Debra Hurt never saw herself as the adventure-travel type. Between raising two kids and managing the demands of everyday life, an active vacation seemed reserved for those with more time and more interest in sleeping in a sleeping bag. Until one day when she wandered through the immaculate grounds of a five-star hotel and unexpectedly crossed paths with a Backroads group. Suddenly, her perception of adventure travel shifted.
That summer, opportunity knocked. With her children—then seven and 12—away at camp for three weeks and her husband tied up at work, she found herself with a rare window of time. The idea of a Backroads adventure resurfaced, but so did her doubts. Could she really take an international trip on her own? Travel with a group of strangers? “I was super nervous,” she admitted.
She ultimately decided to take the leap, booking her first Backroads trip to Switzerland. By the end of the first day, her nerves had melted away. “My first impression was, Is this real?” she recalled. The breathtaking landscapes, the seamless logistics, the warmth of the Trip Leaders—it all felt almost too good to be true. By the time she returned home, one thing was clear: this wouldn’t be a one-time experience. “It’s not a feeling I get very often, so I listened,” she said.
Looking back, Debra recognizes that Backroads didn’t just introduce her to a new way of traveling—it reintroduced her to herself. “Backroads helped me discover who I am and ignited a passion I didn’t know was within me. Before, travel was about sightseeing—architecture, history—but experiencing the world in an active way, hiking, taking my time… it felt natural. I loved who I was on these trips. After spending so many years focused on raising kids, I had forgotten that part of myself. When I returned, my family noticed a change in me.”
But the impact of these trips wasn’t just emotional—it was physical, too. “It not only changed me on the inside, it changed me on the outside,” she said. With each new adventure, she found herself stronger, more energized, and more motivated to stay active. “There’s always something to look forward to and stay in shape for,” she added.
Since that first leap of faith, Debra has never looked back. With her eldest now in college, she’s now taken 18 Backroads trips—with two more already booked. Along the way, she’s built lasting friendships, bonding deeply with fellow travelers who share her passion for adventure. On her last trip, she connected with another solo woman and a couple, and before long, they were making future travel plans together. Now, they’re gearing up for an epic journey to Chilean Patagonia in January 2026.
For women who feel too busy, not fit enough, or hesitant to travel solo, Debra offers simple but powerful advice:
"Are you too busy to go? Of course you are—we all are! But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go. As they say, the work is never done! Seize the moment.”
