Zero To Travel Podcast

Trekking from France to Austria (Using Hand-Drawn Maps from Locals) + Advocating for Torture Prevention Around the World with Ben Buckland

Jan 28, 2025

Ben Buckland, an adventurer and human rights advocate, shares his unique trek across France to Austria using hand-drawn maps. He explores how technology has altered our travel experiences and emphasizes the deeper connections found through personal interactions. Buckland discusses his advocacy work against torture and highlights the resilience born from curiosity and compassion, even in the darkest circumstances. Expect captivating anecdotes on embracing uncertainty, meaningful travel, and the transformative power of perception and human connection.

01:21:20

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Episode guests

Ben Buckland

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Disconnecting from technology revitalizes the sense of adventure in travel, allowing for unexpected encounters and rediscovering the thrill of the unknown.

Embracing discomfort during challenging experiences is crucial for personal growth, providing valuable insights into one's physical and emotional limits.

Curiosity fosters meaningful connections and storytelling, enabling deeper understanding and richer experiences while traveling and interacting with diverse cultures.

Deep dives

The Importance of Unpredictability in Travel

Travel often loses its element of surprise and adventure due to the pervasive use of technology, which allows travelers to anticipate every detail of their journeys. The concept of adventure is inherently tied to the unknown, and when technology controls our experiences, it diminishes the potential for unexpected encounters and discoveries. The speaker emphasizes the nostalgia for the unpredictability of past travel experiences, where exploring an unfamiliar place led to genuine surprises and serendipitous moments. By intentionally disconnecting from technology, travelers can rediscover the thrill and memorability that comes from unplanned experiences.

Intro

2min

Rediscovering Adventure Through Hand-Drawn Maps

3min

Adventures Beyond Maps

17min

Embracing Adventure and Human Connection Through Local Maps

6min

Connections in a Tech-Driven World

14min

Promotional Spotlight on Travel Guides and Premium Content Offer

2min

Exploring Human Rights and Local Connections

28min

The Suitcase Project: Capturing Voices of Displacement

5min

Reflections on Connection and Advocacy

4min

10.

The Power of Curiosity in Life and Work

2min

What happens when you allow curiosity to drive your work and travels?

Ben Buckland is an adventurer, photographer, and human rights advocate whose life has been shaped by curiosity. As a senior advisor on torture prevention for the Association for the Prevention of Torture, his work has taken him to over 100 countries, including war zones, logging camps, and some of the worst prisons on earth.

In 2023, on a quest for novelty, Ben trekked across France, Switzerland, and Austria, relying only on hand-drawn maps from people he met along the way.

In the first part of this episode, Ben shares the profound lessons he learned from his no-tech journey, including how technology and convenience have changed the way we travel. Then, we talk about his work in human rights, uncovering how curiosity and compassion can drive incremental change, even in the darkest places.

You'll learn practical ways to infuse your travels with curiosity and meaningful connections (and get out of your comfort zone), hear stories of resilience and human connection from Ben’s photography and human rights work, and learn valuable lessons on embracing uncertainty and the unknown.

How has curiosity driven your travels or work? I'd love to hear about it, and I hope you’ll share by sending me an audio message.

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Tune In To Learn:

Ben’s deeper intention around traveling without a phone or modern conveniences
How hand-drawn maps tell as much about the creators as they do about the terrain
Why even a broken leg couldn’t stop him and the surprising lessons it taught him
Why money and technology reduce your human connection
How to get over the fears around traveling without a phone
The toll of documenting humanity’s darkest stories and how Ben found himself in war zones, prisons, and other challenging places
Insights on making systemic change in disastrous environments and finding progress in the impossible
What trauma-informed photography can teach us about connecting with strangers (and capturing their stories)
Insight into his work in trauma-informed photography and what that can teach us connection
Ben’s simple yet powerful approach to engaging with strangers
And so much more

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Zero To Travel Podcast

Trekking from France to Austria (Using Hand-Drawn Maps from Locals) + Advocating for Torture Prevention Around the World with Ben Buckland

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

The Importance of Unpredictability in Travel

Second Chances and Learning from Discomfort

Curiosity as a Catalyst for Connection

The Role of Empathy in Storytelling through Photography

Exploring Human Experience through the Suitcase Project

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts