WanderLearn: Travel to Transform Your Mind & Life

Smile for Valentine's Day!

Part 3 of 5 of the "What Americans Can Teach Europeans" Series

Europeans often criticize the “American smile.” They say that Americans are fake, because they often smile when they are not really happy. Americans pretend to be happy to see you, when they’re not. A customer service representative might greet you with a cheery, “Hi! How can I help you?” when she’s really a mean b***h.

Eastern Europeans somehow think that they are superior because they give you a scowl instead of a smile. Frankly, I’ll take a fake smile every day over a sincere scowl. I might delude myself, but I don’t care. It just feels better. Why, when we have the choice between giving a smile or a frown, should we opt for a frown? The waiter and the person at the checkout counter has a choice. Why not put on a smile?

Some may say it’s not simply a choice between a frown or a smile. There’s a third way, the European way, which is a neutral face. This, Europeans claim, is the most sincere. “Why should the store representative smile at you when he doesn’t even know you? That’s insincere,” the Europeans argue. “It’s better to have a neutral face.”

Look at yourself in the mirror and put on your best neutral face. Imagine someone just walked into your store and you’re wearing that neutral face. What does it look like to the customer? It looks a bit cold, distant, unfriendly, and unapproachable. Obviously a frown is even worse, but the neutral look is off-putting too.

Furthermore, the neutral look would be fine if the customer service agent would immediately brighten up once they learn that you’re not trying to rape their daughter. However, they don’t. Even after you smile and are friendly, they often keep that same neutral, ambivalent face throughout the transaction. In Eastern Europe, the neutral look will sometimes turn into a tirade against your simple attempts of communication. It makes for a lousy and cold experience.

The Eastern European tries a different argument: “Fine, so we’re a bit cold at the beginning, but eventually we warm-up, and when we do, you’ll have a friend for life.” So what? Do you want a freaking medal?

Newsflash: Americans make lifelong friends too. Like any human, we usually take our time before reaching that point. The difference is that we don’t use that as an excuse to be an a*****e at the beginning.

Moreover, the American smile isn’t as fake as it seems. Many Americans are genuinely happy. Americans are positive people who usually give strangers the benefit of the doubt. There are plenty of cynical Americans, but when it comes to one-on-one interactions, Americans often assume that the other person is a good guy. That makes them sincerely smile.

Of course, I have a cultural bias because I grew up in America, the land of the smiles. However, America doesn’t have a monopoly on smiles. Most people from Asia, Latin America, Africa, and Oceania all tend to wear a smile on their faces by default. Their service personnel smile warmly often. In other words, judged on a global scale, Americans aren’t weird because they smile so much. It’s the Eastern Europeans who are weird because they smile so little.

See Gallup poll 

P.S. Southeastern Europe (especially around Bosnia, Macedonia, Albania, and Southern Serbia) people have a tendency to smile as much of most of the non-European world.

In case you missed it, read part 1 of the What Americans Can Teach Europeans article series.

 

"What Americans Can Teach Europeans"

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Health Access Sumbawa

One of WanderLearn's top patrons, Kathy Kennedy Enger, asked me to draw attention to Health Access Sumbawa. I am happy to promote this remarkable nonprofit.

In 2014, Jack Kennedy founded the organization to bring malaria control and healthcare to remote, impoverished communities. It started on the remote island of Sumbawa, Indonesia. Since then, it's expanded thanks to generous donations. Visit their website to learn more and to donate: https://healthaccesssumbawa.org

Get full access to Francis Tapon at ftapon.substack.com/subscribe

Part 2 of 5 of the "What Americans Can Teach Europeans" series

Several Eastern Europeans thought I worked for the CIA. They asked, “Why else would you be in Albania?”

It’s hilarious what Eastern Europeans seriously believe the CIA does:

• A Slovenian told me that the “weird” weather they were experiencing was due to the CIA testing wacky weather-controlling weapons nearby.

• If someone semi-famous died unexpectedly, the CIA killed him.

• The CIA controls all elections. But what if an anti-American candidate wins? It’s because the CIA wanted that to happen so it can use it as an excuse to invade the country, or because it somehow fits in their grand plan of world domination.

• A Bulgarian told me that the Illuminati and the CIA control Obama and all world leaders. The CIA, he assured me, is the puppet-master behind everything, including what you had for breakfast this morning.

Although it’s fun to believe that the CIA controls the universe, let’s stop smoking marijuana for a minute. The CIA is so ignorant that it often can’t find its house keys. The CIA controls so little that it can’t even choose what color to paint its buildings. It’s just another bumbling, inefficient, and bureaucratic government organization whose right-hand doesn’t know what its left hand is doing. The CIA morons couldn’t even assassinate Fidel Castro, a leader from a puny island right next to America. How lame is that?

The CIA has its clever moments but is often ignorant and powerless. Unfortunately, there’s no way to prove this to someone who really wants to believe in conspiracy theories, so I won’t even try.

Part of me would like to keep the myth about the omnipotent CIA alive. As long as other nations believe that the CIA is all-knowing and all-powerful, they’ll fear to attack the US. They’ll say, “Maybe we’re attacking America because that’s exactly what the CIA wants us to do!” They’ll second-guess their actions and be scared to challenge the god-like CIA.

Therefore, if I have not convinced you, good. Keep believing that the CIA is your under your bed, because, of course, it probably is.

In case you missed it, read part 1 of the What Americans Can Teach Europeans article series.

One person said, "Francis, very interesting article. Do you have any thoughts as to why the CIA has such a reputation?"

I'm sure there are several reasons for the CIA's reputation in Eastern Europe. Among them:

• Cold War hangover: Just like the KGB was feared in the US, the CIA played that role in the East, and still does, apparently.


• There's some truth to it: the CIA has put up the Shah in Iran and put up a Guatemalan dictator.


• When people don't understand something or can't explain it, then they often pick mysterious entities (Zeus, God, CIA) to explain something.

In case you missed it, read part 1 of the What Americans Can Teach Europeans article series.

More info

You can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my newsletter at http://wanderlearn.com.

If you like this podcast, subscribe and share! 

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Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron at http://Patreon.com/FTapon

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If you prefer to do a one-time contribution, you can send it to my PayPal at [email protected]

If you prefer giving me Bitcoin, then please send BTC to my tip jar: 3EiSBC2bv2bYtYEXAKTkgqZohjF27DGjnV

Health Access Sumbawa

One of WanderLearn's top patrons, Kathy Kennedy Enger, asked me to draw attention to Health Access Sumbawa. I am happy to promote this remarkable nonprofit.

In 2014, Jack Kennedy founded the organization to bring malaria control and healthcare to remote, impoverished communities. It started on the remote island of Sumbawa, Indonesia. Since then, it's expanded thanks to generous donations. Visit their website to learn more and to donate: https://healthaccesssumbawa.org

Get full access to Francis Tapon at ftapon.substack.com/subscribe

Part 1 of 5 in the Defending America Series.

Throughout Eastern Europe, I asked, “What can your country teach America?” I’ve documented their excellent suggestions in The Hidden Europe: What Eastern Europeans Can Teach Us.

As part of this process, Europeans often told me, quite bluntly, what they think of Americans. The fact that I’m half-European and that I have no American blood in me (I was born of a French father and a Chilean mother) probably made them more comfortable to share their true thoughts. After getting an earful, it became clear that there are a few things Americans can teach Europeans about America.

(I had often heard similar criticisms in Western Europe, which is why I'm posting this in the Western Europe section.)

There are five themes that Europeans wail against Americans

1. America’s foreign policy shows that we’re a warmongering, imperialistic nation (see below for details).


2. The CIA is behind everything.


3. Americans are fake.


4. Americans are ignorant.


5. Americans are devoid of culture.

There’s a lot of truth to these five criticisms. In fact, in my book, I often make fun of these things. However, let’s load up the aircraft carriers and stealth bombers and blast away the five most common criticisms about Americans.

Let's start with the first one and then the other articles will address the other four, although you're welcome to jump to the one that interests you most.

Part 1 of 5 of the "What Americans Can Teach Europeans" series

Europeans say, “America is imperialistic. It starts wars. The CIA is everywhere.” True, true, true. America’s foreign policy is aggressive. However, let’s examine this more closely.

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You can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my newsletter at http://wanderlearn.com.

If you like this podcast, subscribe and share! 

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If you prefer to do a one-time contribution, you can send it to my PayPal at [email protected]

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Health Access Sumbawa

One of WanderLearn's top patrons, Kathy Kennedy Enger, asked me to draw attention to Health Access Sumbawa. I am happy to promote this remarkable nonprofit.

In 2014, Jack Kennedy founded the organization to bring malaria control and healthcare to remote, impoverished communities. It started on the remote island of Sumbawa, Indonesia. Since then, it's expanded thanks to generous donations. Visit their website to learn more and to donate: https://healthaccesssumbawa.org

Get full access to Francis Tapon at ftapon.substack.com/subscribe

In early 2020, Randy Williams has been to 142 countries. Although this is remarkable, it's especially impressive when you consider that he's been working full-time for most of his life. 

It's understandable how someone who has years to travel is able to visit 142 countries, but doing it when you have a real job in the workaholic USA is hard.

Randy Williams describes:

• His first trip to Africa. He started in Cape Verde, then went to Senegal, Tunisia, and Algeria.


• Traveling to Tripoli, Libya soon after Khadafi's death.


• Traveling to Iraq and Venezuela. 


• How Kabul, Afganistan was in January 2020.


• How a journalist friend was killed in Somalia.


• Using the Sherwes Travel Agency to get his business travel visa to Libya.


• How to be a trailblazer.


• How he got into Yemen a couple of months ago.


• Why he sees travel as a buffet.

You can see some of his travel photos on Slow Jams on Instagram.

More info

You can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my newsletter at http://wanderlearn.com.

If you like this podcast, subscribe and share! 

On social media, my username is always ftapon. Follow me on:

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Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron at http://Patreon.com/FTapon

Rewards start at just $2/month!

If you prefer to do a one-time contribution, you can send it to my PayPal at [email protected]

If you prefer giving me Bitcoin, then please send BTC to my tip jar: 3EiSBC2bv2bYtYEXAKTkgqZohjF27DGjnV

Health Access Sumbawa

One of WanderLearn's top patrons, Kathy Kennedy Enger, asked me to draw attention to Health Access Sumbawa. I am happy to promote this remarkable nonprofit.

In 2014, Jack Kennedy founded the organization to bring malaria control and healthcare to remote, impoverished communities. It started on the remote island of Sumbawa, Indonesia. Since then, it's expanded thanks to generous donations. Visit their website to learn more and to donate: https://healthaccesssumbawa.org

 

 

Get full access to Francis Tapon at ftapon.substack.com/subscribe

The Pilgrim's perspective

Many people ask me, “What are you thinking about when you walk from sunrise to sunset in remote wildernesses?”

Sometimes I’m just thinking of the next step. Other times I’m thinking about Megan Fox.

However, during my pilgrimage, I do go into deep-thoughts mode occasionally. That’s what this article is about. It will lead to my next article which is about what it means to be human and my debate with a T-Rex on global warming. Yeah, light topics. Can’t I just talk about the weather?

One of the aspects that I love about thru-hiking is the sense of perspective it gives you. Most humans are stuck in day-to-day drudgery, incapable (or unwilling) to break the chains of their self-centered, short-term point of view. I confess I’m no better than the average Joe and that missing one synchronized light can really send me into a deep depression.

However, when I travel for months in the mountains I can’t help but have a broader perspective. For example, when I am walking a ridge on the Continental Divide, its history is etched into the landscape.

Although the Earth is 4.5 billion years old, the planet didn’t really start to settle down until it was a billion years old. And life didn’t really get going until the Pre-Cambrian era (over half a billion years ago). However, it is nearly impossible for my puny human brain to relate to that much time. Actually, a million years is too hard to imagine, even if I compare it with how long my bank puts me on hold.

Therefore, to crunch world history into a timescale that I can fathom let’s squeeze it into one calendar year. And I’ll focus on the development of the Continental Divide Trail (CDT). Here’s what we get.

Earth's history compressed into one year

January and February would be good months to stay in your cabin. The Earth’s environment was chaotic. Incessant wind and rain would erode away barren mountains faster than a plastic surgeon can erode away Michael Jackson’s nose.

Still, on February 25 (or is it February 30?), life would spring forth! Sure, these single-celled organisms would be stuck in the warm coastal waters and by the thermal vents, but we’ll take what we can get.

March 20: Stromatolites would pop up.

July 17: Multicellular life, those cells with nuclei, were strutting their stuff.

Trilobites (hard-shelled creatures) would start feeding on all the multi-cellular life. By the end of the month, small vertebrates would start feeding on the Trilobites. All you can eat restaurants were invented.

Most of the year would go by and still no life on the land.

Where would the Continental Divide be in October?

It wouldn’t be a thrusting mass of mountains that I walked. Quite the opposite! It would be a broad channel of water. You could ride your kayak down the channel!

In fact, if you flew over North America in June, you’d see that 60 percent of the land is underwater.

Would you see forests of trees on the land? Nope, you wouldn’t even see moss clinging to the ubiquitous rocks. Zero plant life. However, it wouldn’t be a static boring rock-filled landscape. It would be constantly eroding, pummeled by endless torrential rains that make the south-east Asian monsoons seem like a drizzle.

The Continental Divide would be impossible to recognize in early November. Instead of the Rocky Mountains stretching out as far as the eye can see, you’d see a massive sea that stretched from the Arctic to the Gulf of Mexico!

In early November, the first plants would gain a precarious foothold on land. For every plant that latches on the land, many will get washed away by the endless rain. The struggle of the plants to get established lasts for weeks, but they finally settle down. Vegetarians aren’t far behind.

On November 18, the Cambrian Explosion - a burst of complex life - would roll out. In a couple of days, the seas are crowded with fish. A few claustrophobic ones develop crude lungs, call themselves amphibians, and get timeshares on the land.

Around November 20, the Appalachian mountain range starts to rise and will be far higher than any other mountain range in the USA today. You wouldn’t find cozy shelters every 15 kilometers on the Appalachian Trail.

December starts with insects. Since CDT hikers hadn’t been invented yet, the mosquito started bugging the first amphibians, which show up on December 2. Sharks and seeded plants follow.

December 5: First reptiles.

December 12: Doh! The Permian Extinction, the most deadly event in Earth's history, happens. Siberian traps (big volcanoes) spew up so much toxic smoke that 95% of life on Earth dies. 

December 13: Dinosaurs appear. 

December 14: Dinosaurs chase the pathetic looking mammals that just start to appear. The dinosaurs thought these mammals were snacks since few were much bigger than a rat.

December 22: Plants with flowers appear. It's about time!

December 26: The planet's post-Christmas presents are cats and dogs. Cute puppies and kitties. The most memorable event of this day is when an asteroid the size of Manhattan Island strikes the Yucatan with a force of 100 million megatons. The impact would release a heat pulse that would set off fires across the planet. The result: a planetary dinosaur barbecue. Their “two-month” reign comes to an abrupt end. 

December 27: Grasses spread like fire across the earth. Pigs and deer follow. The Rocky Mountains would finally start to rise and tower over the surrounding land. The CDT wasn’t well marked then either. The Colorado River would start its tedious process of slicing the Grand Canyon.

December 28: First primates jump through the trees.

The sun would rise on December 31 and still no sign of humans.

Finally, at 17:18, somewhere in Africa, the first clumsy hominids would stand up. During the last hours of the year, you’d see massive sheets of ice, as tall as mountains, cover America and Euroasia. Like an accordion, you’d see the ice sheets (glaciers) come and go four times in just a few hours. It would look like a global warming yo-yo gone wild.

With one hour to go before the year ends, Homo erectus shows up to the primate party.

At 23:30 the French start showing off their artistic talent: Cro-Magnon man draws cool paintings in some caves.

At 23:45 homo sapiens figure out how to make weapons of mass destruction: sharp knives and spears.

Around 23:55 civilization begins. Prostitution shortly follows. Egyptians, Babylonians, Greeks, and Romans each spend a minute building touristy buildings.

At 23:58 and 43 seconds, Jesus tells everyone to behave. We kill him a nanosecond later.

With just 20 seconds to go before the year draws to a close, Columbus bumps into America. Dick Clark is born and starts making a living counting down the seconds to the New Year. “Just 7 seconds to go!” announces Dick, and rebels sign the Declaration of Independence.

In the final 7 seconds, we finally arrive at the crown jewel of billion of years of evolution: Megan Fox.

More info

You can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my newsletter at http://wanderlearn.com.

If you like this podcast, subscribe and share! 

On social media, my username is always ftapon. Follow me on:

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Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron at http://Patreon.com/FTapon

Rewards start at just $2/month!

If you prefer to do a one-time contribution, you can send it to my PayPal at [email protected]

If you prefer giving me Bitcoin, then please send BTC to my tip jar: 3EiSBC2bv2bYtYEXAKTkgqZohjF27DGjnV

Health Access Sumbawa

One of WanderLearn's top patrons, Kathy Kennedy Enger, asked me to draw attention to Health Access Sumbawa. I am happy to promote this remarkable nonprofit.

In 2014, Jack Kennedy founded the organization to bring malaria control and healthcare to remote, impoverished communities. It started on the remote island of Sumbawa, Indonesia. Since then, it's expanded thanks to generous donations. Visit their website to learn more and to donate: https://healthaccesssumbawa.org

Get full access to Francis Tapon at ftapon.substack.com/subscribe

Olaf Ofstad (pictured) was my guest on my 59th WanderLearn episode, which was about how to avoid and survive a kidnapping. 

If you haven't listened to it yet, you should listen to it before listening to this episode.

One listener wrote me an email asking questions and criticizing some issues about the show.

Therefore, in this episode, I air those criticisms and I give Olaf Ofstad a chance to answer those questions and criticisms.

You'll also find out how I got muggled in Cameroon.

Whenever you have questions or comments, send them to me and I might feature them in a future episode!

More info

You can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my newsletter at http://wanderlearn.com.

If you like this podcast, subscribe and share! 

On social media, my username is always ftapon. Follow me on:

• http://facebook.com/ftapon


• http://twitter.com/ftapon


• http://youtube.com/user/ftapon


• http://pinterest.com/ftapon


• http://tumblr.com/ftapon

Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron at http://Patreon.com/FTapon

Rewards start at just $2/month!

If you prefer to do a one-time contribution, you can send it to my PayPal at [email protected]

If you prefer giving me Bitcoin, then please send BTC to my tip jar: 3EiSBC2bv2bYtYEXAKTkgqZohjF27DGjnV

Health Access Sumbawa

One of WanderLearn's top patrons, Kathy Kennedy Enger, asked me to draw attention to Health Access Sumbawa. I am happy to promote this remarkable nonprofit.

In 2014, Jack Kennedy founded the organization to bring malaria control and healthcare to remote, impoverished communities. It started on the remote island of Sumbawa, Indonesia. Since then, it's expanded thanks to generous donations. Visit their website to learn more and to donate: https://healthaccesssumbawa.org

Get full access to Francis Tapon at ftapon.substack.com/subscribe

Before you look at these predictions, you should see how accurate my 7 predictions for 2019 were.

Also, if you want to watch me talk about this, see it on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwI739M9vKU

In 2020...
1. Bitcoin will end 2020 above $10,000.

Unlike my previous two bitcoin predictions which were perfect (the 80% decline followed by the 100% rise), I'm unsure about 2020. As you can see from my 2030 predictions, I'm bullish long-term for bitcoin, but 2020 is a bit fuzzy. There's a 30% chance that it will soar pass $20,000.

On the other hand, after doubling in 2019, it could also be due for a pullback in 2020. There's a 40% chance that it end between $6,000 and $10,000. 

One thing is almost certain: 2020 will once again see some volatility from bitcoin, as usual. But I expect a healthy gain overall.

2. Mayor Pete Buttigieg will win the Democratic Nomination.

At the end of 2019, according to Real Clear Politics, Biden has a solid lead nationally and in Nevada and South Carolina. He also leads in the betting odds. 

Here's why I think the dark horse Buttigieg will win the nomination.

First, he has a good chance of winning Iowa and New Hampshire. Even if he doesn't, he may come in second place. 

Regardless, he'll get a ton of attention from those finishes. That includes attention from Nevada and South Carolina. Once voters from those two states start taking Mayor Pete seriously, he'll move up in the polls of those two states (and others). 

Mayor Bloomberg and Biden are both focusing on the marathon; they're willing to give up some wins at the start and they're banking that they can catch up later.

On the other hand, momentum is important. 

The other thing that is important is what I call the Mirror Image Theory. I discuss that idea more in the last 30 minutes of my WanderLearn podcast with Sym Blanchard.

Simply put, incoming US Presidents are often mirror images (opposites) of the outgoing President. Just look at the 7 elected presidents. We swing back and forth. 

So what's the most opposite of Trump?

It ain't old-timers like Biden, Warren, and Sanders.

It's Buttigieg.

3. Trump will lose the 2020 Election. 

Whoever wins the Democratic nomination will inspire the lazy voters who sat on their ass in 2016 thinking that Hillary was a shoo-in. 

The only opponents Trump has a good chance of beating are the "socialist" ones (Sanders and Warren). 

4. The US GDP will slide into negative territory (a recession) in the second half of 2020.

The US economy has had a nice long run. It will take a break.

5. The S&P 500 will have a flat year. 

The S&P is around 3,250 now and it will end 2020 around the same place, plus or minus 3%.

By 2030...
1. One bitcoin will be worth more than $100,000.

I'm not positive about this. Here's how I break down the odds:

• 60% chance that Bitcoin will be worth over $100,000. 


• 30% chance that Bitcoin will be worth between $30,000 to $100,000 (at least 10% annualized return)


• 5% chance that Bitcoin will be worth between $8,000 and $30,000.


• 5% chance that it will be worth less than today.

Why? 

Because Bitcoin today is like the internet in the 1990s: although many people have heard of it, only early adopters and other geeks have it. Once the whole planet learns about it, you'll have a spike in demand, but the supply at this point is effectively fixed. That will result in a price spike. 

No other good is like bitcoin. If there's a surge in demand in housing, we can build more houses. If people love avocados, we can plant more avocados. If everyone wants gold, we can dig out more gold (or see how accurate my 7 predictions for 2019 were). 

Moreover, from a long-term monetary perspective, the US and Europe haven't had high inflation since the 1970s.

We're due.

But this time, the supremacy of the US dollar may not weather the storm as well as it survived the 1970s.

This time, China and other powers will unseat the USD as the sole, global reserve currency. A basket of currencies may take over.

In the 2020s, some countries will hold some of their reserves in bitcoin. They will shift away some of their US treasury bills and adopt bitcoin - not completely, but partially. Just like they will hold some euro, yen, and Swiss francs.

The only reason bitcoin may become worthless is if most major governments of the world collude to ban it and push it underground, thereby criminalizing it.

However, even that won't make it completely worthless. Cocaine is illegal everywhere, but it has tremendous value in the black market. And bitcoin is easier to trade than cocaine.

As one bitcoin analyst said, "In this century, Bitcoin is either heading toward $1 million or to zero. It's highly unlikely that in 2050, the price of bitcoin will be where it is today."

2. The CPI will show that the USA experiences double-digit inflation sometime in this decade.

Maybe it will be in 2025, but at some point in the 2020s, the CPI (which measures inflation) will soar above 10% for the first time since 1982.

3. One ounce of gold will be worth over $5,000.

It's about $1,500 at the end of 2019.

4. Syria will be a hot tourist destination.

Expect that over 20 million tourists will visit Syria in the 2020s.

5. China will undergo a revolution.

Here are my odds:

• 70% chance that the communist party will finally fall or be substantially weakened.


• 20% chance that China reverses course and becomes far more authoritarian.


• 10% chance that little changes.

6. North Korea finally gets freedom.

It can't remain the least free place in the world forever. 

7. The USA will have its first female president.

They have three chances to pull that off in the 2020s: 2020, 2024, and 2028.

When will we get our first atheist President?

It seems that we'll get a gay Muslim before that happens.

8. South Africa's GDP per capita ranking will fall.

Right now, South Africa has the 7th highest GDP per capita in Africa.

I predict that in the 2020s, their ranking will drop to 8th or 9th. Namibia and/or Algeria will pass it. Its long-term fall from the #1 position in the continent will continue.

9. Facebook will be less important and powerful than it is today.

Facebook will still be a major player, just like AT&T, IBM, GM, and Microsoft are important corporations today. However, just like those four companies are no longer in their prime, Facebook will also have a relative decline. 

I wish I could have a metric to measure this, but I think it will be pretty obvious whether I'm right or wrong. 

Indeed, it's likely that Google, Amazon, and Netflix will all struggle with new rivals. But I think Facebook is the most vulnerable.

Today, there's at least one small company that nobody knows that will become a household name in 2030. I wish I knew what company that is!

10. We will land humans on Mars.

But they will die there.

11. I will have visited all the countries in the world

I've visited 123 out of 193 now. It would be easy to visit the remaining 70 countries. That's just 7 countries per year.

However, what slows me down is my silly desire to write books about it. Here's the rough plan:

• 2020-2022: West and Central Asia


• 2023-2026: East Asia


• 2027-2030: Oceania, Caribbean, and South America.

Get full access to Francis Tapon at ftapon.substack.com/subscribe

Last year, my podcast with Sym Blanchard became the 2nd most downloaded WanderLearn episode. It was super popular because he really was a fun guest. You must listen to it before listening to this podcast.

Because he attracted so many listeners, I invited him back to the show!

I begin the podcast asking Sym the most profound question I've always wanted to ask him.

After that, we move onto discussing how he has used DNA testing to inspire his travel. He's used these four DNA testing kits to find thousands of relatives and to understand his origins. We discuss the pros and cons of each one:

• 23 and Me - best for a health test


• Ancestry DNA - best for trace your lineage 


• Family Search - Although it's connected to the Church of Latter-Day Saints, is useful to go back to King Cnut. 


• My Heritage - to build a family tree - Sym has 19,000 relatives

We referenced AJ Jacobs's, It's All Relative book.

I mention my defining the Sub-Sahara Africa article where, in the comments, an Ethiopian tried to insult me by pointing out that my ancestors were "slave-traders."

Sym opens up and discusses why his strained relationship with his daughter. What went wrong? What lessons did he learn?

How about having a girlfriend and how it is to manage that relationship when he's usually on the road.

How do we balance having sympathy for victims and pushing for tough love?

We talk about how Rejoice Tapon could see herself as a victim as I describe in my TEDx Talk about being a black sheep.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVfADBIsgB8

Sym discusses his trip to Brazil and his quest to finish the Continental Divide Trail (60% done!) and the Great Divide Trail.

Sym talks about El Camino de Santiago.

We discuss how sustainable his way of life is. 

We talk about how spousal support and divorce work.

About 70 minutes into the podcast, we talk about politics. I say that it's extremely rare that a US President wins more than 60% of the popular vote. Fact check: Only 3 US Presidents have gotten over 60% of the popular vote (Harding, FDR, and Nixon) and LBJ was the only President to get 61% of the vote. No other president got more.

Lastly, I reveal my patented way to win ANY argument - guaranteed! 

More info

You can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my newsletter at http://wanderlearn.com.

If you like this podcast, subscribe and share! 

On social media, my username is always ftapon. Follow me on:

• http://facebook.com/ftapon


• http://twitter.com/ftapon


• http://youtube.com/user/ftapon


• http://pinterest.com/ftapon


• http://tumblr.com/ftapon

Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron at http://Patreon.com/FTapon

Rewards start at just $2/month!

If you prefer to do a one-time contribution, you can send it to my PayPal at [email protected]

If you prefer giving me Bitcoin, then please send BTC to my tip jar: 3EiSBC2bv2bYtYEXAKTkgqZohjF27DGjnV

Health Access Sumbawa

One of WanderLearn's top patrons, Kathy Kennedy Enger, asked me to draw attention to Health Access Sumbawa. I am happy to promote this remarkable nonprofit.

In 2014, Jack Kennedy founded the organization to bring malaria control and healthcare to remote, impoverished communities. It started on the remote island of Sumbawa, Indonesia. Since then, it's expanded thanks to generous donations. Visit their website to learn more and to donate: https://healthaccesssumbawa.org

Get full access to Francis Tapon at ftapon.substack.com/subscribe

For the 2019 holidays, we're taking a flashback to over a decade ago. I started the WanderLearn podcast in 2008. I'm pulling this episode from the archives because it's one of my favorite episodes of that era. 

It was the first time that I met Julia Trutko, a Russophone Estonian. She had just moved to San Francisco from Florida. Although she was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, she grew up in Tallinn, Estonia.

Although this conversation took place over 11 years ago, it is still interesting today, which is why I'm sharing it.

I also placed three Estonian songs in the podcast. 

Julia continues to live in San Francisco with her boy, Roman. He would be born many years after this podcast was recorded. 

More info

You can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my newsletter at http://wanderlearn.com.

If you like this podcast, subscribe and share! 

On social media, my username is always ftapon. Follow me on:

• http://facebook.com/ftapon


• http://twitter.com/ftapon


• http://youtube.com/user/ftapon


• http://pinterest.com/ftapon


• http://tumblr.com/ftapon

Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron at http://Patreon.com/FTapon

Rewards start at just $2/month!

If you prefer to do a one-time contribution, you can send it to my PayPal at [email protected]

If you prefer giving me Bitcoin, then please send BTC to my tip jar: 3EiSBC2bv2bYtYEXAKTkgqZohjF27DGjnV

Health Access Sumbawa

One of WanderLearn's top patrons, Kathy Kennedy Enger, asked me to draw attention to Health Access Sumbawa. I am happy to promote this remarkable nonprofit.

In 2014, Jack Kennedy founded the organization to bring malaria control and healthcare to remote, impoverished communities. It started on the remote island of Sumbawa, Indonesia. Since then, it's expanded thanks to generous donations. Visit their website to learn more and to donate: https://healthaccesssumbawa.org

Get full access to Francis Tapon at ftapon.substack.com/subscribe

Brittnay and Jayden are The Travelling Housesitters. In the WanderLearn podcast, I ask them:

• How did Jay get to look after a cat on a catamaran?


• What websites do they recommend to use to find housesits? 


• Why don't they charge to housesit?


• Did they have a housesit horror story?


• What housesits do they avoid?


• What is their long-range plan?


• Do they have relationship challenges that other couples don't have?


• How can you find housesits that do NOT require you to look after pets?


• What is the fanciest place they ever stayed at?


• What's the housesitting course they offer all about?

In the podcast, Britt and Jay mentioned:

Trusted Housesitters (if you use my affiliate link, you'll get 30% off):

https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/refer/RAF280959/ 

Brittnay and Jay also mentioned these housesitting websites:

• Nomador


• Aussie Housesitters


• Housesit Mexico


• Upwork

If you're more interested in home exchanges, you should listen to my WanderLearn podcast about home exchanges.

3 Sponsors
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Just type in a region you have always wanted to visit or your preferred travel style and TourRadar will do the rest.

And right now, WanderLearn listeners can visit TourRadar for a chance to an amazing travel contest! Every month, there's a new contest! Enter at https://www.tourradar.com/wanderlearn 

2. The Steelman Family Foundation

Rene Steelman leads the Steelman Family Foundation which helps families with non-ambulatory children to acquire wheelchair-accessible vehicles.

Their mission is to help families with children diagnosed with a permanent disability participate in the community. The Steelman Family Foundation also supports events to benefit cerebral palsy education and activities. They work exclusively with United Access and serve families nationally.

Learn more and donate at https://steelmanfamilyfoundation.org

3. Health Access Sumbawa

One of WanderLearn's top patrons, Kathy Kennedy Enger, asked me to draw attention to Health Access Sumbawa. I am happy to promote this remarkable nonprofit.

In 2014, Jack Kennedy founded the organization to bring malaria control and healthcare to remote, impoverished communities. It started on the remote island of Sumbawa, Indonesia. Since then, it's expanded thanks to generous donations. Visit their website to learn more and to donate: https://healthaccesssumbawa.org

More info

You can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my newsletter at http://wanderlearn.com.

If you like this podcast, subscribe and share! 

On social media, my username is always ftapon. Follow me on:

• http://facebook.com/ftapon


• http://twitter.com/ftapon


• http://youtube.com/user/ftapon


• http://pinterest.com/ftapon


• http://tumblr.com/ftapon

Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron at http://Patreon.com/FTapon

Rewards start at just $2/month!

If you prefer to do a one-time contribution, you can send it to my PayPal at [email protected]

If you prefer giving me Bitcoin, then please send BTC to my tip jar: 3EiSBC2bv2bYtYEXAKTkgqZohjF27DGjnV

Get full access to Francis Tapon at ftapon.substack.com/subscribe