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Eric is a travel writer and photographer based in California. He’s lived in Italy, Norway, Germany and the US and traveled to 97 countries on 7 continents. Eric is passionate about the benefits of family travel and lets each of his three kids (11, 13 and 15) choose any destination in the world every year for a one-on-one trip with him. They also travel as a family during school breaks. His kids have been to over 60 countries. Eric is an accomplished photographer, winning Conde Nast Traveler’s Photo of the Year award. He’s an ambassador for AFAR Magazine, and his writing and photography have been featured by Conde Nast Traveler, Bon Appetit, Yahoo Travel and Lonely Planet. He is a two-time NATJA gold award winner for family travel writing, Forbes has named him the World’s #4 Most Influential Traveler, and Fodor’s has called him the world’s best family traveler.Show Notes:00:00Eric reads an excerpt he wrote about traveling as a family.  2:00Introduction to Eric Stoen3:20Eric explains how they make traveling with children happen to 60+ countries including countries that may be considered as particularly harder destinations to travel toEric allows his kids to choose where they go every year.  His kids determine the countries that they travel to which forces his kids to look at the world differently. 6:54His kids ended up bringing him to Antarctica and Easter Island - countries Eric didn’t really think about at first.  Eric shares the stories of how that happened. Traveling with his kids gives a brand new set of eyes for countries that Eric has been to before and he finds that journey enjoyable11:00The wonderful experiences his kids are having before they are adults are preparing them to be more empathetic with skills that make them ready for the world in such a unique way.12:51The importance of every experience that in turn shapes and alters his kids. Due  to travel, Eric’s children are becoming very worldly and informed children.  Household traditions at the Stoen house also means having a meal from a different country.17:22The solution to making a great trip when planning a family trip.  Making the trip about your kids is the solution to making the trip enjoyable.  Being flexible is important.20:16Eric shares what travel means to him22:05Travel Babo and where the name came from!24:55Eric shares his fears when he first started and how mitigated those challenges29:00Eric shares his most valuable thing he learned while traveling with his   kids30:16Eric shares his most interesting stories while traveling - Getting lost in Croatia and having the journey turn into something really special 35:14Eric shares his most fulfilling moment - Hiking in Greenland with his son and the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil with his daughter - unplugging is his fave38:38Eric’s most meaningful person he met while he was traveling.  He shares a story while he was in Oslo42:32Eric talks about the award that changed his life, Forbes #4  Influential Traveler in the World47:42Eric took a risk to follow his passion and it turned out to be the right path for him50:02Eric’s tip and tricks for people who want to follow in his footsteps54:30Eric’s favorite place he’s explored - Greece and the Greek islandsHe shares why his family loved the islands so much and why!57:19Guess where Eric is going next? …. GREECEDiscussion of about how the pandemic will affect his travels62:00Eric shares the one interesting item he takes with them when they travel - Blue Painters tape.  He shares why63:00 Eric shares a piece of life advice to a younger Eric64:00Find Eric on www.travelbabo.comwww.instagram.com/travelbabowww.twitter.com/travelbabo

Angel Castellanos, (Castayanos) (www.AngelsTravelLounge.com) is a passionate world traveler, freelance travel writer, content producer and nationally recognized speaker dedicated to helping people travel smart, well and often. Traveling to over 80 countries on 5 continents (and counting), Angel travels 12-14 weeks internationally each year and draws on his experience and frequent travels to teach “Smart Travel” and equip travelers with the skills they need to make travel easy and enjoyable. Angel is a multi-media travel personality and travel expert that has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Fox News, CBS, ABC, Univision, Frommers Radio, USA Today & Travel & Adventure Show and New York Times Travel Show.  Angel is also the executive producer and host of the travel and adventure tv show Hot Spots debuting in Europe in Asia in late 2021. Show Notes:00:00 Angel reads an excerpt he wrote in March of 2020 - at the beginning of the pandemic00:45Intro to Angel 4:01Angel discusses the excerpt at the beginning and talks about his retrospective post while he was in Brazil4:57 Drea asks about the transition from traveling so often to a halt once the pandemic kicked in.  Angel talks about mental health and how much he realized the isolation at home really affected him.  He traveled to Mexico in the summer and he realized how important it was for him and for the local economy there. The global effect of the pandemic and how everyone was feeling the same way all at the same timeSome of the positive effects of the pandemic How the pandemic affects connection when you travel9:27Angel defines travel and what it means to him 10:20Angel discusses where his love for travel all started12:45Angel is a renowned travel expert who has spoken on news channels and has offered sound advice for many outlets.  He explains that journey to that title.  He talks about his company, Travel Ambassador 15:40 Drea discusses Angel’s incredible ability to speak well.  Angel shares that he actually speaks 3 languages17:38 Angel talks about slow travel and how that all started for himWhat is slow travel?  Angel shares what that looks like and the meaning of slow travelHis best slow travel trip was from Beijing to London on the train - And stopping along the way in Mongolia. Siberia, Poland, etc in 7 Weeks!23:59Packing tips from Angel25:59 Angel talks about the beginning and the lack of fear he had.  He was fearless because he was young and really ambitious27:59Angel talks about some of the challenges he has faced when he has been travelingFlexibility Pandemic and the lack of connectionAngel shares some interesting stories in Brazil and a passport situation in Turkey, Bribing his way out of Egypt TWICE!35:00 Angel shares the two most valuable things he has learned while traveling 36:00Angel talks about Traveling with a purpose and his evolution of travel Eco Tourism41:00 Angel talks about his most fulfilling moment when he travels42:00Angel shares his most meaningful people he’s ever met while he was traveling.  He is still friends with them today.  46:00 Angel shares how much he loved Costa RicaTalks about some of his favorite locations he went51:30Angel shares tips and tricks on where to start doing what he does52:00 Angel shares where he goes next54:00 Angel shares the one thing he takes with him when he travels - A moleskin journal54:55Angel shares the one piece of life advice he would give to a younger Angel56:36You can find Angel on www.angelstravellounge.comWww.instagram.com/angels_travels

In this episode, I interview Digital Nomad Taylor Wallace. She shares some of the struggles she had living this lifestyle and how she found balance. Show Notes:00:00Taylor reads an excerpt from her travels2:30 Taylor talks about the excerpt from her travels4:13Taylor defines what a digital nomad means4:43 Taylor shares with us what a regular day living her nomad life looks like8:37 Taylor shares how she defines traveling and the difference between being a digital nomad and traveling13:03Taylor shares the decision when she decided to become a digital nomadThe importance of finding a community so you can thrive20:53Taylor shares one of her fears when she had - The feeling of falling behind and how she dealt with that challenge24:51Taylor shares how she moved into the mindfulness space and her journey to moving into the importance of mindfulness as a digital nomad33:26Taylor’s most valuable thing she learned was that nothing is importantTaylor explains what this means to her37:19 Taylor shares her most dangerous moment she’s ever experienced while being a digital nomad - She shares a story in Mexico where her group of friends and their acquaintances almost got arrested.  44:13Taylor shares her most fulfilling moment on a Greek Island getting invited on a massive luxury yacht50:15 Taylor’s favorite place in the world is Japan and she shares some of her favorite locations and experiences53:19Taylor shares one piece of advice that she would give to her younger self.55:00Find Taylorwww.instagram.com/taylorwallacewww.thefitfounder.com

With over 650,000 followers across his personal brand, Luke has nailed social media travel content down to a science. He showcases areas around the world that aren’t typically visited and loves to connect with the local people, showing how they live and what occurs on a day to day basis. Uploading his adventures to Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube have allowed him to connect with others around the world, and set-up a life of travelShow Notes:00:00Luke reads an excerpt about his travels00:30  Drea introduces LukeLuke having the goal of producing videos that make people feel like they are in the moment with him. 2:28Luke shares what he meant with the beginning excerpt and the story about his love for travel3:16  Luke shares the beginnings of his travel life He talks about knowing the travel lifestyleHis first place he went to Sri LankaHe talks about the growth of his social media starting in IndiaHaving parents that supported him at such a young age to purse his dream really helped in his success. 9:53Luke talks about the importance of mindset11:17Luke talks about being 18 and some of his fears he hadTraveling with no plans   13:56 Luke talks about what his day looks like16:00Luke shares his biggest challenge when he travels and how he mitigates those challenges19:37Luke shares the most valuable thing he had learned during his travels.  20:27Luke shares the most meaningful person he’s met on his travels How luke found his meaningful person through instagram24:24Luke shares his most interesting story during his travels when he got hurt and a firecracker blew up on his hand in India during DiwaliHe had a full recovery of his hand and he tells the whole story on how to get his hand back.31:40 Luke shares that his most fulfilling moment is going back when he recovered a few months later to see the people who took care of him and give thanks to the doctor and his team.  33:40Luke gives advice on how to do what he does to a younger version of himself. 35:48Luke shares what makes good content and his belief on what good content meansHe shares what his older videos vs what his videos look like now.42:14Luke shares his favorite place - Southern India and how to travel to that location44:14Luke shares a piece of life advice to a younger LukeAfter sharing some positive advice, Drea asks Luke where he got this positivity from - Luke’s answer… Gary Vee50:19 Luke’s next destination is Pakisatan.  He shares why 52:10Luke shares the one special thing he brings with him when he travels53:15www.LukeDamant.comwww.instagram.com/lukedamanthttps://www.facebook.com/LukeDamantt/https://www.tiktok.com/@lukedamanthttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWm__g4cPmX-umorqM8VfWw

As the founder of Expat Empire, David McNeill is focused on inspiring people to move abroad and showing them how to do it. In addition to producing books, podcasts, blog posts, meetup events, and more, Expat Empire offers personalized consulting services to give everyone the opportunity to achieve their international dreams. David started Expat Empire because he has a genuine passion for living abroad. He left the United States in 2014 and has since lived in Tokyo, Berlin, and Porto.Show Notes00:00 David reads an excerpt her wrote about his travels00:40 Introduction to David McNeill1:38David shares the story behind what he opens the episode reading.  3:16 David shares where he is located right now in PortugalDavid talks about meeting his wife abroad and the things they had in common that brought them together9:54 David shares what travel means to him being a digital nomad13:31David shares the decision to move and how this passion started17:18 David shares some of his fears about his lifestyle and moving to a foreign countryDavid shares some of the difficulties and challenges while living on the roadPrioritizing travel24:56  David shares the most valuable thing he has learned while traveling as a nomad26:00 David shares his podcast and business, Ex-pat Empire and why he started this personalizing consulting service helping people make the move. 30:00 David shares his favorite place - Budapest and whyDavid shares of his favorite tips and tricks The Ruin Pubs38:00David shares a dive he did with sharks in the PhilippinesDavid also shares another interesting trip he had in Guatemala and having a problem with the border crossing43:41David shares his most meaningful person he has met abroad - A friend in Japan45:52 David shares his most fulfilling moment while being abroad - Getting Lost48:39David shars his tips and tricks on following his footsteps as an Ex-pat52:00 David shares a piece of advice that he would give to a younger himself53:54 David shares the one thing he takes with him on many of his trips56:45David shares his next plans with his wife 58:22www.Expatempire.comwww.facebook.com/expatempirewww.instagram.com/expatempire

Carleigh Fairchild lives her life as a journey, taking each adventure and living it to the fullest. She has studied survival skills since she was a teenager, and Niaszhii Healing over the last seven years. Carleigh is passionate about basket weaving, shelter building, fire making, edible and medicinal plants, and finding joyful connections wherever she goes. In 2016 Carleigh lived solo for 86 days and filmed herself as part of History Channel’s TV series Alone. Carleigh is a practitioner of Niaszhii (Nya Zee Yi) Healing, teaches survival skills, gives inspirational presentations, and is an ambassador for LT Wright Handcrafted Knives. Show Notes:00:00 Carleigh Fairchild reads an excerpt of her journal about her time on the show “Alone2:30 Drea introduced Carleigh and her background3:52 Carleigh talks about the excerpt in the beginning about the feelings she had about the show, “Alone.”  She shares how they weren’t allowed to bring a journal on the show. 4:43 Carleigh shares what travel means to her5:52 Carleigh shares her preferred way of travel  Carleigh shares that she actually went back to Mongolia and interned for Panoramic Journeys. Drea shares that on the show, they went to her two favorite places, Patagonia and Mongolia8:55 Carleigh shares what it looks like to travel with her and some of the things she carries with her when she goes to travel10:12Carleigh shares her travel styleCowboy camping - Drea talks about Carleigh on the show when she still went cowboy camping even though she spots a bob catShe talks about having familiarity and rationalizing being a big factor with cowboy camping.Carleigh shares about sleeping with just a tarp for some of her time hiking on the Pacific Crest Trail17:14Carleigh tells us that there is nothing else teaches you more about yourself than being out there in the wilderness for a long period of timeShe shares what the most valuable thing she has learned out in the wilderness 19:27Carleigh is a wilderness survivalist and she talks about where it started. 23:20 Carleigh shares with us what wilderness survival has taught her the most. The importance of being part of the wildernessThe importance to have empathy when hunting and being part of the cycle of life28:70 Carleigh talks about making a drum out of a cow hide she found on the showShe talks about the things she made with this cow hide She starts to discuss what the experience was like on the show “Alone”33:58 Carleigh and Drea discuss the difficulties about filming and surviving at the same time.  35:45Drea asks if this was the first time she really had to apply the survival skills she had learned in the past.  Carleight explains that she actually had less items in the past. Drea asks which of the two were more difficult -  her time on Alone or her previous experiences 36:52 Carleigh talks about how they weren’t allowed to go outside of the area they were in. 39:42Carleigh shares her biggest challenge on “Alone” - FoodShe only caught 6 fish and she explains that journey42:03Carleigh talks about her mental capacity to stay for such a lengthy time on the show.  46:43Carleigh talks about how she really learn to value other people’s company after being on the show both on the first and second times.She talks about how soon they had her work on the 2nd time on the show - it was one year. 48:43Carleigh talks about the recovery period after her experience. Losing her love for Bacon and Chocolate after the 86 days in the wilderness52:52Carleigh talks about how close she was to winning the showCarleigh talks about how Alone was a journey for yourself as opposed to competing against each other56:02Carleigh talks about the 2nd time on the show, "Alone" and her experience with the fish hook in her hand. 1:07  Carleigh talks about the highest point in Washington on the PCT - She talks about a storm coming and a memorable moment for her. 1:09 Her favorite trails are the PCT and the Wonderland Trail around Mt. Rainier1:11 Carleigh shares her favorite moment was at the Cascades1:12Carleigh shares the people who inspired her1:13 Carleigh her plans on what she’s going to do next1:14Carleigh shares the one thing she takes with her when she travels1:17Carleigh shares a piece of life advice she would give to a younger version of herself1:18https://carleighfairchild.orgwww.instagram.com/carleighfairchildwww.facebook.coin/carleighfairchildalonewww.etsy.com/cedarbaskets

Julius Mayo Jr. is a photographer, digital marketer, and content creator. He travels for food and plans trips around the U.S. and abroad to discover local food and culture, sharing the experience through social media channels and his food blog, Droolius — food photos that make you drool. Starting the Droolius blog in 2010, he shared his travel and food experiences, helping people find good places to eat. He also used the website and photography to showcase local restaurants and food trucks, leading to a social media marketing business. The blogging experience led to presenting as a speaker at food blog conferences and teaching photography live on stage. Julius has collaborated with brands, including Walt Disney World and KEH Camera, to host food photography workshops to teach influencers how to capture food with cameras and lighting techniques. The goal is to travel the world and eat everything, while inspiring others to discover different cultures through food. Show Notes:00:00Julius reads an excerpt where he discusses his thoughts on Philippine Cuisine00:36Drea introduces Julius Mayo Jr. 2:17 Julius talks about the excerpt in the beginning about traveling to the Philippines and exploring the country, and the local food!He talks about some of the foods in the Philippines and the street food - The Kwek-kwek, lechon, etc and then going to Japan afterwards for RamenDiscussing the Philippines and CoronJulius shares his love for travel and find any excuse to travel - Especially for food8:15 Julius shares what travel means to him The decision when his food travel blog started before there was instagram or other social media platforms ----12:44 Julius talks about the progressions of his food blog and how his career in food became a realityTalking about creating this blog because of passionTalking about social media and finding your passion, as opposed to focusing on fame and fortune21:44Julius talks about some of the challenges of having an over amount of content and finding the balance of backlog content24:38  Julius talks about his inspiration why he started to become a food blogger - Anthony Bourdain28:17Julius shares the most meaningful person he’s ever met - a man from Japan, Yoshi who took him under his wing for a ramen adventure36:36Julius shares the chef that changed the way her viewed food - The chefs at Kadence Orlando who have Filipino Chefs42:30 Julius talks about his favorite places to eat in Los Angeles - Lasa Drea and Julius also discuss LA TACOSHe also shares some of his favorite places in Los Angeles Julius shares a day when he went to 10 different places to eat in one day in Los AngelesJulius’ love for donuts50:18Drea asks Julius what his favorite dish and food experience - Carcar Market in Cebu in sampling all different types of Lechon  54:03 Julius shares his favorite restaurant - DEN 57:24 Julius shares his tips and tricks for aspiring food bloggers61:00Julius shares a piece of life advice he would give to a younger version of himself63:00www.instagram.com/droolius www.doolius.comwww.youtube.com/drooliusfilmshttps://www.facebook.com/DrooliusBlog/

Special Guest: Marquita WrightHave you ever heard the phrase, "Once you have kids, you can't travel anymore" or "Once you have kids, kiss your traveling days goodbye?" Well, Marquita Wright, mother of twin toddlers debunks that lie that has been told to many expecting parents. In this episode, we hear about the journey to traveling with infants to toddlers, and some handy advice to take with you when you attempt to do what many people think... is the impossible. Marquita is The Traveling Twin Mama- traveling the world with her twin 2 year old boys. In their 2 years of life, they’ve been on over 25 trips and visited 5 countries.Her goal is to provide tips and inspiration to help women and families travel smarter. She believes the world is our oyster, so let’s explore it!Show Notes:00:00Marquita opens the episode with an excerpt she wrote about traveling1:28 Introduction2:02Marquita talks about the excerpt in the beginning about traveling as a black family.  She speaks about the experience she had on a Delta flight as a black woman. Marquita and Drea discuss feeling racism 6:28Marquita discusses what travel means to her and what travel teaches her.  The importance of travel to get through life9:31We talk about “The world is your Oyster” written on Marquitas #Clubhouse profileExploring the US outside of where Marquita lives which is New OrleansTraveling within the US during the pandemicDrea and Marquita share some of the places they have traveled this past pandemic year13:56Marquita discusses traveling with twins and why she believes it’s important to travelShe talks about traveling with her kids at 4 months and they have been on 25 trips at the age of two.  She discusses how people are always willing to help17:25Marquita talks about traveling internationally with her children - Thailand, Amsterdam, Costa Rica, Paris, and Puerto RicoMarquita’s favorite place she’s traveled to with her kids was Thailand, so she talks about how she prepared for the trip and one of the challenges she had22:08Drea asks Marquita if she had any fears traveling with her kids25:33Marquita shares some of the challenges and the journey of taking the first trip with the kidsStrollers and finding the right travel stroller - GB pocket stroller30:08 Marquita shares what’s in her bag on the plane and when travelingMarquita also shares some great tips on how to travel with the kids  The importance of snacks when they hit the toddler age - Packing their backpacks so they can carry their own thingsShe shares a few items/toys to bring when traveling33:57 Marquita shares the most valuable thing she’s learned while traveling37:25Marquita shares her most fulfilling moment during her travels while she was in South Africa40:53Marquita shares the most meaningful person she’s met while traveling44:12Marquita’s advice on how to travel with children The importance of having your own memories of your children traveling and how it is as much of an experience for the parents to have their kids travel as much as it is for the children. 48:41Marquita’s favorite place she’s traveled is Chiang Mai in Thailand50:43Marquita prefers to travel to airbnb’s because of the space and the convenience of having a washer and dryerMarquita shares some of her tips, tricks and food to eat in Chiang Mai56:00Marquita shares her one thing she definitely brings with her when she travels57:11Marquita shares a piece of life advice to a younger Marquita - The importance of being patient   61:00 Find MarquitaMarquitasTravels.comwww.instagram.com/MarquitasTravels

In this episode, Digital Nomad, Omar Mo shares his story going from a normal life with a regular job and home to buying a one way ticket to Nicaragua and living out of his suitcase.  He shares some of the life lessons he learns along the way and stories about his adventures on the road.Show Notes:00:00 Omar Mo reads an excerpt of something he wrote00:34Drea shares Omar Mo bio2:24 Omar tells us the reasoning behind the excerpt he wrote. 5:05 Omar explains what a Digital Nomad meansOmar tells us the transition into the Digital Nomad life and how he knew that he was destined not to have a normal life He shares the story when he decided to book that one way ticket to his adventure to Nicaragua - He stayed traveling for 2 ½-3 years11:20 Superficial Conversations and the experience of having a podcast 13:01Omar talks about his “Why” behind his travelsRedefining Traveling - What it was, what it means now and how it is constantly changing18:28 Drea asks Omar about the fears that he may have had The fear of missing out on family and friendsBeing nervous about a new place not knowing anyoneGrowth vs Relationships and the balance24:32Omar and few challenges he facedAustralia and gaining weight due to drinkingBroken Bones and the importance of Travel insurance28:08Omar shares his most valuable thing he’s learned why he’s traveled29:01Omar shares his most meaningful person he met and the valuable things he learnedHe shares a very personal story about learning empathy from a previous relationship and how it affected his entire outlook33:00Omar shares his most fulfilling moment in Sydney He also reveals his favorite place in the world, Sydney36:17Omar shares his favorite places in Sydney39:43Omar shares his most dangerous situation he’s ever been while swimming45:40Omar shares some valuable tips to live a life as a Digital Nomad49:07Omar shares his goals and where he plans to do next52:40Omar shares the one thing he takes with him when he travels53:45This is the piece of life advice that Omar gives to his younger self 54:30www.instagram.com/nomadableshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nomadic-executive-discussions-digital-nomads-online/id1505908580

Jeff Garmire is only 30 years old but has already backpacked over 30,000 miles since 2011.  It all began with a 55-pound backpack at the start of the Pacific Crest Trail and from there, he was hooked. His first thru-hike led to a second, shortly after college and then even when he began his career, he started looking for ways to explore nature and the world. A few notable achievements are 15-speed records on long-distance hiking trails, the calendar year triple crown, the great western loop,  AND climbing all 58 of Colorado's 14,000' peaks.  His book, Free Outside shares his journey completing the Triple Crown which means thru hiking the Appalachian Trail, the Continental Divide Tail and the Pacific Crest Trail  in one year through 4 seasons.  Show Notes:00:00 Jeff Garmire reads an excerpt from his book “Free Outside”1:30 Drea introduces Jeff Garmire and his impressive biography2:50 Jeff talks about the excerpt he read which talks about crossing a cold, nearly frozen river in Maine swimming across naked during the winter season. Jeff talks about stripping naked, using a dry bag to get across the river. 8:07 Jeff defines the meaning of thru-hiking8:56 Jeff tells us what travel means to him.  He explains what he believes is the difference between a vacation and travel.  10:00 Drea asks Jeff if he goes on vacation.  11:19 Jeff and Drea discuss why they love traveling “uncomfortably” 14:15 Jeff tells us why he began this journey to backpack and thru hike the Triple Crown (The Appalachian Trail AKA the AT, The Continental Divide AKA the CDT, and the Pacific Crest Trail AKA the PCT in one calendar year.He talks about the beginning of it all the progression to attempting the Triple Crown He talks about meeting people who were doing the PCT when he was younger. He took off Spring Term of college and decided to hike the Pacific Crest Trail.  He talks about the lessons he learned during the PCT when he was a very novice. This became his obsessionHe talks about the transition into attempting the Triple Crown - All of the “Stepping Stones” to get there. 17:55 Jeff elaborates on meeting those initial PCT hikers that introduced him into the world of thru hiking. He talks about his perspective on how hungry they were.  He tells the story of watching one of the PCT hikers slab a ton of mayo.  Jeff now related to the PCT hikers he met when he was younger.  He talks about a time when he got kicked out of an All You Can Eat Buffet that he stopped at while he was trying to complete the Appalachian Trail. 21:07 Jeff talks about some of the fears of doing the Triple Crown22:25 Jeff talks about getting charged by a Grizzly Bear. Jeff shortly after the near bear attack, encounters Mules he decided to become momentary friends with.25:45 Jeff discusses some of the additional challenges he faced while on the trail. 26:58 Jeff tells a story about losing gear on the trail 28:41Jeff used a tarp as a Shelter for much of the Appalachian Trail which some people due to decrease the weight.  The Appalachian Trail has shelters but many times they are filled up so it was a risk - He discusses that experience.  Jeff talks about switching to a tent because of the cold and also because of mosquitoesDrea talks about her experience in Big Pine, CA and the attack of the mosquitos. 32:00 Jeff talks about the importance of DUCT TAPE!33:57Jeff talks about the 2 most valuable things he learned during his travels35:43 Drea asks about Jeff’s mental endurance38:20 Drea asks Jeff what his most fulfilling moment was during his treks40:00Jeff shares with us the most meaningful he met while he went traveling.  He talks about this man “Little Buddah” he met at 20 years old on the PCT that helped him on the trail. He fell in love with the community because on the trail, “people take care of one another.”42:53 Jeff talks about the most valuable thing he learned - Flexibility and the balance of Rigidness. 46:16  Jeff shares his favorite hike or trail Nolan’s 14 48:17 Tips and Tricks to do the Great Western Loop or the Nolan’s 1449:45Jeff shares the journey of writing a book from a blog to writing a book53:56  Jeff’s advice to a “jeff” out there who would like to do the PCT54:22 Jeff shares some of the sacrifices he’s made to pursue his dream55:29 Jeff shares his next goal - The Barkley Marathon59:22 Jeff shares the one thing he takes with him when he travels 60:00Jeff shares the one piece of advice he would share to a younger him. 61:00 Find Jeff on www.freeoutside.comwww.facebook.com/freeoutsidewww.twitter.com/thefreeoutsidewww.instagram.com/thefreeoutsidsewww.backpackingroutes.com 

Special Guest: Ruben GarayRuben grew up in Sweden and made his way over to the US after publishing the world's largest music website at the age of 18, garnering 30 million unique visitors in 5 years, before getting acquired by Hollywood.comSince 1996,  Ruben has been immersed in the evolution of the world wide web, building recognizable brands with loyal audiences.His already successful career in the entertainment industry led to studying at  New York Film Academy and Music Business at the Musician’s Institute in Hollywood. He then went on to work as a concert video editor for Live Nation and helmed several video and post production departments of major online publications such as MTV, VH1, Fuse, Celeb TV and Hollywire.In 2013, he left the entertainment business and began focusing on his childhood dream of becoming an airline pilot. With only a private pilot’s license and 125 hours of total time to his name, Ruben acquired all of the necessary ratings and became a flight instructor until he achieved 1500 hours in 2 years and 2 months. In 2015, Compass Airlines, a regional airline based of LA was the first airline who took a chance on him and within 15 months he was upgraded to the left seat of the Embray-air  E175. After being a Captain there for 3 years, he took a job as a Captain flying the Embraer E-135 for JSX. Then, 7 months later, on a bright Saturday morning, he received an interview invite from a major airlineDespite loving his job at JSX and being home based in Las Vegas, he couldn’t say no to the job offer. Nevertheless, before he new it, Covid entered the picture and Ruben was furloughed just shy of completing his 200th hour on the Airbus A320/A321 based out of LAX.Outside of flying, his hobbies include building the latest expert mode Legos with my wife, hanging out with their two dogs (a Peagle named Charlie and a Corgi named Bella), jumping out of perfectly good airplanes, and working on side projects, such as mentoring young and and upcoming entrepreneurs with an emphasis on online e-commerce, video production and marketing.SHOW NOTES:00:00 Ruben reads an excerpt from his travels00:16-2:29  Drea introduces RubenDrea & Ruben discuss how long they’ve known each other and their background of the entertainment industry in Los AngelesDrea & Ruben talk about Femme Fatality web series and how successful it became pretty quickly. Ruben talks about his success as a pilot coming from very little monetary help and hard work. He talks about hard work and results that will come out of it if you keep going.The power of believing in yourself and the American dream  9:20 The beginning of Ruben’s career with the World of Brittany www.worldofbrittany.com, which was the first fan site for any celebrity on the internet and it was all about Britney Spears. 11:10 Ruben talks about the beginning of his life in aviation and his love for planes even as a child.  Ruben talks about his early childhood living as an expat and meeting friends who had parents who were airline captains. Ruben talks about Microsoft Flight Simulator in the 90’s and his progression to getting his pilot license.  15:02The story of the day Ruben decided to become an airline pilot and the transition to Compass airlines, then JSX and then over to a major airline.17:20 Ruben talks about the difficulty of getting hired by a major airline and how most of the hires come from the militaryHe shares the moment when he got the call that he got hired for a major airline and how surreal it felt.He shares how excited he was to finally get hired and then covid-19 hitting the world a month after his hireThe Gala he was invited to after getting hired and then losing it all to Covid-19While he was training, he saw the way the world started evolving in front him from pre-covid to post-covidHe discusses his time at the hotel where he was training and how there was suddenly no staff in the hotel except for the one man at the front desk. 27:25 Ruben talks about him and his wife getting sick with Covid 29:15Ruben was one of the 40,000 airline staff who got furloughed.  He discusses what this experience looks like.31:52 Ruben talks about the pilot community and how they’ve supported each other.  33:58 Drea discusses the need for travel and the need for pilots as a result once the covid situation subsidesRuben discusses the importance of travel and adventure.36:58 Ruben shares his favorite place he’s traveled which is CambodiaHe really enjoyed Siem Reap, the quality of food and hotel - The Lotus Blanc $60 per night pre covid but now it’s even cheaper. $50 for a 6 hour spa day. He went to the Angor Kwat and loved the spiritual experience41:08Traveling is the best medicine for the soul 41:32 Ruben shares his most meaningful person he’s ever met on his travels45:20 Ruben shares his most fulfilling moment as a pilot.  He loves the fact that being a pilot means part of everyone’s life when he’s taking you somewhere on a journey.  46:00 Ruben shares his advice to any aspiring pilot who is passionate about it because it’s hard but it’s very rewarding

Special Guest: Mike CrowleyAt the age of 11, Mike went on his first backpacking trip and the outdoor bug has been with him ever since. Taking time each month, he would explore the mountains and deserts of Southern California and take week long treks in the Sierra Nevadas.As it happens to most of us, life later got in the way and took over, but Mike always remembered the call of the wild.Fast forward 30 years and Mike started making his way outdoors again. From exploring the Mojave Desert, to camping in Death Valley in August, bike packing across the Hawaiian island of Molokai, finding once again his old stomping grounds in the Sierras and now... thru-hiking across America last year, and doing it once again this year.It seems Mike is now making up for lost time. After his second walk across America is over, he is conjuring up plans for other adventures. Some ideas are: hiking the lowest to highest trail (Badwater in Death Valley to Mount Whitney in the Sierras), kayaking and hiking the circumference of Kauai, exploring the forests and lonely places of the American southwest and more.Show Notes: 00:00 Mike Crowley reads an excerpt from something he has written about his travels1:30  Drea introduced Mike Crowley and his history with traveling.  Drea talks about the reason why she decided to introduce Mike3:56 Discussing the reasons for his excerpt that he wrote and about his love for the vastness.  The importance of silence and experiencing God or the Universe. 8:13 The walk across American from West to East Saddleback mountain and the regrets he started to have - the lesson he learned to be presentThe importance of not looking at the destination because it can make it difficult12:24The decision to conquer the hike across the country and Mike’s “whys” once and then now going from South to NorthWest to East Hike - Started in March and ended in New Years Eve - A total of 3900Currently hiking 2200 Miles from South to North - Started in August 1st till mid to later part of February 2021 15:36Mike’s shares his most valuable lessons17:07 Mike has been hiking alone and shares that there is a community of people who are walking across the country like him.  He talks about briefly meeting someone who was also doing the same thing and they accompanied each other during the most mentally difficult part of the trail, the Missouri River. 19:36  Mike shares what travel means to him : the special connections you have with the people you meet. 21:21 Drea asks why Mike decided to do this type of  travel.    22:32Mike shares how he prepared for this hike.  MindsetFinancial Aspect29:20 www.youtube.com/ilikemikeMike talks about his youtube channel and how it began! 30:29 Mike shares some of the challenges walking on the roadMissouri River - The mental challengeThe Grand Canyon/Little Colorado River - the lack of trail legs and the physical challenge32:56 Mike has never gotten hurt but he has gotten stuck on a cliff.  He was saved my Alex33:58 Mike shares a story when he felt the most in danger in Rockies.  He also shares how he keeps going when there are places of danger.36:35 Mike talks about one of his most interesting stories in the backroad of Kansas and meeting these people who decided to take him into their home. Mike talks about importance of the people that he meets and the connections he makes 39:50 Mike shares his most meaningful person he’s ever met - it was Alec - a former guest on Drea’s show in the Grand Canyon. 43:51Mike shares his most fulfilling moment on his hikeBeing able to turn off the timeConnection with others44:57 Mike’s favorite location is Kansas Mike’s advice to explore Kansas - North of Ford and then cross over the Arkansas River to see the vast grassland. Try the local joints and avoid the chain restaurants because the meals are good, usually but you get to experience the local people49:08 Mike next plans include hiking the coast of Kauai along the Napali Coast, roam the American Southwest in a van51:00 Mike brings one thing when he travels - Pocket new testament in psalms52:26Mike shares his piece of life advice54:42www.ilikemike.comwww.youtube.com/ilikemike

Special Guest: Mary CallisteMary's love for travel started at the age of 16 when she left the Spice Island of Grenada for an extended visit to the U.K. Mary has traveled to several countries since and has been sharing her travel and faith journey by way of story-telling with hopes to inspire, empower and equip others for moments in their own journey.Mary's life is filled with more little moments than big, more abundant with quiet moments than loud, and colored by more lessons than losses. Having to navigate and survive challenges at a young age, Mary is choosing daily to live a life of meaning and inspiration. Travel inspired Mary to share stories with the world. She recently founded the Moments Unplugged Collective to provide a safe space for a global community of women who are interested in travel, not just external travel, but a deeper travel within themselves to find real connection and emotional healing.Show Notes: 00:00 Mary reads her excerpt from one of her instagram posts about #TravelingWhileBlack1:49 Drea introduces Mary and shares her biography3:07 Mary explains the instagram post she read about Traveling while being black.  She has had many experiences that she found as an opportunity to educate different cultures. 6:27 Mary talks about an experience where she changed a man’s mind about using the “N” word so casually. She used it as an opportunity to educate this man who had no idea the history and origin of this word. Drea and Mary discuss how it’s just a lack of education why moments like this happen and how as Americans we also enter into countries where what we do might be considered insulting - Education is the gap to all of these differences. Mary talks about in Sri Lanka she loved the food so much that she licked her fingers.  But in Sri Lanka that means you do not like the food and is very disrespectful. 9:15 Mary shares how she balances her work life/career and travel.  She gives the advice of how to approach a full time job and make them aware of your priority for your passion for travel. 14:32 Mary shares what travel means to her - She is really passionate about meeting people and really understanding who they are.  She enjoys spending the time to really talk to them and get to know them on a personal level.  This passion for connection is what she loves about travel. 17:18 Drea talks about her trip to Nepal, talking to her Sherpa, Raj and hearing about his life.  19:38 Mary talks about how she discovered traveling and how it serves her. 23:40 Mary talks about living in England 24:08 Mary discusses her travel blog, Moments in Square and what she shares on her travel blog. She talks about her experiences on her travel blog vs. what to see or do. 26:08 In her blog, she also talks about her healing journey and how she used travel to help her.  She speaks about traveling solo and reflecting on her life when she does travel. 30:02 Mary gives a piece of advice to someone who wants to go on a healing journey. 36:50 Mary loves to travel to a hotel but not a hostel (only nicer ones).  She made a commitment to herself that if she can afford nice things, to treat herself.  She doesn’t do luxury hotels usually but she does do the mid range hotels.  She stayed in a tree house once called Rumah Pohon in Bali.  40:47 Mary talks about traveling solo and what that means to her.  43:43 Finding the ideal travel partner and the importance of finding your tribe44:44 Mary talks about the challenges she’s had when she travels.  One challenge she faces is her friendly personality.  She talks about a negative experience she had in Morocco.  Drea also shares her story in Fez, Morocco. Mary talks about the difference between Casablanca and Fez. 57:47 Mary discusses the most meaningful person she’s ever met on her travels.  Her most meaningful connection is during a trip to India with her tour guide. 60:00 Mary’s most fulfilling moment is inspiring other people and also seeing a sunrise in a different country.  And another moment was a sunset in Lake Pichola in India64:00 Mary’s favorite location is Bali - She talks about some of her favorite places - Peguyangan Waterfall (Nusa Penida) 67:00 Mary’s shares her favorite tip and tricks on staying in Nusa Penida, Bali.  First off, she says that you should stay a few days and see the island by a scooter.  Stay at the Rumah Pohon Treehouse for the best view of the island for less than $50. Buy your boat ticket in advance from Ubod because the lines get really long and it’s becoming a very popular destination.  68:00 Mary shares the things she always brings when she travels.  Flip Flops.69:00 Mary’s most valuable lesson she’s ever learned while traveling which is to leave your stereotypes at home and come open minded.  70:26 Mary shares her life advice to a younger version of her. 73:00 Find mary on instagram.com/_countitalljoywww.momentsinsquares.com 

Special Guest: Drew GilmourDrew Gilmour is 58 years old and is a retired  U.S. National Park Service Chief Ranger with 32 years of service.During his Career in the NPS he worked in ten National Park as well as detailing to many other sites and other government agencies on law enforcement, wildland fire, Homeland Security and other risk assignments including the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster and hurricanes on the gulf coast. He has traveled to 28 countries and all 50 States. He has a variety of interests including Travel, Bird watching, Backpacking, Hiking, Camping, History, Aviation, Kayaking, SCUBA/Snorkeling, Dog Sledding and Ocean Voyages. He enjoys traveling by small expedition vassals and ships and has even traveled across several oceans, seas and rivers across the globe.Following retirement in 2017 he started section hiking the Appalachian Trail. He has completed 725miles of the AT from Harpers Ferry WV to Hanover NH. He has plans on finishing the other 1427 miles in three section hikes once the Covid -19 Pandemic is over. When He is not traveling He lives with his girlfriend Stacie in La Crescent, Minnesota with their two Alaskan Malamutes and one Alaskan Husky Two of which are retired Sled dogs. Together they enjoy traveling and exploring the world. Show Notes:00:00 Drew reads an excerpt from something he wrote00:24 Drea does her intro and then goes into her Drew Gilmour’s biography2:23 Drew shares why he read those quotes and where the National Park Rangers gets their authority.  2:57 Drew starts to talk about how parks pose different challenges for park rangers3:55 Drew shares what travel means to him from the perspective of a National Park Ranger5:34 Drew shares about how travel ran in his blood.  He discusses about his parents who were also world travelers. He talks about how his parents really introduced him to the national park system and exploring the world.  8:04 Drew shares his love for the Arctic and how he is really in love with that area.  He recently went on trip on a ship in the Arctic8:59 Drew continues to travel because he loves exploring the unknown. 10:00 The pandemic has taught Drea that there is so much to explore your own backyard. 10:43 Drew shares what inspired him to go into the park service.  He started a seasonal job at the age of 21 in Maintenance at a historical National Park in Morristown, NJ.  It was there that he was convinced that working as a ranger was an exciting opportunity. He starts to talk about working for Glacier National Park and “living among the grizzly bears and mountains.”12:46 Drea talks about how much she fell in love with Glacier NP.13:24  Drew was a backcountry ranger in the East portion of Glacier NP.  He talks about some of his duties in the backcountry and the encounters he had with wildlife. 15:12 Drew shares his favorite park - The Grand Tetons.  He shares what it was about the Tetons he loved. He was there 1988 during the major wildfire and how he experienced fighting the fires there.  16:15 He shares his most valuable lesson he learned while fighting these fires.  17:44 Drew shares more stories about the Yellowstone Fires. These were the first modern fires that went out of control20:55 Drea asks Drew if he ever felt afraid.  Drew says yes there were quite a few times.  He goes on to explain a situation that scared him22:30 Drea asks “What is the most challenging that you have faced as a ranger?”  He shares the moment when he changed parks and he was moving to Florida to Big Cypress NP during a hurricane26:10 A park ranger is called during national disasters according to your qualifications. 26:50 Drew talks about Space Shuttle Columbia and having the park ranger called to help for the recovery operations. Drew discusses the variety of things that a park ranger is called to do and how you were not limited in what you did. He would bounce from one park to another. 29:59 Drew talks about the Space Shuttle Columbia and the experience there. 36:18 Drew explains the division of departments in the NPS.. 36:46 Drew talks about a Panther Recovery Project and the difficulty of watching endangered speeches die in front of you. 38:11 Drew shares his most fulfilling moment as a park ranger.  When he was LBG, he met Lady Bird Johnson and he really got to know her well.  But the special events that he experienced like Operation Sail.  Drew was doing boat patrol for an event and he got to see July 4th from the boats. 40:48 He shares some of experience getting trained in law enforcement as a ranger.  He speaks about some of the toughest things he’s had to do as a Park Ranger like investigating suicides and homicides as well as Death and Notification.  43:40 What the difference is between a Park Ranger and Law Enforcement - Drew explains. 45:00 He explains the different types of rangers.47:05   The most meaningful people Drew he met during his time were some of his supervisors that helped shape his career. 48:00 The Grand Tetons NP is Drew’s favorite NP and he shares his tip & tricks about visiting it. He speaks about a few accommodations.  He recommends the Jackson Lake Lodge if you have the budget or even just a breakfast at this place. 49:31 His favorite hikes in the area are around the Colter Bay area, especially in the fall.  He recommends the Johnny Rockefeller National Parkway backcountry and there is also the Moose Wilson Road for a decent 4 wheel drive vehicle to see some wildlife.  The road goes all the way to Idaho. He also suggests Signal Mountain51:00 Drew shares the process of becoming a Park Ranger and the entire breakdown of how it would look like. He talks about being a veteran and applying for any of the permanent jobs.  55:10 Drea asks Drew how someone prepares themselves emotionally for the job. He talks about how hard it can be for a Park Ranger and the importance to talk to other rangers for support.  He talks about the rising issue of how people do not respect the National Parks especially with the rise of visitors during the Pandemic. Drea and Drew discuss the rising problem of trash on the trails and in the parks.  Drew talks about the “Leave no Trace” program. 60:00 Drew shares the one thing he likes to purchase when he travels.  He shows a giant paddle from the Amazon that he bought.  He tells the story of trading one of his belongings for this paddle.  He also shares some of his important things he brings when he travels - one of which is the Garmin InReach Explorer. When he hikes he also likes to bring a Battery Brick and he also uses GUTHOOK as an app.  He also likes to bring 64:00 You can find Drew Gilmour www.instagram.com/Gilmour1638

Have you ever dreamed of traveling the world serving others? This episode explores the life of Ashlee Redd on one of her many trips around the world to Uganda. Her faith based mission trip took her on a mission to spread her faith as well as provide education and water to communities in Africa. She discusses the problem that the community faces with the lack of clean water and the challenges that women often face in those communities as a result.Special Guest: Ashlee ReddNative New Jerseyan, former Brooklynite, and now currently by the mountains, she settled in Fort Collins, CO. Ashlee is a graphic designer with an incurable case of wanderlust. She loves to explore new places, foods, cultures, and take in the beauty of the world around her. Ashlee started her love of travel at a young age has been to 20+ counties And counting. In 2013, Ashlee went on her first mission trip to Honduras w the non profit organization Run4Water, founded and ran by her cousins in Tennessee. Since then, she has traveled to Central America and Africa with Run4Water. She has become part of the leadership team helping expand a new branch called 84Days, a women’s ministry whose goal is to spread the love of Christ, empower women, teach feminine hygiene workshops and self defense classes.Show Notes:00:00 Excerpt from Ashlee Redd:45 Ashlee Redd’s Bio2:15 Ashlee shares why she loves to travel and how travel began with her mother being originally from Chile.  She also shares how they had foreign exchange students that would live with the family.  4:00 Drea asks her about why she travels the way she does - What draws her to travel the way she does - which isn’t your typical vacation? Ashlee shares traveling to Africa and that experience.  She shares her love for being out of her element and immersing herself into a completely different culture.  6:22 Ashlee discusses how she got involved in Run4Water and how she got involved. She speaks about how her experience with Honduras and how it changed her perspective on her life.  She explains what Run4Water is and what the organization is about. 9:22 Ashlee talks about the length of time she typically spends on missions.  She also discusses what Run4water does in the countries that they go to. 10:30 Ashlee talks about the issue of water in countries like Uganda and how hard it is to get water for many people.  She explains how women or children are usually carrying jugs of water to their villages, and the many, many issues of bringing water in that way.  Ashlee talks about Run4Water and how it is their mission to help bring sustainable and safe drinking water to their villages. Ashlee also shares the difficulty of many women in Uganda and places like Uganda wherein the responsibility to bring water lies on their shoulders.  They also began a branch of the non-profit mission called 84 days which is a women’s ministry that helps the fight for Period Poverty which helps supply the women with sustainable feminine hygiene kits that supplies them for 10 years as well as workshops and self defense classes. 14:42 Ashlee starts to talk about period hygiene in Uganda and explains that there are 1.2 billion women that suffer from “period poverty”16:17 Ashlee shares what is in the kit that is in the hygiene kit that they provide for the girls.  20:14 Drea and Ashlee discuss assault in Uganda and the viewpoint of the men in the country in regards to women.  She talks about the Self Defense classes and the importance of the classes.Women get raped, abducted and sexually assaulted - so the self defense classes are so important24:18 Ashlee shares her most meaningful person she’s ever meant - which is a woman in Uganda named Vivian, the daughter of a preacher. She talks about a couple that inspired them to start another branch called Real Men which is part of the 84 days program which is about working with men29:29 Ashlee talks about some of the women they impacted when they go back to the schools they visit.  When they go revisit a school they served, they always ask if any of the girls ever had to use their self defense lessons and Ashlee has seen a few times when the girls have used it to protect themselves.  31:04 Ashlee shares her most interesting travel story in Nicaragua where she almost got struck by lightning. 34:04 Ashlee’s favorite location she’s ever traveled to is Florence, Italy, as well as her mom’s hometown in Chile. She discusses her favorite open market.  37:03 Ashlee’s advice when traveling to these two places is to travel light. Il Pizziaola Due is the best smoked mozzarella pizza place.  And in Chile she reminds everyone to eat the Empanadas and prepare for all types of weather because of the country’s diversity. 39:07 Ashlee shares her one thing she loves to buy when she goes traveling. She loves Tapestry and craft - she talks about a place in Uganda she went to and purchased this beautiful fabric.  41:45 Ashlee shares her piece of life advice to younger self.  Just say yes to really great opportunities because you don’t know what’s going to happen. And also just be kind to everybody. 42:52 If you’d like to know more about these organizations, please go to:https://www.run4water.nethttps://84days.nethttps://www.facebook.com/run4water.tnhttps://www.facebook.com/eightyfourdays

Matt Wild is a lifelong adventurer who spends most of his free time outdoors... from hiking, backpacking and camping, to trail biking, all the way to kayaking, and even surfing. When it comes to travel his preference is always a good old fashioned road trip to somewhere new and exciting. His mission over the past decade has been to find the balance between managing the demands of day to day life with exploring the wild and to help others do so as well.Show Notes: 00:00 Intro to Matt - Matt reads an excerpt about the beginnings of his love for the outdoors1:06 Drea reads Matt’s bio 1:53 Matt explains the excerpt at the beginning that he read3:02 Matt says that he lost his love for the outdoors when he got older but the Canadian show “Departures” about two guys who decided that were going to quit their jobs and travel the world for a year inspired him to change his own life.  He walked away from corporate in 2012 and took a gap year.  He hit 21 states starting in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and didn’t really have a solid plan. 6:27 Drea talks about her love for loose plans and admires Matt for being able to do that. Matt discusses the sporadic trip to Italy and the fun loose plans that ended up happening. 9:12 Matt shares the most valuable thing he learned traveling loosely within the United States.  He talks about the infrastructure for road trips in the US being much easier than Canada.  Drea and Matt discusses in detail the highway infrastructure that lends to the American Road trip lifestyle. 14:19 Drea asks Matt which state was his favorite and his answer was Oregon.  Matt explains his reasoning why he chose this gorgeous state16:46 Matt tells us why he’s passionate about travel and what it means to him  19:02 Matt shares his love for the Pacific Coast Highway19:59 Shares his favorite tip for the CA-1/Pacific Coast Highway20:28 Matt shares with us why he decided to choose the mountain and outdoorsy lifestyle - He talks about living in Vancouver and the outdoor lifestyle that is so prevalent in the area.22:46 Matt shares his most challenging thing he’s faced as a hiker which is the high cost of gear.  Matt also shares some tips on how to mitigate those costs28:17 Matt shares his current hiking boot.29:14 Matt shares the importance of trying on gear 31:06 Matt discusses how he prepared for the GAP year and the steps he took to go35:23 Matt shares his favorite moment during his GAP year36:13 Matt shares his most fulfilling moment during his GAP year - He was inspired by a Jackie Chan quote and shares it 37:40 Matt shares his most dangerous moment when he went to Winnipeg and was driving back to Thunder Bay, Canada.  He saw a bunch of moose all over this highway and they needed to stop for the evening to camp. 42:44 Matt shares the most important people he’s met during his travel.  He talks about finding his best friends on the trails in Vancouver. 47:25 Talking about spending time on the mountain during sunset and sunrise50:45 Matt shares his favorite hike - Mount Garibaldi in Canada. He talks about jumping in the glacier fed lake.  He also shares a few tips on how to do this hike. 59:00 Lake Lovely water is one place that Matt wants to go to via helicopter1:36 Matt shares his piece of life advice he would give to himself which is that he should do this sooner. 1:02  www.instagram.com/mattoutwildwww.facebook.com/mattoutwild

Alexys is a 27-year-old Los Angeles native who’s gotten really good at traveling on a budget, loves going outside of her comfort zone to experience new cultures, & says “yes” to any new type of food abroad. Within a 6 year period she had ventured to 50 countries, while going to school and then later working full time. She started her instagram page and blog because she wanted to provide honest destination tips to show just how affordable travel can be, and help others to spend less time behind the computer screen trip-planning and more time out exploring."Show Notes:00:00 Alexys begins our episode with reading an excerpt she wrote about traveling to Havana, Cuba. :40 Drea introduces the show and tells us about Alexys, a young traveler who enjoys exploring on a budget.  1:31 Drea asks about budget traveling to Havana and Alexys shares with us in further detail the Havana, Cuba trip she started the episode. It was originally supposed to be a 3 day domestic trip somewhere but after finding cheap flights to Cuba, it quickly became a 5 day trip to Havana.  2:41 Drea asks Alexys when she booked it and how she prepared for this trip 4:13 This was Alexy’s first true budget trip. 5:30 Drea asks Alexy’s budget to go to Havana, Cuba. She breaks down her flight costs, food costs, and Mojito costs.  6:24 Drea talks about her Cuba trip in February 2020 before Coronavirus hit. It was a last minute trip. Both Alexys and Drea provides some tips on the visa situation9:15 Alexys Shares how she prepared for the trip to Cuba and the “Supporting for the Cuban people” 13:04 Alexys shares some of her activities that she did in Cuba. She talks about the convertible tour and her tour guide Alan. 15:19 Talking about Cuba and exchanging money17:23 Alexys talks about the Charles Schwabb Debit card, which is one of her favorite travel tips. 20:30 Drea asks Alexys why she started traveling and how she started traveling to 50 countries. Alexys talks about how much travel runs in her family and how her mom really influenced her adventurous spirit. She believes travel really has brought her closer with her mom.23:57 Alexys shares what travel means to her - and finding your Right Travel Buddies29:48 Alexys shares her most dangerous travel stories when she was drugged in Budapest during a pub crawl. 35:33 She shared her most exciting experience which happened on her trip to Havana when she met Donald Glover aka Childish Gambino. 37:46 Alexys talks about the importance of Budget Traveling and how she got started38:51 Alexys shares her favorite places she’s traveled to and she talks about Thailand. She speaks about street food in Thailand and all the flavorful dishes the country has to offer. 42:55 Alexys shares some tricks and tips about traveling to Thailand44:40 Buy the Local Bug Spray - Top Tip from Drea and Alexys!45:49 Alexys shares her most fulfilling moment in Oktoberfest in Germany meeting the local college students.   48:20 She also shares another fulfilling moment in Cinque Terre, Italy50:00 Alexys talks about how to budget travel53:39 Alexys talks about what she purchases when she goes abroadAlexys has an impressive wall full of beautiful artistic pieces and crafts from around the world. 55:05 Alexys shares a piece of life advice to herself which is “Stay at Hostels more” She talks about meeting amazing people at hostels. She even met a singer at a hostel in Portugal who was incredible.  58:01 Find Alexys on www.instagram.com/travelexys and her blog on https://travelexys.com/Alexys’ Tips on Cinque Terre https://travelexys.com/cinque-terre-tips/Travel tip - Charles Schwabbhttps://travelexys.com/travel-tip-get-the-charles-schwab-debit-card/

Gary Arndt is not your regular traveler - He is a photographer, a world renowned travel blogger, a podcast host for “Everything Everywhere” and he even owns an NFL Franchise. He embodies traveling and garners an impressive list of places he’s been to - including visiting all 7 continents of the world, 204 countries and territories, 50 US states and every US territory, 220 US national Park services, and 400 UNESCO heritage sites, and even explored the vast Canadian provinces. He began his traveling quest in March of 2007 when he sold his home and decided that he was going to live out of his suitcase. Gary has an impressive list of awards and accolades but here are just a few to name.  He was in Time Magazine Top 25 Blogs in the World in 2010, earned a gold medal and two silver medals for Best Travel Blog by North American Travel Journalist Association, 3 Lowell Thomas Awards, which are the most prestigious prize in travel journalism and over 40 lifetime NATJA awards - holding the recording for travel bloggers, and he was named one of the 100 Most Influential Photographers in the World.Show Notes:00:00 Gary reads an excerpt that he wrote in his travel blog1:16 Drea begins to read Gary’s extensive traveling bio2:25 Gary talks about the excerpt and people’s futile quest for an authentic experience4:40 Gary talks about an experience in Cambodia when he knew that being poor didn’t mean that they didn’t have anything.  The number of people in the world who live in extreme poverty has decreased dramatically over the last 20 years and he thinks that this is a good thing.  7:38 Drea asks Gary about how he became nomadic starting when he sold his house in March 2007.  9:49 Gary shares his own advice on how to overcome the many fears of chasing the Nomadic life dream. Gary speaks to the fear of not being able to speak the language and how it is so much easier to travel the iphone than ever before. 17:50 Gary shares how he created this impressive bucket list.  He shares his journey of how he began this journey.19:54 Gary discusses over tourism and how most people don’t know about the many, many places you can go travel to.  He believes that there are many secret locations and he shares a few of them.20:28 Gary speaks about the best national park he’s ever visited, Nahanni National Park Reserve21:22 Gary then describes another less visited National Park - Torngat Mountain National Park which has fantastic Fjords.  It is run by the local Inuit community and they said that they caught arctic char.22:22 Gary speaks about Padua in Italy which is only a 20 minute train ride from Venice.  Everyone skips this beautiful town and they skip it. 24:25 Gary talks about Nevada and the  Great Basin NP 25:55 Gary shares his top challenge which was trying to work while traveling. He then shares how he mitigated that and found his solution. 28:25 Gary shares his most exciting travel story - which is when Gary visited an active war zone in Cambodia on the back of the motorcycle.33:07 Gary tells us a story of being in the middle of a protest in Bangkok when the protesters were going to try to dump human blood on the prime minister's home. 33:41 Gary also changed a law in Kiribati and he tells us the story of how that happened. 36:53 Micronesia, Palau, and  Marshall islands and the few tourists that live there.  Gary discusses how easy it is to visit.  He shares the tip on how to get there. 39:19 Drea asks how Gary started his successful blog and how it became so huge.  Gary began his blog in 1994 and he discusses the start of his podcast - and touches on his career. 44:28 Gary suggests to never buy a travel guide, but instead buy a history book on that country. Gary discusses the history of the Philippines47:00 Drea talks to Gary about what she thinks has really made him successful in the travel world.  Consistency48:55 Gary talks about the most meaningful person he’s ever met on his travels. 51:20 Gary shares his most fulfilling moment which is when he realized that he didn’t have a home.  He didn’t have to be anywhere and there were no responsibilities and he felt amazing.  55:16 Drea asks Gary for advice on anyone who wants that type of life.  How do they make it happen?  Gary shares his advice on how to achieve this57:00 Drea asks Gary where she should go next - His top places to suggest to visit. South Georgia Island - It’s very remote and hard to get to. He discusses how there is no one on this islandNahanni which he mentioned earlier on this episodePalau for scuba diving. He talks about swimming in a JellyFish Lake and the most pristine waters in the world. Kruger National Park - South AfricaNamibia Desert - Longaval - The wall of Death and camping out there.  Central Asia and how no one visits these places. Saudi Arabia - Northern South Arabia 4:35 Drea asks about Gary’s Next Travel Goals .  He wants to visit interesting secret, historical places.  69:09 Gary shares the advice  he would give to a younger Gary.  “The ability to adapt is more important than the ability to plan”71:09  Gary can be found on his podcast “Everything, Everywhere Daily”www.verything-everywhere.com   

Special Guest: Kristy SumnerIn 2014, Dr. Kristy Sumner coupled her passion for travel, history and the paranormal when she formed Soul Sisters Paranormal, an all-female team, made up of Sumner, her two sisters and two friends. The investigators of Soul Sisters Paranormal travel to some of the most historic and, reportedly, haunted locations in the U.S. in an attempt to determine for themselves if spirit activity does exist and to highlight the rich history of each location. Individually, each member of the team is an accomplished professional in her respective field, and each holds a Masters, PhD or JD degree. To date, the team has traveled to and investigated numerous US locations, including: the Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum (WV), The Lizzie Borden House (MA), the Villisca Ax Murder House (IA), the St. Augustine Lighthouse (FL), Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary (TN) and many others. Prior to forming Soul Sister Paranormal, Dr. Sumner, who holds a PhD in Public Affairs with an emphasis on Criminal Justice, was a senior director for a Registered Traveler company focused on biometric clearances for the traveling public, she was a senior consultant for a biometric credentialing company, and she was college professor at Metro State College of Denver and the University of Central Florida. Show Notes: 00:00 Kristy opens the episode with a part of their video when they investigated the grounds of Fort Mifflin.  00:58 Intro to Roaming the Earth and bio of Kristy Sumner, the paranormal investigator who travels the country investigating haunted locations.3:28 Kristy talks about the excerpt she read and Fort Mifflin. She explains the importance of the fort during the revolutionary war. 6:50 Drea expresses her fear of the paranormal and Kristy tells us about the team's lack of being afraid despite the startling noises, voices and other paranormal experiences that they witness. Kristy explains that they approach every investigation from a scientific approach where they attempt to debunk the claims before deeming it paranormal or unexplainable. 8:28 Drea asks about the Fort MIfflin experience where a shadow figure broke the laser grid on camera. Kristy and her team saw it happen in front of them and successfully capture this remarkable unexplainable experience in front of the camera. Kristy shares the very active experience of staying overnight at Fort Mifflin and the interesting approaches they have in order to speak to these entities.  12:29 Drea asks Kristy the reason why and how “Soul Sisters” started traveling the country for these paranormal investigations. It all started with the idea of going on a girls getaway that turned into a visit to the Moundsville State Penitentiary in West Virginia. 14:40 Drea asks Kristy about the kind of gear they bring on these investigations.17:40 Kristy shares her favorite haunted location - The old Gilchrist County Jail in Trenton, Florida. She explains the small footprint of the prison built in 1928. She found this location to be very active and she shares some of her stories.They talk even further about the shadow figure that walked across the hallway twice, broke a laser grid that was set up and when asked to cross again, it did.21:28 Kristy shares more of the things she has seen - Balls Moving, the laser grids moving, k2 meters that measure energy go off. She explains another paranormal experience at Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary, the former maximum security prison where they once held James Earl Ray, the man who shot Dr. Martin Luther King.   24:00 Drea explains her own experiences with the hauntings happenings in her home after her mom’s recent death.  25:02 Kristy tells us her theories of why she believes an entity stays on earth and becomes a poltergeist. She also shares a tip on how to remove them from your home. 27:16 Kristy shares some tips and tricks on investigating a potentially haunted site and the steps you need to take in order to do it. These women go into their investigations with a lot of respect and empathy for the lives of the people that are no longer alive. She also talks in length about the tremendous effort and patience to do this type of work. 32:34 The Soul sisters have traveled to 13 different states and have conducted 2 dozen commercial investigations and they have also done private investigations at residents and businesses. She shares her future plans to go to England to investigate some castles and Texas to some Asylums and the Myrtles Plantation in Louisiana36:09 Drea asks - “What does travel mean to a Paranormal Investigator”38:02 Drea asks Kristy if has ever felt like they were in danger. She explains the two types of hauntings - Residual Hauntings or Intelligent Hauntings. She also explains that they never have the intention of trying to find something dark/demonic. 41:19 Kristy shares the intelligent hauntings at Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary41:36 Drea asks Kristy if she has ever experienced intelligent dark energy. Kristy explains that she felt an oppressed energy at Prospect Place Mansion which was a stop on The Underground Railroad where it was said that the spirit of a headhunter who used to hunt and kill slaves resides. 43:06 She speaks about the Villisca Axe Murder house where in 1912, a family of 6 was bludgeoned to death with an axe. They never solved the murder and she believes that the walls hold the energy. 47:06 Drea asks if there was ever a place where they investigated and debunked it. Kristy shares a business call where a business owner believed his place was haunted but after an investigation, they were able to crack “The Haunt"49:40 Kristy explains the importance of taking a day tour of a location when they are investigating to find things that could potentially impact the investigation.50:56 Kristy shares her most meaningful person and ghost that she’s met so far. The most influential person she’s met was Miranda from Ghost Biker Explorations who rides her bike to the investigations and then investigates mostly alone.52:31 The most interesting ghost, Kristy has ever met was Ma Barker from the Ma Barker house - the site of the shoot out with Ma Barker with her son and the FBI55:55 Kristy shares her most fulfilling moment during this ghost filled journey57:56 Kristy shared what the most important thing she has learned from being a paranormal investigator59:05 Drea asks the one interesting item Kristy takes on these investigations - It’s a Roaming Gnome Stress Ball. 1:00 Kristy shares her piece of life advice for herself - Start Sooner1:12 Kristy shares her last thoughts on travel FIND KRISTY AND THE SOUL SISTERSWebsite: www.soulsistersparanormal.comYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfRN9bYQ412yL_ysN2n6seAFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/soulsistersparanormalIG https://www.instagram.com/_soulsistersparanormal_/

Vitor Rodrigues began taking photographs only three years ago and his photographs will stop you in your tracks. He has an obsession with photography and it shows in his work. He is avid traveler, backpacker and outdoor enthusiast. In this episode, he shares some of his tricks and tips, his camera & backpacking gear, and favorite locations. Show Notes:00:00 Vitor reads an excerpt he’s written when he climbed Mt. Rainer00:48 Drea introduces Vitor 1:08 Vitor shares why he is passionate about travel. 1:25 Vitor tells us how traveling runs in his family.4:06 Vitor discusses his love for the outdoors and the beginning of his love for hiking 5:30 The most challenging hike Vitor has ever done was up to Iceberg Lake in the Sierras but he shares his love for the exhaustion6:46 Vitor shares his favorite tips and tricks for backpackers.  He is a big advocate about planning and Vitor shares his techniques on how he does that. 7:40 Vitor shares his favorite gear that he takes with him when he backpacks 9:02 Vitor shares the kind of camera gear he brings with him on the trails and how he creates the types of photos he has10:29 We talk about how Vitor got started taking his incredible photographs.  He has only been doing it for 3 years and his instagram is amazing. 12:03 Vitor’s biggest tip is shared right here.  If you want to do what he does, he reveals his biggest secret on how he takes his stunning photographs14:52 Vitor times his photographs according to the place.  He doesn’t favor sunsets or sunrises, but favors how the location looks best in certain times of the day12:52 Vitor’s favorite place that he has photographed13:17 Vitor shares his love for photographs and how he approaches his photos with the intention of his edits. 14:51  Vitor shares one of his first hikes as a novice hiker and the decision to climb Mt. Washington, the tallest peak in the east coast. 17:08 Vitor shares his most fulfilling moment - the top of the mountain. 17:30 Vitor talks about his favorite mountain he’s climbed - Temple Crag19:33 Vitor has a love for Yosemite and he shares his first experience at his favorite park - Tunnel ViewViltor also shares the need to watch “Free Solo” the documentary with Alex Honnold, if you ever plan on going to Yosemite 21:31 Tips and Tricks to travel Vitor’s favorite spot, Yosemite.  He also shares the importance of picking up your trash23:01 Drea and Vitor discuss the advantage of limiting the amount of people that can go into the park because of Covid restrictions and  the beauty of winter in Yosemite to avoid the crowds. 24:31 Vitor shares his next destination - North Carolina and the Smoky mountains. 25:25 Vitor shares his one interesting item that he buys - a hoodie 26:25 Vitor’s favorite hike - Mount St. Helens29:05 Vitor Life Advice  29:37 We can find Vitor on instagram onwww.instagram.com/V_Outdoors