Welcome to episode 134 of The Journey Is the Reward!

On this episode, Micah and Brian are back with a packed show featuring international adventures, listener mail, and the ultimate puzzle of frequent flyer routing.

Before getting to the main interview, the guys dive into Listener Lu’s fascinating question about Delta sponsoring a premium lounge inside The Sphere in Las Vegas. Should you expect incredible visuals, immersive entertainment, and knowing Vegas, a very long line to get in, or will this be a boring airport lounge?

Next, we head across the Atlantic to the Emerald Isle. We tune in to a fantastic, on-the-ground interview that Chef Kathy recorded while traveling around Ireland with the one and only Momma Coleman.

Before we get to the main topic, in major domestic travel news, Brian is packing his bags for EAA AirVenture Oshkosh! If you are planning to head out there for the big event, please let Brian know—he’d love to meet up face-to-face.

Of course, getting there is where the real story begins. Brian managed to sniff out a first-class award ticket to Wisconsin for just 27,000 points, but the layout of the trip seems to have been designed by a computer making things unnecessarily complicated. He breaks down the bizarre choices he has to make to actually claim that first-class seat.

Our main guest today is Eric the Mapmaker, who recently returned from a grand tour of Italy with his lovely wife, Bella. Eric gives us the full trip report on:

• The experience flying across the pond with Delta.
• Navigating local Airbnb stays and finding the best spots.
• The logistics of actually getting around Italy (and surviving the local driving).
• And because it’s Italy, a deep dive into the incredible food that made the trip unforgettable.

But as any seasoned traveler knows, even the best-planned trips can throw you a curveball. When plans went sideways, Micah stepped in to save the day, finding Eric a creative way home… albeit with a very "scenic" detour.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy the stories. Because around here, the journey is always the reward.

As always, our ears are blessed by the utterly soul-stirring, goosebump-inducing sounds of the Madalitso Youth Choir! Their Welcome and Goodbye songs, recorded straight from the Royal Livingstone Hotel in Zambia, are pure magic.

You can always find the audio recording at ⁠⁠www.thejourneyisthereward.org⁠⁠.