Alastair Humphreys on making outdoor adventure a more active part of your life

“For too long I had thought adventure was life. But, actually, life is the adventure. And that is not the same thing at all.” –Alastair Humphreys

In this episode of Deviate, Rolf and Alastair Humphreys discuss Alastair’s history as an adventurer, beginning with his four-year bicycle trip around the world (3:00); Alastair’s new book, his fear of performing, and his effort to be vulnerable (10:00); the way the notion of adventure changes as he got older and become a father (16:00); the specifics of walking across Spain with no money and a violin (23:00); the stakes of adventure the 21st century, and the joys to be found the journey (38:00); the task of making the most of the time you’re given in life (44:00); and the definition of microadventures, how they can enhance your life (48:30).

Alastair Humphreys (@Al_Humphreys) is an English adventurer, author and motivational speaker. He is responsible for the rise of the idea of the microadventure – short, local, accessible adventures. Alastair was the National Geographic Adventurer of the Year in 2012, and has written nine books, including Microadventures: Local Discoveries for Great Escapes (2014), and My Midsummer Morning, which came out in May.

Notable Links:

• Busking (street performance)
• As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning, by Laurie Lee (book)
• Kleos (Greek concept)
• Achilles (Greek Trojan War hero)
• Pico Iyer (travel writer)
• Nonverbal communication (communication strategy)
• Digital detox (organized break from electronics)
• Microadventure (local travel initiative)

This episode of Deviate is brought to you by Tortuga Backpacks, which set the standard for the best, most durable, organized, and comfortable travel backpacks. Tortuga products also include daypacks, duffels, and other travel accessories, which are all made with the traveler in mind and have been featured by Wirecutter, The New York Times, Travel + Leisure, Business Insider, Carryology, and many other industry outlets.

This episode is also brought to you by AirTreks, an industry leader in multi-stop international travel. If you’ve ever planned a trip with multiple stops, you know that finding the right flights can be difficult. Between balancing travel logistics and cost, it often becomes impossible to build an itinerary that matches your travel goals.  AirTreks is a distributed travel company with employees working from all corners of the world to help with your flight planning, specializing in complex routes with up to 25 stops. The AirTreks website offers suggested pre-planned travel itineraries to help you get started, but can customize to fit your journey.

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

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