Deviate

Hitchhiking for pastries: The art of structuring a journey with an obsession


Listen Later

“”Curiosity is contagious.”  –Sophia Bentaher

In this episode of Deviate, Rolf and Sophia talk about structuring journey around specific passions and obsessions, and her own decision to hitchhike Europe in search of pastry recipes (2:00); how your national or ethnic identity affects how you are seen as a traveler (13:00); Sophia’s experiences as a woman hitchhiker in places like France, Switzerland and Italy, and how she documented her experiences on a spreadsheet (21:00); how the quest for pastry transformed the journey (38:00); how the travel experience led her to open a pastry business in Marrakesh (49:00); and how processes and stories are sometimes more essential than outcomes (57:30).

Sophia Bentaher (@sophiabnthr) is a food traveler and writer, with a French-Moroccan background. Her obsession for food, specifically desserts, led her to drop a 9-5 lifestyle and go explore Europe to learn a traditional cake recipe in each country.

Notable Links:

  • The Wet and the Dry, by Laurence Osborne (book)
  • American Chinatown, by Bonnie Tsui (book)
  • Excel (spreadsheet software)
  • Hero’s journey (mythology template)
  • Wanderjahre or Compagnons du Devoir (learning journey)
  • Third culture kid (cross-cultural identity)
  • Crostata (Italian tart)
  • Cornes de Gazelle (Moroccan cookie)
  • The Alchemist (novel)
  • The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel’s 2017 album Lumber.

    Note: We don’t host a “comments” section, but we’re happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at [email protected].

    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store

    DeviateBy Rolf Potts

    • 4.8
    • 4.8
    • 4.8
    • 4.8
    • 4.8

    4.8

    161 ratings


    More shows like Deviate

    View all
    Travel with Rick Steves by Rick Steves

    Travel with Rick Steves

    204 Listeners

    Fresh Air by NPR

    Fresh Air

    37,969 Listeners

    Tangentially Speaking with Christopher Ryan by Chris Ryan

    Tangentially Speaking with Christopher Ryan

    2,070 Listeners

    Making Sense with Sam Harris by Sam Harris

    Making Sense with Sam Harris

    26,265 Listeners

    Zero To Travel Podcast by Jason Moore

    Zero To Travel Podcast

    825 Listeners

    The James Altucher Show by PodcastOne

    The James Altucher Show

    2,496 Listeners

    Slate Money by Slate Podcasts

    Slate Money

    1,007 Listeners

    The Frommer's Travel Show by Pauline Frommer

    The Frommer's Travel Show

    125 Listeners

    The Gray Area with Sean Illing by Vox

    The Gray Area with Sean Illing

    10,635 Listeners

    Team Human by Douglas Rushkoff

    Team Human

    354 Listeners

    How to Be Fine by Kristen and Jolenta

    How to Be Fine

    5,404 Listeners

    Women Who Travel | Condé Nast Traveler by Condé Nast Traveler

    Women Who Travel | Condé Nast Traveler

    613 Listeners

    Emergence Magazine Podcast by Emergence Magazine

    Emergence Magazine Podcast

    470 Listeners

    The Daily Stoic by Daily Stoic | Wondery

    The Daily Stoic

    4,693 Listeners

    How to Age Up by The Atlantic

    How to Age Up

    1,397 Listeners