On this episode of “Out of Office: A Travel Podcast,” Kiernan recounts his travels in the secluded mountain kingdom of Bhutan, which just last week reopened its borders to tourists after 2.5 years of COVID restrictions. Extraordinary scenery, Gross National Happiness, and penis deities abound! Things We Talked About:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhutan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gho https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kira_(Bhutan) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_National_Happiness  https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/29/opinion/bhutan-is-no-shangri-la.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paro_Taktsang https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drukpa_Kunley https://themalamarket.com/ http://time.com/5534495/hot-abraham-lincoln-statue/ 

Bhutan (Return Trip to Episode #23)

Out of Office is a travel podcast hosted by us, Ryan Davis and Kiernan Schmitt. From early childhood, we were each infected with a serious case of wanderlust (among other things.) 

We define travel broadly, from local day trips to high-flyin’ overseas adventures. Every episode, we dig into one topic—ranging from the serious to the silly, the practical to the outlandish—and give advice on how to get out there and explore the world.

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Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

On this episode of "Out Of Office: A Travel Podcast," Kiernan leads us through highlights from his trip to Guatemala—museums of Guatemala City, the pyramids (and howler monkeys!) of Tikal National Park, Antigua volcano hikes, and the part-devil/part-saint of Lake Atitlan. Plus, LOTS OF GORY CATHOLIC STUFF! Things we talk about in this week’s episode: The Rick Steves Guide to Life  https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2024/04/29/rick-steves-home-partner-philanthropy-washington/ US State Department Guatemala Safety Information  https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Guatemala.html   Brief History of Guatemala’s complicated political history and civil war https://cja.org/where-we-work/guatemala/   Palacio Nacional de la Cultura https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Palace_(Guatemala)  Museo Ixchel https://museoixchel.org/en/museo-ixchel-english/  Museo Miraflores https://www.museomiraflores.org.gt/  Museo Nacional de Arqueologia y Etnologia  https://sig.muniguate.com/proyectosDIGM/cultura/museos/MUSEOS/Arqueolog%C3%ADa%20y%20Etnolog%C3%ADa.html  Tikal National Park https://www.tikalnationalpark.org/  Antigua https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antigua_Guatemala  Santa Catalina Archi  https://theculturetrip.com/central-america/guatemala/articles/a-brief-history-of-antiguas-santa-catalina-arch  Convento de las Capuchinas  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iglesia_y_Convento_de_las_Capuchinas,_Antigua_Guatemala  Efrain Recinos sculpture park  https://intothearmsofamerica.com/destinations/guatemala/antigua/the-little-museum-up-in-the-antigua-hills/  Lake Atitlan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Atitl%C3%A1n   Maximon  https://atitlanliving.com/guatemala-travel-information/how-to-visit-a-cofradia-in-santiago/  Michelin Star Analysis https://www.chefspencil.com/michelin-dining-costs-analysis/  Your iPhone’s Hidden Noise Machine https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/iphone-tips-tricks/   

Guatemala

On this episode of "Out Of Office: A Travel Podcast," Ryan interviews Emma Weissmann on the boom of concert travel led by Taylor Swift. Plus, Kiernan endorses Mitt Romney again.  Things we talk about in this week’s episode: Mitt Romney for Harvard President.  https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/04/16/mitt-romney-harvard-president-antisemitism/  Emma Interview:  TravelAge West: https://www.travelagewest.com/   Emma’s podcasts: https://www.travelagewest.com/Podcasts Taylor Swift cruise: https://www.travelagewest.com/Travel/Cruise/taylor-swift-cruise NPR article on economic impact:   https://www.npr.org/2023/12/27/1221483930/girl-economy-taylor-swift-beyonce-barbie-2023 Last Stop:  https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/books/a60314481/literary-travel-boom/   https://www.bnbfinder.com/  

Traveling For Concerts (Taylor’s version)

On this episode of "Out Of Office: A Travel Podcast," Kiernan digs in on regional Italian cuisine with one of the show’s most interesting guests ever: opera and Italian cuisine expert Fred Plotkin. Fred talks us through some of the most popular and most obscure foods of Italy, sharing history and wonderful anecdotes all along the way. Part 2 of 3! Things we talk about in this week’s episode: “Italy for Food Lovers” https://store.ricksteves.com/shop/p/italy-for-food-lovers Fred Plotkin biography https://www.wqxr.org/people/fred-plotkin/  The Atlantic’s “Crying Myself to Sleep on the Biggest Cruise Ship Ever” by Gary Shteyngart  https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2024/05/royal-caribbean-cruise-ship-icon-of-seas/677838/ CNN’s Grandmother and Son Are on the Move  https://www.cnn.com/travel/grandma-joy-ryan-grandson-seven-continents/index.html 

Italian Cuisine Expert Fred Plotkin is BACK!

On this episode of "Out Of Office: A Travel Podcast," Kiernan grades ChatGPT, evaluating its organization of three weekend getaways. Ryan shares tips on how to correctly leverage ChatGPT for travel plans. Introducing a fresh segment, "The Layover," Ryan chats with Tommy Wallach from Hatch Escapes on the launch of their latest immersive adventure, "The Ladder." Things we talk about in this week’s episode: ChatGPT: https://chat.openai.com/ Hatch Escapes:  https://www.hatchescapes.com/ OOO Episode on Escape Rooms:  https://outofofficepod.com/podcast/episode-50-escape-rooms-with-tommy-wallach/ LAST STOP Ryan: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-admin-accelerates-plan-to-unleash-apex-predator-near-rural-community-over-widespread-local-opposition   Kiernan: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/arts/willy-wonka-musical-parody-inspired-by-viral-event-1235852849/  

Trip Planning With ChatGPT

On this episode of "Out Of Office: A Travel Podcast," Kiernan interviews one of the show’s most interesting guests ever: opera and Italian cuisine expert Fred Plotkin. Decades ago, Fred published a breakout hit for intrepid eaters: his book “Italy for the Gourmet Traveler.” During COVID, he collaborated with frequent “Out of Office” guest Rick Steves on a new update, which the duo published in 2023 as “Italy for Food Lovers.” Fred’s knowledge proved so encyclopedic, this will be Part 1 of 2! Note: Some SFX are missing from the top of the show, which explains the weird pauses. We’ll talk about it on the next episode.  Things we talk about in this week’s episode: Willy Wonka Immersive Experience  https://www.salon.com/2024/03/02/fyre-festival-20-everything-to-know-about-the-less-than-stellar-willy-wonka-immersive-experience/  “Italy for Food Lovers” https://store.ricksteves.com/shop/p/italy-for-food-lovers Fred Plotkin biography https://www.wqxr.org/people/fred-plotkin/  “The Myth of Your Phone’s Airplane Mode” https://qz.com/phone-airplane-mode-myth-1851286214  “Pod Save the World” CPAC Doubles Down on Creepy Autocrats  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cpac-doubles-down-on-creepy-autocrats/id1200016351?i=1000647359648 

Bhutan (Return Trip to Episode #23)

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