Amateur Traveler is Years 10 Old…
…and we have gone a few places or at least talked about them.
As I thought about the last 10 years here are some of the episodes that stick out in my memory:
These episodes changed the Amateur Traveler:
- Traveling Around Round The World – Episode 10 – while the first interview for the Amateur Traveler was episode 5, this is probably the one that made me realize how much more fun doing an interview show would be.
- Travel to Egypt – Episode 36 – If you appreciate the time we put into editing the Amateur Traveler (and you should) then you have Chuck to thank. He said he would come on the show if I edited it. Think of the many many hours this friend has cost me.
- Travel to Flanders in Belgium – Episode 399 – This episode won a Lowell Thomas award from the Society of American Travel Writers. The first, I think, to win in the audio category for an strictly online show.
These episodes influenced my own personal travel:
- Travel to the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico – Episode 163 – Zora’s description of this part of Mexico made me really want to get there. She talks about out of the way ruins that we thoroughly enjoyed!
- Travel to Iceland – Episode 204 – I have not yet done the whole ring road that Dave talks about but I want to get back and do the rest of the drive.
Some of my favorites:
- Travel to America’s National Parks – Episode 121 – a love letter to America’s national parks
- Travel to Oklahoma – Episode 295 – Robert Reid, then from Lonely Planet, also gets points for the most literary references in one episode
These episodes were the start of friendships:
- Travel to Western Australia – Episode 136 – Nomadic Matt has told me that being on the Amateur Traveler was one of his first big breaks
- Travel to Micronesia – Episode 128 – Gary is now one of the leading travel bloggers but he had just gotten started on his travels when we caught up for this show. Now he and I have also done 190 episodes of This Week in Travel together. Gary now has his own podcast.
- Solo Travel as a Woman – Episode 107 – Sherry became a full-time travel blogger after I suggested it after we talked for the first time. My apologies to Sherry’s mom.
- and so many others…
These are now on my bucket list:
- Travel to Ethiopia – Episode 79 – Chris Willis gave me the best episode pitch ever (Swimming with Whales off Tonga – Episode 38) but it was this episode about the stone churches in Ethiopia that I am longing to see.
- Mountain Gorillas in Uganda and Rwanda – Episode 80 – OK and this one from Chris also
What have you learned from the Amateur Traveler?
Where have you gone because of the Amateur Traveler?
+Chris Christensen | @chris2x | facebook
4 Responses to “The Best Of The First 10 Years of Amateur Traveler”
Leave a Reply
Tags: article
Kirk Beiser
Says:July 10th, 2015 at 9:13 am
I particularly liked the Komodo Island (ep 454) and Churchhill, CA (ep411). A lot of other great ones but those particularly stand out as favorites. I keep finding great blogs about Flores and Komodo and I am in the midst of planning a trip in the next 1-2 years to do Kelimutu, Komodo and the island of Flores.
chris2x
Says:July 11th, 2015 at 9:05 am
excellent! have a great trip!
Donna Manley
Says:August 19th, 2015 at 7:49 am
Hi Chris, Congratulations on the ten years. Yours is still my favorite podcast. I have listened to all ten years and look forward to many more.
chris2x
Says:August 19th, 2015 at 4:39 pm
thanks Donna!