Today we have a quick update announcing some upcoming changes with the podcast and something we could use your help on!
>>>>>LISTENER SURVEY LINK <<<<<<
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International travel is still a bit iffy going into the summer of 2021. So how do you get more out of your travel this summer even if you're staying a bit closer to home? In his inaugural solo episode, Veren ponders the travel mindset and how we can have more transformative travel experiences in three actionable tips. If you're looking to expand your travel horizons, have deeper and more rewarding experiences regardless of where you'll be this summer (and beyond), this episode is for you!
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The 7 Leave No Trace Principles are guidelines for engaging responsibly with the outdoors. With the nice weather here in the Northern Hemisphere, more people are getting outside to hike and camp. So we thought it'd be a good idea to go over these principles! The principles include how to plan, dispose of waste properly, camp responsibly, respect wildlife, be considerate of other hikers/campers, and more. While these may be common sense to some, it's always good to review so that we can more mindfully engage with our beautiful planet. Happy exploring!
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Links + Resources Mentioned:
We couldn't get our planned full episode up this week due to some technical difficulties and NYC craziness, so Veren recorded this quick update live from Brooklyn. We'll be coming back at you next week with our regular programming!
The summer is here, which means road trips! With the pandemic, road tripping has become even more popular. It's a great way to get outdoors and travel to new places in a safe way. In this episode, we share stories from our favorite road trip experiences as well as give some of our best road trip tips. That includes how to prepare, helpful apps to use, finding accommodation, and key things to pack. We also explore the question of how to road trip in a sustainable and responsible way. Happy road tripping!
Support the Show:
Patreon: https://patreon.com/alternativetravelers
Connect with us:
Leave us a voice note: AlternativeTravelers.com/podcast
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Links + Resources Mentioned:
- Driving While Black: African American Travel and the Road to Civil Rights
- AllStays Camping + RV App
- Grand Canyon Road Trips and Impact on the Navajo Nation
- The Airbnb Effect
- AlternativeTravelers.com/recommends (all our travel planning/booking resources in one place!)
Our Alternative Destinations series is back with our long anticipated Buffalo episode! We've been singing the praises of Buffalo ever since the pandemic put a pause on our nomadic wanderings and we settled in Buffalo one year ago (May 2020). It's been a homecoming of sorts for Sam, who lived here for 10 years, but hasn't been back for 10 years!
Buffalo is the second biggest city in New York State (second only to NYC), and is known as the City of Good Neighbors and the City of Light. We talk about Buffalo's fascinating history as THE city to be at the turn of the 20th century, why Buffalo is such a multicultural city with a long history of immigration, the city's interesting mix of Midwestern and Northeast coast vibes, and a lot more.
Of course, we also give you lots of recommendations of things to do, cool neighborhoods to explore, local foods you gotta eat and where (Buffalo is a proud foodie city), and the best ways to explore the city. This episode is all about why we love Buffalo and why it's a great place for alternative travelers to visit!
Support the Show:
Patreon: https://patreon.com/alternativetravelers
Connect with us:
Leave us a voice note: AlternativeTravelers.com/podcast
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/alttravelers
Links + Resources Mentioned:
- Explore Buffalo (non-profit with walking + biking tours)
- City of Light (historical fiction book)
- Buffalo History Museum
- Albright Knox Museum
- Birchfield Penney Museum
- Darwin Martin House
- Betty's Restaurant
- Sun Cuisines (Burmese restaurant)
- Letchworth State Park
In this deep dive (pun intended) into cruise travel, Sam looks at the cruise industry from all angles. Why do people love this method of traveling? What are the impacts of cruise travel on the destinations, people, economy, and the environment? What about the humanitarian component of cruise ship workers? Is sustainable, responsible cruising possible? While this episode is a critical look at the cruise industry, we also recognize why people choose cruise travel. We're not here to shame anyone, but rather to educate travelers to be able to make more informed choices. So whether you are curious about cruise travel, have friends and family who love to cruise, or just want to know more about this popular method of travel, this episode is for you!
>>>>>We need your support to keep this podcast going! This is a community run podcast, just like public radio. Join us (and get goodies!) at Patreon.com/AlternativeTravelers<<<<<<<<
Connect with us:
Leave us a voice note: AlternativeTravelers.com/podcast
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/alttravelers
Links + Resources Mentioned:
- Impact Travel Alliance (mention my name, Sam Anthony, when signing up to get free months)
- Cruise Report Card
- Uncruise
- Lindblad Expeditions
- Hurtigruten
- Ecoship Peace Boat
We're now (gratefully) fully vaccinated, so this episode is all about the Covid-19 vaccine!
We talk about:
- the side effects we experienced getting the Moderna vaccine,
- common vaccine concerns and hesitancy (mRNA vaccines, fast rollout, etc.)
- why vaccines are important for a return to normalcy
- vaccines + travel (vaccine passports, etc)
- the Seychelles as a cautionary tale
- and more!
Support the Show:
Patreon: https://patreon.com/alternativetravelers
Connect with us:
Leave us a voice note: AlternativeTravelers.com/podcast
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Links + Resources Mentioned:
What is tourism leakage and why is it important to understand? In this solo episode, Sam dives into this under-discussed phenomenon, including what tourism leakage is, where it occurs, how travelers can spot tourism leakage, and what we can to do avoid this when traveling.
Support the Show:
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Connect with us:
Leave us a voice note: AlternativeTravelers.com/podcast
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Links + Resources Mentioned:
Humans eat 3x+ per day, meaning that our food choices are a key place to start when looking to live a more mindful lifestyle. We simply can't talk about sustainable travel without looking at what's on our plate! In this episode, we talk about the variety of ways to make more sustainable choices through food. As we'll mention throughout the episode - remember that change of any kind is a process, and it's all about progress over perfection. We'll also talk about how implementing more mindful eating habits will be positive for you as well!
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Leave us a voice note: AlternativeTravelers.com/podcast
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In this episode, Sam talks about the idea that everyone is an influencer, why it's important to understand this, and how we can all use our influence wisely.
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In this episode, we delve into all things biking! We both love to bike and it's one of the main ways that we explore new places. We share stories of bike adventures on our travels, how biking changes the way one experiences a place, bike safety tips, and more!
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Leave us a voice note: AlternativeTravelers.com/podcast
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It's April and while we're not out of the woods with the pandemic yet, more people are starting to think the possibilities of future travel. So this episode is all about how to plan a trip! Whether you're thinking of taking a safe trip this summer in your own backyard or further afield, this episode is filled with thoughts and tips for a meaningful trip when it comes to deciding where to go, booking accommodation, planning things to do, and how to keep your travel plans organized.
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Connect with us:
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Mentioned in the Episode:
In this episode we have a big announcement! We won't spoil the episode, but we will say that this new endeavor is called House Sitting Travel. You'll have to listen to the episode to hear more about what that is! ;)
P.S. Even though this is coming out on April 1st, this is not an April Fools!
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Follow House Sitting Travel: https://www.instagram.com/housesittingtravel/
To celebrate 52 episodes and one year of podcasting, we thought we'd do our first ever AMA (ask me anything) episode! Thanks to everyone who answered our call out for questions in previous episodes and on social media! We cover everything from where we'd consider settling down someday (if we did), most livable cities, dream destinations and trips, best vegan foodie cities, best vegan dessert we've ever had, and more! We end the episode with a doozy of a question: where do you see yourselves in 10 years? We had a lot of fun with this one, hope you enjoy!
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This week marks the one year mark from the week that everything hit the fan for us as full time house sitters. We were house sitting in Salt Lake City when all our upcoming house sits were cancelled and we had to scramble to figure it all out at the last minute. We've detailed all the gory details of that chapter in previous podcast episodes, so check out episodes 2, 12, and 22 if you're interested.
But in this episode, we're taking a reflective approach, looking back on lessons learned and realizations gained from one year in a pandemic. So many of us are having reflections on how this year has changed us, how it's made us reevaluate or appreciate certain aspects of our lives, and what changes we might need to make going forward. We talk about all of these aspects and more, with the hope it inspires some reflection in our listeners as well. We'd love to hear what reflections you've had, so get in touch and let us know!
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In this episode, we share some thoughts and advice on both giving and receiving feedback and criticism online. We talk a lot about ethics and responsible travel on this podcast, and living a mindful life starts with how we treat others with whom we disagree.
Especially when walking the road less traveled, we're all bound to get some negative feedback time and again. We're also bound to come across others with whom we disagree, so we discuss criticism and feedback from both the giving and receiving sides. When we react harshly or without thinking, our feedback will fall on deaf ears, leading to wasted time and energy, frustration, and increased polarization. Starting the conversation in a compassionate and mindful way will lead to a better outcome and learning experience for all.
We'll also talk about outrage and cancel culture, what it's like to be in a public facing role, our experiences with negative feedback, and suggestions for others that are in public facing positions.
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Patreon: https://patreon.com/alternativetravelers
Connect with us:
Leave us a voice note!: AlternativeTravelers.com/podcast
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In this episode, we talk all about shaming in travel, from flygskam (flight shame) to traveling during the pandemic. We'll ponder the reasons why shaming occurs, the forms that shaming takes, whether its effective, the social media shame machine, cancel culture, what to do if you get caught up in the shame cycle, our approach, and more.
Support the Show:
Patreon: https://patreon.com/alternativetravelers
Connect with us:
Leave us a voice note!: AlternativeTravelers.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alternativetravelers/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alternativetravelers
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alttravelers
Links + Resources Mentioned:
Should We Stop Flying as Sustainable Travelers?
The Scientific Underpinnings and Impacts of Shame (Scientific American)
Why Shaming Doesn't Work (Psychology Today)
1% of people cause half of global aviation emissions (The Guardian)
Traveling by book is the original virtual travel experience! It's been THE way to transport yourself to another world for centuries. Books can bring you to a different place or time period in the real world or an entirely fictional place. When reading, we use our imaginations, exercise our minds, and travel virtually (but without the involvement of a screen). We'll discuss our early experiences reading, finding the time to read, why read at all, our favorite travel reads, getting travel inspiration from books, and more.
Support the Show:
Patreon: https://patreon.com/alternativetravelers
Connect with us:
Leave us a voice note!: AlternativeTravelers.com/podcast
Email: hello@alternativetravelers.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alternativetravelers/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alternativetravelers
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alttravelers
Links + Resources Mentioned in the Episode:
- Blog post version of this episode
- The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains by Nicholas Carr
- How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny O'Dell
- All This I Will Give to You by Dolores Redondo
- Goodreads (social media platform for book recs + reviews)
- Top 30 Books About Spain
- The Best Vegan Travel Books
- Travel Reading List Book Discussion (Facebook group)
- Bookshop.org - support independent bookshops!
In this episode, Veren interviews Sam on her experience walking the Camino de Santiago, a long distance medieval pilgrimage in Spain. As she'll share, this was a very transformative experience for a number of reasons. We'll talk about her reasons for taking such a journey, logistics and preparation, what daily life on the Camino was like, and the massive impact that this journey had on her life. If you're thinking about walking the Camino or another long distance walk in the future or are curious what a transformative travel experience might look like, this one is for you!
Links + Resources Mentioned:
Sam's Camino Packing List
Support the Show:
Patreon: patreon.com/alternativetravelers
Connect with us:
Leave us a voice note!: AlternativeTravelers.com/podcast
Email: hello@alternativetravelers.com
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Twitter: twitter.com/alttravelers
One of the most frequently asked questions we get asked is how do we manage traveling full time AND running a creative business together?! In this episode, we dive into exactly that question.
We've been together for six years (this month!), but due to our lifestyle, we've clocked in more time together than relationships double that length, all while balancing these often relationship-ending stressors. Over the years, we've developed a variety of ways to stay sane, pursue our passions (separately and together), and of course, still very much enjoy being together. Relationships of all kinds are being stressed to their limit right now, with the world coming up on a year (!!) of the pandemic. We thought it'd be a good time to cover some things that we've learned and what's helped us through tough times, from concrete tips to mindset shifts.
Got more questions on relationships or any other topic?
Send us a voicemail at AlternativeTravelers.com/podcast or email us at hello@alternativetravelers.com
Support the Show:
Patreon: https://patreon.com/alternativetravelers
Other Ways to Connect:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alternativetravelers/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alternativetravelers
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alttravelers
Links + Resources Mentioned in the Episode:
Workism Is Making Americans Miserable by Derek Thompson
Everyone loves free travel, from free accommodations to free tours. But is free travel - or free anything - really free? Is free travel part of sustainable travel? In this conversation, we take a critical look at everything free, what's behind free things, the ethics of free, and what travelers can do.
Support the Show:
Patreon: https://patreon.com/alternativetravelers
Connect with us:
Leave us a voice note!: AlternativeTravelers.com/podcast
Email: hello@alternativetravelers.com
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/alttravelers
Often, we seek to avoid unpleasant times of the year (hello, winter!). But what if we worked on embracing the seasons instead of escaping them? In this episode, we share our approach to winter, why we aren't chasing eternal warmth in the tropics, different things we do during winter, and more! We also talk about the benefits of off season and shoulder season travel.
Support the Show:
Patreon: https://patreon.com/alternativetravelers
Connect with us:
Leave us a voice note!: alternativetravelers.com/podcast
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This episode is all about travel hacking with points: who should use travel credit cards to gain points for future travel (free flights!), how to get started, mindful spending with travel cards, why now is the perfect time to get started, the travel cards that we use to get free long haul flights every year, and more. This is also a special episode introducing a new format - tune in to hear more!
Support the Show:
Patreon: https://patreon.com/alternativetravelers
Connect with us:
AlternativeTravelers.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alternativetravelers/
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/alttravelers
Further Travel Hacking Resources:
The Points Guy's Beginner's Guide
Nerd Wallet's Beginner's Guide
How can we maintain friendships when we cannot meet in person? True connection in the virtual space is one that can be difficult to navigate. We've been navigating this space for years as digital nomads and expats as more often than not, we are far from family and friends. We've all become more familiar with Zoom these days, but is that really all there is to it? In this episode, we muse on the topic of virtual friendships, maintaining friendships, the changing nature of friendships, and our personal practices for keeping close friendships even over extended periods of time without seeing each other in person.
Support the Show:
Patreon: https://patreon.com/alternativetravelers
Connect with us:
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Podcast update and announcements!
14:11
64: Getting More Out of Your Travel
37:37
63: The 7 Leave No Trace Principles
27:10
A quick update from NYC!
3:58
62: Responsible Road Trippin'
53:02
61: Alternative Destinations: Buffalo, New York
1:07:29
60: Deep Diving into Cruise Travel
50:56
59: All About the Covid-19 Vaccine
23:51
58: Sustainable Concepts: Tourism Leakage
30:20
57: Making Sustainable Choices Through Food
53:58
56: Everyone is an Influencer
21:52
55: Urban Exploring by Bike
48:11
54: Planning for Future Travel
33:01
53: Introducing: House Sitting Travel
13:24
52: AMA episode: Celebrating 1 Year of Podcasting By Answering YOUR Questions!
55:28
51: Lessons Learned from One Year in a Pandemic
30:14
50: Ethical Online Etiquette and Constructive Criticism
25:39
49: Travel Shaming: Flygskam, Coronavacations, and more
38:45
48: Traveling by Book
36:41
47: Walking 500 miles/1000 km on the Camino de Santiago
1:19:47
46: What We've Learned After 6 Years of Traveling + Working Together
53:02
45: The Myth of Free Travel
42:12
44: Embracing the Seasons
41:52
43: Travel Hacking with Points
42:09
42: Maintaining Friendships Remotely
41:26