Episode 041 Rolf Potts

Summary

• Rolf Potts wrote the book Vagabonding, which was one of two books Tim Ferriss took with him when he left the US and traveled around the world for 18 months in 2004
• Long term world travel does not have to be a wealthy person’s sport
• People often put off what they really want to do until they’re too old to do it
• Vagabonding is long term travel, not just a vacation, and is a more deeply meaningful life experience
• Experiences are more valuable in life than the things that are always being touted as the most important things in life
• Travel is a great way to cash in on one's time wealth
• Vagabonding is a more meaningful way of travel that involves slowing down and discovering parts of yourself.
• Rolf Potts' first vagabonding trip was 20 years ago and he has been integrating travel with a professional life ever since.
• Vagabonding is an option that you create for yourself, not something you wait for life to give you.
• Rolf Potts' book, Vagabonding, provides a quiver of philosophies and suggestions for simplification, viewing the world through a different lens, and decluttering your life.
• To overcome fear of travel, Rolf Potts suggests redefining your relationship to money and information and understanding that money is a tool, not a metric for success.
• Billionaires have fewer options than those with less money, despite having more money
• Things in excess can become their opposite, such as money providing freedom but taking away freedom when it reaches a certain point
• Conspicuous consumption and romantic ideas of what money can do can be misleading
• Living in an expensive city can mean living on fewer dollars per day when traveling in a different economic zone
• The substance of life is through experience, and money should be used to actualize and enhance life meaning
• Information can be used to work for or against you, and media often focuses on negative events which can be misleading
• Mexico is a large country with drug violence being isolated, and there are ways to travel safely and inexpensively
• Technology has changed travel in both positive and negative ways.
• Positive changes include convenience and access to deals, while negative changes include a lack of serendipity and flexibility.
• Technology can also lead to a feeling of being constantly connected to home.
• Resources such as Google, BootsnAll, VirtualTourist, and Trippy can help travelers find support and reassurance.
• Unplugging is important to allow for moments of selfdiscovery and exploration.
• Home exchange is a way to travel and save money by exchanging homes with a friend.
• Airbnb and Couch Surfing are services that allow travelers to find cheaper accommodations than hostels.
• Social media can be used to connect with people who may have advice or connections for places to stay.
• Disconnecting from technology while traveling can help to gain introspection and unique experiences.
• Taking a break from technology can help to gain perspective and set up systems that will persist after returning.
• Travelers of previous generations have complained that steamships were compromising travel in ways that sailboats didn't.
• There is no silver bullet to keep one from being a slave to their smartphone when traveling.
• Recent research has shown that having a vacation that is actually a vacation is important for one's creative mind and can lead to more creative ideas and insights.
• Technology can be used to steal one's own time wealth by being hooked into virtual experiences instead of the experiences that are before them.
• To get the most out of travel, one should focus on appreciation instead of achievement and savor every bit of the experience.
• To avoid falling into the trap of using technology, one should make it inconvenient and unpleasant to engage in computer use.
• Rolf Potts and Tim Ferriss discuss the concept of a staycation and how it can be used to replicate the benefits of travel.
• Potts suggests that the beginner's mind is an important part of travel and can be replicated in a staycation.
• They discuss the importance of appreciation versus achievement and how it ties into creativity.
• Potts talks about his experience of writing and how it has not gotten easier over time.
• Ferriss shares his experience of writing and how he finds a plan or schedule helpful, even if he doesn't always follow it.
• Rolf Potts is a writer who has a slightly obsessivecompulsive writing process.
• He believes in the importance of discipline and creating one's own muse.
• He recently wrote a pulpy B movie screenplay in 12 days.
• He believes in Ann Lamott's idea of "shitty first drafts" and getting words on the page.
• He also believes in Kurt Vonnegut's idea of "swoopers" and "bashers" when it comes to writing.
• Tim Ferriss is also a basher and struggles with anxiety when it comes to writing.
• Rolf Potts recommends Bird by Bird by Ann Lamott as a great book on writing.