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!

The #nerdbirds celebrate six years since the Virgin America final flight with a meetup at the Los Angeles airport. Brendan and Rachel review the Flight Path Museum and a presentation on the history of LAX, and share tips on spots that are mostly walkable (!) from the airport, from burgers with planes coming in just overhead to the airport’s famous color tunnels. Rachel also reviews the latest security innovation with Delta’s Digital ID, along with their newest lounge, and shares seat advice for sunset photography from the sky.

#nerdbirds Rachel and Sebastian adjust to economy seating on a Porter Airlines flight to San Francisco, and share highlights from Toronto—where residents are chatty and poutine rules the day.