In February 2013 John Ellis and Laura Preston embarked on a road trip around the US in a 1996 Ford F350 and a 1986 Airstream that may or may not be safe enough to drive the 4,000+ miles.
Think that’s a little crazy?
That’s just the beginning!
Instead of choosing where they are going next, they are letting you, total strangers, decide!
On their site, anyone can submit a place that John and Laura should stop.
From the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar in Jackson, Wyoming to the Kool-Aid Festival in Hastings, Nebraska to the Ringing Rocks Boulder Field in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, nothing is off-limits.
Does your town have the world’s best bbq?
Or a crazy old museum that no one knows about?
Pin it on the map and write why they should visit.
Then others vote on where they want the Democratic Travelers to head.
Once a place gets enough votes, The Democratic Travelers go there…and write about their experiences, allowing people from all over the world to live vicariously through their travels.
In this week’s awesome interview, they explain how this crazy idea came about, tell their most memorable stories from 9 months on the road, and discuss why anyone can, and should, travel.
I had an amazing time interviewing them, and I know you’ll have just as much fun listening!
Lee has the unique distinction of being the youngest American EVER to visit all 193 countries in the world.
Let that sink in for a second!
If that’s not enough, he’s about to become the youngest person in the world to finish the Traveler’s Century Club, a list of 321 unique destinations in the world (only 15 more to go)!
So, just how did Lee end up visiting every country?
At what age did he visit his first foreign country? (hint: it’s much, much later than you think)
What countries were the most difficult?
Where’s the most boring place on Earth?
And what’s his next crazy plan?
Find out the answers to those questions, and a lot more, in this week’s podcast, which is truly one of the best yet!
If you’re like 85% of Americans, then you probably believe most of these myths are facts.
And if you’re the other 15%, you’re most likely trying to constantly convince people that these myths aren’t true and that frequent flyer miles really can help you travel around the world for pennies.
Interestingly enough, I’ve been on both sides.
2.5 years ago, I didn’t have a single frequent flyer mile to my name.
It was because I believed these myths.
But then I began to dig deeper, to uncover the real truth about frequent flyer miles.
And within 2 years, I was staring at more than 1 million frequent flyer miles.
I was traveling all over the world and paying next to nothing.
And now, I’m debunking these myths about frequent flyer miles so that you can do the same.
Finding, and eating, new foods is one of the best parts of traveling.
And no one does it better than Jodi Ettenberg, author of The Food Traveler’s Handbook and expert on finding delicious food all over the world.
But delicious food is no fun if it makes you sick, so Jodi also discusses the best ways to avoid to fight against it while still enjoying food the world over.
And since food always tastes better when it’s cheap, Jodi gives us plenty of tips on how to pay the bottom dollar and still get great food.
If you’re like me and find yourself drooling over a map while deciding where to go travel to next or constantly find yourself reminiscing about amazing meals you’ve had in various parts of the world, you’ll be blown away by the tips and tricks Jodi shares in this podcast.
Just be ready, because you may need to pause halfway to go get yourself a snack!
Sometimes, an idea is just crazy enough that it works.
And sometimes, it’s crazy enough to start a revolution.
Sean Aiken had such an idea when he graduated college and found himself asking “Now what?”.
Instead of finding a job the traditional way, he decided to hire himself out to anyone anywhere in Northern America.
No matter what the job!
He’d work for 1 week, donate the money he made to charity, and then move on to the next job.
52 weeks, 52 jobs.
From Nova Scotia to Hawaii.
From the mayor to a mascot.
In this interview, Sean tells all about which jobs he liked most, which he liked least, and how the heck he was able to pull it off logistically.
We’ll also dive deeper into the issue of why he decided to travel while doing it (which made it infinitely harder), and how his idea has sparked a movement in people young and old around the globe.
Sean’s served as an inspiration to me over the last few years without ever knowing it, and I’m super honored to have him as a guest on the podcast.
His passion and enthusiasm for life and learning is an inspiration to everyone, in any situation. Give a listen to this awesome quest.