Rolf Potts is one of the world’s most notable travel writers, author of five books on his adventures, pioneer “digital nomad” before that was even a thing, a totally inspiring person who has carved his own path through life and now helps others do the same through writing workshops and his excellent podcast, Deviate. (Worth noting that as of the time of this episode’s publication, his latest podcast episode is about dinosaurs!) For me personally, Rolf’s one of the most influential writers I’ve ever read, for his book, Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel, a slim but profound volume that utterly changed my life forever.
In this episode we look back on Rolf’s twenty-five years of world travel and travel writing, and how the digital transformations of the 21st Century have changed the way we move around on and experience this planet. We talk #vanlife, citizen diplomacy, psychogeography, the Instagram effect, getting lost with Google Maps, writing as a way of paying attention, and seeing your own home with fresh eyes. It’s a powerful discussion that ignited in me that old call to journey past the far horizon — which, it’s key to note, can also mean the inner boundaries of normalcy we raise around our lives, an invitation to encounter the familiar anew…
Rolf’s Website, Writing, & Podcast:
Grab the books we mention in this episode:
https://amazon.com/shop/michaelgarfield
Support this show on Patreon for secret episodes, the Future Fossils book club, and more awesome stuff than you probably have time for:
https://patreon.com/michaelgarfield
Mentioned:
Marco Polo Didn’t Go There by Rolf Potts, Storming The Beach, Vagabonding by Rolf Potts, Kevin Kelly, Google Maps, Lonely Planet Guide to Thailand’s Islands & Beaches, The Beach by Alex Garland, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jim Benning, World Hum, Present Shock by Douglas Rushkoff, Burning Man, Matt Kepnes, The Glass Cage by Nicholas Carr, Temporary Autonomous Zone by Hakim Bey, The Pessimists Archive, The Tao Te Ching translated by Brian Browne Walker, Ari Shaffir, Livinia Spalding
Related Reading:
“Giving Into Astonishment: Scenes from Burning Man’s American Dream" by Michael Garfield (2008)
Theme Music: “God Detector” by Evan “Skytree” Snyder (feat. Michael Garfield)
https://skytree.bandcamp.com/track/god-detector-ft-michael-garfield
Additional Intro Music: “Lambent” by Michael Garfield
https://michaelgarfield.bandcamp.com/album/little-bird-the-eschaton
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137 - Rolf Potts on Twenty-Five Years of World Travel