If you’re like us, you spend a lot of time wondering what's going through people’s minds when they’re at the airport. Why do they crowd around the gate before boarding when their group won’t be called for another 20 minutes? Why do those same people stand up the second the flight pulls into the gate, even when they’re seated in row 57? Michael Brein is the world’s foremost – and perhaps only – Travel Psychologist, and he joins No Blackout Dates to discuss the logic behind these and other conundrums of travel.

On the docket is the science behind culture shock, why some people sleep better on planes than others, and how visiting faraway places impacts our mental well-being. 

In Hot Takes, Tim and Eben discuss how they calm their nerves when anxiety strikes while traveling, and the pair agree to disagree about whether or not one should always board the plane early when seated in Business Class.

Relevant links:

• Michael Brein website and books
• How to use a squat toilet
• Eben’s Instagram
• Tim’s Instagram

In this week's Stories From The Road, Tim reads one of the most impactful pieces he's ever worked on as an editor. Writer Iuliana Marchian, a native Romanian, wrote a piece about the impact of the 1989 revolution against Communist rule in Romania. The piece covers the development of personal freedoms and how they've impacted trust in government, as well as how citizens have experienced progress in human rights and quality of life. Marchian describes a polarized society that is moving forward but still has many steps to take to fulfill all of revolution's goals. As a traveler, the piece offers many takeaways of how these impacts play out in daily Romanian life and how you can experience the country's true culture on a trip there.

Relevant links:

• 30 years after the revolution, Romania is still rebuilding
• Iuliana's LinkedIn
• Tim's Instagram
• Eben's Instagram

Foreign correspondents have a unique role to fill – reporting on situations happening across the world, for an audience back home. Tommy Walker has spent over a decade overseas, covering everything from current events to travel lifestyle. Tommy joins No Blackout Dates to share the inside scoop on what’s it like to be on the ground covering breaking news. The discussion gets deep into how a Chinese encroachment on Taiwan could impact travel to the island, how travelers are punished for poor behavior around the globe, and being on the ground in and around Ukraine during the invasion.

In Hot Takes, Tim and Eben discuss how to interpret state-issued travel advisories that pop up when planning a trip. The pair also discuss the idea of visiting Ukraine or Russia right now, and the ethics of visiting countries that currently are or recently have been embroiled in conflict.

Relevant links: 

• Tommy’s website
• Tommy’s Twitter
• US State Department travel advisories
• Tim’s Instagram
• Eben’s Instagram

Mike Dewey lives the dream. Based in Los Angeles, he is a travel filmmaker formerly of Matador Network and currently at Moment. His travel vlogs on YouTube garnered over 40,000 subscribers, and eventually led to a full-time career as a travel filmmaker. After spending years traveling the world on film shoots, Mike found himself asking the same question repeatedly: How do I get off the road? Mike’s joining us to discuss the drawbacks of traveling for a living, including the difficulty of forming a routine, maintaining relationships, and being “that guy who’s never around.” Tim vents about never making the Major Leagues, Eben reveals why he hates talking about his job, and the "Florida Man" game is played.

If you want to feel really, really bad about your chosen profession, try talking to an astronaut. Next year Matthias Maurer will become the 12th German to ever reach space when he takes a SpaceX rocket to the International Space Station (ISS). In the meantime, he’s here to talk to a couple of idiots who can barely spell ‘constellation.’ We learn what it’s like to prep for the most epic trip of a lifetime, how astronauts live on the ISS, what could (but probably won’t) go wrong, and which local cuisine Maurer will be taking into space. On a much less inspiring note, Eben and Tim debate the merits of food trucks, and how they’d go about colonizing the moon if (God forbid) someone left them in charge.

Yeah, travel writers take a lot of free trips, but who actually hosts them and deals with all their bullsh*t? Amanda Harris, former director of PR at the Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, FL, joins us to discuss the highs and lows of hosting media. Now she’s pivoted to working with Miami’s top bars and restaurants, and has some inspiring words for anyone looking to reinvent themselves during the pandemic. Also, Eben has a confession to make about eating off other people’s plates, and Tim reveals the biggest lie he’s ever told.

We’ve all been wondering the same thing lately: is travel safe, and will I be judged for doing it? Konrad Waliszewski, founder of the popular TripScout travel app, is here to talk about all things COVID-era travel. Konrad’s been to over 100 countries and he’s helping us answer important questions, like: Which countries live up to the hype? Is travel shaming justified? Is TripAdvisor bullsh*t? How do you even pronounce Eben’s name? Also, we discuss the miseries of the plane’s dreaded middle seat, and Tim comes clean about his sketchy former profession.

Photographer Carell Augustus is reimagining Hollywood like no one’s ever done before. In his new photo book, The Black Hollywood Book Project, Carell recreates iconic movie scenes with Black celebrities, flipping the script on how we view Hollywood history. Although steeped in the glitzy world of La La Land, Carell is keeping it real with us. He describes what it’s like to work with Hollywood’s biggest egos (it takes A LOT of patience), reveals which stars are a pain in the ass (sign the damn release, Dule Hill), and lays out his hope for the future of Hollywood.

Basketball took Phil Calvert around the world. Playing professionally in Europe, he got a taste for living and traveling abroad and knew he’d found another passion. Now based in Denmark, Phil is the star of Phil Good Travel on Matador Network and has built an Instagram following of more than 50,000. Phil is here to discuss the impact of the Black Lives Matter movement on the travel world, the new Green Book, racism in unexpected countries, the bizarre 2020 NBA season, and how he got residency in Denmark (and how you might be able to do it too). We also roast our friend and “Phil Good Travel” producer Rob Chursinoff, who definitely doesn’t deserve it. Eben gripes about how he got screwed over on a recently booked trip to Portugal that never happened. Tim admits that he got Mom-blocked the only time he met a potential romantic interest on a plane.

A former Pizza Maker of the Year Champion, founder of the Brooklyn Pizza Crew, and owner of several pizzerias across NYC, Nino Coniglio is here to talk about all things pizza. We’ll learn why New York City has better pizza than Italy, and what it was like growing up in pizzerias on the rough streets of Brooklyn. We’ll also find out the truth about Chicago style, discuss the most popular pizza style in Naples (it’s NOT what you think), and Nino will help us answer an age-old controversy: does pineapple belong on pizza? If you can listen to this episode without salivating and immediately ordering pizza -- you’re stronger than we are. Also, Eben reveals why he obsessively tries the pizza in every country he visits, and Tim spills the beans about his questionable Halloween costume.

Press trips are the bread and butter of the travel writing lifestyle, and Todd Walker is here to give us the inside scoop. A travel writer, Fox 9 reporter, and former reality show host, Todd tells hilarious stories from the road and dissects the different personality archetypes you always meet on press trips, including “The Scammer”, “The Know-It-All”, and the Drama Queen”. We grapple with the ethical dilemma of hooking up with other writers on media trips, discuss feeling like absolute frauds receiving VIP treatment as travel writers, and answer the controversial question: is it ok to eat fast-food abroad? Tim reveals his ideal celebrity travel partner, and Eben recounts the single most gluttonous day in his life. Also discussed: naked saunas, DUIs, Russian prostitute scams, and drinking alone.

Melanie Sutrathada joins us to peel back the curtain on the mysterious world of Instagram influencers. An actor, host, and content creator, Melanie exposes the less glamorous side of this dream job and answers all your burning questions. Is taking selfies for a living as awkward as it looks? Do influencers even believe in the products they promote? How, exactly, do you get over 100k people to follow you? Also, Tim names his price for tattooing “No Blackout Dates” on his lower back, and Eben recounts his shocking 3AM experience in the San Juan airport.

No Blackout Dates is a forum for honest, unfiltered conversation about travel. As travel media pros we travel all over the world, and now we’re going to show you a different side of the travel industry, peeling back that glamorous curtain and giving you an inside look at the people and stories who make travel an irreplaceable part of our lives.

On this week's Stories from the Road, Tim reads a story by Matador's Alex Bresler, in which she argues in favor of revisiting countries rather than always visiting new places. The piece questions our need to constantly be adding new countries to our "travel list," and explores the benefits of returning to an old favorite. One of these benefits? Really familiarizing yourself with a country, or city, on a more intimate level.

These days, more and more jobs can be done while traveling. That includes stripping – and today, Stella is here to talk about what it’s like to travel to different strip clubs around the country as a professional dancer. She’s worked at clubs from Florida to Chicago to the northeast, and she breaks down the differences in the job based on location, including some insight into how one should behave when on the other side of the performance. She supplements her income between travels as an OnlyFans creator.

In this week's Stories From The Road, Eben reads aloud his narrative of visiting the remains of the Treblinka concentration camp in Poland. As someone with ethnic ties to the Holocaust, the experience painted a vivid picture of one of humanity's biggest atrocities. For Eben's travel companion, visiting Treblinka proved equally jarring.

Travel to places far off the typical tourist track – think Iraq, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia – is an increasingly common theme here on No Blackout Dates. As the founder of Untamed Borders, a tour operator that hosts guided trips to places like Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Yemen, and elsewhere, James Wilcox knows more about the logistics of visiting often misunderstood destinations than perhaps anyone. James has built an entire business around creating itineraries for intrepid travelers looking to explore countries we often perceive to be dangerous or inaccessible.

The second installment of Stories From The Road pits Tim and Eben against each other in one of their most classic debates: whether or not coworking spaces are worth the money. Tim is famously pro-coworking, having held memberships at spaces across the world from Bali to Oaxaca to Colorado. He credits coworking for helping him find friends, clients, and professional development while traveling abroad. Eben, on the other hand, takes a more pessimistic approach. He feels the coworking spaces are a scam -- that they charge way too much money for what is effectively a glorified coffee shop. Why pay money to go sit somewhere and be quiet, when you could do the same thing at a library -- and even take home a good book to read?

To kick off 2023, Tim and Eben plunge into the depths of the travel industry – uncovering the trends they expect to see this year, along with their best travel stories from 2022. The hosts also break down the destinations doing things the right way – whether that be reframing an outdated image, innovating new ways to experience the destination, or just being a cool spot that offers a unique travel experience.

Marketa and David Daley hiked 1,300 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail -- an impressive feat that is far greater than most will ever accomplish in the wild. But the Daley's did it with their three young children, a monumental undertaking that required guts, parental instinct, and a lot of pep talking. Marketa joins No Blackout Dates to discuss the expedition and what it meant for her family.

We're trying something new this week on No Blackout Dates. To complement our interview episodes, every other week we will feature a read-aloud of a crazy travel story from Matador Network. This week's adventure is from writer Nicholas Mancall-Bitel, entitled "My Car Broke Down in the Sahara, and It Taught Me About Trust."

Few myths are as world-renowned as the Loch Ness Monster. Willie Cameron is Nessie’s biggest advocate, a lifelong resident of the region surrounding Scotland’s most famous lake, and a pioneer of Loch Ness tourism. He joins the show to educate the curious and dispel any naysayers, shedding light on the legend of Nessie and why so many believe that she’s down there. He also discusses the power of myth and legend to turn an otherwise sleepy lake into an international tourism sensation. Eben first met Willie while visiting Loch Ness, and after sharing a wee bit of whiskey with him, decided the time had come for No Blackout Dates to settle the question once and for all: Is the Loch Ness Monster out there?

Sailing all the way around Antarctica is no easy task. Just ask today’s guest, “extreme sailor” Lisa Blair. She holds the record for the fastest circumnavigation of the continent, a title she almost perished in order to gain. Lisa joins the show to discuss her dangerous adventures in the Southern Ocean , her new book, “Facing Fear: The First Woman To Sail Solo Around Antarctica,” and what it takes to embark on such an incredible journey. She breaks down what was going through her mind as her ship nearly capsized in a raging torrent, and how she managed to rig her mast and make it to shore just in time.

Eben and Lisa met while on a cruise to Antarctica last December, and while this cruise was among the most extreme adventures Eben will ever be a part of, for Lisa, it was a walk in the park. The impacts of visiting fragile ecosystems is also on the docket today. Lisa dubbed her sailboat “Climate Action Now” to raise awareness of small efforts by everyday people to combat climate change -- a fitting PR move, since Antarctica is among the world’s most vulnerable spots to warming temps.

In Hot Takes, Tim and Eben discuss extreme destinations they’ve always wanted to visit but never got the chance, and Eben breaks down the mood of the travelers on the ship as Antarctica first came into view.

Relevant links:

• Lisa Blair Sails The World
• Facing Fear: The First Woman To Sail Solo Around Antarctica
• Lisa’s Instagram
• Eben’s Instagram
• Tim’s Instagram

To kick off Season 3 of No Blackout Dates, Tim and Eben welcome Wired magazine co-founder Kevin Kelly. In addition to creating one of the most influential magazines in the tech space, Kevin has spent much of his life traversing Asia, documenting the vanishing cultures of the world’s largest continent. He discusses this project, known as Vanishing Asia, which is now available as a massive three-volume coffee table book collection, and much more on the show. You'll learn why he believes the motorbike is the most revolutionary invention of all, and how the double-edged sword of modernization is improving connectivity while also erasing culture. Perhaps his most profound idea, at least as it relates to us, is his belief that the government should subsidize young people to travel the world.

No Blackout Dates is back -- bigger and better than ever -- for Season 3. Matador Network's official podcast takes an unfiltered dive into the world of travel, as told through the stories of guests who lead extraordinarily unfiltered lives. Adventures on tap this season include Wired magazine co-founder Kevin Kelly on his new project documenting the vanishing cultures of Asia, foreign correspondent Tommy Walker discussing how the China-Taiwan conflict will affect travel, and hosts Eben and Tim on a search for the Loch Ness Monster with the world's foremost expert on the monster. Tune in every other Tuesday starting November 22.

Vladyslav Stadnyk has been raising funds to equip Ukraine’s military for over eight years. He joins the show this week to provide an inside perspective on what it’s really like in Ukraine since the country was invaded by Russia in February. Based in Kyiv, Vlad strikes a defiant and positive tone that captures the determination of Ukrainians to defend not just their country, but their way of life. As Vlad puts it, this isn’t just a war between Russia and Ukraine – it’s a war between Russia and the entire western world. Ukraine is just the country on the front lines.

Eugene Buchanan has done everything that you’d like to say you’ve done. He’s searched for Incan treasure in an uncharted South American Canyon. He’s paddled Russia’s Bashkaus River with a ragtag crew of adventurers speaking multiple languages. And he’s raised a family in the always dangerous environs of a Colorado mountain town. He’s also written books about such expeditions, and has become a leading voice for high-risk, high-reward adventure travel.

Zach Rosenbloom lived the TEFL dream and taught English in Japan for two years. Zach joins the show today to talk about one of the easiest ways to move abroad and have a job when you get there – teaching English to students in a foreign country. He discusses what it’s like to move somewhere and adapt to the place culturally, and what it’s like speaking English to a bunch of kids who don’t speak fluent English.

Autumn Moretti was a MasterChef Season 11 runner-up. That means that she not only crushes it in the kitchen, but she’s dealt with Gordon Ramsay and other tough talkers face to face – and lived to tell the story. In today’s ep, Autumn spills the beans on what life is actually like on the inside of those well-trimmed cooking shows we all love to watch. She discusses what goes on behind the scenes, including her relationship with other contestants and what brought her to tears on multiple occasions.

Mikah Meyer is the gay Bear Grylls that America’s national parks fans have always needed. As the first person to visit all 419 US National Parks Service sites, Mikah has established himself as a leader in bringing LGBTQ+ rights to the forefront of the American outdoors. He speaks at events and churches around the country about his quest to promote inclusivity outside. Mikah joins No Blackout Dates this week to discuss what we all can do to show support for those who may feel unwelcome in the great outdoors, and dives into the complex issue of reconciling religious devotion with an LGBTQ+ lifestyle.

If you’re both American and an avid traveler, you’ve likely considered joining the Peace Corps. Today, Tim and Eben speak with someone who did it – Ingrid Olson, an RPCV (Returned Peace Corps Volunteer) who served in Senegal from 2015 until 2017. During her time in Africa, Ingrid worked primarily in women’s health, but had a hand in a number of other causes along the way. She also learned the local tongue, partied in Dakar, and met the man she’s now about to marry. All in all, she remembers her time in the Peace Corps fondly, and in today’s episode, she spills the beans on what it’s actually like to serve overseas.

A lot has happened for Tim and Eben in recent weeks. Most notably, Tim got Covid – finally. Beyond that, though, the pair have embarked on international travels that have offered fresh perspectives on global gallivants. This week, instead of probing the experiences of someone else, we look inward for a mid-year recap. Tim discusses what it was like traveling to Mexico with his seven-month-old daughter, while Eben recalls the unique experience of traveling in Saudi Arabia. The very different trips, one constant among them is that a good traveler is always prepared for the unexpected.

A stunning backdrop makes every party better. No backdrop better proves this than Iceland’s Westfjords, which served as the setting for the first-ever Detour Discotheque earlier this year. Jonny Ensall, Ink’s Global Editor in Chief and the mastermind behind the shindig, joins No Blackout Dates this week to talk about how he wrangled a crew of top-notch DJs, influencers, and revelers together to join him in the remote, tiny Icelandic village of Thingeyri for a “party at the edge of the world.” Eben was fortunate enough to attend the event, so this episode serves as the official debrief between the party planner and the consummate party-goer

It's called Drake's Right of Passage for a reason. Eben learned this the hard way back in December, when he embarked on the maiden voyage of the Sylvia Earle, a new ship from Australian cruise line Aurora Expeditions. En route he battled 20-foot waves, rowdy passengers, and the seclusion that only accompanies being stuck on a boat at the bottom of the planet -- all while doing his darndest to ward off seasickness.

On today's podcast, Eben recounts the journey through the story he wrote for Matador Network. It's a tale of true adventure -- so buckle up and don't let your stomach turn. 

Relevant links:

• What It’s Like To Sail To Antarctica on a Cruise Ship’s Maiden Voyage

• Aurora Expeditions
• Eben's Instagram
• Tim's Instagram

You’ve heard of solo travel, adventure travel, and even revenge travel. But what about surprise travel? This week’s guest Lillian Rafton is here to enlighten us all on the new trend in travel – traveling to a mystery destination, potentially even somewhere you’ve never heard of. Lillian’s business Pack Up and Go sets up travelers – from solo to larger groups – with surprise destinations based on their interests and desired level of leisure. Are you an outdoorsy traveler? You might find yourself en route to a mountain town in Colorado. Into museums? DC, here you come. Into random shenanigans and off-the-road attractions? Welcome to Joplin, Missouri. Lillian’s guests receive a postcard in the mail containing their destination – and they’re not allowed to read it until the day they head to the airport. Included are hotel reservations, itinerary suggestions, and one dinner reservation – the rest is as much a mystery as the destination. Traveling with Pack Up and Go is a true test of your self-control and discipline. Think you can hang?

To say that Airbnb has revolutionized the process of booking – and enjoying – travel accommodations would be an understatement. Where else can you book a forest treehouse, a high-rise apartment with a rooftop pool, and a houseboat on the ocean, all in the same place? Airbnb just launched the biggest updates to its platform in a decade, and Catherine Powell, the company’s Global Head of Hosting, is here to tell us all about it. Going forward, you don’t even have to know where you want to travel in order to book a stay, with new “Categories” breaking properties down into niche lists. There’s even the mind-blowing, if rather ambiguous, “OMG!” category, which features everything from a home that looks like a snake to a Kellogg Doolittle house in Joshua Tree that resembles a giant mushroom.

Touring in a rock band is one of the most fantasized about – and widely misunderstood – lifestyles in the modern world. While everyone thinks it's all backstage parties and endless excess, the reality is far more down to Earth, though no less interesting. Dan Aid is here to set the record straight on tour life, having been around the globe with the punk rock band Authority Zero and toured with other acts as well.

Mother’s Day is coming up. For the No Blackout Dates crew, this is a holiday where we celebrate the brave and courageous mothers in our lives. The day is more personal for Monet Hambrick, however – a traveling mother of two who has spent the bulk of the past decade gallivanting across the globe with her family in tow. She’s written a children’s book about her travels and runs the popular blog The Traveling Child to offer advice (and commiseration) to all the aspiring vagabond families out there. Monet joins the show to talk family travel, and if you plan to hit the road with kids – soon or down the line – it’s time to listen to the established expert.

To make a living traveling the world, you have to get down to the essentials. Photographer and global explorer Chris Burkard joins No Blackout Dates to discuss how, exactly, he manages to do that. Chris shares insight on everything from what makes a good story to how he packs for expeditions. One constant theme through all of this? Risk management. Through his commercial and travel-based work, including an admittedly large collection of “really bad” photos, Chris has honed in on what it takes to plan and execute extremely dangerous assignments. By taking balanced risks and remaining focused on getting the right shots, he’s progressed his work into one of the world’s most celebrated portfolios of adventure photography. He’s compiled some of the best of that portfolio into his new book, “Wayward.”

Molly Duane has one of the most important jobs in two industries – she’s a nurse, for one, and a traveling nurse at that, easily catapulting her to the top of the list of who should rightfully get that final standby seat on any packed flight. Her work has taken her from her home in Salt Lake City to rural Montana, Houston’s concrete jungle, and elsewhere around the country on three-to-nine month stints. Molly joins the show today to school Tim and Eben on what it’s like to actually have a job with purpose. Molly elaborates on how – and why – she goes about choosing the locations where she wants to post up for a few months (the availability of nearby hikes plays a big role). She talks about why it's so hard to find friends and partners when you’re in an out of town so often, why rural nurses are among the nation’s most hardworking professionals, and how travel nursing is a great way to find yourself trying out new activities.

In 2021, the city of Amsterdam announced it would move its sex workers out of the famed Red Light District in the heart of the city. Visitors have long ventured to the Red Light District, some to hire a sex worker and others out of sheer curiosity. This curiosity is part of why the city made the decision to relocate its sex workers – the women had become the subject of gawking and verbal abuse. Still, the decision has prompted confusion among travelers. So we figured we’d go straight to the source. No Blackout Dates welcomes Mary, a veteran Amsterdam sex worker, to the show to discuss the move and how it will impact both the women being moved, and those who patronize them. Mary also sheds light on what life is like as a sex worker, and offers a firm rebuttal to any who cast doubt on the legitimacy of her line of work. Behind those red lights is a world shrouded in mystery, fantasy, and rumor, but the reality is that Mary and her colleagues are a beacon call for sexual satisfaction that for many, would go unanswered if it weren’t for their efforts.

Sebastian Modak is living the dream. As the 52 Places Traveler for The New York Times in 2019, he visited 52 places around the globe in a single year – and turned around a dispatch about each of them. A “third culture kid” who grew up as a vagabond between the US, Hong Kong, Australia, Indonesia, and elsewhere, Sebastian is accustomed to picking up and moving on to the next place. Now, as editor-at-large for Lonely Planet, he continues to make this lifestyle his full-time gig. On today’s show, Sebastian and Tim shoot the breeze about travel trends, over-tourism, and how random, unplanned experiences often pan out to be the best way to learn about a new place. The two cover how identity plays into the travel experience, and Sebastian explains that when traveling long-term and away from a loved one, being open to, and accepting of, the inevitable emotions that arise align the way is the best way to handle loneliness. Fortunately for us, he also offers advice on how to do so.

AJ Kinney coins a new phrase for us on today’s pod. The “orbiting spouse” is someone who moves somewhere because their partner got a sweet job offer – and ends up loving it so much that they full-on expatriate. AJ and his wife moved to Grand Cayman from Minnesota, a sharp lifestyle change from hunting and camping to fishing and fruity cocktails. AJ joins the pod to discuss expat life during Covid and after, what it’s like to live somewhere totally different than everything you’re used to, and how the biggest fish he ever caught didn’t actually qualify as a catch – and we’re sure it’s totally not a myth.

“Gatekeeping” is an unfortunate but common practice in outdoor-centric communities. Comedian Ivy Le is joining us today to discuss how this issue can be addressed. Ivy hosts the podcast FOGO: Fear of Going Outside, one of Spotify’s most popular new podcasts, documenting Ivy’s experience as an avid indoorswoman venturing (reluctantly) into outdoor adventure. Eben and Ivy rebrand camping as “voluntary homelessness” and hiking as simply “walking,” while Tim defends the merits of voluntary homelessness and walking. We also expose the outdoors community as more judgmental than you might think, and learn why some indigenous peoples don’t feel comfortable hiking their own ancestral land.

Brad Chappell has spent a day or two on the water. As a professional fishing guide, it’s his job to take traveling fishermen out in search of Crappie, a freshwater game fish that’s part of the Sunfish family. It’s also his job to take newbies like Tim and Eben out, if they were to visit Lake Washington in Greenville, Mississippi. This week, Brad joins No Blackout Dates to discuss the life of a pro fisherman and guide – as it turns out, there’s far more to it than drinking beer on the back of the boat. 

The trio gets into the techniques of guiding, Brad’s most rewarding moments as a guide, and what happens on those rare outings in which no one catches a fish (don’t ask for a refund). Also on the docket is the gear necessary for a successful trip out and what to expect if you, like Tim and Eben, aren’t exactly master baiters.

In Hot Takes, Tim ponders whether New England Clam Chowder is overrated, and the pair discuss the practice of eating seafood when you’re far away from the sea. Any who’ve been to Colorado can attest that the state isn’t known for its lobster. The ethics of “dynamite fishing” are also on the table.

Relevant links:

• Brad Chappell Guide Service
• What is Crappie Fish?
• What do you need to fish for Crappie?
• Eben’s Instagram
• Tim’s Instagram

To cowork or not to cowork? The pod’s age-old controversial question is finally getting addressed by an expert. We’re learning the truth about whether coworking spaces are bullsh*t or if they actually provide real value to remote workers. Joanne Flynn Black a former WeWork employee who lived through the company’s most turbulent era, is joining us today to talk remote work, online writer communities, and Airbnb hosting. Ever wondered what guest habits really piss off Airbnb hosts? Well, Joanne’s got the scoop.

“The Lord of the Rings” revolutionized the Fantasy and Adventure genres in both print and film. What’s often overshadowed by the smashing success of the franchise is the impact LOTR had on the country that served as the backdrop for much of the footage in the film series – New Zealand. Ever since “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” hit theaters on December 19, 2001, fans have flocked to remote outskirts in the country where big scenes were filmed. The film franchise is turning 20 years old, and to celebrate, Tim and Eben are joined by Sarah Handley, General Manager for the Americas and Europe at Tourism New Zealand. They’re discussing how the film’s legacy has impacted the country’s tourism sector, how New Zealanders really feel about film tourism, and whether the guys can be extras in the upcoming LOTR Amazon series.

Rob Gerard is a tequila influencer in the truest sense. As founder of The Tequila Collective, Rob shows off (code phrase for “indulges in”) fine tequilas of all stripes. He has built a following based on his extensive knowledge of the world’s favorite agave liquor, a savant cross between Reposado Recommender and Anejo Assassin. As it turns out, our in-house Duke of Jack Daniels recently visited Tequila, Mexico, and found that despite being a whiskey guy, he’s able to bond with Rob over the watering holes each is familiar with. On today’s docket is everything tequila – including a breakdown of the different types and what the differences are. Rob debunks the “tequila as a stimulant” myth, and discusses the rumors that tequila causes looser clothes and a worse hangover than other liquors. Rob proves that being an expert connoisseur of an alcoholic beverage can, in fact, provide ample value to a wide audience – as proven by the fact that he frequently gets TikTok messages from shoppers stumped in the aisle at their local liquor store.

No matter what you think of clowns, you likely have no idea what their lifestyle is actually like. From living on a train with Ringling Bros. to performing for kids at a children’s hospital, Joy Powers has done it all on the professional clown circuit. She joins the pod this week to discuss what it’s like to clown for a living. You’ll learn what it’s like to travel the country as a performing clown and whether or not scary clowns give the rest of the bunch a bad name. Joy talks about common misconceptions of clowns (they don’t all look like the clowns you see at the circus) and how the most rewarding part of her work is cheering up kids that, more than anything else, need a smile.

You have thoughts on cryptocurrency. Whether your opinion is bullish or bearish, it’s undeniable that the concept of DeFi (decentralized finance) is causing quite a ruckus in the media. How will cryptocurrency impact travel? To find out, we invited Ben Rogers on the show. Ben is the Chief Marketing Officer at Travala, a travel booking website that operates much like Expedia or Booking.com, with one major difference – its customers can pay in crypto. Ben discusses how cryptocurrency will play a big role in the future of travel, and why Travala and other companies are poised to reshape the industry. But before all that, he breaks down what exactly cryptocurrency and Web3 are, in a manner that even Tim and Eben can understand – so no matter your level of experience with Bitcoin, you’re sure to gain a fresh perspective on one of the most widely misunderstood (and sometimes controversial) topics in modern discourse. You may even be convinced to open a “crypto wallet,” and if so, maybe you can guide Eben through the process.