Outside Podcast

For many of us, there’s no quicker way to feel good than listening to a song we love. We press play, and the music instantly transports us to a different place. Not surprisingly, many songs that do this have their origins in experiences and emotions connected to wild places. In this third installment of our series exploring pathways to happiness, we talk with two very different artists, indie singer-songwriter Jesca Hoop and British rapper Testament, about the inspirations they’ve taken from nature to create worlds of sound and words that fill us with the same exhilarating energy we get from a walk in the woods. This episode is brought to you by Toyota, a company that wants to help you find joy by exploring America’s scenic byways. No matter what kind of adventure you’re after, there’s a Toyota designed to get you there. Learn more at toyota.com.

Early in her career, wildlife ecologist Rae Wynn-Grant joined an expedition to Madagascar to track the elusive ring-tailed lemur. But the trip had an unexpected personal outcome: it convinced her that this was the work she was meant to do. That was a long time coming for Wynn-Grant, who’d grown up loving TV shows on nature but found herself initially hating her college ecology courses because she felt out of place as a Black woman who’d never been camping and surrounded by people with very different backgrounds. In this episode from the new podcast Going Wild with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant, she shares the story of how an experience with a lemur helped her find her find her confidence and her voice.

It sounds like a predictable journey for a brainy young person seeking happiness: a trek in the Swiss Alps to contemplate the works of a great philosopher who found purpose and meaning in the mountains. But as John Kaag discovered, following in the footsteps of a legend, especially in an Alpine environment, can get tricky fast. Kaag dodged a near disaster on his trek, but the adventure was the start of a relationship with the Alps that would bring both exhilaration and darkness into his life as he grew to become a well-known philosopher himself. In this episode, we learn about the experiences behind Kaag’s celebrated book Hiking with Nietzsche and the many challenges he’s overcome along his bumpy path to embracing patience and gratitude. This episode is brought to you by Toyota, a company that wants to help you find joy by exploring America’s scenic byways. No matter what kind of adventure you’re after, there’s a Toyota designed to get you there. Learn more at toyota.com.

It was an especially bold (and perhaps questionable) idea for a road trip: America’s most fabulous advice columnist, E. Jean Carroll, would drive to towns named Eden throughout the East and South, where she would ask people: “Have you ever made love outside—in Eden?” Her car was painted with blue polka dots and green frogs, her snacks consisted of cakes and pies and pretzels, her copilot was a giant poodle. But out there roaming the byways she learned something. First, that all kinds of people really do enjoy intimate moments outdoors. And second, that there’s nothing like a truly strange and daring quest to revive your spirit. This episode is brought to you by GoRVing. Don’t just go on a trip, go on a real vacation. To find out more about the incredible adventures waiting for you out on the road, visit gorving.com.

Every day, critters all around the planet break human laws. They steal food and destroy our stuff. They kill. And, naturally, humans take it upon ourselves to intervene—often with all kinds of unfortunate consequences. For this episode, fearless journalist Mary Roach shares wild tales from her new book, Fuzz, which had her traveling to animal crime scenes from Colorado to North India to investigate human-wildlife conflicts. As Roach tells it, thieving bears, murderous possums, and mugging monkeys are rarely to blame for their own behavior. It’s our fault—and it’s time we took a different approach to coexistence. This episode is brought to you by Bosch eBike Systems, maker of outstanding motors, displays, and rechargeable batteries that work seamlessly with the most reputable electric-bike brands in the world. Learn more at bosch-ebike.com.

In the United States, we rarely think about death—especially our own death. And when we do, it tends to make us sad and uncomfortable. But there are powerful benefits to regularly contemplating the fact that our time in this world will eventually come to an end. The shift in perspective can be profound and lead to a kind of deeply felt and enduring appreciation for life. In this first episode of a new series exploring pathways to happiness, we hear from journalist Michael Easter, who makes the case in his bestselling book The Comfort Crisis that, despite all the conveniences and ease of modern life, we are less happy than previous generations. A big reason for this, he says, is that we don’t think about death nearly enough. This episode is brought to you by Toyota, a company that wants to help you find joy by exploring America’s scenic byways. No matter what kind of adventure you’re after, there’s a Toyota designed to get you there. Learn more at toyota.com.

Earlier this year, two men set out do something that seemed impossible. And also just dumb. They would squeeze together onto a minibike—a vehicle roughly the size of a children’s bicycle and powered by an engine that can barely run a lawn mower—and drive 400 miles from a cornfield in Nebraska to the mountain town of Aspen, Colorado. If that sounds familiar, it should: this is the iconic road trip that Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels took in the cult classic Farrelly Brothers film Dumb and Dumber. Except this time, it was for real. And it hurt. This episode is brought to you by GoRVing. Don’t just go on a trip, go on a real vacation. To find out more about the incredible adventures waiting for you out on the road, visit gorving.com.

Alex Honnold is the planet's most famous rock climber, known for scaling massive walls without ropes. He’s at the absolute peak of his abilities. So it would seem rather surprising that his go-to climbing partner is Cedar Wright, ten years his senior and often not in the best physical shape. Honnold calls him “the world’s weakest professional climber,” and he’s only half joking. Yet despite their differences, the two friends share a unique bond that has them calling on each other for support on particularly daring projects. To understand why, we mic’d them up for a 5,000-foot free-solo climb in Nevada’s Red Rock Canyon. This episode is brought to you by Bosch eBike Systems, maker of outstanding motors, displays, and rechargeable batteries that work seamlessly with the most reputable electric-bike brands in the world. Learn more at bosch-ebike.com.

Here’s the often forgotten truth about road trips: the best moments are usually when everything goes sideways. We might dream of cruising open roads, rolling into authentic eateries, and blissing out to the perfect playlist, yet the magical experiences that really stick with us tend to involve blown head gaskets and getting very, very lost. More often than not, we depend on strangers to save our adventure from total disaster. But for the modern nomad, reaching out for help can be very different from flagging down a passing car or knocking on the door of a rural farmhouse. In this kickoff episode of a four-part road-trips special, we present two delightful case studies that show us how aid can arrive from the most unexpected places. This episode is brought to you by GoRVing. Don’t just go on a trip, go on a real vacation. To find out more about the incredible adventures waiting for you out on the road, visit gorving.com.

When Army captain Luke Bushatz returned home from the war in Afghanistan, he was seemingly in one piece. Yet he was struggling far more than either he or his wife, Amy, realized. The first signs of a problem were lapses in his short-term memory. Soon, though, he found it impossible to connect with other humans, especially those closest to him. He tried to numb himself with alcohol and sex, and ended up struggling with addiction. Then, at his lowest point, he sought out the one place where he could be himself again: the natural world. In this episode, Luke and Amy share the story of how their marriage crumbled, and how venturing into the wilderness together set them on a path to recovery. This episode of the Outside Podcast is brought to you by Tracksmith, a proudly independent running brand that makes high-performance products for amateur athletes striving to be their best. Learn more at tracksmith.com.