Ari Shaffir and Rolf do a deep-dive on the finer points of indie travel

“It doesn’t matter where you’re going. Just find a reason to go.” –Ari Shaffir

Ari Shaffir (@AriShaffir) is a comedian, writer, podcaster, and actor. He is the current host of the Skeptic Tank podcast. For more information on Ari, visit his website. This episode of Deviate is excerpted from Ari Shaffir’s Skeptic Tank episode #298: Vagabonder.

​In this episode of Deviate, Ari and Rolf sit down in New York’s Tompkins Square Park and talk about the esoteric obsessions that lead you into unique adventures in faraway countries, and the best way to meet people on the road (4:20)​; ​learning languages other than English (11:30); how the presence of communication technology has changed travel, including its social dynamic (17:30); using toilets, eating unfamiliar food, and haggling in markets in non-Western countries (28:00); how travel changes once you’re more experienced as a traveler (53:00); comfort food, ordering food overseas, living as an expat overseas, and getting started out in your career overseas (1:04:00); how expectations affect a journey, and how expectations affect one’s task as a travel writer (1:17:00).

Notable Links:

• The Chernobyl Podcast (HBO companion podcast)
• Scriptnotes (screenwriting podcast)
• Another Name for Every Thing (Richard Rohr podcast)
• Qamishli (Syrian-Turkish border town)
• Ulpan (school for the intensive study of Hebrew)
• Yinzer (Pittsburgh vernacular word)
• Quiet, by Susan Cain (book)
• Squat toilet (toilet common in Asia and Africa)
• A few notes on wiping your ass (Barry Sonnenfeld essay)
• Marco Polo Didn’t Go There, by Rolf Potts (book)
• Souvenir, by Rolf Potts (book)
• Hogg Market (Kolkata market)
• Kelsey Timmerman (author)
• “Man bites dog,” by Rolf Potts (dog meat article)
• Balut (Asian street food, boiled egg embryo)
• Vélib’ (bicycle sharing system in Paris)
• Mandarin Oriental (Bangkok luxury hotel)
• Yeshiva (Jewish educational institution)
• “On the Trans-Siberian Express,” by Rolf Potts (travel essay)
• Freighthopping (riding a railroad freight car)
• Van Life before #VanLife (Deviate podcast episode)
• Donahue Show (TV talk show)
• Thomas Merton (Trappist monk and author)
• Postcolonialism (academic study of the legacy of imperialism)
• Cockfighting (blood sport)
• “Turkish Knockout,” by Rolf Potts (travel essay)
• Skeptic Tank interview with Henry Rollins (podcast episode)

This episode of Deviate is brought to you by Tortuga Backpacks, which set the standard for the best, most durable, organized, and comfortable travel backpacks. Tortuga products also include daypacks, duffels, and other travel accessories, which are all made with the traveler in mind and have been featured by Wirecutter, The New York Times, Travel + Leisure, Business Insider, Carryology, and many other industry outlets.

This episode is also brought to you by AirTreks, an industry leader in multi-stop international travel. If you’ve ever planned a trip with multiple stops, you know that finding the right flights can be difficult. Between balancing travel logistics and cost, it often becomes impossible to build an itinerary that matches your travel goals.  AirTreks is a distributed travel company with employees working from all corners of the world to help with your flight planning, specializing in complex routes with up to 25 stops. The AirTreks website offers suggested pre-planned travel itineraries to help you get started, but can customize to fit your journey.

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.