Deviate

Vagabonding audio companion: A life in (and philosophy of) long-term travel

Sep 19, 2023

Rolf Potts discusses the joys of spontaneous travel, delightful surprises in Sumatra and the Mentawai Islands, the importance of time over possessions, his monthlong boat journey down the Mekong River, and how travel teaches us to pay attention to life itself.

39:32

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Quick takeaways

Travel allows individuals to experience life outside of mechanized time, embracing the present moment and letting go of expectations and schedules.

Slowing down while traveling and savoring the experiences leads to more meaningful connections with local cultures and environments.

Deep dives

Living in Organic Time

The podcast discusses the concept of organic time and how travel allows individuals to experience life outside of the confines of mechanized time. The speaker emphasizes the importance of embracing the present moment, letting go of expectations and schedules, and fully immersing oneself in the journey.

Introduction

4min

Long-Term Travel: Joy, Gratitude, and Embracing the Unexpected

17min

The Value of Organic Time and Its Contrast with Mechanized Time

3min

Embracing Uncertainty on a One-Speed Bicycle

10min

Travel as an Escape, Appreciating Life at Home, and the Gift of Potential

6min

“One ironic anxiety of travel is that suddenly you’re living in ‘organic time’ and you’re not used to it.” –Rolf Potts

In this “vagabonding audio companion” episode of Deviate, remixed from Aaron Millar’s Armchair Explorer podcast, Rolf talks about his earliest travel dreams, and what compelled him to finally take a vagabonding dream trip around North America by van in his early twenties (2:00); how travel expectations and planning are often at odds with the joy of what happens spontaneously on the road (8:30); the delightful surprises Rolf found on a recent trip to Sumatra and the Mentawai Islands (11:30); Rolf’s experiences in Myanmar, and the importance of seeing time, rather than possessions, as our most important form of wealth in life (22:00); Rolf’s early experiences in Southeast Asia, and his monthlong boat journey down the Mekong River (31:00); and how, at its best, travel teaches us to pay attention to life itself (35:00).

The Armchair Explorer podcast features adventure storytelling set to music and cinematic effects.

Notable Links:

Vagabonding, by Rolf Potts (book)
The Vagabond’s Way, by Rolf Potts (book)
Souvenir, by Rolf Potts (book)
Van Life before #VanLife (Deviate episode)
Uinta Mountains (mountain range in Utah)
Mardi Gras (annual celebration in New Orleans)
Sumatra (island in Indonesia)
“Travel in Sumatra is cheap and amazing” (dispatch)
“Seeking crowds is better than crowd-sourcing” (dispatch)
Mentawai Islands (archipelago in Indonesia)
“Boredom is one of the greatest gifts of travel” (dispatch)
Hornbill (tropical bird)
Bessie Stringfield (20 century American motorcycle traveler)
Bagan (UNESCO World Heritage Site in Myanmar)
Mekong (river in Southeast Asia)
“One Month on the Mekong,” by Rolf Potts (travel essay)
Henry David Thoreau (American essayist and philosopher)

The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel’s 2017 album Lu mber.

Note: We don’t host a “comments” section, but we’re happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at deviate@rolfpotts.com.

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Deviate

Vagabonding audio companion: A life in (and philosophy of) long-term travel

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Living in Organic Time

The Power of Slowing Down

Discovering the Joy of the Unknown

Finding Gratitude and Wonder

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts