Rhythm & Roam with Benef, Paul, & Trecia

Planning a mission trip, church group travel, or student outreach abroad? This episode is your blueprint. Dr. Joy, CEO of Butler Travel, joins Rhythm & Roam to break down the most common and costly mistakes travelers make when organizing international trips. We also explore how faith plays a role in travel, including a powerful story of survival and provision in a life-threatening situation ab...

Feeling exhausted by the constant drama in your feed? In this convo, Rhythm & Roam and David Beckemeyer (host of Outrage Overload) unpack how outrage culture shapes our politics, our timelines, and even how we see the people sitting next to us on the plane.

On this episode of Rhythm & Roam, we sit down with Australian hiker, writer, and educator Belinda Coker, who spends up to eight months a year walking long-distance trails across regions and countries. She shares how moving slowly through towns and villages reshapes her view of culture, identity, and community, and how house-sitting lets her "live inside" a place rather than pass through. We al...

Step into a crowded Irish pub, the fiddle starts, the pints are flowing… and you're wondering if it's okay to clap, sing, or join in. In this episode of Rhythm & Roam, Benef, Paul, and Trecia sit down with Irish fiddle player, podcaster, author, educator, tour guide, and arts manager, Tara Connaghan, to unpack the unspoken etiquette of traditional Irish music sessions. If you've ever dreamed o...

In this episode, we sit down with Renae Ninneman, founder of Going Beyond Tourism and CulturalQ, to explore what it really means to develop cultural intelligence (CQ). We go beyond surface-level awareness to unpack how CQ shapes how we travel, connect, and show up in diverse spaces. Renae shares her journey into cross-cultural work, breaks down the difference between cultural awareness and true in...

What does it really take to sell everything, leave land behind, and sail across the world? In this episode of Rhythm & Roam Podcast, we sit down with author and world traveler Alison Gieschen, who made the bold decision to walk away from conventional life and embrace full-time sailing across the globe. From confronting fear in the open ocean to discovering humanity through strangers in faraway...

From tourist to traveler, this travel podcast dives into slow travel, cultural immersion, meaningful travel stories, and purpose‑driven adventures beyond tourism. Benef, Paul, & Trecia sit down with Dan and Mikkel. Two storytellers who've built a lifestyle around intentional exploration and seeing the world through history, curiosity, and human connection. They unpack how to design a life that...

This episode of Rhythm & Roam is for every dreamer who ever said, "What if I just kept driving?”  We sit down with Matt, who did exactly that, driving solo from Los Angeles to Panama through Mexico, Central America, and a few unexpected roadblocks along the way (literally). He opens up about fear, freedom, and what it means to be an outsider welcomed in. From being stuck for days at a Nicaragu...

In this episode of Rhythm & Roam Podcast, co-hosts Benef, Paul, and Trecia sit down with Queen Michele, Founder of the Fula History & Genealogy Society of America, to explore her remarkable journey tracing her maternal lineage to the Fula people of Guinea-Bissau through African Ancestry DNA. They discuss the differences between African Ancestry DNA and commercial ancestry tests, the emotio...

Rhythm & Roam goes behind the headlines to uncover what happens when a cornerstone of global development, USAID, loses its funding. Our guest, Julie,  a former director, shares firsthand what the shutdown means for the communities, programs, and people who relied on America's aid. From healthcare initiatives to education projects, we explore the ripple effect of political decisions on the worl...

What happened to R&B groups, and why does it matter? In this episode of Rhythm & Roam, we sit down with DJ, professor, and author Amani Roberts to unpack the cultural, political, and business legacy of Black R&B groups, from The Isley Brothers to TLC. We go way beyond nostalgia. We discuss how R&B has shaped Black culture in America and abroad, and its global impact. Amani shares i...

Meet travel trailblazer, April, who literally traveled to 7 continents and 193 countries. In this episode, we unpack the mindset it takes to dream this big, the solitude behind adventure, and what happens when "everywhere" becomes home. Her story aims to inspire travel enthusiasts and adventure seekers by showing that your travel journey is about more than destinations. It's about discovering iden...

What's it like to travel the world as a gay man, a filmmaker, and a truth-teller, in places where your very existence challenges tradition? In this Rhythm & Roam episode, our guest, Neil, reveals the courage it takes to capture authentic stories while navigating laws and cultures that don't always welcome you. We also explore Neil's novel series "Prime Time Travelers", a fictional reimagining...

We’re rewinding over 50 years to a time when “off the grid” actually meant off the grid. Meet Barry, a fearless traveler who, alongside his wife, drove solo across Africa before GPS, social media, or even paved roads in most regions. This episode isn’t just about adventure—it’s an honest look at what it meant to explore uncharted territory. Barry shares how they navigated political unrest, unguard...

In this holiday edition of Jet Lag Diaries, we break down Thanksgiving 2025—from Paul's first attempt at a jerk turkey to the cultural conversation around washing your meat and how these traditions shape Black and diaspora holiday cooking. We catch up on our Thanksgiving stories,  share our upcoming Christmas holiday plans, and tease what's next for Rhythm & Roam in 2026, including new travel...

We sit down with Erin to explore the inspiring, often-overlooked side of voluntourism—the one rooted in real connection, cultural understanding, and personal purpose. Erin breaks down what voluntourism can look like when done intentionally and how it can open a door to a deeper sense of meaning through service abroad. We talk about the misconceptions Americans often carry, how Erin's time in Malaw...

It's a mix of humor, global perspective, and traveler therapy — unfiltered conversations about what happens between flights, in terminals, and in our heads. Whether you love solo travel, cultural adventures, or just people-watching at Gate C4, this one's your boarding pass to wanderlust and reflection. Want to support the show? Buy Me A Coffee - https://buymeacoffee.com/rhythmandroam  

What happens when your life sits at the intersection of cultures?  In this episode of Rhythm & Roam, we sit down with global leadership strategist John McEntire, whose multicultural upbringing shaped not only his worldview but his entire approach to leadership and personal growth. Visit our website at www. RhythmAndRoam.com for more great content!

In this episode, our guest, Rosamaria—an Italian-American who first moved to Italy and now Germany—shares how living abroad has reshaped her identity. Reflecting on how her Italian-American upbringing influenced her move to Italy, the challenges and surprises of living in her family’s homeland, and why Germany became the next chapter in her journey—redefining what “home” means when culture, langua...

What started as a birthday getaway for Trecia became an unforgettable journey through Minnesota filled with surprise, culture, and music. From first impressions of Minneapolis to connecting with the spirit of Prince at Paisley Park, every moment revealed something new and unexpected. The trip blended travel, history, and creativity into an experience that deepened her connection to both place and...

If you’ve ever wondered whether to sip whiskey before beer, or if Ireland is more than shamrocks and stereotypes, this episode has your answer. Benef and Paul touched down in Dublin expecting rolling green hills, endless pints, and postcard-perfect pubs. What do they have? A crash course in Irish culture that challenged every travel cliché. From the Jameson vs. Guinness showdown to discovering wha...

What does it mean to come home after decades away? In this episode, Paul takes us to Negril, Jamaica, where the air is rich with jerk seasoning, reggae drifts across the breeze, and every laugh carries echoes of childhood. It’s been more than 30 years since he last touched the soil his parents once called home. Now, after building a life in Paris, he returns to reconnect with the sounds, flavors,...

This Rhythm & Roam episode is based on our personal experiences of the cleanest and dirtiest cities we've visited. We spill the tea (and maybe a little sanitizer) on the cities that wowed us with their gleaming charm and the ones that left us clutching our Lysol wipes. It’s not just about grime and glamour, though—we dig into how culture, history, and even climate play a role in a city’s “clea...

Grab your earbuds and your Eurail pass—we’re going global with class credit. In this episode of Rhythm & Roam, we chat with our friend and her teenage son, Patrick, who recently jetted off on a high school trip abroad. But this isn’t just another "student tour with matching T-shirts" story. Patrick, who is deaf and uses a cochlear implant to hear, shares what it was like to explore centuries-o...

We catch up with Anjie, whose passport has been on beast mode lately—Paris, Dubai, and a trek up to Mount Everest Base Camp. But this isn’t just a highlight reel of globe-trotting glam. We dive into why she took on Everest, how it stretched her physically, mentally, and spiritually, and what it really means to evolve through travel. From sipping espresso near the Eiffel Tower to gasping for air in...