Travelers experience more when they slow down and ask lots of questions

“We live in an age where you can take a series short flights inside a country to speed things up. You end up going to more places, but you experience less, because you’re not really committed to that chicken bus full of really interesting people who want nothing more than to interact with you.”  –Rolf Potts

In this episode of Deviate, Rolf and The Vagabond’s Way book club participants discuss the idiosyncrasies of crossing land borders and traveling overland (1:30); travelers’ tendency to take dishonest photos of places, and how tourist destinations bend to tourists’ expectations (8:00); the small inconveniences that keep travel interesting, even as we try to avoid them, and the idiosyncrasies of haggling overseas (14:00); how food can be a window into cultures and places for travelers (19:00); common scams that travelers encounter on the road (26:00); and the process of how Rolf assembled the meditations in The Vagabond’s Way, and the concept of “walking until your day becomes interesting” (30:00).

Discussion moderator Luke Richardson is a traveler, author, and DJ based in England.

Notable Links:

• Rolf’s Vagabond’s Way online book club signup
• The Vagabond’s Way, by Rolf Potts (book)
• YouCam Perfect (AI person-remover app)
• Kenny G (American smooth jazz saxophonist)
• Applebee’s (American restaurant chain)
• Mentawai Islands (archipelago in Indonesia)
• Brent Nelson sandwich (bar food in Lindsborg, Kansas)
• Turkish Knockout, by Rolf Potts (travel essay)
• Camille Dungy (poet and writer)

The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel’s 2017 album Lumber.

Note: We don’t host a “comments” section, but we’re happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at deviate@rolfpotts.com.