Into the Woods with Holly Worton

I'm back again, with another solo episode! This is a massive milestone for my show: episode 500. In this episode, I reflect on the last 9.5 years of the podcast, and I share some news with you.

My Links to Stay in Touch

• Goodreads
• Amazon
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• Pinterest

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Things I Discussed

• The Three Questions
• PSYCH-K®
• Jo Casey on the show
• Joanna Hennon on the show
• Cara Wild on the show
• Sign up to be informed if/when I pick up the show again
• Blog post on tree communication
• Book on Mugwort

Related Episodes

• 379 Holly Worton ~ How to Re-evaluate Your Goals, Plans, and Projects (now with downloadable transcript!)
• 366 Joanna Hennon + Holly ~ Mid-life: Reevaluating Where You Are and Where You Want To Go (now with downloadable transcript!)
• 332 Joanna Hennon + Holly ~ How to Step Into a New Identity Even When You're Not Sure What It Looks Like (now with downloadable transcript!)
• 330 Holly Worton ~ How to Develop Your Own Inner Compass (now with downloadable transcript!)
• 251 Holly Worton ~ How to Step Into a New Business Identity (now with downloadable transcript!)

Connect With Holly

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How to Subscribe

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Help Spread the Word

If you enjoyed this episode, please head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating and a review! You can also subscribe, so you'll never miss an episode.

Connect With Holly

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How to Subscribe

• Click here to subscribe via iTunes
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Help Spread the Word

If you enjoyed this episode, please head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating and a review! You can also subscribe, so you'll never miss an episode.

I'm excited to introduce this week's guest, Aaron Owens Mayhew. She's a backpacker, thru-hiker, and nutritionist. With years of outdoor adventures under her belt, she finally combined her two loves—backpacking and nutrition—into her current business.

Aaron has plenty of tips to help you figure out the best lightweight backpacking and adventure food for you. I really enjoyed talking with her, and I hope you find her tips to be useful. She has so many tips on finding the best food for your preferences.

About Aaron Owens Mayhew

As a registered dietitian and ultralight long-distance backpacker, Aaron Owens Mayhew created Backcountry Foodie while preparing homemade, lightweight meals for her thru-hike attempt of the Pacific Crest Trail in 2017 and subsequent section and thru-hikes of the Appalachian Trail, Oregon Coast Trail, Colorado Trail, and the Condor Trail.

Aaron's Links

· Website

· Instagram

· Facebook

· YouTube

· Free download

Listen To This Episode

What You'll Learn

● The main problems people face when packing foods for backpacking

● How to find more savory options and avoid sugary meals

● The best lightweight options for protein

● How to figure out how many calories to pack per day of travel

● How much weight should you aim for per day of food

● How to create ultralight recipes without a food dehydrator

● Best practices for cold soaking meals

● How to maximize the shelf life of homemade camping and backpacking meals

● Extra considerations for cold weather adventures

● How to reduce plastic waste when creating backpacking meals

● Why it's so important to pack "happy foods" on your trip

Things We Discussed

• Thru-Hiker Diets - A Backpacking Food Comparison video
• Backpacking Food Basics: How many calories should YOU pack?
• Compostable bags for meals

Related Episodes

• 496 J.F. Penn – Adventures in Pilgrimage
• 407 Keith Foskett ~ Through Hiking Long-Distance Trails in the USA and Spain (now with downloadable transcript!)
• 376 Holly Worton ~ Long Distance Walks: Time and Space to Think and Reflect (now with downloadable transcript!)
• 359 Adam Wells ~ How To Prepare For Your First Long Distance Trail (now with downloadable transcript!)
• 354 Stephen Marriott ~ The Life-changing Magic of Walking a Long-Distance Trail (now with downloadable transcript!)

• Website
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• Google+
• LinkedIn

• Click here to subscribe via iTunes
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If you enjoyed this episode, please head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating and a review! You can also subscribe, so you'll never miss an episode.

Connect With Holly

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If you enjoyed this episode, please head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating and a review! You can also subscribe, so you'll never miss an episode.

I'm excited to invite this week's guest back on the show! Susan is an online friend of mine, and she's been on the show twice before to talk about her adventures. First, we discussed the Valley of Flowers and then the Camino Inglés. Now she's back to talk about a 40-year dream she had that she finally fulfilled.

One of the things I love about Susan's adventures is that she talks and writes about lesser-known places and routes, so I get to learn about new places. I hope you find this episode inspiring! Susan is a great example of someone who dreamt of a very specific adventure, and made it happen.

Susan Jagannath successfully combined a passion for reading, a love of writing and a fascination for technology, to create a career in technical writing. With over 60 technical manuals (not) to her name, she finally decided to use her writing and publishing skills for herself and publish her own books independently.

To her mild surprise, her very niche books went bestseller regularly, that's when she realised she had a system that could help others write and publish as well.

As an army brat and then military wife, her life included seven different schools, three universities and a couple of emergency evacuations from conflict zones. Travel and adventure were normal parts of life.

She now believes in seizing every opportunity to have a new adventure, especially post-pandemic.

Whether it's camping on the beach in Australia, trekking in the Himalayas, kayaking in Queensland, whitewater rafting down the Ganges, or walking the Camino in Spain, her philosophy is to pack it into one or two weeks to create memories for a lifetime, (and disconnect from television and computer games).

Susan is now on the next adventure of her life, traveling post-pandemic, helping corporate escapees write their first bestseller, and learning to be an awesome grandmother.

• How Susan fulfilled a 40-year dream about adventure in the Himalayas
• Why you might want to plan your own Himalayan trip
• Susan's top tips for visiting Sandakphu and Kanchenjunga

• 490 Holly Worton – How Bad Do You Want It? Finding Motivation For Your Adventures
• 480 Holly Worton ~ Making Your Adventures Non-Negotiable
• 485 Marie-Pier Tremblay ~ How To Go After Big Dreams And Adventures, Even When You Think It's Impossible
• 403 Susan Jagannath ~ Adventures on the Camino Inglés (now with downloadable transcript!)
• 391 Susan Jagannath ~ Hiking the Valley of Flowers in the Himalayas (now with downloadable transcript!)

I'm excited to introduce this week's guest, Christine Reed. I recently read her fantastic book, Alone in Wonderland, about her experience on the Wonderland Trail in Washington State, USA. It's a fantastic blend of a travel journal and personal memoir, including reflections on her life experiences. I highly recommend it!

In this episode, we talk about lessons learned from hiking multiple trails. We discuss how trails can help us to figure things out, and how to get started on your own solo backpacking adventures.

About Christine

Christine Reed is a long-distance backpacker and author of the memoir, Alone in Wonderland. She shares her personal journey from sedentary office worker to rugged outdoorswoman in hopes of inspiring others to see something bigger for themselves-- whatever that may be. But also to remind us that a good story is about sharing something of ourselves and connecting with others. She's found in the outdoor community the first place that ever felt like home.

Christine's Links

• Website
• Instagram
• Tiktok
• Facebook

Get 20% OFF at http://aloneinwonderland.com (where you can find Christine's book, stickers and t-shirts) with the code: INTOTHEWOODS

Listen To This Episode

What You'll Learn

• Where is the Wonderland Trail and why you might want to hike it
• How solo backpacking helps us to figure things out
• Benefits of solo backpacking
• Why thru-hiking is about finding ourselves
• How solo backpacking can help us to quit the comparison trap

Things We Discussed

• Alone in Wonderland
• Empty, by Susan Burton
• Go Macro bars
• Gu energy gels

Related Episodes

• 492 Lauri McKean – Overcoming Fears To Solo Adventures
• 466 Holly Worton ~ Adventures in Integration (now with downloadable transcript!)
• 419 Holly Worton ~ Getting Through the Post-Adventure Blues
• 414 Rebecca Walsh ~ Solo Hiking for Women
• 367 Holly Worton ~ Finding Yourself Through Solo Travel and Outdoor Adventures (now with downloadable transcript!)

• Website
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• Twitter
• Pinterest
• Google+
• LinkedIn

• Click here to subscribe via iTunes
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• Click here to subscribe via Stitcher

If you enjoyed this episode, please head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating and a review! You can also subscribe, so you'll never miss an episode.

Connect With Holly

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• Click here to subscribe via iTunes
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If you enjoyed this episode, please head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating and a review! You can also subscribe, so you'll never miss an episode.

I'm excited to introduce this week's guest, J. F. Penn. Joanna is a friend of mine, and I've been listening to her fantastic podcast for over a decade now, The Creative Penn. Like me, Jo is a fan of solo walking, and she's recently written a book on pilgrimage.

While I've done various long-distance trails in England, I've never done a pilgrimage. The Camino de Santiago has been on my list of things to do since 1996 when I first read Paulo Coelho's book about it, so it's definitely something I've been wanting to do.

In this episode, we talk about what pilgrimage is and why you might want to do one. You certainly don't have to be religious—you can use a pilgrimage to explore your own inner journey or simply to visit ancient sites or sacred places. I hope this episode inspires you to start thinking about pilgrimage!

About J.F. Penn

J.F. Penn is the Award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers, dark fantasy, and crime. She also writes non-fiction for writers as Joanna Penn, and is an award-winning podcaster, international speaker, and creative entrepreneur.

Jo's Links

• Author website
• Publishing + podcast website
• Travel website
• Kickstarter

Listen To This Episode

What You'll Learn

• What is a pilgrimage and how it differs from other types of long-distance routes
• Why you don't have to be religious to do a pilgrimage
• The three stages of a pilgrimage
• Jo's top tips for someone who is considering a pilgrimage

Things We Discussed

• The Pilgrims' Way to Canterbury
• St Cuthbert's Way to Lindisfarne
• Camino Portugués
• Macs Adventure
• Shikoku pilgrimage in Japan
• Milford Track in New Zealand
• Via Francigena
• Cicerone guidebooks
• The Art of Pilgrimage: The Seeker's Guide to Making Travel Sacred (The Spiritual Traveler's Travel Guide), by Phil Cousineau

Related Episodes

• 437 Shawn Anderson ~ Adventures on the Camino Primitivo in Spain
• 407 Keith Foskett ~ Through Hiking Long-Distance Trails in the USA and Spain (now with downloadable transcript!)
• 403 Susan Jagannath ~ Adventures on the Camino Inglés (now with downloadable transcript!)
• 359 Adam Wells ~ How To Prepare For Your First Long Distance Trail (now with downloadable transcript!)
• 354 Stephen Marriott ~ The Life-changing Magic of Walking a Long-Distance Trail (now with downloadable transcript!)

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Pinterest
• Google+
• LinkedIn

• Click here to subscribe via iTunes
• Click here to subscribe via RSS
• Click here to subscribe via Stitcher

If you enjoyed this episode, please head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating and a review! You can also subscribe, so you'll never miss an episode.

Connect With Holly

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• LinkedIn

• Click here to subscribe via iTunes
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If you enjoyed this episode, please head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating and a review! You can also subscribe, so you'll never miss an episode.

I'm back again, with another solo episode! I've been thinking lately about how certain adventures have tested my "limits." I say that in quotes because I'm talking about perceived limitations: things we think we aren't capable of doing, when in reality it's possible.

Listen To This Episode

What You'll Learn

• What are perceived limitations
• How our perceived limitations can hurt us
• How to know what your perceived limitations are
• How you can move beyond your perceived limitations

Things I Discussed

• Walking the Downs Link
• PSYCH-K®

Related Episodes

• 493 Holly Worton – The Benefits of Armchair Adventures
• 490 Holly Worton – How Bad Do You Want It? Finding Motivation For Your Adventures
• 488 Holly Worton ~ When Your Adventures Scare You
• 486 Holly Worton – How Outdoor Adventures Help Us to Get Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable
• 478 Holly Worton ~ The Importance of Showing Up for Your Adventures

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• Twitter
• Pinterest
• Google+
• LinkedIn

• Click here to subscribe via iTunes
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If you enjoyed this episode, please head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating and a review! You can also subscribe, so you'll never miss an episode.

Connect With Holly

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• LinkedIn

• Click here to subscribe via iTunes
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If you enjoyed this episode, please head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating and a review! You can also subscribe, so you'll never miss an episode.

I'm excited to introduce this week's guest, Gwendolyn Zywicke. I recently read her fantastic book, Ultrarunning Mysticism: Mind, Body, Spirit and the Sacredness of Overcoming Suffering. This book put words to an experience that I had had many times but couldn't describe.

It's also not just for ultrarunning. If you do any type of endurance sport, such as cycling, walking, or hiking, you may have experienced this yourself.

About Gwen Zywicke

Gwen is a senior instructor of communication studies at Louisiana State University, an ultrarunner, and a perpetual student of philosophy.

Guest's Links

• Facebook

Listen To This Episode

What You'll Learn

• What is ultrarunning mysticism
• What are the 9 characteristics of mystical experiences
• How people tap into mystical experiences during endurance sports
• The chemical ultrarunning induces that you don't get in shorter distances
• How you can evoke these experiences or be more open to them

Things We Discussed

• Ultrarunning Mysticism: Mind, Body, Spirit and the Sacredness of Overcoming Suffering
• Walter Stace
• Dr Joe Dispenza

Related Episodes

• 469 Holly Worton ~ How to Crew for an Ultramarathon (now with downloadable transcript!)
• 468 Eric Deeter ~ Use the Ultramarathon Mindset to Get Your Epic Life
• 450 Holly Worton ~ Adventures in Endurance
• 416 Holly Worton ~ Lessons Learned From My First Ultra
• 400 Holly Worton ~ Life is an Ultra (now with downloadable transcript!)

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• Facebook
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• Twitter
• Pinterest
• Google+
• LinkedIn

• Click here to subscribe via iTunes
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• Click here to subscribe via Stitcher

If you enjoyed this episode, please head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating and a review! You can also subscribe, so you'll never miss an episode.

Connect With Holly

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• Click here to subscribe via iTunes
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If you enjoyed this episode, please head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating and a review! You can also subscribe, so you'll never miss an episode.

I'm back again, with another solo episode! Inspired by an entire week of armchair adventures over the holiday season, I've decided to share my experience with you and remind you of the importance (and pleasure!) of armchair adventures. We don't always need to be on the go—we can balance activity and rest by getting inspired through armchair adventures.

In this episode, I talk about the benefits of armchair adventures, and how you can enjoy your own guilt-free adventures from the comfort of your own home.

Listen To This Episode

What You'll Learn

• What are armchair adventures
• What I learned from my own armchair adventures
• The benefits of armchair adventures
• How to enjoy guilt-free armchair adventures
• How to have your own armchair adventures

Things I Discussed

• Ultrarunning Mysticism: Mind, Body, Spirit and the Sacredness of Overcoming Suffering, by Gwendolyn Zywicke
• Alone in Wonderland, by Christine Reed
• Pilgrimage: Lessons Learned from Solo Walking Three Ancient Ways, by J. F. Penn (advance copy)
• Chasing Himalayan Dreams, by Susan Jagannath
• Coast to Coast: Finding Wainwright's England, by Paul Amess
• 36 Islands: In Search of the Hidden Wonders of the Lake District and a Few Other Things Too, by Robert Twigger
• Alone In Iceland | Hiking The Laugavegur Trail, by Abbie Barnes
• The Cowboy Camper's Coast to Coast video
• Jeff Pelletier's Namibia documentary

Related Episodes

• 484 Holly Worton – Time to Evaluate Your Year in Adventures and Start Planning New Ones
• 451 Dr Andrea Perez ~ How to Balance Adventure and Recovery (now with downloadable transcript!)
• 433 Robert Twigger ~ How Adventure Satisfies Our Need for Childlike Play (now with downloadable transcript!)
• 428 Holly Worton ~ Moving Your Adventures Into the Slower Months of the Year
• 418 Holly Worton ~ Adventures in Rest
• 403 Susan Jagannath ~ Adventures on the Camino Inglés (now with downloadable transcript!)
• 391 Susan Jagannath ~ Hiking the Valley of Flowers in the Himalayas (now with downloadable transcript!)
• 378 Holly Worton ~ How to Balance Your Hobbies When You're a Multipassionate Person (now with downloadable transcript!)

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Pinterest
• Google+
• LinkedIn

• Click here to subscribe via iTunes
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• Click here to subscribe via Stitcher

If you enjoyed this episode, please head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating and a review! You can also subscribe, so you'll never miss an episode.

Connect With Holly

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• Click here to subscribe via iTunes
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If you enjoyed this episode, please head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating and a review! You can also subscribe, so you'll never miss an episode.

I'm excited to introduce this week's guest, Lauri McKean. I often get asked by women how to overcome fears of solo adventures. That's why I talk about it so much on this podcast and on my blog.

Lauri has a great story of how she overcame her fear of solo backpacking and camping, and how facing that fear has had a positive effect on other areas of her life. I hope you find it inspiring!

About Lauri

Lauri is a lover of the natural world who has a fondness for hiking, backpacking, kayaking, and foraging edible and medicinal flora and fungi. She grew up in the magnificent state of Colorado (USA) where the Rocky Mountains meet the high desert and spent much of her childhood outdoors exploring these lands with her family.

As an adult, she continued these outdoor adventures with friends and partners but felt uncomfortable with the idea of spending a night in the woods alone. At age 49, she decided to finally face this fear head-on and challenge herself to a one-night solo backpacking excursion. This not only resulted in a magnificent night but also the confidence and freedom to venture out for many others. Further, it was part of a transformational process that redefined her relationship with herself, her purpose, and others.

Many of the things she learned during this process she now applies in her work as a Love, Dating, and Relating Coach through her business, Aligning to Love.

Lauri's Links

• Website
• Facebook
• Freebie: Schedule a free 30-minute clarity session with Lauri if you're interested in discussing how nature and personal transformation influence love and relationships.

Listen To This Episode

What You'll Learn

• Why Lauri decided to challenge her fear of solo backpacking and camping
• How mindset work and personal development work helped Lauri overcome her fears
• How facing her fear of solo camping has changed Lauri's life
• How facing this fear helped Lauri to face other fears
• Lauri's top tips for women who are afraid to try solo adventures

Related Episodes

• 477 Nicole Snell ~ Mastering Outdoor Self-Defense
• 462 Holly Worton ~ Overcoming the Fear of Solo Walking and Adventures (now with downloadable transcript!)
• 430 Sue-Ann Hickey ~ Adventures in Solo Cycling Tours
• 414 Rebecca Walsh ~ Solo Hiking for Women
• 367 Holly Worton ~ Finding Yourself Through Solo Travel and Outdoor Adventures (now with downloadable transcript!)

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Pinterest
• Google+
• LinkedIn

• Click here to subscribe via iTunes
• Click here to subscribe via RSS
• Click here to subscribe via Stitcher

If you enjoyed this episode, please head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating and a review! You can also subscribe, so you'll never miss an episode.

Connect With Holly

• Website
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• Twitter
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• LinkedIn

• Click here to subscribe via iTunes
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If you enjoyed this episode, please head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating and a review! You can also subscribe, so you'll never miss an episode.

I'm excited to introduce this week's guest, Helen Lear-Grant. Helen has traveled to many of the remote places I want to visit in Scotland, like the Inner and Outer Hebrides. I've had other friends visit there over the years for outdoor adventures, and it's been on my list ever since.

In this episode, we talk about adventures in the Hebrides, and also Helen's adventures as a disability travel blogger. We explore how her adventures have changed her life, and what she's achieved with her adventures that she didn't think was possible.

About Helen

Helen is a disability travel blogger based in Scotland, exploring all of the fantastic wheelchair-accessible things that Scotland has to offer. Originally from England, she moved to Scotland 9 years ago and was diagnosed with a rare neurological condition less than a year later. She now lives in a rural village on the cusp of the highlands, with her wife and their two dogs - though they're all more likely to be found on an adventure somewhere!

Helen's Links

Website

Instagram

Facebook

YouTube

Listen To This Episode

What You'll Learn

• Where to go in the Inner and Outer Hebrides
• Best time of the year to visit the Hebrides
• What Helen has learned from her wheelchair-accessible adventures
• How her adventures have changed her life
• Helen's top tips for disabled adventurers

Things We Discussed

• The Golden Road

Related Episodes

• 489 Doug Noll – Overcoming Disabilities and Thriving With Outdoor Adventures
• 485 Marie-Pier Tremblay ~ How To Go After Big Dreams And Adventures, Even When You Think It's Impossible
• 483 Erica Terblanche ~ How Nature Helps Us Unlock Our Highest Potential
• 467 Holly Worton ~ Hike Your Own Hike, On The Trail And In Life
• 443 Holly Worton ~ When Injury Keeps You From Your Adventures

• Website
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• Twitter
• Pinterest
• Google+
• LinkedIn

• Click here to subscribe via iTunes
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If you enjoyed this episode, please head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating and a review! You can also subscribe, so you'll never miss an episode.

Connect With Holly

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• Click here to subscribe via iTunes
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If you enjoyed this episode, please head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating and a review! You can also subscribe, so you'll never miss an episode.