In 2013, Jasmine Reese took her puppy and a violin on a bicycle tour across the United States with less than $50 in her pocket.

She was, in her words, a “chubby city girl, trying to regain self-confidence and recapture the person she thought she’d lost.” In this episode, you'll hear about the profound acts of kindness that renewed Jasmine's faith in humanity, how she reshaped both her body and mind, and gain insight into how your attitude defines your actions.

This is one of my top picks from the Zero To Travel archive and was originally published in 2017.

Would you go on an adventure like Jasmine? What did you take away from this episode? I'd love to hear your thoughts and hope you’ll share them by sending me an audio message.

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Today, I’m joined by Aaron Millar, host of the Armchair Explorer podcast, to share the top lessons he’s gathered through his conversations with some of the world’s greatest adventurers. 

In this episode, Aaron shares his favorite stories from travelers who have trekked through Africa in search of their next “thing,” traveled along the Oregon Trail to escape predictability, ran towards their fears in the Brazillian Amazon, and rowed across the Atlantic while battling Cushing’s disease, among many others. These remarkable stories hold valuable lessons about breaking out of the mold, pushing past our fears, and daring to be alive.

Which story was most inspiring to you? How will you take these lessons and integrate them into your own life? I'd love to hear your thoughts and hope you’ll share them by sending me an audio message.

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We're pulling one of my top picks from the archive for a second episode this week!

What an incredible show today as I sit down (in person) and chat with legendary explorer and adventurer Erling Kagge.

Erling is a man of many firsts. In 1990, Erling was the first to reach the North Pole without support as part of a two-person team, and in 1992-93, he was the first to do a solo unsupported expedition to the South Pole. He spent 50 days walking alone across Antarctica without any contact with anyone. He also climbed Mt. Everest in 1994, which made him the first to complete the 3 Poles Challenge on foot. Then, in 2010, he completed a 5-day walk through the sewers of NY to the Atlantic Ocean, and in 2012, he walked the entire length of LA's Sunset Boulevard!

We talk about his book Silence: In the Age of Noise, why silence is such an essential part of our lives as humans, walking, travel (of course!), and much more.

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Do you want to quit your job, embark on an epic adventure, and build an online business?

After leaving his successful career as the trainer for the New Zealand Olympic swimming team, Antonio Cala went on to cycle 25,000 kilometers from California to Patagonia, live on a sailboat for three years, and ride a motorcycle 30,000 kilometers from Spain to Cape Town. Along the way, he founded Adventure Fix, the ultimate online adventure magazine packed with the top travel expeditions, wildlife encounters, and remote places from around the world. 

In this episode, Antonio and I unpack the lessons he’s learned from training Olympians, traveling to over 150 countries, and building a seven-figure business while on the road. You’ll hear about the moment when he had to decide between his dream job and a life of travel, how his values influence his choices, why cycling may be the best way to experience a country’s culture and people, and how hitching a ride on a sailboat led them to a new life path.

You’ll also learn how he took $500 and scaled his online business to seven figures without any business experience, why it may not be a good idea to tie your business to your personal life, how we underestimate the power of our minds, and a critical mindset shift you need to be successful.

There’s a common theme and key piece of advice to take away from this episode – how will you apply it to your own life and travels? I'd love to hear your thoughts and hope you’ll share them by sending me an audio message.

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How would your travels be different if you set aside expectations and surrendered to the journey?

After realizing that much of Roberta’s pain came from unmet expectations, she decided to experiment with a new life approach that involved planning nothing and letting go of any attachment to how things turned out.

In this episode, author and coach Roberta Mussato and I unpack the lessons she learned when she decided to trust the universe during her three-month adventure through Sri Lanka, South India, and Nepal. You’ll learn why she adapted this new life philosophy, how the mindset of a traveler lays the entire foundation for a trip, why you need to live in trust, and how we can find the balance between our philosophies and the necessities of the real world. You’ll also gain insight into solo travel in Asia, the process she took to write her book, and much more!

What new life philosophy or mentality can you experiment with on your travels? I'd love to hear your thoughts and hope you’ll share them by sending me an audio message.

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• This episode is sponsored by LifeStraw Go water bottles. Use the promo code TRAVEL to get 20% off your LifeStraw Go purchase when you visit www.lifestraw.com.

Upgrade your sleep at home and on the road! Get 10% off your pair of Loop Earplugs by visiting www.loopearplugs.com/zerototravel.

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Does travel really make you happier? 

Today, I’m joined by Dr. Andrew Stevenson to unravel the mysteries of travel from an academic and psychological perspective.

Dr. Stevenson is a cultural psychologist and senior lecturer in psychology at Manchester Metropolitan University in Manchester, England. In his recent book, The Psychology of Travel, Dr. Stevenson offers key insights into the psychological factors behind different kinds of travel and introduces the reader to new ways of thinking about global mobility and movement.

In this episode, Dr. Stevenson shares insight into the reciprocal relationship between people and their environments, advice on managing travel fears and anxieties, and how to use travel as a tool for self-development. We explore the dilemmas of cultural integration, how travel changes our perception of time, the psychological factors behind different travel styles, and much more.

How has travel improved your life? I'd love to hear about your experience and hope you’ll share by sending me an audio message.

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Saddle up and get ready for a wild ride because today, you're headed to the Buffalo Roundup in South Dakota!

This episode is from The Travel South Dakota Stories, an immersive first-person podcast that takes you on a journey through the Land of Infinite Variety. In this episode, award-winning travel writer and host Brian Thacker takes you to one of my favorite hidden gem destinations in America, where you'll get to experience one of the most unique events in the state.

Feel the ground rumble and the dust fly as sixty cowboys and cowgirls saddle up to bring in a thundering herd of 1,300 buffalo at the 57th Annual Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup. Through this compelling audio experience, you'll be right there with Molly, one of the cowgirls, as she cracks her whip and corals the galloping buffalo. You'll discover the buffalo's role in American and Native American History, hear from a Lakota rider who explains what the buffalo means to them, and so much more.

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• Listen to The Travel South Dakota Stories podcast

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How can volunteering abroad enhance your travels?

Today, I’m joined by Ricardo Lima, founder of Worldpackers, to talk about how you can get the most out of your work exchange experience.

Worldpackers is an online platform that connects travelers looking to exchange their skills for accommodations with incredible hosts from around the world and has facilitated more than 140,000 exchanges in 140+ countries. 

In this episode, Riq shares why he left his successful career as an investment banker to travel the world and eventually found one of the largest work exchange platforms for travelers. You’ll gain insight into how these types of programs work on both the volunteer and hosting side, common concerns and misconceptions, and why volunteering abroad is one of the best ways to immerse yourself in a culture and experience deep transformations.

We also talk about the state of the hostel industry, why he moved his company from a hostel to a van, and his best business advice for someone who wants to create something bigger than themselves.

Have you volunteered abroad, or are you considering a work exchange program? I'd love to hear about your experience and hope you’ll share by sending me an audio message.

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How can travel serve as a path to healing and self-discovery?

Today, I’m joined by C.D. Seventeen, a techno music artist, DJ, painter, and poet, to talk about what it was like growing up in the Yunnan Province of China and how a bike-packing trip through the Scottish Highlands and the Orkney Islands helped her reclaim her power.

In this episode, Seventeen opens up about her challenges coming out of that environment to pursue an unconventional path and what she had to overcome to follow her dreams. We also explore her book The Weight We Carry, which contains poems from her solo bike-packing journey. She shares how this transformative trip contributed to her healing, what the adventure was like, and how it continues to impact her to this day.

This story just might inspire you to, as Seventeen wrote on the back of her book, “jump on a bike, go on a journey, dive deep into the self, and let the weight of your human identity dissolve into the wind.” 

Trigger Warning: This episode discusses suicide and suicidal ideation.

How has travel brought about a transformation in you? I'd love to hear your story and hope you’ll share it by sending me an audio message.

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Want to visit some of the less popular but equally epic destinations in Europe?

Joseph Reaney is a freelance travel writer based in the UK and Czech Republic who’s written for Lonely Planet, DK Eyewitness, Fodor's Travel, National Geographic, and Rough Guides. In addition to his freelance writing, Joe is the founder and editor-in-chief of the travel content writing agency World Words, as well as a jobbing comedy writer/producer/director.

In this episode, Joe and I talk about his life as a travel writer and his favorite alternatives to the more commonly visited places around Europe. He shares about his lifestyle living between cities, his experience taking a gap year to teach English in Nepal, tips for being a hospitable host and guest when couchsurfing, how he unexpectedly became a travel writer without any journalism training, and (of course!) his list of the top five alternative European destinations.

Where would you want to visit first? Do you have your own alternative spot to add to the list? I'd love to hear what they are and hope you’ll share them by sending me an audio message.

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