Travel with Mark the Podcast

In this episode my sister, Katie Larson is my guest. She was my first travel buddy when we were growing up and we both shared memories of road trips in our youth. On Katie's first trip abroad which was to Italy, she had an eye-opening experience when her food arrived at the table at a restaurant. In the middle of the episode, Katie makes Mark teary eyed with a few kind things she said. Looking back now and reminiscing on our family holiday to Europe we can't believe it happened. Now a mother of 3, Katie shares how travel is completely different than it was in her 20s.

In this episode, Bobby talks about his road trip across Canada with his wife. They both quit their jobs and took full advantage of the free admission to all of the national parks for the 150th anniversary of Canada. You will hear stories of sleeping in Walmart parking lots, camping, going to a concert, and Bobby's favorite aspects of the trip.

In this episode, Michael Bunch shares stories from his travels while in college. Michael gave a speech in front of 40,000 people in the Plaza de Armas de Lima after a parade. He was mistaken for while in China and celebrated his 25th birthday in Scotland with a best friend are a few of the topics that were discussed. Michael is a firm believer in experiencing life rather than collecting things you really don't need.

Kenyon Shafer, Tyler Nash, and Mark Neyens had an amazing holiday in Ireland in 2015. Hear stories about their adventure and how the trip came to life. Driving on the opposite side of the road, climbing a mountain, losing a wedding ring and many more memories were shared during our conversation.

Ian Zimmerman and his wife Caitlin quit their jobs and decided to travel around the world. Their year-long adventure was cut short while in Vietnam due to the COVID19 outbreak.You will learn how this world adventure was convinced, the logistics, and hear numerous stories from different countries. Thailand's night markets are world-famous and Ian explains how amazing and cheap the food is there. The kindness of strangers helped them countless times throughout their adventure. They had the brilliant idea of giving their friends and family back home the option to buy them a drink while on their trip which turned into a huge success. From Machu Picchu to the great pyramids in Eygpt, they were able to see and experience a lot while traveling for 10 months.This episode is filled with a lot of tips for individuals that are eager to get out of the norm and experience a longer vacation. For more information and photos about their adventure, visit their blog https://doshobos.com/

Andre is determined to make the world a better place. Through running, motivation, and inspiring others to chase their worthy cause. Andre ran from the North of France to Morocco in just over 3 months in 2018, under the name “La Migrante” (The Migrant) where he covered over 1,800 miles. In his most recent extreme running adventure, he ran across the entire United States. He named his endeavor Andre Run USA and covered 15 states and ran 2,800 miles over 4 months. Andre met a kindhearted man in Topeka, Kansas who became his righthand man for over half of his journey. He shares stories about saving a dog and how everyone on his journey was so friendly. He hardly listened to any music but when he did it was all about positivity.In this episode, he also shares his father's extremely challenging immigration story and how that impacted his work ethic and discipline. On October 3, 2020, Andre is heading the Race of The Human Spirit that will be taken place virtually and in Geneva, Switzerland. The goal of this event is to collectively run/walk 2,500 miles to honor the resilience of refugees. Contact Andre for more information!

Drew was a flight attended and shares some insight knowledge and tips about traveling and seeing the world. Have you ever wanted to fly first class? Drew has and can tell you how and he explains how air travel has changed in recent years.Without his creative thinking and quick actions, his parents still could be in South Africa because of the lockdown due to the coronavirus. Along with that story Drew shares how he was somewhat of a hostage in Russia while on a school trip, how his first sip of alcohol was a surprise, a unique tradition in Swiss weddings, staying at the Ice Hotel, and seeing the Northern Lights. Drew has seen and experienced a lot so far in life.Mark shares a story about an interesting dinner he had in Lucerne, Switzerland with his mother back in 2018.

Larry is a man driven to travel and experience different cultures around the world. If there is a golf course and a casino nearby you already have his attention.Have you ever hit a golf ball into someone's swimming pool or broken any windows while golfing? I've never done that before but Larry will share some stories about those topics.If golf isn't your thing, no worries. There are plenty of stories about wearing funny costumes, getting lost, and traveling with a loved one. Larry tells an amazing story about the time he flew to a different country to meet his soon to be wife's family. I share my favorite moment when I was in Madrid. Would you believe the story includes Celine Dion?! Having a positive attitude along with a smile will help you tremendously not only in travel but in life.

In this episode, we realize that Tim Lawton has always had a natural adventurous soul. He had the opportunity to travel abroad while playing rugby at West Point. He served in the military and was stationed in the Middle East for several deployments. The trip that affected Tim's world view the most was his first solo overseas backpacking trip.As an avid mountain climber, Tim shares numerous stories and insights from the viewpoint of the climber. You will learn about two attempts to summit Mount Denali which is the third most isolated peak on earth.Mark shares a story about climbing Ireland's tallest peak with strangers he met the night before in a hostel. Travel is the one thing that has the ability to change how we think, interact, and treat others around the world.

Praveen Mohan recounts a trip to Amsterdam where he learned about being a cautious traveler and the importance of being mindful of where you are and what is around you. Mark shares a story about how he gave his ticket to the Anne Frank museum to a stranger while on a trip with his father. Travel changed tremendously for Praveen once he became a father and he describes why that happened. Both of us share our experiences when eating at Michelin rated restaurants and relive seeing some artistic masterpieces while traveling.Praveen reminds us all that every day is a gift and I couldn't agree more!

Have you ever gotten injured while abroad? Did it ruin your trip or did you embrace the suck?Tune in to Episode #3 of the Travel with Mark the Podcast to learn how Ellen Tanner got injured while on a solo trip around Europe and how she responded. Ellen also shares stories of how camping and canoeing changed her life, meeting a man in Italy and how relaxation was a vital aspect in one of her adventures.I share a few stories of my own in this episode about drinking in Prague, a multi-story disco club, and my dislike of pub crawls. You will also hear about a pivotal moment of self-development when I was lost in London during a run.Strangers are just friends you never met.

Veronica Hill explains her passion for helping others through mission trips and how her world view has changed because of traveling. Her love of traveling started at a young age and she recounts an experience when her parents gave her freedom on a trip to Hawaii. The importance of Emotional intelligence and Diversity and Inclusion are weaved into the conversation. Hear stories about floating in the Red Sea, the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, life in Cuba, and an airport scare in Eastern Europe.

Kenyon Shafer shares his experience utilizing London's public transportation for the first time and how that turned into a stressful unplanned adventure. Camping trips enabled his family to explore the country, see numerous national parks, and taught him life long lessons. Mark and Kenyon reminisce about a past international trip they took together.