Far From Home podcast

01/07/2024

"Rainbolt’s most banal moments are now served with little tinctures of epiphany and recognition. It turns out that touching Thai grass for the first time is infinitely more thrilling if you’ve obsessed over its texture and hue on your computer: It’s the excitement of a face-to-face meeting with a longtime correspondent, a first date with an old crush. Rainbolt has used the internet’s cartography to turn up the world’s intensity, fusing the virtual with the real to make both more pleasurable."

Few people are better than Trevor Rainbolt at identifying obscure locations online — but there’s even more joy in watching him visit them IRL.

06/06/2024

“When it arrived, everyone was happy,” said Tsainama Marubo, 73, sitting on the dirt floor of her village’s maloca, a 50-foot-tall hut where the Marubo sleep, cook and eat together. The internet brought clear benefits, like video chats with faraway loved ones and calls for help in emergencies. “But now, things have gotten worse,” she said.

Elon Musk’s Starlink has connected an isolated tribe to the outside world — and divided it from within.

22/05/2024

There are real benefits to a society where people feel safe enough to leave their babies and bikes on the street. How have the Danes achieved this level of faith in their fellow citizens?

22/05/2024

I was recently interviewed on the Winging It Travel Podcast and the host James Hammond wrote this really nice blog post about the episode and our conversation: "Scott’s travel philosophy is how I want to be when travelling the world. His natural ability to hone in on a story or to find an angle for one wherever he goes in the world is inspirational. In the age of people only travelling to increase their country ‘number’ or to get that viral reel on social media, or to be paid only for travelling, it can be soul-destroying. However, Scott bucks this trend."

Hello, and welcome to number 145. This week, I had the pleasure of interviewing Scott Gurian, a journalist, adventure traveller, podcaster, and reporter. Scott joined me to discuss his adventures on the Mongol Rally, visiting Chornobyl, witnessing an Ayahuasca Retreat in Peru, and more. I begin the

10/05/2024

"An unremarkable stretch of highway and trees, as seen on Google Maps’ Street View, appeared on the screen. It could have been anywhere from Tasmania to Texas. 'This is going to be south Philippines, somewhere on this road down here,' Trevor Rainbolt said instantly, clicking on a location on a map of the world that was less than 11 miles from the spot."

In a game called GeoGuessr, competitors try to pinpoint where in the world a Google Street View image has been taken. Some can do it in seconds.

03/05/2024

Really nice write-up: "The tales that Scott shares are more than just anecdotes; they’re an inspiration, urging us to step out of our comfort zones and into the vast, open world. They remind us that our paths are ours to choose, and it’s along these roads that we find ourselves and the stories we’ll tell for years to come."

Thanks so much to Journey with Jake for interviewing me on his show!

Discover the transformative power of travel on Journey with Jake as Scott Gurian Far From Home shares tales from the Mongol Rally. Learn how a tiny car can lead to vast adventures! 🚗 Listen today!

You can find Journey with Jake on all major podcast platforms or check my website www.journeywithjake.net/episode103/ to listen today!

Thanks to Far From Home for the photo!

22/04/2024

After missing the opportunity to see the last total eclipse in the U.S. back in 2017, I decided to add this experience to my bucket list and vowed I would do whatever it takes to see an in the future. A few weeks ago, I got my chance. Joined by my brother and his friends Jeremy and Claire, I drove up to the woods of northern New Hampshire, and together, the four of us witnessed an event that far surpassed whatever expectations any of us had and was totally worth the journey (despite horrendous traffic on the way home). Check out the latest episode of for an audio postcard from our trip. Click the link in my bio or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

26/03/2024

Like anyone, I've had my share of travel mishaps over the years, but thankfully nothing quite like this 😂 🙈

06/02/2024

"While O’Regan acknowledges that some travelers are 'propelled by an uncontrollable urge' to visit every country, he feels that 'collecting countries' in such a way can 'promote superficial travel that neglects deeper cultural understanding or connection.'

'There is incentive to hop regions quickly and risk the very things we want to recover from: physical and mental burnout,' says O’Regan. 'It undervalues travel’s potential for cultural exchange, self-reflection, and the concepts of slow travel and sustainability.'"

A record 50 new entries joined the list of people who’ve traveled to all 195 UN-recognized countries and territories in 2023. Not everyone’s happy about it.

11/12/2023

Thor Pedersen always felt like he was born too late. He grew up in a world where other people had already done most of the amazing things, like venturing to the North and South Poles, climbing the highest mountains, following the longest rivers, and exploring the depths of the deepest seas.

But in 2013, at the age of 34, he discovered one record that no one had yet managed to achieve. So he went to the store, bought a map, and began marking it with a blue pen and a red pen. Before long, he hatched a plan to make history and get his name “on page 506 in some little book,” as he saw it: he would travel to every country in the world without flying, in a single, unbroken journey.

On the latest episode of Far From Home, he tells the story of his Once Upon a Saga journey and how it turned out to be way longer and more difficult than he ever imagined it would be! Check it out wherever you get your podcasts or listen here: https://farfromhomepodcast.org/news/thor-pedersen-every-country-without-flying

29/11/2023

Places Johnny Cash has visited based on his song 'I’ve Been Everywhere'

04/11/2023

Of all the Day of the Dead celebrations in Oaxaca, the Muerteada in the small village of San Agustín Etla is probably the craziest! In an annual tradition dating back 80 years, locals dress in all kinds of costumes and spend the night of November 1st dancing from site to site throughout the town, accompanied by a brass band, until the sun comes up. Many wear suits made of mirrors and bells, which are supposed to scare away witches and guide the spirits of the deceased through the darkness of the night to return to visit their loved ones. This is definitely one of the strangest and most amazing things I've ever witnessed!

01/11/2023

Longtime listeners might remember the episode I produced several years ago about my visit to that enormous cemetery on the outskirts of Lima, Peru for the "Day of the Departed" celebrations.

Tonight I got to experience the Day of the Dead commemorations in Oaxaca, Mexico, where people gathered at the graves of their loved ones to keep vigil throughout the night, amid a festive atmosphere. And this being Oaxaca, if you struck up a conversation with them, they'd often offer you a sip of mezcal, their local alcoholic drink brewed from the agave plant. It's quite a different way of thinking about death than I'm used to back in the States!

16/09/2023

I had no idea this was now a thing! If you listened to my first season, you'll understand what I mean when I say that I think this means that the Mongolian National Emergency Management Agency is probably pretty busy these days! 😆

In an era of Instagram tourism, some young people are searching for less curated travel experiences. So they’re flocking to the open spaces of this East Asian nation.

16/08/2023

Really great article

At 34, Torbjørn Pedersen embarked on a seemingly impossible journey that would take 10 years – and involve cerebral malaria and being held up at gunpoint. He reflects on the highs, the lows and the joy of getting married en route

05/08/2023

Enjoying my time in Copenhagen, where I'm working remotely for a few months.

02/08/2023

After nearly a decade, Thor Pedersen has completed his quest of visiting every country in the world without flying and returned to his home in Denmark: https://edition.cnn.com/travel/thor-pedersen-visited-every-country-returns-home-intl-hnk/index.html

01/07/2023

Now I've really made it big. I'm on thesaurus.com! 😆

30/06/2023

Adding this to my South America bucket list: "On board are Mormon missionaries and Mennonite farmers, Indigenous chiefs and Japanese chefs. Mothers breastfeed toddlers in hammocks, farmers tie chickens to deck rails and hunters sell headless capybaras."

The Aquidaban has long attracted colorful characters as the only ferry in one of South America’s most remote stretches. Now it may disappear.

23/06/2023

At 81 years old, Eleanor Hamby and Dr. Sandra Hazelip traveled from the icy shores of Antarctica to the rocky majesty of the Grand Canyon — in 80 days.

16/06/2023

After releasing my last episode where I shared stories from my time in many years ago, I came across one more short radio piece in my archives that I thought some of you might enjoy. It's about another cultural phenomenon unique to Oklahoma that I experienced: the world's only behind-the-walls prison .

Before a stadium of 9,000 cheering fans, 100 inmates from around the state competed in events like calf roping, steer wrestling, wild horse race, and "Money the Hard Way," a competition where people tried to grab a $100 bill that was tied between the horns of a charging bull!

Listen wherever you get your podcasts or find the link in my bio.

08/06/2023

After visiting all 193 nations recognized by the United Nations, a late-night DJ from San Diego created a micronation in the Californian desert to give himself somewhere new to visit. He’s declared himself “the Sultan of Slowjamastan.”

08/06/2023

While attending a conference in last week, I got to experience this really cool participatory art installation called A Mile in my Shoes, from a group called the . It's a traveling exhibit where people like myself are invited into a pop-up shoe store where they're fitted with a stranger's shoes and then loaned a pair of headphones with an mp3 player so they can literally walk a mile in that person's shoes while listening to them tell their life's story. Some of the stories came from Syrian refugees, s*x workers, and war veterans.

This is actually the second time I've seen this exhibit, and the stories (which constantly change) are always really moving. As you can see in the photo, one of the "shoes" I was given was actually a pair of bear foot slippers from a woman in Ireland, I believe. I definitely got some curious looks walking around central Amsterdam with those! 😆

31/05/2023

In case you missed it, check out the latest episode of Far From Home, where I share some stories I produced many years ago in Oklahoma, including one about the time I went on a rattlesnake hunt to attempt to overcome my fear of snakes! Listen wherever you get your podcasts or at farfromhomepodcast.org

27/05/2023

Two decades ago, I was just starting out as a public radio reporter, applying for literally every radio job opening I saw, and somehow I ended up getting hired by KGOU - Your NPR Source, a small station in Norman, Oklahoma. Given that the culture, politics, and geography were so incredibly different from anything I’d been exposed to up to that point. moving there from my home state of New Jersey almost felt like going to a foreign country. Yet despite any initial reservations I had, it turned out to be a really great experience, and the five years I spent there ended up making me a better journalist and a better person!

On the latest episode of Far From Home, I share a couple of my favorite stories I produced during my time in Oklahoma, to give you a small sense of the culture of this region that many Americans on the coast often regard as simply “flyover country.” First, I get to experience the traditional sport known as catfish noodling. Then I go on a rattlesnake hunt in the hills of southwest Oklahoma.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts or at farfromhomepodcast.org

26/05/2023

Last night I was invited to give a presentation about my travels and my reporting at a local library here in New Jersey. Here's a recording of the event in case any of you are interested.

This week our guest was Scott Gurian, a Peabody and Murrow award-winning journalist whose work has aired on WNYC, NPR, and the BBC. He also hosts and produce...

26/05/2023

It took him six years longer than planned, but Danish traveller Thor Pedersen has finally completed an ambitious mission to visit 203 countries without ever boarding a plane.

02/05/2023

Like many college students, I took a semester abroad. I spent the first half of my junior year in London taking classes at UCL, exploring the museums, and learning the […]

02/04/2023

“The key, critical process is multicultural engagement, immersion, and adaptation. Someone who lives abroad and doesn’t engage with the local culture will likely get less of a creative boost than someone who travels abroad and really engages in the local environment.” In other words, going to Cancun for a week on spring break probably won’t make a person any more creative. But going to Cancun and living with local fishermen might.

How international experiences can open the mind to new ways of thinking

17/03/2023

My good friends at The Bittersweet Life just re-ran an interview they did with me several years ago, where I talked about my experience on the , my love of seeking adventures, and the paradox of wanting to plan everything when I've realized that the best experiences are often unplanned!

To hear it, check out "Bittersweet Moment 198: Discomfort Recollected in Tranquility" in The Bittersweet Life podcast feed. And make sure you subscribe to The Bittersweet Life] and delve into their archive of nearly 500 episodes if you want to hear more conversations about travel, living abroad, and the joys and frustrations of

Also, in case you missed it, check out their conversation that I shared earlier this week in the feed, where co-host looked back at the past 18 years she's lived abroad and raised a family in Rome. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or at farfromhomepodcast.org (or see the link in my bio).