Podcasts about Lonely Planet

Europa Park has a coaster that drops you inside the Phantom of the Opera. Knoebels,  in rural Pennsylvania, has free admission and food that tastes like a real home-cooked meal. Neither one is a household name, but they just might be the best theme park days you'll ever have.In this episode, host Angie Orth continues her conversation with Zachary Laks, travel journalist and theme park expert who has written for Fodor's, The Points Guy, and Lonely Planet. He shares his favorite, most underrated parks worth going out of your way for. You'll learn which European parks belong on your travel itinerary, why family-owned parks often outperform the big chains, and the single unmissable ride Zachary would book a flight for right now.What You'll Learn:0:26 Why Europa Park is the essential first stop for any European theme park itinerary3:23 What keeps wooden coaster loyalists coming back to Knoebels in Pennsylvania5:16 How to make the case for adding Efteling to a European trip8:22 Why independent, family-owned parks deliver a guest experience the big chains can't replicate10:01 The one ride at Silver Dollar City that Zachary would hop on a plane for todayConnect with Zachary LaksInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachlaks/Website: https://www.zacharylaks.com/Which theme park are you adding to your itinerary? Tell us in the comments!Connect with AAA:Book travel: https://aaa-text.co/travelingwithaaa Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/AAAAutoClubEnterprisesFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AAAAutoClubEnterprisesPodcast: TravelingWithAAA.com

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Some of the most exhilarating theme parks in the world have no mascot and no movie franchise behind them. What they do have is decades of obsessive craftsmanship, immersive storytelling, and rides good enough to build a trip around. In this episode, host Angie Orth is joined by Zachary Laks, a travel journalist and theme park expert who has written for Fodor's, The Points Guy, and Lonely Planet. Before covering the world's parks, Zachary spent more than  20 years as a theater producer, which sharpened his eye for what separates a good theme park experience from an unforgettable one.You'll learn what makes a theme park memorable, which underrated domestic and European parks deserve a spot on your travel list, and why 2026 may be the most exciting year yet for thrill-seekers.What You'll Learn:3:18 The three qualities that separate a great theme park from a merely fun one8:51 Why Europa Park in Germany keeps winning Best Theme Park Worldwide16:35 What makes Silver Dollar City and other regional parks worth a road trip21:47 Budget-friendly parks where you can stretch your dollar (or euro)26:04 Why you should add a theme park day to your European itineraryConnect with Zachary LaksInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachlaks/Website: https://www.zacharylaks.com/What's a theme park that surprised you? Share it in the comments!Connect with AAA:Book travel: https://aaa-text.co/travelingwithaaa Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/AAAAutoClubEnterprisesFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AAAAutoClubEnterprisesPodcast: TravelingWithAAA.com 

A life filled with curiosity can take you further than you ever imagined. I sit down with German journalist, author, entrepreneur and media expert Helmut Stapel to explore how childhood curiosity, world travel, creativity and a willingness to take risks shaped an unstoppable life. From growing up in a village of just 700 people to building an international media company, writing books, producing films and launching a global leadership initiative called The Center, Helmut shares why open-mindedness, passion and persistence matter more than fear. You will hear why he believes every idea deserves a chance, how meaningful relationships create opportunity, and why making the world better begins with each of us. I believe you will enjoy Helmut's thoughtful outlook and practical lessons on creating a life with purpose. Highlights: ·  03:05 - Early childhood curiosity becomes the foundation for a lifetime of creativity. ·  09:18 - Choosing passion over convention leads to a career that never feels like work. ·  17:33 - Building a business with almost nothing proves resourcefulness beats fear. ·  25:13 - The vision for The Center offers a new way to bring leaders together. ·  43:15 - A humorous book about the pandemic delivers a powerful lesson on questioning information. ·  54:31 - Every great achievement begins by protecting an idea instead of doubting it. About the Guest: After completing my training as a media designer, I finished my editorial traineeship at the Nordsee-Zeitung in Bremerhaven/Germany in 1997 and founded successful my media agency, “Stop press & public”, based in Bremerhaven. Through various trainings across all media sectors, I had the opportunity to build up my client base both nationally and internationally. These include contributions for the BBC as well as film work alongside the well-known producer Stratton Leopold (Mission Impossible, Captain America). My journalistic repertoire ranges from short news reports and podcasts to features in words and images. For over ten years, I have been sharing my expertise on the successful construction of narratives, stories and storylines in seminars at colleges and universities worldwide like the University of Cancún in Mexico and German Universities. The range of course content spans storytelling, digital marketing and social media strategies, journalism, photography and PR, as well as scriptwriting for novels and films. All seminars are held in English and German. As author I write fiction, travel, culture, fitness and business book. My works include the novel ‘The Day a Chinese Man Ate a Bat', lighthouse stories, the fitness guide ‘Couch Coach' and the international port book ‘Port City'. In 2024 I started my career as artist with my first internationally recognised concept series WorLds, which was curated for the exhibitions at ArtExpo Paris 2025 and the 24 International Art Fair Venice in 2026. The renowned Magazine FineArtNews published a multi-page feature about my new artistic approach in concept art. In autumn 2026 I will open my first solo exhibition in London with the aim, to let people benefit from the proceeds of my art. As part of the European Group “Speakers Excellence” I give keynote speeches at official events and charity events. With the project THE CENTER I have started together with my wife Daja a worldwide initiative, which will create a new basis of respect and a generation of leaders, with a new understanding of global interconnections in the spirit of a united humanity which takes responsibility for working together rather than against each other. The first events will be held in 2027 in Tuscany/Italy and Switzerland. Ways to connect with Helmut**:** Social Media: http://linkedin.com/in/helmut-stapel-5b3a60b6 https://stoppress.contently.com/ www.facebook.com/helmut.stapel #5000 www.instagram.com/stoppress Homepage: www.stoppress.de Article FineArtsNews: From Journalism to the Canvas of Conceptual Art - FineArtsNews About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson  00:03 One of the biggest things holding you back isn't what's in front of you, but rather what you believe. Welcome to Unstoppable Mindset, where inclusion, diversity, and the unexpected meet. I'm your host, Michael Hingson, speaker, author, and advocate for inclusion and possibilities. This podcast explores how the beliefs we carry shape the way we live, lead, and connect with others. Each week, I talk with people who challenge assumptions, face adversity head on, and show what's possible when we choose curiosity over fear. Together we focus on mindset, resilience, and the small shifts that lead to meaningful change. Let's get started. Well, hello everyone, wherever you happen to be in the world today, I want you to feel welcome at Unstoppable Mindset, that's our podcast name, and I'm your host, Michael Hingson, or if you want, you can call me Mike Hingson. Our guest today is Helmut Steppel, who is a media person, he's an author, he's an artist, he's a lot of different things, he's an entrepreneur, he started his own company. My gosh, I'm jealous, he's done a lot of different things, and I think we're going to have a great conversation over the next hour or so. So, Helmut, I want to welcome you to Unstoppable Mindset. We're glad you're here. Helmut Stapel  01:39 Thank you so much. Thank you so much, dear Mike, and thanks for having me. It's an honor to be here, because as your invitation popped up suddenly, I was a bit surprised about, I think oneself never looks at its own way of living or where we are in the way other people maybe do, and so thank you for having me and your podcast. Michael Hingson  02:02 Well, thank you. I think we'll, we'll have a lot of fun. We have a lot of things to talk about. I appreciate all the information that you sent me, and, and we'll, we got to keep it interesting because it's late where you are. It's after 9o'clock now in the evening over there, so we gotta, gotta make sure it, it stays interesting, so that you don't fall asleep. Helmut Stapel  02:24 Definitely, I try, I try to, I try to. Sorry, in another part of Germany, it's cold outside, it's not dark already, but it's getting to be dark, so it's bad time to say so. But I'm happy to be with you. Michael Hingson  02:39 How cold Helmut Stapel  02:41 is it 14 degrees, something like that. Should, should be more. Everybody's talking about El Nino, and looking at the guy in Mexico, showing pictures of red things. And we have some prognosis regarding summertime coming, some big heat from whatever it is at the moment. I must say it's quite normal and a bit too cold for this year of the time. Michael Hingson  03:05 Well, we'll see what happens. Well, why don't we start? I love to start this way. I ask people to start by telling me a little bit about, in your case, the early helmet growing up, and so on. Let's start with that. Helmut Stapel  03:18 Okay, we can do that question from my side, when does early helmet start, at which age? Because for me, for most fascinating is that for some reason I can remember, at least I can go back to, I think, as when I was one year old. Michael Hingson  03:35 Well, I'll let you start wherever you'd like to start, that certainly is early enough, but you, you tell us what it was like growing up, and all that, and if you remember back to one year old, that's great. Helmut Stapel  03:46 Okay, I grew up in a very, very beautiful landscape, a small village, 700 people living there, called Stuben in Germany, and what I remember is laying as a small child, not be able to walk, and just in a wagon, and staying at the blue sky, the clouds, tree leaves, sometimes people coming big faces. It was my aunt Helga would have figured out later on, and so I remember sounds of bees and hums and roses, the smell of roses. My mother loved roses about all around the houses, and as you see, in this way I grew up in a way where I got used to use all my senses, and I think that was some of the basis for all what followed up, because I started then to have a closer look at my environmental. When I was seven or eight years old in school, I wrote my first text. Later on, I became a journalist, but in this very moment, then I realized, and that, and also the grown-ups, that is maybe some kind of talent because. My first text got a one with a plus, so I think it was eight years old, and so I grew up in a very, very good surrounding. My father was a captain. He took me with his ship to Portugal, to Norway, to Russia in the summer time when we were out of school, so in this way somehow I got in touch with the world very early, very early. I was seven when I went the first time to Portugal, and so I think this was the basis for all what came afterwards till today. You know, I'm 60. Michael Hingson  05:35 What did you think of traveling, and how has that kind of shaped the way you look at life today, Helmut Stapel  05:44 and a lot of ways, and in a positive way, because to say so, I was not aware of how many prejudices I had in my head regarding society, media, whatever it is, since I met the people for real in the countries they were living in, and this is from the USA to Arabian countries to Asia, whatever it is, and suddenly all these influences came to my head regarding the fact, and also then the knowledge that we are all different, we all look different, and we come from different cultures, but at the end, we have all the same needs, and so there's no country where I have ever been to where I felt unsure. There is no country where I didn't met friends, for example, and it was always about being open-minded, and then meeting people who have been open-minded in the same way as I was, and so that's how everything developed. Michael Hingson  06:52 Do you have any countries that you haven't been to that you'd like to go to? Helmut Stapel  06:57 Yes, to turn upside down, where I have been to is from Alaska to Cape Horn, to go to then the Caribbean, the Atlantic, European countries, from Norway to South Africa, then to the Maldives, and go on to the beginning of India to say so. Australia is on my map. I was asked to go there, but then when the war with Ireland and USA popped up, that was so dangerous to go by Dubai by plane to go to Australia. So I will do this next spring, and somehow China is a bit too big for me, I would say, means that I would love to go inside the country to meet people that takes a lot of time, and travel journalism is a lot of people think travel journalism is something where you just stay for six months in the country, or whatever it is, it's different because of money and time, because it's all organized, and that means a big country like China would be great regarding culture, but it's would be a long part in before to have a closer look at where the stories and the people are, so I would be Australia and Japan, I think, and to say so the fastest thing I've ever had to do with Cape Horn, surrounding by zodiac with a dingy seriously, and I made 30,000 kilometers in six days coming from Germany, and I was on three continents and in six or seven different countries, and so this is travel journalism to say, so, Michael Hingson  08:43 wow. Well, I went to New Zealand in 2003 but I never got to Australia. But earlier this year, kind of, my, my wish was granted, and I'll be traveling to Australia later this year. Wow, to speak. It's the first time that I will have been to Australia. I've been to Japan, and I've been to South Korea. I've not been to China either. I think it would be fascinating to go if someday that will happen. I've not been to Germany, I've been to Spain. I'd love to come. Well, all I need are some speaking engagements to get me over there, so you know, if you know anybody who needs a speaker, we're always looking for opportunities to come and speak, but I Helmut Stapel  09:28 can have a closer look for that. Definitely, Michael Hingson  09:30 that would be fun. But anyway, I enjoy traveling. I appreciate that in reality we're all really the same. We may be raised in different cultures, and we think we're a lot more different than I think we really are, and in so many ways, but you, so you went, and you grew up, you went to school, then you went to university, right? Helmut Stapel  09:54 Yes, but in a way that I realized that in that I. Way, and at that time I was about worth 30 years old, because I did my A level at the evening school, while I was working at the same time, and then I figured out that I'm more the practical type of human being, I was not able to sit and to listen to someone and to analyze texts of other people, for I figured out that my brain was, as I was telling you, when I grew up and saw all these things with the sky and the clouds and whatever it was that my brain was meant to produce things by itself, and that it was full of ideas and pictures, and it all had to come out, and so in that way I stopped studying and made a, I was a volunteer, I made an apprenticeship at a newspaper, and became an editor, and so in that way I found my job 30 years ago, which I self employed now for 30 years due, and it's I'm blessed to do that, because since that time I don't work, I have spare time all the time. It's just doing something which I love. Michael Hingson  11:07 Well, and that's kind of important to do, and that that makes it so much more fun when you can do something that you love doing. It doesn't seem like a job anymore. It doesn't seem nearly so difficult to do, because you enjoy it, Helmut Stapel  11:22 definitely, definitely. Also, regarding writing novels, which I started then a few years ago, because sometimes my wife has to hold me back for sitting and writing, because I always love to do that. I do other things as well, but it's something which is really in my mind and my heart. Michael Hingson  11:47 Well, and you mentioned earlier that you and Daddy are getting into a new house. I hope she likes the house. Helmut Stapel  11:54 Definitely, it's our.. it's our.. thank you for asking. It's our dream house, because it's not too big. It's 160 square meters with a cellar and the roof and things like that, and there's enough space, and we have a fireplace, we have a garden, we will have a dog, and so it's like, like a dream came true, because it's a place which is silent, and for me the best thing is that we will have a fireplace in the working room as well, so I love to stay there in winter time, and then suggest to do my work, and she loves that, really, because she also says this is the house she was always looking for, and so we will then have our own home, and this is a dream. Also, Michael Hingson  12:36 do you have any children? Helmut Stapel  12:39 No, personally not. I grew up some children with the women I cared for for 12 or 15 years, but as it is sometimes when the when the young birds have grown up, the mother birds and the grown-up birds are leaving the nest without asking the father bird if he wants to fly with them, and so they flew away, and I stayed a bit concerned, but then I meet Daya, and so I knew where that comes from and what was the sense behind that, because since that time I'm absolutely happy, and I've never been that happy before in my life. Michael Hingson  13:20 Good for you and Daya, that'll, that's great. Well, it's exciting. I have lived in a number of homes. My wife and I got married in 1982 and then she passed away in 2022 And so we, we lived in various places, and we always figured out how to make it work. We had challenges because she was in a wheelchair her whole life, but we, we love to build houses when we could. There were, there were a couple times that we couldn't, but we love to build houses because that way we build accessibility into it, and it doesn't cost to do that. So, Helmut Stapel  13:54 yes, Michael Hingson  13:55 so we, we had a lot of fun with, with that. So, I, I, I can't complain a whole lot. It's worked out pretty well, but I'm glad you guys are getting into a house that'll be pretty exciting. That'll keep you busy, and while you're moving from one house to another, you'll probably find all sorts of treasures that you forgot you even had. Helmut Stapel  14:15 Can can be also some things in some cartoons or in wardrobes or whatever it is, all things I have books of my father as well, instance he was a captain, as I said, and some things are maybe hidden somewhere. Really keen on doing that, for example, as I have a past as a musician as well. When I was 23 I had a record contract with Sony Records, and somehow, regarding private things, this did not come out on the way I wanted it to be. It was for three or four years, but all this musician past is also in some draws line with things or songs. I, I started to compose and. Maybe I start this in our new home next to the fireplace again. There Michael Hingson  15:04 you go. Well, that'll be kind of fun, Helmut Stapel  15:07 definitely. Michael Hingson  15:08 So, when did you found, when did you start your own company? Helmut Stapel  15:12 Ah, that was almost 30 years ago, was in 1997 right? Directly after my apprenticeship as an editor, because I figured out that it's somehow my spirit to be more on my own track. This is also maybe founded because of my father being a captain, because when I was a young boy standing on the bridge, and he asked me if I like to be the captain of the ship, I was seven years old, and I was then asked to guide and to lead this big freight ship to the Biscaya near to Portugal in a stormy day, and I was this feeling of I can go everywhere, I could go everywhere, and so from this moment on, I had the feeling that the chances I create for myself are endless when I give them the chance to appear, and so this is why I decided to become self-employed. Michael Hingson  16:11 Wow, so that, well, it's kind of fun. So, do you, you've decided, though, you don't want to be a captain anymore? Helmut Stapel  16:18 Yes, I've became, I've become a sailor. I had a sailing boat, but I was not about to make this my profession to say so. Right, I'm a seaman as well. I do a lot of cruises, I write about cruises, I work for several magazines. I've just come back from the middle ocean with a nice trip, Explorer One from MSC, it's the Italian shipping company. I visited Sting, the international position, on his vineyard in Tuscany, which was quite an honor. And so there is a lot of connection to being a seafarer. I like cruising, and Michael Hingson  17:00 I've had had fun doing it, and would like to do more of it, even though it's just me now, but I, and I will, I think cruising for me is a great way to take a vacation, because I only have to unpack once, but, but more important than that, you know, unlike being in a timeshare where you, you go and visit places and drive, you know, I'm not going to drive or anything like that. So, I, I like cruising. I think that'll be kind of fun, and I'm looking forward to doing that in the next few years again. But, in the meanwhile, in the meanwhile, as I speak, I get to travel around and meet lots of different people, and that's kind of fun too. Helmut Stapel  17:40 Definitely, I think you're the same as I am regarding that the exchange with people is something which makes oneself feeling alive, because there are so many impulses and things one maybe has never been thinking about, and suddenly some ideas pop up out of this conversation, which is, which is quite great. Michael Hingson  18:06 Well, so tell me about your company that you started 30 years ago. It's been a been going a long time. Tell me about that. Helmut Stapel  18:14 My pleasure, because at it's also about thinking positive about life and not building your own barriers, because at that time I was, I was not a rich man, I'm not today as well, but I had so less money that I was not able to, at that time they were the starting time of computer, I was not able to have an old fax, so I had to ask some friends in the company if I could just creep in the, in the midday break into the office of their chef to send a fax to a company in Munich I wanted to work for, and so it was a bit adventurous, I really had not a lot of money. I found him affirming it in a two room apartment, and the financial department wanted not to give me the tax back, because I said it's not, it's not possible to live in a two room apartment, and in the same way found a firm, and I said, yeah, but I did it, I did it, and so in this way I worked on then working for radio because it did an apprenticeship as well then why I founded my firm and in this way it grew and grew and I did during the time all the work and apprenticeship and all kind of media you can imagine so I can work today for print for radio, I'm doing reportages for online, for TV, and in this way I ended up at the university at the end. Now, after 30 years, again, I think after 20, because since 10 years I work as a teacher as a lecturer at different university on German and English internationally as well. From South America to Japan, because online is a fascinating world where even there are no borderlines, and so I'm really happy that I was able to fulfill this dream, starting as I said, without fear. I always said I just try and never fail, I do it some other way. That's the point. Michael Hingson  20:24 You figure out a way to make it work, Helmut Stapel  20:27 absolutely, with the help of people. For example, that's always important that you meet people which feel some sympathy for you. That's right, just to help you, or they have some contacts. Most important is I think that the passion you feel for your work is readable, is hearable, whatever your media you work for, that people enjoy to follow you. And then the people who just are your employers say, 'Wow, we want to have more of that. So I think this is the point. How it works. So, what's the name of your company? It's Stop Press and Public, and it has a has a history behind that, because the part of Germany where I come from, as you see, my last name is Staple, S T A P E L, and we speak here flat German, which name means that staple is called Stoppel with an O instead of an A, right? And so I took the short form of Stoopel with an S T O P. It's like a stop sign you have in traffic, and so I said, okay, if I have stop, this is cool internationally seen for a marketing point, and I needed some things because I always, in the beginning, also as well thought, and I was sure that I wanted to work internationally, and so I thought that I need something which is short, which is international, and so I said I do it press, and there's something I do which is public, and then it will stop press and public, which is quite great, because I had no idea when I went the first time to the USA. I gave someone my business card. He said, "Whoa, this is the cool agency name, and say, "Why? And he said, "Yeah, regarding that, stop press as a synonym for latest news, stop the printing, stop the Michael Hingson  22:21 presses. Yeah. Helmut Stapel  22:22 Yes, I wasn't aware of that. And so there's really funny, yeah. And this is how that, how that figures out. Michael Hingson  22:30 And what do.. and what does the company do? Helmut Stapel  22:34 I do everything from all topics apart from ice hockey and soccer, because I, to say so, I could write or do some reports about that, but I have, you know, passion for this kind of sports, so I do everything apart from soccer and ice hockey, but also then I'm a photographer as well, so I do reportages all around the world regarding traveling as scientific journalists, as well. I do write for scientific magazines, which gives me a deep insight into topics I had never any idea before, which keeps my brain moving on and moving on, and also connecting different topics, which are maybe normally are not connected, and I do cultural reports as well. I do videos. I work for social media, and I develop social media and marketing companies as well, for big companies all around the wall, for example, the Q, not line England. I did some marketing, and there are others. So, everything which is connected with communication in what way ever is what I do. Michael Hingson  23:54 So, it's a marketing and communications company, which, which keeps you busy. How is it just you, or do you have other people in the company? Helmut Stapel  24:03 No, it's just me, and this is fascinating as well, because after I think 10 years, when I founded the firm, I was at a point from the mass of work, which came from all sides to me, to decide if I stay on my own or if I grew my firm, my company with some clerks regarding Dan becoming bigger, and when I was thinking about that, I had a closer look at my dog, which was a shepherd dog, a German Shepherd dog, and we were close friends, and he was my partner in triathlon, I did 10 years triathlon, and he was my running and my swimming partner as well, and so I looked at him, and at that time, at the day we wanted to go into the forest as we always did, and suddenly I was aware that if I have all this responsibility regarding all the people and getting all the work that they get their money at the. End of the month, and can feed their families, and things like that, that will be such a pressure for me and my small family as well. That I said, now, okay, I don't do that, because I will just lose my freedom, and so I decided to keep it small, and the way that I can normally live, and I'm not a poor man, but I'm not a rich man as well. But I have all the time of the world to organize myself. I can go to for a forest walk whenever I want. I can sleep midday on my couch whenever I want, and that was the point why I'm just on my own. Michael Hingson  25:38 And you can do podcast interviews whenever you want, and podcast conversations whenever you want. Helmut Stapel  25:43 Yes, definitely, Michael Hingson  25:44 that works out pretty well. Well, that's great. So, so what you have a project I think you're working on called The Center. Tell me about that. Helmut Stapel  25:54 Yes, thanks for asking, because this is something which is really on my mind and my heart, because dear Mike, as you asked before, regarding traveling the world, making experiences, meeting people over the years, it came to me and to my mind there are so many things where the world is not going in a direction where it should go just to be a good place for all the people that live on this planet, including all the nature which is on this planet, because without nature we cannot live on this planet, and so I developed the idea, and I'm working on this project, and I think in 2027 we will have the first, the first events is to found a place, which is called the center, because all the structures we were used to for decades, politically, naturally seen society, whatever it is, they are all breaking down, there are no, no, no roots anymore, and people are anxious that everything falls apart, and there's no center anymore, and so the idea was just to create a center where leading people from all kinds of areas, like it's economy, it's philosophy, it's a technical scene, it's astronomy, it's a religious whatever it is, just to take all this knowledge and all these different opinions and to make events for people which are in leading positions to create a feeling of that we are all in a network, because the earth is round, we cannot flee from here. We have to stay here, and we have to work with that. And the point is, when we all take something from the cookie plate and never give back anything on the plate, it will be empty, and if it's empty, no one is a winner, no one is a winner, and so the center is about then giving people the idea when they try to live a life where they give something, and it means not that they should give all their money, which they make to other people, it's about friendliness, it's about health, it's about clean water. It's about giving a warm word, and it's also giving more money as well. If someone's doing a good job, and so making the places where they live a better place, and the way they could do, and in this way giving more space for this message, because people have been treated better, they treat other people better, and it's like you throw a stone in the water, and small waves are coming, and just go. And this is the point. What the center is going to be about. If Speaker 1  28:54 you enjoy Unstoppable Mindset, and would like to help us continue bringing these conversations to you each week, we've created a way for you to support the show. Your contribution helps us cover production costs and continue sharing stories, insights, and ideas that inspire people to live with purpose and possibility. If supporting the podcast feels right for you, you'll find the link in the show notes. Thank you for being part of the unstoppable mindset community. Michael Hingson  29:28 Well, and when you throw a pebble into the water, the waves go out to the end, and then they come back, and, and it's a process. It's a process. You're Helmut Stapel  29:37 right, definitely. Michael Hingson  29:38 So, how far along are you with with this? You said in 2027 you think you're going to have the first event, and what, what, what kind of preparations are you making, and how is that going Helmut Stapel  29:50 from the first steps, writing an expose, getting my, and Daya is with me as well, because we like to found this together, just. Putting the first thoughts on paper, writing an expose, getting clear about what should it be about, having the first contacts, meeting people was like creating some kind of magnetic field, because suddenly when we started with that, things came by itself to us, that was fascinating regarding people offering sponsoring the website, for example, I have been to Zurich to an event where I met people I was not aware about, which fit to, for example, than the event character to other people, which one is the former director, the technical director of the NASA, the space agency, there's some kind of neurologist, we would say something, some people who work on brain artificial intelligence, whatever it is, and so I meet a lot of people since then who future researchers, whatever, who will be able, and would love to have events and a speech at the events of the center to be part of creating a horizon for all the people who come there to make sure and clear that in which position we are in the moment we look at earth in the space, because not many people are aware of that, how, how fragile this is, and so with all the knowledge and all the things like philosophy, which, as I said, we will try to implement a feeling of we have an at the people I have to do something, and in this way we are on the way. We have two places where we love to make the events. We came across that in the beginning we would think to concentrate on one place, but then we figured out it's better to have different places, just to have more atmosphere. One is in Switzerland, and the other is in Italy. And we are about to create, then, the program to make sure, as people have to pay for that. This is quite a point. We cannot do it for free, because there are some costs, but to create the program and sending invitations, making advertisements on Instagram, social media, whatever it is, and have a closer look on LinkedIn, how the feedback is, and the point is that without, as I work all my life like that, even if I write a novel or whatever it is, without setting a deadline for something, you will never reach your aim, because you say, yeah, maybe sometime someday. No, we do it in 2027 in summer, and in this way we have some time to move into a new home and our house, and in the same moment, just working with the people who already have said that they want to have a speech there, for example, we also are in touch with Laura Chaplin, which is a niece, you say, so from Charlie Chaplin. She lives in Switzerland. She, she loves to come there too, because she, she's a person who thinks that humor is an important point in life to create some kind of life feeling, and so in that way we are on the way to have then the first event in June or July 2027 and it will be in Switzerland at the Lake of Your Walsh Stetter Zie, near to Lucerne, or in Tuscany near to Lawrence Fierense, Michael Hingson  33:48 that sounds exciting. How large do you think the event will be? Helmut Stapel  33:52 We think about two events in the beginning in a year with maximum of 15 participants, maybe 10, because it will be very intensive, and it's not something to say so, which can be in Germany. We say inflation, inflation, or maybe this is the word in English. It's something that has to grow, as to say so. I have a friend. When I talked to him about that, he said that's too big. You will never, never see and realize how this will work. And I said, no, this is not the idea behind it, because someone has to start the process. All the things which can be big in history of humanity started at one point, and over if it takes centuries, I don't care. Someone has to start it, and if the idea works, it will work inside the people, which carry the idea to other people. And so we start with, I think, two events in a year, and maybe then 10 up to 15 people, max. Simon, Michael Hingson  35:01 well, so 10 to 15 people will be speaking. Is there an audience in addition to that, or it's just going to be an event with those people, and they're going to then take the message elsewhere? Helmut Stapel  35:13 No, the audience will be 10 to 15 people. Got it? Because the idea behind this, that also, because they were thinking about that every every change in society, if you look at human history, started on an unhealthy basis, which means that we're all people who were hungry, they were poor, whatever it is, and they were just fed up with the lives they were living, and said we have to change something, and this always meant war, this meant revolution, whatever it is, and at the end, most of the time, exactly those people became like the people they were talking about before, that they are the vicious people, so we thought about if we want to change something, the best thing is to talk to the people who are able, in their actual, in their current positions, to change something, which is their advantage as well. This is the concept of the center. It doesn't mean that you change when you change your mindset in this way that you lose something. No, it's about the advantage for everyone, and this is the idea behind the center. Michael Hingson  36:23 How did this come to your, to your mind? How do you, how did you create it? What, what caused you to think about doing this? Helmut Stapel  36:32 I have not really an exact idea. It was, it was a, it was a fusion of all the things I was talking about. There was one moment where suddenly all the things I mentioned in the beginning, regarding there's no center, everything is falling apart. I witnessed that, as everyone does on the TV and the radio, on social media, and when this witness, I talk to people, to friends, and also in other countries, and I figured out that this kind of anxiety creeps into the minds and souls of so many people that they got stuck in their lives, and that somehow all this beauty, which is around us, is not seen anymore, and it's just something that it's like the world is going to be getting dark, whatever it is, and we can stop that. And that was the point when that this, when I said someone has to stop that. And then I said, okay, then I'm the one, together with Daya. Michael Hingson  37:39 Well, that'll keep you and I are busy, you know, gives you, gives you something to do, and, and, and I'm sure you'll, you'll create an environment where there'll be a lot of good ideas that will come out of it, which is, of course, what it's all about, right? Helmut Stapel  37:53 Yes, yeah, definitely, because the way we treat each other is the basis for all that, regarding that we both have have an eye on each other, a closer look, that the other one feels good, just asking, do you need something, can I do something, and things like that, and that way we created a process which brings us with the positive energy forward in a very, very exciting and powerful way. Michael Hingson  38:23 Well, and that's, you know, that's always exciting, and it'll be interesting to see where, where this goes, and how the center grows, and how you can use that to influence people. We need to have more of that, I think the whole idea of helping to create and change, well, to change the world and make it a better place, there's always a good thing to do. Helmut Stapel  38:49 Yeah, I think you're definitely right, Mike. Also, then based on the idea that when we start with that in this on the small scale, it doesn't mean that not other people can do the same in other countries, you know. I registered the trademark just to, and the logo, and the and the and the sign, because it makes sense to have something which is steady, and if other people, then, for example, think that they are convinced by this idea, there's, there's nothing which is against the idea, then, that they do is in the country with the same concept as well. So, this is what we hope, that it's for example, I think there's always fascinating friend of mine, he, he's a scientist in mushrooms, and he's so keen on mushrooms, and he's telling about mushroom stories all day long, but the point is, this is the most fascinating living being, because it's under the ground, and it's just no one is seeing how it moves, and it's getting bigger and bigger, and what we eat is just what pops. Up right, and but but it's invisible, and when it comes out, everybody says I had no idea that it's that big, and I think this is the idea about sorry, the center creating a network which grows by itself and has more and more points where the idea pops up, that's the point, Michael Hingson  40:18 yeah, which, which makes sense. Tell me about some of the books that you've written, if you would. Helmut Stapel  40:25 I love to love to, because as I said, when I was eight, I wrote my first essay, which somehow astonished the teacher, and then I wrote my first poems, and short stories was 1312 or 13 years, and then I was aware of the fact that I want to become a writer. What happened was I became a writer in the way that I became a journalist, which took a lot of time, because I'm self-employed, but in the same way I was always keen on writing books, and I wrote several books, I think. Meanwhile, it's seven or eight. The first novel and short story thing, the first novel was 2024 and the short story mixed with with pictures. I'm doing pictures as well. I'm a painter as well, and so this was then 20 years ago, and so this is just the process of developing things. There's a poem book as well, it's called Lemon Land, which is quite interesting with funny poems, and as I'm interested in so many things, there are people asked me to write tourism things about lighthouses, for example. There were people, they asked me to write economic books about how a harbor works. For example, in Germany, we have one of the biggest, or some of the biggest container harbors of the world, the city where I live, Bremerhaven, for example, which is very connected to the USA. We had, I think, 6 million containers a year, and now we are somehow about 3.8 3.6 or whatever it is, and so this is some logistical thing, I wrote a fitness book as well, since I did triathlon 10 years and it was a vegetarian at that time, and so I figured out how that works, and suddenly I started to eat meat again, because then from one day to another it tastes good again for me, and so I wrote a fitness book, as well. It's called The Couch Coach, because I figured out that so many people sitting in front of the TV saying, "Ah, I would like to go to a studio, but it costs so much energy, and I would love to stay in front of my TV. And so I thought to develop a fitness program for people just laying on the couch and making sports, so it works with some, it's not a lot of weight, it's for your food and for your hands, and so within 15 or 20 minutes, you can just exercise your body from the food while you, while you eat pizza and eat Coca Cola. So I also have some diet program in the book, but you're not forced to do this, is this is not this. If you want to become a better man, just have a diet and do sport. No, a lot of people just stop them doing that, because it's exhausting. And so you can decide to change your life, but you can keep on lying on the couch, just having pizza and drinking Coke. It's just about bringing people into the mood of movement, and so I think this is the mixture. Actually, I wrote a travel guide, which maybe can now will come out this year, and it's the first travel guide one has written in this style on this planet. Honestly, there's no book like that. I'm very proud on this, and while I'm looking for someone that publishes it, I already work on my next novel with Willy, a criminal story, which plays on a lighthouse. Daya is very excited hearing the next things I have written, and so these are the writing projects I do work on. Michael Hingson  44:16 So, what's the name of the travel book? Helmut Stapel  44:19 I cannot say this is a secret, it's Michael Hingson  44:23 not out yet. So, yeah, you can't say what's the last book. Oh, go ahead. Helmut Stapel  44:28 The last book is also quite exciting, because it will be published next week on English, and will be available worldwide. It's called The Day a Chinese Ate a Bet, and so, as you can imagine, it's about Corona, and it's the very first book on a journalism basis written in a comedian style, apart from the fact that Corona was not really funny, that that takes all the things which has happened based. Based on a two year research on press releases from US government, the World Health Health Organization, whatever it is, articles, just to make an overview, what happened at what time, and who did say what, because of blaming whom, to bring some light into this chaos in a very funny way, regarding that, the theory and the rumor that Chinese eat beds are just based on one video from an influencer from Thailand who pretended to eat a bed, and so that was an ah, all Chinese eat bats, they produce corona, and so this is why it's called like the day Chinese ate a bad and the main point is the message in this book is not to believe everything people are telling you because they want to influence you and not to ask the question where's the source where's the basis for that and so yeah and it's in one day in Wuhan, a taxi driver who has all the people, there's a billionaire called Phil Bates, you can assume who I mean, and other people who are driving in this taxi one after another, and all this taxi driver gets all the stories and infos, and so he gets more confused and confused and nervous, and so it's a day in Wuhan where it pops up all the people who are connected, maybe with the with the existing of the coronavirus, and they all meet at the end in a final place to say so. And then we have the conclusion, but I won't, I won't spoil that. Oh, you don't want to do Michael Hingson  46:42 that? No, by no means. So, it'll be published in English next week, huh? Helmut Stapel  46:47 Yes, exciting! Wow, Michael Hingson  46:48 that's pretty cool. Helmut Stapel  46:51 I'm really proud on that. Michael Hingson  46:54 Well, so what publisher is publishing it, or how's that working? Helmut Stapel  47:00 I did this by myself. Okay, Helmut Stapel  47:03 yeah, with this book, for example, and have chosen the soil name Arthur Block because it was my grandpa, and I thought Arthur Block is more international than Helmut Staple. It's more, there's more speed behind it. Arthur Block, yay. And as I did my first apprenticeship as graphic designer, I decided, because I'm familiar with books and publishing with the newspaper, I have all the knowledge to publish my book by myself, and I try to, and it's working out good, because I have a lot of five star five five-star ratings on Amazon, and there are some kind of.. we have in Germany, for example, companies like Books on Demand, which then bring this with an ISBN number into all bookshops in the world, and so it was a kind of adventure. I still work on that. Regarding also, thank you for naming this in your podcast, doing some marketing on Google, and things like that. Normal, just have a closer look, how that that works. And so, with the with the travel guide, I'm in touch with Lonely Planet, which is quite known as travel guide, which young people love all around the world, and they are interested, and so looking forward if they really want to. If not, and if no one likes to, I publish it by myself again Michael Hingson  48:35 now. So, will the day the Chinese ate a bat, when that comes out in English form, will that also be available in places like Amazon? Helmut Stapel  48:45 Definitely, I figured out, and this is the exciting part of, at first I had no idea how that works with Amazon and Kindle, and whatever it is, and then I figured out, by it was incidentally, when I created this book at first in German, then I published it on Amazon, and they have an ISBN number as well. And I thought, okay, now I'm in business internationally, and a friend of mine said, okay, I like to buy your book, I go to a bookshop, and he had the title and asked for the book, and they looked into the PC and said there is no book like that, and there is no author like that, and he called me, and I said this is not possible, because I have the ISBN number here from Amazon, and then I figured out that Amazon has an own ISBN number, which doesn't pop up in the international catalogs of bookshops, you need a different ISBN number from the first three numbers, Michael Hingson  49:41 yeah. Helmut Stapel  49:42 Yes, and so I always have to use two channels, it's Amazon with Kindle and things like that, and also the normal book shops who like books on demand, as I said, with the international normal ISBN number. Michael Hingson  49:55 Will there be a an audio version of the book? Helmut Stapel  49:58 Yes, I work. That since I'm a radio moderator as well, and we have a studio at home, and we will have a really pretty studio, and on your house, I love it. I will produce the books as audio versions as well. Michael Hingson  50:13 Well, that'll be exciting. You'll have to let us know when, when the audio version, especially, comes, comes out. That'll be, Helmut Stapel  50:20 I will, Michael Hingson  50:20 that'll be easier for me to read. I mean, I can buy a print book, and I can use optical character recognition to read it, but I'm lazy. I'd rather have an audio version, and I know other people would too. So, that'll be, that'll be exciting when it, when it does come out. Helmut Stapel  50:34 I'll let you know, it's more personally somehow, if you just see the voice of than the author just reading something. Michael Hingson  50:40 Yeah, well, whether it's you reading it or someone, it'll still be good to have an audio version. Now, you have also made a movie. Tell me about the movie. Helmut Stapel  50:49 Yes, I work on that. It's not in the cinema, it's the process I'm still working on, and I'm really proud on that too. Yeah, because it's also, yeah. yeah, realizing what chance you can take to do whatever it is, and as I said, the borderlines you have are the borderlines you put by yourself, and when I figured out that I was going to go to Savannah, USA, and had the chance to have an interview with Stratton Leopold, who is the very, very well-known producer in the USA. He made movies like Mission Impossible, Star Trek. He was involved in Captain America, and things like that. I thought, when I have so many ideas in my head, I just can write two pages down and just ask him if he thinks it's a good story, and so when we had this interview, we're sitting on our own in an old cinema in Savannah, next to the ice shop he's running, he has taken that from his father, Leopold's ice cream, it's really cool because you have all the things from his movies into the ice shop, all the things from Mission Impossible, and this is really cool. And so I was asking him if you could maybe have a closer look at this two page, no, I think it was four pages, and what he thinks about the story, and he said, yeah, for sure, and was quite great a moment in my life, because in the interview he before mentioned how many people give him short things, manuscripts or text, and hope that he's doing something with that, and there, and he said there's so many things he's sorry to say that, but they are not good, and then he was reading my text, and at the end he was looking at me and was like one second, two seconds, three seconds, and then he said this is a good story, and I say, thank you. And then he asked me if he could take it home with him, just have a closer look. He asked me if I had already saved it. I said, no, I didn't. He said, just do. For example, now I'm a member of the American Writers Guild East, so that my text and my scripts are protected and I shifted all my dates behind with the travel journalism because he asked me if I can come back next day and we had a closer tour in Savannah to look for locations where we can just have this movie we were looking for people with money then for script writers and things like that but unfortunately in between, then Corona popped up, and it was then this 2021 22 and 23 in the middle, I think we started to work again on that, but unfortunately, the people who was were before able to give the money, they were gone, and so we are start, we have started from some new point, but with the same energy, and suddenly, because our movie should be named Wish, like the Wish, because it's about wishing something, and it's a mixture between the digital world and the fairy tale world and the reality, to say so, which is quite interesting, and suddenly I walked beneath a cinema in Germany, and I saw this Walt Disney movie, Wish, and I said no, impossible. So there was this title, and we had a conference as well. So we renamed the movie. I cannot tell you how it is named, but we found people with money. Again, we have a script writer, and so we're going in the next process. Then I'm going to contact different companies like Netflix, Walt Disney, and Paramount. At first, the three is enough. And we have in Germany an institution, it's called a Deutsche Film Ferderung. They give money by the state to people who create movies. I'm in touch with them. Helmut Stapel  54:45 The only point is that if you get money from the state of Germany, you have to integrate parts of Germany visual into the movie, so, and this is this is the reason why in Mission Impossible films. Tom Cruise starts from Berlin with a plane or a factory in Hamburg is going to explode, or whatever it is, because they got money from the German state for the production, and we worked on that already, and so this is the point I think. Also, 22 seven will be a very, very fascinating year for me, because we think about having the movie then on the market, it's Michael Hingson  55:27 exciting. Absolutely, well, so what, what, what would you say to someone to help them get motivated to achieve their goal, whatever that might be. Helmut Stapel  55:44 Whoa, as I also teach script writing, there's one point where we start in how this movie script starts. It always starts with an idea, and the idea is only there because you realize something, which has happened, and then you, you stuck to that, and you go on with that, and don't stop developing it till the script and the movie is done, and so it's the same in reaching your life goals. If you have an idea, maybe you have it by itself in your brain, or you are motivated by people, or you want to copy or cover whatever it is, but there are two chances, two channels to say, so you can go. The one is to demotivate yourself, because you say, 'Oh no, I don't think this is quite good. It could be better. There may be some people who might say it could be better, or they think about things what I think, and so then you lose your energy. The other channel is to realize that every everything you're thinking, everything you figure out is unique in the world and the universe, and if you just blow it away, it's gone. And this is such a waste, this is such a waste, and so just take the channel, keep the idea like a treasure, get energy, money, whatever it is, and think about that. Also, a tree is not a tree because it's grown up in 10 seconds, it starts small, and so start small, like I said, with the Savannah cinema thing with Stratton, have a closer look at my script. What do you think? And so then maybe in one and a half year, this movie will then be into the cinema, and also it doesn't matter what other things that are, if you stay to your idea, don't block yourself, and don't forbid you anything regarding thinking how something could work. Test it, as I said, and if it doesn't work, test another way. Thomas Alpha Edison, for example, before he, he was able to have electric light, I think he destroyed 1000 of the gluing, whatever, glooming, whatever, bomb, because the material wasn't right. And then he was asked by some journalist, wasn't that frustrating? And he said no, because then in this way I figured 1000 way out, how it does not work. You find 1000 Michael Hingson  58:36 things that didn't work, you don't have to worry about them anymore. Helmut Stapel  58:39 Yeah, and as I always say, even if you are going to be self-employed, looking for clients, whatever it is, if you are disappointed by yourself or by someone else, take it as a motivation. It's a motivation. It's not the end of the world, it's the start of doing something else. Michael Hingson  58:59 What do you think is the most important thing that you've ever Helmut Stapel  59:04 done. Meeting Daya, of course, I think that's Michael Hingson  59:08 a good answer. Helmut Stapel  59:09 This is one, and during my lifetime, I saved the life of seven people for real, biologically, financially, emotionally, so this is something I'm very proud on, regarding cost, cost a lot of energy to do that, but they are on their way, and they're still here, which is quite great. This is something I wrote, my first novel. Yeah, I saved my mother's life, which is quite a good thing, because she brought me to the world. This is something, and what else? Let me think, because it's such an important question. I think that this is something. Okay, and there was a day when I figured out that it's an important thing to love myself and. That I like myself, and even if there are things which are maybe not quite content with, but that I realized that I'm a worthwhile person in that way. When I give something to other people, and this way I have grown, because I don't expect people to give something to me back. If they do it, it's fine. Then I'm grateful, but in that way I can give a lot of things to other people, and this is, I think, a bit - this is a big gift. Michael Hingson  1:00:30 That's great. Well, if people want to reach out to you, how do they do that? Helmut Stapel  1:00:35 It could be on my homepage, as it maybe appears. Then, after our podcast it's www stop press, what could it be.de stop press or Michael Hingson  1:00:48 de, okay, Helmut Stapel  1:00:49 or even also on on WhatsApp on my mobile phone would work because I love fast conversation and writing emails as well, yeah. Instagram would be a good idea. It's also stop press on Instagram. There are a lot of channels, but I think these are the most important. LinkedIn, for example, also Michael Hingson  1:01:12 stop press again. Helmut Stapel  1:01:14 Yes, Michael Hingson  1:01:15 okay. Well, I hope people will reach out. This has been absolutely fascinating. I have enjoyed it. I hope you have, and absolutely. And it's time for you to go to bed. It's getting late there. It's 10 o'clock. Yeah, I Helmut Stapel  1:01:27 think I will not go to bed. I asked my wife if we have an hour TV watching from the couch and having couch coach training. Well, there you go. Well, Michael Hingson  1:01:36 maybe now she can watch TV again, since we keep the internet free. But I want to thank you for being here, and I want to thank all of you for listening and watching us today. If you'd like, if you'd like to talk to me, any of you, feel free to email me at speaker at Michael hinkson.com that's s p e a k e r at m i c h a e l h i n g s o n.com Hopefully, you will also reach out to Helmut, love to get a review from you, so wherever you're observing the podcast, please give us a review, and if you know of anyone who ought to be a guest, we'd love it if you'd introduce us. We're always looking for people to tell their stories, but Helmut, I want to thank you again for being here. This has been absolutely wonderful. Helmut Stapel  1:02:20 Thank you so much, Mike. It was my pleasure. Comes from the heart, and it was a very, very interesting and great time. And I hope we stay in touch to start some common projects that would be wonderful. Michael Hingson  1:02:30 Let's do it. But I really thank you for being here. Helmut Stapel  1:02:34 My pleasure, Mike. Michael Hingson  1:02:38 Thank you for being here with me on Unstoppable Mindset. I hope today's conversation left you with a fresh perspective, a new insight, or at least something worth thinking about. If you're ready to go deeper into the ideas that shape how we see ourselves and others, I have a free gift for you. Head over to Michael hingson.com and download my free ebook, Blinded by Fear. It explores the invisible beliefs that hold us back and shows you how to reframe them, so you can move forward with clarity and confidence. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast, leave a review, and share this show with someone who can use a reminder that growth starts with mindset. When people think differently, we all move forward together. Thanks again for listening. Keep learning, keep questioning, and keep choosing to live with an unstoppable mindset. 1:03:40 Thank

Hello friends, enemies, and AI spam robots. We did one of our first-ever live podcast events at The Lighthouse in Venice, California, a swanky campus for creators where extravagant secret handshakes surely exist. The podcast focused on how to write a book specifically, but could be applied to any creative project generally. I had a great time talking in front of a live audience (probably because I'm the youngest of five and crave attention), and I look forward to doing more. For the three percent who don't know, Adam Skolnick is an award-winning independent journalist and author covering adventure sports, environmental issues, travel and human rights for The New York Times, Outside, Playboy and Lonely Planet. He is the author of One Breath, the ghost writer and narrator of David Goggins' smash hit memoir and audiobook Can't Hurt Me, and most recently his debut novel, American Tiger, a story about an escaped tiger in the LA area. Adam and I do ocean swims together. Sometimes I let him win.This podcast is in partnership with The Waking Up App. Use this link for $30 bucks off the most profound meditation course I've ever come across.If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can watch this podcast on my YouTube channel and join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious. My first book, ONE LAST QUESTION BEFORE YOU GO, is available to order today. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Hello friends, enemies, and AI spam robots. We did one of our first-ever live podcast events at The Lighthouse in Venice, California, a swanky campus for creators where extravagant secret handshakes surely exist. The podcast focused on how to write a book specifically, but could be applied to any creative project generally. I had a great time talking in front of a live audience (probably because I'm the youngest of five and crave attention), and I look forward to doing more. For the three percent who don't know, Adam Skolnick is an award-winning independent journalist and author covering adventure sports, environmental issues, travel and human rights for The New York Times, Outside, Playboy and Lonely Planet. He is the author of One Breath, the ghost writer and narrator of David Goggins' smash hit memoir and audiobook Can't Hurt Me, and most recently his debut novel, American Tiger, a story about an escaped tiger in the LA area. Adam and I do ocean swims together. Sometimes I let him win.This podcast is in partnership with The Waking Up App. Use this link for $30 bucks off the most profound meditation course I've ever come across.If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can watch this podcast on my YouTube channel and join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious. My first book, ONE LAST QUESTION BEFORE YOU GO, is available to order today. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

There is a state in New England where ancient mountains rise above the treeline into bare Arctic tundra, where sheer granite summits look out over oceans of forests, and where one of the fastest wind speeds ever recorded was once clocked here at 231 miles per hour. But New Hampshire is also the place where Thoreau came to reflect, Thornton Wilder was inspired to write his seminal play Our Town, and the oldest summer stock company in America stills performs in an 18th century barn. New Hampshire is art and adventure, natural wonders and quintessential charm. But most of all, like the state's nickname suggests, it is a place to live free and to the fullest.In today's episode we set off on a seven-day road trip through three of the state's most rugged and fascinating regions - from backpacking in the White Mountains and scrambling up waterfalls to discovering art inspired by nature, and nature infused with an artistic eye. Get ready for the Live Free Road Trip.Highlights include:Hiking the Presidential Traverse - three days, and four peaks above 5,000 feet, including Mt Washington, the highest (and windiest) summit in New England.Discovering the ‘business class of backpacking' staying in the Apallachain Mountain Club's backcountry huts - three-course dinners, epic views, and cosy beds.Finding out about the MacDowell Institute, a legendary artists' residency founded in 1907, whose past guests include Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, James Baldwin, Thornton Wilder and hundreds of other world-class artists.Hiking Mount Monadnock - reputedly the second most climbed mountain in the world after Mount Fuji, with views across New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts. Hear why this was one of Thoreau's favorite hikes!FIND OUT MOREProduced in collaboration with Lonely Planet: LonelyPlanet.comFind inspiration, itineraries and everything you need - including how to book this exact road trip - at visitnh.gov (Visit New Hampshire) or follow them on social at @VisitNHThank you to our guests:Marielle Fibish, senior outdoor guide at the Appalachian Mountain Club.Find out more at: outdoors.orgBen Cote, Newport local and outdoor fanatic. Connect with him at tracylibrary.orgMichelle Stahl, Executive Director at the Monadnock Center for History and Culture. Find out more at monadnockcenter.orgKnow Someone Who Needs This?If this episode lit something up in you, do me a favour — send it to just one person. One friend, one family member, one person who needs a little wonder in their life right now. Or go old school and tell someone about it over a cheeky pint. Every single share genuinely moves the needle.FOLLOW US:Instagram: @armchairexplorerpodcastFacebook: @armchairexplorerpodcastCONNECT WITH US:If you enjoy the show, please subscribe on whatever podcast player you're reading this on right now. It helps us grow the show, and continue to bring these stories to you.Armchair Explorer is written and presented by Aaron Millar. Audio editing and sound design by Charles Tyrie. Produced by Armchair ProductionsMentioned in this episode:Check out the Smart Travel PodcastThis week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel at the Link below:Smart Travel PodcastCheck out all of our other travel podcasts from around the worldThis podcast is part of the Voyascape Network, a collection of some of the world's best travel podcasts. Explore more at Voyascape.com. For advertising or sponsorship opportunities across the network, see the link below.Voyascape Podcast Network

The Hard Shoulder's Ultimate Guide and as ever, our travel guide Fionn Davenport, Travel journalist and Lonely Planet author, joining Ciara and Shane in studio.

There is a place at the top of the world where the land runs out, a sheer thousand-foot cliff rising straight from the Arctic Ocean, and nothing beyond it but open sea all the way to the North Pole. This is the North Cape - the northernmost point of continental Europe and getting there means sailing one of the most spectacular coastlines on Earth. From Oslo, we travel north through towering fjords and fishing villages so remote the ship is their only connection to the outside world. We pass the Lofoten Islands rising like a mountain range planted in the middle of the ocean, Alta - nicknamed the Northern Lights City - and on into the deep Arctic silence of Finnmark. Norway's coast is not just beautiful. It is staggering.The Northern Lights wait for us there too. The Sami called them Govsov - the light you can hear, the light that speaks. Science calls them solar particles colliding with the earth's atmosphere. But standing beneath them, none of that matters. What you are seeing is the invisible touch of our sun, raining down in colour all around you - and it is unlike anything you have ever experienced before.Join host Aaron Millar, and two expert guests, as we set sail on the North Cape Line with the legendary adventure ships of Hurtigruten. This is more than an expedition cruise, it is a journey to the edge of the world along one of the most awe-inspiring coastlines in the world in search of the Aurora at its most breathtaking.Produced in Armchair Explorer's signature documentary style, this immersive audio adventure is designed not just to let you hear what it's like to chase the Northern Lights along the Norwegian coast - but to feel it.Highlights include:Sailing the Trollfjord - a fjord so narrow it feels like you could reach out and touch the mountains on either side, sheer walls of rock and snow rising straight from the water around you.Standing at the North Cape - the northernmost point in Europe where beyond the cliff edge there nothing but the Arctic Ocean, all the way to the North Pole.Sitting inside a Sami Lavvu - warm with firelight and wood smoke - hearing stories, sharing food and listening to yoik, the ancient song form where every melody carries the spirit of a specific person, animal or place.Husky sledding into the Arctic wilderness - the moment the dogs stop barking, set off, and everything goes utterly silent. Just you, the animals, and the snow.The food of Norway's coast - fresh Arctic cod from the world's largest cod fishery in Lofoten, king crab hauled from the icy waters of Finnmark and cooked within the hour, cheese from a family farm whose recipes are 300 years old, and wild herbs foraged from cliff edges above the fjords.The Aurora itself - the crowning corona, where the lights rain down in every direction around you - “like taking a dream out of your head and placing it into the sky”FIND OUT MOREProduced in collaboration with Lonely Planet: LonelyPlanet.comThis journey is run by expedition cruise company Hurtigruten, whose ships have sailed this coastline for generations. This is what they promise: If you're on one of their 11-day or longer voyage during the Auroral season and the Lights don't appear, they'll give you another chance on a future sailing at no extra cost.Find out more at hurtigruten.comConnect with expert Aurora chaser Tom Kerss at TomKerss.com or follow him on Instagram at @tomkerssThank you also to Andre Pettersen, the man behind Hurtigruten's extraordinary food and community connections along the Norwegian coast.Know Someone Who Needs This?If this episode lit something up in you, do me a favour - send it to just one person. One friend, one family member, one person who needs a little wonder in their life right now. Or go old school and tell someone about it over a cheeky pint. Every single share genuinely moves the needle.Hit the share button in your podcast app - it takes about ten seconds, and helps us continue to bring these stories to you.FOLLOW US: Instagram: @armchairexplorerpodcast Facebook: @armchairexplorerpodcastCONNECT WITH US: If you enjoy the show, please subscribe on whatever podcast player you're reading this on right now. Go on, do it! It helps us grow the show, and means you won't miss an episode (we've got some good ones coming up!).Armchair Explorer is written and presented by Aaron Millar. Audio editing and sound design by Charles Tyrie. Theme music by Sweet Chap. Produced by Armchair Productions. Find our other shows at Armchair-Productions.com Mentioned in this episode:Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the worldThis podcast is part of the Voyascape Network, a collection of some of the world's best travel podcasts. Explore more at Voyascape.com. For advertising or sponsorship opportunities across the network, see the link below.Voyascape Podcast NetworkCheck out the Smart Travel PodcastThis week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel at the Link below:Smart Travel Podcast

Travel can create new perspectives. There's a growing trend towards wanting to make our getaways not just a relaxing break. A fast track to finding yourself can be to spend time somewhere you've never been.   

London, Freitagmorgen, 6:30 Uhr. Fast niemand auf der Straße. Die Sonne geht auf, die Gebäude leuchten und Michi läuft mit einem Kaffee durch die leere City. Dabei erlebt er eine Stadt, die er so noch nie gesehen hat.Gute Laune, Vitamin D in Überdosis. Willkommen zum Weekender.Diese Folge hat es in sich. Jochen und Michi haben eine Frage in die Community gestellt, die gerade viele bewegt: Kann man noch in die USA reisen? 155 Kommentare, keine einfachen Antworten - dafür kluge, faire, erstaunlich differenzierte Meinungen. Spannend. Danke Euch. Wir sprechen drüber. Ein gutes Gespräch.Außerdem eure Sommerpläne. Namibia, Bukarest, Norwegen, Slowenien, Zentralasien. Und durch die Reisen Reisen Weekender Card erzählt Jochen, wie er auf einer japanischen Insel einfach geblieben ist. Und geblieben. Bis die Hotline aufgehört hat zurückzurufen.—

Saskatchewan adventure travel writer Ashlyn George has co-authored Lonely Planet's Best Bike Rides Canada, highlighting cycling routes across Saskatchewan and Manitoba, from urban trails in Saskatoon to hidden gems in Prince Albert National Park and Moose Jaw's Wakamow Valley. The guide is designed to make cycling adventures more accessible and encourage more Canadians—to explore the outdoors by bike. She joins Evan to talk about the book and biking in Saskatchewan.

Istanbul-based journalist Jennifer Hattam on her work updating the Lonely Planet guide to Turkey. The conversation touches on the immense amount of work and miles that go into updating the guide, as well as how Turkey has changed since she first did the job. Please support Turkey Book Talk on Patreon or Substack. Supporters get a 35% discount on all Turkey/Ottoman History books published by Bloomsbury Academic, transcripts of every interview, and links to articles related to each episode.

What does it take to discover a continent? Apparently four months in the Madagascan wilderness with no phone, some crunchy crickets to snack on, and a whole lot of time bouncing around on terrible roads in a beat-up Peugeot while thinking some very big thoughts.Professor Alan Collins from Adelaide University joins Holly and Anthony for a conversation that spans the formation of Gondwana, the naming of a long-lost ancient continent, and the importance of being beautifully, productively bored. This is a genuine delight as Alan shares with us his vintage field photos, stories of sleeping in remote villages, learning Malagasy on the fly, and finding dinosaur bones by the side of the road. What a geology-kinda-life!!And the science? Alan's research reconstructed continental collisions 600–700 million years ago when the oceans were pink and the continents a rusty-red... and a mountain range as mighty as the Himalaya that has long since vanished. Alan walks us through the plate reconstructions and explains why understanding all of this helps us understand why our planet turned out the way it did. Oh, and we find out where the name Azania actually came from. Spoiler: it involves a very well-thumbed Lonely Planet!Alan is a returning guest on Wonder. If you've heard him before, you'll already know why we had to get him back. If you haven't, this is a very good place to start.Make sure you're following Wonder wherever you get your podcasts - and chuck that notifications bell on! Find us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thegeoco.com.au⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠And on Instagram & TikTok: @thegeocoWe release a GeoCo News email newsletter. You wouldn't want to miss out... ⁠⁠⁠⁠sign up here https://thegeoco.substack.com/?u...​Thanks to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Geological Society of Australia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for making this episode of Wonder possible! GeoCo comes to you from the traditional country of the Kaurna people of the Adelaide Plains, South Australia. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present, and emerging.

How good is your travel etiquette? Lonely Planet's Jessica Lockhart, the Destination Editor for Oceania, shares her top tips - and also how travellers in the Pacific are responding to the global fuel crisis.

We have experienced Paris through the words of Hemingway and Balzac, the colors of Chagall and Delaunay, the wild adventures of Henry Miller, the recipes of Julia Child, the stars of Michelin, and the curated lists of Fodor's, Frommer's, and Lonely Planet. Yet, few have explored Paris through the unique perspective of the “Exposition Universelle”—the World's Fair, or World Expo.Paris is a living archive of seven Universal Expositions held between 1855 and 1937. These grand events left an indelible mark on the city, creating an urban diary of monumental achievements: the Eiffel Tower, of course, but also the Musée d'Orsay, the Grand Palais, and the Petit Palais.“Nobody Sits Like the French” uncovers these stories and many more. Blending travel guide and history, the book reveals a Paris invisible to most—a city where every glass of Burgundy, every sip from Baccarat crystal, every Monet or Gauguin admired, and even the modern marvel of a working sewer system, can be traced back to the legacy of a World Expo. https://www.charlespappas.world/buy-the-world-expo-bookhttp://www.yourlotandparcel.org

(0:10 - 0:48) The podcast episode begins with hosts Marcy Gordon and Beth Costa introducing the show and thanking sponsors like Ron Rubin and River Road Family Vineyards and Winery for their support (0:49 - 1:14) They welcome their guest, Virginie Boone, a celebrated wine writer and podcast host for "The Good Stuff" with Karissa Kruse, and discuss her extensive contributions to wine publications. (1:14 - 1:49) Virginie reflects on her experience as a guest on their show and the benefits of co-hosting, which allows for diverse perspectives and shared responsibilities. (1:50 - 11:48) The conversation highlights Virginie's blog for Sonoma County Wine Growers, where she covers a wide range of topics, from local agricultural history to broader cultural trends, showcasing her curiosity and storytelling skills.  (3:12 - 6:08) Virginie shares her background as a travel writer for Lonely Planet, detailing her early career in digital content and community building, including her work on the Thorn Tree forum. She recounts her transition from travel writing to wine writing, emphasizing the natural connection between the two fields due to their shared focus on sense of place and storytelling. Virginie discusses her current work for Jeb Dunnuck, covering wine regions in California, Washington, Spain, and Argentina, and reflects on her long-standing fascination with Argentina, which she finally visited after years of interest. She also mentions her fluency in French and how it aids her work in Spain, where many winemakers have ties to France. (11:49-18:08) The discussion shifts to Virginie's personal history, including her upbringing as an army brat, her French mother's cultural adjustment to life in the U.S., and her family's eventual settlement in San Francisco. Virginie explains her move to Sonoma County around the time of 9/11, drawn by the region's beauty, proximity to San Francisco, and vibrant community. The hosts and Virginie discuss favorite local spots, including restaurants like Stella and Glen Ellen Star, and wineries like Ramsgate and Beltane Ranch, highlighting the area's rich culinary and wine offerings. (18:09-27:03) The conversation touches on the evolving wine industry, including the rise of white wines and their appeal to younger generations due to their freshness, versatility, and compatibility with diverse cuisines. Virginie and the hosts discuss the importance of independent wine writing, the challenges of modern media, and the joy of discovering well-written, inspiring wine stories. They reflect on the connection between travel writing and wine writing, emphasizing the value of personal experiences and storytelling in understanding wine. (27:04-45:05) Virginie shares her aspirations to visit South Africa, drawn by its wine culture and natural beauty, and discusses the importance of immersing oneself in the places and people behind the wines. The hosts and Virginie explore the concept of "The Good Stuff," inspired by a TED Talk by Karissa Kruse, which encourages savoring life's pleasures and sharing positive stories. They joke about creating a contrasting "The Bad Stuff" series but ultimately focus on the resilience and community spirit of Sonoma County, especially in the face of challenges like wildfires. (45:06-50:34) The episode concludes with a "Fast Five" recipe segment featuring Jacob from Mounds Family Winery, who shares a simple dish of whipped ricotta and marinated tomatoes paired with wine. The hosts announce upcoming events, including the Passport to Dry Creek and the Spring Wine Trail, and discuss the Writing Between the Vines retreat program, which offers writers an opportunity to work in Sonoma's wine country. The episode wraps up with gratitude for Virginie's participation and a reflection on the joy of connecting through wine and storytelling.  

Witnessing the Northern Lights is one of the most awe-inspiring experiences on the planet, and in today's interview episode we're going to hear what it feels like to stand beneath them - a cascade of color raining down from the sky all around you. In Norse mythology the Aurora were the armour of the Valkyries. The Inuit saw spirits playing in the sky. The Sami hid indoors in fear. And science has its own story too, because what we are really witnessing is the energy of the sun itself, travelling 93 million miles across space, and exploding into color in our atmosphere. We may now be able to explain them scientifically, but their effect on us is unchanged. This is a story about the science of solar winds and magnetic fields, the mythology of ancient cultures who saw gods and fire in the sky, and the art of chasing something wild, unpredictable and utterly mesmerizing. Taking us deeper into that experience is Tom Kerss, one of the world's leading Aurora experts. Tom's passion for the Aurora is infectious, his knowledge extraordinary, and his way of describing what you see in that sky inspiring and poetic.FIND OUT MOREProduced in collaboration with Lonely Planet: lonelyplanet.com Tom Kerss is one of the world's leading Aurora experts and the onboard Aurora guide for expedition cruise company Hurtigruten. They run spectacular trips along the Norwegian coast, and if this episode inspires you to go and see the lights for yourself you can travel with Tom on one of their astronomy voyages. Find out more at hurtigruten.com. Connect with Tom and find out more about his work at tomkerss.com, or follow him on Instagram at @tomkerss.Note: a full adventure documentary episode going on a Northern Lights expedition cruise up the Norwegian coast is coming next month. Hit follow so you don't miss it!SHARE THIS EPISODEIf this story lit something up in you, do me a favour and send it to just one person. One friend, one family member, one person you think needs a little wonder in their life right now. I'm trying to reach 1,000 new listeners this series, and every single share genuinely moves the needle. You'd be helping Tom's story reach someone who really needs to hear it. Leave a review or hit that share button in your podcast appFOLLOW US:Instagram: @armchairexplorerpodcastFacebook: @armchairexplorerpodcastCREDITSArmchair Explorer is written and presented by Aaron Millar. Audio editing on this episode was by Jason Paton. Theme music by Sweet Chap. Produced by Armchair-Productions.comMentioned in this episode:Check out the Smart Travel PodcastThis week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel at the Link below:Smart Travel PodcastCheck out all of our other travel podcasts from around the worldThis podcast is part of the Voyascape Network, a collection of some of the world's best travel podcasts. Explore more at Voyascape.com. For advertising or sponsorship opportunities across the network, see the link below.Voyascape Podcast Network

Here's what we're reading, recommending, and revisiting this week, in the final episode EVER of this podcast.Catherine's library find is Better Than Fiction: True Travel Tales from Great Fiction Writers, published in 2021 by The Lonely Planet. There's also a second volume of even more travel tales. Terri's random recommendation is all the ways you can keep up with us when we're no longer blabbing in your ears three times a week. Also mentioned: Bookmory and Authory.Terri's Substack, Too Old for Cool; any future TV chats will live hereCatherine's InstagramTerri on Twitter @mamatudeTerri's websiteThe podcast on Instagram and Twitter; subscribe to see if Terri follows through on her eight-year replay planIn the archives, we talked about a couple of specific episodes while recalling the many permutations of the podcast over the past dozen years: Parenting Investigations and Are You a Soggy Mom?.While we won't be publishing new episodes, our archives will remain available. Thank you for listening!

Conocemos los detalles de la nueva guía en español de Lonely Planet sobre Centroamérica con Lola Escudero, directora de Comunicación de la editorial, de referencia sobre viajes en todo el mundo. Hablamos de Guatemala, Belice, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panamá y el sur de México.También actualizamos lo más destacado de la jornada con la expectativa en Venezuela por los últimos anuncios de Delcy Rodríguez; de la visita de María Corina Machado a España; o de las nuevas trabas para localizar a bebés robados en la dictadura argentina. Además, conocemos el "Me too" colombiano desatado en Caracol televisión con Beatriz Viaño.Escuchar audio

Today we're heading off to Palau. Palau is an island nation that's part of the Micronesia subregion. Lonely Planet destination editor Jessica Lockhart joins us to share her travel tales.

It's time now Our Ultimate Guide and as ever, our travel guide Fionn Davenport, Travel journalist and Lonely Planet author, joins me now in studio...Fionn joined Ciara and Shane to discuss Easter holidays and what to do with the kids in and around Dublin

Resources and Links* Support the podcast on Substack here* Work with Jonathan 1:1* book a reading here* apply for ongoing guidance container here* Try the breathwork and meditation app Open for 30 days free here“I'm most interested in writing a love letter to humanity. Even more so than travel.”For many in the astrology and tarot world, Jeff Hinshaw is no stranger. You may know him through his deeply beloved podcast Cosmic Cousins or the Brooklyn Fools Tarot Journey.Recently, Jeff and I caught up to discuss the process of creating Travel Tarot, in which Jeff collaborated with Lonely Planet and Studio Muti. Specifically, we discussed how the deck deepened his embodied understanding of the Mercury retrograde phases and sharpened his awareness of creative synchronicities.It's an expansive deck that's also gentle to the nervous system – an energetic signature I always feel whenever I interact with both Jeff as a person and his work. I know that this deck will expand many people's relationship with the tarot, and the world at large.Jeff also generously shared his current process as a practitioner and a human walking his path. We touched on the Saturn-Neptune in Aries conjunction (a big astro signature this year), as well as some early data on the magic of this deck.Order your copy of Lonely Planet Travel Tarot here.Visit Jeff's website for current offerings here.Subscribe to Jeff's Substack here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jonathankoeofficial.substack.com/subscribe

Send us Fan MailThe travel stories you love rarely come from “perfect” trips. They come from patience, ethics, and a lot of unseen work. We sit down with Rosie Bell, an award-winning travel writer, editor, and educator whose bylines span BBC Travel, National Geographic Traveler, Wired, Forbes Travel Guide, Lonely Planet, and more. Rosie shares how she stumbled into travel journalism after moving to Panama, then turned one paid essay into a career built across Latin America and beyond.We talk about the rule that guides her reporting: you're always writing about someone's home. That one idea changes how you interview people, describe places, and decide what not to include. Rosie also opens up about the less glamorous side of being a freelance travel writer: pitching without pay, working alone, managing admin, and staying resilient as the travel media landscape shifts with layoffs, smaller budgets, and fewer outlets buying freelance stories.Then we get practical about press trips and travel PR. Rosie explains why she built Press Trip Pros, a matchmaking platform designed to align publicists, brands, and tourism boards with journalists and creators who are actually a fit. You'll hear what makes a press trip great, why writers turn invitations down, how group trips compare to solo trips for deeper storytelling, and what a PR pitch needs to earn a real reply.If you care about travel writing, travel journalism, press trips, pitching, and the future of freelance work, this conversation delivers clear takeaways you can use right away. Subscribe, share this with a friend in media or PR, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show.Rosie's portfolio siteRosieBell.netPress Trip ProsPressTripPros.comInstagram@thebeachbellRosie's booksEscape to SelfThe Art and Business of Travel Writing

Michiel van Elk (1980) is a researcher and writer in the field of psychology, philosophy and neuroscience. Having received his PhD at the Donders Institute, the Netherlands, he has worked at several international institutions including the University of California Santa Barbara the École Polytechnique Féderale de Lausanne in Switzerland and Stanford University. He is currently affiliated as associate professor at Leiden University. He has conducted pioneering work on psychedelics, altered states of consciousness, feelings of awe, the evolution of religion and mystical experiences. His work, including more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific articles, book chapters and books, has been featured by the New York Times, Vice, Lonely Planet, New Scientist, The Daily Beast and Psychedelic Spotlight. VISIT PRSM Lab: https://prsmlab.com/teams/michiel-van-elk/ Visit Sacred Writes: https://www.sacred-writes.org/  

Il fût un temps où notre espace touristique était si étriqué, que certains guides portaient le nom curieux de Lonely Planet. Alors que l'astro-tourisme intergalactique bât son plein, emparez-vous de votre fidèle guide poly-planètes : le bien nommé “Destination Cosmos” ! Nous sommes le Mercredi 28 janvier 2526, vous écoutez l'épisode 540, enregistré 500 ans plus tôt, d'un Podcast très ancien appelé Podcast Science en compagnie de nos invités Sébastien Carassou et Chloé Ménager. Bonne écoute !Notes d'émission : https://www.podcastscience.fm/emission/2026/03/03/540-destination-cosmos/Retrouvez-nous sur PodcastScience.fm, Bluesky, Facebook et Instagram.Soutenez-nous sur Tipeee Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

Episode 221 of The Adventure Podcast features international journalist and author, Adam Skolnick. Adam has written for countless news outlets, Lonely Planet guidebooks, magazines, and columns, and has travelled to over 40 countries. In this episode, Matt and Adam discuss his journey into writing. His first gigs, travelling for stories, and how to make a living doing so. Adam reflects about the early adventures he went on; cycling around the world in his twenties and how the reality looked very different from the romantic version he imagined. Often including long-stretches of boredom, loneliness and self-doubt. It's a wide-ranging conversation as they discuss everything from the pressure of shaping messy reality into something coherent on page, to ego and validation, the discomfort of being honest about motivations that don't fit the heroic narrative, and the temptation to chase ever-bigger projects for 'better' stories. Adam also talks about the inspiration behind his new book, American Tiger, which he covered live as a journalist at the time, and how he found transitioning from fact to fiction.For extra insights from the worlds of adventure, exploration and the natural world, you can find The Adventure Podcast+ community on Substack. You can also follow along and join in on Instagram @‌theadventurepodcast.Chapter Breakdown00:00-05:00: Motivations, ego, and the difference between starting an adventure and finishing one.05:00-12:00: Adam reflects on riding around the globe, and the uncomfortable truth about why he really left.12:00-25:00: A raw account of failure at sea, coping in crisis, and how unfinished journeys shape us differently.25:00-35:00: Why success can be less interesting than failure, and how chasing “epic” creates a moving goalpost.35:00-45:00: Different ways people experience fear, and why acknowledging it can be more powerful than suppressing it.45:00-55:00: How children, responsibility, and time away from crisis culture reframed Adam's sense of purpose.55:00-01:05:00: Adam introduces a new philosophy: joy over grit, presence over performance.01:05:00-01:20:00: Why “hero moments” lose value over time, and what actually lasts from a life of adventure.01:20:00-End: Closing reflections on peace, humility, and finding meaning without needing the next big thing.To listen to new podcast, Atlantic Canada, head to https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/atlantic-canada/id1872073512, or search it wherever you get your podcasts.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-adventure-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nach der Sommerfrische, dem Prinzen Heinrich und der Rheinsberger Kultur, geht es heute literarisch zu, auf den Spuren von Kurt Tucholsky im Bilderbuch für Verliebte. “Das ganze Glück ihrer großen Liebe” (Kurt Tucholsky) Der subjektive Einstieg Manchmal wird man von Büchern eingeholt und wirft einen voll aus der Realität des Lebens. Ein kleines Büchlein von Kurt Tucholsky hatte das vor etwa zwei Jahren geschafft, als ich die Geschichte mal wieder in die Hand nahm. Ein wenig glücksschwebend angesichts des Wiederlesens mit Claire und Wölfchen beschloss ich. Da wo die glücklich waren, da will auch ich mal hin. Philosophie auch in der Musikkunst Rheinsberg – Foto: Rüdiger Edelmann / ttb-media TON-TEXT-BILD Gefühl, Freiheit, Liebe – das alles soll Rheinsberg sein? Besuche ich etwa einen Glücksort und schwelge in Leichtigkeit? Gedacht und getan: Im letzten Herbst. Dass daraus im November ein Spätsommer werden würde, war noch nicht klar. Das Wetter jedenfalls tat sein Bestes, um Städtchen und Literatur ins beste Licht zu setzen. Der Literat Kurt Tucholsky betrat 1912 mit Rheinsberg nicht nur die literarische Bühne, er veröffentlichte damit auch seinen ersten Bestseller. Die reale Geschichte? – Else Weil, auf einer Infotafel am Ratskeller in Rheinsberg – Foto: Rüdiger Edelmann / ttb-media TON-TEXT-BILD Ein Jahr davor (oder war es schon 1910?) verbrachte er mit seiner damaligen Verlobten Else Weil ein ähnliches Wochenende – in Rheinsberg. Oder war es genau dieses Wochenende von Wölfchen alias Kurt und Else alias Claire? Else Weil jedenfalls wurde Kurt Tucholskys erste Frau. Die Story Romantik a la Rheinsberg: Obelisk, Postsäule am Triangelplatz – Foto: Rüdiger Edelmann / ttb-media TON-TEXT-BILD Die Figuren verschwimmen mit der Realität. Kurt Tucholsky und Else Weil waren um 1910 da. Ihre Alter-Egos Wolfgang und Claire traten erst mit der Veröffentlichung des Buchs im Jahr 1912 auf den Plan. Diese Vermischung hört man des Öfteren auch in den Originaltönen aus Rheinsberg. Die Charaktere geraten immer öfter durcheinander. Aber ohne Kurt kein Wölfchen und Clairchen und ohne Else auch keine Reise mit Kurt. Die beiden Geschichten könnten identisch sein und spiegeln großes Glück. Glück des Moments. Glück des Lebens? Der touristische Influencer? Das wollte ich auch herausfinden. Einige Facts deuten darauf hin. Die Sommerfrische hatte um die Wende zum 20. Jahrhundert dazu geführt, dass immer mehr Berliner begannen das Umland zu entdecken. Tucholsky Porträt im Museum – Foto: Rüdiger Edelmann / ttb-media TON-TEXT-BILD Er hatte es zwar nicht beabsichtigt, aber das Büchlein sorgte im Jahr nach dem Erscheinen für einen regelrechten Rheinsberg-Boom. Es soll Sonderzüge gegeben haben, die bis zu 6.000 Menschen an einem Wochenende nach Rheinsberg und an die brandenburgischen Seen brachten. Das schafft heute allenfalls „Lonely Planet“. War Rheinsberg der „Overtourism-Sündenfall“? Wenn ja, hat es das damals 2.000 Einwohner zählende Städtchen wohl verkraftet. Merkpunkt: Die Bahn konnte und könnte sehr viel bewirken in Sachen Tourismus. Damals wurden auch kleine Orte an die Schiene angeschlossen, Mobilität ermöglicht. Das ist heute weitgehend Historie. Glücklicherweise gibt es den Bahnhof Rheinsberg und Verbindungen nach Berlin bis heute. Nur: Wie gehen Touristen heute mit Rheinsberg, Tucholsky und der kleinen wie großen Geschichte um? Den Kernsatz dazu hört Ihr im Podcast von Stadtführerin Jeanette Lehmann. Das Museum Kurt Tucholsky Museum: Dauerausstellung – Foto: Rüdiger Edelmann / ttb-media TON-TEXT-BILD Kurt Tucholsky: Den Journalisten, Satiriker, Autoren und Menschen besser kennenlernen. Wer das möchte ist hier an der richtigen Stelle. Es ist ein kleines, aber sehr feines Museum, das sich zudem (auch im Tucholsky Sinne) um schreibende und bildende Künstler:innen mit diversen Veranstaltungen kümmert. Ich bin mit Peter Graf, dem literaturwissenschaftlich-künstlerischen Projektmanager des Museums, durch die Dauerausstellung gegangen, habe das kleine Büchlein, die Erstausgabe von „Rheinsberg“ gesehen, Tucholskys Schaffen kennengelernt und bin dem Menschen Kurt T. und seinem Schicksal begegnet. Das rührt an. Die Erstausgabe: Rheinsberg – Foto: Rüdiger Edelmann / ttb-media TON-TEXT-BILD Es ist sicher kein „Claire und Wölfchen Museum“; so wie Tucholsky auch nicht auf den Autoren des Bilderbuchs für Verliebte zu reduzieren ist. Wer nach Rheinsberg kommt, sollte das Kurt Tucholsky Museum im Schloss aber zur Pflichtstation machen. Es lohnt sich. Es gibt ein Kombiticket. Damit kann man die Schlossführung mitmachen und danach auch das Museum besuchen. Machen! Das Schild    Die öffentliche Liebeserklärung an das „Bilderbuch für Verliebte“ findet man in der Straße und Anlage „Am Markt“, gleich gegenüber von Ratskeller und Triangelplatz. Liebeserklärung an eine Stadt – Foto: Rüdiger Edelmann / ttb-media TON-TEXT-BILD Tucholsky hat den Text nicht verfasst. Niemand weiß so genau, wie das erste Schild dort hingekommen ist, sagen die Rheinsberger. Fest steht aber, dass das restaurierte Schild vor einigen Jahren vom Verein Stadtgeschichte angebracht wurde. Inzwischen war klar, dass es sich hervorragend als „Insta-Location“ eignet. Ich schließe mich da gerne an: Ist toll für ein verliebtes Selfie. Ach ja, ich war ja alleine dort. Das Café Claire Café Claire – Foto: Rüdiger Edelmann / ttb-media TON-TEXT-BILD Da darf man auch alleine hin. Es gibt wundervolle Kuchen, leckere Kaffee- und Teespezialitäten und mittags auch kleine Snacks. Über den Birnen-Schmand-Kuchen hab ich im letzten Podcast schon geschwärmt. In der ersten Novemberwoche 2025 bei 15 Grad draußen in der Sonne zu sitzen, machte mein Glück perfekt. Die Kurt Tucholsky Buchhandlung Kurt Tucholsky Buchhandlung in Rheinsberg – Foto: Rüdiger Edelmann / ttb-media TON-TEXT-BILD Er befindet sich in unmittelbarer Nähe des Café Claire in der Schlossstraße. Hier kann man alte Buchkultur schnuppern, moderne Kinderliteratur erleben und natürlich den einen oder anderen Tucholsky-Band mitnehmen. Geht auch als Geschenk. Ich finde der Laden gehört einfach zum Rheinsberg-Erlebnis dazu und das schon seit Jahrzehnten. Die Filme Es gibt zwei „Rheinsberg“ – Verfilmungen. Rheinsberg 1 Der erste stammt aus dem Jahr 1967. Kurt Hoffmann hat ihn in der BRD gedreht. Da ist von der guten alten Zeit die Rede. Eine werbende und wertende Aussage, die Kurt Tucholsky sicher verneint hätte. Trotzdem ist es – so man ein wenig Feingefühl für Romantik hat – eine tolle Verfilmung, deren Tonausschnitte ich zur Illustration der Podcast-Akteure benutzt habe. Ein Manko gibt es trotzdem. Der Film konnte damals nicht direkt in Rheinsberg gedreht werden. ES gab zwar eine Anfrage. Die zuständige DEFA lehnte das Ansinnen ab, weil sich die Örtlichkeit nicht in einem filmenswerten Zustand befände. Damit hatte sie sicher recht. Man musste ausweichen, zum Beispiel nach Gut und Schloss Panker in Schleswig-Holstein, das sich in diesem Film als Rheinsberg präsentieren musste. Und gerade auch deshalb wollte ich hin – nach Rheinsberg, um zu sehen, wie es da tatsächlich ausschaut. Ganz unter uns: Schöner als im Film. – Das war mir ganz schnell klar. Da genügte schon ein kleiner Rundgang durch den Schlosspark und auch durchs Städtchen. Heute wäre die Schlossanlage und das Schlosstheater auch wieder in „filmenswertem Zustand“. Der Restaurierung ab 1992 sei Dank. Rheinsberg 2 Hier handelt es sich um eine DEFA DDR-Produktion aus dem Jahr 1987. Zwanzig Jahre später setzt man Schloss und Umgebung geschickt in Szene. Dass die Inhalte sehr viel freizügiger „rüberkommen“ ist sicher auch der Zeit geschuldet. Man kann ihn kostenfrei bei YouTube streamen. Meine Einschätzung: Kann man auch so machen. Was fehlt ist, das auch von Tucholsky angedeutete, Berliner Idiom. Die 1967er Claire (Cornelia Froboess) bleibt hier unübertroffen. Deshalb musste ihre Stimme auch zwingend in den Podcast. Specht oder Schleiereule “Ab ins Schilf”: Grienericksee / Rheinsberg – Foto: Rüdiger Edelmann / ttb-media TON-TEXT-BILD Da gibt es in Buch wie Film 1 einen Disput zwischen Wölfchen und Claire. Er behauptet am See einen Specht zu hören. Sie besteht darauf, es sei eine Schleiereule. Aber die Beiden streiten ja auch darüber, ob der Baum, auf den sie blicken eine Akazie oder “ne Magnolie is”. Auf der Suche nach Claires Schleiereule laufe ich zum See. Setze mich auf eine Bank, schau direkt in den Schilfgürtel und stelle fest, dass auch ich ein wenig verliebt bin. In Rheinsberg, in Claire, in Tucholsky, ins Lesen und Träumen, in die Sehnsucht und in die Natur, in die ich gerade schaue. Foto: Rüdiger Edelmann / ttb-media TON-TEXT-BILD Mehr zum Thema im Reiseradio Rheinsberger Sommerfrische Rheinsberg – Von Preußen, Prinzen und Paradiesen Information & Links Kurt Tucholsky – Museum Rheinsberg Stadtgeschichte Rheinsberg Kurt Tucholsky Buchhandlung, Rheinsberg Tourismus Information Rheinsberg Brandenburgische Seenplatte Ruppiner Seenland Reiseland Brandenburg Hinweise Die Recherche für diesen Podcast wurde unterstützt von Reiseland Brandenburg und seinen Partnern vor Ort. Meine Meinung wurde nicht beeinflusst! Foto: Rüdiger Edelmann / ttb-media TON-TEXT-BILD The post D-RR307 Rheinsberg & das Bilderbuch für Verliebte first appeared on Deutsches Reiseradio (German Travelradio).

In this episode of KeeKee's Big Adventures: The Family Travel Podcast, we break down the new family cruise vacation ideas for 2026. We reviewed major 2026 travel lists from outlets like Frommer's, Lonely Planet, Travel + Leisure, and Conde Nast Traveler, then filtered them through one essential question: What is truly great for families?

Today on the program, a trip into the archive and a return to Episode 696⁠, my conversation with Vesna Maric from March 2021. Maric was born in Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina, in 1976. She left Bosnia-Herzegovina at sixteen as part of a convoy of refugees. She went on to work for the BBC World Service and has written for Lonely Planet for over two decades. Vesna is an author of fiction and non-fiction, essays and a variety of journalism. Her memoir, Bluebird, was longlisted for The Orwell Prize. I spoke with Vesna Maric as she was celebrating the publication of her debut novel, The President Shop. Air date: March 10, 2021. *** ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Otherppl with Brad Listi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is a weekly podcast featuring in-depth interviews with today's leading writers. This episode is sponsored by Ulysses. Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ulys.app/writeabook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to download Ulysses, and use the code OTHERPPL at checkout to get 25% off the first year of your yearly subscription." Available where podcasts are available: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, etc. Get ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠How to Write a Novel,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ the debut audio course from DeepDive. 50+ hours of never-before-heard insight, inspiration, and instruction from dozens of today's most celebrated contemporary authors. Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Brad's email newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the show on Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Merch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email the show: letters [at] otherppl [dot] com The podcast is a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠proud affiliate partner of Bookshop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, working to support local, independent bookstores. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Scott McNeely, Head of Product and founding team member at Epicurate and co-founder of Modern Adventure, traces his journey from “kid with an Apple II+ in his mom's dessert business” to building and scaling product teams in travel, publishing, and tech. He reflects on growing up in humble circumstances while attending an elite LA boys' school, stumbling into travel writing, and then helping Lonely Planet and Viator navigate the shift from print to digital products. Along the way, Scott shares how his bias for action, love of ideas, and willingness to figure things out on the fly shaped his career.Scott opens up about the moments when those same strengths became liabilities, like a shouting match over digital transformation with Lonely Planet's leadership, and the emotional gut punch of being passed over twice for what felt like his perfect VP role. He talks candidly about anger, grief, and self-doubt, and how he rebuilt his confidence by zooming out, leaning on movement and thinking time, and staying curious. From scaling a team from 1 to 65 at Viator to learning to delegate, slow down, and create space for others, Scott offers a grounded, human look at what it really takes to keep growing as a leader.In this conversation, you'll learn:How to read your environment and decide whether to push for change or move on, using Scott's Lonely Planet experience as a case study.What it really takes to evolve from “get stuff done” operator to leader of a 60+ person team, including delegation, structure, and support systems.A grounded way to rebuild confidence after major setbacks, from being passed over for a dream role twice to anchoring your identity beyond one job.Things to listen for:(00:00) Intro(02:09) Scott's upbringing and early influences(08:28) Thank you to our sponsor, Navattic(05:53) Early career pivots and first big lessons(13:16) Pushing change and hitting resistance(27:27) Reading your situation with clarity and EQ(28:48) Leadership growing pains and delegation(31:29) Scaling fast teams and personal evolution(42:48) Career setbacks and shaken confidence(52:09) Centering habits for focus and resilienceA huge thanks to this episode's sponsor:Navattic: Interactive Product Demo Software - https://navattic.com/value Resources:Connect with Scott: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottmcneely Learn about Epicurate: https://epicurate.vip/Learn about Modern Adventure: https://modernadventure.com/ Connect with Andrew:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcapland/ Substack: https://media.deliveringvalue.coHire Andrew as your coach: https://deliveringvalue.co/coachingJoin Growth OS: https://deliveringvalue.co/growth-operating-system

In this episode of KeeKee's Big Adventures: The Family Travel Podcast, we break down the best International family vacation ideas for 2026 based on where top travel outlets say to go and what actually works when traveling with kids. We reviewed major 2026 travel lists from outlets like Frommer's, Lonely Planet, Travel + Leisure, and Conde Nast Traveler, then filtered them through one essential question: What is truly great for families?

From writing with David Goggins to working alongside Rich Roll, Adam Skolnick's success didn't make imposter syndrome disappear. In this episode, Adam opens up to Ryan about his path as a writer, the years of underreported stories and side gigs, how self-doubt still shows up, and the unbelievable true story that inspired his new novel American Tiger. Adam Skolnick has written about travel, adventure sports, human rights and the environment for outlets like The New York Times, Outside, Lonely Planet, ESPN, BBC, and Men's Health. He is best known as the ghostwriter and audiobook narrator for David Goggins memoirs Can't Hurt Me and Never Finished. He is also the author of One Breath - Freediving, Death and the Quest to Shatter Human Limits and now his debut novel, American Tiger, is officially out. Check out Adam's new novel American Tiger and follow him on Instagram @AdamSkolnick

In this episode of KeeKee's Big Adventures: The Family Travel Podcast, we break down the best U.S. family vacation ideas for 2026 based on where top travel outlets say to go and what actually works when traveling with kids. We reviewed major 2026 travel lists from outlets like Frommer's, Lonely Planet, Travel + Leisure, and Conde Nast Traveler, then filtered them through one essential question: What is truly great for families? From walkable cities and national parks to milestone celebrations and scenic train routes, this episode helps families understand why these destinations stand out and how to plan trips that feel meaningful, manageable, and memorable.

Thinking about booking a big historical trip in 2026? In this bonus episode of History's Greatest Cities, travel writer and history buff Paul Bloomfield is joined by Tom Hall, vice president at Lonely Planet, to explore the best locations for history lovers. Which destinations are worth your time, and which historical hotspots are currently enjoying their moment in the spotlight? Find out here – and get some expert practical advice on making the most out of your trip. History's Greatest Cities is produced by HistoryExtra, the home of ‘History's Greatest' podcasts. Listen to our other podcasts History's Greatest Conspiracy Theories, History's Greatest Scandals, History's Greatest Battles, HistoryExtra Long Reads and the HistoryExtra podcast at historyextra.com/podcast. For more fascinating stories from the past head to HistoryExtra.com. We'd love to know what you think about the podcast, so leave us a review and let us know the topics you think we should be covering. Or, follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram or YouTube to keep in touch. You can listen ad-free to this episode and more by subscribing to HistoryExtra Plus here: https://historyextra.supportingcast.fm/. This episode was hosted by Paul Bloomfield and produced by Jack Bateman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Amelia Thomas is a Cambridge University-educated author, naturalist, journalist, horse-owner, and mother of five. Her non-fiction book, The Zoo on the Road to Nablus, the true story of the last Palestinian zoo, was a Daily Mail (UK) and Washington Post Critic's Choice, and inspired the Italian documentary, Waiting for Giraffes. Her new book What Sheep Think About the Weather, asks: what are animals trying to say - not to each other, but to us? Amelia has written for numerous newspapers and magazines, including the Washington Post, Sunday Times (UK), CNN Traveler, the Christian Science Monitor, Lonely Planet magazine, and the Middle East Times. She has authored and contributed to over a dozen travel books for Lonely Planet, including guides to Lebanon, India, and the first Israel and Palestinian Territories guide to be published after the Second Intifada. She presented a documentary for National Geographic Channel's “Roads Less Travelled” series, spent a year following a family of clowns in a Russian circus for a documentary for European TV networks, and is presently in pre-production for an investigative documentary into the disappearance of Jodi Henrickson, a teenager missing since 2009.Animals have often featured in her work and travels, from visiting elephant sanctuaries in Laos to galloping through remote jungles in Belize to rehoming stray puppies in rural India. She is currently working on a book on how we can best listen to animals, which will be published by Sourcebooks in the US and Elliott & Thompson in the UK in summer, 2025: a journey of discovery through the scientific, practical and spiritual work of the world's best animal-listeners, seeking to find out what animals are saying, not to each other, but to humans specifically - and to learn how we can become better listeners. Website: www.ameliathomas.co.ukInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/starscameout/Send us a textSupport the showCan't get enough of the Journey On Podcast & it's guests? Here are two more ways to engage with them. Find exclusive educational content from previous podcast guests which include webinars, course and more: https://courses.warwickschiller.com If you want to meet your favorite podcast guest in person, you can attend our annual Journey On Podcast Summit either in person or via live stream: https://summit.warwickschiller.com Become a Patreon Member today! Get access to podcast bonus segments, ask questions to podcast guests, and even suggest future podcast guests while supporting Warwick: https://www.patreon.com/journeyonpodcastWarwick has over 900 Online Training Videos that are designed to create a relaxed, connected, and skilled equine partner. Start your horse training journey today!https://videos.warwickschiller.com/Check us out on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WarwickschillerfanpageWatch hundreds of free Youtube Videos: https://www.youtube.com/warwickschillerFollow us on Instagram: @warwickschiller

Ric Elias - The Art of Living Well - [Invest Like The Best, CLASSICS] Welcome to this classic episode. Classics are my favorite episodes from the past 10 years, published once a month. These are N of 1 conversations with N of 1 people. Ric Elias is the CEO and co-founder of Red Ventures, which has a portfolio of fast-growing digital businesses like Lonely Planet, The Points Guy, Bankrate, and large investments in a variety of other businesses across industries. He began the business in 2000 and has grown it to now a global company with thousands of employees. Ric walks us through the early struggles that have led to what is now a flourishing investing platform, but mostly this episode is a masterclass on cultural values and philosophies that transcend mere financial gain. We discuss the difference between living good and well, the power of forgiveness, and compounding more than just your capital. Ric's story is one of resilience, humility, and grace. His story about being in the front row of the plane that Captain Sully landed in the Hudson is singular and very moving. Please enjoy my conversation with Ric Elias. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here. ----- This episode is brought to you by WorkOS. WorkOS is a developer platform that enables SaaS companies to quickly add enterprise features to their applications. With a single API, developers can implement essential enterprise capabilities that typically require months of engineering work. By handling the complex infrastructure of enterprise features, WorkOS allows developers to focus on their core product while meeting the security and compliance requirements of Fortune 500 companies. Visit WorkOS to Transform your application into an enterprise-ready solution in minutes, not months. ----- Invest Like the Best is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Invest Like the Best, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.  Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @patrick_oshag | @joincolossus ----- Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com). Timestamps: (00:00:00) Welcome to Invest Like the Best (00:02:00) Meet Ric Elias (00:02:49) Chasing the Big Dream (00:05:38) Understanding Red Ventures: Origin and Evolution (00:10:25) Operational Success and Company Culture (00:25:30) Reflections on Money and Personal Well-being (00:28:49) The Difference between Good and Well (00:32:55) The Hudson River Plane Crash Experience (00:42:37) Reconnecting with Puerto Rico and Reviving the Basketball Team (00:45:07) Underdogs to Champions (00:48:09) How to Build Trust and Culture (00:52:29) Reflections on Leadership (00:56:12) The Role of Confidence and Courage (00:59:38) The Value of Family and Friendships (01:01:57) The Pursuit of Purpose Over Profit (01:06:52) Recruitment and Company Culture (01:10:07) Reflecting on Success (01:14:33) The Importance of Pace and Speed (01:16:23) Other Business Philosophies (01:23:17) The Kindest Thing

Adam Skolnick earned his writing chops as a travel and adventure sports journalist for the New York Times, ESPN, the BBC and Lonely Planet. It taught him the vital skills of getting the words out immediately, and writing fast. He was the ghostwriter for David Goggins' memoirs 'Can't Hurt Me' and 'Never Finished'. Also published 'One Breath', about the world of free-diving, which was turned into a Netflix documentary, and 'Forever Swim', about open-water swimming legend Antonio Arguelles. Adam also appears in Rich Roll's fantastic podcast, discussing health and wellbeing. His new novel is 'American Tiger', about Bell Tern who, when on the school bus, sports a tiger roaming around the streets of suburban Los Angeles. It's rooted in the stunning southern Californian landscape and stacked with vivid characters. We discusses his attempts to 'de-sacredise' his space and day, also the different passes he does for each individual character, and what an idea needs to be to get him excited. You can hear about his new cue-card process, how the idea came during a free-diving competition, and how he deals with the fine line between creative burnout and being productive.This episode is sponsored by Ulysses. Go to https://ulys.app/writeabook to download Ulysses, and use the code ROUTINE at checkout to get 25% off the first year of your yearly subscription.Also, this episode is supported by Faber Academy. Make the most of their fantastic writing courses in 2026 at https://faberacademy.com/writing-a-novel/Support the show - patreon.com/writersroutineko-fi.com/writersroutineGet a copy of the book - uk.bookshop.com/shop/writersroutine@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Part 2 of 2 Bestselling author and award-winning journalist Adam Skolnick returns to chat with us about the mystery of the creative process, why timing is everything in crafting a story, and his much-anticipated debut novel, AMERICAN TIGER. I am joined by my co-host Milena Gonzalez. Adam Skolnick is an author and award-winning journalist who covers travel, adventure and endurance sports, and the environment. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Outside, Wired, Lonely Planet, and Men's Health. He's the author of One Breath: Freediving, Death and the Quest to Shatter Human Limits, and the ghostwriter and audiobook narrator of the bestselling David Goggins memoirs, Can't Hurt Me and Never Finished. A frequent contributor on The Rich Roll Podcast, he lives in Southern California where he was born and raised. His debut novel, American Tiger (available for preorder now, out  December 2, 2025), “Based on true events, rooted in the stunning Southern California landscape, and populated with vivid characters, [the book] is more than a frantic tiger hunt. It's about a child's quest for self-discovery, her stoic father's struggle to come to terms with their past, and the innate wildness of every living thing.” New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert said of the author, "Adam Skolnick is a tireless investigator of the human experience, writes like a dream, and American Tiger is a gorgeous, subtly subversive yarn ringing with truth." [This episode is sponsored by Ulysses. Go to ⁠ulys.app/writeabook⁠ to download Ulysses, and use the code FILES at checkout to get 25% off the first year of your yearly subscription."] [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm] [If you're a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] In Part Two of this file Adam Skolnick, Milena Gonzalez and I discussed: Why the journey of becoming a dad changed the scope and tenor of his novel The only way to write something great Telling his moving story from a unique point of view  The many paths to publication Receiving signs from the universe And a lot more! Show Notes: americantigerbook.com American Tiger by Adam Skolnick (Amazon) adamskolnick.substack.com Adam Skolnick on Instagram AdamSkolnick.com Adam Skolnick on Twitter Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram Kelton Reid Instagram Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Send us a textThis week on the podcast, Glenn stops by to discuss the Triptides latest release, Shapeshifter, their cover of Spooky and so much more.****Releasing on the heels of Triptides' June 2025 album Shapeshifter, the six-song EP Night Shift arrives as the band lands in Europe for a two-week tour.  Comprised of four songs recorded during the Shapeshifter sessions and two newly recorded covers, the EP is classic Triptides.  From the dreamy fuzz ‘n' faze of the opener “Pendulum,” to the bouncy groove of “Lonely Planet” and the interplanetary funk closer “Nuvens,” Triptides seems to be dimming the lights for an intimate late-night party, the Night Shift.  The EP comes out on Halloween, which is also the date of the first show on the European tour.  Leading up to the October 31 release, two singles will prime fans for the full EP: “Pendulum,” out on September 26, and “Spooky,” (a cover of the Halloween favorite originally recorded by Classics IV) out on October 17.  Like Shapeshifter, the EP is on Label 51 records worldwide, also home to Mojave Phone Booth, the Rain Parade and Dream Syndicate.  Over the last fourteen years and dozens of albums and singles, Triptides have traversed a hyper color musical landscape of psychedelic rock, Laurel Canyon folk and spaced-out jazz pop. Each track can be traced back to group leader Glenn Brigman's unique ability to craft and explore a seemingly infinite number of dimensional melodies and harmonies.  With every line of Brigman's airy vocals that dance across the tape and into the speakers, stoners, trippers and lovers alike are transported to a sweet and familiar place, lifted by chiming guitars, hypnotic drums, glittering pianos and hallucinogenic fuzz.  On stage in Europe, Brigman will be joined by long-time collaborator (and current resident of Copenhagen) Stephen Burns on guitar and the rhythm section of Tyler English on bass and Craig Jacobs on drums.******If you would like to contact the show about being a guest, please email us at Dauna@bettertopodcast.comUpcoming guests can be found: https://dmneedom.com/upcoming-guest Follow us on Social MediaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_d.m.needom/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bettertopodcastwithdmneedomIntro and Outro music compliments of Fast Suzi©2025 Better To...Podcast with D. M. NeedomSupport the show

This podcast is with Adam Skolnick, an award-winning independent journalist and author covering adventure sports, environmental issues, travel and human rights for The New York Times, Outside, Playboy and Lonely Planet. He is the author of One Breath: Freediving, Death and the Quest to Shatter Human Limits, the ghost writer and narrator of David Goggins' smash hit memoir and audiobook Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds, and he is a co-host on the Rich Roll Podcast. His latest book, American Tiger, is available to order now. (I've read it and it fucking rocks.) In this episode, we talk about the state of publishing today, the Southern California wilderness, and creativity as lantern offerings. Follow Adam's Substack here.If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can watch this podcast on my YouTube channel and join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious. My first book, ONE LAST QUESTION BEFORE YOU GO, is available to order today. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Chris Zeiher, Senior Director & Spokesperson at Lonely Planet, joined Philip Clark with a few destination tips for the upcoming year of 2026. 

Part 1 of 2 Bestselling author and award-winning journalist Adam Skolnick spoke with us about earning his 10,000 hours, living with yours truly in a trailer in the mountains, and his much-anticipated debut novel, AMERICAN TIGER. I am joined by my co-host Milena Gonzalez. Adam Skolnick is an author and award-winning journalist who covers travel, adventure and endurance sports, and the environment. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Outside, Wired, Lonely Planet, and Men's Health. He's the author of One Breath: Freediving, Death and the Quest to Shatter Human Limits, and the ghostwriter and audiobook narrator of the bestselling David Goggins memoirs, Can't Hurt Me and Never Finished. A frequent contributor on The Rich Roll Podcast, he lives in Southern California where he was born and raised. His debut novel, American Tiger (available for preorder now, out  December 2, 2025), “Based on true events, rooted in the stunning Southern California landscape, and populated with vivid characters, [the book] is more than a frantic tiger hunt. It's about a child's quest for self-discovery, her stoic father's struggle to come to terms with their past, and the innate wildness of every living thing.” Ann Napolitano, New York Times bestselling author of Hello Beautiful, wrote that the book,  “Gripped me from the first page. Rarely have I read a novel with such an exquisite sense of place.” [This episode is sponsored by Ulysses. Go to ulys.app/writeabook to download Ulysses, and use the code FILES at checkout to get 25% off the first year of your yearly subscription."] [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm] [If you're a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] In Part One of this file Adam Skolnick, Milena Gonzalez and I discussed: His latest adventures and his next non-fiction book What it was like to go through a horrible dry spell as a writer The evolution of his process from non-fiction to fiction Our superhero origin story How he wrote and published a true labor of love And a lot more! Show Notes: americantigerbook.com American Tiger by Adam Skolnick – December 2, 2025 (Amazon) adamskolnick.substack.com Adam Skolnick on Instagram AdamSkolnick.com Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram Kelton Reid Instagram Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chapters:0:00 Intro2:04 Lonely Planet guidebook7:03 Google8:17 YouTube17:12 Friends and online forums24:20 Weather26:48 Cash and credit/debit cards33:33 Vaccines34:28 Language35:28 Google image searchMy website - https://smallbrainedamerican.tvBuy my merch or you're a racist https://www.smallbrainedamerican.storeSupport the show on Patreon to get access to unfiltered travel content. Early access to every video, extended cuts, and uncensored content. https://www.patreon.com/smallbrainedamericanMy gear: DJI Action 5https://amzn.to/44fJbZIDJI Wireless Mics https://amzn.to/3xLkkzeFollow the show ⬇️ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/realsmallbrainedamericanInstagram https://www.instagram.com/smallbrainedamerican/Twitter https://x.com/SBAmerican_Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/small-brained-pod/id1724261259

https://spacescoop.org/en/scoops/2524/lonely-planet-the-hungriest-found-in-space/ Hosted by Richard Drumm, our editor. You've probably heard of exoplanets. Planets that orbit stars other than our Sun. But did you know that there are objects with a mass similar to a planet that float free in space, that don't orbit a star? These lonely wanderers are called rogue planets.   Recently, a team of astronomers discovered a very special one in the southern constellation Chameleon. The rogue planet is named Cha (for Chameleon) 1107-7626 and is located about 620 light-years away. It has a mass of 5 to 10 times that of Jupiter and is still growing!    We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs.  Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy and donate as much as you can! Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too!  Every bit helps! Thank you! ------------------------------------ Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.  Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at info@365DaysOfAstronomy.org.

otro podcast super bueno con otro invitado especial y como siempre la pasamos super bien

Ron wants to turn his show into an "only fans" concept. He also looks at lawyers and insurance companies that do stupid commercials..... Guest: Nitya Chambers is Senior Exec at Lonely Planet

The United Nations' top legal body, International Court of Justice, has given an advisory opinion saying that Israel is under the obligation to ensure the basic needs of the civilian population in the Gaza Strip are met; South Australia’s Ikara-Flinders Ranges is the only Australian spot to be named on Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel guide for 2026; Thousands of Australians are counting creepy-crawlies and snapping spiders, as part of the national Bug Hunt; Sabrina Carpenter has included the US Transgender Law Centre as one of the recipients of her official Sabrina Carpenter Fund. Support independent women's media CREDITS Host/Producer: Ailish Delaney Audio Production: Lu Hill Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happened to the 565 princely states within British India when it became independent from the empire? How are the current conflicts in Balochistan and Kashmir linked to the partition of the princely states? Why have copies of the Lonely Planet been burnt because of their maps of Kashmir?  William and Anita are joined once again by Sam Dalrymple, author of Shattered Lands: Five Partitions And The Making of Modern Asia, to discuss how the division of the princely states created a territorial dispute between nuclear nations which has continued ever since. Become a member of the Empire Club via empirepoduk.com to receive early access to miniseries, ad-free listening, early access to live show tickets, bonus episodes, book discounts, our exclusive newsletter, and access to our members' chatroom on Discord! Head to empirepoduk.com to sign up. For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com. Email: empire@goalhanger.com Instagram: @empirepoduk Blue Sky: @empirepoduk X: @empirepoduk Assistant Producer: Becki Hills Producer: Anouska Lewis Executive Producer: Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“Realizing that you will die greatly clarifies your vision of life, and stimulates opportunities for making the vision real.”  –Ed Buryn In this episode of Deviate, Rolf and Ed discuss the impetus behind Ed’s first travels to Europe by van in the 1960s, and his early forays into self-printed and self-promoted books about the experience (3:00); how travel to Europe was different 50 years ago, and the joy and freedom that comes with not knowing what happens next (14:30); Ed’s philosophies and influences, including living in “the now” (21:00); how travel allows you to reinvent yourself, and how meeting people is the best gift of travel (36:00); and Ed’s ambitions for poetry and travel, and his advice to travelers in today's world (44:30). Ed Buryn is an author and photographer who was one of the first to popularize the term “vagabonding” through the publication of his books Vagabonding In Europe and North America and Vagabonding in America. For more about Ed, check out https://edburyn.com. Notable Links: Kevin Kelly (writer, editor, and publisher) Tony Wheeler (founder of Lonely Planet travel guides) Bill Dalton (founder of Moon travel guides) Charles Plymell on the Beat Generation (Deviate episode) The Drifters, by James Michener (book) Zorba the Greek, by Nikos Kazantzakis (book) Henry Miller (author) CouchSurfing ((homestay and social networking service) Richard Halliburton (traveler and author) Tarot (playing cards used for divination) Nevada City (community in northern California) 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.