Earlier this year, I started work on a new project. It’s called the Travel Tomorrow podcast and I’m almost ridiculously excited about it.
The Travel Tomorrow podcast is a show for curious people who are interested in what’s happening around the world — whether they actually travel or not. I think the strength of this show lies in the fact that people with a passport full of stamps and total armchair travelers can both find something to think about.
We’re trying to focus on issues that have a broad reach and trends we think can change the way we travel, relate to each other or see the world. In an increasingly global and connected culture, I think it’s important to learn about the people we share the planet with.
Travel Tomorrow Podcast Logo
When I say “we,” I’m referring to my co-host, friend and writing partner Joe Baur, who convinced me to do this whole podcasting thing in the first place. I resisted him at first. Look, I love podcasts. They’re my go-to when I travel and they’re pretty much the only thing that motivates me to clean for more than 15 minutes at a time. But does the world really need another podcast?
Plus, I’ve worked in radio. I know the amount of work that goes into show prep, even for a short segment. And I’m also a journalist, so I knew that I’d need to allow plenty of time to research and fact-check everything before I was comfortable speaking about it.
And I really didn’t want this show to revolve around the two of us. I can’t stand it when a podcast is really an excuse for people to hear themselves talk. I mean, I think we’re interesting people and that years of working together means we have a particular kind of chemistry that you can hear. But I don’t really expect you to care about any of that if we don’t teach you something.
Artwork in Lisbon, Portugal
While we’re travel professionals who do this for a living, we are just two voices. So I told Joe that if we were going to do this, I didn’t want us to be the main event — I wanted to learn from experts who know more than both of us. I wanted to do it right, to create a thoughtful, well-produced show that I’d subscribe to. I also wanted to make sure that a.) I listened more than I talked. b.) we amplified voices and perspectives other than our own c.) People would learn something interesting and relevant during each episode d.) The show wouldn’t take itself too seriously.
I think we’ve achieved that. We have a nice mix of silly, strange-but-true tales like a kind of brilliant Instagram fake-out and senior citizens turned drug runners, to serious discussions about the whitewashing of history and whether or not air travel is actually sustainable. We dork out over things we love (trains, the outdoors, and traveling like a local as much as possible) and dig into concepts we’d like to understand better (how the cruise industry works, why people take selfies).
There’s also a regular segment I particularly like called “Language Love,” where we learn a word or phrase that describes a feeling, mood or experience in another language. We’ve learned German, Swedish, and Kilivila (an indigenous language from Papua New Guinea) so far.
I like this feature so much, it’s informed and shaped a book of travel essays I’m writing. It’s fascinating how creative projects rub off on each other.
Signs in Park Rapids, Minnesota teach the Ojibwe language
The focus is on travel, but we touch on a lot of other subjects — art, history, city planning, food. These are conversations you’d have with friends over a cup of tea or a beer. With that in mind, I’d like to officially invite you to join us. I’d love to know your thoughts on our previous episodes and learn more about what topics you’re interested in. I really do what to know what you liked, what you think we can improve on what seems like it might be fun. And if you know anyone who would make a great guest, please get in touch to let us know.
You can find Travel Tomorrow wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen to previous episodes (and find new ones) on the Travel Tomorrow podcast website, and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter at @TravelTomPod. If you’d rather email us, you can find us at traveltommorrowpod@gmail.com.
What do you look for in a podcast? Which podcasts are you listening to at the moment? If you’ve listened to Travel Tomorrow podcast already, which episodes did you like best and why? What can we improve on for the future? What travel topics do you want to learn about next? Tell us about guests you think we should talk to!
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