WanderLearn: Travel to Transform Your Mind & Life

Vegans have a marketing problem: they're perceived to be annoying, self-righteous, judgmental, and inflexible. Author Matthew Halteman's book Hungry Beautiful Animals is designed to fix that perception and make veganism more appealing and less threatening. Visit his website about Hungry Beautiful Animals . Matthew Halteman and I discuss his book Hungry Beautiful Animals . Here's the timeline of ou...

Who was DB Cooper? Did he have a military background? Where did the cash found in Tena Bar come from? What's a plausible explanation for what happened on the night that DB Cooper jumped? Did he survive? In part 3 of 3 about DB Cooper and Flight 305, Dr. Robert H. Edwards delves into that and more. Watch the Video Timeline 00:00 Who was DB Cooper? 07:00 Military background 13:30 Cash in Tena Bar 19...

DB Cooper was cunning. What were the various considerations he had to contend with to pull off the only unsolved act of air piracy in US history? Watch the Video DB Cooper needed a: Plane with an airstair Short flight Terminating flight Late afternoon flight In part 2 of 3 about DB Cooper and Flight 305, Dr. Robert H. Edwards delves into that and more. Timeline 00:00 Planning and Prep 08:30 Three...

I've always recorded my annual predictions on December 31 or January 1. However, on December 28, 2024, I started a two-week trip to Dalat, Vietnam.  I wanted to travel light, so I recorded my annual predictions on December 27, allowing me to leave my audio and video gear in Ho Chi Minh, where I planned to return on January 15, 2025.  In my podcast a few days ago, I said that my prediction that Jim...

In my Annual Prediction Show, I review my horrible 2024 predictions before making my new predictions. I got 4 out of 10 points, my worst year ever! I hope to do better this year! My 2025 predictions Watch the Video   1. A global recession crushes the US economy. In July 2022, the yield curve inverted and stayed inverted for 783 consecutive days, marking the longest period in U.S. history. In early...

In this three-part series, Dr. Robert Edwards and I discuss the fascinating mystery of DB Cooper. In 1971, a man hijacked Flight 305, received $200,000 in $20 bills, 4 parachutes, and skydived into the darkness over the Pacific Northwest, never to be seen again.    Watch the Video Subscribe to my YouTube channel and WanderLearn podcast to get the three episodes.  Buy Dr. Robert H. Edwards's book a...

Michael Zervos explains why North Korea is the toughest country to visit. Watch the video interview Listen to all 6 of my interviews with Zervos . Timeline 00:00 Why North Korea is the toughest 05:30 How Zervos makes videos 11:00 What's the upcoming schedule Follow him on Instagram More info To leave an anonymous voicemail that I could use on the podcast, go to SpeakPipe.com/FTapon You can post co...

Michael Zervos of The Project Kosmos is two-thirds through his trip to every country. He's on track to break the record for visiting all the countries faster than anyone else. We talked while he was in Lviv, Ukraine in December 2024. Listen to all 6 of my interviews with Zervos . Timeline 00:00 Intro 05:00 Ukraine War 11:00 USA Election reactions 14:30 Palestine Follow him on https://www.instagram...

Durian is recognized for its overpowering and foul odor, often described as similar to feces. I decided to try it and record my reaction. See the video! Have you ever attempted to eat durian or smelled its distinctive aroma?   #durian #durianfruit #review Feedback Leave an anonymous voicemail on  SpeakPipe.com/FTapon Or go to  Wanderlearn.com , click on this episode, and write a comment. More info...

I attack the expression that says, "You can't compare...." About 99% of the time, you CAN compare anything with anything. You may dislike the comparison or believe the two things are vastly different, but that doesn't mean you CANNOT compare them.   Feedback Leave an anonymous voicemail on  SpeakPipe.com/FTapon Or go to  Wanderlearn.com , click on this episode, and write a comment. More info You c...

Forgive me for rushing through this interview. We were under time pressure. But if you would like, send me a message encouraging me to interview Ege Riitsalu again in greater depth. In this episode, Ege Riitsalu shares her tragic personal story. It serves as an example of the power of radical forgiveness. Watch the Video of this podcast About radical forgiveness How do you get out of a rut and ont...

How do you get out of a rut and onto a ridge? Although my book,  Hike Your Own Hike , offers ideas, it doesn't discuss radical forgiveness, which can lead to breakthroughs.  Watch the Video In my first TEDx Talk, I discussed "How Travel Transforms You." But what if the wanderlust doesn't quite do the trick?  Then, you take another type of journey, a mental one, to unlock deep-seated memories and b...

Who you vote for in the 2024 US Presidential election matters little if you don't live in Maine, Nebraska, or a battleground state.  If you want to be highly pedantic and annoying, you could argue that your vote matters even in non-swing states like California. That's because if most Californian Democrats conspired not to vote, a Republican would win even though the polls heavily favor the Democra...

Niamh McAnally's memoir, Following Sunshine: A Voyage Around the Mind, Around the World, Around the Heart , offers readers a rich tapestry of travel, personal growth, and introspection. This book transcends the typical travelogue by intertwining McAnally's adventures with profound reflections on her life experiences, including themes of loss, self-discovery, and resilience. Watch the Video Intervi...

On the 100th anniversary of George Mallory and Sandy Irvine's death on Mount Everest, I interviewed Dr. Robert Edwards, author of Mallory, Irvine, and Everest: The Last Step But One , which reexamined their mysterious story in extreme detail. Watch my original interview with Dr. Edwards , my most popular interview in 2024. It provides an excellent background for today's interview. Today, Dr. Edwar...

Eric Gilbertson is back! Eric Gilbertson and Branden Joy dragged 400 pounds (180 kg) of gear on 4 sleds across Greenland. They covered 1,539 miles (1,420 snow kiting, 119 man hauling) in 40 days. On his biggest day, he covered 218 miles kiting. His fastest kiting speed was 33mph. They did 4 first ascents. Read Eric Gilbertson's Greenland traverse trip report . Krisli Melesk co-hosted this show wit...

Everyone loves coincidences. During my month in Estonia, I bumbled into Krisli Melesk, who bumbled into Eric Gilbertson on K2. Eric & I were scheduled to record a podcast a few days after I met Krisli, so I invited her to join the show as a surprise guest!  Eric Gilbertson is in the process of climbing to the highest point in every country. He's done 143 out of 193! This is first of a two-part...

Palle Bo is from Denmark, which controls Greenland. He's been to Greenland twice, and I was blessed to visit it in 2024. We share our thoughts. Palle hosts the Radio Vagabond podcast! Subscribe to it! Enjoy other Palle Bo episodes !  Feedback Leave an anonymous voicemail on  SpeakPipe.com/FTapon Or go to  Wanderlearn.com , click on this episode, and write a comment. More info You can post comments...

What kind of traveler are you? Palle Bo and I discuss the variety of travel styles and the myth of how people who have been to many countries travel. Palle hosts the Radio Vagabond podcast! Subscribe to it! Enjoy our other episodes together ! Feedback Leave an anonymous voicemail on  SpeakPipe.com/FTapon Or go to  Wanderlearn.com , click on this episode, and write a comment. More info You can post...

I share reflections on last night's Harris-Trump Debate in the first two minutes of this podcast. In the rest of the podcast, I review Yuval Noah Harari's newest book. Harari is one of my top three favorite authors. I also love Bill Bryson and Walter Isaacson. Therefore, I was thrilled that a few months ago, I got an advanced copy of Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Ag...

Radio Vagabond Host Palle Bo shares the meaning of his name in various languages.  We share what we've been doing since we last met in Thailand. Lastly, Palle shares why it's worth revisiting countries that gave you a negative impression the first time. Palle hosts the Radio Vagabond podcast! Subscribe to it! Enjoy other Palle Bo episodes !  Feedback Leave an anonymous voicemail on  SpeakPipe.com/...

In 2022, I delivered this speech at the inaugural Extraordinary Travel Festival in Yerevan, Armenia. Watch the Video to See the Slides ! I was the only in-person speaker invited to speak again at the 2nd conference. Why? Because the audience rated this speech highly. Judge for yourself. Come to hear me deliver a new speech at the 2nd Extraordinary Travel Festival in Bangkok, Thailand, in mid-Novem...

Watch the 3-minute video of what it's like to feed and kiss elephants in Chiang Mai, Thailand.  In mid-November 2024, hear me speak at the Extraordinary Travel Festival in Bangkok, Thailand ! TIMELINE 00:00 Intro 00:23 Feeding bananas 01:15 Kissing 02:10 Hung   More info To leave an anonymous voicemail that I could use on the podcast, go to SpeakPipe.com/FTapon You can post comments, ask questions...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHW-9M4Vrc4 Ric and I talked in Thailand about Thai hospitality, international marriages, and the November 2024 Extraordinary Travel Festival! In mid-November 2024, hear me speak at the Extraordinary Travel Festival in Bangkok, Thailand! TIMELINE 00:00 Why Ric lives in Thailand 01:17 Sincerity of Thai hospitality 04:00 International marriages 07:00 ETF 2 #thailand #...

Palle Bo and I met in Toronto this week to discuss the global hot spots and the US election. We chat about Harris vs. Trump, Ukraine, Taiwan, and Gaza. Palle has been to Taiwan and recently went to Ukraine, near the front lines. As an outsider, he's bewildered by the US election. We recorded this a day before Harris picked her VP, Walz. Please subscribe to Palle's Radio Vagabond podcast! Enjoy oth...