Travel Fuels Life® (Drew Hannush)

This week we're talking to Greg and Betsy Ball of EuroTravelCoach.com who sold their home in Texas to live 9 months of the year in Europe.

They're going to fill us in on some of the techniques they use to survive and thrive on the road for that length of time with no permanent residence including how to deal with the Schengen Zone.

Ever wonder how long it would be before you could seriously take an electric vehicle on a long road trip?  So did I. But in this episode we talk to someone who has done it and done it in style.

We'll talk with Joe Hackman, new and happy Tesla owner about:

• - the things he likes about the car itself
• Elon Musk's Spinal Tap feature
• Joe's sales pitch for Tesla (Elon, if you'd like to make a donation to the show...wink!)
• Range fatigue (and planning for a 3000+ mile road trip in an EV)
• Maintaining the battery
• Navigating on the Auto-Pilot (yes, the car driving itself)
• Lessons learned
• How long was Joe's longest day on the road?
• How frequently recharges were necessary, how long to charge, and how to spend the time.

Find show notes at https://www.travelfuelslife.com/podcasts

It has remained a grand mystery all of my life. What is it like to drive on the left side of the road? And how easy would it be for me to do it?

My first step was to find some information on the Internet, but I wasn't finding any comfort and little constructive information.

So I just packed the bag, rented a car and took off on a road trip through Ireland and Scotland. My original plan was to drive an automatic in Ireland and a manual in Scotland.

It's always great to catch up with travelers I've met on social media and this week, I was driving through East Tennessee and had a chance to catch up with Clayton Hensley aka @KnoxRoadTripper. Having worked in Knoxville for both television and newspapers, he's taken his flair for writing about East Tennessee and his family travels and turned it into a blog.  I wanted to chat with him about where he travels to, how he engages his kids, and find out more about what he likes to do in and around East Tennessee.

While we are stalled and waiting to travel, I've written a new book called Whiskey Lore's Travel Guide to Experiencing Kentucky Bourbon.

Friends in the Corner podcast host Dan Pauley reached out to talk with me about my new book, my love of travel and my love of whiskey. I enjoyed the interview and thought it might have some cool insider information for my listeners, so I am simulcasting the podcast on Travel Fuels Life. I hope you enjoy it.

Meet Vicky Sosa, a South Florida native that decided to boot the 9-5 lifestyle for an opportunity to see the world. Starting with a blog and a part time job, she asked her boss if she could work remotely and now she is house-sitting and getting to experience the world all with her stuffed travel mate Buddy the Traveling Monkey.

In this week's episode we'll chat about:

• Miami
• Penguins
• Abseiling vs jumping out of airplanes
• Buddy and TSA
• Housesitting
• Relying on your Facebook community

And more. Get full show notes at travelfuelslife.com/podcasts

Lori Sweet and Sylvio Roy of VoyageWriters.com join me this week to talk about Galapagos - the experience, planning your time, regulations and fees, biodiversity/history, and whether you plan on your own or use an agency. And hear some exciting news about the introduction of whiskey-lore.com

Ever thought what it would be like to go on a James Bond adventure? 007 always travels to the coolest places, does the coolest things, and does it all in style.  This week, I'm honored to have award winning independent film director, audiobook creator, and "How To Live The James Bond Lifestyle" author Paul Kyriazi on the show.

And with me being the huge Bond fan I am, I had a lot of questions to ask and a lot of information to gather for future James Bond lifestyle traveling.

Listen this week and we cover the first half of the interview where we hear some old Hollywood stories, find out more about Paul and his movie production, and start to get into the Bond lifestyle and travel experience. 

How does each generation's travel style differ? We all know Millennials are much more free spirited when it comes to travel and Baby Boomers are a bit more free to travel the more that retire. This begs the question, where do those who identify with the GenX years fit in?

In this episode, I'll discuss this with Susan Decoteau-Ferrier of GenXtraveler and GenXplorations and we'll also discuss:

• The trials of getting started on travel writing
• Having a mentor and mastermind group
• The GenXer's Travel Habits vs Millennial vs Baby Boomers
• The ease of entering a travel lifestyle
• How Susan moved into a travel lifestyle
• First Solo trip into the Arab Spring
• The hard way to avoid tourists
• Being somewhere during a historic event
• City view from the pyramids
• Fitting group travel to someone who doesn't necessarily like being tied to a group
• A more boutique way to group travel
• Getting to trendy Portugal while it's still emerging
• GenX now becoming Empty Nesters can travel off-season
• Making friends within a group
• Redirecting traffic in Paris away from Must-Sees
• One day in Paris
• What is adventure travel for Susan
• What is the great Christmas gift?

So, I've traveled all around the United States and Canada, and I've got a good start in Europe. But right in my backyard is Mexico and it's been sorely neglected in terms of me planning trips there. So, join me as I recount some of the important, curious, and sometimes funny things I discovered during my time south of the border.

What is it like to leave your home country and start a life in a completely new culture? This week, I talk with Pete Collman of the Bohemican Podcast about his decision to move from the United States to live in the Czech Republic. We talk logistics, culture, history, wonderful places to visit, the process of adapting, and language barriers.

In the first couple of episodes, I've talked with travelers who are doing it on thier own. Today I'd like to introduce you to a couple I met at TBEX (Travel Blogger Conference) in New York that have learned how to use their individual strengths to start a great travel partnership.

In this episode, I'll talk with Sarah and Shannon Miduski of Obligatory Traveler about:

• The appeal of Panama for a first travel experience
• Using Miles and Points
• Spending power and defusing via too many credit cards
• Stacking other loyalty programs and using gift cards
• Petting a Penguin in South Africa (Two Oceans Aquarium)
• Where is the best ice cream? United States and the World
• Bushwhacking on an Uncruise
• Juneau, Glacier Bay, Sitka, Gut Bay
• National Park stamp book
• Audio Tour of Philadelphia
• Story behind the Barnes Foundation in Philly and the Rocky Statue

Find show notes at https://www.travelfuelslife.com/podcasts

This Spring I returned from my first trip to Scotland, but I almost didn't. I fell in love with a lot of things about the place and it seemed like the perfect subject for a podcast. So here are the Top 10 things I learned about Scotland that I didn't know before I went.

What Is Up With Our Food Supply?

It took 24 episodes for me to finally push myself into a controversial subject. But it was my body, not my mind, that told me I needed to raise awareness on this issue.

The issue is the quality of our American food supply. This is an issue that I've dealt with in the past via various food intolerances, but suddenly, after a trip to Europe for 21 days, I can no longer seem to process gluten. What gives?

In this episode, I'll not only recall my story, but I'll talk about what our government is allowing us to put into our bodies, how we can use capitalism to get healthier foods, and how we should view our politicians. I don't normally like jumping into the world of politics, but this is a subject I feel needs to be addressed.

I met Christopher on a bus ride and his life of travel through 79 countries and 5 continents fascinated me. In this episode I use this opportunity to talk with him more about his hometown and his experience living in Istanbul, Turkey.

Here are some additional things we discuss:

• A multi-cultural Toronto
• How his love of travel evolved
• Christopher's growth as an Ex-Pat
• Playing hockey in Turkey
• Places to visit and ways to have a full experience
• Learning Turkish
• Security concerns of traveling to a place that has had some bad news

Find show notes at https://www.travelfuelslife.com/podcasts.

A slightly different way for you to get to know what Travel Fuels Life is all about. This off-beat episode turns the tables on me, the host, Drew Hannush.

In this episode, my sister Colleen will take the lead as a guest host. Not many people know me better. And her therapy background makes her the perfect person for asking questions (actually, I had no idea what I was in for)!

She'll have me discussing:

• Why she is interviewing me
• Sibling travel from children to adulthood
• Ray Conniff mp3's! (note: I don't really listen to them but I do still listen to Peter Nero from time to time)
• My fast paced travel style
• How I started out on increasing my travels starting in Las Vegas, while working my 9 to 5
• Trying blogging and vlogging out to see what resonates on my journey to the podcast.
• Taking 2 dimensional subjects and making them come alive into 3rd and 4th dimensions
• Why "Travel Fuels Life?"
• Helping people overcome fear and excuses
• Learning from people I meet
• The progression to the new traveler
• Who would be my ideal guest?
• Learning to travel smart and with structure via my dad's experience
• A favorite, Richardson Romanesque architecture (Example 1 | Example 2)
• Discovering the wonderful people of Quebec

Find show notes and information at https://www.travelfuelslife.com/podcasts and make sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast app!

If you're interested in being a digital nomad, or if you're an entrepreneur or a company that wonders what the benefits of having a remote work force might be, check out this week's episode. My special guest is Nishchal Dua, the founder of The Remote Work Summit, the world's largest online conference specifically devoted to remote work.

After meeting Paul in the first episode, we'll now tackle those important factors that go into traveling with a coolness factor, like James Bond.

In this episode we'll discuss:

• Are you a giver or taker? And where did Paul discover the concept?
• Bradley Cooper in Limitless follows the James Bond lifestyle
• Daniel Craig breaks the rules in Spectre
• For prosperity programming, how to use a money clip
• How competing keeps you limited in your success
• Sammy Davis Jr and cultural decorum
• Finding a Bond-like seat on the plane
• How to dress when on the road.
• Arriving at a luxury hotel and tipping
• The casual tipping process of Bond and the thank you
• Uber and Lyft and the Bond lifestyle
• The most Bond casinos
• The evolution of the James Bond lifestyle
• The 21 rules of the James Bond lifestyle (final 20 minutes of the interview)

Are you like me and you've spent your life avoiding travel agents because you think you can get a better deal on your own, you enjoy planning and don't want to give it up, or because you think its going to cost you more?  Well, I needed some schooling on the subject, so I invited Jessica and Samuel Bouter of Away On Voyage to discuss the purpose of using a travel agent, and specifically a bespoke travel agent.

Imagine selling everything you own, fixing up a van and driving with no firm destination. Brie and Shawn are two thirtysomething's that did just that. We'll talk about how they got started, how things are going, and how to plan the seeds of travel in your partner's mind.

And check out the show notes on TravelFuelsLife.com/Podcasts

After spending most of my time promoting other places, I thought it would be interesting to have a discussion about the town I called home for 19 years. Once a thriving tourist destination during the time of George Vanderbilt, Asheville died away for many years and became a retirement community. Now it's back like a phoenix from the ashes.

Listen as I talk with another long time resident and host of her own podcast "Speaking of Travel," Ms. Marilyn Ball. She'll talk about how the town recovered and now thrives as Beer City USA, celebrates it's heritage, and is still growing with more festivals to come.

What's it like to take off 6 months and ride your bike across Europe? What are the challenges, pitfalls, logistics and the stories that such a journey provide? Join me this week as my guest Keith Maurer recalls just such an adventure he took a few years ago.  We'll discuss:

• Getting the travel bug through academic cultures class in Ireland
• Biking in Upstate New York
• Lake Champlain breakdown lesson
• A trial run in the Adirondacks
• Shipping the bike
• Schengen Area for Visa free travel
• Getting out of Calais
• Exploring the United Kingdom and Ireland
• So much to do in London
• Feeling of lost experience due to language
• Carrying food and shelter
• Hostels (organized and independent) and the experience

Join me as I talk with Angela DiLoreto of Fitting In Adventure about her recent cruise to Alaska and her other cruising adventures to Greece, Cuba, and Mexico. We'll talk about good experiences, bad experiences, tips on getting the best deal, and more.

With all of this cheap airfare and a good economy, we are starting to experience concepts like Over-tourism, dealing with increased carbon footprints, the destruction of the coral reefs, the fires in Australia, and uncontrolled pollution from single use plastics.

I recently heard Traveling Jackie give a keynote at TBEX in Billings, MT about responsible travel - so I invited her on the show to give us some food for thought on how we can start to create a more sustainable vision for our travels.

Back in 2012, my friend Pete Kirby and I took off for the Northeastern United States to see as many baseball games and stadiums as we could see in 7 days.  Join us as we recall how we first met watching a baseball game on TV at the radio station we worked at, and then discuss each of the stops we made on our 7 day journey.  And, for a bonus, we each talk about our top 5 favorite ballparks in the bonus video available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/c/drewhannush

Brother and sister reunite as we give both male and female packing tips to avoid those pesky and sometimes very expensive baggage fees. We'll tell you what we have in our bags as well as some handy tips to get through TSA and we'll even tell you what bag we're using that can save you all of this money. 

And see photos of the items we packed and a list of those items out at travelfuelslife.com/baggage

My guest this week is Brandon Neth. Brandon works on both social media and audience growth management for FinanceBuzz.com and he also runs a powerful Facebook Group called FBZ Elite - Travel and Points (private Facebook Group). Brandon has mastered the art of getting and using miles and points and he's going to share his knowledge with us during this two part power packed episode.

Even if you're experienced with miles and points, there is likely something here you'll learn that you didn't know.

What's it like to get started on a nomadic lifestyle? Join me as I discuss this very subject with a couple who are making their way through Costa Rica on a journey to a new lifestyle.

Ilene Valencia and Brock Bover discuss:

• The decision to live the nomadic lifestyle
• How they got started
• The reaction of friends and family
• How to start a life of minimalist living
• Logistics of living on the road
• Sustainable travel
• The day to day experience of Costa Rica

Find more show notes at https://www.travelfuelslife.com/podcasts

As I get ready for my Castles and Drams Tour of Scotland, I take the opportunity to chat with Leslie McBride of Whiskey Is My Yoga, to tap her experiences from her trip to Glasgow and Islay, and to also discuss Kentucky bourbon tours and other whiskies we should be paying attention to. Join me for a fun episode, talking spirits. And make sure to subscribe to stay in touch with my upcoming trip, so you can find out how to plan your own tour of Scotland.

In our four part series on helping you optimize and maximize your dollars so you can increase your travel and travel lifestyle, I talk with Scott's Cheap Flights Co-Founder Scott Keyes. We talk about how he got started finding cheap flights and grew his newsletter to over 1.6 million subscribers. We also talk about how you find mistake fares, strategies for pulling the trigger on great deals, and some of the best deals they've found. Mixing this low fare service with the miles and points we discussed the last 2 weeks, and packing of your bags that we'll talk about next week, should give you the ability to fly for low or no cost.

As an entrepreneur, I have developed a way to add more travel to my life, while keeping two businesses running at the same time. It started with optimizing the office and getting my staff trained. But it also included developing systems of communication and developing strategies that allowed me to create itineraries that helped me have quality downtime while on trips, but also make sure I was maximizing my work and keeping my quality standards at their highest.

How do I do it all? Well, that is a long story, but I thought I would give you a glimpse into one of my travel weeks. So I chose my trip to Hawaii and Las Vegas as the perfect opportunity to give you a sample. During the trip I would be collecting video for some YouTube videos, working on photography, and getting content for this podcast, all while keeping my web design business motoring along. So, sit back and relax as I take you on a free journey to the big island of Hawaii and sin city, Las Vegas.

Having visited 48 states, I found Hawaii and North Dakota remaining as my two last states to conquer. While researching both, I found that the Fargo-Moorhead Visitor's Center had a club called the "Best for Last Club." They actually wanted me to save North Dakota until last. So I did.

And I couldn't resist setting up an interview with Danni Riley, the Visitor Experience Manager at the visitor's center to find out more about it and then to go through the ceremony. Join me as we chat North Dakota and what it has to offer when you save it for your last state.

Many of us will be hesitant to step out of our comfort zone and travel solo. For 64-year old female solo traveler Gabriele, this has become a normal way of life. From walking The Camino in Spain and France, to a pilgrimage across Germany and the Czech Republic, or her solo biking adventures in Ireland and group travel in Madagascar, Gabriele will inspire you to step out of your comfort zone and take that journey you've always wanted to take.

In this episode, after a brief introduction to Travel Fuels Life, Gabriele and I will discuss:

- Serendipity of Travel (Validation)
- How to Ease Into Walking Solo (The Camino)
- The Helpfulness of People when Solo Traveling
- Why Getting Lost Can Be a Good Thing.

As always, check out the show notes page on travelfuelslife.com for links and information from this episode. And we'd love to have you rate and subscribe to the show, as we introduce guests that will encourage, educate, and inspire your travels!

My whole life, I've been given this picture of what Ireland is like. On my first trip there, I got a chance to confirm or dispel all that I had heard. In my top 10, I'll focus on what I learned about Irish history, language, stereotypes, a much maligned Irish food, Guinness beer, and more.

We spend much of our time looking around for places to travel. But how often do you look up?

Join me as I interview Valerie Stimac, the author of Lonely Planet's Dark Skies: A Practical Guide to Astrotourism, as we look at dark sky designated viewing areas, how to travel to eclipse and aurora viewing areas, see meteor showers, and search the galaxies.

Join me this week as I talk with Paul Cappelli and Steven Crutchfield, two American entrepreneurs who decided to turn their Italian Villa into a business. We'll also talk about some of the quirks that Italians find interesting about Americans and vice versa. Also, we have some outtakes on our YouTube channel about delicious Italian foods you should try, issues with learning Italian, and what riled some people up about Paul and Steven's podcast.

SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel for bonus content from this episode

As opposed to the event centered South Lake Tahoe episode, we’ll shift gears a bit this week, because we’re heading to an area rich with old west history. So prepare for some stories, characters, and a much more laid back feel in the high desert of Carson Valley.

And when you hear that term desert, don’t let it fool you, this is very fertile land full of ranches, farmlands, incredible scenery, and the Bently Heritage Estate Distillery where I’ll take you around this state-of-the-art soil to bottle eco-system that is unlike any distillery experience I’ve had.

One of the most important resources to have at your disposal if you want to travel is money. This week, I talk with Danielle Desir of the Thought Card about setting a budget, gaming cheap flights, strategies for pulling the trigger on travel and dealing with debt. We'll also discuss:

• What is a financially savvy traveler?
• Financial role model
• Financial independence movement
• How to pull the trigger on great deal
• Having a travel fund
• Travel Insurance
• Planning
• Using Sygic Travel Planner and Pinterest
• Free Things to Do
• Best ways to get around
• Advantage of bus tours
• Solo travel vs group travel
• The theory of "once in a lifetime"
• Taking about credit card responsibility
• Having a travel goal with a credit card
• Making a financial plan for your destination
• Validating purchasing decisions
• The advantage of having a budget
• Dealing with student loan debt
• Strategies for paying off debt
• Moving to longer trips
• Travel to Puerto Rico
• Why isn't finance taught in high school?
• Back to Budgeting Basics Course (coming in 2019)

Find show notes at https://www.travelfuelslife.com/podcasts

What makes a great travel experience? Seeing amazing places or having amazing food? This week, I chat with a food blogging and social media influencing pioneer Chef Dennis. Our conversation will focus around food quality in the U.S. and around the world, how to find great restaurant experiences, attempting foods that fit the local culture, and we'll even chat about what happens to rocket scientists when they retire.

Welcome to the final two episodes of Season One. I’m going to take you along with me to two tourist destinations, one is South Lake Tahoe, which is known as a ski-resort destination, but I visited it during the shoulder season to see what it offered - and next week’s episode is based a destination you may or may have heard of - Carson Valley, which will not only spin you back into the old west, but which will also yield one of the most fascinating distilleries I’ve seen yet...

Join me in a theatre of the mind presentation where we'll check out Heavenly Gondola, Epic Discovery, the MS Dixie II, great places for food and whiskey (since I'm gearing up for my new podcast Whiskey Lore) and a few surprises along the way.

Think of this as your audio travel blog.

And don’t worry about taking notes, I’ll have a full show notes page prepared with links to everything I’ve talked about in the show. So just relax, put on your seat belt and come along for a ride as I discover Nevada.

It's time to start planning out your Spring and Summer vacation, and if you're planning to see some national parks in the United States, I've got a special guest who has a wealth of knowledge on the subject. His name is John Tillison and he spent 20 years as a park ranger, helping maintain our parks, informing visitors through interpretive programs, and through law enforcement. John started a blog a couple years ago helping people get concise and targeted information about our 418 nationally managed park destinations and 61 official national parks.

After 4 weeks of talking about optimizing our money for travel, it's time we spent a couple of weeks on how to generate income or find ways to creatively source the travel gift that money gives us. So this week, I'll talk with Shane and Jocelyn Sams - two teachers from Kentucky who stumbled into a way to make money so they could travel using knowledge they already had. And they now share that knowledge with others.  We'll find out how this all lead to their location independent lifestyle.

What is like to travel to Antarctica? What is it like to travel to the Arctic Ocean?  My guest Lisa Marquardt of The Hot Flash Packer blog found by traveling to both in 2019. Join me as we discuss how she did it and get tips on how we can travel to one or the other.

In this second episode featuring Brandon Neth of FinanceBuzz.com, we talk loyalty programs and how they fit into the miles and points game. From airlines to car rentals, hotels to meals, we'll find out how to maximize those points and stack them to get optimal benefits. It's a week where you'll learn to squeeze out value from every credit card and loyalty program opportunity.

In the second part of the interview with Gabriele, we cover a variety of subjects, including:

• A progression through Gabriele's journeys
• 2001 walking trip to India and Himalayas
• Making friends with a sheepherding family
• Anticipating the Continental Divide bike ride
• The process of planning for a 2 1/2 month journey
• Solo vs Group Trips and adjusting
• Russian Adventure via Florence, Italy
• Finding an Uber at the base of Bryce Canyon
• Biking in Ireland and following people's recommendations
• Barriers to language and how you dress
• To GPS or not to GPS
• How to afford all of this travel
• Advice for getting started
• Dealing with fear

Check out the show and for show notes and to make comments, visit the show notes page at https://www.travelfuelslife.com/podcasts

With a busy travel season ahead, wouldn't things be a lot easier if you had a checklist to go by, to make sure you aren't forgetting any important details before your big trip?

Tina and Keith Paul join me to discuss almost out of date passports, visas, immunizations, arranging transportation to your hotel, and more. Those things that can make your trip go from a pain in the neck to a dream.