Zero To Travel Podcast

Hosted by Jason Moore

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300

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Nov 2026

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About the show

✈️ The Zero To Travel Podcast has been downloaded 14+ million times, has been featured in The NY Times, The Washington Post, Travel + Leisure, The Telegraph, and Forbes, and is a 3x iHeartRadio Podcast Award "Best Travel Podcast" nominee. Join our incredible, travel-obsessed listening community and see what it's all about! Packed with life-changing perspectives, inspiration, and practical advice for everyone from travel newbies to nomads, this podcast will give you everything you need to travel the world on your terms, regardless of your situation or experience. Welcome to our amazing global listening community. Since 2013, "Travel Ambassador" Jason Moore from zerototravel.com has been picking the brains of adventurous people living an unconventional life on the road so you can discover new ways to travel endlessly. Along the way, you'll get actionable advice and key resources that will improve your life AND help you travel more as we get down and dirty on topics like; the best off-the-beaten-path destinations to visit, hidden gem travel experiences around the world, travel and work opportunities, remote work lifestyle, location independent business topics, gutsy budget travel strategies, surprising ways to earn free travel, the digital nomad life, unconventional travel based lifestyles, fun travel jobs, how to plan epic adventures, backpacking, remote work, how to take a gap year or a career break, outdoor and adventure travel, 4-hour work week inspired topics, ex-pat life and living abroad, slow travel, travel hacking, sustainable and responsible travel, human-powered adventures, solo travel, family travel, couples travel, trips worth planning, and everything in between. Host Bio: Jason wandered the planet as a nomad for over a decade and spent 15+ years on the road as a tour manager in events/music, a seasonal adventure travel tour guide, and a digital nomad. Originally from the USA, he is now a dual citizen (Norway/USA) based in Oslo. He is obsessed with helping YOU explore our planet on your terms. Follow the show (it's FREE!) and welcome to the community. 🙏 PS - To sign up for our free newsletter to get travel tips, tricks, destination advice, and more visit zerototravel.com/newsletter.

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November 12, 20261 hr 2 min

Top 7 Travel Trends for 2027 with Laura Lindsay from Skyscanner

What are millions of travel searches telling us about where people will go in 2027? Laura Lindsay is the Global Travel and Destinations Expert at Skyscanner, based in London. She has spent 15 years working in the travel industry and has been to 47 countries, a habit that started as a kid when her parents would snap up cheap flights to places they knew almost nothing about. In this conversation, Laura breaks down Skyscanner’s Travel Trends 2027 report, covering the fastest rising destinations, the best value places to fly, and the top travel trends for 2027. Most travel predictions are educated guesses. This one is built on millions of Skyscanner searches and a survey of more than 28,000 travelers, so it shows where people are actually looking before the crowds show up. The bigger story is a shift in why we travel, away from escaping our lives for a week and toward trips that reflect how we want to live. If you like getting somewhere before everyone else, or you’re still deciding where to go next year, this is a good place to start. Which of these trends feels most like you, and where might it take you in 2027? I’d love to hear your thoughts, and I hope you’ll share by sending me an audio message. Tune In To Learn Why asking the bartender where to go next can be a surprisingly good travel strategy A simple hotel trick for seeing one of Rome’s busiest landmarks without the crowds The fastest rising destinations for 2027, from Florida beaches to an under-the-radar corner of Italy How Skyscanner’s data spotted a now-popular European country years before it took off Why following the crowds usually costs you more, and where airfare has dropped the most How to use Skyscanner’s Everywhere search, price alerts, and Drops to find better deals What gym-cations, music pilgrimages, and ancient history say about how we’ll travel next year Why exchange rates, travel merch, and combined bachelor and bachelorette trips are shaping where people go Why more travelers are choosing places with no signal at all, plus Laura’s hidden gem pick that most people write off too quickly Resources Sign up for our FREE newsletter Skyscanner Skyscanner Travel Trends 2027 Want More 7 Must-Visit Destinations for 2026 (Get There Before the Crowds Arrive!) with Lyn Hughes Top 7 Hidden Gem Towns in Italy (Festivals, Food, Fewer Crowds) with Katerina Ferrara Top 7 Hidden Gems in Northern Norway with Joël Schwalenstöcker Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

November 10, 20261 hr 13 min

Top 7 Hidden Gem Towns in Italy (Festivals, Food, Fewer Crowds) with Katerina Ferrara

Italy is famous for Rome, Florence, and Venice, so why are so few travelers making it to the towns just a short train ride away? Katerina Ferrara has been traveling in Europe for more than 25 years and is fluent in Italian. She’s the author of the Travel Italy series, a set of Ultimate Festival and Travel Guides that explore Italy region by region through its festivals, food, and traditions. She also hosts the Immersion Travel Italy podcast. In this conversation, Katerina shares seven hidden gem towns in Italy, from Sicily up to the northern lakes, along with the local festivals, food traditions, and pilgrimage routes that make each one worth the trip. Italy is one of the most visited countries in the world, and most travelers end up in the same handful of cities, shoulder to shoulder with everyone else. Katerina plans her travel around something different: the days small towns are at their most alive, when centuries-old traditions fill the streets and locals are thrilled you showed up. Many of these places sit less than an hour from the crowds, yet they feel like a different country. If you’ve ever wanted Italy to feel less like a checklist and more like being let in on something, this is a good place to start. Have you ever stumbled into a local festival while traveling, or planned a whole trip around one? I’d love to hear about it, and I hope you’ll share by sending me an audio message. Tune In To Learn: How a morning show on Italian TV sparked a plan to write 20 books, one for every region of Italy Why a small town’s saint’s day can matter more to locals than Christmas or their own birthday How a free language app turned into friendships and home-cooked meals all over Italy Why you won’t see bell towers in one corner of Sicily, and what the 1693 earthquake has to do with it What makes one Sicilian Madonna unlike any other, plus the festival treat known as “the dessert of the vanquished” Why pilgrimage routes in Italy appeal to travelers who aren’t religious at all How an entire town builds a street of flower art overnight, and the Sicilian breakfast you’ll want to repeat twice a day Where ancient Romans (and emperors) escaped the city crowds, and why it still works today Why a 30-minute train ride from Venice could be the most peaceful day of your trip The surprisingly dark story behind the name of a local Umbrian pasta Resources: Sign up for our FREE newsletter Katerina’s Website Instagram Immersion Travel Italy Podcast YouTube Tandem Hidden gem list Want More: Sicily Uncovered: Street Food, Wine Regions, and the Art of Slowing Down Top 10 European Food Experiences With Kenny Dunn From Eating Europe Here Not There: Alternative Destinations With Less Crowds (And Meaningful Experiences) with National Geographic Author Andrew Nelson Thanks To Our Sponsors: Explore 100% human-made itineraries at exploreworldwide.com Begin your bilingual adventure with a free phrasebook with your first box at talkbox.mom/zerototravel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

November 3, 20261 hr 12 min

Astrocartography for Travel & Choosing Destinations That Support Your Goals with VerDarLuz

What if the best place for you to travel or live next isn’t on any of the “best of” lists? VerDarLuz is a locational astrologer and business coach who has spent 20 years helping people use astrology to make decisions about work, relationships, and where to live. Through his consultancy, Destination by Design, he uses astrocartography to help travelers, digital nomads, and retreat leaders figure out where and when to go. He also offers Human Design consultations and coaching through Divine Timing Coaching. In this conversation, VerDarLuz explains what astrocartography is, how it can help you choose destinations and timing for travel or relocation, and how to stay open to the signs and synchronicities that show up on the road. Travel has gotten more expensive, more complicated, and busier than ever, so picking the wrong place costs more than it used to. Astrocartography has gone from niche to mainstream in the last few years, and VerDarLuz has been living by it for two decades. Whether you’re a skeptic or already know your rising sign, this is a practical look at how to use astrocartography for travel, starting with what you actually want instead of what everyone else is chasing. And it wanders into bigger territory too, like what it takes to let a trip lead you somewhere you never planned to go. Have you ever landed somewhere that felt like it was meant for you, or somewhere that just never clicked? I’d love to hear your story, and I hope you’ll share by sending me an audio message. Tune In To Learn: What astrocartography is and how it fits into the bigger world of locational astrology Why chasing the “best digital nomad city” lists might be the wrong approach How your rising sign can point you toward cities that feel like home What the four angles of a chart say about a place, and why one planet can dominate your experience there How a move from California to Colorado and a last-minute festival gig in Poland played out on VerDarLuz’s maps How to prepare for a challenging location without turning it into a self-fulfilling prophecy How a chance invitation at a Sufi shrine in Kashmir in 2003 changed the course of a trip What kairomancy is and why travel makes it easier to notice the signs Advice for protecting your mornings, practicing gratitude, and leaning on local community instead of money What a live chart reading reveals about my time in Oslo and the Jupiter cycle ahead Resources: Sign up for our FREE newsletter Destination by Design Consultancy Divine Timing Coaching VerDarLuz Instagram The Power of Intention Braiding Sweetgrass The Serviceberry Everyday Utopia Want More: How To Find Your Power Places Using Astrolocality Curiosity As Your Travel Guide + Exploring Overlooked Destinations with John McKenzie Hiking the Camino De Santiago, Painting Your Travels, Letting Curiosity Rule, and Tiny House Living with Kari Gale Thanks To Our Sponsors: Explore 100% human-made itineraries at exploreworldwide.com Begin your bilingual adventure with a free phrasebook with your first box at talkbox.mom/zerototravel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

October 27, 20261 hr 8 min

Hell on Earth: Top 7 Otherworldly Destinations with Erika Engelhaupt

What does hell on earth look like? Science writer and explorer Erika Engelhaupt takes us on a unique journey to “awesomely awful” destinations to explore the history, culture, and science behind seven of the most otherworldly locations around the world. Erika Engelhaupt is a science journalist and expert on all things macabre. Her work in National Geographic, Scientific American, and elsewhere has revealed the spooky science behind many taboo topics, including rotting corpses, bodily fluids, and other things that make her popular at dinner parties. She is the author of Gory Details: Adventures from the Dark Side of Science and her newest book, Go to Hell: A Traveler’s Guide to Earth’s Most Otherworldly Destinations. We thought this previously released episode was the perfect one to share this week for Halloween! Erika shares insights into how cultures worldwide have visualized the afterlife, explores the natural phenomena behind these lesser-known “hellscapes,” and discusses her own experiences visiting places that challenge and redefine our sense of wonder. What’s the eeriest or most otherworldly place you’ve visited? I'd love to hear about your experience, and I hope you’ll share by sending me an audio message. Tune In To Learn: A city filled with death, a centuries-old “skull cult,” and the inspiration behind Dante’s Inferno  A small cave in Ireland linked to ancient folklore and the origins of Halloween The fiery pit that’s been burning for decades and the surprising theory behind it (plus, you can camp here!) Where you can witness surreal blue flames rolling down a deadly sulfuric volcano  An island with some of the most gorgeous yet hellscape-y features, geothermal pools, and more The most electric place on earth and the fascinating science behind it Where to find razor-sharp “stone forests” and navigate the devil’s obstacle course Which charming but hellish US town you can be mayor for the day Will our pets eat us if we die? The five-second rule (fact or fiction?) And so much more Resources: Join Zero To Travel Premium Passport Sign up for our FREE newsletter Visit Erika’s website Grab Erika’s book, Go to Hell Would your dog eat you if you died? Want More? What Happens When You Die? (Part One): A Journey to the Other Side with Peter Panagore Top 10 World’s Weirdest Restaurants With La Carmina Dark Tourism and the Complexities of Dark Destinations with Professor James Treadwell Thanks To Our Sponsors Explore 100% human-made itineraries at exploreworldwide.com Begin your bilingual adventure with a free phrasebook with your first box at talkbox.mom/zerototravel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

October 20, 20261 hr 14 min

Top 10 Hidden Gems in Cardiff, Wales with Eugene Fogarty

Why does Wales so often get left off the itinerary while England, Scotland, and Ireland soak up the attention? Eugene Fogarty grew up in Dublin, Ireland, and studied history before earning a master’s in journalism. After two years living and traveling across the Americas, a year in Brussels, and a stint managing a walking tour operation in London, he moved to Cardiff and launched Fogo’s Free Tours in 2018. He has since led around 2,000 tours of Cardiff and South Wales, from free city walks to Doctor Who filming locations and the darker side of the city’s past. In this conversation, Eugene shares how travel led him to tour guiding and walks me through his favorite hidden gems in Cardiff, Wales, plus the day trip he recommends most. Cardiff has only been the capital of Wales since 1955, and plenty of visitors still treat it as a one-night stop to tick off another country. Spend an hour with Eugene, though, and the city starts to reveal layers most people walk right past, along with a playful streak you wouldn’t expect from a place built on coal. There’s also a quiet reminder in his story about what can happen when you take the trip before you have the plan. If you’ve ever rushed through a place and wondered what you missed, this conversation might change how you build your next UK itinerary. Is there a place you rushed through and later wished you’d given more time? I’d love to hear about it, and I hope you’ll share by sending me an audio message. Tune In To Learn: How a chip on his shoulder about being an Irish guide in Wales turned into an advantage How two years across the Americas and a bar job in Brussels led Eugene to start his own tour company Why not knowing what comes after a trip shouldn’t stop you from taking it What locals say makes Cardiff feel different from other capital cities A park in the center of Cardiff that even locals don’t know exists (and the two-week window to see it at its best) Why a famous sci-fi villain is hiding inside an 840-year-old church How a 19th century coal boom and a lot of rain shaped Cardiff’s shopping streets The Viking roots, Victorian slums, and live music of one small side street Where to hear Wales’s male voice choir tradition and its native language in the heart of the city The add-on most castle visitors skip, plus the seaside town Eugene calls the perfect day trip Resources: Sign up for our FREE newsletter Fogo’s Free Tours Fogo’s Free Tours Instagram Cardiff Castle Tours Clwb Ifor Bach Want More: The Real Scotland: Ancient Traditions, Secret Valleys, and Why You Shouldn’t Cut Your Haggis with Andy McAlindon Hiking the West Highland Way in Scotland with Lynne Nieman You’re Coming Hitchhiking Around Scotland With Me Thanks To Our Sponsors: Explore 100% human-made itineraries at exploreworldwide.com Begin your bilingual adventure with a free phrasebook with your first box at talkbox.mom/zerototravel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

October 13, 20261 hr 10 min

Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail + Lessons for Planning an Extended Off-Grid Adventure with Nina Butler

What does it actually take to step away from work, home, and your phone for five months to walk from Mexico to Canada? Nina Butler is originally from South Africa and is the founder of InRetreat, a boutique travel and wellness company that runs small-group and private retreats in eco destinations around the world. A yoga teacher with a PhD in philosophy, she spent several years living in Oslo, Norway, before moving back to South Africa. In 2025, she and her husband, Chris, thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, spending 150 days walking from Mexico to Canada. In this conversation, Nina and I talk about hiking the Pacific Crest Trail and the planning behind it, from permits and visas to stepping away from work, budgeting, trail culture, and what five months off grid did for her mind, her marriage, and a big life decision. Most of us will never walk 2,650 miles, but plenty of us dream about carving out a real chunk of time to step away, and the logistics are usually what stop us. Nina’s story is a reminder that the planning phase can be its own kind of journey, and that the work of getting ready can leave your life better organized than you found it. There’s also something here about what happens to the mind when the noise falls away for long enough, and why a couple of weeks might not get you there. If you’ve been sitting on a big decision or a big trip, this conversation might be the nudge. Have you ever taken a big chunk of time away from everyday life? What did it change for you? I’d love to hear your thoughts, and I hope you’ll share by sending me an audio message. Tune In To Learn: Why a single social media post led to a snap decision to hike from Mexico to Canada What had to be locked in before Nina and Chris let themselves get excited How Nina prepared her business to run without her for five months What a Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike cost them, and what drives the price up or down Why daily, old-school map planning made the trail more meaningful, not less What trail culture is really like, from trail angels to hitchhiking into desert towns How long it took for Nina’s nervous system to truly settle off grid How a months-long walk finally answered the question of where to live next Advice for sharing a tent with your partner for 151 days (and the fight that broke out over food) Nina’s top pick for a base town to get a taste of the PCT Resources: Sign up for our FREE newsletter InRetreat InRetreat Instagram Pacific Crest Trail Association FarOut Want More: Top 10 Health and Wellness Destinations (The Best Places to Live in the World) with Nina Butler How to Craft Transformative Retreats (For Yourself or Others) with Nina Butler Top 15 USA National Park Hikes: From Iconic Must-Dos to Hidden Wilderness Gems with Jason Frye Thanks To Our Sponsors Explore 100% human-made itineraries at exploreworldwide.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

October 6, 20261 hr 11 min

Is Traveling to Every Country in the World Worth It? Less Crowded Destinations to Visit and the Joys of Unorthodox Road Trips with Ric Gazarian

Why have more people been to outer space than to every country in the world? Ric Gazarian grew up in Boston and spent years in financial services before a 2008 layoff sent him on a year-long trip and into a remote real estate business that has funded his travels ever since. He has now visited around 190 countries on his quest to reach all 193 UN member states. Ric hosts the Counting Countries podcast, organizes the Extraordinary Travel Festival, and has turned his tuk-tuk and rickshaw road trips through Cambodia and India into films. In this conversation, Ric and I talk about what traveling to every country in the world really involves, less crowded destinations worth visiting, unorthodox road trips by tuk-tuk and rickshaw, and how to get comfortable traveling to less visited places. Only around 500 people have ever been to every country on Earth, and Ric spends a lot of his time with them. That gives him a rare view of where the world's most traveled people actually go, and which places deserve far more visitors than they get. It's also a reminder that the best travel stories rarely come from the smoothest trips. If you've been craving something a little less mainstream for your next adventure, Ric makes a strong case for stepping a bit further outside your comfort zone. If you built a road trip around something you've never tried before, what would it be? I'd love to hear your ideas, and I hope you'll share by sending me an audio message. Tune In To Learn What keeps Ric going on his quest to visit all 193 UN countries, and why some people give up along the way How the most traveled people in the world debate what actually counts as a visit How one book about a priest in the slums of Bangkok changed the course of Ric's life What Thailand's visa crackdown means for digital nomads and long-term visitors Where to find a Thai island with no 7-Eleven and barely a working ATM Why Ric calls Uzbekistan his favorite country in Central Asia, and the Tajikistan road trip he ranks as the best of his life How a $1,000 tuk-tuk that keeps breaking down can beat a luxury road trip Advice for getting comfortable with less visited countries, plus the safety systems Ric relies on Advice for leaving a career behind to take a year-long trip Which country surprised Ric most after he expected the worst Resources Sign up for our FREE newsletter GlobalGaz Counting Countries Podcast Extraordinary Travel Festival (code ZERO for $100 off!) Instagram Hit the Road Films Mercy Centre Mumbai Xpress Rickshaw Rally Every Passport Stamp Facebook Group Want More Visiting Every Country in the World…TWICE! With Gunnar Garfors Finding a Quest That Can Change Your Life: An Interview With Chris Guillebeau Independent Travel Gold With Graham Hughes Thanks To Our Sponsors Explore 100% human-made itineraries at exploreworldwide.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

September 29, 202658 min

8 Million Ways to Happiness (Wisdom from the Heart of Japan) with Hiroko Yoda

Can you be culturally religious without being religiously religious? What if happiness had less to do with what you believe and more to do with what you notice? Hiroko Yoda is a Tokyo-born author, translator and folklorist who first came to the US at 17 as an exchange student in rural Indiana. She went on to earn a master's degree in international peace and conflict resolution and co-founded AltJapan, a localization company, with her husband. A former Tokyo editor for CNN Go and a certified Shinto cultural historian, she has coauthored several books on Japanese folklore and is the author of Eight Million Ways to Happiness: Wisdom for Inspiration and Healing from the Heart of Japan. In this conversation, Hiroko and I talk about the Japanese idea of 8 million kami, how spirituality became part of everyday culture in Japan, and how travelers can visit Japan's shrines and temples with more understanding. Most of us grew up with the idea that you either believe or you don't. Hiroko offers a different way of seeing it, where Japanese spirituality and happiness grow out of a worldview that treats the sun, the wind, and even the words we speak with quiet respect. It's a worldview that shapes everything from how people eat to how they relate to nature, and it's hiding in plain sight for anyone traveling through Japan. Hiroko is honest that none of this makes life easy, which is exactly what makes her perspective feel useful. What's one small thing in your everyday life you could start noticing, and appreciating, a little more often? I'd love to hear your thoughts, and I hope you'll share by sending me an audio message. Tune In To Learn: How an exchange year in rural Indiana in the 1980s sparked a lifelong mission to build bridges between cultures What the ancient concept of 8 million kami reveals about the Japanese worldview Why most Japanese people struggle to answer the question "Are you religious?" How a Shinto priest's definition of kami turns gratitude into a daily practice How losing her mother led Hiroko back to Japan's spiritual traditions What Japan's mountain ascetics, the yamabushi, can teach us about our place in nature Why the Japanese words for seafood and vegetables say so much about happiness How the Seven Gods of Happiness reflect Japan's radical inclusivity Advice for visiting shrines and temples respectfully, plus one major Tokyo spot Hiroko calls a textbook example of Japanese spirituality What a 107-year-old calligraphy master taught Hiroko about happiness and perspective Resources: Sign up for our FREE newsletter Eight Million Ways to Happiness HirokoYoda.com Japan Happiness Newsletter Hiroko Yoda Instagram AltJapan Youth For Understanding Want More: Exploring Kyoto Japan, Creative Expression Through Street Photography, Connecting With Your Heritage Abroad with Taro Moberly How A Pilgrimage Can Transform Your Life w/ Paul Barach The Spiritual Journey + Travel and Creativity with Karan Bajaj Thanks To Our Sponsors: Become a Fora Advisor today at foratravel.com/zerototravel Experience intelligent trip planning for calmer travel with the TripWaffle app Earn points on rent and mortgage payments. Apply at joinbilt.com/zerototravel Explore 100% human-made itineraries at exploreworldwide.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

September 22, 202659 min

Top 7 Hidden Gems in Northern Norway with Joël Schwalenstöcker

Norway is already known for its fjords, Northern Lights, and wide-open nature, so what makes Northern Norway an even better place to have it all to yourself? Joël Schwalenstöcker is a Northern Norway native who grew up in Tromsø with a German father and a French mother. For about 15 years, he has worked as a music agent, booking tours and shows for artists across Norway and Scandinavia. He is also the founder of Noraventura, which designs tailor-made trips through Norway for travelers who want to see the country beyond the usual tourist stops. Joël shares seven hidden gems in Northern Norway that most visitors miss, and why the region’s best-known spots have become so crowded. We also share Northern Norway travel tips on renting a car, packing for changing weather, and choosing when to go. Northern Norway is bigger, emptier, and wilder than most people expect, with the midnight sun in summer and the northern lights in winter shaping the rhythm of life there. It’s also a region where a short drive can change the entire feel of a trip. If you’re planning a visit, or you like the idea of seeing Northern Norway off the beaten path, this conversation gives you plenty to think about. Have you ever skipped the famous stop on a trip and found something you liked even better? I’d love to hear your thoughts, and I hope you’ll share by sending me an audio message. Tune In To Learn: Why a sailing trip toward the Arctic ended with Joël’s parents settling in Northern Norway for good How Northern Norway’s light, milder-than-expected climate, and freedom-to-roam traditions set it apart from the rest of the country Why the same few places dominate every search and social feed, and what that does to the travel experience Why the stretch of coast most people just drive through might offer the best mix of beaches and mountains in the country Where you can catch a concert inside a natural cave on a remote island community that has been inhabited for thousands of years What you’ll find when you turn right instead of left on a famous island chain How locals near the region’s biggest city escape to sandy beaches when the sun finally comes out How to trek the far northeast by following reindeer trails, close to the Russian border Advice on getting around, packing for weather that changes by the hour, and timing a summer trek to avoid the region’s fiercest insects How to get a real shot at the northern lights, plus one Lofoten stop worth adding to any itinerary Resources: Sign up for our FREE newsletter Noraventura Unlisted Cheat Sheet (use code ZERO) Instagram Trænafestivalen Ytri Island Retreat Hov Gård Varangerhalvøya National Park Want More? Hidden Norway: 7 Off The Beaten Path Gems You’ll Love, Popular Norwegian Concepts Worth Stealing, Trekking In Bhutan, & Living At The Crossroads of Magic & Science w/ Torunn Tronsvang from Up Norway How To See The Northern Lights In Norway Top 7 Hidden Gems in Oslo, Norway with Curtis Rojak of Viking Biking Thanks To Our Sponsors Become a Fora Advisor today at foratravel.com/zerototravel Experience intelligent trip planning for calmer travel with the TripWaffle app Earn points on rent and mortgage payments. Apply at joinbilt.com/zerototravel Explore 100% human-made itineraries at exploreworldwide.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

September 15, 20261 hr 3 min

5 Techniques for Relearning to Read: Opening Up New Ideas About Yourself and the World with Ann Morgan

What happens when the way you were taught to read stops working the moment you step outside your own culture? Ann Morgan is a UK-based author, speaker, and editor best known for reading a book from every country in the world in a single year, a project she chronicled on her blog A Year of Reading the World and in her book Reading the World (published in the US as The World Between Two Covers). In her newest book, Relearning to Read: Adventures in Not-Knowing, she looks at what it actually takes to read well across cultural and linguistic lines. Ann returns to walk through five techniques for relearning how to read, covering how to notice your own hidden bias, why every reader fills in a story's gaps differently, what a book's assumptions reveal about who it expects you to be, and why this should all matter to us curious travelers. This conversation gets into something bigger than books: what it actually means to sit with not knowing, and why that discomfort might be exactly where the growth happens. Ann pushes back on the idea that understanding everything is the goal, and the reframe she offers reaches well beyond the page. If you've ever wondered what it actually looks like to get better at reading books from other cultures, this episode lays it out step by step. What's one time you filled in a story's gaps completely differently than the writer intended? I'd love to hear your thoughts, and I hope you'll share by sending me an audio message. Tune In To Learn: Why the way Ann was taught to read stopped working once she started reading internationally How growing up in a culture that caters to you can hide how much of reading has been made easy for you Why she encourages readers to hold onto their questions instead of rushing to answer them How paying attention to what annoys you while reading can reveal a hidden bias Advice on knowing when to push through a challenging book and when to just put it down How noticing what a book explains, and what it assumes you already know, tells you who it was written for Why every reader fills in a story's gaps differently, and what that reveals about you How AI and shrinking attention spans are reshaping the future of reading and storytelling A story from Ann's recent trip to Greenland with her friend Tété-Michel Kpomassi, sixty years after his first journey there Resources: Sign up for our FREE newsletter Relearning to Read: Adventures in Not-Knowing A Year of Reading the World Ann on Instagram Reading a Book from Every Country in the World with Ann Morgan Michel the Giant: An African in Greenland Want More: Traveling While Black with Nanjala Nyabola The Geography of Bliss With Eric Weiner The Vagabond's Way: Meditations on Wanderlust, Discovery, and the Art of Travel w/ Rolf Potts Thanks To Our Sponsors: Become a Fora Advisor today at foratravel.com/zerototravel Experience intelligent trip planning for calmer travel with the TripWaffle app Earn points on rent and mortgage payments. Apply at joinbilt.com/zerototravel Explore 100% human-made itineraries at exploreworldwide.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices