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Brandon Giella: Hello, and welcome
back to another episode of The Travel
Buddy podcast presented by Switch Fly.
I have my amazing guests as always,
Ian Anderson, Rachel Ow, and special
guest who's been on a few episodes
before, but we're glad to have her back.
Ashley Martinez, thank you so
much for joining today's episode.
It's gonna be fun.
Rachel Satow: Thanks Brandon.
Ian Andersen: Thanks Brandon.
Ashley Martinez: Thanks for having us.
Brandon Giella: Today we are gonna
be talking about why we love travel,
and so you guys do this for a living.
Of course, you travel for fun, you
travel for work, but you help other
people travel through technology
and services supporting people.
Moving around the world, and
this is a personal passion of
each of yours is for me too.
If I can just interject
myself for a second.
I love to travel.
You all love to travel, have
traveled all over the world.
Ashley, you were just telling me you
have been all over the world over the
last few weeks and you got some new.
Global travel coming up.
So I wanna talk about that.
But first I would love to hear
from each of you, what do you
think of travel personally?
What draws you to travel?
What is a word that you associate
with travel when you think about that?
Like why is it it has
captivated you over the years?
So Ashley, I will start with you.
Since you are, you have regaled
me on your global expeditions over
the last few weeks, why for you,
are you so passionate about travel?
Ashley Martinez: All my global expeditions
for me have really enabled me to grow.
So my word that I associate with
travel is definitely growth.
Personally, professionally, anytime I go
on a trip, it's always expanding what I
like to call my world or my worldview.
And so I'm always growing in
perspectives, personally, professionally,
and so definitely growth for me.
Brandon Giella: I love that.
I love that.
Ian, what about you?
What is a word that you
associate with travel?
Ian Andersen: Adventure, I guess.
My dad, my dad's a really strange kind
of, I think only only people who graduated
high school in the late seventies kind
of have this like half, or I'm sorry,
the early seventies have this like
half conservative, half hippie mindset.
And one thing he was always
really big on was us just like
hitting the road somewhere.
Whether it was for a weekend
or, or longer, um, you know,
and, and we drove a lot.
So, but we drive across the country.
We go to Mexico, Canada,
kind of all over the place.
And something he's was brought up a lot in
my life that I always think about is, he.
And I think I do, maybe
because of him or I don't know.
But, he always talks about feeling
trapped if he's like secure and he has
to feel unsecure to feel comfortable.
And I think I've, I've
picked up that a little bit.
And, uh, and a lot of that is, is
just like getting out of your comfort
zone and seeing something new and, you
know, talking to people you haven't
talked to before and all that stuff.
It just, it helps you learn.
It helps you grow, like Ashley said.
And, I definitely, definitely
connect with that a lot.
Brandon Giella: Okay, well, I can't relate
to that at all because I just wanna sit
on a couch as a blanket, except I do,
I do like going to travel and see new
places that, you know, get some of those
news new experiences, so that's awesome.
Rachel, what about you?
What, what draws you into
travel these days and, and
why'd you get started with it?
What's a word that you associated with it?
Rachel Satow: Yeah.
So I think to answer your first
question, the thing that draws me
into it is just, and it, it ties back
into the word that I'm going to use.
It has the ability to change perspectives.
And I know, like I grew up in a
pretty small town in Pennsylvania.
I had.
Pretty much only gone to places in the,
in the northeast when I was younger.
And the first time that I had the ability
to kind of like go outside of those four
walls and travel a little bit further over
to California and like really understand
the grandeur of, of the world that was.
You know, the thing that hooked me
and, because of that, I think the word
that I would use is transformative.
Travel is transformative.
Because it does have that ability to
change both how you see the world being
like submersed in different cultures
and also like how you see yourself.
I didn't realize how much I loved
doing certain things until I put
myself in scenarios where I was not.
S, you know, in
my comfort zone.
So kind of like Ian's dad, I definitely
realized like, oh, I enjoy this
hobby because when I was all by
myself in New York City visiting a
friend while he was at work, that
was the thing that I got to do.
Until I had that opportunity
to, to, you know, put myself
in uncomfortable situations.
And travel definitely puts
you in a ton of uncomfortable
situations.
Brandon Giella: That's right.
I love that.
I, I totally agree with you.
I, tell my wife all the time that
I want our kids to be cosmopolitan.
I want them to have a global perspective.
That there is way more going on in the
world than just what you can see in Texas.
You know, we live in Texas
and so I want them to, to have
much more of that perspective.
'cause like you, I didn't
grow up traveling at all.
And then I realized there.
You know, the way that we view the world
is not the way everybody views the world.
Though I have to admit, I, I'm very
much a western Europe traveler, and
so I'm still very, you know, staunchly
in a, a westernized view of the world.
But I would like to
Ian Andersen: that's your couch of travel,
Brandon Giella: Seriously,
I, that's so funny.
Okay.
I do love to travel and I like, I like
the new experiences that it brings, and
I like new perspectives and all of that.
But yeah, I guess maybe
I am a little safe.
You know, Ashley, you were just talking
about, traveling to Morocco soon and
that's a, that's a different world.
That is not, it is in the West,
but it is a very different kind of
perspective on the world than you
would get in say, Paris, if that
Ashley Martinez: Definitely, even though
Morocco, they are French speaking, so
there is, you know, one association with
French, but Africa specifically, I mean,
definitely a different perspective on.
Infrastructure, as well, you know,
what we might take for granted or how,
you know, city planning, city layout.
I mean, there's definitely, as some
of these communities are much older
than anything we have in the US right?
So, you know, similar in
Europe, but I also just got back
from Asia and Asia was very.
Eyeopening for me and the truly, I,
I keep using this idea, or I, I keep
saying I never felt more small, not
in a, you know, a self confidence
perspective, but more so in realizing
how many people there are in the world.
You know, you take the train in
Japan in your, you know, there's
hundreds of people all on the train.
Everybody in a beautiful
synchronization of.
Everyone's very orderly,
organized on time.
It's amazing how even with that
many people, the society functions,
um, extremely efficiently.
Whereas con, conversely, in Africa,
it, it is definitely a beautiful
type of chaos where there's just, you
know, there's no lanes in the streets
there, there's people everywhere.
So Asia, for me, was
extremely eye-opening.
Brandon Giella: Yeah, I, I want
to emphasize that and then I'll,
we'll shift to the next segment.
But, that idea of smallness,
I think that's so important.
One, as it relates to time, like
you mentioned, like if you go
to Italy or you know London.
I, I went to London in the spring, you.
And it's two, 2000 years old of just
the recorded parts of the history,
you know, but it's much longer.
And as an American, it's like
something as old as like going back
to like the early 18 hundreds and
Europeans are like, oh, come on man.
Ian Andersen: My dad has a friend
from originally from Switzerland who,
every time I've seen him, so I don't
know, 20, 30 times in my life I've,
I've had to hear his joke about how,
americans and Europeans are like,
the difference between Europeans and
Americans is the difference of a hundred.
Europeans think a hundred miles is
a long ways, and Americans think
a hundred years is a long time.
Brandon Giella: Yeah, that's
actually a really great joke
that perfectly encapsulates that.
Yes.
That's great.
Yes.
Yeah.
I, but also the smallness, so not
just in regard to time, which is
true, especially for Americans, but
also, in regard to how many people
are like, make up other cities.
I mean, I think it's what, 11
or 14 million people in Tokyo?
And then if you go to like Shanghai,
Beijing, some of these other places
in East, east Asia, it's, I mean,
millions, tens of millions of people
Ian Andersen: And even, even like beyond
just the strict populations, because
you know, New York City's every bit as
big as, as you know, many Asian cities.
But the way it's organized still seems
so much more spac spacious, right?
At least on the individual level.
The only time.
I was ever like, jam packed into
the subway was like on my way
to or from a Yankee game, right?
Like every other time you have like your
own seat and plenty of room and, and,
but you go on the train in in Japan or
most East Asian places, it's gonna be
just a cigar tube full of people, right?
Brandon Giella: I should go to,
I had to, I had to Google this.
So in New York City population
is 8 million and in Shanghai
population is 25 million.
Ian Andersen: Geez,
Brandon Giella: Tokyo, 37 million.
Ian Andersen: I thought New York, is
that just the city or is that kind
Brandon Giella: Yeah.
I mean there's probably like
New York proper and that sort of
thing, but still it's amazing.
Tons of people and they all have
individual hopes and dreams and lives
and families and careers and all these
things just like you and I do, you know?
Anyway, this is very, self-indulgent.
Okay, so next segment.
So, okay, so you guys have, a lot
of passion and a lot of, , history
regarding travel and context.
You've got family members that have
brought you into the, the world of
travel and then you've discovered it
yourselves, but it's bled obviously
because you work at Switch, fly
into your professional life as well.
So I'd love to hear from you guys how
you, how you think about the travel
industry as a whole and how your
personal story is related to that.
But how do you think about travel as
a business, as an industry, thinking
about clients, your technology,
where, why do, why is it that you like
working in this industry as a whole?
Because some people say you shouldn't
work your hobby, and because then
it takes all the fun out of it.
So why, why do you guys continue
to work in this industry?
Ian Andersen: I think one.
I don't get to travel so much for
work, so maybe it's enough of a
separation to, to not be my hobby.
But I think you're right that it
does give a lot of insight, you
know, just enjoying, enjoying it.
The, what jumps to mind is we talk
a lot about experiences, right?
Of, of speaking to people about
travel through the idea of.
Of experiential rewards, right.
It's, it's a mental health thing.
It's a, you know, physical health thing.
It's a decompression from stress.
It's, you know, an adventure like,
um, going on these experiences.
It's not just.
You know, for your, your Instagram post
or whatever, it's like there's a whole
kind of holistic, health and mind and body
and just all around great things for you.
And, that's, that's something
we talk a lot about in, in our
marketing especially, is, is just
from that experiential perspective.
Brandon Giella: Yeah, that's right.
Rachel, what about you?
What keeps you working
in the travel industry?
Rachel Satow: Yeah, so I, full
transparency, am still relatively new
for specifically working in the travel
industry, especially when it comes
to, to like the travel tech space.
However, I, you know, I have.
A lot of agency background, which means
I had the opportunity to work with a
bunch of different industries, one of
which being, you know, pro, um, like
PMS systems that also facilitate, the
hospitality and tourism, industries.
So there was always this like
little bit of a connection
there, with my career background.
And I think one of the things
that, you know, to Ian's point,
we talk about this a lot in our
own marketing of, of experiences.
One of the things that
really attracted me to.
Coming to switch fly and to
working in the travel industry was
getting to merge those passions.
I'd like to say that I'm a glass
half full person and I like to, to,
you know, go with the idioms of,
you know, if you do what you love,
you never work a day in your life.
And as someone who kind of found
marketing when I went to college,
it wasn't something that I had ever
initially intended to, to study.
I realized that merging some of the
things that I am passionate about,
travel being one of those things, but
also, you know, getting to help this
brand really showcase and connect with
its audiences like that, I think is why
it enthralls me so much is I just, I
actually truly love the message and I love
to be able to help.
Our team facilitate
getting that message out.
And that's the thing, I also get
to like, you know, on a regular
basis, be looking at beautiful
destinations as a part of my job.
So that's something that
I can't take for granted.
It's like, how many jobs can you
say, oh, I I get to be looking at
all of these wonderful pictures and
planning my next bucket list ad like
how many jobs can do, can you say that
that's what you do?
Ian Andersen: how many screenshots do
we send each other on a regular basis?
Rachel Satow: Yeah, exactly.
Ian Andersen: look at this.
Yeah.
Brandon Giella: So this, this
is joyful or creates envy.
One of the two
Rachel Satow: Both.
I think all of the above.
Brandon Giella: No, yeah, I get that.
Yeah, to your point, both of you,
that it is such a healthy thing
to travel and it's healthy for
employees to be able to travel,
for customers to be able to travel.
Like being, bringing that as part of the
reward infrastructure, it just creates a.
Huge benefit and boost to people's
productivity and, and just
their loyalty and all of that.
It's huge.
Yeah.
Ashley, what about you?
How do you see working for the
travel industry and, you know,
what's brought you into that and
how you're thinking about it now?
Because you have a background as
being a travel agent, and so you've,
you've done this for a while.
You do it personally, professionally, so
talk to us a little bit about that arc.
Ashley Martinez: Yeah.
I'm very fortunate that I definitely can
say wholeheartedly I've found my industry,
but it definitely wasn't always that way.
I actually studied mechanical
engineering, and I,
Brandon Giella: I did not know this.
Ashley Martinez: yeah, yeah, I'm
an engineer by study, and use that
skillset, still to this day, but
through mechanical engineering.
I worked in oil and gas throughout
the world and through that
experience I got the travel bug.
And from there, I, you know,
made a decisive shift from
engineering into travel.
I, my pa I, through my experience, had
been very fortunate to be able to travel.
I lived in South America, which was
extremely, you know, transformative.
Absolutely.
Again, personally, professionally,
but I knew that, you know, I had had
these incredible experiences, but
I wanted to make those experiences
accessible to other people.
And I think really what we're
doing through Switchfly and
other tra travel technologies,
providers, even you think about.
Booking engines or travel agents.
At the end of the day, what they're
really doing is making travel accessible.
If someone wants to go somewhere,
they're giving them the means or the
ways or, you know, in the education
to how to accomplish that trip.
So I, you know, my core passion is
truly making travel accessible and
that it's not just reserved for
the few that, you know might have.
Exclusive time off or
the finances to do it.
But travel can be extremely accessible
and, we, again, we, you know, we've
talked about on the podcast how you
can travel in your own backyard.
I mean, there, there's going
outside of your comfort zone, as
Ian was saying with his dad just
going on a road trip adventure.
There's so much to learn
and so much to see.
And so what my core passion about
being in the travel industry is just
making travel accessible to others.
Brandon Giella: I love that.
I love that.
It's such, it's like democratizing
travel for everyone because it
is so powerful and it's changed
your life in, in so many ways.
Going from mechanical engineer to
having a Stanley Tucci book on your
bookshelf, which I can see in the
background, which are two different
things, which I love, I love so much.
No, I love that.
Yeah.
His shows are great.
He, he's always talking
about Italy, which is.
Such a beautiful place.
Okay, so, so we've talked about, you know,
what brought you to travel originally,
why it's a passion for you, how that
relates to your professional life.
But now going forward,
how do you see travel?
Shaping or, in different ways, either
the way that the industry itself
is changing, the way that people
are relating to travel changing.
Like what's your prediction for, let's
say the next five years of travel?
What are the major trends that
you guys are paying attention to?
And, Ian I'll start with you.
Ian Andersen: So, so another key
theme in a lot of our marketing is
the generational outlook on travel.
That starting kind of with Gen X
and then really coming full force
with the millennial generation and
then, and even more with Gen Z, are.
Putting more and more value on, travel
and experiences than on material goods.
Right.
I think this could, like this single
topic could and maybe should be a, a
podcast in itself at some point, but like.
You know, the, oh, for a whole
load of cultural and economic and
all different kinds of reasons.
People are able to travel more
people want to travel more.
Um, you know, when I was a kid, uh,
going on an airplane was like, it
was pretty rare, you know, like,
we would do it, but it wasn't,
you know, like, oh, we're gonna.
Go this weekend to somewhere or
next month or whatever it was.
It was quite a planned out
and, and, thorough process.
So, being the cost and being able to
do it so much easier than ever before,
obviously plays a big part of that.
Where it's going, there's, I have kind of
two different mindsets and I'm not sure.
I'm not sure which it's gonna be, or
probably a combination of both those.
One is that trend is just
gonna continue, right?
People are going to, travel more
and more and more, especially as,
uh, as we get better at energy
production and things like that.
We're going to, to keep seeing
those costs go down and expand
options more for travel.
On the other hand, on
a geopolitical level.
Countries seem to be sort of looking a
little more inward lately, than outward.
I think that trend is probably short term.
How short?
I don't know.
It could be five, 10 years.
I definitely don't think it'll last,
much longer than that if, if at all.
But, it is something to keep in
mind, at least on the international.
Front over the next, you
know, five-ish years.
Hopefully, you know, hopefully,
hopefully it doesn't bar leisure
travel so much, or business travel,
but, you know, it very well could.
So we'll see
Brandon Giella: next episode,
geopolitical risks and travel.
Ian Andersen: now.
Now we're getting into my wheelhouse
Brandon Giella: I'm into it.
Let's do it.
Ian Andersen: this is my
personal podcast at the moment.
Yeah.
Brandon Giella: That's great.
Okay.
Awesome.
Rachel, what about you?
What, how do you, what are some
trends that you're paying attention
to and how you think maybe in the next
five years travel is gonna change?
Rachel Satow: Yeah.
So I mean, to
Ian's point about general generational
changes, we talk about this almost every
episode, I feel like, but you know,
we can't ignore the fact that younger
generations who are taking up more of
that market share, of, of travel, are
more focused on mental health, are
more focused on personal wellbeing and.
We also can't ignore that travel
is consistently tied to personal
wellbeing and quality of life.
So when I think about what's next
in, in the next five years, I don't
see it slowing down regardless of
geopolitical things going on in the world.
I think . I, I can only foresee things
picking up regardless of everything
that may or may not be going on
as countries look more inward.
That's my, my personal take on it.
Because when you think about it from a,
from like a psychology standpoint, if
it is so tied to that mental wellbeing
and, and quality of life, it re, if
people are struggling with whatever may
be going on in the world, they're going
to want that little bit of escapism.
They're going to want to try to
put themselves outside of their
comfort zone so that they are
expanding and getting that, you know.
That fulfillment of, of, I've done this to
make myself, you know, feel more centered.
And, that is something that
I think we can't ignore it.
I, I personally think it's
gonna keep picking up.
Ian Andersen: People don't always
do things in their own best
interests though, Rachel, so.
Rachel Satow: Fair.
enough.
Brandon Giella: That's
fair, that's a fair point.
But no, I, I I kind of see
what you're saying, Rachel.
It's like as, what Jonathan Heet calls our
anxious generation is kind of increasing
in this anxiety, this uncertainty about
the future for any number of reasons.
Call it social media like he does
or call it, you know, just political
uncertainty or social unrest, whatever.
I do think that.
Whether it's an escape or whether it's
like, you know what, I actually do
want to understand more perspectives
than just my own or my communities.
I would like to travel.
I'd like to see more.
I mean, I see that with my peers and
colleagues are, are traveling still
quite a lot and wanting to travel, you
know, yes, there's maybe some certain
areas to avoid, but, um, but I, yeah, I
see, I see travel becoming still like a
really important thing, like especially.
As our generation has kids and
grow families, we want to expose
that to our, our families and
friends and all that kind of stuff.
So I'm with you on that,
Ashley Martinez: This whole concept
of, the person that you are while,
while traveling, I think everyone,
while traveling can say sometimes
they're at their best version of
themselves or their purest form.
So I think this escapism or travel
definitely gives you that opportunity.
But trends that I see, or
maybe that I'm hopeful to see
is intentionality with travel.
So with the rise of social media,
obviously we've been exposed to
a wealth of locations that we
probably are, are unheard of.
I know the first time that I
went to Dubai, I was telling my
grandma and, and she was like, I
shouldn't even know where it was.
Right.
But I think with the millennial and Gen
Z generation, they have an access to
a wealth of educational content and.
Inspiration or travel inspiration?
You know, my feed is, is constantly
places, you know, Mongolia,
Kazakhstan, Albania, places that
probably historically people hadn't
considered necessarily traveling.
So there is a wealth of
information and, creates a lot
of inspiration and aspiration.
The one I would say, other side
of the rise of social media
and travel influencers is.
I think there sometimes is a loss of that
being present that we were talking about
that's so important while traveling.
Am I just going to actually take a picture
and say that I've been there or am I
going to actually, you know, intentionally
and being present while traveling?
So, one thing for me, my, my grandfather,
he had a religious tour agency.
So he would bring.
Groups of people in pilgrimages all around
the world, and he had this concept of,
the 10 Commandments while traveling and
the one, the first commandment was, thou
shall remember that you're traveling to
a different place to experience something
different than where you're from.
Right.
You're not.
And I think that is so.
You know, the core element of traveling
is you're going somewhere to understand a
different culture, not necessarily bring
your culture and impose that on them.
So going back, you full circle
to that growth, you're, you're
going somewhere to grow.
So for me, I'm very hopeful that the
new next generation of travelers or,
or future travelers would be really
intentional of where they're going and
really immerse themselves in that culture.
Brandon Giella: Yeah.
Yeah.
Rachel Satow: I would, I would add to that
commandment, um, not only are you going to
experience somebody else's culture, you're
going to experience somebody else's home.
If you, if you truly think about it
like these, I Paris is beautiful, I
love Paris, and I have to remind myself
that no matter how old the city is
and how high their tourism rates are.
People live there.
And if people were to come
here and, you know, I mean,
granite, Gainesville, Florida is
Ian Andersen: No,
Rachel Satow: not
Brandon Giella: Paris.
The Paris of the South.
Ian Andersen: Paris.
Yeah.
The Paris of Florida.
Brandon Giella: Yes, that's right.
Rachel Satow: I'm gonna, I'm gonna send
that over to the city of the new tagline.
But
Brandon Giella: Yeah.
There we go.
Rachel Satow: If people were
to come here, I would want.
I would want them to treat
it with respect as well.
And I think, to the point, Ashley, that
you made about social media being such
a driver, FOMO is a real thing and when
you're seeing all of these magnificent
places and influencers doing, their.
Grandeur photo shoots, it can
really drive that, you know?
Oh, I want to go see what they
saw because it looks so beautiful.
And again, going back to me being a
half, half glass, half full situation.
I like to think that even if that
would be the driving factor for
someone visiting something, that the
experience of getting to travel would
transform their perspective of why
they were, why they made that trip,
and they would be exposed to.
The history of places and the culture
that would shift the whole reason that
they originally went, and regardless
of if it was FOMO from an Instagram
post, or if they had really gone out
from the get go to, you know, immerse
themself in culture, that at the end
of it, it does have that emotional
connection and tie of, oh wow, this place
is so much bigger and more beautiful
than I could have ever have imagined.
Brandon Giella: That's right.
Ian Andersen: One thing.
I mean, that's all absolutely true, right?
Like you go to experience something
new, but something I always find really
comforting, and, I've been, I think on
every continent except Antarctica, that
everywhere is very different, but
it's also very similar, right?
Wherever you go, they're
just people, right?
They're going to work, raising their
kids, having fun, whether I've been, you
know, in the Middle East or in Africa
or, central America or wherever, like,
you can always kind of find very similar
things to the way you live your life.
And, I think that helps
connect you, right?
There's that, that often abused.
A twain quote about, travel
being the death of like
bigotry and narrow-mindedness.
And I think a lot of that is just
realizing that like, people are
people, you know, they're doing
the same thing you're doing.
And that can be really comforting,
in no matter how different
you think your culture is.
At its heart, there's like four
or five things that are exactly
the same across the board, just
'cause we're all humans, you know?
And I've always found that
really comforting whether,
especially in something Americans.
I think don't often realize ones
that, that don't travel, too much.
Sometimes we forget how lucky
we are as a country, right?
And you go to been to a few parts
of the world that, that aren't
quite so lucky and, and still there.
They're just people
living their lives, right?
And yeah, it's poor conditions and
they don't have the amenities we have
or whatever, but like, they're not
sitting there twiddling their thumbs,
plotting the overthrow of America, right?
They're just going to work and raising
their kids and finding out what movie they
wanna watch on the weekend or whatever.
Like, it really is pretty much
the same across the board.
And I've always found
that really comforting.
Brandon Giella: Yeah, same.
I couldn't agree more.
I we're all human beings and no
matter what, culture, language, dress,
cuisine, whatever is in that place
that you happen to find yourself.
There are people that need to be honored
and respected, and I think that's all
people want when you go and travel.
And so for example, to your point,
Rachel, like some people talk
about how the French are rude.
You go to Paris and they
don't like Americans.
If you just try to attempt to learn
their language and eat their food, they
actually really like having you there.
That's been my experience.
I've been several times and
every time I walk into a shop
and I say, and I grab a crepe.
They're very happy because I'm
experiencing their culture and I
think that's all people really want.
So, yeah, I love that point.
So I will, ask this last
question to each of you.
I'll end with Ashley 'cause I know she's
got some very fun travel coming up.
But, starting with Rachel, where are
you traveling next or where are you
planning to think about traveling next?
Rachel Satow: That's a great question.
In terms of where I'm traveling next,
I'm probably going to stay domestic.
The holidays are coming up,
probably going to be with family.
We might go to South Carolina
and visit, my significant
other's family in Charleston.
So
love that city.
It.
Brandon Giella: the best.
Rachel Satow: it's beautiful.
As far as something a little bit
bigger, I am hopeful that next
year I'll be taking a long trip to
do Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and.
You know, finally get to
see all of that because
I haven't had the opportunity yet.
I've gotten to travel a little bit
in, in Western Europe, but, haven't
really gotten to explore those as much.
And I've been binging Outlander,
so of course it's inspiring me,
but , that's what's next on my radar, I
think.
Brandon Giella: That's great.
Okay.
I think they filmed
Ian Andersen: the, the show.
Yeah,
Rachel Satow: Yeah.
I'm gonna go touch some really
old rocks and if you don't hear
from me, that's what happened.
Ian Andersen: Fair enough.
Brandon Giella: Well, I was just gonna
say, I think up in, Northern Scotland is
where they filmed a lot of like Lord of
the Rings and stuff like that up there.
So yeah, it does have this like, kind
of like Outlander kind of vibe to it, I
Rachel Satow: It's very, it's yes,
Brandon Giella: And I like that you
said Wales, you know, a lot of people
when they go to the United Kingdom,
they think about London or Scotland
or something like that, but Wales, I
don't, I don't know many people that
have actually been there, which is
Ian Andersen: Cardiff is the
most fun I've ever had in the uk.
Like
Rachel Satow: There we go.
Ian Andersen: I mean just for like
history nerd side of me, London is
of course London, but like just for
like going and having a good time,
Cardiff is like the most fun place.
Yeah, I loved
Brandon Giella: Hmm.
Okay.
Good to
Ian Andersen: is great.
Brandon Giella: London has the, chocolate
covered strawberries in the market,
so I don't know if Cardiff has that.
So maybe I may not go there,
Ian Andersen: No, but it had probably
the highest like, percentage of
public intoxication I've ever seen.
And I've been to New Orleans
on Mardi Gras, Ashley.
So
Brandon Giella: right.
Yeah.
Ashley
Ian Andersen: I got a high bar, right?
Like, yeah, it's, it was a blast.
We had a great time.
Brandon Giella: That's great.
Okay, so Ian, where are you going next?
Ian Andersen: Probably similar to Rachel,
a couple little, semi-local trips.
Will, will hit Phoenix and see
my folks for, for Christmas.
Probably down to Mexico sometime this
winter, uh, to see my wife's dad.
And then, but we are tentatively
planning, like Norway, Denmark,
maybe Sweden, next summer.
So.
Brandon Giella: Cool.
That'd be awesome.
That'd be awesome.
I have good friends that travel to those
countries regularly and say they love it.
Just like the most beautiful,
happiest place on earth haven't
been there, but that's what I hear.
That's great.
Okay.
Ashley, tell us about your
expeditions coming up soon.
Ashley Martinez: Yeah, quite a
few, but I do have to say, Ian, I'm
jealous that Northern Lights and
is definitely on my bucket list.
So I would love to do Norway
or Scandinavia, but coming up
this week, I'm actually going to
Copenhagen, which is new for me.
I'm very excited, to go to Denmark.
This trip is a little.
Workcation or you could say,
you know, the be leisure, a
combination of business and leisure.
So Switch Fly has a conference
at World Aviation Festival and
Lisbon next week that I'll be
attending , Portugal's amazing,
very excited to, to visit Portugal.
And then after that we
are going to Morocco.
So, which Morocco's incredible
culture, that we, we were talking
about earlier in the show.
So, those are the three
that I've coming up.
But.
After that, you know, there's a word, I
believe it's in German and I don't know.
That is when you don't have your next
trip planned, I get really uneasy.
That's kind of what I was thinking
about Ian, when your dad was saying
to, not in that comfort zone.
If I don't have my next trip
planned, I get very uncomfortable.
So, I'm sure on this trip
I'll be planning my next
Brandon Giella: Okay.
I've gotta look up that word.
And also the Mark Twain quote
that Ian referenced earlier.
I don't know that quote.
I have to go look that
Ian Andersen: I'll shoot it over to you.
Brandon Giella: Thanks.
So, okay, so Copenhagen known
for its bikes, gotta ride
a bike while you're there.
Lisbon known for its,
Ian Andersen: The music.
The music
Ashley Martinez: This
the city of Seven Hills.
It's actually, it's got seven
different hills within the city.
So there's quite a bit of elevation
change, but wonderful port town,
in the, the south of Portugal.
Brandon Giella: yes.
Lisbon is wonderful.
The Pash, DTAs, you
have to have a Pash dta.
It is one of my favorite treats ever.
Ashley Martinez: I told
you my pastel DTA story.
Brandon Giella: No,
they're at Costco though.
You can go to Costco and buy some now.
Ashley Martinez: I,
Ian Andersen: authentic.
Ashley Martinez: I,
Ian Andersen: real thing.
Yeah.
Ashley Martinez: I had to bring, you know,
obviously bring things home to my family
and so I brought six pastel DTAs to bring
home, and they did not make them home
because I ate them all in the airport.
Brandon Giella: That would happen
to me because they are delicious.
I love
Ashley Martinez: So good
with this little cinnamon.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Brandon Giella: yes, yes, yes, yes.
Okay.
And then Morocco known for its coffee.
I hear amazing coffee in Morocco.
You have
Ashley Martinez: Yeah, Mars
Bcha Coffee, is it, is it a
famous coffee spot in Marrakesh?
But this time I'll actually be
going to Casablanca and Fez.
So Fz is the, what's considered
the cultural capital of Morocco.
So, so very excited to see,
yeah, to see some new places.
Brandon Giella: Great.
Ian Andersen: get the little hat?
And, you know,
Rachel Satow: Wear a F and Fez.
Brandon Giella: Wait, is
that why it's called that?
Oh man.
I'm enlightened so much on this episode.
I, okay.
Ashley Martinez: I, I will find out.
How about that?
I'll, I'll find out.
Brandon Giella: Okay, great.
And Casablanca famous movie.
I've seen parts of it,
but I hear it's great.
Ian Andersen: You will, and you'll
be doing the reenactment of the,
the, the famous scene, right?
Yeah.
Wow.
Ashley Martinez: of course.
Brandon Giella: See, I don't even know
that, gosh, I need to travel more.
I am so culturally unaware and ignorant.
Okay.
Well I'm just a classic American going
Ian Andersen: You got, you got
Texas and, and France down.
You,
Brandon Giella: yeah.
Ian Andersen: you just need to
branch out from there a little.
Yeah.
Brandon Giella: Of course I need
to add to my list the Paris of
the South Gainesville, Florida,
and I need to try their, their
crepes and their amazing coffee.
Okay.
Well guys, thanks so
much for this episode.
I love traveling so much.
I know you guys do too, and I know
a lot of our listeners do as well
and have all kinds of stories about
all the places they have traveled.
And so please, if you're listening
to the show or watching on
YouTube, please add your comments.
What, where have you traveled?
Where are you going next?
What's your favorite place?
And hopefully we can talk
about it on the show.
But as always, go to switch fly.com
and see the rest of the team's.
Great work there and we will
see you on the next episode.
Ian Andersen: Thanks everybody.
Bye.