Slow travel with the World Wanderers

Leandro Gándara Mendez

A few weeks ago Ben and I flew over to LA to speak at a podcasting event. It was a whirlwind trip that gave us an opportunity to hang out together and do fun things like go to the baseball and sneak in a little trip to Disneyland, but it was also super worthwhile as a podcaster too.

We learnt a lot about our show and what we can (and will) be doing better, and we also got to nerd out with fellow podcasters, including today’s guests. Unbelievably, Amanda and Ryan of The World Wanderers live in Canmore - our home away from home and one of our favourite places in the world - and as soon as we discovered this, it was a given: We were going to be fast friends whether they wanted to or not.

Ben had the distinct pleasure of sitting down to chat with Amanda and Ryan (I was called away on book launch duties at the last minute) and got to dig deep in to their love of travel, how it got started and what life looks like now that they effectively no longer have a home base.

As Ben and I start to consider the implications, obstacles and potential pitfalls of our own long-term travel next year it was also really interesting hear how Ryan and Amanda manage the expectations of family, friends and colleagues, and the work they’ve had to do to convince people that travel isn’t just a ‘bug’ they’ve caught but a valid lifestyle choice that works for them.

They also discuss what happens when a trip - particularly a life-changing one - comes to an end, and when is the right time to come home. Travel is also becoming increasingly complex with ever-changing immigration and visa regulations so Ben asked about how they deal with issues such as visas, money (obviously) and when to pull the pin on a trip that’s not working out.

Amanda and Ryan travel in a similar way to us - they’ve tried the fast-paced backpacker style where every day is a new city, but now prefer a slower way of travelling that allows them to live like locals and even start to put roots down. Also a lot like Ben and I, Ryan and Amanda use travel as a way of learning more about themselves and as a vehicle of growing and strengthening their relationship, and they share a few of those lessons and why you don’t want to travel with a hangry partner.

Ben also asks about the challenge of combining work and travel, as this is something else on our mind as we prepare for our 2018 adventures. Ryan and Amanda recently travelled and worked throughout Asia and found the biggest challenge to be buckling down to work when all they really wanted to do was explore a new city.

Such a fun conversation - I hope you enjoy it.

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