No Blackout Dates, hosted by Eben Diskin and Tim Wenger, is the official podcast of Matador Network and provides a truly unfiltered and honest look at the world of travel and adventure. Join these two travel writers each week for completely raw stories from the road that any responsible editor would (and has) cut from print. They talk about what it’s like to travel for a living, introduce you to the wild characters they’ve met along the way -- from astronauts and flight attendants to Amsterdam sex workers -- and expose a side of the travel lifestyle that Rick Steves doesn’t want you to know about. No Blackout Dates introduces you to the beautiful, bizarre, and batsh*t crazy world of travel!
S3, Ep. 12: Walrus Syndrome: The Psychology of Travel
If you’re like us, you spend a lot of time wondering what's going through people’s minds when they’re at the airport. Why do they crowd around the gate before boarding when their group won’t be called for another 20 minutes? Why do those same people stand up the second the flight pulls into the gate, even when they’re seated in row 57? Michael Brein is the world’s foremost – and perhaps only – Travel Psychologist, and he joins No Blackout Dates to discuss the logic behind these and other conundrums of travel.
On the docket is the science behind culture shock, why some people sleep better on planes than others, and how visiting faraway places impacts our mental well-being.
In Hot Takes, Tim and Eben discuss how they calm their nerves when anxiety strikes while traveling, and the pair agree to disagree about whether or not one should always board the plane early when seated in Business Class.
Relevant links:
Michael Brein website and books (https://michaelbrein.com/)
How to use a squat toilet (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7KBbjtan9Q)
Eben’s Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ebenflow_/)
Tim’s Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/timwenger1/)
2 May 2023
Stories From The Road: 30 Years After The Revolution, Romania Is Still Rebuilding
In this week's Stories From The Road, Tim reads one of the most impactful pieces he's ever worked on as an editor. Writer Iuliana Marchian (https://matadornetwork.com/author/iulianabucurescu/), a native Romanian, wrote a piece about the impact of the 1989 revolution against Communist rule in Romania. The piece covers the development of personal freedoms and how they've impacted trust in government, as well as how citizens have experienced progress in human rights and quality of life. Marchian describes a polarized society that is moving forward but still has many steps to take to fulfill all of revolution's goals. As a traveler, the piece offers many takeaways of how these impacts play out in daily Romanian life and how you can experience the country's true culture on a trip there.
Relevant links:
30 years after the revolution, Romania is still rebuilding (https://matadornetwork.com/read/romania-revolution-rebuilding/)
Iuliana's LinkedIn (https://ro.linkedin.com/in/iuliana-marchian-b474a7139)
Tim's Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/timwenger1/)
Eben's Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ebenflow_/)
25 Apr 2023
S3, Ep. 11: Facing Fear and Sailing Antarctica with Lisa Blair
Sailing all the way around Antarctica is no easy task. Just ask today’s guest, “extreme sailor” Lisa Blair. She holds the record for the fastest circumnavigation of the continent, a title she almost perished in order to gain. Lisa joins the show to discuss her dangerous adventures in the Southern Ocean , her new book, “Facing Fear: The First Woman To Sail Solo Around Antarctica,” and what it takes to embark on such an incredible journey. She breaks down what was going through her mind as her ship nearly capsized in a raging torrent, and how she managed to rig her mast and make it to shore just in time.
Eben and Lisa met while on a cruise to Antarctica last December, and while this cruise was among the most extreme adventures Eben will ever be a part of, for Lisa, it was a walk in the park. The impacts of visiting fragile ecosystems is also on the docket today. Lisa dubbed her sailboat “Climate Action Now” to raise awareness of small efforts by everyday people to combat climate change -- a fitting PR move, since Antarctica is among the world’s most vulnerable spots to warming temps.
In Hot Takes, Tim and Eben discuss extreme destinations they’ve always wanted to visit but never got the chance, and Eben breaks down the mood of the travelers on the ship as Antarctica first came into view.
Relevant links:
Lisa Blair Sails The World (https://lisablairsailstheworld.com/)
Facing Fear: The First Woman To Sail Solo Around Antarctica (https://lisablairsailstheworld.com/facing-fear)
Lisa’s Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/lisablairsailstheworld/)
Eben’s Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ebenflow_/)
Tim’s Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/timwenger1/)
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