Who doesn’t love a woman who can play the bass (both electric and standup) and lives the dream playing music with different bands in the Live Music Capital of the World?

Becky Austen, who traveled with us to Japan in April–her first Next Tribe trip–says almost everything in her life has been a “happy accident.” She got into playing the bass in 2008 when she dropped her kids off at School of Rock and she saw a sign offering adult music lessons. She signed up and never looked back.

She joined Girl Guitar, an organization where women to learn, share, and collaborate over music, songwriting, performing and collaborating. From there, she helped form an all-woman blues band, Blue Gardenia, and now she plays with multiple bands, including Blue Vibe.

NextTribe creates small group travel experiences for women 45 and over. If you’re ready to stop waiting and start going, we’d love to have you along. Check out all our trips here.

By day, Becky does something totally different but very important. After retiring from an executive position at IBM, she took a one-year fellowship to help a local non-profit that deals with sex trafficking. She is currently helping Allies Against Slavery expand beyond Texas and Louisiana to other states, gathering data for “protection, prosecution and policymaking” around human trafficking. They now have a “huge database” that’s used by policymakers, academics, and others.

“Trafficking is such an elusive issue. People don’t understand it. They think of Epstein and that’s only a small part of it, not the whole picture,” she says. Better data will help inform better strategy to fight this.

Off to Japan

Becky chose to join NextTribe on the trip to Japan because it’s “a place I wouldn’t go alone, necessarily, because of the language barrier,” she says. She was always the travel planner for family and friends, and traveled globally for work. After meeting women at local NextTribe events in Austin she decided to try a trip, and she’s now signed up for three in the next 12 months.

She wasn’t sure she was ready for a group trip: she’s very independent and was used to traveling with her late husband, other family and friends.

She wasn’t sure she was ready for a group trip: she’s very independent and was used to traveling with her late husband, Stacy, and other family and friends. “Right before Stacy died we did a couple of Spanish immersion trips, and that was my first taste of group travel. So after he died I thought maybe I’d try group travel again,” even though, as she says “I like my alone time.” She says she appreciated that on a NextTribe trip she had some down time, and a like-minded roommate who also happened to be a another musician!

Becky has two daughters, both living in Massachusetts. Emma is at the University of Massachusetts working on an MD/PhD and she’s married to a therapist. (Becky’s dad was a psychiatrist who saw patients until he was 92!) Her daughter Leah, graduated from Northeastern University in marketing but decided to become a teacher in a private school that is closing its doors soon, so she’ll be looking for work later this year.

“She’s always landed on her feet,” says Becky. With her kids grown and gone, Becky still finds herself navigating the loss of their father, her own father, and last year, her beloved cat. She has two kittens now, who were also, probably, another “happy accident.”

Where do you live? 

Austin, TX.

Marital status? 

Single/widow

Occupation? 

Chief Growth Officer at Allies Against Slavery, a nonprofit that uses data to illuminate and eradicate human trafficking.

What convinced you to take your first trip with NextTribe? 

I was recently widowed, and as a lifetime traveler (solo, family, business, groups), I was seeking travel experiences to places I would not likely visit on my own. I like the low drama, small groups, flexibility, and the enthusiastic recommendations from other women I met through NextTribe. I loved the idea of traveling with other cool women and supporting businesses owned or led by women. 

Have you ever traveled with a group of all women? How does it compare to traveling solo or with a partner or friend? 

Yes, it’s a unique vibe. You make quick and strong connections and there’s a high degree of trust and camaraderie. Women on the NextTribe trip seem to really enjoy taking care of ourselves and supporting one another. With our shared life experiences, we get each other.

I found a way to marry my personality to the trip, and I had a great roommate.

For me a group trip can be mildly challenging and draining at times. The whole coordinating and corralling everyone, following a structured itinerary. I realize people want to do different things and I am used to setting my own agenda and pace, with some built-in alone time. But I found a way to marry my personality to the trip, and I had a great roommate.

What were you most looking forward to on your first trip? 

Seeing more of Japan (I had only been to Tokyo), experiencing the local culture, learning about the country, the hands-on experiences, meeting interesting women. Basically all of it!

Favorite place to visit and why? 

Naoshima island stays with me. It’s a small art island filled with outdoor sculptures and unusual museum experiences. The setting was stunning.

What’s your dream travel destination? 

Too many to count. I love all the dimensions of travel wherever I go–culture, history, art and architecture, textiles, music, food, people, nature and landscapes. When I travel I get outside of my head and my global perspectives are enriched. It’s a state of giving and receiving of being safe and vulnerable at the same time. 

Do you believe in wearing sweatpants on the plane? If not, what’s your go-to travel day outfit? 

Not so much a sweatpants person, and it depends on the length of travel and destination, but comfort is paramount. I have a go-to outfit of black joggers or denim pull-on jeans, black tee, cardigan sweater, with a large scarf that packs down small and serves as both a blanket and fashion accessory. 

Travel is a state of giving and receiving of being safe and vulnerable at the same time. 

Do you have a favorite souvenir from your travels?

 I almost always get earrings wherever I go.

Do you have any travel rituals or tips that you swear by? 

Be kind and give grace to yourself and others, stay hydrated, learn to say at least please and thank you in the local language, don’t pack the itinerary and leave space for quiet.