Wanderlust: Podcast Listening List

“Wanderlust” is a strong desire or impulse to travel. For some of us, wanderlust springs from a desire to see interesting or unique places. Some of us wander because our reality is, for one reason or another, unsatisfying. The reasons for traveling can vary as much as the effect that our travels have on us.

Sometimes we encounter that awe-inspiring place or event and it provides us with a renewed zest for life, a different perspective on the world, or a sense of euphoria that is an antidote for the stress and exhaustion of our everyday lives. Perhaps, the very best travel experiences are those that do not go as planned, but in the end, teach us something about ourselves.

(This listening list was curated by members of the Podcast Brunch Club chapter in Washington, DC.)

Podcast Listening List on Wanderlust

Hidden Brain – Episode 39: Vacations
(Apple Podcasts | Google Play // 16 minutes, July 2016)
Everyone loves vacations, and we all pour time, money and energy into planning them. This episode of Hidden Brain explores what social science research has to say about vacations, including how to make them better and what pitfalls to avoid.

Out There – Better Than Fun
(Apple Podcasts | Google Play // 16 minutes, August 2015)
Out There Podcast host, Willow Belden, finds herself in a lonely situation, craving a vacation but lacking a travel companion. This episode explores how she turned a “social failure” into an emotional victory by confronting a debilitating fear.

HumaNature – Episode 9: May The Road Rise Up To Meet You, And May The Wind Stop Blowing In Your Face
(Apple Podcasts | Google Play // 17 minutes, April 2016)
Christina Lee should have been having the time of her life. She was young and living in an exciting city. Instead, she was stressed out and lonely. Until, that is, she decided to run from New York to San Francisco, accompanied only by her trusty jogging stroller, Thor. The journey starts as a fundraising event for charity and ends with a new perspective on life.

The Moth – The Moth Radio Hour: Thrill Seekers, Wanderlust, and an Italian Stallion (Story starting at 42:15 – 200,000 Miles and Counting)
(Apple Podcasts | Google Play // 51 minutes, May 2018)
SKIP AHEAD TO THE FINAL STORY OF THIS EPISODE. IT STARTS AT 42:15. Lucy, an Australian, decides to experience the United States by exploring the country by car.

How I Built This with Guy Raz – Lonely Planet: Maureen & Tony Wheeler
(Apple Podcasts | Google Play // 41 minutes, May 2017)
In 1972, Maureen and Tony Wheeler bought a beat-up car and drove from London “as far east as we could go.” They wound their way through Europe, Iran, Afghanistan, India and Thailand, ultimately landing in Australia. Their notes on how to travel on a shoestring budget became the first edition of the Lonely Planet travel guide. Today, Lonely Planet is the largest travel guide book publisher in the world. Theirs is a story of a youthful trip turned into a lifelong career.

PBC Podcast Episodes covering the Wanderlust Podcast Playlist

• Roundup of Wanderlust Podcast Playlist
  Apple Podcasts | Google Play // 27 minutes, August 2018
  In this roundup episode, Sara and Adela chat about the podcast listening list on Wanderlust. We also get answers from creators and members on the question, “What place is a favorite place you’ve visited or what is on your bucket list and why?” Adela and Sara then diverge from the listening list and talk about their favorite podcast discoveries from last month.
  

Conversation Starters on Wanderlust Podcast Listening List

1. The Hidden Brain episode speaks to the positive effects that traveling can have post-vacation. For you, how long do those positive effects last before pre-vacation levels of stress and exhaustion return? How can we make the positive effects last longer?
2. The Hidden Brain episode mentions the value of awe-inspiring experiences. Where have you found awe-inspiring experiences and what effect did those experiences have on you?
3. Social science research in the Hidden Brain episode indicates that it is the social aspect of traveling that makes it worthwhile. Does that seem contrary to Willow’s experience in Out There where she embarks on a solo trip, mostly for fun, and ends up experiencing a very personal healing moment?
4. In HumaNature, Christina embarks on a challenging road trip in order to escape unsatisfying internal and external realities. In what ways can the challenges of travel offer new perspectives on life’s difficulties?
5. Lucy in The Moth drives simply for the love of the road. Have you ever taken a trip where the journey was more important than the destination, such as a trip exclusively for soul searching?
6. Do you use travel guides like “Lonely Planet” when you plan vacations? How much significance do you place on such travel guides when determining your destination and activities?
7. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be “location-independent”: to travel and earn a living at the same time, much like contributors to “Lonely Planet”? Do you know anyone who has achieved this goal, or have you yourself achieved this goal?
8. What place have you visited that is an absolute favorite and/or what place is on the top of your list to visit in the future? Why?

DJ RuggedAngel’s Music Playlist

Need a music break? Listen to this Wanderlust playlist from our resident DJ, DJ RuggedAngel!