Freedom Now! Travel

Guest: Antonio Goodwin, the host, now in the hot seat
In conversation with: Jonathan Murphy, Co-Producer

For 49 episodes, Antonio Goodwin has been the one asking the questions, inviting travelers from around the world to share their adventures, discoveries, and experiences of freedom. But for this special 50th episode, the microphone gets turned around!

Co-producer Jonathan Murphy takes over the interviewer's seat, and Antonio becomes the guest on his own show.

From his first childhood flight to Chicago to working aboard cruise ships, exploring destinations around the world, and walking 500 miles along El Camino de Santiago de Compostela, Antonio revisits the experiences that have shaped his relationship with travel, freedom, and life itself.

Along the way, Jonathan guides the conversation through the podcast's first five seasons, uncovering what inspires Antonio to travel, why experiencing people and cultures matters more to him than checking destinations off a bucket list, and what he means when he says his life is a vacation.

But this episode isn't simply about where Antonio has been. It's about the life he has intentionally created.

What does it mean to live freely without needing to escape your everyday life? How can saying yes to the unknown open possibilities you never imagined? And how can a single encounter, conversation, or journey change the direction of your life?

Through personal stories, laughter, and reflection, Antonio shares two guiding principles: know what you enjoy, and be willing to create a life around it.

Join Antonio and Jonathan for this milestone conversation celebrating 50 episodes of adventure, discovery, human connection, and the freedom to express yourself.

Freedom Now! Travel — Express Yourself. Because travel isn't just about the places we go. It's about the life we create and the possibilities we discover along the way.

Episode 50 — Flip the Mic! The Traveler Behind Freedom Now!

Freedom Now! Travel — Express Yourself

Guest: Antonio Goodwin
In conversation with: Jonathan Murphy, Co-Producer

For 49 episodes, Antonio Goodwin has been the one asking the questions, inviting travelers from around the world to share their adventures, discoveries, and experiences of freedom. But for this special 50th episode, the microphone gets turned around!

Co-producer Jonathan Murphy takes over the interviewer's seat, and Antonio becomes the guest on his own show.

From his first childhood flight to Chicago to working aboard cruise ships, exploring destinations around the world, and walking 500 miles along El Camino de Santiago de Compostela, Antonio revisits the experiences that have shaped his relationship with travel, freedom, and life itself.

Along the way, Jonathan guides the conversation through the podcast's first five seasons, uncovering what inspires Antonio to travel, why experiencing people and cultures matters more to him than checking destinations off a bucket list, and what he means when he says his life is a vacation.

But this episode isn't simply about where Antonio has been. It's about the life he has intentionally created.

What does it mean to live freely without needing to escape your everyday life? How can saying yes to the unknown open possibilities you never imagined? And how can a single encounter, conversation, or journey change the direction of your life?

Through personal stories, laughter, and reflection, Antonio shares two guiding principles: know what you enjoy, and be willing to create a life around it.

Join Antonio and Jonathan for this milestone conversation celebrating 50 episodes of adventure, discovery, human connection, and the freedom to express yourself.

Freedom Now! Travel — Express Yourself. Because travel isn't just about the places we go. It's about the life we create and the possibilities we discover along the way.

The impact of walking 500 miles, especially, El Camino de Santiago de Compostela, is life-changing. How do I bring what I experienced while walking El Camino into my everyday life experience? After listening to fellow pilgrims' stories and lessons about their experience while walking the Camino, in this episode I share my own: what I gained, what I learned, and what ongoing transformation I experience because of it and get to tend to in my life as a contribution to others. I am left with beauty and awe after reviewing my 46 days of travel. What a gift to be able to share it with you in this episode.

Special thanks to the Freedom Now! Travel Team: Host and Producer: Antonio Goodwin; Researcher: Catrina Murphy; Writer: Nyla Guilford

Finn Vergalen is just 26 years old and has spent time walking El Camino, not to think about the past, or figure out the future, but from what he discovered -- to be present in the moment. In this episode he talks about having the things that he thought he wanted, then taking the risk to leave what he had become accustomed to but knew was not what his life was about. He also shares how he tries to implement the ways of the Camino into his everyday life. From his journey, Finn has gone beyond “finding his purpose”, and instead has found clarity about the importance of self-perception, discipline, and gratitude. Listen to him share how having walking the Camino is helping him walk into a new stage of his life.

Special thanks to the Freedom Now! Travel Team: Host and Producer: Antonio Goodwin; Researcher: Catrina Murphy; Writer: Nyla Guilford

El Camino is a great 500 mile walk to experience peace and enjoy self-reflection. And along with that comes a journey of laughter, community, and self-discovery! Lisa Mitchelson began the Camino for the first reason - self-reflection - and ended up experiencing an abundance of the latter and the transformation that it brought her. Lisa lives in Kent, England and is a South African native. She works for an art foundation specializing in African art. In this episode, hear about her experiences with people along the Camino, and what this trip meant for her in this new phase of her life.

Special thanks to the Freedom Now! Travel Team: Host and Producer: Antonio Goodwin; Researcher: Catrina Murphy; Writer: Nyla Guilford

For the first episode of season 5, Antonio shares his own words of wisdom while walking El Camino de Santiago de Compostela. He explains transformations, what they are, and how they work for us in life. Listen as Antonio talks about his experience looking for areas that live him and how belief and expression drive the processes of change. The most important message, however, is to get out of the box, and in this episode, he tells you exactly how to do that.

Special thanks to the Freedom Now! Travel Team: Host and Producer: Antonio Goodwin; Producer: Jonathan Murphy; Researcher: Catrina Murphy; Writer: Nyla Guilford

From an injury to epiphany. Dustin is an Alaskan Native, German military officer. He studied in Germany and has lived there so long that I've dubbed him my favorite “Germanized-American”. From "security pins" (safety pins) to "mosquito screen" (regular screen in a window), he has his own vocabulary that I love highlighting. Riddled with the effects of COVID-19 for 6 months straight, Dustin was unable to live the life he had once known or wanted. Listen to how he overcomes his physical and mental obstacles to make it to the Camino and experience transformation while on The Way.

Special thanks to the Freedom Now! Travel Team: Host and Producer: Antonio Goodwin; Producer: Jonathan Murphy; Researcher: Catrina Murphy; Writer: Nyla Guilford

Coming from Holland to Spain, this episode features a true global citizen: Rene de Neef. An uncomplicated person who loves the simple things in life; like skydiving in Dubai, seeing the New Year fireworks on a ship in Sydney, and walking the El Camino de Santiago. In this episode, Rene talks about what it took for him to get to this point in life. He has worked extra hard to support his family and his desires and does what he can to support others along the way. It’s common for him to travel as freely as he lives, with no finalized plans and ready to make connections with other people. Listen to Rene share how he’s set up his life so that even when he’s not in control, he experiences freedom and things still run smoothly.

Special thanks to the Freedom Now! Travel Team: Host and Producer: Antonio Goodwin; Producer: Jonathan Murphy; Researcher: Catrina Murphy; Writer: Nyla Guilford

One of the best things about travel is the connections made with other people. And the best way to be at the center of it all is to work in hospitality. Elise and Leo are the proprietors of Villa Harriet, a hotel with a bed-and-breakfast feel, in Uhart-Cize, France. In this episode, we sit down and talk about their joint venture and its role in the community. With a combination of expertise in guest services and cuisine, the couple has been able to service many travelers who embark on El Camino. A lot of people told them they shouldn’t do it, here they talk about the lessons they’ve learned and how they complement each other as the visionary and the executioner.

Special thanks to the Freedom Now! Travel Team: Host and Producer: Antonio Goodwin; Producer: Jonathan Murphy; Researcher: Catrina Murphy; Writer: Nyla Guilford

Jeffery Bowden is a 20-year Veteran of staff interpreter for the Department of State. He started out at the world’s only liberal arts university for the deaf, of the deaf, and about the deaf: Gallaudet University. Here he was immersed in the deaf community before journeying on to become an interpreter for the Department of State. Within a short period in his career, he was able to travel to 27 countries, getting better as an interpreter and as a traveler. Growing up traveling was not familiar to him, especially not internationally, but now he can share his journey as a seasoned traveler. Jeffery lets us in on what it took to become a confident traveler and how traveling has shaped his worldview. Here he explains how he broke out of his shell and grew to have many “encounters” during his travels that helped him find comfort in his own skin while being abroad.

Special thanks to the Freedom Now! Travel Team: Host and Producer: Antonio Goodwin; Producer: Jonathan Murphy; Researcher: Catrina Murphy; Writer: Nyla Guilford