Morning two in Kathmandu and I am hard at work attempting to be hard at work in the official breakfast eating area of my Thamel guest house (Thamel is the tourist center of Kathmandu) when I am approached by a man calling himself Johnny FD.
Having seen the Pacific Crest Trail sticker on my laptop, Johnny decides I am worthy of a chat. After some friendly banter, he tells me he has a podcast, Travel Like a Boss, and invites me to record an episode with him. “Sure,” I say, “when?”
“Well, what are you doing right now?” he asks.
“Apparently, recording a podcast.”
The only instruction I am given is to not drum my fingers on the table (which I suddenly have an overwhelming urge to do). Because of the impromptu nature of the recording, afterward, I worry I may have come off as a huge bag. After listening, I have decided to share it with you, dear internets (because, obviously, huge bag).
According to the episode description (of which I played no part in writing):
On this episode, Mac shares his trekking experiences including the 4-month long hike along the Pacific Crest Trail. He teaches how to plan out the hike, what a typical day looks like, and what happens in between the trail. And as an addition to the travel experience, he talks about Nepal, its food, and its people. This episode is a total package for backpackers who want to learn how to make the best out of the trekking adventure.
Listen on: Spotify | iTunes | Stitcher
If you don't know what any of the above things are, you can listen here:
And let me just say that the terms “travel hack(ing)”, “digital nomad”, and “location independent” make me uncomfortable. If any of you ever find me describing myself in or using these terms, please, kick me square in the balls.
Time Stamps:
- 01:38 – What got him into hiking?
- 03:15 – Appalachian Trail vs. Pacific Crest Trail
- 04:42 – Halfway Anywhere Blog
- 08:55 – The movie “Wild”
- 10:05 – Trekking food and accommodation
- 17:25 – Planning out the hike
- 21:40 – Nepalese culture
- 25:18 – Nepalese food
- 32:18 – A Nepal hack: From low to high elevation
- 36:06 – Trekking community
- 41:06 – Blogging while Hiking
- 44:45 – Backpacking gear
- 46:53 – Travel tips