In this post, I’ll be writing about my recent experience listening to the Tim Ferris Show podcast. In episode 624 of The Tim Ferris Show, he sat down with his good friend Rolf Potts, author of the legendary Vagabonding and the more recent The Vagabond’s Way. 

What a Privilege

What a privilege to be able to listen to these two travel legends recount some of their travel experiences and wisdom gained along the way!

Simply getting insight into their mindset and attitudes towards travel felt like being in one of the most engaging lectures ever. I even took some notes on my phone!

I found myself immediately wanting to implement much of what they spoke about, from how they approach new experiences to the ways they view uncertainty.

The most impactful ideas I took away from the conversation were slowing down, preparation vs. going with the flow, and their ideas about time.

Slow Down and Notice the Subtle Differences

I’m sure we’ve heard this before: slow down your day, your meal, whatever it is, so you can notice subtleties. I definitely had heard this before but hearing Rolf and Tim speak about it felt so much more compelling than where I had heard it previously.

The basis of their argument was that instead of rushing to get to every tourist destination, take your time in that cafe or park. Rolf was saying that people often do the former out of fear of not getting to experience the city and getting to know it as much as possible.

But what I found interesting was his thought that taking your time having that meal and watching people pass and observing the interactions around you is a much better way to get to know the people of a place.

He brings up the example of not complaining that the waiters are taking so long in that restaurant in Paris because that is Paris. In other words, experiencing that long wait time is experiencing how they actually do things in Paris. 

I found this really helpful to frame my travels thus far. Some of my best travel days have come from sitting in the park and simply people-watching. Noticing the way parents care for their kids and the way passersby take in the scene around them has felt like it’s given me an inside scoop into a place.

One more thing about slowing down. Rolf says that by doing this, time actually expands. 

I could not agree more.

When I’m rushing to get to as many tourist attractions as possible in one day, I’ve noticed the day flies by much quicker than on those days when I sit at the restaurant for 3 hours or walk at a snail’s pace throughout the city.

I believe I’ve also remembered those days a lot more because I was much more focused on taking things slower and noticing the things around me.

Shoutout to the gentleman playing the most beautiful jazz in the park that day in Lisbon!

Uncertainty

I am contemplating having an entire section dedicated to uncertainty on this blog, and that’s because it comes up time and again.

This idea of following uncertainty, however fearful or apprehensive one may be, is probably one of the most instructive and meaningful things I’ve had the pleasure to be introduced to.

Though not new to me, it came up again in the conversation with Tim and Rolf. 

Rolf instructed listeners to position themselves so that they are intentionally open to uncertainty. He states how we can be so task-driven when we’re back home, almost robotic in the way we approach daily life. 

He says that by being this way, we often lose out on the fun that can come with just letting go and seeing what happens. He shares a story in which he walked around with no goal in mind and ended up coming across a group of volleyball players that recruited him because of his height. 

He ended up playing with them and made great bonds, so much so that they went out for beers after (though he admits he was terrible at volleyball!).

I loved this and resonated so much with the idea of being uncertain and getting lost. All I kept thinking was, “Wow, this is exactly what I’m after in my travel journey!”

To Prepare or to Not Prepare

Rolf and Tim don’t tell us not to prepare for trips at all. But, they do warn that too much preparation for a trip can do more harm than good. 

Rolf states that when we prepare, we’re almost bound to the limits of that preparation. Meaning, if we look up exactly where we want to eat, we kind of become bound to those spots, as opposed to walking around and seeing what sticks out to us.

This was a piece of advice that I didn’t know how much I needed to hear.

In preparing for my upcoming trip to Buenos Aires, I had been feeling the urge to create a list of places I wanted to go, whether restaurants or tourist attractions. But I heard this at the perfect time and decided to follow it.

A couple of weeks into my trip, I can say that I am really happy I followed their advice. I have found my favorite cafe, really cool wine bars, and my favorite health shop, all by just walking around and seeing. Perhaps I would have found options that were less appealing if I just looked up what was around my apartment before coming. 

This doesn’t mean I did zero preparation, but I went with the flow and found places organically, and met some cool people in each of those places, too!

Shoutout to Samuel and Valeria at Nieva Cafe!

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“Life doesn’t necessarily reward you in time”

— Rolf Potts, The Tim Ferris Show

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I just wanted to finish this post by sharing the quote above because I think it summarizes a lot of what Rolf and Timo are trying to get across. 

If we want to experience life to the fullest, we have to take action to make that happen. We can’t just sit around doing the same thing for years on end in hopes of one day getting to experience the life we imagine.

Now is the best time.

As Rolf and Tim would have it, do different things, surround yourself with different people, and take action in your life. 

It’s a no-brainer when you think about the alternative…

‘Till Next Time Travel Friends 

Listen to the Tim Ferris Show podcast episode #624: https://tim.blog/2022/10/03/rolf-potts-the-vagabonds-way-transcript/