Episodes

  • Eric is a travel writer and photographer based in California. He’s lived in Italy, Norway, Germany and the US and traveled to 97 countries on 7 continents. Eric is passionate about the benefits of family travel and lets each of his three kids (11, 13 and 15) choose any destination in the world every year for a one-on-one trip with him. They also travel as a family during school breaks. His kids have been to over 60 countries. 

    Eric is an accomplished photographer, winning Conde Nast Traveler’s Photo of the Year award. He’s an ambassador for AFAR Magazine, and his writing and photography have been featured by Conde Nast Traveler, Bon Appetit, Yahoo Travel and Lonely Planet. He is a two-time NATJA gold award winner for family travel writing, Forbes has named him the World’s #4 Most Influential Traveler, and Fodor’s has called him the world’s best family traveler.

    Show Notes:

    00:00

    Eric reads an excerpt he wrote about traveling as a family.  

    2:00

    Introduction to Eric Stoen

    3:20

    Eric explains how they make traveling with children happen to 60+ countries including countries that may be considered as particularly harder destinations to travel toEric allows his kids to choose where they go every year.  His kids determine the countries that they travel to which forces his kids to look at the world differently. 

    6:54

    His kids ended up bringing him to Antarctica and Easter Island - countries Eric didn’t really think about at first.  Eric shares the stories of how that happened. Traveling with his kids gives a brand new set of eyes for countries that Eric has been to before and he finds that journey enjoyable

    11:00

    The wonderful experiences his kids are having before they are adults are preparing them to be more empathetic with skills that make them ready for the world in such a unique way.

    12:51

    The importance of every experience that in turn shapes and alters his kids. Due  to travel, Eric’s children are becoming very worldly and informed children.  Household traditions at the Stoen house also means having a meal from a different country.

    17:22

    The solution to making a great trip when planning a family trip.  Making the trip about your kids is the solution to making the trip enjoyable.  Being flexible is important.

    20:16

    Eric shares what travel means to him

    22:05

    Travel Babo and where the name came from!

    24:55

    Eric shares his fears when he first started and how mitigated those challenges

    29:00

    Eric shares his most valuable thing he learned while traveling with his   kids

    30:16

    Eric shares his most interesting stories while traveling - Getting lost in Croatia and having the journey turn into something really special 

    35:14

    Eric shares his most fulfilling moment - Hiking in Greenland with his son and the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil with his daughter - unplugging is his fave

    38:38

    Eric’s most meaningful person he met while he was traveling.  He shares a story while he was in Oslo

    42:32

    Eric talks about the award that changed his life, Forbes #4  Influential Traveler in the World

    47:42

    Eric took a risk to follow his passion and it turned out to be the right path for him

    50:02

    Eric’s tip and tricks for people who want to follow in his footsteps

    54:30

    Eric’s favorite place he’s explored - Greece and the Greek...
  • Angel Castellanos, (Castayanos) (www.AngelsTravelLounge.com) is a passionate world traveler, freelance travel writer, content producer and nationally recognized speaker dedicated to helping people travel smart, well and often. Traveling to over 80 countries on 5 continents (and counting), Angel travels 12-14 weeks internationally each year and draws on his experience and frequent travels to teach “Smart Travel” and equip travelers with the skills they need to make travel easy and enjoyable. Angel is a multi-media travel personality and travel expert that has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Fox News, CBS, ABC, Univision, Frommers Radio, USA Today & Travel & Adventure Show and New York Times Travel Show.  Angel is also the executive producer and host of the travel and adventure tv show Hot Spots debuting in Europe in Asia in late 2021. 

    Show Notes:

    00:00 

    Angel reads an excerpt he wrote in March of 2020 - at the beginning of the pandemic

    00:45

    Intro to Angel 

    4:01

    Angel discusses the excerpt at the beginning and talks about his retrospective post while he was in Brazil

    4:57 

    Drea asks about the transition from traveling so often to a halt once the pandemic kicked in.  Angel talks about mental health and how much he realized the isolation at home really affected him.  He traveled to Mexico in the summer and he realized how important it was for him and for the local economy there. The global effect of the pandemic and how everyone was feeling the same way all at the same timeSome of the positive effects of the pandemic How the pandemic affects connection when you travel

    9:27

    Angel defines travel and what it means to him 

    10:20

    Angel discusses where his love for travel all started

    12:45

    Angel is a renowned travel expert who has spoken on news channels and has offered sound advice for many outlets.  He explains that journey to that title.  He talks about his company, Travel Ambassador 

    15:40 

    Drea discusses Angel’s incredible ability to speak well.  Angel shares that he actually speaks 3 languages

    17:38 

    Angel talks about slow travel and how that all started for himWhat is slow travel?  Angel shares what that looks like and the meaning of slow travelHis best slow travel trip was from Beijing to London on the train - And stopping along the way in Mongolia. Siberia, Poland, etc in 7 Weeks!

    23:59

    Packing tips from Angel

    25:59 

    Angel talks about the beginning and the lack of fear he had.  He was fearless because he was young and really ambitious

    27:59

    Angel talks about some of the challenges he has faced when he has been travelingFlexibility Pandemic and the lack of connectionAngel shares some interesting stories in Brazil and a passport situation in Turkey, Bribing his way out of Egypt TWICE!

    35:00 

    Angel shares the two most valuable things he has learned while traveling 

    36:00

    Angel talks about Traveling with a purpose and his evolution of travel Eco Tourism

    41:00 

    Angel talks about his most fulfilling moment when he travels

    42:00

    Angel shares his most meaningful people he’s ever met while he was traveling.  He is still friends with them today.  

    46:00 

    Angel...
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  • In this episode, I interview Digital Nomad Taylor Wallace. She shares some of the struggles she had living this lifestyle and how she found balance.

    Show Notes:

    00:00

    Taylor reads an excerpt from her travels

    2:30 

    Taylor talks about the excerpt from her travels

    4:13

    Taylor defines what a digital nomad means

    4:43 

    Taylor shares with us what a regular day living her nomad life looks like

    8:37 

    Taylor shares how she defines traveling and the difference between being a digital nomad and traveling

    13:03

    Taylor shares the decision when she decided to become a digital nomadThe importance of finding a community so you can thrive

    20:53

    Taylor shares one of her fears when she had - The feeling of falling behind and how she dealt with that challenge

    24:51

    Taylor shares how she moved into the mindfulness space and her journey to moving into the importance of mindfulness as a digital nomad

    33:26

    Taylor’s most valuable thing she learned was that nothing is importantTaylor explains what this means to her

    37:19 

    Taylor shares her most dangerous moment she’s ever experienced while being a digital nomad - She shares a story in Mexico where her group of friends and their acquaintances almost got arrested.  

    44:13

    Taylor shares her most fulfilling moment on a Greek Island getting invited on a massive luxury yacht

    50:15 

    Taylor’s favorite place in the world is Japan and she shares some of her favorite locations and experiences

    53:19

    Taylor shares one piece of advice that she would give to her younger self.

    55:00

    Find Taylorwww.instagram.com/taylorwallacewww.thefitfounder.com
  • With over 650,000 followers across his personal brand, Luke has nailed social media travel content down to a science. He showcases areas around the world that aren’t typically visited and loves to connect with the local people, showing how they live and what occurs on a day to day basis. Uploading his adventures to Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube have allowed him to connect with others around the world, and set-up a life of travel

    Show Notes:

    00:00

    Luke reads an excerpt about his travels

    00:30 

     Drea introduces LukeLuke having the goal of producing videos that make people feel like they are in the moment with him. 

    2:28

    Luke shares what he meant with the beginning excerpt and the story about his love for travel

    3:16  

    Luke shares the beginnings of his travel life He talks about knowing the travel lifestyleHis first place he went to Sri LankaHe talks about the growth of his social media starting in IndiaHaving parents that supported him at such a young age to purse his dream really helped in his success. 

    9:53

    Luke talks about the importance of mindset

    11:17

    Luke talks about being 18 and some of his fears he hadTraveling with no plans 

      13:56 

    Luke talks about what his day looks like

    16:00

    Luke shares his biggest challenge when he travels and how he mitigates those challenges

    19:37

    Luke shares the most valuable thing he had learned during his travels. 

     20:27

    Luke shares the most meaningful person he’s met on his travels How luke found his meaningful person through instagram

    24:24

    Luke shares his most interesting story during his travels when he got hurt and a firecracker blew up on his hand in India during DiwaliHe had a full recovery of his hand and he tells the whole story on how to get his hand back.

    31:40 

    Luke shares that his most fulfilling moment is going back when he recovered a few months later to see the people who took care of him and give thanks to the doctor and his team.  

    33:40

    Luke gives advice on how to do what he does to a younger version of himself. 

    35:48

    Luke shares what makes good content and his belief on what good content meansHe shares what his older videos vs what his videos look like now.

    42:14

    Luke shares his favorite place - Southern India and how to travel to that location

    44:14

    Luke shares a piece of life advice to a younger LukeAfter sharing some positive advice, Drea asks Luke where he got this positivity from - Luke’s answer… Gary Vee

    50:19 

    Luke’s next destination is Pakisatan.  He shares why 

    52:10

    Luke shares the one special thing he...
  • As the founder of Expat Empire, David McNeill is focused on inspiring people to move abroad and showing them how to do it. In addition to producing books, podcasts, blog posts, meetup events, and more, Expat Empire offers personalized consulting services to give everyone the opportunity to achieve their international dreams. David started Expat Empire because he has a genuine passion for living abroad. He left the United States in 2014 and has since lived in Tokyo, Berlin, and Porto.

    Show Notes

    00:00 

    David reads an excerpt her wrote about his travels

    00:40 

    Introduction to David McNeill

    1:38

    David shares the story behind what he opens the episode reading. 

     

    3:16 

    David shares where he is located right now in PortugalDavid talks about meeting his wife abroad and the things they had in common that brought them together

    9:54 

    David shares what travel means to him being a digital nomad

    13:31

    David shares the decision to move and how this passion started

    17:18 

    David shares some of his fears about his lifestyle and moving to a foreign countryDavid shares some of the difficulties and challenges while living on the roadPrioritizing travel

    24:56

      David shares the most valuable thing he has learned while traveling as a nomad

    26:00 

    David shares his podcast and business, Ex-pat Empire and why he started this personalizing consulting service helping people make the move. 

    30:00 

    David shares his favorite place - Budapest and whyDavid shares of his favorite tips and tricks The Ruin Pubs

    38:00

    David shares a dive he did with sharks in the PhilippinesDavid also shares another interesting trip he had in Guatemala and having a problem with the border crossing

    43:41

    David shares his most meaningful person he has met abroad - A friend in Japan

    45:52

     David shares his most fulfilling moment while being abroad - Getting Lost

    48:39

    David shars his tips and tricks on following his footsteps as an Ex-pat

    52:00 

    David shares a piece of advice that he would give to a younger himself

    53:54 

    David shares the one thing he takes with him on many of his trips

    56:45

    David shares his next plans with his wife 

    58:22

    www.Expatempire.com

    www.facebook.com/expatempire

    www.instagram.com/expatempire

  • Carleigh Fairchild lives her life as a journey, taking each adventure and living it to the fullest. She has studied survival skills since she was a teenager, and Niaszhii Healing over the last seven years. Carleigh is passionate about basket weaving, shelter building, fire making, edible and medicinal plants, and finding joyful connections wherever she goes. In 2016 Carleigh lived solo for 86 days and filmed herself as part of History Channel’s TV series Alone. Carleigh is a practitioner of Niaszhii (Nya Zee Yi) Healing, teaches survival skills, gives inspirational presentations, and is an ambassador for LT Wright Handcrafted Knives. 

    Show Notes:

    00:00 

    Carleigh Fairchild reads an excerpt of her journal about her time on the show “Alone

    2:30 

    Drea introduced Carleigh and her background

    3:52 

    Carleigh talks about the excerpt in the beginning about the feelings she had about the show, “Alone.”  She shares how they weren’t allowed to bring a journal on the show. 

    4:43 

    Carleigh shares what travel means to her

    5:52 

    Carleigh shares her preferred way of travel  Carleigh shares that she actually went back to Mongolia and interned for Panoramic Journeys. Drea shares that on the show, they went to her two favorite places, Patagonia and Mongolia

    8:55 

    Carleigh shares what it looks like to travel with her and some of the things she carries with her when she goes to travel

    10:12

    Carleigh shares her travel styleCowboy camping - Drea talks about Carleigh on the show when she still went cowboy camping even though she spots a bob catShe talks about having familiarity and rationalizing being a big factor with cowboy camping.Carleigh shares about sleeping with just a tarp for some of her time hiking on the Pacific Crest Trail

    17:14

    Carleigh tells us that there is nothing else teaches you more about yourself than being out there in the wilderness for a long period of timeShe shares what the most valuable thing she has learned out in the wilderness 

    19:27

    Carleigh is a wilderness survivalist and she talks about where it started. 

    23:20 

    Carleigh shares with us what wilderness survival has taught her the most. The importance of being part of the wildernessThe importance to have empathy when hunting and being part of the cycle of life

    28:70 

    Carleigh talks about making a drum out of a cow hide she found on the showShe talks about the things she made with this cow hide She starts to discuss what the experience was like on the show “Alone”

    33:58 

    Carleigh and Drea discuss the difficulties about filming and surviving at the same time.  

    35:45

    Drea asks if this was the first time she really had to apply the survival skills she had learned in the past.  Carleight explains that she actually had less items in the past. Drea asks which of the two were more difficult -  her time on Alone or her previous experiences 

    36:52 

    Carleigh talks about how they weren’t allowed to go outside of the area they were in. 

    39:42

    Carleigh shares her biggest challenge on “Alone” - FoodShe only caught 6 fish and she explains that journey

    42:03

    Carleigh talks about her mental capacity to stay for such a lengthy time on the show.  

    46:43

    Carleigh talks about how she really learn to value other people’s company after being on the show both on the first and...
  • Julius Mayo Jr. is a photographer, digital marketer, and content creator. He travels for food and plans trips around the U.S. and abroad to discover local food and culture, sharing the experience through social media channels and his food blog, Droolius — food photos that make you drool. Starting the Droolius blog in 2010, he shared his travel and food experiences, helping people find good places to eat. He also used the website and photography to showcase local restaurants and food trucks, leading to a social media marketing business. The blogging experience led to presenting as a speaker at food blog conferences and teaching photography live on stage. Julius has collaborated with brands, including Walt Disney World and KEH Camera, to host food photography workshops to teach influencers how to capture food with cameras and lighting techniques. The goal is to travel the world and eat everything, while inspiring others to discover different cultures through food. 

    Show Notes:

    00:00

    Julius reads an excerpt where he discusses his thoughts on Philippine Cuisine

    00:36

    Drea introduces Julius Mayo Jr. 

    2:17 

    Julius talks about the excerpt in the beginning about traveling to the Philippines and exploring the country, and the local food!He talks about some of the foods in the Philippines and the street food - The Kwek-kwek, lechon, etc and then going to Japan afterwards for RamenDiscussing the Philippines and CoronJulius shares his love for travel and find any excuse to travel - Especially for food

    8:15 

    Julius shares what travel means to him The decision when his food travel blog started before there was instagram or other social media platforms ----

    12:44 

    Julius talks about the progressions of his food blog and how his career in food became a realityTalking about creating this blog because of passionTalking about social media and finding your passion, as opposed to focusing on fame and fortune

    21:44

    Julius talks about some of the challenges of having an over amount of content and finding the balance of backlog content

    24:38 

     Julius talks about his inspiration why he started to become a food blogger - Anthony Bourdain

    28:17

    Julius shares the most meaningful person he’s ever met - a man from Japan, Yoshi who took him under his wing for a ramen adventure

    36:36

    Julius shares the chef that changed the way her viewed food - The chefs at Kadence Orlando who have Filipino Chefs

    42:30 

    Julius talks about his favorite places to eat in Los Angeles - Lasa Drea and Julius also discuss LA TACOSHe also shares some of his favorite places in Los Angeles Julius shares a day when he went to 10 different places to eat in one day in Los AngelesJulius’ love for donuts

    50:18

    Drea asks Julius what his favorite dish and food experience - Carcar Market in Cebu in sampling all different types of Lechon

      54:03 

    Julius shares his favorite restaurant - DEN 

    57:24 

    Julius shares his tips and tricks for aspiring food bloggers

    61:00

    Julius shares a piece of life advice he would give to a younger version of himself

    63:00

    www.instagram.com/droolius

     www.doolius.com

    www.youtube.com/drooliusfilms

  • Special Guest: Marquita Wright

    Have you ever heard the phrase, "Once you have kids, you can't travel anymore" or "Once you have kids, kiss your traveling days goodbye?" Well, Marquita Wright, mother of twin toddlers debunks that lie that has been told to many expecting parents. In this episode, we hear about the journey to traveling with infants to toddlers, and some handy advice to take with you when you attempt to do what many people think... is the impossible.

    Marquita is The Traveling Twin Mama- traveling the world with her twin 2 year old boys. In their 2 years of life, they’ve been on over 25 trips and visited 5 countries.

    Her goal is to provide tips and inspiration to help women and families travel smarter. She believes the world is our oyster, so let’s explore it!

    Show Notes:

    00:00

    Marquita opens the episode with an excerpt she wrote about traveling

    1:28 

    Introduction

    2:02

    Marquita talks about the excerpt in the beginning about traveling as a black family.  She speaks about the experience she had on a Delta flight as a black woman. Marquita and Drea discuss feeling racism 

    6:28

    Marquita discusses what travel means to her and what travel teaches her.  The importance of travel to get through life

    9:31

    We talk about “The world is your Oyster” written on Marquitas #Clubhouse profileExploring the US outside of where Marquita lives which is New OrleansTraveling within the US during the pandemicDrea and Marquita share some of the places they have traveled this past pandemic year

    13:56

    Marquita discusses traveling with twins and why she believes it’s important to travelShe talks about traveling with her kids at 4 months and they have been on 25 trips at the age of two.  She discusses how people are always willing to help

    17:25

    Marquita talks about traveling internationally with her children - Thailand, Amsterdam, Costa Rica, Paris, and Puerto RicoMarquita’s favorite place she’s traveled to with her kids was Thailand, so she talks about how she prepared for the trip and one of the challenges she had

    22:08

    Drea asks Marquita if she had any fears traveling with her kids

    25:33

    Marquita shares some of the challenges and the journey of taking the first trip with the kidsStrollers and finding the right travel stroller - GB pocket stroller

    30:08 

    Marquita shares what’s in her bag on the plane and when travelingMarquita also shares some great tips on how to travel with the kids  The importance of snacks when they hit the toddler age - Packing their backpacks so they can carry their own thingsShe shares a few items/toys to bring when traveling

    33:57 

    Marquita shares the most valuable thing she’s learned while traveling

    37:25

    Marquita shares her most fulfilling moment during her travels while she was in South Africa

    40:53

    Marquita shares the most meaningful person she’s met while traveling

    44:12

    Marquita’s advice on how to travel with children The importance of having your own memories of your children traveling and how it is as much of an experience for the parents to have their kids travel as much as it is for the children. 

    48:41

    Marquita’s favorite place she’s traveled is Chiang Mai in Thailand

    50:43

    Marquita prefers to travel to airbnb’s because of the space and the convenience of having a washer and dryerMarquita shares some of her tips, tricks and food to eat in Chiang...
  • In this episode, Digital Nomad, Omar Mo shares his story going from a normal life with a regular job and home to buying a one way ticket to Nicaragua and living out of his suitcase.  He shares some of the life lessons he learns along the way and stories about his adventures on the road.

    Show Notes:

    00:00 

    Omar Mo reads an excerpt of something he wrote

    00:34

    Drea shares Omar Mo bio

    2:24 

    Omar tells us the reasoning behind the excerpt he wrote. 

    5:05 

    Omar explains what a Digital Nomad meansOmar tells us the transition into the Digital Nomad life and how he knew that he was destined not to have a normal life He shares the story when he decided to book that one way ticket to his adventure to Nicaragua - He stayed traveling for 2 ½-3 years

    11:20 

    Superficial Conversations and the experience of having a podcast

     

    13:01

    Omar talks about his “Why” behind his travels

    Redefining Traveling - What it was, what it means now and how it is constantly changing

    18:28 

    Drea asks Omar about the fears that he may have had The fear of missing out on family and friendsBeing nervous about a new place not knowing anyoneGrowth vs Relationships and the balance

    24:32

    Omar and few challenges he facedAustralia and gaining weight due to drinkingBroken Bones and the importance of Travel insurance

    28:08

    Omar shares his most valuable thing he’s learned why he’s traveled

    29:01

    Omar shares his most meaningful person he met and the valuable things he learnedHe shares a very personal story about learning empathy from a previous relationship and how it affected his entire outlook

    33:00

    Omar shares his most fulfilling moment in Sydney He also reveals his favorite place in the world, Sydney

    36:17

    Omar shares his favorite places in Sydney

    39:43

    Omar shares his most dangerous situation he’s ever been while swimming

    45:40

    Omar shares some valuable tips to live a life as a Digital Nomad

    49:07

    Omar shares his goals and where he plans to do next

    52:40

    Omar shares the one thing he takes with him when he travels

    53:45

    This is the piece of life advice that Omar gives to his younger self

     54:30

    www.instagram.com/nomadableshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nomadic-executive-discussions-digital-nomads-online/id1505908580
  • Jeff Garmire is only 30 years old but has already backpacked over 30,000 miles since 2011.  It all began with a 55-pound backpack at the start of the Pacific Crest Trail and from there, he was hooked. His first thru-hike led to a second, shortly after college and then even when he began his career, he started looking for ways to explore nature and the world. A few notable achievements are 15-speed records on long-distance hiking trails, the calendar year triple crown, the great western loop,  AND climbing all 58 of Colorado's 14,000' peaks.  His book, Free Outside shares his journey completing the Triple Crown which means thru hiking the Appalachian Trail, the Continental Divide Tail and the Pacific Crest Trail  in one year through 4 seasons.  

    Show Notes:

    00:00 

    Jeff Garmire reads an excerpt from his book “Free Outside”

    1:30 

    Drea introduces Jeff Garmire and his impressive biography

    2:50 

    Jeff talks about the excerpt he read which talks about crossing a cold, nearly frozen river in Maine swimming across naked during the winter season. Jeff talks about stripping naked, using a dry bag to get across the river. 

    8:07 

    Jeff defines the meaning of thru-hiking

    8:56 

    Jeff tells us what travel means to him.  He explains what he believes is the difference between a vacation and travel.  

    10:00 

    Drea asks Jeff if he goes on vacation.  

    11:19 

    Jeff and Drea discuss why they love traveling “uncomfortably” 

    14:15 

    Jeff tells us why he began this journey to backpack and thru hike the Triple Crown (The Appalachian Trail AKA the AT, The Continental Divide AKA the CDT, and the Pacific Crest Trail AKA the PCT in one calendar year.He talks about the beginning of it all the progression to attempting the Triple Crown He talks about meeting people who were doing the PCT when he was younger. He took off Spring Term of college and decided to hike the Pacific Crest Trail.  He talks about the lessons he learned during the PCT when he was a very novice. This became his obsessionHe talks about the transition into attempting the Triple Crown - All of the “Stepping Stones” to get there. 

    17:55 

    Jeff elaborates on meeting those initial PCT hikers that introduced him into the world of thru hiking. He talks about his perspective on how hungry they were.  He tells the story of watching one of the PCT hikers slab a ton of mayo.  Jeff now related to the PCT hikers he met when he was younger.  He talks about a time when he got kicked out of an All You Can Eat Buffet that he stopped at while he was trying to complete the Appalachian Trail. 

    21:07 

    Jeff talks about some of the fears of doing the Triple Crown

    22:25 

    Jeff talks about getting charged by a Grizzly Bear. Jeff shortly after the near bear attack, encounters Mules he decided to become momentary friends with.

    25:45 

    Jeff discusses some of the additional challenges he faced while on the trail. 

    26:58 

    Jeff tells a story about losing gear on the trail 

    28:41

    Jeff used a tarp as a Shelter for much of the Appalachian Trail which some people due to decrease the weight.  The Appalachian Trail has shelters but many times they are filled up so it was a risk - He discusses that experience.  Jeff talks about switching to a tent because of the cold and also because of mosquitoesDrea talks about her experience in Big Pine, CA and the attack of...
  • Special Guest: Ruben Garay

    Ruben grew up in Sweden and made his way over to the US after publishing the world's largest music website at the age of 18, garnering 30 million unique visitors in 5 years, before getting acquired by Hollywood.com

    Since 1996,  Ruben has been immersed in the evolution of the world wide web, building recognizable brands with loyal audiences.

    His already successful career in the entertainment industry led to studying at  New York Film Academy and Music Business at the Musician’s Institute in Hollywood. He then went on to work as a concert video editor for Live Nation and helmed several video and post production departments of major online publications such as MTV, VH1, Fuse, Celeb TV and Hollywire.

    In 2013, he left the entertainment business and began focusing on his childhood dream of becoming an airline pilot. 

    With only a private pilot’s license and 125 hours of total time to his name, Ruben acquired all of the necessary ratings and became a flight instructor until he achieved 1500 hours in 2 years and 2 months. In 2015, Compass Airlines, a regional airline based of LA was the first airline who took a chance on him and within 15 months he was upgraded to the left seat of the Embray-air  E175. After being a Captain there for 3 years, he took a job as a Captain flying the Embraer E-135 for JSX. Then, 7 months later, on a bright Saturday morning, he received an interview invite from a major airline

    Despite loving his job at JSX and being home based in Las Vegas, he couldn’t say no to the job offer. Nevertheless, before he new it, Covid entered the picture and Ruben was furloughed just shy of completing his 200th hour on the Airbus A320/A321 based out of LAX.

    Outside of flying, his hobbies include building the latest expert mode Legos with my wife, hanging out with their two dogs (a Peagle named Charlie and a Corgi named Bella), jumping out of perfectly good airplanes, and working on side projects, such as mentoring young and and upcoming entrepreneurs with an emphasis on online e-commerce, video production and marketing.

    SHOW NOTES:

    00:00 Ruben reads an excerpt from his travels

    00:16-2:29  

    Drea introduces RubenDrea & Ruben discuss how long they’ve known each other and their background of the entertainment industry in Los AngelesDrea & Ruben talk about Femme Fatality web series and how successful it became pretty quickly. Ruben talks about his success as a pilot coming from very little monetary help and hard work. He talks about hard work and results that will come out of it if you keep going.The power of believing in yourself and the American dream  

    9:20 

    The beginning of Ruben’s career with the World of Brittany www.worldofbrittany.com, which was the first fan site for any celebrity on the internet and it was all about Britney Spears. 

    11:10 

    Ruben talks about the beginning of his life in aviation and his love for planes even as a child.  Ruben talks about his early childhood living as an expat and meeting friends who had parents who were airline captains. Ruben talks about Microsoft Flight Simulator in the 90’s and his progression to getting his pilot license. 

     15:02

    The story of the day Ruben decided to become an airline pilot and the transition to Compass airlines, then JSX and then over to a major airline.

    17:20 

    Ruben talks about the difficulty of getting hired by a major airline and how most of the hires come from the militaryHe shares the moment when he got the call that he got hired for a major airline and how surreal it felt.He shares how excited he was to finally get hired and then covid-19 hitting the world a month after his hireThe...
  • Special Guest: Mike Crowley

    At the age of 11, Mike went on his first backpacking trip and the outdoor bug has been with him ever since. Taking time each month, he would explore the mountains and deserts of Southern California and take week long treks in the Sierra Nevadas.

    As it happens to most of us, life later got in the way and took over, but Mike always remembered the call of the wild.

    Fast forward 30 years and Mike started making his way outdoors again. From exploring the Mojave Desert, to camping in Death Valley in August, bike packing across the Hawaiian island of Molokai, finding once again his old stomping grounds in the Sierras and now... thru-hiking across America last year, and doing it once again this year.

    It seems Mike is now making up for lost time. After his second walk across America is over, he is conjuring up plans for other adventures. Some ideas are: hiking the lowest to highest trail (Badwater in Death Valley to Mount Whitney in the Sierras), kayaking and hiking the circumference of Kauai, exploring the forests and lonely places of the American southwest and more.

    Show Notes:

    00:00 

    Mike Crowley reads an excerpt from something he has written about his travels

    1:30  

    Drea introduced Mike Crowley and his history with traveling.  Drea talks about the reason why she decided to introduce Mike

    3:56

     Discussing the reasons for his excerpt that he wrote and about his love for the vastness.  The importance of silence and experiencing God or the Universe. 

    8:13 

    The walk across American from West to East Saddleback mountain and the regrets he started to have - the lesson he learned to be presentThe importance of not looking at the destination because it can make it difficult

    12:24

    The decision to conquer the hike across the country and Mike’s “whys” once and then now going from South to NorthWest to East Hike - Started in March and ended in New Years Eve - A total of 3900Currently hiking 2200 Miles from South to North - Started in August 1st till mid to later part of February 2021 

    15:36

    Mike’s shares his most valuable lessons

    17:07 

    Mike has been hiking alone and shares that there is a community of people who are walking across the country like him.  He talks about briefly meeting someone who was also doing the same thing and they accompanied each other during the most mentally difficult part of the trail, the Missouri River. 

    19:36 

     Mike shares what travel means to him : the special connections you have with the people you meet. 

    21:21 

    Drea asks why Mike decided to do this type of  travel.  

      22:32

    Mike shares how he prepared for this hike.  MindsetFinancial Aspect

    29:20 

    www.youtube.com/ilikemikeMike talks...
  • Special Guest: Mary Calliste

    Mary's love for travel started at the age of 16 when she left the Spice Island of Grenada for an extended visit to the U.K. Mary has traveled to several countries since and has been sharing her travel and faith journey by way of story-telling with hopes to inspire, empower and equip others for moments in their own journey.

    Mary's life is filled with more little moments than big, more abundant with quiet moments than loud, and colored by more lessons than losses. Having to navigate and survive challenges at a young age, Mary is choosing daily to live a life of meaning and inspiration. Travel inspired Mary to share stories with the world. She recently founded the Moments Unplugged Collective to provide a safe space for a global community of women who are interested in travel, not just external travel, but a deeper travel within themselves to find real connection and emotional healing.

    Show Notes:

    00:00 Mary reads her excerpt from one of her instagram posts about #TravelingWhileBlack

    1:49 Drea introduces Mary and shares her biography

    3:07 Mary explains the instagram post she read about Traveling while being black.  She has had many experiences that she found as an opportunity to educate different cultures. 

    6:27 Mary talks about an experience where she changed a man’s mind about using the “N” word so casually. She used it as an opportunity to educate this man who had no idea the history and origin of this word. Drea and Mary discuss how it’s just a lack of education why moments like this happen and how as Americans we also enter into countries where what we do might be considered insulting - Education is the gap to all of these differences. Mary talks about in Sri Lanka she loved the food so much that she licked her fingers.  But in Sri Lanka that means you do not like the food and is very disrespectful. 

    9:15 Mary shares how she balances her work life/career and travel.  She gives the advice of how to approach a full time job and make them aware of your priority for your passion for travel. 

    14:32 Mary shares what travel means to her - She is really passionate about meeting people and really understanding who they are.  She enjoys spending the time to really talk to them and get to know them on a personal level.  This passion for connection is what she loves about travel. 

    17:18 Drea talks about her trip to Nepal, talking to her Sherpa, Raj and hearing about his life.  

    19:38 Mary talks about how she discovered traveling and how it serves her. 

    23:40 Mary talks about living in England 

    24:08 Mary discusses her travel blog, Moments in Square and what she shares on her travel blog. She talks about her experiences on her travel blog vs. what to see or do. 

    26:08 In her blog, she also talks about her healing journey and how she used travel to help her.  She speaks about traveling solo and reflecting on her life when she does travel. 

    30:02 Mary gives a piece of advice to someone who wants to go on a healing journey. 

    36:50 Mary loves to travel to a hotel but not a hostel (only nicer ones).  She made a commitment to herself that if she can afford nice things, to treat herself.  She doesn’t do luxury hotels usually but she does do the mid range hotels.  She stayed in a tree house once called Rumah Pohon in Bali.  

    40:47 Mary talks about traveling solo and what that means to her.  

    43:43 Finding the ideal travel partner and the importance of finding your tribe

    44:44 Mary talks about the challenges she’s had when she travels.  One challenge she faces is her friendly personality.  She talks about a negative experience she had in Morocco.  Drea also shares her story in Fez, Morocco. Mary talks about the difference between Casablanca and...

  • Special Guest: Drew Gilmour

    Drew Gilmour is 58 years old and is a retired  U.S. National Park Service Chief Ranger with 32 years of service.

    During his Career in the NPS he worked in ten National Park as well as detailing to many other sites and other government agencies on law enforcement, wildland fire, Homeland Security and other risk assignments including the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster and hurricanes on the gulf coast. He has traveled to 28 countries and all 50 States. He has a variety of interests including Travel, Bird watching, Backpacking, Hiking, Camping, History, Aviation, Kayaking, SCUBA/Snorkeling, Dog Sledding and Ocean Voyages. He enjoys traveling by small expedition vassals and ships and has even traveled across several oceans, seas and rivers across the globe.

    Following retirement in 2017 he started section hiking the Appalachian Trail. He has completed 725miles of the AT from Harpers Ferry WV to Hanover NH. He has plans on finishing the other 1427 miles in three section hikes once the Covid -19 Pandemic is over. 

    When He is not traveling He lives with his girlfriend Stacie in La Crescent, Minnesota with their two Alaskan Malamutes and one Alaskan Husky Two of which are retired Sled dogs. Together they enjoy traveling and exploring the world. 

    Show Notes:

    00:00 Drew reads an excerpt from something he wrote

    00:24 Drea does her intro and then goes into her Drew Gilmour’s biography

    2:23 Drew shares why he read those quotes and where the National Park Rangers gets their authority.  

    2:57 Drew starts to talk about how parks pose different challenges for park rangers

    3:55 Drew shares what travel means to him from the perspective of a National Park Ranger

    5:34 Drew shares about how travel ran in his blood.  He discusses about his parents who were also world travelers. He talks about how his parents really introduced him to the national park system and exploring the world.  

    8:04 Drew shares his love for the Arctic and how he is really in love with that area.  He recently went on trip on a ship in the Arctic

    8:59 Drew continues to travel because he loves exploring the unknown. 

    10:00 The pandemic has taught Drea that there is so much to explore your own backyard. 

    10:43 Drew shares what inspired him to go into the park service.  He started a seasonal job at the age of 21 in Maintenance at a historical National Park in Morristown, NJ.  It was there that he was convinced that working as a ranger was an exciting opportunity. He starts to talk about working for Glacier National Park and “living among the grizzly bears and mountains.”

    12:46 Drea talks about how much she fell in love with Glacier NP.

    13:24  Drew was a backcountry ranger in the East portion of Glacier NP.  He talks about some of his duties in the backcountry and the encounters he had with wildlife. 

    15:12 Drew shares his favorite park - The Grand Tetons.  He shares what it was about the Tetons he loved. He was there 1988 during the major wildfire and how he experienced fighting the fires there.  

    16:15 He shares his most valuable lesson he learned while fighting these fires.  

    17:44 Drew shares more stories about the Yellowstone Fires. These were the first modern fires that went out of control

    20:55 Drea asks Drew if he ever felt afraid.  Drew says yes there were quite a few times.  He goes on to explain a situation that scared him

    22:30 Drea asks “What is the most challenging that you have faced as a ranger?”  He shares the moment when he changed parks and he was moving to Florida to Big Cypress NP during a hurricane

    26:10 A park ranger is called during national disasters according to your...

  • Have you ever dreamed of traveling the world serving others? This episode explores the life of Ashlee Redd on one of her many trips around the world to Uganda. Her faith based mission trip took her on a mission to spread her faith as well as provide education and water to communities in Africa. She discusses the problem that the community faces with the lack of clean water and the challenges that women often face in those communities as a result.

    Special Guest: Ashlee Redd

    Native New Jerseyan, former Brooklynite, and now currently by the mountains, she settled in Fort Collins, CO. Ashlee is a graphic designer with an incurable case of wanderlust. She loves to explore new places, foods, cultures, and take in the beauty of the world around her. Ashlee started her love of travel at a young age has been to 20+ counties And counting. In 2013, Ashlee went on her first mission trip to Honduras w the non profit organization Run4Water, founded and ran by her cousins in Tennessee. Since then, she has traveled to Central America and Africa with Run4Water. She has become part of the leadership team helping expand a new branch called 84Days, a women’s ministry whose goal is to spread the love of Christ, empower women, teach feminine hygiene workshops and self defense classes.

    Show Notes:

    00:00 Excerpt from Ashlee Redd

    :45 Ashlee Redd’s Bio

    2:15 Ashlee shares why she loves to travel and how travel began with her mother being originally from Chile.  She also shares how they had foreign exchange students that would live with the family.  

    4:00 Drea asks her about why she travels the way she does - What draws her to travel the way she does - which isn’t your typical vacation? Ashlee shares traveling to Africa and that experience.  She shares her love for being out of her element and immersing herself into a completely different culture.  

    6:22 Ashlee discusses how she got involved in Run4Water and how she got involved. She speaks about how her experience with Honduras and how it changed her perspective on her life.  She explains what Run4Water is and what the organization is about. 

    9:22 Ashlee talks about the length of time she typically spends on missions.  She also discusses what Run4water does in the countries that they go to. 

    10:30 Ashlee talks about the issue of water in countries like Uganda and how hard it is to get water for many people.  She explains how women or children are usually carrying jugs of water to their villages, and the many, many issues of bringing water in that way.  Ashlee talks about Run4Water and how it is their mission to help bring sustainable and safe drinking water to their villages. 

    Ashlee also shares the difficulty of many women in Uganda and places like Uganda wherein the responsibility to bring water lies on their shoulders.  They also began a branch of the non-profit mission called 84 days which is a women’s ministry that helps the fight for Period Poverty which helps supply the women with sustainable feminine hygiene kits that supplies them for 10 years as well as workshops and self defense classes. 

    14:42 Ashlee starts to talk about period hygiene in Uganda and explains that there are 1.2 billion women that suffer from “period poverty”

    16:17 Ashlee shares what is in the kit that is in the hygiene kit that they provide for the girls.  

    20:14 Drea and Ashlee discuss assault in Uganda and the viewpoint of the men in the country in regards to women.  She talks about the Self Defense classes and the importance of the classes.

    Women get raped, abducted and sexually assaulted - so the self defense classes are so important

    24:18 Ashlee shares her most meaningful person she’s ever meant - which is a woman in Uganda named Vivian, the daughter of a preacher. She talks about a couple that inspired them to start another...

  • Matt Wild is a lifelong adventurer who spends most of his free time outdoors... from hiking, backpacking and camping, to trail biking, all the way to kayaking, and even surfing. When it comes to travel his preference is always a good old fashioned road trip to somewhere new and exciting. His mission over the past decade has been to find the balance between managing the demands of day to day life with exploring the wild and to help others do so as well.

    Show Notes:

    00:00 Intro to Matt - Matt reads an excerpt about the beginnings of his love for the outdoors

    1:06 Drea reads Matt’s bio 

    1:53 Matt explains the excerpt at the beginning that he read

    3:02 Matt says that he lost his love for the outdoors when he got older but the Canadian show “Departures” about two guys who decided that were going to quit their jobs and travel the world for a year inspired him to change his own life.  He walked away from corporate in 2012 and took a gap year.  He hit 21 states starting in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and didn’t really have a solid plan. 

    6:27 Drea talks about her love for loose plans and admires Matt for being able to do that. Matt discusses the sporadic trip to Italy and the fun loose plans that ended up happening. 

    9:12 Matt shares the most valuable thing he learned traveling loosely within the United States.  He talks about the infrastructure for road trips in the US being much easier than Canada.  Drea and Matt discusses in detail the highway infrastructure that lends to the American Road trip lifestyle. 

    14:19 Drea asks Matt which state was his favorite and his answer was Oregon.  Matt explains his reasoning why he chose this gorgeous state

    16:46 Matt tells us why he’s passionate about travel and what it means to him  

    19:02 Matt shares his love for the Pacific Coast Highway

    19:59 Shares his favorite tip for the CA-1/Pacific Coast Highway

    20:28 Matt shares with us why he decided to choose the mountain and outdoorsy lifestyle - He talks about living in Vancouver and the outdoor lifestyle that is so prevalent in the area.

    22:46 Matt shares his most challenging thing he’s faced as a hiker which is the high cost of gear.  Matt also shares some tips on how to mitigate those costs

    28:17 Matt shares his current hiking boot.

    29:14 Matt shares the importance of trying on gear 

    31:06 Matt discusses how he prepared for the GAP year and the steps he took to go

    35:23 Matt shares his favorite moment during his GAP year

    36:13 Matt shares his most fulfilling moment during his GAP year - He was inspired by a Jackie Chan quote and shares it 

    37:40 Matt shares his most dangerous moment when he went to Winnipeg and was driving back to Thunder Bay, Canada.  He saw a bunch of moose all over this highway and they needed to stop for the evening to camp. 

    42:44 Matt shares the most important people he’s met during his travel.  He talks about finding his best friends on the trails in Vancouver. 

    47:25 Talking about spending time on the mountain during sunset and sunrise

    50:45 Matt shares his favorite hike - Mount Garibaldi in Canada. He talks about jumping in the glacier fed lake.  He also shares a few tips on how to do this hike. 

    59:00 Lake Lovely water is one place that Matt wants to go to via helicopter

    1:36 Matt shares his piece of life advice he would give to himself which is that he should do this sooner. 

    1:02  

    www.instagram.com/mattoutwild

    www.facebook.com/mattoutwild

  • Alexys is a 27-year-old Los Angeles native who’s gotten really good at traveling on a budget, loves going outside of her comfort zone to experience new cultures, & says “yes” to any new type of food abroad. 

    Within a 6 year period she had ventured to 50 countries, while going to school and then later working full time. 

    She started her instagram page and blog because she wanted to provide honest destination tips to show just how affordable travel can be, and help others to spend less time behind the computer screen trip-planning and more time out exploring."

    Show Notes:

    00:00 Alexys begins our episode with reading an excerpt she wrote about traveling to Havana, Cuba. 

    :40 Drea introduces the show and tells us about Alexys, a young traveler who enjoys exploring on a budget.  

    1:31 Drea asks about budget traveling to Havana and Alexys shares with us in further detail the Havana, Cuba trip she started the episode. It was originally supposed to be a 3 day domestic trip somewhere but after finding cheap flights to Cuba, it quickly became a 5 day trip to Havana.  

    2:41 Drea asks Alexys when she booked it and how she prepared for this trip 

    4:13 This was Alexy’s first true budget trip. 

    5:30 Drea asks Alexy’s budget to go to Havana, Cuba. She breaks down her flight costs, food costs, and Mojito costs.  

    6:24 Drea talks about her Cuba trip in February 2020 before Coronavirus hit. It was a last minute trip. Both Alexys and Drea provides some tips on the visa situation

    9:15 Alexys Shares how she prepared for the trip to Cuba and the “Supporting for the Cuban people” 

    13:04 Alexys shares some of her activities that she did in Cuba. She talks about the convertible tour and her tour guide Alan. 

    15:19 Talking about Cuba and exchanging money

    17:23 Alexys talks about the Charles Schwabb Debit card, which is one of her favorite travel tips. 

    20:30 Drea asks Alexys why she started traveling and how she started traveling to 50 countries. Alexys talks about how much travel runs in her family and how her mom really influenced her adventurous spirit. She believes travel really has brought her closer with her mom.

    23:57 Alexys shares what travel means to her - and finding your Right Travel Buddies

    29:48 Alexys shares her most dangerous travel stories when she was drugged in Budapest during a pub crawl. 

    35:33 She shared her most exciting experience which happened on her trip to Havana when she met Donald Glover aka Childish Gambino. 

    37:46 Alexys talks about the importance of Budget Traveling and how she got started

    38:51 Alexys shares her favorite places she’s traveled to and she talks about Thailand. She speaks about street food in Thailand and all the flavorful dishes the country has to offer. 

    42:55 Alexys shares some tricks and tips about traveling to Thailand

    44:40 Buy the Local Bug Spray - Top Tip from Drea and Alexys!

    45:49 Alexys shares her most fulfilling moment in Oktoberfest in Germany meeting the local college students.   

    48:20 She also shares another fulfilling moment in Cinque Terre, Italy

    50:00 Alexys talks about how to budget travel

    53:39 Alexys talks about what she purchases when she goes abroad

    Alexys has an impressive wall full of beautiful artistic pieces and crafts from around the world. 

    55:05 Alexys shares a piece of life advice to herself which is “Stay at Hostels more” She talks about meeting amazing people at hostels. She even met a singer at a hostel in Portugal who was incredible.  

    58:01 Find Alexys on

  • Gary Arndt is not your regular traveler - He is a photographer, a world renowned travel blogger, a podcast host for “Everything Everywhere” and he even owns an NFL Franchise. He embodies traveling and garners an impressive list of places he’s been to - including visiting all 7 continents of the world, 204 countries and territories, 50 US states and every US territory, 220 US national Park services, and 400 UNESCO heritage sites, and even explored the vast Canadian provinces. He began his traveling quest in March of 2007 when he sold his home and decided that he was going to live out of his suitcase. 

    Gary has an impressive list of awards and accolades but here are just a few to name.  

    He was in Time Magazine Top 25 Blogs in the World in 2010, earned a gold medal and two silver medals for Best Travel Blog by North American Travel Journalist Association, 3 Lowell Thomas Awards, which are the most prestigious prize in travel journalism and over 40 lifetime NATJA awards - holding the recording for travel bloggers, and he was named one of the 100 Most Influential Photographers in the World.


    Show Notes:

    00:00 Gary reads an excerpt that he wrote in his travel blog

    1:16 Drea begins to read Gary’s extensive traveling bio

    2:25 Gary talks about the excerpt and people’s futile quest for an authentic experience

    4:40 Gary talks about an experience in Cambodia when he knew that being poor didn’t mean that they didn’t have anything.  The number of people in the world who live in extreme poverty has decreased dramatically over the last 20 years and he thinks that this is a good thing.  

    7:38 Drea asks Gary about how he became nomadic starting when he sold his house in March 2007.  

    9:49 Gary shares his own advice on how to overcome the many fears of chasing the Nomadic life dream. Gary speaks to the fear of not being able to speak the language and how it is so much easier to travel the iphone than ever before. 

    17:50 Gary shares how he created this impressive bucket list.  He shares his journey of how he began this journey.

    19:54 Gary discusses over tourism and how most people don’t know about the many, many places you can go travel to.  He believes that there are many secret locations and he shares a few of them.

    20:28 Gary speaks about the best national park he’s ever visited, Nahanni National Park Reserve

    21:22 Gary then describes another less visited National Park - Torngat Mountain National Park which has fantastic Fjords.  It is run by the local Inuit community and they said that they caught arctic char.

    22:22 Gary speaks about Padua in Italy which is only a 20 minute train ride from Venice.  Everyone skips this beautiful town and they skip it. 

    24:25 Gary talks about Nevada and the  Great Basin NP 

    25:55 Gary shares his top challenge which was trying to work while traveling. He then shares how he mitigated that and found his solution. 

    28:25 Gary shares his most exciting travel story - which is when Gary visited an active war zone in Cambodia on the back of the motorcycle.

    33:07 Gary tells us a story of being in the middle of a protest in Bangkok when the protesters were going to try to dump human blood on the prime minister's home. 

    33:41 Gary also changed a law in Kiribati and he tells us the story of how that happened. 

    36:53 Micronesia, Palau, and  Marshall islands and the few tourists that live there.  Gary discusses how easy it is to visit.  He shares the tip on how to get there. 

    39:19 Drea asks how Gary started his successful blog and how it became so huge.  Gary began his blog in 1994 and he discusses the start of his podcast - and touches on his career. 

    44:28 Gary suggests to never buy a travel guide, but instead buy a history book on that...

  • Special Guest: Kristy Sumner

    In 2014, Dr. Kristy Sumner coupled her passion for travel, history and the paranormal when she formed Soul Sisters Paranormal, an all-female team, made up of Sumner, her two sisters and two friends. The investigators of Soul Sisters Paranormal travel to some of the most historic and, reportedly, haunted locations in the U.S. in an attempt to determine for themselves if spirit activity does exist and to highlight the rich history of each location. Individually, each member of the team is an accomplished professional in her respective field, and each holds a Masters, PhD or JD degree. To date, the team has traveled to and investigated numerous US locations, including: the Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum (WV), The Lizzie Borden House (MA), the Villisca Ax Murder House (IA), the St. Augustine Lighthouse (FL), Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary (TN) and many others. 

    Prior to forming Soul Sister Paranormal, Dr. Sumner, who holds a PhD in Public Affairs with an emphasis on Criminal Justice, was a senior director for a Registered Traveler company focused on biometric clearances for the traveling public, she was a senior consultant for a biometric credentialing company, and she was college professor at Metro State College of Denver and the University of Central Florida. 


    Show Notes: 

    00:00 Kristy opens the episode with a part of their video when they investigated the grounds of Fort Mifflin.  

    00:58 Intro to Roaming the Earth and bio of Kristy Sumner, the paranormal investigator who travels the country investigating haunted locations.

    3:28 Kristy talks about the excerpt she read and Fort Mifflin. She explains the importance of the fort during the revolutionary war. 

    6:50 Drea expresses her fear of the paranormal and Kristy tells us about the team's lack of being afraid despite the startling noises, voices and other paranormal experiences that they witness. Kristy explains that they approach every investigation from a scientific approach where they attempt to debunk the claims before deeming it paranormal or unexplainable. 

    8:28 Drea asks about the Fort MIfflin experience where a shadow figure broke the laser grid on camera. Kristy and her team saw it happen in front of them and successfully capture this remarkable unexplainable experience in front of the camera. Kristy shares the very active experience of staying overnight at Fort Mifflin and the interesting approaches they have in order to speak to these entities.  

    12:29 Drea asks Kristy the reason why and how “Soul Sisters” started traveling the country for these paranormal investigations. It all started with the idea of going on a girls getaway that turned into a visit to the Moundsville State Penitentiary in West Virginia. 

    14:40 Drea asks Kristy about the kind of gear they bring on these investigations.

    17:40 Kristy shares her favorite haunted location - The old Gilchrist County Jail in Trenton, Florida. She explains the small footprint of the prison built in 1928. She found this location to be very active and she shares some of her stories.They talk even further about the shadow figure that walked across the hallway twice, broke a laser grid that was set up and when asked to cross again, it did.

    21:28 Kristy shares more of the things she has seen - Balls Moving, the laser grids moving, k2 meters that measure energy go off. She explains another paranormal experience at Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary, the former maximum security prison where they once held James Earl Ray, the man who shot Dr. Martin Luther King.   

    24:00 Drea explains her own experiences with the hauntings happenings in her home after her mom’s recent death.  

    25:02 Kristy tells us her theories of why she believes an entity...

  • Vitor Rodrigues began taking photographs only three years ago and his photographs will stop you in your tracks. He has an obsession with photography and it shows in his work. He is avid traveler, backpacker and outdoor enthusiast. In this episode, he shares some of his tricks and tips, his camera & backpacking gear, and favorite locations.

    Show Notes:

    00:00 Vitor reads an excerpt he’s written when he climbed Mt. Rainer

    00:48 Drea introduces Vitor 

    1:08 Vitor shares why he is passionate about travel. 

    1:25 Vitor tells us how traveling runs in his family.

    4:06 Vitor discusses his love for the outdoors and the beginning of his love for hiking 

    5:30 The most challenging hike Vitor has ever done was up to Iceberg Lake in the Sierras but he shares his love for the exhaustion

    6:46 Vitor shares his favorite tips and tricks for backpackers.  He is a big advocate about planning and Vitor shares his techniques on how he does that. 

    7:40 Vitor shares his favorite gear that he takes with him when he backpacks 

    9:02 Vitor shares the kind of camera gear he brings with him on the trails and how he creates the types of photos he has

    10:29 We talk about how Vitor got started taking his incredible photographs.  He has only been doing it for 3 years and his instagram is amazing. 

    12:03 Vitor’s biggest tip is shared right here.  If you want to do what he does, he reveals his biggest secret on how he takes his stunning photographs

    14:52 Vitor times his photographs according to the place.  He doesn’t favor sunsets or sunrises, but favors how the location looks best in certain times of the day

    12:52 Vitor’s favorite place that he has photographed

    13:17 Vitor shares his love for photographs and how he approaches his photos with the intention of his edits. 

    14:51  Vitor shares one of his first hikes as a novice hiker and the decision to climb Mt. Washington, the tallest peak in the east coast. 

    17:08 Vitor shares his most fulfilling moment - the top of the mountain. 

    17:30 Vitor talks about his favorite mountain he’s climbed - Temple Crag

    19:33 Vitor has a love for Yosemite and he shares his first experience at his favorite park - Tunnel View

    Viltor also shares the need to watch “Free Solo” the documentary with Alex Honnold, if you ever plan on going to Yosemite 

    21:31 Tips and Tricks to travel Vitor’s favorite spot, Yosemite.  He also shares the importance of picking up your trash

    23:01 Drea and Vitor discuss the advantage of limiting the amount of people that can go into the park because of Covid restrictions and  the beauty of winter in Yosemite to avoid the crowds. 

    24:31 Vitor shares his next destination - North Carolina and the Smoky mountains. 

    25:25 Vitor shares his one interesting item that he buys - a hoodie 

    26:25 Vitor’s favorite hike - Mount St. Helens

    29:05 Vitor Life Advice  

    29:37 We can find Vitor on instagram on

    www.instagram.com/V_Outdoors