Travel Tales from the #nerdbirds

For the fifth anniversary podcast, Bobbie Barker (Rachel), Johnny Gecko (Brendan), and Sebastian serve as hosts as contestants Pilot Sarah, Erik, Marc, and new-but-not-new #nerdbird Jorge bid on questionable travel gadgets, ninja their way through a pricing game inspired by Charlie and David's travel stories, and compete in a Showcase Showdown featuring points-and-miles fueled dream trips. Come on down for The Price is Flight!

The Travel Gym hits the road -- but not too far! -- to explore what it means to travel through culture without hopping on a plane. In this episode, #nerdbird Rachel chats with Oscar, who was born in the Philippines and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area with a short stint in California's Central Valley. Oscar shares stories about food, faith, family, and the surprising legacy of Filipino Freemasonry in California.

It’s the Summer of Food, and in Part 1, #nerdbirds Rachel and Sebastian ponder the surprising history of airline cuisine, based on the book "Food in the Air and Space." From sand-tainted roast chicken and a cat in a hot air balloon to kosher meal hacks and specially seasoned snacks at 30,000 feet, they explore the evolution of inflight dining, special meals, and how taste changes in the air.

Inspired by Kevin Kelly's “50 Years of Travel Tips,” slightly younger #nerdbirds Brendan and Rachel apply their Book Club snark to a blog post that felt in sync with their travel ethos, sharing personal stories that support (and sometimes question) advice on travel from an intentional, engaged perspective.

In a nod to the podcast’s first episode on April 1, 2020, #nerdbirds Sebastian and Rachel break down two of David’s January travel mishaps that felt more April Fool’s than New Year fresh. Learn more about navigating international check-ins, understanding partner airline/codeshare bookings, and scanning the airport like a lion on a savanna 😎

In Part 4 of the Travel Gym series, listen in as #nerdbird Rachel asks both John the Traveler to reflect on organizing his first Mexico City CuriosiTrip in January and Robin from the Cortona School of Photography to share wisdom from 27 years of leading photo workshops in Tuscany. Learn about leading group trips with intention, handling detours (literal and emotional), and balancing structure with spontaneity.

Luggage regrets? #nerdbirds Brendan, Sebastian, and Rachel have a few, along with opinions and advice on size, wheels (or not), colors, packing cubes, laundry, and all the creative ways one can bring various food and plants on a plane -- from leis and orchids to bricks of cheese and lilikoi chiffon pies.

Cheap theater tickets in London, Taco Boy stickers in Durango, and off-season Christmas markets in Milan: Welcome to the world of 2024 travel moments from #nerdbirds Brendan, Charlie, and Rachel. Learn more about mattress runs, space (or the lack thereof) on transatlantic lie-flat seats, and making the most of a missed connection.

It only took three years since our first visit to the Travel Gym to come up with a Level 3 version of building travel muscle. Part 1 focuses on John the Traveler's thought process while building a Mexico City CuriosiTrip for a group, and Part 2 looks at the powers of observation, purposeful wandering, and reflection.

Buenos Dias! Brendan shares his first impressions of Mexico City, followed by special guest John the Traveler whose first visit sparked an idea to lead a CuriosiTrip to the city in January 2025. Learn more about how to flex your travel muscle to cultivate curiosity in a new location!

Visit https://nerdbirds.co/ for show notes, photos, and links

Visit https://johnthetraveler.com/mexico-city-2025/ for CuriosiTrip details. Limited spots remain!