Guiding the Roukettes into a New Chapter of Adventure
My father is originally from a tiny – I don’t know that it’s even a town – hamlet? A hamlet is smaller than a village, so maybe that’s it. When he speaks of it he calls it El Llano, which means a treeless grassy plain. It’s definitely an open space surrounded by open space. When he tells me about his upbringing, it’s all very rural. Once, when he and I traveled back to his town for his mother’s 80th birthday, he took me to the place where he was born – a two-room adobe house. No running water or electricity. The outhouse at the very back of the property.
The fact that I’m sitting here now, named after his mother, in San Diego CA, telling you this story is a miracle, because life is a miracle – full of twists and turns, meetings and friendships formed, happenstance and chance.
Or maybe it’s all meant to be. I don’t claim to be an expert. But I am a believer in awe and wonder.
How he got from El Llano, in Nuevo Leon, MX, to here in San Diego, is quite a tale for another day. Along the way, he ended up in Mexico City and served in the Mexican Air Force as a mechanic. Here things get a little foggy, but after his service he didn’t quite want to go back to El Llano but didn’t exactly have a plan.
He was invited to go to Nogales, Sonora, Mexico with an acquaintance he had made. And, being young and unencumbered, away he went.
(I’m feeling very certain my business partner, and mother, will be in the comments of this blog correcting me on the details and I welcome it!)
Once in Nogales, he started working at a company where he met a man who became more than a friend, he became a brother. My father was invited to live with his family – where he was welcomed and eventually became family.
No, he didn’t marry a sister and become and in-law. The best I can tell is that recognized each other as kind, intelligent, hard-working, dedicated, and devoted people. They took him in and loved him, and he loved them. And really, what more does anyone need to be family?
There is a family portrait in their home with the parents, all the siblings, and my dad. They all call him Hermano and he calls them Hermano and Hermana. When I was young and we would go back to Nogales to visit, we always paid multiple calls there, spending long hours in the kitchen eating tamales and buñuelos, the crispy dough shattering with each bite sending brown and powdered sugar down the front of my jean jacket.
This is how we know Kathy Bennen – she is the daughter of one of the siblings of this family. So in the way that in Mexico, you are related to everyone either through blood or bonds, Kathy is my cousin. She and I are close in age and I remember sitting with her in her grandmother’s cavernous living room on the mid-century couch late on Christmas Day, the lights from the tree reflecting off the walls and the shiny floors.
This is how my mom (whom I call Kekena) and I became part of her family and Kathy became part of ours.
Last year, Kathy came to us wanting to join the team. She had had an opportunity to become a travel agent with a Virtuoso agency in her early 20s, and as she says – she just wasn’t ready at the time.
But times change and people change, and when she saw Kekena and I talking about the agency on socials, she reached out with some questions. And now here we are.
Twists and turns, chance and happenstance.
We know that just like life, travel isn’t just about the destination—it’s about discovering new pieces of yourself along the way. As much as this might make you puke (or at least gag the way it makes me gag), it is about the journey. How you get there is at least half as important as getting there.
And for Kathy that truth is especially meaningful.
As a team, we have monthly meetings where talk about our values and our dreams, who we’d love to work with and how we want to help them. At a recent meeting, Kathy’s reflection really resonated with us and I wanted to share it here.
Kathy’s dream clients are women stepping into a new chapter of life—widowed, divorced, or simply untethered in a way that’s both freeing and unfamiliar. These women are ready to explore, to connect, and to remember just how much life they still have left to live.
She calls them the Roukettes.
In the part of Mexico where we are from, rouka is slang for an older woman – it can sometimes be used in a derogatory way, but you know how it is – you can take the word back and make it your own. If you decide to refer to yourself as a rouka, you are slyly acknowledging that you’re no spring chicken anymore, but a hen that’s been around the roost for a while and knows some things. And that kind of chicken ain’t one to be messed with. She might not lay any eggs anymore, but in the pecking order she knows where she stands.
A few years ago, a group of Rookas visited New York City and took a tour that included the famous Radio City Music Hall. As they stood in front of the stage, they were inspired to let loose with a few high kicks, just like the Rockettes. These very proper, Mexican ladies, had a girlish moment – maybe living out a moment from their dreams – witty, playful, and wise – lined up and kicked their hearts out.
“Oh, you’re the Rockettes!” the guide exclaimed. “No,” one of them replied with a grin. “We’re the Roukettes.”
That moment stuck. And today, Kathy’s dream is to create travel experiences for the Roukettes of the world.
Creating Space for Connection, Confidence, and Curiosity
Kathy’s clients are not new to travel but many are new to traveling solo. Some are widowed, some divorced, and many are entering a season of life where they finally have time to do the things they’ve always dreamed about. What they’re looking for isn’t just a trip—it’s an experience. One that makes them feel seen, supported, and inspired.
These women are active, energized, and curious. But they might not have many friends who travel, or they may feel hesitant to step out on their own. That’s why safety, comfort, and community are at the core of every journey Kathy designs.
“I want them to feel confident. I want them to feel connected—not just to the destination, but to the other women on the trip. And I want them to feel awe and wonder.”
What Next, Roukettes?
The Roukettes won’t be heading to the usual tourist hot spots if Kathy has anything to do with it. In this way, Kathy’s values align perfectly with Golden Ginkgo’s to get off-the-beaten track and explore the places that don’t get as much play.
Kathy dreams of trips to destinations that are a bit more rich in history, beauty, and culture. Places like Denmark, Portugal, and Budapest. The colorful magic of Oaxaca and the cultural depth of the Yucatán. The colonial charm of lesser-known cities in Mexico.
Kathy is so thoughtful and meticulous in her approach. She believe small group travel intimate in size with no more than 10 to 15 women, as a way to support Las Roukettes in their travel ambitions. These type of trips will allow for deep conversations, spontaneous moments, and the kind of trust that comes when you travel with people who just get it.
The Journey Starts Before Takeoff
Kathy knows that travel begins long before the plane takes off. Travel starts with a dream and the beginning of a plan.
Beyond the packing list and itinerary decisions, Kathy wants to make each trip shimmer with pre-trip engagement. How will Kathy apply Travel Golden to her groups? By layering golden touches leading up to each trip—like reading a novel or memoir about the destination, or gathering locally to share a meal inspired by the cuisine they’ll soon enjoy together abroad.
These pre-trip experiences help form bonds before the group even leaves home. It’s all about building anticipation, connection, and shared excitement—so that when the Roukettes arrive, they’re already traveling among friends.
“There Is Still So Much Life to Be Lived”
Kathy said this after her reflection and it’s her guiding light. She reminds us that the second, or third, act of a woman’s life can be just as vibrant, meaningful, and full of adventure as any that came before. The second or third act is worthy of a standing ovation.
At Golden Ginkgo Signature Travel, we often say that our clients’ time is more precious than gold. Kathy honors that truth by helping her clients fill their time with beauty, joy, and golden memories. She cares deeply about how her clients feel and how she can best serve them.
The Roukettes are more than a nickname. They’re a movement! (And I’m not just talking about the spontaneous high kicks at Radio City Music Hall which inspired their name!)
Las Roukettes are a joyful rebellion against the idea that aging means slowing down or staying home, that life is over after 60. Life is for living until your last breath. Our home, planet Earth is a precious miracle, worth discovering and experiencing.
My father came from a small place and he wanted to experience more – he left, took the road less taken, and I think he would say it was worth it.
With Kathy at their side, the Roukettes prove that you can get started at any time and at any age.
Capable? Yup.
Conscientious? No question!
Composed? Absolutely.
She’s a Golden Goddess! And we are so very proud to have Kathy on our team.
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