Zackery Ellis: Welcome to the Near and Far podcast, where we will learn about travel from those who embrace the world beyond their comfort zones.

Michael Zislis: I’m planning to go to Japan and if you can help me plan the trip, and like get me into these restaurants I’ll take you with me.

Casey Bartram: When I told my mom that I was really thinking about Peace Corps, her response was like this resounding no you can’t do that Now I really am interested in Peace Corps

Marina Steiner: So I was like, I’ve been here 2 weeks, and I don’t have a place to live.

Zackery Ellis: They’ll share tales of delicious cuisine.

Chelsea Smith: So a lot of chicken, a lot of goat, and kind of like mutton.

Michael Zislis: All the cheese is in really small containers. You can’t buy a big bag of cheese to save your life.

Sophia Theodossiou: And my luggage included three duffel bags full of cheese and other Greek goodies.

Ben Martin: As I kept reeling it in, a seal came and bit off the lingcod…

Zackery Ellis: They’ll share profound experiences.

Javier Ochoa-Repáraz: And then the bulls are released and you’re on your own, basically against bulls and a bunch of people.

Chelsea Smith: It was developed post-9/11 to create dialogue between young people, specifically Westerners and Middle Easterners.

Casey Bartram: …when an outbreak of lead poisoning was discovered by rural health workers and reported to Doctors Without Borders…

Konrad Meister: When we encounter penguins, and especially these large emperor penguins, they get very very close because it’s, they’re curious.

Zackery Ellis: And they’ll share the insights they learned along the way.

Becca and Phil Stich: And, embrace the fluidity!

Bryn Thoms: By putting yourself in that position and and meeting with people that are vastly different than you, that really brings you into another zone, another space.

Courtney Claypool: Yeah, yeah It kind of restores like your faith in humanity a little bit for sure.

Sophia Theodossiou: It’s just an expression of something really uniquely human to see what’s out there.

Zackery Ellis: Find the Near and Far Podcast wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Join us each week as we stay curious, stay adventurous, and stay exploring, near and far.