Unruly Podcast | Travel, Activism & Alternative Culture

If you linger on the internet after searching for the best queer travel destinations, you’re guaranteed to see the same list over and over again: California, Mexico, Spain, Iceland, and the likes. This can be especially frustrating considering that the LGBTQ+ community devotes an extra 12 hours to travel research and planning. Should we keep visiting the same destinations, time and time again, wit...

If you’ve ever researched how “how to lucid dream” you’ll probably see the same steps: go to sleep, wake up, write down your dreams, repeat. But author Cryrena Lee knows that it’s much more than that. The real first step to lucid dreaming is lucid living. That means being present while you’re awake, noticing your where your attention wanders, and cultivating awareness. In a world full of noisy dis...

On March 15th, 2026 animal investigators made history by launching a mass open rescue at Ridglan Farms in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin. Ridglan Farms is one of the two largest facilities in the US where beagles are bred and used for research in labs. Around 20 of the activists were arrested, including Alexandra Paul. In this interview Alexandra takes us behind the scenes, sharing what it was like to be...

A community of kin: it’s something that we need, we crave, and that our survival depends on. If you’re not sure what that is or how to build it, rest easy. You’re in good hands! In this episode Calen sits down with Sophie Lucido Johnson, the multi-talented author of Kin: The Future of Family. Amidst skyrocketing isolation and anxiety, our guest presents an antidote: consciously creating kin, a war...

Nothing has impacted Ariel Travis more than the one thing so many of us fear: International travel. Journey back in time and you won’t find this professional pediatric medical speech-language pathologist in clean scrubs. The true beginning of her career started in a rugged fashion; she joined the Peace Corps just two weeks fresh out of collage before living and working in Mozambique, Brazil, China...

Walk in just about any clothing store and you’ll find a few things to be true: a “fat tax” is imposed, clothing can’t be mended to accommodate changing bodies, and fast fashion drives the bottom dollar. Scroll through Rae Hill’s website and you’ll see the opposite: garments that can be altered, that are made to last, and break binaries. This business model is rare, but it’s the driving force behin...

There’s one transition we’ll all experience but hardly talk about: Death. Whether out of fear or taboo, so much of our culture and communities shy away from the topic. Still, it lingers in the back of our mind and flutters in our subconscious.  On the topic of dying and deathwork we interview Scott Kirschenbaum, known for his stunning documentaries where he captures some of life's most intense and...

Seated in the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica is Finca Ganadito, an eco-living space committed to regenerative agriculture and increasing biodiversity. But their work doesn’t stop with the birds and soil — it extends to the seas, with impressive efforts to protect sea turtles. Rob "Tortugo" — known locally as the “sea turtle man” — is a key player in these green efforts. With a background in biology,...

Is there an ethical way to do religion? That’s one of the many topics we explore in the newest podcast episode with Ann Russo, LCSW, founder and clinical director of AMR Therapy. As a queer phycologist with a MA in Theology, Ann speaks to what religious trauma is, how it affects the body and brain, and how to navigate and heal from religious trauma. From growing up in a secret queer household in t...

Have you ever wanted to transform your life? Sure, we can tweak a habit here and there from our usual comfortable perch. But sometimes we feel a rumble from down deep in our bellies; adventure and change is calling, but we’re too scared to answer. What can happen when we do? Here today to answer that question is Jonny Wright, hitchhiker extraordinaire and fan of irreversible decisions. After trave...

To celebrate queer joy, blossoming, and vibrant life I invite you to join us for a special Unruly Podcast episode. It weaves together the illuminating stories of 6 different people, now in their mid 20’s and 30’s, who grew up in rural spaces as queer youth.  There they found refuge in nature, belonging in the outdoors, and community in the unlikeliest of places. You'll find yourself laughing and c...

Here today to tell us how we can *actually* protect trans people is Charlie Alexander, one half of the life-saving duo at TNET. In this episode you'll learn how to protect trans people right now, after the election, and how to support trans rights in general. At the end of the episode we answer FAQ's from parents of trans youth like, 'Does my trans kid need to go to therapy?' and correct misconcep...

Looking to move abroad as an American with a family? In this episode Ashley Renne Nswonu holds nothing back — we’re exploring how to move abroad with a 9-5 job, the best live abroad for a year programs, alternative schooling, and more. Before living abroad as a family Ashley worried about how her kids would adapt in a new country; Would they be able to handle the stress of travel and new environme...

Feeling angry in 2025? Join the club. (No, seriously, we have some important things to discuss!) In this episode we sit down with Kallie Klug to discuss all things anger: what it really is, what it does in the body, and what the hell to do with it once it’s here. So many of us shy away from anger and even couple it with shame. Why? Suppressed anger can express itself as stomach issues, jaw and sho...

An anti-diet dietitian sounds like an oxymoron, but when it comes to true health, nutrition, and healing it's exactly what the world needs. Enter: Taylor Wolfram. After becoming disenchanted with standard Western ways of helping clients, Taylor Wolfram set out to create her own weight neutral, anti-diet practice that considers how body politics affect us all, human or beyond. Though we usually con...

Looking for the best things to do in Asheville, North Carolina? Asheville is back open for tourists after Hurricane Helene, so it's time to share the best vegan food and restaurants, queer-owned businesses, and outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, white water rafting, and rock hunting. In this episode we’re joined by Gabbie Grey, a local bike enthusiast from Second Gear who teamed up with us...

Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail is quite an undertaking on its own. But what about thru-hiking with a baby? That’s exactly what today’s guests did — this remarkable family traversed roughly 1,500 miles in 3 months with a 9 month old in tow. In this episode we’ll cover hardships on and off the trail: deadly bee stings, navigating relationship turbulence, and facing adversity in the outdoors as a fam...

Renee King-Sonnen earned her title as “Rowdy Girl” through grit, determination, and hard-earned transformation. Formally a “rhinestone cowgirl,” this Texan is the first documented cattle farmer gone vegan. Now managing 147 acres that countless of animals call sanctuary, Renee and Tommy at Rowdy Girl Sanctuary are changing the ranching industry from the inside out. Listen in for comedy, inspiration...

Is foraging legal? Is it bad for the environment? Is foraging innate or learned? These are the top questions being asked on Google around foraging, a regulating activity that our ancestors depended on to sustain life. Here today to answer our questions and go beyond the technicalities of foraging is Alan Muskat, the founder of the largest foraging education company in the world. In this episode Al...

I hope that this episode finds you as well as possible. Here's a recording of 'Yes, I’m Ok After Hurricane Helene Hit North Carolina. But Not Really.' read by Calen Otto right after Hurricane Helene devestated Asheville, North Carolina and surrounding areas in September 2024. This essay explores the intersections of Helene, wildness, climate change, anti-speciesism, and more. Hurricane Helene Essa...

Join Calen, Darya, and Gio (Jorge) for an enlightening conversation on living a vibrant life, walking with death, and even falling in love on a volcano. In this episode we learn how Gio was able to create a eco-minded business that *actually* does serious good for his local community in Guatemala by investing in green tourism, prioritizing local workers, and extending well-being to the beyond-huma...

Ken Ilgunas, author of 3 books including “Walden On Wheels,” has been called many things: a wanderer, pro-hitchhiker, journalist, and Alaskan back country ranger. Now, he’s taken on new titles like “husband” and “dad.” This leads us to ask: What happens to the most adventurous of our society when we enter a phase that calls for settling down, growing roots, and re-entering institutions? It’s a lif...

Have you ever thought about adopting a plant-based diet? Or maybe you’re like me, an old timer vegan who still feels lost in the kitchen. *Enter Destiny DeJesus on stage left* Destiny, creator of Eat Yo Destiny, is here to show us how to eat in a way that helps our bodies thrive, the planet heal, and protects animals from harm. A tiny house livin' vegan in Texas, she highlights how to make plant-b...

Join us for a special episode where host Calen Otto takes listeners back in time — traversing backyard woodlands and river rapids — to retrace bare-footed memories from each of our guests, woven together by illuminating storytelling. Charlie Sprinkman is featured on this episode among other trans, non-binary, and queer folks. This episode is an ode to the experiences of folks now in their mid 20's...

How are cows, colonization, and comradery all connected? Tune in to today’s episode with pattrice jones, co-founder of a LGBTQ+ led refuge for farmed animals that works at the intersection of social and environmental justice, to find out. At any one moment they care for upwards of 500 residents, forming a multi-species community which has informed the way pattrice navigates, writes about, and chan...