Playing Catch-up with Travel Writer Kayt Sukel, Author of a New Book about S-E-X (in Part, Anyway)

Three years ago, we spoke with Kayt Sukel, a freelance writer and Travel Savvy Mom, about her favorite family travel destinations–and her favorite travel memories with her son, Chet.  Since then, she’s made a few changes.  She has moved back to the states after six years in Europe, got divorced and has just published a book about love and the brain called Dirty Minds: How Our Brains Influence Love, Sex and Relationships. But, naturally, she’s still traveling.  Today, she talks about how her time in Europe changed her view of the states, the call of the Mouse, and why you never have to choose between love and travel.

1.  Last time we talked, you mentioned Chet had been to 20 countries.  What’s his count now?

With trips to the Galapagos and Mexico this past summer, he’s now at 38. I think it’s a good number–and since we’ll be traveling more in the states in the next few years, it’s respectable enough to stick with for a while.

2.  You recently returned to the states after several years in Europe.  How is that changing your travel style?

I miss Europe–and it would be easy to moan about all the things that Europe has that the U.S. may lack. Not to mention, how easy it is to travel there. But the truth is, being in Europe for so long got me really excited about exploring more of the U.S. It’s such a huge country with so many regional attractions and cultures.  It’s probably time I got out there and experienced more of it firsthand.

3.  Has Chet’s favorite destination changed?

Kayt's son Chet at Disney's Castaway Cay.

Yes.  While he still appreciates running around and seeing new things, he’s become a full-fledged Disney fanatic. He adored our trip to Disneyland Paris before we left Europe and became thoroughly hooked on the Mouse after our cruise on the Disney Dream. He now wants every trip to include some kind of Disney component.

4.  I know you write things beyond travel but was surprised to see that you were writing a book about love, sex and the brain.  How did that happen?

I know it sounds odd but it was a really transition for me. One of my other beats is neuroscience. I actually studied it and thought I was going to go into a career in academia. That didn’t happen, of course, but my fascination with the brain remained. And I’ve been writing about it ever since. So when my marriage started to fall apart, instead of heading to the self-help aisle for answers, I went to the brain journals.  And as I learned more, I realized there was a lot of great information that people might not know. So Dirty Minds really is my exploration of all the ways our neurons can wreak havoc with our hearts–and what we can learn from just paying better attention to our own biology.

5.  So what’s better? Love or travel?

No one should ever have to make that choice! It would just be mean. So I’ll just say that my work on Dirty Minds showed me just how much love and exploration are tied together, and you can see it in areas of the brain involved in reward and risk processing. I think there is a deep biological reason that so many of us are compelled to explore and seek out new experiences. And like love, they are often too strong to be denied.

6.  What’s next on your travel agenda?

Now that Chet is older, we’re a bit limited by his school schedule. But we’re actively spending our weekends exploring our own background and the greater Houston area. And I’m already actively thinking about every and all of his school breaks–Montana and Wyoming are calling!