Roaming the Earth with Drea Castro

Eric is a travel writer and photographer based in California. He’s lived in Italy, Norway, Germany and the US and traveled to 97 countries on 7 continents. Eric is passionate about the benefits of family travel and lets each of his three kids (11, 13 and 15) choose any destination in the world every year for a one-on-one trip with him. They also travel as a family during school breaks. His kids have been to over 60 countries. 

Eric is an accomplished photographer, winning Conde Nast Traveler’s Photo of the Year award. He’s an ambassador for AFAR Magazine, and his writing and photography have been featured by Conde Nast Traveler, Bon Appetit, Yahoo Travel and Lonely Planet. He is a two-time NATJA gold award winner for family travel writing, Forbes has named him the World’s #4 Most Influential Traveler, and Fodor’s has called him the world’s best family traveler.

00:00

• Eric reads an excerpt he wrote about traveling as a family.  

2:00

• Introduction to Eric Stoen

3:20

• Eric explains how they make traveling with children happen to 60+ countries including countries that may be considered as particularly harder destinations to travel to
• Eric allows his kids to choose where they go every year.  His kids determine the countries that they travel to which forces his kids to look at the world differently. 

6:54

• His kids ended up bringing him to Antarctica and Easter Island - countries Eric didn’t really think about at first.  Eric shares the stories of how that happened. 
• Traveling with his kids gives a brand new set of eyes for countries that Eric has been to before and he finds that journey enjoyable

11:00

• The wonderful experiences his kids are having before they are adults are preparing them to be more empathetic with skills that make them ready for the world in such a unique way.

12:51

• The importance of every experience that in turn shapes and alters his kids. Due  to travel, Eric’s children are becoming very worldly and informed children.  
• Household traditions at the Stoen house also means having a meal from a different country.

17:22

• The solution to making a great trip when planning a family trip.  Making the trip about your kids is the solution to making the trip enjoyable.  Being flexible is important.

20:16

• Eric shares what travel means to him

22:05

• Travel Babo and where the name came from!

24:55

• Eric shares his fears when he first started and how mitigated those challenges

29:00

• Eric shares his most valuable thing he learned while traveling with his   kids

30:16

• Eric shares his most interesting stories while traveling - Getting lost in Croatia and having the journey turn into something really special 

35:14

• Eric shares his most fulfilling moment - Hiking in Greenland with his son and the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil with his daughter - unplugging is his fave

38:38

• Eric’s most meaningful person he met while he was traveling.  He shares a story while he was in Oslo

42:32

• Eric talks about the award that changed his life, Forbes #4  Influential Traveler in the World

47:42

• Eric took a risk to follow his passion and it turned out to be the right path for him

50:02

• Eric’s tip and tricks for people who want to follow in his footsteps

54:30

• Eric’s favorite place he’s explored - Greece and the Greek islands
• He shares why his family loved the islands so much and why!

57:19

• Guess where Eric is going next? …. GREECE
• Discussion of about how the pandemic will affect his travels

62:00

• Eric shares the one interesting item he takes with them when they travel - Blue Painters tape.  He shares why

63:00 

• Eric shares a piece of life advice to a younger Eric

64:00

• Find Eric on 
• www.travelbabo.com
• www.instagram.com/travelbabo
• www.twitter.com/travelbabo

Angel Castellanos, (Castayanos) (www.AngelsTravelLounge.com) is a passionate world traveler, freelance travel writer, content producer and nationally recognized speaker dedicated to helping people travel smart, well and often. Traveling to over 80 countries on 5 continents (and counting), Angel travels 12-14 weeks internationally each year and draws on his experience and frequent travels to teach “Smart Travel” and equip travelers with the skills they need to make travel easy and enjoyable. Angel is a multi-media travel personality and travel expert that has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Fox News, CBS, ABC, Univision, Frommers Radio, USA Today & Travel & Adventure Show and New York Times Travel Show.  Angel is also the executive producer and host of the travel and adventure tv show Hot Spots debuting in Europe in Asia in late 2021. 

00:00 

• Angel reads an excerpt he wrote in March of 2020 - at the beginning of the pandemic

00:45

• Intro to Angel 

4:01

• Angel discusses the excerpt at the beginning and talks about his retrospective post while he was in Brazil

4:57 

• Drea asks about the transition from traveling so often to a halt once the pandemic kicked in.  Angel talks about mental health and how much he realized the isolation at home really affected him.  He traveled to Mexico in the summer and he realized how important it was for him and for the local economy there. 
• The global effect of the pandemic and how everyone was feeling the same way all at the same time
• Some of the positive effects of the pandemic 
• How the pandemic affects connection when you travel

9:27

• Angel defines travel and what it means to him 

10:20

• Angel discusses where his love for travel all started

12:45

• Angel is a renowned travel expert who has spoken on news channels and has offered sound advice for many outlets.  He explains that journey to that title.  
• He talks about his company, Travel Ambassador 

15:40 

• Drea discusses Angel’s incredible ability to speak well.  
• Angel shares that he actually speaks 3 languages

17:38 

• Angel talks about slow travel and how that all started for him
• What is slow travel?  Angel shares what that looks like and the meaning of slow travel
• His best slow travel trip was from Beijing to London on the train - And stopping along the way in Mongolia. Siberia, Poland, etc in 7 Weeks!

23:59

• Packing tips from Angel

25:59 

• Angel talks about the beginning and the lack of fear he had.  He was fearless because he was young and really ambitious

27:59

• Angel talks about some of the challenges he has faced when he has been traveling
• Flexibility 
• Pandemic and the lack of connection
• Angel shares some interesting stories in Brazil and a passport situation in Turkey, Bribing his way out of Egypt TWICE!

35:00 

• Angel shares the two most valuable things he has learned while traveling 

36:00

• Angel talks about Traveling with a purpose and his evolution of travel 
• Eco Tourism

41:00 

• Angel talks about his most fulfilling moment when he travels

42:00

• Angel shares his most meaningful people he’s ever met while he was traveling.  He is still friends with them today.  

46:00 

• Angel shares how much he loved Costa Rica
• Talks about some of his favorite locations he went

51:30

• Angel shares tips and tricks on where to start doing what he does

52:00 

• Angel shares where he goes next

54:00 

• Angel shares the one thing he takes with him when he travels - A moleskin journal

54:55

• Angel shares the one piece of life advice he would give to a younger Angel

56:36

You can find Angel on www.angelstravellounge.com

Www.instagram.com/angels_travels

In this episode, I interview Digital Nomad Taylor Wallace. She shares some of the struggles she had living this lifestyle and how she found balance.

00:00

• Taylor reads an excerpt from her travels

2:30 

• Taylor talks about the excerpt from her travels

4:13

• Taylor defines what a digital nomad means

4:43 

• Taylor shares with us what a regular day living her nomad life looks like

8:37 

• Taylor shares how she defines traveling and the difference between being a digital nomad and traveling

13:03

• Taylor shares the decision when she decided to become a digital nomad
• The importance of finding a community so you can thrive

20:53

• Taylor shares one of her fears when she had - The feeling of falling behind and how she dealt with that challenge

24:51

• Taylor shares how she moved into the mindfulness space and her journey to moving into the importance of mindfulness as a digital nomad

33:26

• Taylor’s most valuable thing she learned was that nothing is important
• Taylor explains what this means to her

37:19 

• Taylor shares her most dangerous moment she’s ever experienced while being a digital nomad - She shares a story in Mexico where her group of friends and their acquaintances almost got arrested.  

44:13

• Taylor shares her most fulfilling moment on a Greek Island getting invited on a massive luxury yacht

50:15 

• Taylor’s favorite place in the world is Japan and she shares some of her favorite locations and experiences

53:19

• Taylor shares one piece of advice that she would give to her younger self.

55:00

• Find Taylor
• www.instagram.com/taylorwallace
• www.thefitfounder.com

With over 650,000 followers across his personal brand, Luke has nailed social media travel content down to a science. He showcases areas around the world that aren’t typically visited and loves to connect with the local people, showing how they live and what occurs on a day to day basis. Uploading his adventures to Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube have allowed him to connect with others around the world, and set-up a life of travel

00:00

• Luke reads an excerpt about his travels

00:30 

•  Drea introduces Luke
• Luke having the goal of producing videos that make people feel like they are in the moment with him. 

2:28

• Luke shares what he meant with the beginning excerpt and the story about his love for travel

3:16  

• Luke shares the beginnings of his travel life 
• He talks about knowing the travel lifestyle
• His first place he went to Sri Lanka
• He talks about the growth of his social media starting in India
• Having parents that supported him at such a young age to purse his dream really helped in his success. 

9:53

• Luke talks about the importance of mindset

11:17

• Luke talks about being 18 and some of his fears he had
• Traveling with no plans 

  13:56 

• Luke talks about what his day looks like

16:00

• Luke shares his biggest challenge when he travels and how he mitigates those challenges

19:37

• Luke shares the most valuable thing he had learned during his travels. 

 20:27

• Luke shares the most meaningful person he’s met on his travels 
• How luke found his meaningful person through instagram

24:24

• Luke shares his most interesting story during his travels when he got hurt and a firecracker blew up on his hand in India during Diwali
• He had a full recovery of his hand and he tells the whole story on how to get his hand back.

31:40 

• Luke shares that his most fulfilling moment is going back when he recovered a few months later to see the people who took care of him and give thanks to the doctor and his team.  

33:40

• Luke gives advice on how to do what he does to a younger version of himself. 

35:48

• Luke shares what makes good content and his belief on what good content means
• He shares what his older videos vs what his videos look like now.

42:14

• Luke shares his favorite place - Southern India and how to travel to that location

44:14

• Luke shares a piece of life advice to a younger Luke
• After sharing some positive advice, Drea asks Luke where he got this positivity from - Luke’s answer… Gary Vee

50:19 

• Luke’s next destination is Pakisatan.  He shares why 

52:10

• Luke shares the one special thing he brings with him when he travels

53:15

www.LukeDamant.com

www.instagram.com/lukedamant

https://www.facebook.com/LukeDamantt/

https://www.tiktok.com/@lukedamant

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWm__g4cPmX-umorqM8VfWw

As the founder of Expat Empire, David McNeill is focused on inspiring people to move abroad and showing them how to do it. In addition to producing books, podcasts, blog posts, meetup events, and more, Expat Empire offers personalized consulting services to give everyone the opportunity to achieve their international dreams. David started Expat Empire because he has a genuine passion for living abroad. He left the United States in 2014 and has since lived in Tokyo, Berlin, and Porto.

00:00 

• David reads an excerpt her wrote about his travels

00:40 

• Introduction to David McNeill

1:38

• David shares the story behind what he opens the episode reading. 

3:16 

• David shares where he is located right now in Portugal
• David talks about meeting his wife abroad and the things they had in common that brought them together

9:54 

• David shares what travel means to him being a digital nomad

13:31

• David shares the decision to move and how this passion started

17:18 

• David shares some of his fears about his lifestyle and moving to a foreign country
• David shares some of the difficulties and challenges while living on the road
• Prioritizing travel

24:56

•   David shares the most valuable thing he has learned while traveling as a nomad

26:00 

• David shares his podcast and business, Ex-pat Empire and why he started this personalizing consulting service helping people make the move. 

30:00 

• David shares his favorite place - Budapest and why
• David shares of his favorite tips and tricks 
• The Ruin Pubs

38:00

• David shares a dive he did with sharks in the Philippines
• David also shares another interesting trip he had in Guatemala and having a problem with the border crossing

43:41

• David shares his most meaningful person he has met abroad - A friend in Japan

45:52

•  David shares his most fulfilling moment while being abroad - Getting Lost

48:39

• David shars his tips and tricks on following his footsteps as an Ex-pat

52:00 

• David shares a piece of advice that he would give to a younger himself

53:54 

• David shares the one thing he takes with him on many of his trips

56:45

• David shares his next plans with his wife 

58:22

www.Expatempire.com

www.facebook.com/expatempire

www.instagram.com/expatempire

Carleigh Fairchild lives her life as a journey, taking each adventure and living it to the fullest. She has studied survival skills since she was a teenager, and Niaszhii Healing over the last seven years. Carleigh is passionate about basket weaving, shelter building, fire making, edible and medicinal plants, and finding joyful connections wherever she goes. In 2016 Carleigh lived solo for 86 days and filmed herself as part of History Channel’s TV series Alone. Carleigh is a practitioner of Niaszhii (Nya Zee Yi) Healing, teaches survival skills, gives inspirational presentations, and is an ambassador for LT Wright Handcrafted Knives. 

00:00 

• Carleigh Fairchild reads an excerpt of her journal about her time on the show “Alone

2:30 

• Drea introduced Carleigh and her background

3:52 

• Carleigh talks about the excerpt in the beginning about the feelings she had about the show, “Alone.”  She shares how they weren’t allowed to bring a journal on the show. 

4:43 

• Carleigh shares what travel means to her

5:52 

• Carleigh shares her preferred way of travel  
• Carleigh shares that she actually went back to Mongolia and interned for Panoramic Journeys. 
• Drea shares that on the show, they went to her two favorite places, Patagonia and Mongolia

8:55 

• Carleigh shares what it looks like to travel with her and some of the things she carries with her when she goes to travel

10:12

• Carleigh shares her travel style
• Cowboy camping - Drea talks about Carleigh on the show when she still went cowboy camping even though she spots a bob cat
• She talks about having familiarity and rationalizing being a big factor with cowboy camping.
• Carleigh shares about sleeping with just a tarp for some of her time hiking on the Pacific Crest Trail

17:14

• Carleigh tells us that there is nothing else teaches you more about yourself than being out there in the wilderness for a long period of time
• She shares what the most valuable thing she has learned out in the wilderness 

19:27

• Carleigh is a wilderness survivalist and she talks about where it started. 

23:20 

• Carleigh shares with us what wilderness survival has taught her the most. 
• The importance of being part of the wilderness
• The importance to have empathy when hunting and being part of the cycle of life

28:70 

• Carleigh talks about making a drum out of a cow hide she found on the show
• She talks about the things she made with this cow hide 
• She starts to discuss what the experience was like on the show “Alone”

33:58 

• Carleigh and Drea discuss the difficulties about filming and surviving at the same time.  

35:45

• Drea asks if this was the first time she really had to apply the survival skills she had learned in the past.  Carleight explains that she actually had less items in the past. 
• Drea asks which of the two were more difficult -  her time on Alone or her previous experiences 

36:52 

• Carleigh talks about how they weren’t allowed to go outside of the area they were in. 

39:42

• Carleigh shares her biggest challenge on “Alone” - Food
• She only caught 6 fish and she explains that journey

42:03

• Carleigh talks about her mental capacity to stay for such a lengthy time on the show.  

46:43

• Carleigh talks about how she really learn to value other people’s company after being on the show both on the first and second times.
• She talks about how soon they had her work on the 2nd time on the show - it was one year. 

48:43

• Carleigh talks about the recovery period after her experience. 
• Losing her love for Bacon and Chocolate after the 86 days in the wilderness

52:52

• Carleigh talks about how close she was to winning the show
• Carleigh talks about how Alone was a journey for yourself as opposed to competing against each other

56:02

• Carleigh talks about the 2nd time on the show, "Alone" and her experience with the fish hook in her hand.

1:07 

•  Carleigh talks about the highest point in Washington on the PCT - She talks about a storm coming and a memorable moment for her. 

1:09 

• Her favorite trails are the PCT and the Wonderland Trail around Mt. Rainier

1:11 

• Carleigh shares her favorite moment was at the Cascades

1:12

• Carleigh shares the people who inspired her

1:13 

• Carleigh her plans on what she’s going to do next

1:14

• Carleigh shares the one thing she takes with her when she travels

1:17

• Carleigh shares a piece of life advice she would give to a younger version of herself

1:18

https://carleighfairchild.org

www.instagram.com/carleighfairchild

www.facebook.coin/carleighfairchildalone

www.etsy.com/cedarbaskets

Julius Mayo Jr. is a photographer, digital marketer, and content creator. He travels for food and plans trips around the U.S. and abroad to discover local food and culture, sharing the experience through social media channels and his food blog, Droolius — food photos that make you drool. Starting the Droolius blog in 2010, he shared his travel and food experiences, helping people find good places to eat. He also used the website and photography to showcase local restaurants and food trucks, leading to a social media marketing business. The blogging experience led to presenting as a speaker at food blog conferences and teaching photography live on stage. Julius has collaborated with brands, including Walt Disney World and KEH Camera, to host food photography workshops to teach influencers how to capture food with cameras and lighting techniques. The goal is to travel the world and eat everything, while inspiring others to discover different cultures through food. 

00:00

• Julius reads an excerpt where he discusses his thoughts on Philippine Cuisine

00:36

• Drea introduces Julius Mayo Jr. 

2:17 

• Julius talks about the excerpt in the beginning about traveling to the Philippines and exploring the country, and the local food!
• He talks about some of the foods in the Philippines and the street food - The Kwek-kwek, lechon, etc and then going to Japan afterwards for Ramen
• Discussing the Philippines and Coron
• Julius shares his love for travel and find any excuse to travel - Especially for food

8:15 

• Julius shares what travel means to him 
• The decision when his food travel blog started before there was instagram or other social media platforms ----

12:44 

• Julius talks about the progressions of his food blog and how his career in food became a reality
• Talking about creating this blog because of passion
• Talking about social media and finding your passion, as opposed to focusing on fame and fortune

21:44

• Julius talks about some of the challenges of having an over amount of content and finding the balance of backlog content

24:38 

•  Julius talks about his inspiration why he started to become a food blogger - Anthony Bourdain

28:17

• Julius shares the most meaningful person he’s ever met - a man from Japan, Yoshi who took him under his wing for a ramen adventure

36:36

• Julius shares the chef that changed the way her viewed food - The chefs at Kadence Orlando who have Filipino Chefs

42:30 

• Julius talks about his favorite places to eat in Los Angeles - Lasa 
• Drea and Julius also discuss LA TACOS
• He also shares some of his favorite places in Los Angeles 
• Julius shares a day when he went to 10 different places to eat in one day in Los Angeles
• Julius’ love for donuts

50:18

• Drea asks Julius what his favorite dish and food experience - Carcar Market in Cebu in sampling all different types of Lechon

  54:03 

• Julius shares his favorite restaurant - DEN 

57:24 

• Julius shares his tips and tricks for aspiring food bloggers

61:00

• Julius shares a piece of life advice he would give to a younger version of himself

63:00

www.instagram.com/droolius

 www.doolius.com

www.youtube.com/drooliusfilms

https://www.facebook.com/DrooliusBlog/

Have you ever heard the phrase, "Once you have kids, you can't travel anymore" or "Once you have kids, kiss your traveling days goodbye?" Well, Marquita Wright, mother of twin toddlers debunks that lie that has been told to many expecting parents. In this episode, we hear about the journey to traveling with infants to toddlers, and some handy advice to take with you when you attempt to do what many people think... is the impossible.

Marquita is The Traveling Twin Mama- traveling the world with her twin 2 year old boys. In their 2 years of life, they’ve been on over 25 trips and visited 5 countries.

Her goal is to provide tips and inspiration to help women and families travel smarter. She believes the world is our oyster, so let’s explore it!

00:00

• Marquita opens the episode with an excerpt she wrote about traveling

1:28 

• Introduction

2:02

• Marquita talks about the excerpt in the beginning about traveling as a black family.  She speaks about the experience she had on a Delta flight as a black woman. 
• Marquita and Drea discuss feeling racism 

6:28

• Marquita discusses what travel means to her and what travel teaches her.  
• The importance of travel to get through life

9:31

• We talk about “The world is your Oyster” written on Marquitas #Clubhouse profile
• Exploring the US outside of where Marquita lives which is New Orleans
• Traveling within the US during the pandemic
• Drea and Marquita share some of the places they have traveled this past pandemic year

13:56

• Marquita discusses traveling with twins and why she believes it’s important to travel
• She talks about traveling with her kids at 4 months and they have been on 25 trips at the age of two.  
• She discusses how people are always willing to help

17:25

• Marquita talks about traveling internationally with her children - Thailand, Amsterdam, Costa Rica, Paris, and Puerto Rico
• Marquita’s favorite place she’s traveled to with her kids was Thailand, so she talks about how she prepared for the trip and one of the challenges she had

22:08

• Drea asks Marquita if she had any fears traveling with her kids

25:33

• Marquita shares some of the challenges and the journey of taking the first trip with the kids
• Strollers and finding the right travel stroller - GB pocket stroller

30:08 

• Marquita shares what’s in her bag on the plane and when traveling
• Marquita also shares some great tips on how to travel with the kids
•   The importance of snacks when they hit the toddler age - Packing their backpacks so they can carry their own things
• She shares a few items/toys to bring when traveling

33:57 

• Marquita shares the most valuable thing she’s learned while traveling

37:25

• Marquita shares her most fulfilling moment during her travels while she was in South Africa

40:53

• Marquita shares the most meaningful person she’s met while traveling

44:12

• Marquita’s advice on how to travel with children 
• The importance of having your own memories of your children traveling and how it is as much of an experience for the parents to have their kids travel as much as it is for the children. 

48:41

• Marquita’s favorite place she’s traveled is Chiang Mai in Thailand

50:43

• Marquita prefers to travel to airbnb’s because of the space and the convenience of having a washer and dryer
• Marquita shares some of her tips, tricks and food to eat in Chiang Mai

56:00

• Marquita shares her one thing she definitely brings with her when she travels

57:11

• Marquita shares a piece of life advice to a younger Marquita - The importance of being patient   

61:00

 Find Marquita

MarquitasTravels.com

www.instagram.com/MarquitasTravels

In this episode, Digital Nomad, Omar Mo shares his story going from a normal life with a regular job and home to buying a one way ticket to Nicaragua and living out of his suitcase.  He shares some of the life lessons he learns along the way and stories about his adventures on the road.

00:00 

• Omar Mo reads an excerpt of something he wrote

00:34

• Drea shares Omar Mo bio

2:24 

• Omar tells us the reasoning behind the excerpt he wrote. 

5:05 

• Omar explains what a Digital Nomad means
• Omar tells us the transition into the Digital Nomad life and how he knew that he was destined not to have a normal life 
• He shares the story when he decided to book that one way ticket to his adventure to Nicaragua - He stayed traveling for 2 ½-3 years

11:20 

• Superficial Conversations and the experience of having a podcast

13:01

• Omar talks about his “Why” behind his travels

Redefining Traveling - What it was, what it means now and how it is constantly changing

18:28 

• Drea asks Omar about the fears that he may have had 
• The fear of missing out on family and friends
• Being nervous about a new place not knowing anyone
• Growth vs Relationships and the balance

24:32

• Omar and few challenges he faced
• Australia and gaining weight due to drinking
• Broken Bones and the importance of Travel insurance

28:08

• Omar shares his most valuable thing he’s learned why he’s traveled

29:01

• Omar shares his most meaningful person he met and the valuable things he learned
• He shares a very personal story about learning empathy from a previous relationship and how it affected his entire outlook

33:00

• Omar shares his most fulfilling moment in Sydney 
• He also reveals his favorite place in the world, Sydney

36:17

• Omar shares his favorite places in Sydney

39:43

• Omar shares his most dangerous situation he’s ever been while swimming

45:40

• Omar shares some valuable tips to live a life as a Digital Nomad

49:07

• Omar shares his goals and where he plans to do next

52:40

• Omar shares the one thing he takes with him when he travels

53:45

• This is the piece of life advice that Omar gives to his younger self

 54:30

• www.instagram.com/nomadables
• https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nomadic-executive-discussions-digital-nomads-online/id1505908580

Jeff Garmire is only 30 years old but has already backpacked over 30,000 miles since 2011.  It all began with a 55-pound backpack at the start of the Pacific Crest Trail and from there, he was hooked. His first thru-hike led to a second, shortly after college and then even when he began his career, he started looking for ways to explore nature and the world. A few notable achievements are 15-speed records on long-distance hiking trails, the calendar year triple crown, the great western loop,  AND climbing all 58 of Colorado's 14,000' peaks.  His book, Free Outside shares his journey completing the Triple Crown which means thru hiking the Appalachian Trail, the Continental Divide Tail and the Pacific Crest Trail  in one year through 4 seasons.  

00:00 

• Jeff Garmire reads an excerpt from his book “Free Outside”

1:30 

• Drea introduces Jeff Garmire and his impressive biography

2:50 

• Jeff talks about the excerpt he read which talks about crossing a cold, nearly frozen river in Maine swimming across naked during the winter season. 
• Jeff talks about stripping naked, using a dry bag to get across the river. 

8:07 

• Jeff defines the meaning of thru-hiking

8:56 

• Jeff tells us what travel means to him.  He explains what he believes is the difference between a vacation and travel.  

10:00 

• Drea asks Jeff if he goes on vacation.  

11:19 

• Jeff and Drea discuss why they love traveling “uncomfortably” 

14:15 

• Jeff tells us why he began this journey to backpack and thru hike the Triple Crown (The Appalachian Trail AKA the AT, The Continental Divide AKA the CDT, and the Pacific Crest Trail AKA the PCT in one calendar year.
• He talks about the beginning of it all the progression to attempting the Triple Crown 
• He talks about meeting people who were doing the PCT when he was younger. 
• He took off Spring Term of college and decided to hike the Pacific Crest Trail.  He talks about the lessons he learned during the PCT when he was a very novice. This became his obsession
• He talks about the transition into attempting the Triple Crown - All of the “Stepping Stones” to get there. 

17:55 

• Jeff elaborates on meeting those initial PCT hikers that introduced him into the world of thru hiking. 
• He talks about his perspective on how hungry they were.  He tells the story of watching one of the PCT hikers slab a ton of mayo.  
• Jeff now related to the PCT hikers he met when he was younger.  He talks about a time when he got kicked out of an All You Can Eat Buffet that he stopped at while he was trying to complete the Appalachian Trail. 

21:07 

• Jeff talks about some of the fears of doing the Triple Crown

22:25 

• Jeff talks about getting charged by a Grizzly Bear. Jeff shortly after the near bear attack, encounters Mules he decided to become momentary friends with.

25:45 

• Jeff discusses some of the additional challenges he faced while on the trail. 

26:58 

• Jeff tells a story about losing gear on the trail 

28:41

• Jeff used a tarp as a Shelter for much of the Appalachian Trail which some people due to decrease the weight.  The Appalachian Trail has shelters but many times they are filled up so it was a risk - He discusses that experience.  
• Jeff talks about switching to a tent because of the cold and also because of mosquitoes
• Drea talks about her experience in Big Pine, CA and the attack of the mosquitos. 

32:00 

• Jeff talks about the importance of DUCT TAPE!

33:57

• Jeff talks about the 2 most valuable things he learned during his travels

35:43 

• Drea asks about Jeff’s mental endurance

38:20 

• Drea asks Jeff what his most fulfilling moment was during his treks

40:00

• Jeff shares with us the most meaningful he met while he went traveling.  He talks about this man “Little Buddah” he met at 20 years old on the PCT that helped him on the trail. He fell in love with the community because on the trail, “people take care of one another.”

42:53 

• Jeff talks about the most valuable thing he learned - Flexibility and the balance of Rigidness. 

46:16  

• Jeff shares his favorite hike or trail 
• Nolan’s 14 

48:17 

• Tips and Tricks to do the Great Western Loop or the Nolan’s 14

49:45

• Jeff shares the journey of writing a book from a blog to writing a book

53:56 

•  Jeff’s advice to a “jeff” out there who would like to do the PCT

54:22 

• Jeff shares some of the sacrifices he’s made to pursue his dream

55:29 

• Jeff shares his next goal - The Barkley Marathon

59:22 

• Jeff shares the one thing he takes with him when he travels 

60:00

• Jeff shares the one piece of advice he would share to a younger him. 

61:00 

Find Jeff on 

www.freeoutside.com

www.facebook.com/freeoutside

www.twitter.com/thefreeoutside

www.instagram.com/thefreeoutsidse

www.backpackingroutes.com