Jan 22 2025 30 mins
Mark Twain may be the father of American literature. He’s got a million great quotes; even the apocryphal ones are good. A particularly penetrating one leans into the importance of travel. He called it fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.
The general idea is that only by experiencing different cultures can we hope to overcome our human tendency to fear the world’s other “tribes.” If we stay in our little bubbles, it’s much easier to hate what we don’t know, and our beliefs and customs go unchallenged.
Today’s guest, Mike Taylor, not only loves that Mark Twain quote, he lives by it. He’s been on so many life-changing journeys that I couldn’t even fit them all into the podcast.
Now retired, Mike spent 41 years in the local news business for WLEX-TV in Lexington, Kentucky. Travel is his primary core pursuit. If he’s not spending time with his four adult children or nine grandchildren, he’s probably on the road, on a cruise ship, or in the air above some faraway land.
He shares his journeys on social media. Today, we are lucky to have him share them with us. If you yearn to find retirement happiness beyond your corner of the world, let Mike’s stories be your inspiration.
00:00-40 Years in Journalism
07:01-Falling in Love with Travel
10:31-Retirement is Awesome
13:05-Big Bend TikTok Story
18:15-38 Countries, One Pass
21:54-Nine Grandchildren
25:31-Better than the Alternative
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices