We have a returning guest who is publishing a hilarious and insightful book Misbehaving in Maine: Thirty-half Learned Lessons.

Dan Williams is a humor writer with a huge on-line following. We wanted to bring him back to chat about his stories and the writing process.

And to chat about family and how growing up shapes our lives as adults. Join us for a conversation where we learn, we laugh, and we drop a few f-bombs.

We interview Dan and read a chapter from his new book: Lesson 11: You Never Forget Your First F-Bomb.

You can subscribe for free. If you choose to support us, we donate 15% of our net proceeds to World Literacy Foundation. Help children read.

Today we speak with Lawrence Bransby, an award winning author, motorcycle adventurer, and a retired teacher. He emigrated from South Africa to the UK, and rode a motorcycle there across Africa with his 17-year-old son.

Lawrence wrote twenty books, including novels, novels for young adults, and many travelogues chronicling his numerous motorcycle journeys across Africa, Europe, Central Asia, and North America.

You can subscribe for free. If you choose to support us, we donate 15% of our net proceeds to World Literacy Foundation. Help children read.

His favorite of his books is Two Fingers On The Jugular: A Motorcycle Journey Across Russia, an intimate account of a 20,000 km track on the Road of Bones.

We interview Lawrence and read his story A Short-Cut Across the Kazakh Steppe Becomes An Endurance Test For Riders And Bikes. (the story is abridged to fit the podcast length limitations).

From the show:

“… Q: You rode to the UK across Africa with your then 17-year-old son.

A: Yeah, Trans-Africa with a 17-year-old who didn't have a driving license.

Q: Was it your first long trip together? How did it go?

A: No, no. Well, it was the first really long trip. But we did another trip when he just finished primary school at the age of 12. We did a motorbike ride around the mountain kingdom of Lesotho together. And that was, you know, he'd been riding motorbikes since he was about eight years. And he was a very good rider…”

“… I was thinking to myself, you know what? I, at that stage, what was I? I was probably close to 70 years old. And my son was maybe 38. And I thought to myself, you know what? I'm a father and I'm riding with my son. And we're riding together, not as father and son, but as mates. And it was just the most incredible experience. And I was thinking to myself, I wonder how long this can last. Because we'd been riding each year. We'd been going on a long trip each year for the past four years. And we'd rode together for five years together. And I'm experiencing it now. And it was just so exciting…”

Today we have a special from Cuba. It is a difficult episode for us to make. Emotional in ways. We are on the island for a few weeks, visiting distant family, making friends and exploring remote and beautiful places.

You can subscribe for free. If you choose to support us, we donate 15% of our net proceeds to World Literacy Foundation. Help children read.

We will talk about what we see and read from the narrative logs of our journey. Cuba is complex and our trip here is life changing. It flipped many notions upside down.

From the show:

“…the amount of people on the street. They're moving, they're walking all around, and they talk, and they shout at each other, not in an angry way. It's just a way to communicate across the traffic and across other people talking. So this activity was definitely something that I don't know. I imagine this reserved for Middle Eastern bazaars from a previous century. And it was a little like that. I definitely noticed it. …”

“…And the friends we have here, they're not naive. They don't think that their lives are great. They understand that there are easier ways of living and easier ways to procure goods and food and not have your electricity and power cut out every other day. But they just choose to fit fun and enjoyment and joy in between those moments. And that was a powerful reminder that circumstances, whatever they are, do not have to determine your inner state…”

Debra Harman is a writer, editor and a publisher. She launched a number of successful Medium publications, Narrative Arc, Wind Phone, and Imogene's Notebook.

You can subscribe for free. If you choose to support us, we donate 15% of our net proceeds to World Literacy Foundation. Help children read.

Debra is an avid hiker exploring the Cascades and Pacific Crest trail in her native Oregon, USA. She likes to venture around the world as well, and has hiked the storied Camino de Santiago trail in Europe.

She is also a musician, playing with a band and bringing joy to all who listen.

Debra lived as an expat in Cambodia and wrote a memoir of her time there Love and Loss in Cambodia

Today, we interview Debra and read her story from one of her travels across Spain. It is a touching story about loss and adventure. (Read the essay)

From the show:

“… If you really want to write well, you have to read a lot. I would say that as an editor, I've got a lot of experience in examining craft and how an essay is structured and how a story is paced. I have a really good eye for what a writer is doing with her pacing of a story. For example, you want to speed up the narrative, use shorter sentences. You want to pause the narrative, isolate a sentence. You want to slow the reader down, add in some exposition and some description, and then build the story. That's why it's called an arc …”

“… Q: What do you think we all need more of in our lives?

A: Oh, I would have to say kindness to other people. Kindness, absolutely. Not tolerance. Tolerance implies that there's something wrong with the other people. I think that it's important to be kind and to listen to other people and to share food, share nature, and show appreciation. …”

Today, we speak with KiKi Walter . She is a writer, storyteller, and champion of personal narratives. She loves transforming everyday moments into deeply resonant stories.

Kiki is a publisher of Memoirist Quarterly and a founder of The Memoirist on Substack. She curates and edits for three thriving Medium publications: The Memoirist, Age of Empathy, and Black Bear. she also co-hosts The Unfocused Writer podcast.

She has been recognized as a BlogHer Voice of the Year and featured on stage with Listen to Your Mother. Whether through the written word or spoken conversations, KiKi brings warmth, depth, and a keen eye for the extraordinary hidden in the everyday.

Please don’t forget to like and rate the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

From the show:

“…Oh, I just love him [David Sedaris]. I'd marry him if I could, but I don't think he'd marry me. But what I love about him is his humor is so self-deprecating. You know, in his memoirs and his essays, there's something about the beauty of things that are flawed in life. And that's what I love …”

“… Q: And what do you look for as an editor and a publisher?

A: I think that the number one thing that you will hear any editor say is a good narrative arc. You know, it has to have a strong beginning, strong middle, strong end. But it's all in how you capture, I think, your audience from the very beginning, really bringing them into the story. And how you creatively spin your story …”

Today we speak with Steph Dyson. She is a bilingual travel journalist and blogger, who has spent the last decade reporting on adventure travel and sustainability in Latin America.

She reported for CNN, National Geographic Traveller, Lonely Planet and The Telegraph. 

She's covered everything from how tourism is being used to heal the scars of civil war in Colombia to investigating why pumas are being protected by the ranchers that formerly hunted them in Chile's Torres del Paine National Park. 

Steph is the author of the Moon Chile guidebook, to be published in June 2025. 

Her website, Worldly Adventurer, has over one million annual readers. The website helps travelers plan sustainable adventures to Latin America.

From the show:

“…And I think this story reflects so many trips that we took together because they all basically ended up with us riding in the back of trucks because that's such a typical form of transport. In fact, I was just back in Peru for Lonely Planet and I rode in the back of a truck there, you know, things don't change…”

“…A black fedora obscured his eyes, yet the angle of his head suggested him to be peering fixedly at the ground to the right of his rubber sandals, spellbound by nothingness. Theirs was a confident, practiced weight. Hours could be spent staring into the mid-distance, eyes squinting into the fierce Andean sun.…”

Alex and Egor here from Blue Planet Stories. We hope you are well.

We are preparing our sailboat for a long ocean passage across the Caribbean to Panama, and we had two very busy weeks at a boatyard. With the time constraint, we had to focus on preparation.

But, we are excited to replay our very first podcast for you, which is also one of our favorites, with Ryan Frawley.

Also, Because we are resuming our travel, we will be posting weekly or more on Travel Banter, our channel about sailing, traveling to new places, and meeting the locals. Please stop by there to check in. You can find it on blueplanetstories.com under Travel Banter. If you like what you hear , please hit like and subscribe. We love you.

Raised in Coventry, UK and transplanted to Vancouver, BC, writer Ryan Frawley has won various Canadian literary awards. His debut novel, Scar, was published in 2011.

In 2016, he moved to Italy with his wife and cat and spent the next two years traveling around the continent. Towers Temples Palaces is the story of his time there.

He now lives in the south of France.

Today, we read his beautiful essay on authenticity, mass tourism, and what defines a place. In our interview, Ryan shares his philosophy of travel.

From the show:

“… I think in some ways writers, or at least I, need novelty, a certain amount of novelty in your life. You need something to kind of spark your brain and get you thinking about things in a new way. And I find travel is absolutely fantastic for that…”

“… Lisbon may be Europe's last major city to be shattered by tourism. Then again, it was always a shattered city anyway. This is a city of crooked alleys, sloping streets, and tiny neighborhoods that have almost nothing to do with one another, except for the spectacular views from the miradores, or viewpoints, where the tourists who outnumber the locals nine to one can wave at each other while they enjoy a drink…”

“…because there are too many tourists, Hallstatt doesn't feel like Austria. It doesn't feel like anywhere. It feels like a total theme park. In fact, it kind of is. They built a full-scale replica of Hallstatt in China because it was so popular with Chinese tourists that they built a fake version of the city in China for people to go to. So that brings in all kinds of interesting questions of what's authentic?…”

Today we speak with Daniel Williams. He is an author-illustrator and English professor living in Western Pennsylvania.

Dan has a special talent for humor writing, among other things, and you can find his stories and essays on Medium and on his Spotify podcast, "Misbehaving in Maine."

His fully illustrated memoir, "Misbehaving in Maine: 30 Half-Learned Lessons," will be published this spring by Falls City Press.

Today we interview Dan and read his story "You Put the End in Friendship"

From the show:

“…So when you illustrate this story, for example, how much of Brian and you are in those particular characters in a cartoon? …So for Brian, I remember his hair was very short and aggressive. It was this eternal buzz cut. And so you could always see this kid's skull. And he was very careless with his skull…”

“…Self esteem…When I post a story and then I'm waiting to see what people think, sometimes I'll check it way too often and there will be no feedback whatsoever. And then immediately everything that was a good idea becomes a bad idea and it was a terrible title and I didn't pull off the ending. I was sloppy. I was really lazy this time around and it just starts…”

“…if you look at a transcription of kids talking, they sound like they hate each other, but they're just buddies. So in a way, I miss the ability to say to somebody, you're a moron and then still be their friend. But yeah, it still exists today.…”

Today we speak with Tara B. She is a writer based in Connecticut. She has been writing privately for the last two years, but began publishing creative nonfiction and memoir works on Medium in November 2024.

Tara writes about mental health, race, identity and relationships with family and friends - the good, the bad, and the ridiculous.

Tara is a scientist by training and a full time project manager in her work life. When she is not working, she loves traveling, reading, and long-distance running.

Today, we interview Tara B and read her story “Happiness is That Thing Over There”.

From the show:

“…probably because I read so much, the lens I use to look at the world is really framed by stories. And I'll be in the middle of a discussion with someone. I'll just have to pull out my phone to jot down notes about the story and in what they're telling me, or just a funny line that they used, and I want to unpack that. It makes me a really horrible party guest, but again, it's not a choice.…”

“…And there have been times in the past where I've tried to divulge components of my mental health struggles to him, things like my depression or my eating disorders. And it's not so much that he didn't take it well when I told him, but he did close off and he didn't want to discuss it any further. So looking at it from his perspective, I think there's a part of him that might have felt hurt when I shared those dark moments of my life because he's worked his entire life to provide the absolute best for his family…”

Today we speak with Joe Guay. He is a voiceover actor from Palm Desert, California. His voice is in commercials, e-learning and web videos for clients all over the globe. 

Joe began writing publicly in 2021. His articles and essays have been featured on Katie Couric Media, YourTango.com and Medium. 

A self-described "recovering people-pleaser with a snarky side,” Joe writes on topics such as mental health, surviving the world of showbiz, self-awareness and authenticity. He also covers LGBTQ issues, world travel, books, and more. 

Today we interview Joe and read his story “My Quirky Respect for Seniors, Thanks to Mom’s ‘Awful’ Meals on Wheels Route.”

From the show:

“… why weren't you more authentic when you were 23? Well, the entire church environment I was raised in, it wasn't even an option, is what I'm trying to say. 15 years ago, I would not have guessed that I would one day be writing on a globally readable platform about these things because I was so afraid to even be identified as that for so many years. So to just be talking about it openly now is wonderful…”

“…I like showbiz. I love people that have showbiz stories. They don't all want to talk about it. Some of them had a bad experience with showbiz, but some were actors, some were composers, some were makeup artists or camera people. I find it really fascinating to connect with them. And I guess that does come a little bit with the empathy of knowing how to talk to them as humans and not just be, how are you doing today?…”

Today with speak with Craig Collins. Craig is a writer who lives in San Diego, California. He is the author of two books of literary nonfiction — Thunder in the Mountains and Midair

He began his carrier as a journalists. He then worked in tech, eventually serving as a senior executive for a Fortune 500 company. He later founded a series of venture backed technology start ups.

Craig is currently working on two books: a novel set in Silicon Valley, and a historical non-fiction about the great merchant travelers of the Silk Road.

Today we interview Craig and read his story: The Bread Men of Uzbekistan.

From the show:

“…And then I got a job at the San Diego Union Tribune. I was a reporter for about three and a half years. And I loved it. I didn't love the money, but I loved writing…”

“…It's a bit autobiographical, called Thunder in the Mountains. And it's about the gun culture in the West and in the U.S. and how it came to be and my interaction with it…I had six classmates in Winnemucca who were shot and killed accidentally. And it's because everybody had guns. It's a thing…”

“…when I was working in the corporate world, I had a big house in a nice suburb and, I couldn't tell you the first name of any of my neighbors. I literally couldn't tell you because the garage door goes up, they drive in and then they sit on the couch and they turn the TV on and that's all they do. You go to Sevilla, you walk around, And their entertainment is not watching TV. Their entertainment is going out to these plazas and there are 500 people in this plaza and they're all having dinner and they're all talking and they all know each other…”

Today we speak with John Pucay. He is an author and full-time writer from the Philippines. John writes creative nonfiction essays and short fiction stories. He is currently working on his second novel.

John is also a film maker. His short film, Game Boy Advance, loosely based on his experiences as a 12-year-old, premiered at the San Diego Filipino Film Festival in sunny California in October 2024.

Outside of his artistic pursuits, John is an ultramarathon trail runner and writes the Minimum Effort Health & Wellness newsletter on Substack. He also co-writes the Writing to Earn newsletter with bestselling authors Darius Foroux and Michael Thompson.

Today, we interview John and read his story Meeting Your Twelve Year Old Self.

From the show:

“… I was in Manila early this year visiting some friends and we were, I don't know anymore if we were just eating or drinking or something. And this thought experiment came up, do you think your 12-year-old self will be proud of you or proud of the life you've lived if you suddenly meet right now?…”

“… in America, there is a certain backlash against intellectual, cultural thinking in some circles. And it depends on where you are. I probably would not necessarily advertise that I'm a writer in a certain type of crowd. Not necessarily because I'd be in any physical danger, but it just would be an immediate disconnect with people who don't necessarily appreciate that way of thinking about life and that particular profession…”

Today, we speak with Yvette Brand. She is a slow digital nomad a “slomad”. She lived abroad for 12 years of her life, while traveling and working in 45 different countries.

Originally from the Netherlands, she lived in Mexico for 5 years but is now on the move again in Europe, searching for a place to settle.

She writes about travel, personal growth, and spirituality. Her work has been featured on Vox, YourTango, Columbus Magazine and many Medium Pubs.

You can subscribe for free. If you choose to support us, we donate 15% of our net proceeds to World Literacy Foundation. Help children read.

Yvette is the founder of Sustaying, a travel platform for slow travelers and remote workers.

Today, we interview Yvette and read her story: I Built My Dream Life in Mexico, and Now I Am Leaving Everything Behind.

From the show:

“…when I travel like a normal nomad, I just stay one week in the place. So I don't really integrate with the community. I don't really have time to get to know the locals. I'm around other travelers, the expats or other foreigners. When I slow travel, I really want to feel how it is to live there. So I take an effort to meet people in the grocery store, to go to local sports clubs, to really feel how the locals live there…”

“…it's actually what my business is also working on, on how not to have a big footprint as a nomad. Because there's a lot of gentrification as well, by being a nomad and by settling down somewhere. Because we have a lot more money, most of the time, than the locals. I think it's the best to pick places that are not that touristy yet…”

Today we speak with Kate Brennan. Kate is a humor writer, artist, educator and creator. Her work appeared in numerous publications including McSweeney’s, Slackjaw, and others.

She holds an MFA from the University of Virginia. She writes and produces plays and musicals many of which were finalists and semi-finalists for national awards. See below the comprehensive list of Kates many accomplishments.

Kate is a designated LinkLater teacher. When she is not teaching others she instructs yoga and practices Thai body work.

Today, we interview Kate and read her story: “Signs in the Ceiling Tiles.”

From the show:

“…I guess inspiration can be found anywhere, right? But isn't all the work that we do, whether it's the writing, or the creating of theater, or the art making, the interviewing process, everything is about building community, right? Everything is about reaching out…”

“…Some days I find nothing funny. Some days, everything is funny. And some days, nothing is funny. What is funny? I mean, absurdity, I'm really interested in absurd situations…”

Full Bio of Kate’s works and accomplishments:

Kate Brennan is an artist, educator and creator who has taught across the country. Her play What’s in Store: A Swedish Dramedy premiered with University of Central Florida’s Pegasus PlayLab. Upcoming premieres: #notacult or Camp Hope (Coalescence Theatre Project), The Self-Destruction of Emma James (Lamar University), The Marginals (Montgomery County Community College), The Bleeding Heart Academy for Girls Presents…(Steel River Playhouse). She was named a Finalist for the Jonathan Larson Grant & the Cultural Innovator Award.

Works include ALiEN8, Clean Slate, Illuminate, ELFuego, Some Assembly Required, The Infinity Trilogy (Map Fund Grant), The Self-Destruction of Emma James (O’Neill Semifinalist) What’s in Store (B-Street New Comedy Finalist, O’Neill Semifinalist, Princess Grace Finalist), #notacult or Camp Hope (Judith Royer & Jane Chambers Finalist), The Marginals (Lanford Wilson Finalist) and Lost Boys (O’Neill Semifinalist).

Publications: ALiEN8 (YouthPLAYS), elevated thoughts, (Literati Press), McSweeney’s, Dramatist, Howlround, The Offing, Slackjaw, Belladonna, Human Parts, Jane Austen’s Wastebasket, Frazzled, The Narrative Arc and more.

Member: Dramatist Guild & AEA. Kate is a Designated Linklater Teacher and holds an MFA from UVA. www.katebrennan.org

SUBSTACK: More Humor More Humanity

NEW RELEASES: https://www.ignitionarts.org/ignition-arts-store

PLAYS: https://newplayexchange.org/users/18095/kate-brennan

Today we speak with Morgana Sylvana. She is a writer, poet, and a musician from the United Kingdom.

Morgana is a neurodivergent (ADHD/Autistic) writer, neurodiversity advocate, country-dwelling semi-hermit and former nomad. 

She is a published poet and the author of “The Wild Wandering Arc: A Journey through Van life, Nature & Love” and “Wild Motherhood: Tending the Fire of your Creative Spirit.”

We interview Morgana and read her story “Walking All the Way to West Wales.”

From the show:

“…it was really therapeutic to write about it and to share that journey with people. And I know it's inspired some people to follow their dreams more with getting closer to nature or moving to the countryside and just taking risks in life and doing things that might seem a bit crazy…”

“…I love improvising, but I do write songs as well. And when I say I write songs, sometimes I sit down and try and create a song, but that usually doesn't work as well as just when I'm going on nature walks. That's usually when songs drop in, I'll just have a tune come, sometimes with words, sometimes not. And then later on, I'll go back to that and develop it…”

Today we speak with Jesse Wilson. He is a storyteller, writer, speaker and a poet from the United Kingdom. His mission is to inspire people to find their purpose and live healthier, happier lives.

For the last twenty years, in his professional life, he has worked as a consultant, trainer and mentor with one of the world’s leading software companies where he wrestles with the complexities of computers and humans.

Today we are reading his essay, and we interview Jesse and discuss his views on humanity, writing, and a path to a happier life.

From the show:

“…if I start with the essayist form, it is to me an opportunity to explore topics. And I always remember as a child, from very early days in terms of learning English, one of the things that I used to do with my dad, he used to encourage me to write essays just to help me to grasp the language…”

“…in a country like Denmark, for instance, they have the practice of Hygge. where they actively will set up their environment for comfort and to get through the winter months and so on and so forth. And I think that's embedded in their culture…”

Today, we speak with Richard Feldmann, a cartoonist whose work appeared in The New Yorker and other publications. We dive into the world of cartooning and the business of it during our discussion.

Richard grew up in New Jersey, lived in Princeton and New York City. He spent twenty years working on Wall Street, but as he says, he eventually came to his senses and focused on work with non-profits and on building his business - Cartoon Arbor Studio.

Richard currently lives in Ellsworth, Maine, near Acadia National Park.

Instagram: @richardfelmanncartoons

From the show:

“…And I have this theory that when I met you at the concert in Bar Harbor, if I had said, well, I won the Nobel Prize in physics last year and I've written three Prize winning novels and I'm a New Yorker cartoonist, all that other stuff would go away and you'd just say, Oh, you're a New Yorker cartoonist. That's so cool…”

“…my style is typically black and white. I'm starting to do more in color, but typically black and white. I do them with Micron pens, Indian gouaches, and then pencil shading to give it some depth. But they're mostly single panel. I love the idea of capturing that one moment, which is kind of the hard part of cartooning. You don't have three or four panels to set up the joke. Everything has to work right there in front of you immediately, or it doesn't work at all…”

Today we speak with Walter Rhein. Walter is a full-time writer, traveler and amateur athlete.

After college, he lived in Peru for 10 years, writing and editing for publications there. He moved back to his home in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, and re-immersed into the world of cross-country skiing.

He writes about the Birkebeiner - the biggest North American ski race which attracts athletes from all over the world - in his book “Beyond Birkie Fever.” He writes about the race and his experience with it.

His personal essays focus on social justice, immigration, and narrative non-fiction. He also writes novels for his children which we hope to see published soon.

He lives with his wife and kids in beautiful Northern Wisconsin. Today, we interview Walter and read his story: “Chasing Two Olympians up an Andean Pass was an Exercise in Humility.”

From the show:

“…When I lived in Peru, I was an editor of a couple different publications down there. And through that, I met Peru's first winter Olympian. And that's Roberto Carcelen, who was a cross-country skier. And it was just sort of funny because... there's two people in this country that even know what cross-country skiing is…”

“… because my daughter now is in cross-country and she'll do things. It's funny, these little things you realize, like she'll be out running cross-country and she'll make her hands into fists. You can't waste energy making fists. You have to keep your body loose. You know, if you're tight, that energy is not making you go fast. So everything that you do is keeping you moving forward. And it's just a nice philosophy in life. I mean, you think about the energy you spend worrying that isn't helping you go forward…”

“…We understand that our computer screens need screensavers, right? Otherwise the image gets burned onto the screen. Well, the same thing happens in your brain. If you're always in the same environment staring at a screen, you get caught up in this kind of cyclical thinking. So if you do something as simple as get away from your desk and be able to do a walk around the block for 20 minutes…”

Today we speak with Mario Lopez Goicoechea and read his story the Flautist.

Mario was born in Cuba, lived and studied in Havana through the University then emigrated to London, where he has lived for twenty seven years.

Mario is a writer, teacher, a linguist and a cycling instructor. His book “Cuban, Immigrant, and Londoner” was published in 2021 and you can find it where books are sold.

From the show:

“…I'm Cuban by birth and upbringing as well. I was born in Havana and met my now my ex-wife many, many years ago. And she went to Havana and stayed there for six months and we hit it off almost straight away. And then I relocated to London…”

“…So I'd certainly say that my childhood was a happy one. My adolescence, though, was a little bit more troubled because that's when I started seeing things and seeing the regime, like you said, for what it was, curtailing on people's freedom of speech, basic rights, human rights, and not being able to speak my mind…”

“…This is where I was converted to jazz by a friend of mine. A night when I went from hating the genre to falling in love with it. Lost to the sound of Arturo Sandoval's trumpet. This is where I have increasingly become less self-conscious of being part of this jazz tribe. This place is a sanctuary for a teenager who is beginning to doubt the political system in which he is growing up…”

Today we speak with Carol Canter, a travel writer from Oakland California, and read her story Biking in the Canadian Rockies.

Carol has written award-winning travel articles that have made the off-beat and exotic accessible to readers for nearly five decades, on topics like Jazz Clubs in Tokyo, Truffles in Dordogne, Cruising the Nile, and Biking the Canadian Rockies. 

She has reviewed children’s music for Parenting magazine, delved into Health Care in Cuba for NurseWeek and covered the Hawaiian Islands extensively for both the consumer press and the travel trade during her 9 year tenure in paradise. 

Her passion for language, music, culture, food, and outdoor adventure has guided and enriched her worldwide travels.

From the show:

“…I love Oakland. Aside from perfect weather, wonderful food, and a wonderful mix of people, the lifestyle has suited me, and I've been living here since 1985. I'm a New Yorker originally and stopped for Hawaii for nine years en route...”

“…I plan, knowing full well that the plans may not be feasible. Our last trip to Europe was 2022. We went with our daughter and son-in-law and grandson to Italy for a wedding. And then we had made a plan to visit friends in Orvieto, to visit my daughter's boss who is from Trieste, Italy. But the temperatures hit 108. And the last place you want to be is a city when it's 108. You just can't. So we ended up at the Amalfi Coast…”

We speak with Sanne Brun. Sanne is a traveler, writer and translator. She has been living in a camper van, exploring beautiful places around the UK, and sharing her experiences on Medium through personal stories. 

She writes about life lessons she learns on the road, about her experiences as a full-time female solo van-lifer, and about how she stays healthy in the van. 

With a strong passion for Mandarin Chinese, she spent a year studying at a university in China and holds a degree in Chinese Studies and Chinese-English translation and interpreting.

We interview Sanne and read her story “The Unfiltered Reality of Camper Van Living.” (Read the story on Medium)

From the show:

‘… I am originally from the Netherlands, so I'm Dutch. I was born and raised in the Netherlands. I went to school there, went to university there. I studied Chinese studies at Leiden University. And for my studies, I went to China as well for a year to Wuhan University. And then I moved to the UK to study again, do a master's degree in Chinese-English translation and interpreting…”

“… Well, it's actually not that busy at all. I've slowed down a lot. I sometimes say that I am actually slow living because I'm living on my own time, really…”

Today, we speak with Gentry Bronson. He is a writer and musician living in New Orleans. He began his musical life as a classical pianist winning competitions and awards during his teenage years.

As a young adult he followed grunge, punk, rock and EDM and lived where the music was, including Seattle, Prague, and a host of other places.

He soon launched his own musical career and released records with his band the Night Watchmen. He also produced solo records, toured Europe seven times, and performed concerts in the United States.

Gentry fell in love with surfing in California, his home of twenty years. He lived in Mexico, Alaska, Key West. In the end, he settled in his now beloved New Orleans.

Today, he runs Gentry Bronson Media & Creative Agency working with writers, entrepreneurs and other creatives: https://gentrybronson.com/

From the show:

“…And so when I was a teenager I discovered music, punk rock and alternative music, then I became a singer in my first band. And that was the catapult that launched me into the atmosphere…”

“…New Orleans is a very musical city. But it's also an artistic city. It's a literary city. This is where Truman Capote was born. Tennessee Williams. I mean, there are writers and musicians. It’s a very culinary city. So I'm driven to be where creativity is very, very fertile…”

Michael is a husband, father, and high school English teacher. And at the base of his being, beneath the flint that sparks his life, is the soul of a writer.

Michael grew up in Brooklyn, NY where he created memories with his family and enjoyed the city to its fullest. After building a family of his own, he made the difficult decision to leave the city and move to Texas.

Michael’s love for sci-fi, Biggie Smalls, and his family is large and he dreams of being a best selling author one day.

“…The minute I could start reading, I was reading fiction. The minute I could start writing, I was writing stories. I honestly can't tell you why. Maybe it was just my way of making sense of the world. A lot of creatives were born sensitive, were born with that exposed nerve to the world. I think we're just naturally drawn towards trying to make sense of the world…”

“…I was in the military. 20 years old, I joined the military. I got to see the world. I got to go to different countries, different parts of the U.S. I think breaking those borders while I was younger helped expose me to other parts of other ways of living, other places where you can call home. I think maybe in the back of my head, there was always a part of me that felt that maybe New York isn't forever…”

“…These neighborhoods are expanding. People are moving. The future of cities changes. I would like to think it's a lot more, I don't know, I can't think of a utopian vision right now. But I definitely have hope for humanity. I think cities will become this melting pot that produces some of the best ideas that we can come up with for our societies…”

Today we speak with Michael Isaac Almond. He is a visual designer from San Francisco. He recently launched a startup to help families dealing with relatives developing dementia. 

You can subscribe for free. If you choose to support us, we donate 15% of our net proceeds to World Literacy Foundation. Help children read.

But he maintains his creative life by designing and making bags, and writing humorous stories from his own life.

Michael went to Brown university to study film but decided against joining the industry. Today, we talk to Michael and read his story "The Mysterious Case of Mumsy's Missing Birthday Cake"

From the show:

“…Well, I'm not surprised because...I mean, I could win a Nobel Prize, which is very unlikely, and people would still ask about those bags. I mean, that's all people seem to care about, which is great. It's a hobby. I really like craft and working with my hands, especially if you're in front of a computer all day, which is what i've been doing for the last 25 years, and i just love the hands-on. It's almost like meditation …”

“…Q: Have you always or do you always see your history in this humorous lens?

A: I do. I can't help it. I mean, I'm a pretty serious person. I get very depressed, at times, and [feel] anxious. And I think actually, a way of looking at the world and my own life with humor is almost - its therapy. I don't want to be a depressed person. I don't want to be negative. I don't want to be cynical or pessimistic. And one way you cannot feel that way is by looking at the humor in any situation. It's not to say certain things are funny. …”

Stephanie is a neurodiversity coach by day, and wrangles with words by night. She also puts comics to her stories that look at this magical hodgepodge called life.

Stephanie was born in Germany where her dad was stationed before his two tours in Vietnam. She grew up in PA where she fell in love with the outdoors. Her adolescence was spent in NJ where she sang Bruce Springsteen songs with the rest of the state.

Stephanie went to undergrad in CA, grad school in NYC, lived for a year in Turkey, and raised her kids in VA where she and her husband still live. She’s traveled and seen a fair bit of the world, and while there are so many incredible places out there, Wegmans grocery store is her favorite place on earth. She’s not trying to be funny. It's true.

Maybe it's a little funny.

From the show:

“…So my system of writing is that I have a Microsoft Word folder of drafts. And if I get an idea, I'll just start a draft. So it's there. It's ready to go. And I write a little. I come back in. And they might be there for months, right?..”

“…One is a humor pub and one is personal essay pub. And they're very different. But I think, you know, for both, it has to come and be and come. The piece has to come and be full circle. It has to come full circle. So the humor piece has to deliver on its premise. And of course, there's techniques along the way, calling back and everything. Definitely punch up, everybody. Don't punch down. Or you are going to be rejected…”

Today we speak with Chip Walter. Chip began his career in televisions news. He was one of the original CNN employees, launching the company and later becoming its bureau chief. He worked on PBS documentaries, including Planet Earth and other titles.

Chip authored five mainstream science books, including co-authoring a book with William Shatner. His latest book ‘Doppelganger’ was released in 2024. It is a techno thriller and available where books are sold.

In today’s podcast we talk to Chip about his around-the-world project Vagabond Adventure, and read a story from that travel series, ‘American West - Riding Horseback with a Navajo Shaman’.

Chip Walter’s books:

Doppelganger

Last Ape Standing

Immortality Inc

Thumbs, Toes and Tears

I Am Working On That (with William Shatner)

Today we speak with Sally Prag. She is a writer from Devon, England focusing on creative non-fiction and poetry.

Sally is an editor for Memoirist and Age of Empathy publications where she works with established and emerging authors.

She is also an entrepreneur, mother, musician, and a nature lover. Today we interview Sally and read her story Without Living Through Darkness How Could We Appreciate the Light.

You can find her stories on Medium: https://medium.com/@sallyprag

From the show:

“…It's just a skill that is important to me to kind of keep practicing and to always be learning new music. And I think, you know, when I say it's kind of integral to my life and it influences my work...I write as if I'm playing a piece of music and that's maybe how I approach life in general…”

“…And so I went and searched for friends in the Tanzanian mud hut village that was on the other side of a banana plantation from where our houses were. And she became my best friend. So I searched for people who, for someone that I felt more on a similar wavelength to, even though we hardly spoke the same language. I think probably I learned quite early on the importance of connecting on a human level with people without language being a barrier…”

“…think about the birds on Dartmoor..And I imagine them seeing some of the hikers that come out from the city and they've got all their outdoor gear and their sticks and all the latest. I think they're amused at that. Somehow they...they survive without any equipment…”

Matthew David Nelson is a travel photographer and writer from Des Moines, Iowa. 

He is an advocate for sustainable travel and citizen diplomacy, he has undertaken projects in ten countries, primarily in the Western Balkans, India, and Nepal.

Matthew’s  work has been published in National Geographic Traveller Magazine, Resonate (Norway), and Get Lost! (AU), among others. 

His photographs have appeared in exhibitions and shows in Athens, Greece, and Prishtina, Kosovo. He is also a freelance contributor to travel guidebooks.

We interview Matthew and read his story, Life Lessons from a Macedonian Philosopher-Shepherd.

You can follow his Substack at @matthewdavidnelson, Medium at @Mearcstapa, and find him on Instagram as @mattnelly.jpg

From the show:

“…why do we work 11 months out of the year so we can live for one? Isn't there some way where you could live your life 10 months out of the year and just only work for two? And so I was kind of seeking to find that…”

“…ethical tourism?…it's about a two-way exchange with the community and not so much trying to exploit the locals by forcing tourists down their throat. But instead operating from - let's engage the locals first and see, one, do they even want anybody? And two, what do they want to showcase about a place?…”

“Q: Between your writing and photography, what do you think is more impactful?

A: That's an amazing question. Oh, gosh. I always think that the written word is probably the most powerful medium. Thoreau has a quote about it from Walden…”

Today with speak with Doug Brown. Doug is a writer in Asheville, North Carolina, his beloved home of many years.

Doug began his career as a preschool teacher but now teaches adults on how to be better at their work. He has written for magazines and trade publications, as well as ghostwritten multiple works.

Doug is the author of Walker Percy Loves You and Has a Wonderful Plan for Your Life, a memoir on grief.

Today, we interview the author and read his story: There is No Such Thing as a Mountain.

From the show:

“…As I mentioned, I don't really travel that much myself because I already live where I want to be. But this place where I live is very meaningful to me. We were talking about some of the enjoyable aspects of Asheville, the food, the arts and music scene here, the beauty of the city itself, the mountains surrounding it and so on…”

“…So you ask, so what gives rise to these things that I write about? It's when I'm having an experience that's deeply meaningful to me or I'm listening to someone else tell me about their experience and how meaningful it was to them. That then creates in me this, I don't know, interest in. What is the human experience? What is the natural experience? What's the experience of my dog, for that matter?…”

The view from Waterrock Knob. Photos by Doug Brown

Today we talk with Andy Lammers. He is a writer, a middle school teacher, an athlete, a traveler, and a basketball coach.

Andy lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan with his family. He writes essays on diverse topics, inspired by the things around him.

We interview Andy and read his contemplative piece: Is This Why We Travel? Volcano’s and Viking Winds - ramblings and wondering in Iceland.

The piece was published in Scribe, and Andy extends a special thanks to Thomas Gaudex, the editor and publisher of the Medium publication.

From the show:

“…I think some of my most enjoyable writing was at the dawn of the email age. There was a group of us back when email was super novel. Some friends of mine, we used to write these long and creative missives to each other. And it just felt awesome to write…”

“…I'm caught in a mysterious gravitational pull. Some geologic force, bigger than I can comprehend, has me in its grips. I could have stayed in bed no more than a rock on a cliff above the sea, loosed by years of weathering, can stay its plunge…”

“…I think we travel because we have to. I just think, you know, as humans, we've been farming and settled for what, 12,000 years or so. But as humans, as people, we've been roaming for 10 times that long. I really honestly believe that it's in us.…”

More stories from Andy Lammers:

“A Pecan Flavored Family Scandal”

“I Played Wiffle Ball with a Child God”

Today we speak with Brad Yonaka. He is a geologist who has traveled to over 140 countries for work and pleasure. He is a prolific writer who writes about his experiences around the world.

He also conducts numismatics research for auction houses and he published a book on the topic - Variety Guide to the Silver and Copper Coinage of the Mexico City Mint 1732 - 1771.

As he grows older, Brad says, he has little interest in “settling down” and plans to continue traveling with his family as long as he physically can.

We talk with Brad about his travels in Mali and read his story - The Monkey Hunter - A Tenuous Life in the Land of the Dogon.

From the show:

“…I actually don't know the definition of exotic. I mean, exotic is whatever seems furthest away from what you are, I suppose. When I was about 11 years old, I lived in Ethiopia, and that, I guess, would be an exotic place for me and my family to be …”

“…American life is what it is. I understand that it's very easy to fall back into it when I go back to the States because I've come back many times after long absences and readapted to living in the United States. But it is very formulaic in that I feel like there's not really much to learn there …”

“…One thing that will change, and obviously I've been watching it change, is the familiarity of people in these countries. Even fairly isolated countries know a great deal about things going on outside of their country because everyone's got a cell phone… and that's kind of changed things in a bit. I think it's actually made people a bit less interested in meeting travelers …”

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Today we speak with Erika Burkhalter and read her story, ‘Finding Permanence In Impermanence at the LaConte Glacier, Alaska.’

Erika holds a masters degree in neuro-psychology, and another masters in Eastern Philosophy. She taught eastern philosophy, and she taught yoga for twenty plus years.

Erika lives in Orange County, California, focuses on photography and writing, and travels around the world.

From the show:

“…And I remember one day when I was in the fourth grade, I came home and my dad had a yellow school bus sitting in the driveway and he was literally cutting out windows with a saw and put in louvered windows, ended up building bunk beds, a refrigerator, a little stove. He was on sabbatical and they pulled me out of school and we took off and went all over the U.S. we were sort of like the original you know hippie camper van people, I guess. …”

“…. He pulled us up so close to this glacier. It was incredible to be that close to it. But at the same time, you also don't know, like, is it going to calve right there in front of you and take out your little boat and there's no one around for really long ways …”

“… So I think that this is perhaps one of the greatest lessons in life. And one of the hardest things to remember is that nothing ever stays the same. The only constancy is change…We just, you know, we can try and hold on to things, but you can't. The only thing we really have is the moment that we're in…”

Today we speak with Geo Snelling. Geo lives in New Zealand with his family. He works at the confluence of art and software engineering in the visual effects industry. He is a traveler and a writer in his spare time.

He began his career working for an economic consulting company, and traveled to over 65 remote countries collecting economic data.

We interview Geo and read his story To Saipan, From Saipan, set in the time of his extensive travels.

The story is about travel, diving and curious twists of fate.

From the show:

“…we would go abroad individually to different corners of the globe and traverse through different countries and spend an inordinate amount of time in grocery stores, utilities companies, speaking with realtors, if there were such a thing in the country you're in, just getting a swath of prices…”

“…I'm an American … the idea that capitalism and market forces balancing each other out and they ebb and flow and everything's okay. It's arguable, maybe it works when you're talking just about the money or businesses, but I just have never believed that it works when it comes to the environment. I think that that's been proven again and again and again…”

“…Another fun one would be one where I rail against planned obsolescence. I went out and I bought a 50-year-old lawnmower. It's fantastic. I wrote that as a bit of a tongue-in-cheek article, but it really resonated with a lot of people…”

We are back to talking with guest authors next week, but this week we are reading Egor’s story and talk about how it happened.

From the show:

…So we went to a bar one night to have a little dinner, and we were sitting down next to this guy, and we started chatting with him a little bit and discovered he was a lobsterman, Joe the Lobsterman.

…putting words on paper recalled the memories in my head and also launched this entire train of thought and thinking about the conservation struggle and the plight of right whales and the fear the lobstermen have for their livelihood. It's a difficult topic.

…And to be clear, whales are victims. They are losing ground and they are going extinct. But it is hard to point a single villain. It would be very easy if there was a big corporation that basically is a conglomerate controlling fishing. But the reality in New England is different by law. Each one of those fishermen has to be a small business that own and operate their own boat. So they're families. They're families that are going out every morning trying to catch what people buy and eat and just to make a living.

Today we speak with Paul Bigga Bigga P. Paul received his moniker from another music producer in 1996 and it became a proud handle for his life and music career.

Retiring young after a stint as a successful entrepreneur, Paul focused on his passion for producing music and writing. He lived in California, Washington DC, Netherlands, then back in the USA, in New Jersey.

You can subscribe for free. If you choose to support us, we donate 15% of our net proceeds to World Literacy Foundation. Help children read.

The stories he writes are almost entirely true. They are an amalgamation of different parts of his life, and from different people and characters in his sphere.

Today, we speak with Paul Bigga Bigga P and read his story, "I Have to Stop Killing My Favorite Band Members - The curse that follows me to this day.”

You can read more of Paul Stories on Medium: https://medium.com/@biggabiggap

And follow him at disciplebrothers.com

From the show:

“…My grandfather was a mariachi and he was a very musical person. He taught me as a young boy how to read music. And I just seemed to have it. Then I put it aside because I went to engineering school, and I started my business and went through a few relationships. And then I went into one horrible relationship, and a really close friend of mine, he was a bass player and he decided we're going to start a band. We started a band and I just started loving it. I was living in Hollywood. …”

“… It's Hollywood in the 80s. I mean, I went to school with Slash…There was music everywhere. My mother worked at Music Connection, which was one of the premier band music magazines and editorials for music. Yes [music] was a big part of the school. It was a big part of my life. I mean, hip-hop had started at that time, rap, you know Rapper's Delight was while I was in high school. The Sugar Hill Gang. A lot of that stuff In New York and and Hollywood. I was rubbing shoulders with all kinds of people in the music business, in the music world. Laurel Canyon. Frank Zappa. I knew his kid, you know, his son. All these people were revolving around my world. …”

Today we have a special episode. We are talking about bicycle touring on continents around the world with Chris Berge.

Chris is a businessman with seven successful restaurants behind him, he was an elite cyclocross competitor, a chess player, and he is a traveler. His preferred method of traversing the world is by bicycle, and he has taken it around North America, across South America, along Patagonia, around the Scandinavian peninsula, Europe, and through parts of Africa.

We ran into Chris in Maine last year, as he was finishing his trip through Nova Scotia, New Foundland and Labrador. He spent two days on the boat with us traveling south along the coast of Maine.

Today, we talk with Chris about slow travel, why it is a better way to understand the world, and how it opens opportunities inaccessible when one is rushing about.

Josh Porter is a writer, filmmaker, and tuk-tuk driver.

Josh left England at the age of 23 and has been traveling around the world for the past 7 years to pursue adventure, and as he says, chaos.

We are speaking with Josh and reading his story: "We drove a Tuk-Tuk to the driest country in Sub-Saharan Africa."

This story is only a single chapter retelling of their two-year journey through all of Africa on three-wheeled Tuk-Tuks. You can find other stories from the African journey on Medium and on TikTok. 

Today we speak with author Ryan Chin. Ryan lives in Portland, OR. He began his life as an elementary school teacher. He taught in New Zealand before returning to the United States.

He is an avid surfer and a fly fishermen, he is also the author of The Big Head Diaries, stories of a lab from New Zealand, and Without Rain, a memoir.

We are reading Ryan's story " Rumbling and Reminiscing on a Dirt Road in Mexico."

Today we speak with Bridget Klein. She grew up in New Jersey but found her way to Alaska where she lives now.

She is an environmentalist who enjoys spending time outdoors. And she is the author of multiple essays about her life, nature, and big issues we face.

We interview Bridget and read her wonderful story "A Mile from Mountaintop's Summit", a story about realizing the wonder of giving in and giving up - when the time is right.

Be sure to check out some of Bridget’s other wonderful essays on Medium:

The Horizon is Hazy When the World is on Fire and The Land of the Marsh and Pine.

Tim Ward is the author Mature Flâneur: Slow Travels Through Portugal, France, Italy and Norway, and 11 other books.

Tim is a lifelong traveler. He spent six months in Asia, including two visits to Tibet and a three-month stay in a Tibetan Monastery in the Indian Himalayas.

Tim remains engaged in Tibetan issues to this day and is a member of the executive board of Machik—an NGO led by Tibetans from outside Tibet who work with Tibetans inside Tibet, fostering education and social innovation. (www.machik.org).

After thirty years in the US raising a family and building a business, Tim and his wife Teresa left their corporate career to become full-time global travelers.

We interview Tim about his travels and read his engaging story Hitchhiking in Tibet.

We interview Dan Stevens and read his story. He is a writer who lives in Devon, England with his partner. They live in a restored care home at the edge of a small town. He writes about personal history, his perspectives on life, and the Devon countryside.

Dan Stevens has been a writer since 1997. He started at a local newspaper and later wrote for British car magazines. Now, he works in content marketing and creation, as well as copywriting.

We talk with Dan about his life in England and his perspective on change.

Dan’s profile on Medium: Dan Stevens

Notable Essay: My Grandmother Was Winston Churchill’s Private Nurse

For almost 30 years, Audrey has been a television news producer for American and European news outlets. She has interviewed kings and queens, Hollywood royalty, rock and roll stars, sports stars, politicians, and everyday people.

She lives with her husband and their two dogs in Culver City, California.

Audrey is the author of the upcoming book “Across the American Dream: Bicycling Across the U.S. and Back to Myself” (working title).

We interview Audrey about her adventures, unique perspective on life, and the philosophy of travel.

Then we narrate her wonderful essay.

If you like this podcast, please share and rate us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube podcasts.

Raised in Coventry, UK and transplanted to Vancouver, BC, writer Ryan Frawley has won various Canadian literary awards. His debut novel, Scar, was published in 2011.

In 2016, he moved to Italy with his wife and cat and spent the next two years traveling around the continent. Towers Temples Palaces is the story of his time there.

He now lives in the south of France.

Today, we read his beautiful essay on authenticity, mass tourism, and what defines a place. In our interview, Ryan shares his philosophy of travel.

From the show:

“… I think in some ways writers, or at least I, need novelty, a certain amount of novelty in your life. You need something to kind of spark your brain and get you thinking about things in a new way. And I find travel is absolutely fantastic for that…”

“… Lisbon may be Europe's last major city to be shattered by tourism. Then again, it was always a shattered city anyway. This is a city of crooked alleys, sloping streets, and tiny neighborhoods that have almost nothing to do with one another, except for the spectacular views from the miradores, or viewpoints, where the tourists who outnumber the locals nine to one can wave at each other while they enjoy a drink…”

“…because there are too many tourists, Hallstatt doesn't feel like Austria. It doesn't feel like anywhere. It feels like a total theme park. In fact, it kind of is. They built a full-scale replica of Hallstatt in China because it was so popular with Chinese tourists that they built a fake version of the city in China for people to go to. So that brings in all kinds of interesting questions of what's authentic?…”

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Egor Korneev loves running, and a hundred-kilometer race is his idea of a good time—or is it? The story is about a runner's mental state, the emotional swings, and the camaraderie runners find on the trail.

We are sorry - we are one day late. We ran into conditions at sea that forced us to spend an extra day in the ocean. But we made it and are posting the podcast for you.

If you want to hear about the “delay,” - look out for the upcoming Blue Planet: Travel Banter this Tuesday.

You can also read this story.

Twenty-five years ago, I went flying with my friend. The memory left a strong imprint on my life. In this podcast, Alex reads the story and interviews the author.

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Hello, everyone. We are working on a project in Panama City, Panama this and next week. We will resume our podcasts with guests two Sundays from now. But today, we would love to play for you a fascinating conversation with Audrey Stimson from last year, and read her story about an Alaskan adventure.

For almost 30 years, Audrey has been a television news producer for American and European news outlets. She has interviewed kings and queens, Hollywood royalty, rock and roll stars, sports stars, politicians, and everyday people.

She lives with her husband and their two dogs in Culver City, California.

You can subscribe for free. If you choose to support us, we donate 15% of our net proceeds to World Literacy Foundation. Help children read.

Audrey is the author of the upcoming book “Across the American Dream: Bicycling Across the U.S. and Back to Myself” (working title).

We interview Audrey about her adventures, unique perspective on life, and the philosophy of travel.

Then we narrate her wonderful essay: When Does a Trip End?

If you like this podcast, please share and rate us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube podcasts.

From the show:

“…I think we all have to have healthy egos to sort of accomplish things in life, to get the work done, as we call it. But I think at a certain point, if you let go of that ego and get into the smallness of who you are in a big place, it kind of resets you a little bit. …”

“…In South Africa, I was driving a Jeep in Kruger Park and we stopped and turned a corner and there was a mother and child, mother and cub rhinos. And they came up to our Jeep and just stopped within about three feet of me. Eating their cutting and sat there, stood there for about 15 minutes. I could smell them. They stank of sweat and dirt, but it was the most beautiful thing I've ever experienced, one of them. …”

In 2020, Egor Korneev embarked on a seven-week journey in the American West. He drove off-road, visiting all the American states West of the Rockies. In this podcast, we talk about crossing the Mojave desert. Alex Essenburg interviews Egor and narrates the story of the desert adventure.

You can also read the story here:

Please listen to the story and share it with others if you enjoyed it.

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Welcome to our inaugural podcast. We live on our sailboat and travel around the North Atlantic and Caribbean. We are lucky to meet interesting people in interesting places. We write stories about our experiences. We also read stories by writers from around the world telling of people and places, and the culture that connects them.

We want to share these experiences through interviews and by reading these stories.

Today, we begin with the story about us, experiencing life while sailing north in Gulfstream, riding through a storm, and bonding with the boat and each other.

Written by: Egor Korneev

Narrated by: Alexandra Essenburg

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We speak with Federica Minozzi. She is a writer living on the Adriatic Coast of Italy.

Federica studied Physics and Mathematics then taught the subjects in school in her Italian town. She also discovered an affinity for languages when learning English and German.

You can subscribe for free. If you choose to support us, we donate 15% of our net proceeds to World Literacy Foundation. Help children read.

Federica is now teaching Physics, Mathematics, and English online to students around the world.

She wanted to be a writer since the age of six, and has been writing since, but only recently began to publish her essays and stories.

Today, we are reading 309 Snowflakes, a beautiful and haunting story of her in a town recovering from a devastating earthquake.

You can read more of Federica’s work on:

* Medium: https://medium.com/@fedeminozzi

* Substack: Federica Minozzi

From the show:

“… and there's this moment after something like this [earthquake] happens where all the world is hugging you. They sent money, you have reporters, you have politicians, and all the lights are on you and you are there and you don't feel alone. But then everybody leaves because, of course, they have to. There are other earthquakes, other wars, other tragedies, and they have to move on with their lives. And then I came there and I wanted to talk about all the ways in which your daily life is different when you are in a city that has to go on, has to find a new normal, but there's nothing normal in that. …”

“… Q: As writers, are there limits we should place on what we can talk about?

A: I don't think so. Because if we start questioning what we can have an opinion on or not, then it's easy to shift into a sort of self-censoring situation. or avoiding certain topics because maybe they're too difficult. What's important is for everyone to have the chance to speak their truth and for everyone to be honest. … I think that everybody should have the right to do that, but nobody should claim the absolute truth. …”

Today we speak with Darren Weir. He is a retired television news producer, a traveler, photographer and writer.  

He began writing after he retired - during the pandemic - and became part of the successful Parasol Publications. He also started his own successful publication, Travel Memoirs. 

You can subscribe for free. If you choose to support us, we donate 15% of our net proceeds to World Literacy Foundation. Help children read.

Darren climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, cycled from Saigon to Hanoi in Vietnam, traveled through India for three months, and walked 333 kilometers of the Camino de Santiago, and scuba dived in the Red Sea.  

He also lived in Israel for a year and a half and left when the air raid sirens and the rockets signaled the escalation of the middle east conflict.

Today, we interview Darren and read his story: After More Than Fifty Years, I Finally Met My Brother.

From the show:

“…when I was 50, I quit my job, I sold everything, and I went traveling around the world for two years. I brought with me my light pocket camera that I could take with me everywhere, and my laptop. They were my travel companions. I wrote down what happened to me during the day, and took photos. Whenever I'd see something that I would want to show my friends or family, I'd take a photo of that …”

“…I didn't expect travel to be so cathartic, but it has been. And when I quit my job and I went traveling for those two years, I thought it was all for the best reasons, but I kind of learned along the way that it wasn't necessarily that. I was trying to run away from some of my problems …”