Blue Planet Stories

Today we speak with Mario Lopez Goicoechea and read his story the Flautist. Mario was born in Cuba, lived and studied in Havana through the University then emigrated to London, where he has lived for twenty seven years. Mario is a writer, teacher, a linguist and a cycling instructor. His book “ Cuban, Immigrant, and Londoner ” was published in 2021 and you can find it where books are sold. From th...

Today we speak with Carol Canter, a travel writer from Oakland California, and read her story Biking in the Canadian Rockies. Carol has written award-winning travel articles that have made the off-beat and exotic accessible to readers for nearly five decades, on topics like Jazz Clubs in Tokyo, Truffles in Dordogne, Cruising the Nile, and Biking the Canadian Rockies.  She has reviewed children’s m...

We speak with Sanne Brun. Sanne is a traveler, writer and translator. She has been living in a camper van, exploring beautiful places around the UK, and sharing her experiences on Medium through personal stories.  She writes about life lessons she learns on the road, about her experiences as a full-time female solo van-lifer, and about how she stays healthy in the van.  With a strong passion for M...

Today, we speak with Gentry Bronson. He is a writer and musician living in New Orleans. He began his musical life as a classical pianist winning competitions and awards during his teenage years. As a young adult he followed grunge, punk, rock and EDM and lived where the music was, including Seattle, Prague, and a host of other places. He soon launched his own musical career and released records wi...

Michael is a husband, father, and high school English teacher. And at the base of his being, beneath the flint that sparks his life, is the soul of a writer. Michael grew up in Brooklyn, NY where he created memories with his family and enjoyed the city to its fullest. After building a family of his own, he made the difficult decision to leave the city and move to Texas. Michael’s love for sci-fi,...

Stephanie is a neurodiversity coach by day, and wrangles with words by night. She also puts comics to her stories that look at this magical hodgepodge called life. Stephanie was born in Germany where her dad was stationed before his two tours in Vietnam. She grew up in PA where she fell in love with the outdoors. Her adolescence was spent in NJ where she sang Bruce Springsteen songs with the rest...

Today we speak with Chip Walter. Chip began his career in televisions news. He was one of the original CNN employees, launching the company and later becoming its bureau chief. He worked on PBS documentaries, including Planet Earth and other titles. Chip authored five mainstream science books, including co-authoring a book with William Shatner. His latest book ‘Doppelganger’ was released in 2024....

Today we speak with Sally Prag. She is a writer from Devon, England focusing on creative non-fiction and poetry. Sally is an editor for Memoirist and Age of Empathy publications where she works with established and emerging authors. She is also an entrepreneur, mother, musician, and a nature lover. Today we interview Sally and read her story Without Living Through Darkness How Could We Appreciate...

Matthew David Nelson is a travel photographer and writer from Des Moines, Iowa.  He is an advocate for sustainable travel and citizen diplomacy, he has undertaken projects in ten countries, primarily in the Western Balkans, India, and Nepal. Matthew’s  work has been published in National Geographic Traveller Magazine, Resonate (Norway), and Get Lost! (AU), among others.  His photographs have appea...

Today with speak with Doug Brown. Doug is a writer in Asheville, North Carolina, his beloved home of many years. Doug began his career as a preschool teacher but now teaches adults on how to be better at their work. He has written for magazines and trade publications, as well as ghostwritten multiple works. Doug is the author of Walker Percy Loves You and Has a Wonderful Plan for Your Life , a mem...

Today we talk with Andy Lammers. He is a writer, a middle school teacher, an athlete, a traveler, and a basketball coach. Andy lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan with his family. He writes essays on diverse topics, inspired by the things around him. We interview Andy and read his contemplative piece: Is This Why We Travel? Volcano’s and Viking Winds - ramblings and wondering in Iceland. The piece was pu...

Today we speak with Brad Yonaka. He is a geologist who has traveled to over 140 countries for work and pleasure. He is a prolific writer who writes about his experiences around the world. He also conducts numismatics research for auction houses and he published a book on the topic - Variety Guide to the Silver and Copper Coinage of the Mexico City Mint 1732 - 1771. As he grows older, Brad says, he...

Today we speak with Erika Burkhalter and read her story, ‘Finding Permanence In Impermanence at the LaConte Glacier, Alaska.’ Erika holds a masters degree in neuro-psychology, and another masters in Eastern Philosophy. She taught eastern philosophy, and she taught yoga for twenty plus years. Erika lives in Orange County, California, focuses on photography and writing, and travels around the world....

Today we speak with Geo Snelling. Geo lives in New Zealand with his family. He works at the confluence of art and software engineering in the visual effects industry. He is a traveler and a writer in his spare time. He began his career working for an economic consulting company, and traveled to over 65 remote countries collecting economic data. We interview Geo and read his story To Saipan, From S...

We are back to talking with guest authors next week, but this week we are reading Egor’s story and talk about how it happened. From the show: …So we went to a bar one night to have a little dinner, and we were sitting down next to this guy, and we started chatting with him a little bit and discovered he was a lobsterman, Joe the Lobsterman. …putting words on paper recalled the memories in my head...

Today we have a special episode. We are talking about bicycle touring on continents around the world with Chris Berge. Chris is a businessman with seven successful restaurants behind him, he was an elite cyclocross competitor, a chess player, and he is a traveler. His preferred method of traversing the world is by bicycle, and he has taken it around North America, across South America, along Patag...

Josh Porter is a writer, filmmaker, and tuk-tuk driver. Josh left England at the age of 23 and has been traveling around the world for the past 7 years to pursue adventure, and as he says, chaos. We are speaking with Josh and reading his story: "We drove a Tuk-Tuk to the driest country in Sub-Saharan Africa." This story is only a single chapter retelling of their two-year journey through all of Af...

Today we speak with author Ryan Chin. Ryan lives in Portland, OR. He began his life as an elementary school teacher. He taught in New Zealand before returning to the United States. He is an avid surfer and a fly fishermen, he is also the author of The Big Head Diaries, stories of a lab from New Zealand, and Without Rain, a memoir. We are reading Ryan's story " Rumbling and Reminiscing on a Dirt Ro...

Today we speak with Bridget Klein. She grew up in New Jersey but found her way to Alaska where she lives now. She is an environmentalist who enjoys spending time outdoors. And she is the author of multiple essays about her life, nature, and big issues we face. We interview Bridget and read her wonderful story "A Mile from Mountaintop's Summit", a story about realizing the wonder of giving in and g...

Tim Ward is the author Mature Flâneur: Slow Travels Through Portugal, France, Italy and Norway , and 11 other books. Tim is a lifelong traveler. He spent six months in Asia, including two visits to Tibet and a three-month stay in a Tibetan Monastery in the Indian Himalayas. Tim remains engaged in Tibetan issues to this day and is a member of the executive board of Machik—an NGO led by Tibetans fro...

We interview Dan Stevens and read his story. He is a writer who lives in Devon, England with his partner. They live in a restored care home at the edge of a small town. He writes about personal history, his perspectives on life, and the Devon countryside. Dan Stevens has been a writer since 1997. He started at a local newspaper and later wrote for British car magazines. Now, he works in content ma...

For almost 30 years, Audrey has been a television news producer for American and European news outlets. She has interviewed kings and queens, Hollywood royalty, rock and roll stars, sports stars, politicians, and everyday people. She lives with her husband and their two dogs in Culver City, California. Audrey is the author of the upcoming book “Across the American Dream: Bicycling Across the U.S....

Raised in Coventry, UK and transplanted to Vancouver, BC, writer  Ryan Frawley has won various Canadian literary awards. His debut novel, Scar , was published in 2011. In 2016, he moved to Italy with his wife and cat and spent the next two years traveling around the continent. Towers Temples Palaces is the story of his time there. He now lives in the south of France. Today, we read his beautiful e...

Egor Korneev loves running, and a hundred-kilometer race is his idea of a good time—or is it? The story is about a runner's mental state, the emotional swings, and the camaraderie runners find on the trail. We are sorry - we are one day late. We ran into conditions at sea that forced us to spend an extra day in the ocean. But we made it and are posting the podcast for you. If you want to hear abou...

Twenty-five years ago, I went flying with my friend. The memory left a strong imprint on my life. In this podcast, Alex reads the story and interviews the author. Thank you for reading Blue Planet. This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.blueplanetstories.com