Travel Tales From Beyond The Brochure

Going "Beyond The Brochure", The Barefoot Backpacker looks at one concept or destination every episode, taking trips along the road less travelled and talking about issues related to travel, including politics and history, as well as specific topics like Bucket Lists & Hometown Trips.

Myths and Legends 05/26/2022

Mental Health While Travelling (TS 004) 05/19/2022

Mental Health While Travelling (TS 004) Hello :) This is the recording of the fourth Twitter Spaces that I did with my friend V, back in March. I'm realising what a ball-ache they are to transcribe; it's the exact opposite of my normal pod episodes which take an age to prepare but actually issuing them is very quick and easy; these Spaces take little to no time to record but all the admin is post-production. You'd have thought having six weeks between recording and turning into a podcast episode would give me ample time to do everything I need to, and of course you'd be very misunderestimating the power of ADHD. Speaking of which … this session is on Mental Health While Travelling, covering topics such as: do ADHD and dyspraxia affect how I travel, why do I often feel mentally low when I'm in places, and what can I do to get myself out of those feelings. We also touch on why it helps being aroace, and how sometimes just staring out of a window is all I need to do to calm myself. Usual disclaimer, be aware this conversation took place over the phone, so the audio quality won't be as great as my normal podcast episodes. Indeed, there were some technical issues that occurred at the time of recording; most of these have been edited out, but it is noticeable the quality of some parts of the recording is a little lower than even is usual for the Spaces. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy it! Topics discussed include: * What is Dyspraxia? * How dyspraxia manifests in my travels - physically and mentally * What is Executive Dysfunction? * How Social Anxiety and Executive Dysfunction affect my travels * The mental difficulty of doing 'nothing' when travelling; why I can't take 'rest days' * Homesickness v Travel Fatigue * Why I don't pay attention to the news at home when I'm abroad * How personal relationships affect me while I'm away from home (and why you shouldn't date me) * Ways I worry about money when I travel * Moving to a new place often improves my mental health ... * ... but sometimes all I can do is go home * Why I never get 'bored' when I travel * The troubles that come from needing to know when and where I am * How I maintain my mental health when I travel I was interviewed by the lovely Victoria, . As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. . I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), . Until next time, bye for now. :) /episode/index/show/traveltalesfrombeyondthebrochure/id/23153549

Staying Healthy While Travelling (TS003) 04/21/2022

Staying Healthy While Travelling (TS003) Hello :) This is the recording of the third Twitter Spaces that I did with my friend V, in late February. At this point, we're starting to get a feel for the format, and doing a bit more preparation in advance so I'm not so fazed by the questions. They're also getting longer – we allocate an hour when we plan it and we're pretty much now hitting that target rather than falling a few minutes short. This session is on Staying Healthy While Travelling, and I probably should give you a couple of content warnings in advance, including descriptions of foot injuries near the start (that content warning is purely for one person, who may like to know that discussion takes place between about 4m20 and 7m40 after the theme tune ends), and a lengthy discussion about diarrhoea towards the end (47m52 after the theme tune ends). I mean, it could be worse; I listen to a podcast called '' which has a regular interview segment about this very subject. Usual disclaimer, be aware this conversation took place over the phone, so the audio quality won't be as great as my normal podcast episodes. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy it! Topics discussed include: * What I carry in a first-aid kit * Toe injuries * Bug repellents and tropical diseases * Anti-Malarials and Vaccinations * Wildlife, from elephants to badgers * Healthcare and injuries abroad * Being run down from too much travel too quickly * Altitude and climatic issues * Exercise on the move * Safe drinking water * Preventing food-related issues * Toilet habits on the * Most uncomfortable toilet adventures abroad * Best and worst toilet paper substitutes I was interviewed by the lovely Victoria, . . As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. . I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), . Until next time, bye for now. :) /episode/index/show/traveltalesfrombeyondthebrochure/id/22851596

Bangladesh 04/14/2022

Travel Planning (TS 002) 03/24/2022

Travel Planning (TS 002) Hello! This is the recording of the second Twitter Spaces that I did with my friend V, in early February. As you probably know if you listen to my main podcast episodes, she decided after the first one that this was a really good use of social media that should work pretty well for my online style, so we've been doing them fortnightly since then. We followed the same format, and indeed that's the format we've been using since, of creating questions and then getting me to answer them, in a kind of Q&A or casual-interview-type environment. We're always open to questions from you too though, so if you have anything you want me to answer, then drop us a line at the usual places. Or come onto a session and request the mic. Upcoming Spaces topics will be: Solo Travel, Border Crossings & Visa Admin, Travel and Money (including budgeting, but also using money abroad safely), and Packing & Luggage. If you've got any ideas for future topics you'd like me to talk about in these sessions too, again don't hesitate to drop either of us a note. This particular session is on Travel Planning When You're Really Not A Planner, and given that I once did a Twitter poll overnight to tell me which direction and country I should visit the next day, only to wake up and find it was exactly 50-50, I'm possibly either the worst, or the best, person to talk about Travel Planning. But I tried. Kind of. Again, be aware this conversation took place over the phone, so the audio quality won't be as great as my normal podcast episodes. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy it! Topics discussed include: * How far in advance do I book a trip * Research into public transport * What happens if plans don't work out * How do I plan where to go in the first place * Making plans and communicating in foreign languages * Clothing and cultural concerns * How far in advance do I plan my packing * Planning admin - vaccinations, visas, etc * Missing out on places because I didn't plan in advance * Tips for first-time backpackers * People will generally never let you suffer I was interviewed by the lovely Victoria, . . As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. . I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), . Until next time, bye for now. :) /episode/index/show/traveltalesfrombeyondthebrochure/id/22534814

Back In The USSR 03/17/2022

Q and A (via St Mary's School, Astley) - Spaces 001 03/10/2022

Q and A (via St Mary's School, Astley) - Spaces 001 Hello! This is not, strictly speaking, a Podcast episode, although it'll be the first of a regular series. As you may know, a couple of months ago, an old friend from Primary School days approached me with a thought. She's now a schoolteacher herself and her class was looking at travel writing, so she asked if I'd be willing to answer a few questions that her class would put to me, to help them in their lesson. I of course agreed, so they all went away and researched me, and she came back to me about a week later with a list of questions that her class were curious about, regarding my travels, why I started travelling and writing, and about interesting things that had happened to me along the way. I wasn't sure the best way of answering them, whether in a specific writing to them, or a blog post, or something. But then my VA had an idea. She'd been looking at the idea of Twitter Spaces for a while. These are akin to audio discussion panels, with a host and speakers, broadcast live on Twitter so people can listen in to them and join in if the host allows. Because I have a podcast anyway, she thought that doing something audio-wise would be the most comfortable way of answering the questions, and we could check out this new social media while we do. Two birds, one stone, kind of thing. This, then, is the recording of the first Twitter Space we did, answering the questions from my friend's school class. When editing it I noticed at times the quality of the recording dips slightly in a couple of places when I speak, but hopefully it won't affect your listening pleasure, and be aware too the original Spaces conversation took place over a mobile phone rather than through the computer. Hope you enjoy! Topics discussed include: * What prompted me to become a travel writer/podcaster * Obligatory subtweet to my mother * Why I had a gun pointed at me in Palestine * I remembered Timor-Leste as a student so it was nice to see what we were fighting for * Why it's taken me 9 years to write about Middlesbrough * Travelling and exploring locally * Tea, Marmite, and Greggs: food and drink while travelling * Where would I like to go next? Obligatory 'I will get to Bolivia one day' reference * Kiribati and the stereotype of the South Pacific * How I cope with social anxiety when arriving in a new place * What is a penpal and why did I visit one in a warzone? * Crossing a border illegally. Once by accident * Why I like Benin. And Voodoo. * Places where I had to wear closed shoes * Barefooting in Belgium, West Africa, and through mud I was interviewed by the lovely Victoria, . . As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. . I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), . Until next time, bye for now. :) /episode/index/show/traveltalesfrombeyondthebrochure/id/22399322