Episodes
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This week I sit down with Niamh Barry a Cork-born, Dublin-based photographer and documentary filmmaker and we roulette her phone notes app. Niamh's debut documentary Something in the Air, officially selected for Galway Film Fleadh 2026 and GazeFest, follows Raychel Sanner, a storm chaser and trans woman living between Oklahoma and New Mexico. Just last month it won Best Short Documentary at the BAFTA-qualifying Manchester Film Festival.
https://www.filmsomethingintheair.com/donatehttps://www.niamh-barry.com/189a7061fd-contentWe get into Tornado Alley, anti-trans legislation, what surprised Niamh about the LGBT community in Oklahoma, and what it took to finally photograph boygenius, including a last-minute visa scramble and a flight to Philadelphia.
Amongst other things, we kick off with Barry's (me, host) (not Niamh) awkward opener involving a dermatology appointment and the SH:24 free STI testing service (get checked, folks). Chapter list is below. as well as other links!
Chapter list:
00:00 – Welcome & introducing photographer and filmmaker Niamh Barry
03:40 - FIRST HOST NOTE (RANDOM)
04:20 – An awkward first phone note: skin checks, STI tests & Irish healthcare
09:40 - FIRST GUEST NOTE (RANDOM)
10:20 – The notes behind working with Irish band Sprints
15:45 – Flying to Philadelphia to photograph Boygenius
20:45 – Queer representation in music photography
24:45 – SECOND GUEST NOTE (RANDOM)
26:20 – Making Something in the Air
30:10 – Storm chasing, Oklahoma & meeting Raychel
33:45 – What Hollywood gets wrong about tornadoes
36:50 – Will & Harper, empathy & travelling across America
44:00 - THIRD GUEST NOTE (RANDOM)
44:50 – The Irish Photography Prize & photographing community
50:30 – Barry's accidental photography exhibition
55:20 – Wrap-up
Social links:
https://www.instagram.com/narryphotographyvids/https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/Thanks!
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Ready to roulette a stranger's notes app? Today I'm joined by Chris Barrett, an adventurer who is known for sharing stories of Irish and Arctic nature. He's also a woodworker, conservationist, designer, and many other things. He's worth a listen. It's one of my fave chats so far. Anyway, let's see what we find in his notes app.
Secret Phone Notes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/Chris Barrett's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/chris_barrett_photo/Rough overview and chapter list below: A citizen science Arctic expedition off Svalbard, a year bike packing through Patagonia, Bolivia's salt flats and the Atacama Desert, and a near-miss on Bolivia's death road all come up through the notes. So does an autonomous fertilizer ball, a gecko-inspired glove built for his college thesis, and the Trinity College research linking polar bears back to the Irish brown bear. Plus: Tom Crean, translucent polar bear fur, and why biomimicry has 3.5 billion years of R&D behind it.
00:00 – Welcome & introducing Chris Barrett01:20 – RANDOM HOST NOTE02:00 – Colour blindness, whiskey ads & Coca-Cola myths04:50 – Coca leaves, altitude sickness & hiking in Peru06:50 – Bikepacking Patagonia, Bolivia & traveling light09:15 – The Pacific Crest Trail & ultralight hiking culture12:30 – RANDOM GUEST NOTE: the autonomous fertiliser ball16:55 – Nature restoration, farming & rural Ireland20:05 – Biomimicry: how nature inspires better design24:55 – Gecko gloves, shark skin & everyday invention28:10 – RANDOM GUEST NOTE31:20 – Cycling the Bolivian salt flats & drunken drivers36:20 – RANDOM GUEST NOTEBoxing inventions → Arctic photography37:30 – Polar bears, climate change & photographing the Arctic41:55 – Svalbard expeditions & a life-long obsession with the poles44:20 – Tom Crean, Shackleton & Ireland's greatest explorer48:35 – Wrap-upThank you for listening!
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Ready to roulette a stranger's notes app? Today I'm joined by Maureen Onwunali, a Dublin-born Nigerian poet who is a lot of fun. And national slam poetry champion twice! We scroll, we stop, and we reveal what's hidden away in the swamp that is our notes app. Let's listen!
Secret Phone Notes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/Maureen Onwunali's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/monwunali_poetry/You'll find the chapter list below but tl;dr - Maureen was dscovered on stage (ish) at 14 by poet Joelle Taylor, Maureen talks growing up between Dublin, London and Milton Keynes, performing at the Irish Embassy for Bloomsday, and what her name actually means. Plus: a viral puffer jacket poem, 1,776 phone notes, and the ongoing campaign to dethrone Maureen O'Hara on Google. Stay tuned.
Chapter list:
00:25 Introduction to Secret Phone Notes
04:01 Exploring the Roulette of Notes
05:22 RANDOM HOST NOTE
06:19 Diving into Maureen's Oldest Note
07:46 OLDEST GUEST NOTE
08:58 The Impact of Lockdown on Creativity
10:26 Maureen's poetry beginnings, aged 12
17:42 GUEST'S NEWEST NOTE
22:15 An Ambassador to Milton Keynes
25:10 Which city has shaped Maureen's writing the most?
28:10 The mandem don't cry enough poem
32:10 What is slam poetry?
35:00 Building a university poetry team from scratch
43:30 Nigerian heritage, language & oral storytelling
49:24 Maureen performs a poem
55:50 Closing notes
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Ready to roulette a stranger's notes app? Today I'm joined by Oisín for the 11th (official) episode of Secret Phone Notes. We scroll, we stop, and we reveal what's hidden away in the swamp that is our notes app. Let's listen!
Secret Phone Notes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/Oisín's amazing videos and prose - https://www.instagram.com/prendio2/00:00 Introduction to the Secret Phone Notes Podcast
04:08 RANDOM HOST NOTE
05:08 Oisín's ludicrous way of keeping notes
08:13 Creative Processes and Cycling Adventures
08:34 GUEST RANDOM NOTE
09:56 Life Lessons from Cycling around the World
14:47 SECOND RANDOM GUEST NOTE
22:06 The Journey Begins: Starting at Granny's House
25:15 Facing Challenges: The Reality of Long-Distance Cycling
28:59 WhatsApp group of Irish cyclists around the world
29:06 Dervla Murphy, cycling solo from Ireland to India in 1965
31:12 When do you feel most alive?
33:57 Cycling around the world: What has surprised you the most
34:16 Biggest surprises along the Way:?
39:58 RANDOM GUEST NOTE
44:44 Bikepacking accommodation: Where do you stay?
46:13 The Cycling Community and Female Bikepackers
47:40 RANDOM GUEST NOTE
47:47 Reflections on Home and Belonging
55:21 Final Thoughts and Reflections
If you liked this, please send it to a friend/enemy or rate it or follow on Instagram or anything really that'll help push it to one more individual haha. Am I desperate? Yes.
Additional notes:
Bikepacking around the world, cycling trips
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Ready to roulette a stranger's notes app? Today I'm joined by Adrien for the 10th (official) episode of Secret Phone Notes. We scroll, we stop, and we reveal what's hidden away in the swamp that is our notes app. Let's listen!
Secret Phone Notes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/00:00 Introduction to Adrien
01:37 How we met, Barry's winning final goal
03:58 How the format works
05:23 RANDOM HOST NOTE
07:46 Experiences in Business Class and Celebrity Encounters
08:00 Barry's sole premium airline experience
08:33 Jameson First Shot and Barry in LA
10:20 The Kevin Spacey crisis
13:20 Superstitions and Personal Rituals
20:48 RANDOM GUEST NOTE
21:55 Adrien's Random thoughts: Bad whistlers
22:57 Adrien's Random thoughts: Americans and Their Cars
24:37 Designing Burger King menus
28:29 American vs. Italian Pizza
30:49 Warm shower thougths
33:56 Swiss Lifestyle and Swimming Culture
37:16 RANDOM GUEST NOTE
37:34 The Burger Boy and Culinary memories
40:08 Nostalgic Fast Food Memories
45:07 Cultural Roots and Family Background
51:23 Trolling England fans in a bar
53:35 Exploring Ivory Coast: A Cultural Perspective
Links and stufff!
The Burger Boy - https://www.instagram.com/the_burgerboy_/ The Burger Boy hiking the Alps for the ultimate burger - https://youtu.be/Y6KmqoU5jdE?si=ydH8DcS4ndDRr5GC Secret Phone Notes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/Barry's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/barrison_ford/Barry's Website - https://barrytaylor.co/Barry's email - [email protected]Thanks so much!
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Ready to roulette a stranger's notes app? Today I'm joined by Lara for the 9th (official) episode of Secret Phone Notes. We scroll, we stop, and we reveal what's hidden away in the swamp that is our notes app. Let's listen!
Secret Phone Notes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/00:00 Introduction to Lara
03:29 HOST NOTE - SECOND OLDEST
03:30 Barry's Personal Growth Goals
09:10 Language and Cultural Identity
11:29 The Beauty of Arabic Dialects
19:03 FIRST GUEST NOTE
21:49 Letterboxd Favourite Four
22:33 Top Four Films Discussion
24:20 The Impact of 'The Tree of Life'
25:41 Terrence Malick's 'The Thin Red Line' Lore
31:00 Christopher Nolan's 'Dunkirk'
34:14 Reflections on Personal Growth and Experiences
38:04 Cultural Insights and Humor
39:25 Exploring Lebanon: A Journey Beyond the Cities
40:03 Beirut's Vibrant Nightlife
41:41 The Perfect Night Out in Beirut
42:25 GUEST NOTE - RANDOM
43:11 The Transition to Berlin: Parks and Public Spaces
45:35 Navigating Visa Challenges and Opportunities
45:35 Visa issues for non-EU citizens
47:20 Reflections on Privilege and Opportunity
48:10 Playing football with an angry monk
52:47 Final Thoughts
Links and stufff!
Secret Phone Notes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/Barry's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/barrison_ford/Barry's Website - https://barrytaylor.co/Barry's email - [email protected]Thanks so much!
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Ready to roulette a stranger's notes app? Today is a special (and very brief) episode. Join me in the jazz corner where I read aloud the secret notes sent in by listeners.
00:00 Introduction
00:40 First listener phone note
01:20 Second listener phone note
02:40 Third listener phone note
03:40 Fourth listener phone note
05:10 Fifth listener phone note
06:10 Sixth listener phone note
Want to get something off your chest? Send it in. We can keep it anonymous, both between you and I, too!
Links and stufff!
Secret Phone Notes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/Barry's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/barrison_ford/Barry's Website - https://barrytaylor.co/Barry's email - [email protected]Thanks so much!
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Ready to roulette a stranger's notes app? Today I'm joined by Phil Paoletta for the 8th episode of Secret Phone Notes. We scroll, we stop, and we reveal what's hidden away in the swamp that is our notes app. Phil leads a fascinating life and I'd urge you to get past my note and listen to our conversation.
00:00 Introduction
02:37 How did Phil end up in West Africa?
05:07 RANDOM HOST NOTE
07:07 OLDEST GUEST NOTE
08:49 Mali: A Creative Hub?
09:26 Why move to Mali? The music
11:30 Highlife vs. Malian Music
12:17 Highlife music (Afrobeat)
16:57 RANDOM GUEST NOTE
18:16 Exploring Unique Travel Experiences
18:36 What is Scoot West Africa?
21:32 How Reddit led Barry to scooting 2,000km in West Africa
22:29 A very small world story
26:57 Barry's scooter trip to Senegal / Mauritania
31:48 The world becomes even smaller (!!)
35:14 RANDOM GUEST NOTE
39:52 RANDOM GUEST NOTE
40:31 An unexpected odyssey in Cabo Verde
46:53 Phil's hotel bar in Mali. It's current situation.
47:56 Mali's current situation
55:39 Postcards from Timbuktu: A Unique Project
59:20 Closing notes and links
Links and stufff!
Scoot West Africa's Instagram - https://scootwestafrica.com/Phil's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/philinthe_/Phil's Website - https://philintheblank.net/Barry's write-up and film photos of his African scooter trip': https://barrytaylor.co/travel-writing---Secret Phone Notes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/Barry's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/barrison_ford/Barry's Website - https://barrytaylor.co/Barry's email - [email protected]Thanks so much!
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Ready to roulette a stranger's notes app? Today I'm joined by Katie Edwards for the 7th episode of Secret Phone Notes. We scroll, we stop, and we reveal what's hidden away in the swamp that is our notes app. Katie Edwards captures the world through train windows and she's one of the most unique creatives who constantly leaves me floored. Listen and then check her out!
00:00 Introduction and Personal Reflections
03:04 Creative Decisions and Life Choices
06:47 Exploring the Notes App
06:58 RANDOM PHONE NOTE (HOST)
07:05 Music and Artistic Inspirations
09:09 OLDEST PHONE NOTE (GUEST)
09:50 Theatre and Creative Background
11:52 Katie's time in Uni
12:23 Influences and Creative Growth
15:00 Street Photography and Storytelling
20:09 Exploring Juxtapositions in Photography
23:34 Katie Edward's Train Window Project
24:19 RANDOM PHONE NOTE (GUEST)
24:43 The Journey Across America
26:44 The Art of Train Photography
28:41 Production Techniques in Photography
29:36 Editing: The Heart of the Work
31:54 Crafting a Deeper Narrative
33:15 RANDOM PHONE NOTE (GUEST)
34:42 Pitching projects to go Guardian
36:24 The Third Gender of Fiji
38:07 Terrorist to Kindergarten Owner in Indonesia
41:14 The Challenges of Journalism
42:04 Personal Reflections on Creative Expression
43:20 Katie's tattoo: its reason
45:25 Barry's tattoo: its reason
Links and stufff!
Katie Edward's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/katiedwards/Katie Edward's TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@katie3dwardsKatie Edward's Website - https://katie-edwards.com/'I was a terrorist, now I run a kindegarten': https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2023/jul/25/i-was-a-terrorist-now-i-run-a-kindergarten-video 'The trans ‘queen mother’ reclaiming Fiji’s third gender' https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/20/the-trans-queen-mother-reclaiming-fijis-third-gender-photo-essay---
Secret Phone Notes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/Barry's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/barrison_ford/Barry's Website - https://barrytaylor.co/Barry's email - [email protected]Thanks so much!
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Ready to roulette a stranger's notes app? Today I'm joined by Mathieu Couret for the 6th episode of Secret Phone Notes. We scroll, we stop, and we reveal what's hidden away in the swamp that is our notes app. Or his.
00:00 Introduction and Background
04:30 RANDOM HOST NOTE
07:20 RANDOM GUEST NOTE
10:26 The Nature of Celebrity Collaborations
13:00 GUEST'S OLDEST NOTE
15:05 Language Learning Journey
19:10 Personality change in different languages?
20:32 Insults across different languages
25:00 Catholic church, the gayest institution?
27:30 GUEST'S NEWEST NOTE
28:00 A Japanese wine masterclass
32:58 Understanding Orange Wine
34:48 Connections between Japanese wine and whisky?
38:40 The worldly whiskey barrel sharing
41:54 The inventions of wine - Georgia / Moldova
44:00 How Mat's partner influences him
47:27 Closing remarks and appreciation
Links and stufff!
Mathieu's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mathieucouret/Mathieu's TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@mathieucrt---
Secret Phone Notes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/Barry's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/barrison_ford/Barry's Website/email - https://barrytaylor.co/Thanks so much!
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EDIT: Notes are now timestamped below. Ready to roulette your notes app? Today I'm joined by singer-songwriter KK Lewis. Together we scroll and then reveal whatever we land on. Welcome to the 5th episode of Secret Phone Notes! Rough timestamps can be found below:
00:00 Introduction
04:21 RANDOM HOST NOTE
05:41 Language Learning and Cultural Insights
08:30 KK'S FIRST NOTE (OLDEST)
10:49 Leaving cert -> Music
14:13 Living in Spain for a year as a teen
14:14 Breaking ankles in Spain as a teen
15:16 Barry's embarrassing bone break
16:53 Personal Stories of Injury and Resilience
19:59 Karaoke song choice
23:04 Moving to Berlin for romance (kinda)
24:07 Nomadland and Barry in therapy in Berlin
26:23 KK'S SECOND NOTE (NEWEST)
26:43 The Creative Process of Songwriting?
28:01 How to write a song
29:42 The Evolution of Lyricism
32:42 KK's biggest influence
35:18 The Journey of an Artist
38:07 KK's Listener Engagement and random Global Reach
41:11 RANDOM HOST NOTE
46:31 Snakes and badgers in Poland
49:00 Reddit: What is it? (Me pushing Reddit)
50:31 Reddit Secret Santa: Host's Experience
54:03 The Impact of Social Media on Personal Life
54:06 KK'S THIRD NOTE (RANDOM)
55:42 The Unique Experience of Live Music Events
56:46 Playing gigs in Dublin
58:00 The Pigeon Man: A Story of Connection
59:14 Why does Barry love pigeons?
01:00:00 A riveting pigeon WWII story
01:04:11 The Pigeon Man Song: Inspiration and Meaning
01:06:00 Outro
Links and stufff!
KK Lewis's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kkloowis/KK Lewis's Linktree (including music) - linktr.ee/kklewisSunflower Sessions - https://www.instagram.com/sunflowersessions_/Secret Phone Notes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/Barry's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/barrison_ford/Barry's Website/email - https://barrytaylor.co/Thanks so much!
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This is Russian roulette with our notes app. Today I'm joined by Paula MacSweeney. Together we scroll and then reveal whatever we land on. Welcome to the 4th episode of Secret Phone Notes! Rough timestamps can be found below.
00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview
01:16 Phone Note Roulette Explained
03:45 First host note: What do I do for work
06:20 Voiceover Work and Client Interactions
09:26 Whiskey Marketing and Personal Anecdotes
12:24 First guest note: The Life of a Five Euro Note
15:22 The Role of a Librarian
18:38 AI's Impact on Research and Creativity
21:16 Parenting Challenges and Food Preferences
29:01 Fun Facts and Color Perception
Second guest note
31:51 Haircut Anxiety and Language Barriers
35:24 Family Traditions and Takeaway Choices
Third guest note
39:11 Simple Cooking and Marathon Training
39:29 Charity Marathons and Personal Goals
44:38 Nutrition Lessons from Marathon Running
44:38 Podcasting Insights and Future Plans
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This is Russian roulette with our notes app. A guest and I scroll our phone notes, say “stop”, and then we reveal whatever comes up. Welcome to the 3rd episode of Secret Phone Notes! Today I'm joined by El. Rough timestamps can be found below.
00:00 ?/10 Mood Check?04:42 Secret Phone Notes Concept05:11 Adventurous Memories from Peru07:34 Animal Defense Strategies10:40 Reflections on Kilimanjaro12:48 Lessons from Local Porters17:34 Experiencing Altitude and Physical Challenges18:50 The Journey of Starting a Business / Creating El's Big Juicy Balls22:34 Navigating the Challenges of Entrepreneurship28:55 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs38:35 The Joy and Frustration of Film Photography42:17 The Evolution of Observational Skills Through Photography43:57 The Journey of Running: From Hiking to Racing48:31 The Power of Community in Running56:14 The Emotional Experience of MarathonsOkaaay. This is the very 3rd episode of an idea I jotted down in my notes app back in 2021. I would be eternallllly grateful if you gave it a follow / rating and/or shared it someone who also hoards their life in their notes app. And if you'd like to be a guest, that can be arranged too! Thank you <3 Barry
El's Big Juicy Balls: https://elsbigjuicyballs.ie/El's Big Juicy Balls Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/els_big_juicy_balls/ El's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eleanor__89/FORUS Endurance running club: https://www.instagram.com/forus_endurance/----Podcast's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barrison_ford/My website: https://barrytaylor.co/Thanks again!
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The idea: Russian roulette with our notes app. A guest and I scroll our phone notes, say “stop”, and then we reveal whatever comes up. Welcome to the 2nd episode of Secret Phone Notes! Today I'm joined by Chris Bellamy. We had never met nor spoken, but I think this conversation flows in very interesting ways! He has a fascinating mind and we have a good laugh.
Rough timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction to Secret Notes Podcast00:47 - The Importance of Openness and Transparency04:23 - Exploring Personal Notes and Vulnerability06:31 - Culinary Adventures in France13:47 - Cultural Exchange and Indigenous Knowledge in French Polynesia21:53 - Cultural Fusion and Personal Value23:45 - Intergenerational Connections and Memory27:18 - Exploring Core Memories29:20 - When do you feel most alive?33:39 - The Brush Up Podcast Concept38:27 - Yana: Real Food Sports Nutrition41:41 - The Marathon in Flip-Flops: Sub-3!!!46:47 Navigating Life: Lessons from Polynesian Culture48:53 The Power of Oral Tradition: Keeping Knowledge Alive51:18 Interdisciplinary Thinking: Blending Art and Science52:17 Bioluminescence in Fashion: A Unique Collaboration56:08 Finding Meaning: Reflections on Creativity and PurposeAmongst many other projects, Chris is currently focusing on Yanaa, savoury real food sports nutrition for endurance athletes. Though only a small snippet of this ep focuses on it.
Yanaa website: https://yanaa.food/enYanaa Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youarenotanastronaut/Chris's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bio.crafted/Chris's website: https://biocrafted.com/Okaaay. This is the very 2nd episode of an idea I jotted down in my notes app back in 2021. I would be eternallllly grateful if you gave it a follow / rating and/or shared it someone who also hoards their life in their notes app. And if you'd like to be a guest, that can be arranged too! Thank you <3 Barry
Podcast's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barrison_ford/My website: https://barrytaylor.co/Thanks again!
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Right, here we go. The idea: A guest and I scroll through our notes app, say “stop”, and reveal whatever comes up. It's essentially Russian Roulette but without death. Welcome to the first episode of Secret Phone Notes! Today I'm joined by Elina, a filmmaker from New Zealand who now lives in Japan. We've never met before but I guess that fits the spontaneity.
As it turns out, years ago, we were only 2 weeks apart as we both hiked the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada. One made it, one didn't. This pops up as does growing up in the cult of Korean Jesus.
Rough timestamps:
00:00 – What this podcast actually is06:00 – A very small world story in Sweden's arctic circle15:00 – Elina’s oldest note (it’s a lot) 27:00 – What it's like growing up in a cult45:00 – Identity, independence & long walks53:00 – Realising how small the Pacific Crest Trail world isElina is a filmmaker and long-distance hiker and a generally wonderful soul. She made a film about walking the Pacific Crest Trail called It’s the People, which is genuinely class and well worth a watch.
Elina's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elinasborne/ Elina's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/elinaosborneElina's Website: https://www.elinaosborne.com/Okaaay. This is the very first episode of an idea I jotted down in my notes app back in 2021. I would be eternallllly grateful if you gave it a follow / rating and/or shared it someone who also hoards their life in their notes app. And if you'd like to be a guest, that can be arranged too! Thank you <3 Barry
Podcast's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/ My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barrison_ford/ My website: https://barrytaylor.co/Thanks again!
