“Nothing against bucket lists, but sometimes that interest that makes you weird and nerdy at home is going to make you vulnerable to all the weird nerdy people in some distant new place who are also interested in that thing.” —Rolf Potts

In this episode of Deviate, Rolf and The Vagabond’s Way book club participants discuss what compels us to be interested in certain places, and how Rolf’s latest book is designed to be read over the course of a year (2:00); how nomads can create consistency and community in new places, and how to find good cities for families in Italy and the Balkans (4:45); how to find places to stay in places where last-minute reservations are hard to come by (8:30); how to choose where to go on a given vagabonding journey (13:00); how having a mission can give focus to your travels (17:45); and how guidebooks can still be a useful travel tool (21:10).

Discussion moderator Luke Richardson is a traveler, author, and DJ based in England.

Notable Links:

• The Vagabond’s Way, by Rolf Potts (book)
• Paris Writing Workshops (Rolf’s class in France)
• Nottingham (city in England)
• Fudge Tunnel (sludge-rock band from Nottingham)
• Amalfi Coast (destination in Italy)
• CouchSurfing (homestay service)
• Hitching for pastries (Deviate episode)
• Kevin Kelly on Deviate
• Storming ‘The Beach,‘ by Rolf Potts (essay)
• Marco Polo Didn’t Go There, by Rolf Potts (book)
• Faroe Islands (Bradt Travel Guide)
• The Land of Maybe, by Tim Ecott (travel memoir)

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

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