“I think sometimes as travel writers our most important job is to be a listener -- to listen to the stories that people are telling each other in a place.”  –Rolf Potts

In this episode of Deviate, Rolf and Ernest talk about why home is such an important place in one's life, even when one travels to more far-flung places (3:00); why the vagabonding ethos begins with the willingness to give oneself permission to travel in life, and how Rolf's new book, The Vagabond's Way, furthers the vagabonding ethos in a daily-reading format (15:00); the difficulty of figuring out which place in the world is your "favorite," and how food becomes a part of one's iconic travel memories (32:00); and why it helps to be confident and "ride tall in the saddle" if you sometimes feel out of place as a traveler (41:00).

Ernest White II (@ernestwhiteii) is a storyteller, explorer, producer, and host of the television travel series Fly Brother, now in its second season on PBS and Create TV. Check out his subscription-based membership community, Fly Brother & Friends, which promotes travel and personal transformation.

Ernest will moderate Rolf's virtual launch event for The Vagabond's Way at 5pm PT on October 4th, 2022.

Notable Links:

TV host Ernest White II (Deviate episode two)
"Pandemic love" Deviate episode
Deviate episode with filmmaker Rod Pocowatchit
Deviate episode with baseball historian Phil S. Dixon
Kansas City Monarchs (Negro Leagues baseball team)
Gordon Parks (Kansas-born photographer and filmmaker)
Nicodemus, Kansas (town settled by African Americans)
Lindsborg, Kansas (Swedish-American town in Kansas)
Zacatecas (state in Mexico)
Van life before #VanLife (Deviate episode)
Expat life in Korea (Deviate episode)
Commonplace book (method of compiling knowledge)
The Daily Stoic, by Ryan Holiday (book)
Matsuo Bashō (medieval Japanese poet and traveler)
Wenamun (ancient Egyptian traveler)
Muhammad Ali (boxer)
Code-switching (situational linguistic alternation)



The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel’s 2017 album Lumber.

Note: We don’t host a “comments” section, but we’re happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at deviate@rolfpotts.com.