Travel Memoir Archives - Page 2 of 3

Outback Nights And City Days In The Lucky Country. Australia With J.F.Penn

Australia is truly a land of two halves. There is nature in all its diversity — from the vast outback to ancient rainforest, from the coral reef to the desert; and then there are the great international cities, from Sydney’s Harbour Bridge to Melbourne’s coffee culture, where multi-cultural Aussies work and play in the Lucky Country.

It’s also the land of opportunity, with golden-haired surfers riding the waves on white-sand beaches, a rich mining industry and a great standard of living; but it also has a dark history of oppression, resulting in racism and inequality that still pervades the country.

In this episode, I explain my complex relationship with Australia, what I learned from living there for five years, and why I had to leave. It’s hard to encompass such a vast place but I also include some thoughts on where to visit, what to eat and how to navigate some of the Aussie cultural differences.

Australia gave me escape — for a while. Travels in the outback.
The dark side of the Lucky Country
Australia changed my mindset around what I could achieve
Australia taught me about home
Other aspects of culture, food, and drink Down Under
Recommended books

Oxford: Decadence, Discipline And Dreaming Spires With J.F.Penn

Travel Memoir

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I sat there on my first morning in class, heart pounding, as I realized there was no way I could keep up with the work. I would fail here. I would have to leave Oxford almost as soon as I had arrived …

That was day one at Oxford and I’ll finish that story during this episode because, of course, I did find a way to stay on.

Thriller author J.F.Penn by the Bridge of Sighs, Oxford. Photo by Mim Saxl

I studied Theology at Mansfield College, University of Oxford, 1994-1997 and those years had a huge effect on the rest of my life. In this episode, I’ll talk about some of my experiences of the city, my lessons learned, and give some recommendations for where to visit if you travel to the city of dreaming spires as well as some books to read along the way.

The dream and the myth of Oxford
Don’t play by the rules. Play your own game.
Discovering the reality of class and hierarchy within a hierarchy
What do you really want?
Losing my religion but not my spirituality
Always be learning
Decadence and discipline
Recommended books featuring Oxford

Wild And Beautiful Hawaii With Toby Neal

Travel Memoir

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Hawaii is more than just a paradise of beaches and blue sea. In this interview, mystery and memoir author, Toby Neal, brings the wild and beautiful islands to life.

Toby Neal is an award-winning ‘USA Today’ bestselling author of mysteries, thrillers, and romance with over 30 titles. She’s also a mental health therapist, and today we’re talking about Freckled: A Memoir of Growing up Wild in Hawaii.

In the interview, we discuss:

Why Hawaii is more than just white sand beaches and cocktails with umbrellas
A tip for the Hawaiian language
Recommended places to visit that take you in nature and away from the main tourist hotspots
The Hawaiian legend of Ohia and Lehua
How the volcanic environment impacts Hawaii
Embracing duality in finding home — the ocean of Hawaii and the redwoods of California
Writing about the darker side of the islands
Book recommendations

You can find Toby and her books at www.TobyNeal.net and on Instagram @tobyneal

Adventure, Walking, And My Midsummer Morning With Alastair Humphreys

Travel Memoir

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How does a book inspire a journey a generation later? How does an adventurer who loves to travel alone reconcile himself to a life more ordinary?

In today’s interview, I talk to Alastair Humphreys about his walk across Spain in homage to Laurie Lee.

Alastair Humphreys is an adventurer, author, and motivational speaker named as National Geographic adventurer of the year in 2012. He has cycled around the world, walked across India, and The Empty Quarter desert, rowed the Atlantic, and run the Marathon Des Sables, as well as going on many other micro-adventures. His latest book is My Midsummer Morning: Rediscovering a Life of Adventure.

Show Notes

The necessary element of vulnerability in an adventure

The uniqueness of travel when walking

The difference between type-1 and type-2 fun

Which adventures are chosen to be shared as books, and which are not

How photographs and film change the dynamic of a trip

What is ‘truth’ when writing a travel memoir?

Micro-adventures and living adventurously close to home

Finding adventure in seemingly mundane places

You can find Alastair Humphreys at AlastairHumphreys.com and on Instagram @al_humphreys

Scuba Diving: The Wonder Of Traveling Beneath The Waves With J.F.Penn

Travel Memoir

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Travel is about curiosity, the desire to discover new places and experience the extraordinary. It is often about pushing boundaries, extending our comfort zone to the point of challenge and beyond in the hope of discovering something new about ourselves and the world.

In today’s episode, I’m talking about scuba diving and the wonder of traveling beneath the waves and even if you’re not a diver yourself, I hope you find it interesting.

Jo Frances Penn scuba diving. Photo by J.F.Penn

Myth And Reality. Beauty And Decay In Venice With J.F.Penn

Travel Memoir

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Today I’m talking about The Myth and Reality Of Travel, and focusing on Venice in particular, as well as giving you some tips and book recommendations if you are going to visit.

There is a problem inherent in travel, especially in a world of filtered Instagram photos, social media bubbles and glossy travel magazines.

There are some places in the world that are so famous it can be difficult to know whether they live up to the hype or not. There is the myth and then there is the reality, so how do you manage the two? How do you decide to go in the first place in case it doesn’t live up to the myth, and how do you deal with the reality if you have to face up to it?

In this episode, I’m talking about Venice, which is definitely one of those places. I’ve been to Venice three times under very different circumstances and today, I’ll share some of my thoughts on the myth versus the reality.

The myth of Venice

What does the word Venice evoke for you, regardless of whether you’ve been there or not?

Travel Memoir

The myth of Venice

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