Welcome to the Sunshine Travelers podcast, where we inspire you to travel more and better. In today's episode, we're diving into the incredible travel adventures of Kat Medina, author of The Joys of Jet Lag. Join us as Kat takes us on a journey through her awe -inspiring sunrise trek in Nepal's Anapura Range, her deep appreciation for the historic charm of Europe, and her love for the raw beauty and rich culture of South America. From breathtaking fjords to towering peaks to the vibrant streets of Ecuador and Argentina, Kat's stories will spark your wanderlust and remind you of the transformative power of travel. Get ready to explore the world through her eyes and gain insights into embracing a traveler's mindset wherever you go.
I'm Scott.
And I'm Melissa. And we're the Sunshine Travelers.
we're the Sunshine Travelers. Our passion is travel and sharing our experiences with those who enjoy it as much as we do, or those who want to learn more about travel, or even those who just want to live vicariously through our travel stories. No matter where you fall along that journey, get ready to hear about our first -hand experiences as we visit some of the most interesting and amazing places on Earth.
Melissa, would you say that we're different people while traveling versus being at home?
I mean, I think to some extent we are and we probably all are right when we were so much more apt to constantly be exploring new things and trying new things. And then also just probably being a lot more flexible as well when we travel and and knowing that sometimes things happen or we stumble across things that are like even better than we could have planned. And I don't know that when we're at home, like we allow ourselves as much, you know, time or freedom for, you know, even on weekends for that kind of flexibility and exploration.
Yeah, I think it's easy to get stuck into a rut when you're at home and, you know, just going through the day -to -day monotony of working and stuff like that. And so I think it's great to think about that. developing that traveler's mindset that you can keep at all time. And today we're going to have a fun and exciting discussion about a few places that we're interested in spending more time in. But we'll also talk to our guest about how to use a traveler's mindset not to be an a -hole in daily life. I think I can use that.
I think it's going to be a really fun conversation. I really can't wait to talk to Kat about Nepal and South America and Europe and some of the stories that she tells. And so I think we should just jump right into the interview. Never ever pay for a flight again. Save up to 80 % on flights with deal notifications customized to your preferences. Every single day, Daily Drop Pro goes through tens of millions of flights to find the cheapest ones out there. You tell at your home airport and dream destination, and it tells you the cheapest flights to get you there, including deals in business class. And then they send the deals that match your preferences straight to your phone. And if you've got points and miles you want to use for travel but struggle to find the best redemption for flights and hotels, Daily Drop Pro also includes both flight and hotel point searches and a built -in tracker to help you keep up with your credit card points. Visit sunshinetravelers .com slash daily drop to get started today. Using our affiliate link helps support our podcast and allows us to continue to provide new content each week. There's no extra cost to you and we are compensated through the affiliate.
We are joined today by Kat Medina, entrepreneur, adventurer, world traveler, and public speaker. Kat has traveled to more than 35 countries and has lived abroad in Ecuador, Argentina, France, and Spain, and is also the author of the book, The Joys of Jet Lag. Kat, welcome to our podcast.
Thanks so much for having me. I'm really excited to be here to speak with you.
Yeah, so Kat, our podcast is about travel experiences. And so we'd love to spend some time with you, especially because you've traveled to quite a few countries and lived abroad in several places. Talking to you about just some of your travel experiences around the world. In your book, you have stories that you tell just kind of as a basis for different things in the different chapters. So one of the places on our bucket list is Nepal. So tell us a little bit about your trip there and maybe a story.
So I went with my good friend Amber, who's kind of my designated travel buddy. I believe it was 2018. It was a couple of years before the pandemic. And in the trip, we did India for a few days, Nepal and Myanmar. And Nepal was in the middle of the trip. And while we were there, we spent time in Kathmandu and then did a trek. up to poon hill it was i believe a four -day trek and it was spectacular i i love hiking and we went with a female guide which was really cool because all along the trail you'd see other hikers with their guides or porters and it was mostly male dominated we had the only female guide and it was really fun because she had a interesting take on her job and just the environment and where she lived but she was just incredibly passionate about hiking and her passion was contagious that and it was such a beautiful spot I it was one of those multi -day adventures where you were continuously feeling off for the environment around you because the mountains there are just spectacular. I live in South Lake Tahoe in California, so I'm surrounded by mountains, but there are some of the tallest peaks in the world. And for that Poon Hill hike, we got up before sunrise and hiked to be able to see hopefully the sunrise over it. But the weather there was unpredictable and kind of leading up to it, there were a lot of foggy, cloudy days. When we arrived, there were some clouds, and we just kind of huddled in the darkness with all of these other people from all these other parts of the world. You could hear the chatter in all these different languages. And as we waited for the sun to rise just before it happened, a bunch of the clouds kind of cleared away, and you saw this incredible alpine glow on these peaks. And some of them rose above. the remaining clouds and it just looked so wild because I can't remember the elevation of it I think it's over it's over 10 ,000 feet I think maybe like 14 ,000 feet I'm not sure but the peaks of these other mountains in the Annapurna mountain range are like above 20 ,000 I think like 23 ,000 and so it looked like you were looking at another planet they were so high up it just made you question everything in the best way possible and when the sun finally appeared it was amazing because i was experiencing awe and everyone around me was too and there was like this collective gasp for the beauty that was unfolding before us and it was probably one of the most memorable times on a hiking trip that i've ever taken
Yeah, that's pretty amazing. We were in Ecuador, and I think that's somewhere around 10 ,000 feet, right? In the Quito area. And so I can't imagine being at that level and looking up and seeing peaks that are like two miles higher than that.
And the thing about, you know, traveling and traveling, especially with a guide like that, right? Like that's when you go there, that's something that like you is a necessity, right? But I think the more and more tours and things like that we do, how much more that enriches your experience too, to have that interaction, right? Those conversations and just those learning moments, learning from a local there.
Yeah. And that's something that I didn't used to do. Like I generally, I plan all my own trips. I enjoy the research process and having this dream to go somewhere come to fruition after looking at all the different options and piecing together kind of like a puzzle what my trip is going to be like. But there have been a handful of trips where I did hire a guide and it added so much value when I did. the Inca trail hike to see Machu Picchu and certain things you do, you're required to have a guide. But honestly, even if you weren't, I would have done it tenfold because their knowledge on the history and it just added so much because along the way you see countless ruins and many of which are in like immaculate condition. And if you didn't know the backstory behind everything, you would just see, oh, that's something old. amongst beautiful nature but it can add a lot and what i've started to do more recently in the last couple years is do a free walking tour where i go usually at the start of the trip and i find it to be really helpful it's you know you you just pay the tip but you get a lot of insight because it's hard to remember if you don't have the guide especially in like older cities Like, okay, this is which building and what's the story behind it? And it makes it come to life. And I find it sticks in your memory longer when you have someone else kind of telling you in person what it is, as opposed to just reading from a book or looking at your notes.
100%. That is a fantastic tip. We did one of those actually in Nassau. She had gotten the idea from, you know, they're really popular in Europe, right, as well. And 100%, right? You meet a local, they tell you all this stuff, they're passionate about it. It's not a huge investment. And then you get lots of good recommendations too. So speaking of Europe, a lot of our listeners in our audience, they always have questions for us about Europe. It's a place where you've spent a good bit of time starting in your teenage years. Tell us maybe your favorite places in Europe.
There's so many. I feel like it's a really special part of the world. And a lot of the countries, I mean, even cities within the countries are so vastly different. It's one of those spots you can go back again and again. So favorite places. Right now, I most recently, last August, I went to Norway and Copenhagen with my husband and my three -year -olds and one -year -old and it was a different style adventure but Norway just blew our minds like I am a big fan of fjords ever since I saw them in New Zealand I was on a mission I'm like I must see more of these because they're just so huge and mind -boggling and beautiful and honestly like Norway is known for several things, but I feel like primarily for the fjords. It's very well known or seeing the Northern Lights. But it was such a consistently beautiful country that we took trains, buses, rented a car at one point, ferries, all these different modes of transportation. And it felt like you never really hit an armpit of the country. It was all just... a sight to be seen. So that's really high up there. Like Switzerland, amazing. I just, I'm really drawn to places with incredible nature, but I also love the older cities in Europe. It's so fun to be walking down the street and just see how beautiful these buildings are. I went on a solo trip to Austria. in 2019 in the fall and they did such a wonderful job of preserving these buildings that dated back hundreds or thousands of years and repurposing them it was kind of this interesting juxtaposition I remember being in Innsbruck and walking through the old town so it's like cobblestone streets and the facade of the buildings were all very old and had historic plots explaining what it used to be. And there was this like, it was the most beautiful McDonald's I'd ever seen. And it was several hundred year old building, but they like kept it and preserved it. And I just, I love that feeling like where you're standing in a spot that has such a profound history. And you're just like, I wonder how many other people stood in this exact spot and what their lives were like. So gosh, there's so many places in Europe that allow you to do that.
Yeah, because we always say, I mean, you got to think about sometimes you're looking at these buildings that are hundreds of years older than our country, right? Like there's just nothing here, you know, besides the nature. But yeah, that's always so incredible. And then you like you were talking about in Norway and the Scandinavian countries. I mean, it can be for year round, right? Because you have a completely different experience. You visit in the winter and you're chasing the northern lights, you know, and then, of course, there are summers and almost 24 -hour days and stuff. So, very cool.
Yeah, even where we live here, there's quite a history. Go back to pirates, you know, coming into port here and things of that nature. But, like, long after... many of these places where you're going to be standing, you know, in front of in Europe, it was long after these places were already built and old that those pirates were actually here where we are. And so when you start to put that timeline together, it's like, wow, that's amazing.
Do you have anywhere in Europe that maybe is more, you know, lesser known or off the beaten path that kind of stands out to you?
I, when I was there, like my first trip, solo was when I was 17 and I studied abroad in France for six months and I stayed in two cities. One was Borsche, which is like kind of like central. My French pronunciation has gotten horrible since I haven't really used it since I went back. So apologies. And the other is Tours, which is like about an hour or so from Paris. And you still have a lot of the same architecture and cobblestone streets and these really charming areas like beautiful restaurants and buildings and stuff but they're not really part of the traditional tourist circuit so it feels more authentic and like the things that I seek out when I go on these trips are yes the nature the architecture the history the culture the food but one of my favorite things to do is just find a local authentic cafe and getting like a cappuccino or something journaling watching and those are both great spots for it but I really feel like in any city there even some that are have become like explosively popular you could still find those places which you know you can find that the the authentic feeling even with these over
authentic feeling even with these over touristed spots but so I'm trying to think of other ones that would be like kind of off the beaten path but I know I mean I think that's fantastic because I mean I think a lot of people do you know they go to they go to France and it's Paris or they go to Italy and only hit the main cities so just getting outside you know into those and also I think that not like you're saying
know I mean I think that's fantastic because I mean I think a lot of people do you know they go to they go to France and it's Paris or they go to Italy and only hit the main cities so just getting outside you know into those and also I think that not like you're saying schedule time to just wander and find those places, even if it is in Paris, right? To where you're not so scheduled that you don't, you know, make time for that.
And I have a sense of direction. So I'm able to wander and get lost and usually get found again. And that's how I usually find these spots. But also when we most recently were in Copenhagen, like another great way to do that is a lot of these cities are bigger and there's like, the more centrally located neighborhoods where they are just kind of a little bit overrun with tourists because it's more convenient to get to places. But since we were traveling with little kids, I did a bit more research and stayed outside of the main area in like a more family -centric neighborhood. And it was only like five or 10 minutes by metro to get to the typical sites you'd see but it it did make us feel like we were kind of living there versus visiting and like the apartment that we rented there were like children playing and playgrounds and stuff like that so that's a great way too is like yes there's like the the main go -to neighborhoods that are recommended on these travel sites to squeeze in as much as you can and as little time as you can but if you just get a little bit outside of there, then you can find those areas without having to go too far, really.
Yeah. And you find that local coffee shop where you can stop in every morning and get a cup of coffee. And I notice after a few days, they start to recognize you. And I know exactly what you're talking about. feeling like you're part of that community, even if it's just for a really short time.
Yeah, we did that last year when we were in London and our daughter and her kids were with us. And we stayed in a flat in London instead of a hotel like we normally do. And same thing, we just made an intention to... We went to the same coffee shop, you know, even though it was like, OK, we could have tried a million other places in London. But you're right. It makes you feel, you know, and with kids, you can find the playgrounds and and because you have to remember,
you know,
because you have to remember, yeah, these are touristy places, but people live here day in and day out, too. So I think that's awesome. I think that's a great suggestion.
And I think it's one of the ways that you can get a lot of suggestions that you wouldn't typically find on, you know, different travel blogs or things like that. Small story about that is a few years ago, we went to Chile with, I just had my one son at the time. He was two. And when we were there, we were in Pucon for like a week. And while we were there, my son, who was like kind of newer to walking, so didn't really have like the best balance yet. And the streets there were like level expert for walking because there was like... big potholes and rough terrain and stuff. And he, it was like a few days in and we had frequented this little cafe each morning because it was so convenient and delicious and really nice people. And he tripped and hit his face on the rocks and chipped his teeth and awful, like blood filling his mouth and stuff. And we were like, oh my gosh. And like the medical clinics there didn't. weren't really up to par based on what we saw online. So we just kind of puffed it out. Next day, we went into our little coffee shop that we had been going to. And the barista was like, oh, what happened? And we told her this story. She's like, I used to be a dental hygienist. And do you mind if I just take a look? And she took a look and said everything was fine and then suggested like this indoor, like fully padded playground thing called the Coco Rocco. And I was like, this is perfect because I'm stressing right now and I need some padding. And we went there and my son still talks about the Coco Loco. And none of it really would have happened if we hadn't made that connection with that same barista we had kept seeing, you know?
Yeah. How cool is that? And such a memory for him too.
Kind of reminds me of being in Madrid and Will fell and scraped his knees on the pavement or whatever. And we went into that little pharmacy. And they bandaged, they cleaned him all up and they bandaged him and, you know, no big deal. Like glad to help.
But different from the U .S., right? Like that just doesn't happen in the U .S., you know? So you just get to have these different experiences.
Yeah, exactly.
So South America, you've lived there as well and you're living abroad. And so talk to us a little bit about, you know, and maybe even tell our listeners. What are two places in South America, based on your experience, that you think they should have on their bucket list?
So when I was there, it was over 10 years ago, which is just crazy to me. 2012, I went for a solo trip. I just have always been drawn to that side of the earth and made it happen. And I lived in Ecuador and in Argentina. And two, they were both incredibly different. I'm going to start with kind of a more obvious recommendation, but I went on a return trip, not when I was living there, to Patagonia in Argentina. So we went to Calafate, El Chalten, did the glacier walk on Perrito Moreno, and it was just unreal. The nature there, I mean, you're on the edge of the earth. It is apparent like it just feels so wild and raw, kind of similar to how it feels in northern Canada or Alaska, where it's everywhere you look is this reminder of like, hey, you're not at the top of the food chain. You're very towards the bottom in this region. Like it's just this reminder of how powerful nature can be. And also just stunningly beautiful. The color of the water, the mountain peaks are just super jagged and intense and kind of moody. But it's really amazing. And it just, it feels like when you're there, you're exploring. And so much of the world, it doesn't feel, it doesn't have that same feeling because it's so visible now. It's so easy to get to. That was a very hard trip to get to. like a lot of logistical planning and the weather was constantly changing. So you were always switching gears and changing plans and getting caught in downpours, but it was all okay. And so if people ever have the opportunity to go to Patagonia, I highly recommend it. It's worth the journey to get there. And I do think that it's amazing that so many of the places, the businesses, the hotels, the accommodations. They're so focused on genuine ecotourism. And that's really cool to see they're living one with the land because they have to. The other spot I'd recommend isn't really on a lot of lists, but it's where I lived when I was in Ecuador. It's not exactly a touristy destination. It's called Loja. It's in the Andes. It's a small city, but it does have a university. So it feels kind of bigger than it actually is because of that. But it's in the heart of the Andes, beautiful mountains and lots of cool day trips you can do. Honestly, anywhere in Ecuador is amazing. It's a smaller country, but there's so many diverse regions within it. So many different types of plants and animals and trees and birds and everything you can imagine nature -wise. Galapagos, just... Ecuador, I'll say, as a whole, but if you can make it to Loka, it's a special spot. I just feel like the people there are the epitome of hospitable and kind and welcoming.
We want to talk about the book in a second, but you tell a story in the book about not having proper travel documents when you were in Ecuador and a taxi driver helping you out. But when you first... like started on this, I don't know, adventure to try to get these quickly, you didn't, you didn't know how this was going to turn out. So I just want you to share that a little bit and maybe just a couple of lessons learned from that.
Yeah. It was a really stressful experience. Like thinking about it kind of makes me sweat, but it all worked out. I, there was some issues with my visa. So again, this was 2012 and like,
The website at the time was pretty conflicting and confusing, but I take full ownership that I made a mistake somehow and I was missing something. I had to get it expedited. And I did all that within the first week of arriving. And about halfway, several months into my trip, when I had my home base in Loca, just renting a room from a family, my dad and stepmom, stepbrother, boyfriend. now husband, and two friends were going to meet me in Peru so we could do the Inca Trail hike. And with that, first off, you have very specific dates that you could go on the hike because you had to obtain a permit. It was a process that I had to start nearly a year in advance. So there wasn't much wiggle room on timing. And I get to the airport and... check in my luggage and then when I going through like the immigration custom type stuff to be able to leave they asked me about this document called the censo and I was like and this is all in Spanish so I was like I have no idea what that is and apparently in addition to the stuff that I was supposed to take care of in that first week I was also supposed to get this censo document. I guess, in a sense, kind of their version of notarized and processed so that I could leave. And they told me that I wouldn't be able to leave the country without it. And I got to the airport with plenty of time, but not enough time to go get a sense of taking care of. And so I was like, so I checked my battery. Now I don't have any of my stuff and I can't leave. And I'm supposed to be meeting people. And they were just kind of like, good luck. And so they gave me the address of where I could get it taken care of. So you had to leave the airport.
you had to leave the airport.
I had to leave the airport, yeah. And at the time, express kidnappings were a thing in Ecuador, in the bigger cities. Quito is where I was trying to fly out of. And basically that involves... And taxis that look like legitimate taxis, and sometimes were legitimate taxis, kind of taking you on a little joy ride where they'd hit up a bunch of different ATMs in a 24 -hour period so that they could withdraw as much cash as possible before releasing you. So a brief kidnapping, maybe the better of kidnapping, so if you had to choose, but not something I wanted to do.
basically what was advised is not to just hop in a random taxi to arrange for one beforehand, but I didn't have that time. So I just had to go against all advice, get in the first taxi I saw and hope for the best. And at that point, my Spanish was okay, not exceptional. So I just kind of explained the situation as best as I could. And I could tell he got it because he looked very concerned. He was like, I don't know if we're going to make it. And I was like, we got to try. So we went to the address and this is in the morning. So we arrived and the building wasn't open yet. It was supposed to open in like 20 minutes. And there was already a huge line of people. And I was, he, so he was invested. He heard my story. He knew I was supposed to meet my family, blah, blah, blah. And he dropped me off, saw the line and he's like, good luck. I'll try to, I'm going to do a couple of rides and then I'll try to swing back and get you and take you back to the airport. But if you get in and out quickly, if get whoever you can. So I like walked to the back of the line and it was probably 10 people. And I was just looking at my watch. And I think I had given myself three hours at the airport. So the clock was ticking. And I'm just looking at all these people. And oh, I forgot one part of the story. The driver very nicely got out and asked the people at the front door about the situation. And they said that I needed photocopies of this particular document in order to get the censor processed. And so he came back, told me that. And I was just like, I don't I don't know what I'm going to do. And then he took off. And so I'm standing there kind of spinning out. I'm like, I don't know. You guys have to remember 2012. Smartphones, Google Maps, like there was like different. Yeah.
Yeah.
So I couldn't search for things. I was just, you know, in the middle of the city. I had no idea where I was or where there was like a copy. shop that I could do this that was open and I'm just standing there kind of defeated like oh man this is such a bummer because I was really looking forward to you know doing the Inca Trail it was a dream and standing there for about five minutes and then I see the taxista running back shouting at me hey hey and so I'm like okay we're going I had my giant backpack and I chased after him and he's like there's a coffee shop that's open And so we went in, got the copies I need, ran several blocks back, got there just before the door opened. He begged the guard to let me in and see me first. They processed everything. He explained everything for me so I didn't have to, through my very slow and probably not correct Spanish, explain the situation. He got me through. It was the fastest. imagine how slow the DMV is and then add like, like they, they call it Locuano time or Ecuadorian time, make it a little bit longer and slower. And we got in and out in just like the blink of an eye and then got back in the car and he's like, let's go. And he's speeding through the city and honking at dogs and people. And like, and I like, you know, a little note, I was in the beginning of my trip. pretty scared to be driving there because it was just kind of chaos, like passing people on blind turns and like just honking and people nearly hitting people all the time. But on that ride back to the airport, I was like, oh, why? I was like, go faster. And we made it. And I was just like, oh, my God, thank you so much. You're my. my lifesaver. I did a direct translation in Spanish. I don't know if they even use that term, but he was like, it's fine. Like it was my pleasure to help you. And like, he didn't, he didn't expect anything. I like tipped him very, very well. Cause I was, and he tried to resist that. He was like, no, no, no, this is just me being me. And I was the, oh my God, I would, I still am so blown away by his kindness. of he didn't have to do that and he went so above and beyond and it made like that next leg of my trip possible like i i don't think he has any idea what an impact he made on me but it was huge because like then the the memories from the i think the trail and everything like those are those are core memories and he made it happen and there's no way i can ever tell him that all i can do is maybe pass along that kindness someday to a different stranger
I love that. And that's why I wanted you to share that because you just don't know, right? And when people come to where you are, when you visit, like you just don't know the impact that you have, you know, on people that you meet, you know, in the day to day. So let's transition and talk about your book a little bit. The subtitle of your book is How to Use a Traveler's Mindset to Not Be an A -hole in Everyday Life. And so I want you to talk a little bit about, well, let's go back. So it's called The Joy of Jet Lag. And then how to use a traveler's mindset not to be in a hole in everyday life. So talk about, in your opinion, what a traveler's mindset is. So a little backstory.
little backstory. Like for most of my life, I feel like I've been two different people. I've traveled now to 40 countries and lived in South America and Europe. And when I traveled, I was my best self. Just joy was effortlessly effortless. I would be the person that I was most proud of without trying. And then when I returned home, joy would feel elusive or forced. Even, you know, I try to control the uncontrollable. I get frustrated when things didn't go as planned. And probably worst of all, I stopped appreciating the little things like. drinking water or a hot shower, even though I knew firsthand just how rare both those things were in so many parts of the world and so many places that I'd been. So I focused on the next trip when I could feel fully alive again. And then one day I realized that as much as I prioritized traveling, most of my time was still spent at home. And it just felt like... such a waste to spend my days wishing I was somewhere else instead of enjoying where I was. So I, a couple of years ago, made it my mission to bridge the gap between who I was when I traveled and who I was at home. And I realized that it all came down to mindset, a traveler's mindset. And by embodying this traveler's mindset, I was able to feel the joy and aliveness that I craved. No matter where I was, because I already knew how to tap into that joy and be that best person when I was abroad because I was doing it. So I wasn't starting from scratch. But if I could recognize it as a mindset and tap into those characteristics and bring them back home, then maybe I can experience more of that when I'm not on a trip.
That's great. I mean, as I was reading some of this, I thought about the. When we're traveling, sometimes we're a little bit more patient. We're a little bit more understanding that things are different. But then when we're home, things have to just be a certain way. And then if they're not, that can set us off and cause us to spiral and be upset and just trigger a lot of emotions that maybe... We wouldn't have so much when we're traveling because we just don't have the same level of expectations. Those of us who travel a lot, we know that when we travel, things are not going to be exactly like they are here at home, right? And that's one thing that I don't think people that have not traveled a lot, they maybe don't have that. We hear that around the world where they're comparing the place that they're at to home. And in a negative way sometimes. And it's like, well, it's not. You went to a different place because you wanted to go somewhere different. And so I think we're just guilty of that. We get set and once we get back home, we expect things to be a certain way. And thank you for calling that out to us and helping us to maybe think a little bit differently. Rather than always just thinking we've got to be somewhere else that we can employ some of that at home.
Thank you. Yeah, I think I agree with you. And I think one of the big differences is that it's like it is clear you guys do this where you go to a new place and you look at the differences with curiosity because it's hard to deny the difference as opposed to judging it and thinking it's the wrong way or the right way. I mean, that was taught to me very early on when I was in the French high school. You know, by taking French history, French world history, their version was much different than United States world history. We're talking about the same world. But like going into it with curiosity, I think that, I mean, a lot of us, there's those of us that are here, you know, we have the opportunity to prioritize traveling and go more frequently. And then some of us are limited to. you know, just a couple of weeks each year. And they go someplace to go on vacation and relax and let that stress just melt away. And even in those situations, people have done different talks and I ask people about it. And people say that when they get there, they're able to tap into more patience and spontaneity and view. setbacks as part of the adventure. I mean, think about it. Anybody who has had something go wrong on a trip, that's what they tell people about when they get home. That's what makes it fun and exciting, even though at the time it might suck if you lose your passport or your luggage or something. But that's the first thing you're going to share when you're back home. Like, listen, now I overcame this. It was crazy. But we're guilty of actually not telling some of those stories sometimes in our travels,
guilty of actually not telling some of those stories sometimes in our travels, right? You know, when we travel places, we want people to recognize and see the good in them. And so we hold back on some of those stories. But just recently, we did an episode where we told some of the untold stories about our travels. And, you know, you're talking about the express kidnapping. You know, I had an attempted kidnapping in India one time.
Oh, my gosh.
And so, you know, just stuff like that. But we don't tell those stories because we don't want people to be discouraged. Yeah.
Yeah, that makes sense. And I think what I think the important thing to recognize is that those setbacks happen no matter where you are. And they just show up as a slightly different flavor. And I think there is a disconnect. Like when we're abroad and those things happen, we kind of adapt with this attitude of adventure. But when we're at home, if something doesn't go as planned, like I'm so guilty of this before I really. reflected on it. It's like, let it totally ruin my day because it was different than I expected or threw off my schedule or plans changed. But like on trips, I'd be like, all right, let's do this thing. This is how life is asking me to show up. So I'm going to make the best of it. Try to see the humor in it. And maybe I'll make a connection or two, you know, out of it. And going into it with that attitude, it can completely change. the day -to -day and make it so that I think it's what helps you to experience the awe and wonder that are part of travel. If you bring that home, then you can experience more of that joy. But the problem is we tap into Asshole Autopilot, which is kind of like the subtitle. You get into routine and stuck. And your brain is the sufficiency machine that is doing its job of ignoring all of the stuff that isn't a threat. But because of that, you're ignoring all the stuff that is also a gift. And so trying to force your brain out of that habit and kind of seek out everything as being either a gift or an adventure or an opportunity to put yourself to your potential. and make a cool story, regardless of whether you're a Trader Joe's or on some cool hiking adventure.
Yeah. And it's just like with the story you told, right? You had the opportunity, you had that experience, right? Where you had that interaction with him and he was able to help you. And, you know, you've carried that story and it makes us realize how much more resilient and resourceful we are, you know, when we are. somewhere else and those things happen instead of just, yeah, like you said, letting it ruin our day.
I'm curious how your perspective on travel has changed since writing this book.
Well, I wrote it right before the pandemic. So it was really put to the test and it withstood not being able to go abroad. And I, you know, I don't do this perfectly, but this book is in part written as a reminder. for myself. And that's why I really love doing these talks and it brings it to the forefront because it's just so easy to fall into routine and forget about intentions unless you make an active effort. I feel like one of the biggest tools right now in this stage of my life that I've taken from my book is just what a game changer it can be.
a game changer it can be. to be open -hearted and that the way I kind of see that is participating in the moment no matter what it what it is and it's like saying yes to the moment when I say that I don't mean like just going along with things that you may not see as being right but if something happens like what I used to do and sometimes still do
way I kind of see that is participating in the moment no matter what it what it is and it's like saying yes to the moment when I say that I don't mean like just going along with things that you may not see as being right but if something happens like what I used to do and sometimes still do especially in parenthood with like young kids is that I just try to resist it or I judge it. And I'm just like, ah, it shouldn't be this way. It should be easier. It should be like this, blah, blah, blah. As opposed to, or I wish this didn't happen, accepting it and kind of adapting and rolling with it and going with it, participating in it with an open heart, trying to find the gift or the humor in it. well before I'm a wise old 80 year old woman looking back on my life being like, it was all wonderful. You know, like I just I want to speed up the time between the tragedy and the comedy. And I think being open hearted and like stop, just stop resisting. Just go with it. Is it is a big change like that really helps that.
And that's especially true. You have young kids, right? That's especially true when it's. you know, takes 10 times longer to do something than it would without, you know. Or you have like human poo on your hand and you're like,
Or you have like human poo on your hand and you're like, well, it's crappy.
Yeah, what a crappy situation. Well, look, we have three questions that we like to ask all of our guests. And the first one is, what is your favorite place that you've ever visited?
This is so hard. So I'm going to bend the rules a little bit, kind of, and choose the whole continent. Okay. I'd say South America. I just, the culture, the nature, the people, the food, the language, the history, so much and so diverse. I love that area.
Yeah, I think after we check off, you know, Antarctica and stuff, we've got to focus a little more attention on South America.
Yeah, Scott's been to a lot more places in South America. We've been to Quito so that we could go to the Galapagos. I'm actually headed to Paraguay in May. My sister's leading a habitat build trip. So that will be neat because we will get to go to a smaller place and just connect to a place in a different way. So I'm excited for that, but for him to take me back to some of the other places in South America that he's been.
And Patagonia is definitely on our bucket list. What's remaining on your travel bucket list?
Oh, there's so much. First off, I'd love to go back to Patagonia, but in Chile to see Torres del Paine and do the W Trek. Oh, that would be a dream. But I just, I tried to look into it. I'm like, maybe I can go with a three -year -old and a one -year -old. And then I was just kind of like, maybe a little bit later, actually, once they can carry themselves on these hikes and stuff. You just have to get a couple of Sherpas to, you know,
just have to get a couple of Sherpas to, you know, throw them on their back.
Seriously. Another one, I'd love to go to Pakistan. I've been seeing, like, I don't, that just doesn't work at this stage in my life. But it's a spot that just has incredible mountains and nature. And I think it's, unfortunately, has... It has a really poor reputation and has for a long while, but it doesn't take into account any of the amazing people or just nature that you can see in history because it is like a very dynamic country.
If we could only get rid of political regimes across the world, right? Including our own. But anyhow, yeah, I think Pakistan would be... a neat place because it's right there in that same region with India and Nepal and stuff like that. So, I mean, you know, it's going to be, have some absolutely beautiful places to visit.
And such rich culture. And like you said, just finding ways to connect, right? With the people who live there and learn more.
Well, where are you going next?
So I'm in the process of planning the next trip. I have one confirmed long ways away, November. I'll be going to El Salvador and Belize with that travel friend I brought up. And it'll be our first trip together since I did have kids. So mom gone wild. Yay. But I'm excited to do a bit more of an adventurous style trip in a different sense than, you know, hitting up the most wild playground ever. But then for a family trip, I'm considering right now possibly Iceland. So I'm looking into that.
Well, it sounds like we've got a lot of notes that we need to compare with one another because we've got a lot of same trips planned. We're planning our trip to Iceland right now.
planning our trip to Iceland right now. It's going to be a short one. We're going to do a stopover on the way back, but for about four days in March. Oh,
yes. Because I'm looking at like June, July -ish. So we'll tap your shoulders for advice.
Yeah, trying to just... Yeah,
trying to
connect with a couple of tour operators and see what we can come up with. But we're super excited to do that. We're the same way. They're just doing a lot of research and then trying to find some just off the beaten path things too. And then we have the episode on Belize. I don't know if you need any notes for, but we love Belize. And Scott's already told the kids that we would love to do that or take them back for Christmas. We've said ever since we were there, we actually went during. kind of during the pandemic when things were starting to open back up and the people were just so grateful to have us there. And we just really enjoyed the friendliness of the people. So Kat, we will put a link to your book in the show notes, but tell people where they can find it and then how they can connect with you and find you.
You can find the book anywhere the books are available, Amazon, Barnes and Noble. If you want to buy online, also bookshop .org is great because it's an online ordering system and you can get directed to different independent bookshops. Also your local indie bookstore, you can go in and request it if they don't have it. And for more about me, katmedina .com is my website. It's Kat with a K and I have a monthly newsletter that gives you tips on how to tap into joy each month, not spammy, just once a month. Instagram, Kat Medina Writer. I'm on there as well.
Awesome.
Well, thank you for joining us today and spending some time with us.
Thank you for having me. This was a lot of fun.
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So I'm very curious as to what new things you put on your bucket list after this interview with Kat. I think if I had to guess, I'd bet there's an update to Patagonia.
Some of the things she talked about, but I really, you know, we have talked about doing the El Camino trail in Spain and Portugal. And I think that's one thing that I really kind of want to prioritize versus, you know, a lot of times we go to a place and we see all the things and I think that's great. And we have a lot of those places on our bucket list. But I think maybe prioritizing some sort of journey or trek or walk or something like that. I think that in the next year or so, I'd like to prioritize that.
I've heard stories of people that have been doing the El Camino for years and they're in their 70s and 80s, probably their late 70s. Yeah,
that's one that's probably not quite as... you know, like super strenuous or anything like that. I mean, not that you don't have to prepare for it and train for it, but there's ways to do it where you don't have to track all your stuff. And so I think that's one that, you know, it's been on our bucket list, but maybe prioritizing that.
Well, I think there were three main takeaways from this interview. Obviously, we love the travel and, you know, we could sit there and talk to her about travel all day long. But I think there is some real truth in adopting a traveler's mindset. So there's three things that I would point out. First is being present. Break free of just getting stuck in that monotony and that rut and just allowing things to happen around you and being unaware of them. So be present.
And I think when you're at home, a lot of times you're always thinking about your to -do list or, you know, in your day to day, like what do I have to do? And not sometimes when you are slowing down at home and, you know, not just going through those daily tasks. But really, yeah, being present and just, you know, even if it's for 10 minutes or 15 minutes, because we are a lot more apt to, you know, sometimes when we travel, I think about, oh, I haven't really spent that much time on, you know, a social media app or just scrolling or looking through emails the same in the same quantity of time.
paying attention to our phones and putting them off to the side. Not that we don't ever use them because sometimes we'll be having a conversation and it's something we need to just look real quick, but then we are quick to put it back down and get away from it. The second thing that I took out of the interview was finding joy in even the small moments. And so, yes, travel is great and it's something that we definitely look forward to. And I know a lot of people when they're planning a trip, that's part of it, is you look forward to it. And it's something that kind of consumes your mind a little bit. But I think also finding that same euphoria in just the little small victories that happen in your day -to -day life as well.
Yeah. And even like you said, just in the small moments, I shared just a little snippet of one. I actually shared it in a little more detail in our newsletter this week. But last weekend, we went to a restaurant close by that we had never been to that's actually part of the hotel here. And so we just wandered into the hotel, which I think you think more about doing, for example, like, you know, if you're, you know, traveling somewhere, it wouldn't be a big deal to go into a maybe another hotel and have, you know, have a drink and go to their bar or have go to their restaurant or something like that. But we just went in and had, you know, looked around and sat in their lobby for a few minutes. They have these beautiful windows that overlook the ocean. And you made the comment, you were like, oh, this is just a lot of fun, right? It's just like almost a pause break. You're going somewhere new, even if you're not traveling somewhere. And obviously, we just found being present and having some joy in a small moment, even being at home. And you could do that in lots of different ways in your own town or going to a place in your own town that you've never been to. Yeah.
And especially, you know, in like some of these big hotels, because, you know, last year, late last year, when the kids and grandkids were here, we went to the Ritz Carlton and got coffee, remember? And then we walked around, we sat out by the pool area because they had that big fireplace, fire pit thing. We went down to the beach and it almost felt like you were a guest there for that little bit of time. And so it was, it was fun. And then, so the third thing that I would say is viewing setbacks as part of the adventure. And we have a whole episode. Well, I think we actually have two episodes now. One on travel disruptions. And then the other one, just recently, we told the stories that we haven't told before. And there was a few disruptions or, you know, a few setbacks in those stories that we told. And so... You know, just remember that's part of the adventure, too.
Yeah, because when you're traveling, you know, not when it's happening, but at the end, you're just like, oh, you know, it does make a great story. Like you might tell, you know, in that travel disruptions one, for example, we missed a flight through, you know, London one time. And then what that led to for the remainder of that weekend, you know, and how that changed our travel plans. So it becomes a whole story or even a lesson learned. So then how do we have that mindset when we are at home? You know, a lesson learned for, oh, next time, you know, we'll do this or we'll set ourself up better. Or, you know, it just becomes a story for, you know, the end of the day or whatever.
Yeah, no, I think we'll probably do it again at some point. Well, if you do these things, just realize it can transform everyday life.
Today, Kat left us inspired to seek out awe and gratitude, no matter where we are. We already have Nepal on our bucket list, but now we have something specific to seek out and do when we go there. We'd love to hear stories from your journeys where you found joy in the kindness of a stranger, like Kat did with the taxi driver in Ecuador. Send me an email, scott at sunshinetravelers .com, and tell us your story. We're always inspired by your travel stories. We hope you enjoyed this episode and found some inspiration to help you with your travel journeys. If you could take a moment to leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform, it would be greatly appreciated. Your five star reviews help us get discovered by others and possibly featured on your favorite platform. Don't forget to follow or subscribe to our podcast to get notified of new episodes as they are released. You can also find us on Instagram and Facebook. at Sunshine Travelers Podcast. Remember that as travelers with one L, most importantly, please share it with your friends to help them catch the travel bug. You never know, they may become your greatest travel companion.
