Zero To Travel Podcast : National Geographic Type Adventures, Lifestyle Design Like Tim Ferriss Plus Inspiration Like Ted

When Terry Repak and her husband moved to West Africa with two small children at the height of the AIDS epidemic in the 1990s, she seized the opportunity to connect with people of other cultures and bear witness to the ravages of the disease.  Today, Terry shares what she learned from this experience and the countless ways that living abroad can be both rewarding and challenging, especially with the constant push-pull between the excitement of new experiences and the longing for home. Terry is the author of Circling Home—What I Learned By Living Elsewhere, which chronicles the adventures and challenges of raising children to be global citizens and trying to find home in countries as diverse as the Ivory Coast, Tanzania, and Switzerland. Her memoir spotlights the complexity, struggles, and profound lessons at the heart of the expat journey. You’ll gain insights into navigating the potential risks of moving to another country, why forming deeper connections is key to a fulfilling experience abroad, and why it r

Ever wish you could just slow down? Long-time digital nomad and founder of Wandering Earl Tours, Derek "Earl" Baron, joins me to talk about the best countries to settle in and spend quality time. Derek set off for his first trip in December 1999 and has traveled the world nonstop since. Having visited over 100 countries and spent nearly 8,000 days on the road (at the time of this interview), he has the unique perspective of someone who has spent over two decades living, working, and building relationships abroad.  Derek shares how to find the right place to spend quality time, tips for finding good housing abroad, the best country to make friends, advice for building relationships on the road, and so much more. Where was the last place you spent quality time? I'd love to hear about your experience, and I hope you will share by sending me an audio message. *This month, we're sharing previous episodes highlighting the most EPIC lists! Zero To Travel interviews are timeless, providing valuable insight whenever y

Do you want to create a life or business that allows for freedom and flexibility? Matt Bowles is the host of The Maverick Show podcast, where he travels the world full-time to find the most fascinating people on the planet, draw out stories of their most epic adventures, and unpack the skills, tactics, and strategies they use to build their remote businesses and design their lifestyles. As an entrepreneur and 10-year nomad, Matt shares his insight into decision-making and prioritizing as a digital nomad, his methodology for building a remote business from traditionally location-dependent models, and his process for creating a business from scratch. Matt is also an expert on turnkey real estate investing, and he shares how this could be a viable option for you as a traveler. This episode will give you plenty of insights into life on the road (even dating!) and building a business around your lifestyle. What insights from Matt will you take into your business? I'd love to hear your thoughts, and I hope you’ll s

What’s better than getting out on the open road and blasting your favorite jams? I’m with my buddy Jason Law to break down our top 10 road trip albums to fuel your next adventure. Jason and his wife Kelly run Festy GoNuts and GoNuts Marketing, the ultimate resource for enhancing your music festival experience. In addition to our list, you’ll hear about his experience building these businesses and creating a location-independent lifestyle. Get ready for a lot of great music, great fun, and great insights! What are your favorite road trip albums? I'd love to hear what they are, and I hope you’ll share them by sending me an audio message. *We're sharing previous episodes highlighting the most EPIC lists this month! Zero To Travel interviews are timeless, providing valuable insight whenever you listen. Premium Passport: Get ad-free episodes, exclusive content, and access to all episodes for only $3/month. Subscribe now! Tune In To Learn: What timeless albums and songs are a must-listen for the ultimate road tri

Want to kickstart your digital nomad adventure or work and travel on your own terms? Janessa Klatt and Caitlin Sunderland are podcast managers and two of the core team members here at the Zero To Travel podcast. They’re with me today to share about the unique and nonlinear paths they took to achieve location independence and offer insights on how you can do the same. Caitlin and Janessa share advice for pivoting into freelance work, whether you have the skillset or are starting from scratch. We talk about the mindset shifts necessary to be successful as a digital nomad and remote business owner and why having a community is essential. You’ll gain plenty of advice on freelancing best practices, setting boundaries with clients, confidently selling your services, and tons more. What side hustle or business do you want to start? What piece of advice from this episode will you apply? I'd love to hear your thoughts, and I hope you’ll share them by sending me an audio message. Premium Passport: Get ad-free episodes,

Do you want to get off the beaten path and visit obscure destinations? Entrepreneur, podcaster, and travel junkie Dylan Thuras joins me to discuss some of his favorite lesser-known wonders and delicacies from all seven continents and why they’re worth the visit. Dylan is the co-founder of Atlas Obscura, a global community of explorers who have together created a comprehensive database of the world’s most wondrous places and foods.  With his wealth of knowledge about unique points of interest around the world, Dylan covers where to go, how to get there, and what unexpected hidden treasures await you off the beaten path.  Which of these seven hidden wonders would you visit first? I'd love to hear what stood out, and I hope you will share by sending me an audio message. *We're sharing previous episodes highlighting the most EPIC lists this month! Zero To Travel interviews are timeless, providing valuable insight whenever you listen. Premium Passport: Get ad-free episodes, exclusive content, and access to all epi

Why should travelers care about crypto? Nat Eliason joins me to talk about crypto's impact on the world's financial system, how to find fulfillment and success in your work, and how to create “unlimited upside” situations for yourself. Nat is a writer whose first book, Crypto Confidential: Winning and Losing Millions in the New Frontier of Finance, documents the wild inside story of crypto’s get-rich-quick underbelly. Nat and I also discuss the fine line between crypto gambling and legit use cases, the future of the crypto ecosystem, the best resources to follow if you’re interested in going further, and the biggest lessons he learned from winning and losing millions in crypto. How do you think crypto will affect travel? I'd love to hear your thoughts, and I hope you’ll share them by sending me an audio message. Premium Passport: Get ad-free episodes, exclusive content, and access to all episodes for only $3/month. Subscribe now! Tune In To Learn: How he problem-solves for better insights and gets into his

What destination could you visit over and over again? What do people from other countries love the most about USA travel?  In this episode, my lovely wife Anne Dorthe is with me to chat about our family trip to the USA.  As a native of Norway, Anne Dorthe shares her unique perspective on traveling to America and gives us her top six favorite things about visiting the States—some of which are sure to surprise you! What places do you love to travel to and why? I'd love to hear about them, and I hope you will share by sending me an audio message. *We're sharing previous episodes highlighting the most EPIC lists this month! Zero To Travel interviews are timeless, providing valuable insight whenever you listen. Premium Passport: Get ad-free episodes, exclusive content, and access to all episodes for only $3/month. Subscribe now! Tune In To Learn: Why it's important to talk about your travel budget when planning a trip with your partner The amenity the U.S. has that’s hard to find in other places What elements

What are the things that help you flourish on a deep level? Nina Butler joins me to explore this question as she outlines her criteria for the top ten health and wellness destinations and why these may also be the top places in the world to live.  Nina Butler is the founder of InRetreat, which crafts transformative journeys to exceptional eco-destinations around the world. She joins Jason in person this week to talk about wellness holistically, defining it for yourself, and asking yourself about your own priorities when deciding to visit or live somewhere. We discuss her top ten wellness destinations across multiple continents, why urban centers can never be wellness destinations, the importance of trees and protected nature spaces, which regions are not yet over-touristed, and so much more. Which wellness destinations would you add to this list? I'd love to hear what they are, and I hope you’ll share them by sending me an audio message. Premium Passport: Get ad-free episodes, exclusive content, and access t

We have another epic theme this month on the podcast! Tune in for a sneak peak. What topics and themes do you want to hear about on the podcast? I'd love to hear what they are, and I hope you’ll share them by sending me an audio message. Premium Passport: Get ad-free episodes, exclusive content, and access to all episodes for only $3/month. Subscribe now! Resources: Join Zero To Travel Premium Passport Sign up for our FREE newsletter Thanks To Our Sponsors This episode of Zero To Travel is brought to you by the 2024 Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek. Now go find your path, and enjoy the ride along the way. Learn more at Nissanusa.com. Airbnb - Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com/host. Babbel - Learn a new language with Babbel! Visit babbel.com/zerototravel to get up to 60% off your subscription.

What is a country? American journalist and author Eric Czuleger set out to answer that very question with his recent book, You Are Not Here: Travels Through Countries That Don't Exist, which shares about his year living in only unrecognized nations, such as Iraqi Kurdistan and Kosovo. The goal of this book is to invite readers to ask big questions about what it means to be a citizen of their own nation. Eric and I talk about his experience and touch on various topics, such as storytelling and the media, culture and identity, geopolitics, his brief stint as an intelligence analyst, and why he had to learn to like the world again. You’ll learn about the future of nation-states, his near-death experience in South Africa, reverse culture shock, expat life in Albania, and so much more. This episode will give you plenty of insights into the importance of storytelling, perception, and following your “peculiar” interests. Why do you travel? I'd love to hear your reasons, and I hope you’ll share them by sending me an

What is the #1 fear of most travelers, and how can you reign that fear in? Today’s Greatest Hits episode is about changing your perspective, worldview, and life through factfulness. Anna Rosling Rønnlund is the co-founder of Gapminder.org, whose mission is to fight ignorance by providing a fact-based worldview (for FREE). She is also the co-author of the NY Times Best-Selling book Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About The World—And Why Things Are Better Than You Think. This book will change your life for the better, so be sure to check it out. We discuss why the world may not be getting worse (as some think), the role of the media in distorting our worldview, insights into how we can shift our perspectives based on facts, and so much more. How did this episode change your outlook? I'd love to hear your thoughts, and I hope you’ll share them by sending me an audio message. *We're sharing previous episodes that highlight authors this month! Zero To Travel interviews are timeless, providing valuable insight

How is tourism impacting communities, and what can we do about it? Paige McClanahan joins me to talk about the dualities of the tourism industry and how we can have deeper travel experiences while benefiting the world. Paige McClanahan is the author of The New Tourist: Waking up to the Power and Perils of Travel. She is an American journalist based in France and a regular contributor to The New York Times, where she reports on the impacts of tourism. She is also the host of The Better Travel Podcast, which aims to make sure that our travels have a positive impact on the world.  We talk about the evolution of tourism as context to how it got to where it is today, the consequences of travel on local communities (good and bad) and what we can do about it, and insights into how we can become what Paige calls a “new tourist.” She also shares a behind-the-scenes look at how she wrote this book and used her professional journalism skills to her advantage. How will you become a “new tourist?” I'd love to hear your th

How would you describe your current level of happiness, and what would need to change to improve that?  Award-winning journalist and bestselling author Eric Weiner joins me to explore the many themes of his book The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World and get into the nitty-gritty of what it means to be happy. If you want to transform your outlook and increase your happiness, you don’t want to miss this episode. Eric shares stories from his time as a foreign war correspondent during the rise of the Taliban, his decision to leave behind a successful career at NPR, lessons from traveling the world to write his first book, and so much more.  How does traveling make you a better version of yourself? I'd love to hear your thoughts and hope you will share them by sending me an audio message. *We're sharing previous episodes that highlight authors this month! Zero To Travel interviews are timeless, providing valuable insight whenever you listen. Premium Passport: Get ad-free e

Did you know Ben Franklin was an extensive traveler for his time?  Today, I'm joined by New York Times bestselling author Eric Weiner to talk about his new, incredibly unconventional biography, Ben & Me: In Search of a Founder's Formula for a Long and Useful Life, a guide for living and thinking well. We talk about Eric's unique way of weaving travel into his writing, explore the life and wisdom of Ben Franklin, and share concrete takeaways you can use to enhance your own life and travels. You'll hear about Eric's three keys to living, thinking, and aging well, what it means to live a useful life, the importance of curiosity, and the benefits of being what he calls a "genuine fake." We also touch on Ben's flaws and the lessons we can learn from them. What insights stood out to you the most? I'd love to hear them, and I hope you'll share by sending me an audio message. Premium Passport: Get ad-free episodes, exclusive content, and access to all episodes for only $3/month. Subscribe now! Tune In To Learn: Wha

What do you love about your home country? What do you think could be better? After moving to America in 2008, Anu began to notice how much more complicated and stressful things seemed to be in the States compared to her home country of Finland. Anu Partanen is a Finnish journalist and author of The Nordic Theory of Everything—In Search of a Better Life. The book shows how the Nordic way of doing things can give you more freedom to fulfill your desires, enjoy more travel, have better health, better education, and more opportunities. In this Greatest Hits episode, you'll hear some of her interesting perspectives and ideas surrounding these topics and gain insight into how your view of your home country shifts (for better and for worse) when you move to a new country. How have your views changed about your home country since traveling? I'd love to hear your thoughts, and I hope you’ll share them by sending me an audio message. Premium Passport: Get ad-free episodes, exclusive content, and access to all episodes

How can one simple concept or decision radically change your life? In 2017, Jen Ruiz set out to take 12 trips in 12 months before her 30th birthday while employed full-time as an attorney. By the end of the 12 months, she had taken 20 trips and discovered a new career path, empowering others to change their lives through travel. Jen is a five-time Amazon bestselling author, three-time TEDx speaker, and solo travel maven. Her new memoir, 12 Trips in 12 Months: Make Your Own Solo Travel Magic, documents this journey of what happened when she decided to stop waiting for others and start living for herself.  Jen and I talk all about solo travel and advice on traveling with a full-time job. She shares advice on self-publishing versus traditional publishing, how and when to make the transition to travel from a full-time job, how your perceived drawbacks can actually be your biggest benefits, and a ton more. What challenge can you set for yourself to make the most of your travels? I'd love to hear your thoughts and

What epic episodes are we dropping this month on the podcast? Listen in to this quick announcement and find out. What topics and themes do you want to hear about on the podcast? I'd love to hear what they are, and I hope you’ll share them by sending me an audio message. Premium Passport:Get ad-free episodes, exclusive content, and access to all episodes for only $3/month. Subscribe now! Resources: Join Zero To Travel Premium Passport Sign up for our FREE newsletter Thanks To Our Sponsors Nissan - There’s no better vehicle for adventure than the 2024 Nissan Pathfinder. Learn more at www.nissanusa.com. Babbel - Learn a new language with Babbel! Visit babbel.com/zerototravel to get up to 60% off your subscription.

Do you have a fear of flying or get stressed and anxious while you're traveling? In today’s Greatest Hits episode, you'll learn how to run your brain instead of letting your brain run you with Lawrence Leyton and Mark Wein, experts in overcoming the fear of flying. Through their work with the Fear of Flying TV show in the UK and easyJet's Fearless Flyer course, phobia expert Lawrence and ex-phobic Mark have helped thousands conquer their aviation anxieties.  Lawrence and Mark talk about their experience with the fear of flying and dig into the root cause of phobias. They share practical tips and strategies for conquering the fear of flying and managing anxiety during various travel situations. What piece of advice will you try next time you get travel anxiety? I'd love to hear what they are, and I hope you’ll share them by sending me an audio message. *We're sharing previous episodes to highlight Mental Health Month! Zero To Travel episodes are timeless and provide valuable insight whenever you listen. Premiu

How does full-time travel impact your mental health? What happens when the novelty of full-time travel begins to wear off? Today, I’m joined by Will and Jessica Sueiro to talk about the rewards and challenges of living this lifestyle.  Will and Jessica Sueiro have been traveling full-time with their two kids for the last 10 years. They are the duo behind WorldTowning, which was started by their family and has since become a movement to empower others to explore and change the world through travel. Will and Jessica talk about the reality of full-time travel and the impact that it’s had on their children. They share their family’s journey with mental health, why travel isn’t a “cure-all,” and why self-care and therapy are critical for nomads. We also have a conversation around how your preferred travel style can evolve over time and the struggles of finding work-life balance on the go. There are a ton of insights packed into this episode to take with you on your next adventure. What has travel taught you about