WanderLearn: Travel to Transform Your Mind & Life

Sym "Symbiosis" Blanchard has had so many adventures in his 66 years, including:

Hiking half of Madagascar

Walking El Camino de Santiago

Thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail (as a section-hiker)

Hiked half of the Continental Divide Trail (and plans to do the rest)

Hiked the Annapurna Circuit.

Swam across a river in Madagascar

Hiked to Everest Base Cape

Hitchhiked all over the planet

Biked across America

Cruised in Garrison Keillor ships 

And much more

Sym knows a ton about longevity. He shares his secrets. In the 2nd half of the conversation, we do a deep-dive in health and how to become a centenarian. 

This is the 20th episode of the WanderLearn podcast and I wanted to celebrate with an epic and entertaining conversation.

Links to things we mentioned

We briefly talk about NY Life annuities.

We mention these carsharing services:

Getaround

Turo

Maven

Zipcar

Upshift

Connect with Sym Blanchard on Facebook.

Explicit Language Warning: I swear often in this program. 

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

Rewards start at just $1/month!

There are two types of people who should listen to this podcast:

1. You have a vacation property that you'd like to rent out in a hassle-free way.

2. You're looking to rent a luxurious, professionally-managed home all for yourself (and your friends/family) on your vacation.

Vacasa has 10,000 homes in their portfolio. 

You might think their competitor is Airbnb or Booking.com. 

Not exactly.

A closer competitor would be FutureStay.

The main difference between FutureStay and Vacasa is that Vacasa offers far more service. Vacasa:

• Helps you pimp out your home.


• Takes professional photos and 3D tours.


• Provides cleaning service before each guest.


• Makes sure that your home is ideal for a vacation rental.


• Their pricing algorithm will optimize the 

All these services come at a price. Vacasa takes a 25-35% commission and you have to upgrade your home-owner insurance to cover vacation rentals.

In contrast, FutureStay adds a 5% markup on top of whatever Airbnb, Booking.com, and VRBO charges. All FutureStay does is coordinate the calendars on all those sites, so you don't double-book your property.

Vacasa does much more. So if you want fewer headaches and you want a full-service solution, go with Vacasa, especially if you have a property that can be rented out most of the year.

If you're a do-it-yourselfer and you have the time, then FutureStay is probably better.

Listen to Vacasa's Head of Global Partner Programs Thaddeus Hanscom understand more.

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

Get rewarded for becoming one of my Patrons!

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

There are two types of people who should listen to this podcast:

1. You have a vacation property that you'd like to rent out in a hassle-free way.

2. You're looking to rent a luxurious, professionally-managed home all for yourself (and your friends/family) on your vacation.

Vacasa has 10,000 homes in their portfolio. 

You might think their competitor is Airbnb or Booking.com. 

Not exactly.

A closer competitor would be FutureStay.

The main difference between FutureStay and Vacasa is that Vacasa offers far more service. Vacasa:

Helps you pimp out your home.

Takes professional photos and 3D tours.

Provides cleaning service before each guest.

Makes sure that your home is ideal for a vacation rental.

Their pricing algorithm will optimize the 

All these services come at a price. Vacasa takes a 25-35% commission and you have to upgrade your home-owner insurance to cover vacation rentals.

In contrast, FutureStay adds a 5% markup on top of whatever Airbnb, Booking.com, and VRBO charges. All FutureStay does is coordinate the calendars on all those sites, so you don't double-book your property.

Vacasa does much more. So if you want fewer headaches and you want a full-service solution, go with Vacasa, especially if you have a property that can be rented out most of the year.

If you're a do-it-yourselfer and you have the time, then FutureStay is probably better.

Listen to Vacasa's Head of Global Partner Programs Thaddeus Hanscom understand more.

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

Get rewarded for becoming one of my Patrons!

Kirsteene Phelan, Acting CEO of Rome2Rio, has a 15-minute conversation with me to discuss her company's new partnership with Lonely Planet and what it means to the average traveler.

We hit on other topics, including:

• How is Rome2Rio different than Google maps and other travel planners?


• How do they get offline data online?


• What's the best way to break into the travel industry?


• What's her long-term vision for Rome2Rio? Where are they traveling to?

This is the 18th WanderLearn podcast episode. 

We mention Bla Bla carpooling, which Rome2Rio integrates with. It's a great way to get around in Europe. It's a pity that the USA doesn't have an app that is equally popular. If you know of one, let me know.

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

Rewards start at just $1/month!

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

Kirsteene Phelan, Acting CEO of Rome2Rio, has a 15-minute conversation with me to discuss her company's new partnership with Lonely Planet and what it means to the average traveler.

We hit on other topics, including:

How is Rome2Rio different than Google maps and other travel planners?

How do they get offline data online?

What's the best way to break into the travel industry?

What's her long-term vision for Rome2Rio? Where are they traveling to?

This is the 18th WanderLearn podcast episode. 

We mention Bla Bla carpooling, which Rome2Rio integrates with. It's a great way to get around in Europe. It's a pity that the USA doesn't have an app that is equally popular. If you know of one, let me know.

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

Rewards start at just $1/month!

At the end of 2017, I made my predictions for 2018. Although I got a couple of things wrong, I was surprisingly accurate.

Since the point of this exercise is to prove how wrong we can all be, I need to do the same exercise for 2019 with the hope that I get more things wrong. I encourage you to make predictions in the comments. It's a humbling experience.

Here are seven predictions of what I think we'll witness in 2019:

1. Donald Trump will NOT be impeached

Yes, this contradicts the prediction I made after the first 100 days of his administration and that I repeated at the end of 2017. Those original predictions were based on my assumption that there would be a huge backlash in the 2018 midterm elections, which would turn the entire Congress to the Democratic side. Instead, the Senate remained under Republican control. As a result, the Democrats won't get the votes to give Trump the boot unless he grabs Andrea Merkel by the pussy.

2. Bitcoin will double in value in 2019 

My Bitcoin prediction in 2017 was surprisingly close to reality. I predicted that it would lose about 80% of its value and it did. I was lucky. Let's see if I can get lucky again.

I predict that Bitcoin it will go from $3,650 (its price on Dec 31, 2018) to over $7,300 by the end of 2019. If the Bitcoin ETF happens in 2019 (and I think it will), Bitcoin might pass $10,000 again. I'll give more cryptocurrency predictions later.

3. The S&P 500 will gain over 15%

It's about 2,500 at the end of 2018. So it should be over 2,875 by the end of 2019.

4. Cyril Ramaphosa will win the 2019 Presidential Election in South Africa

It will take at least 20 years and much suffering for the black majority to vote the ANC out of power. Blacks in South Africa are more loyal to the ANC than blacks in America are loyal to the Democrats. Getting the South African blacks to vote for a non-ANC party is about as easy as getting someone to change religions.

5. Atiku Abubakar will win Nigeria's 2019 Presidential election

He'll kick Buhari out of power. It will be relatively peaceful. And Abubakar will be just as incompetent and ineffective as his predecessor. Nigeria will continue its lackluster performance, despite....

6. A barrel of petroleum will go up 25% in price

At the end of 2018, a barrel of petroleum costs $45. The stock USO costs $9.66 per share. Both of those prices will go up at least 25%. 

7. I will finish The Unseen Africa book

I've written 15 out of 54 Chapters. I hope to put out one per week!

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


• Snapchat

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

Rewards start at just $1/month!

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

At the end of 2017, I made my predictions for 2018. Although I got a couple of things wrong, I was surprisingly accurate.

Since the point of this exercise is to prove how wrong we can all be, I need to do the same exercise for 2019 with the hope that I get more things wrong. I encourage you to make predictions in the comments. It's a humbling experience.

Here are seven predictions of what I think we'll witness in 2019:

1. Donald Trump will NOT be impeached

Yes, this contradicts the prediction I made after the first 100 days of his administration and that I repeated at the end of 2017. Those original predictions were based on my assumption that there would be a huge backlash in the 2018 midterm elections, which would turn the entire Congress to the Democratic side. Instead, the Senate remained under Republican control. As a result, the Democrats won't get the votes to give Trump the boot unless he grabs Andrea Merkel by the pussy.

2. Bitcoin will double in value in 2019 

My Bitcoin prediction in 2017 was surprisingly close to reality. I predicted that it would lose about 80% of its value and it did. I was lucky. Let's see if I can get lucky again.

I predict that Bitcoin it will go from $3,650 (its price on Dec 31, 2018) to over $7,300 by the end of 2019. If the Bitcoin ETF happens in 2019 (and I think it will), Bitcoin might pass $10,000 again. I'll give more cryptocurrency predictions later.

3. The S&P 500 will gain over 15%

It's about 2,500 at the end of 2018. So it should be over 2,875 by the end of 2019.

4. Cyril Ramaphosa will win the 2019 Presidential Election in South Africa

It will take at least 20 years and much suffering for the black majority to vote the ANC out of power. Blacks in South Africa are more loyal to the ANC than blacks in America are loyal to the Democrats. Getting the South African blacks to vote for a non-ANC party is about as easy as getting someone to change religions.

5. Atiku Abubakar will win Nigeria's 2019 Presidential election

He'll kick Buhari out of power. It will be relatively peaceful. And Abubakar will be just as incompetent and ineffective as his predecessor. Nigeria will continue its lackluster performance, despite....

6. A barrel of petroleum will go up 25% in price

At the end of 2018, a barrel of petroleum costs $45. The stock USO costs $9.66 per share. Both of those prices will go up at least 25%. 

7. I will finish The Unseen Africa book

I've written 15 out of 54 Chapters. I hope to put out one per week!

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

Snapchat

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

Rewards start at just $1/month!

JoAnneh Nagler gives tips, ideas, and strategies that help you be an artist and build a life you love, in the real world.

This approach inspired her to write three self-help books:

1. Naked Marriage: How to Have a Lifetime of Love, Sex, Joy and Happiness


2. How to Be an Artist Without Losing Your Mind, Your Shirt, or Your Creative Compass


3. The Debt-Free Spending Plan, a five-minute-a-day approach to easy money clarity.

In this half-hour interview, JoAnneh focuses on her second book so that you can figure out how to survive (and perhaps even thrive) as an artist.

In episode #16 of the WanderLearn podcast, you'll learn:

• If you're being called to be an artist.


• How to be a healthy artist.


• Do you need a day job?


• What's better: Kickstarter or Patreon?


• Is there a real difference between being an artist and being a plumber?

Learn more about JoAnneh Nagler.

If you prefer to see the interview, check out this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-o4Ez44l_g&feature=youtu.be

If you want to buy her book, use my Amazon affiliate link:

https://amzn.to/2SsL0Lj

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


• Snapchat

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

Rewards start at just $1/month!

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

JoAnneh Nagler gives tips, ideas, and strategies that help you be an artist and build a life you love, in the real world.

This approach inspired her to write three self-help books:

Naked Marriage: How to Have a Lifetime of Love, Sex, Joy and Happiness

How to Be an Artist Without Losing Your Mind, Your Shirt, or Your Creative Compass

The Debt-Free Spending Plan, a five-minute-a-day approach to easy money clarity.

In this half-hour interview, JoAnneh focuses on her second book so that you can figure out how to survive (and perhaps even thrive) as an artist.

In episode #16 of the WanderLearn podcast, you'll learn:

If you're being called to be an artist.

How to be a healthy artist.

Do you need a day job?

What's better: Kickstarter or Patreon?

Is there a real difference between being an artist and being a plumber?

Learn more about JoAnneh Nagler.

If you prefer to see the interview, check out this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-o4Ez44l_g&feature=youtu.be

If you want to buy her book, use my Amazon affiliate link:

https://amzn.to/2SsL0Lj

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

Snapchat

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

Rewards start at just $1/month!

What's it like to trek across some of the wildest parts of Africa? Tim Butcher has done two epic journeys that follow the footsteps of two 19th-century explorers:  

• Graham Greene (West Africa)


• Henry Morton Stanley (Congo)

Tim Butcher is a British-born author who lives in South Africa. He's written extensively about the continent and knows it well. 

In episode #15 of the WanderLearn podcast, Tim and I discuss his three books:

1. Chasing the Devil: On Foot Through Africa's Killing Fields


2. Blood River: The Terrifying Journey Through The World's Most Dangerous Country


3. Trigger: Hunting the Assassin Who Brought the World to War

This episode is packed with stories of adventure in the sketchiest parts of Africa.

The best reason to listen is that you get to hear Tim's delightful British accent. 

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


• Snapchat

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

Rewards start at just $1/month!

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