking forward to future adventures. “I get the catalog, and I go through it. Then my husband does the same. We tear out pages and think about what's next.”
50 Years of Road Scholar
Road Scholar celebrates half a century, we want to highlight stories like Karen’s. We believe traveling is more than just seeing unfamiliar places — it’s about forming new friendships, broadening horizons and deepening understandings.
Here’s to 50 years of learning and more to come!