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Welcome to Travel Buddy
In this episode of the Travel Buddy Podcast Ian Andersen, Rachel Satow, and returning guest Ashley Martinez have a lively conversation about the transformative power of travel. Together, they share personal stories, discuss how travel shapes perspectives, and examine the evolving dynamics of the travel industry. The group explores why travel is more essential than ever for personal growth and well-being, touches on generational shifts, and offers thoughtful predictions about the future of exploring the world. Tune in for a mix of expert insight, heartfelt anecdotes, and inspiration for your next adventure.
Transcript
Brandon Giella (00:01.154)
Hello and welcome back to another episode of the Travel Buddy Podcast presented by Switchfly. I have my amazing guests as always, Ian Anderson, Rachel Satow, and special guest who's been on a few episodes before, 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 (00:21.18)
Thanks, Brandon.
Ian Andersen (00:22.131)
Thanks, Brandon.
Ashley Martinez (00:23.299)
Thanks for having us.
Brandon Giella (00:23.458)
So today we are going to 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 to, 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've got some new global travel coming up. So I want to 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 (01:24.067)
you
Ashley Martinez (01:28.803)
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 (01:54.208)
Ian, what about you? What is a word that you associate with travel?
Ian Andersen (01:58.483)
Adventure, guess. My dad's a really strange kind of, I think only people who graduated high school in the late 70s kind of have this like half, or I'm sorry, the early 70s have this like half conservative, half hippie mindset. And.
Brandon Giella (02:22.51)
That's fine.
Ian Andersen (02:25.523)
One thing he was always really big on was us just like hitting the road somewhere, whether it was for a weekend or longer, you know, and we drove a lot. but we drive across the country. go to Mexico, Canada, kind of all over the place. So, and something he's, he 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 unsecured to feel comfortable. And I think I've picked up that a little bit and and a lot of that 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
Brandon Giella (03:11.926)
Okay.
Ian Andersen (03:24.679)
you know, all that stuff. It just helps you learn, helps you grow, like Ashley said, and I definitely connect with that a lot.
Brandon Giella (03:34.094)
Well, I can't relate to that at all because I just want to sit on a couch as a blanket. Except I do like going to travel and see new places that you know get some of those.
Ian Andersen (03:40.499)
Ha
Rachel Satow (03:40.997)
you
Brandon Giella (03:48.44)
Rachel, what about you? What draws you into travel these days and why did you get started with it? What's a word that you associate with it?
Rachel Satow (03:56.11)
Yeah, so I think to answer your first question, the thing that draws me into it is just, and 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 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 really understand the grandeur of the world, that was 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, you know, in my comfort zone. So kind of like Ian's dad, I definitely realized like, 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. And I didn't realize how much I loved doing, you know, just
reading by a fountain until I had that opportunity to put myself in uncomfortable situations and travel definitely puts you in a ton of uncomfortable situations.
Brandon Giella (05:26.616)
Yes, that's right. That's right. I love that. I totally agree with you.
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 have much more of that perspective because 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'm very much a Western Europe.
traveler and so I'm still very, you know, staunchly in a westernized view of the world, but I would like to see a lot more different perspectives. Seriously, okay, I do love to travel and I like the new experiences that it brings and I like new perspectives and all that, but yeah, I guess maybe I am a little safe, know. Ashley, you were just talking about traveling to Morocco soon and that's a different world that is not. It is in the West.
Ian Andersen (06:06.343)
That's your couch of travel, right? Yeah.
Brandon Giella (06:28.61)
but it is a very different kind of perspective on the world than you would get in, say, Paris, if that makes sense.
Ashley Martinez (06:36.631)
Definitely even though maraca 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 a similar in europe but i also just got back from asia and asia was very
Brandon Giella (06:40.423)
there you go.
Brandon Giella (06:52.014)
Hmm.
Brandon Giella (06:59.33)
Yeah.
Brandon Giella (07:04.878)
Mm.
Ashley Martinez (07:06.691)
eye-opening for me and the truly I keep using this idea or I keep saying I never felt more small not in a know a self-confidence perspective but more so in realizing how many people there are in the world you you take the train in Japan in your you know there's hundreds of people all the train everybody in a beautiful synchronization of
Brandon Giella (07:15.662)
Mm.
Brandon Giella (07:21.933)
Yeah.
Brandon Giella (07:26.081)
Hey.
Ashley Martinez (07:32.835)
Everyone's very orderly, organized on time. It's amazing how even with that many people, the society functions extremely efficiently. Whereas conversely in Africa, it is definitely a beautiful type of chaos where there's just, you know, there's no lanes in the streets. There's people everywhere. So Asia for me was extremely eye-opening.
Brandon Giella (07:47.327)
Yeah. Yes.
Brandon Giella (07:54.42)
Yeah, I want to emphasize that and then we'll shift to the next segment, 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 went to London in the spring and you know, 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 1800s and Europeans are like, come on,
Ian Andersen (08:25.299)
My dad has a friend originally from Switzerland who every time I've seen him, so I don't know, 20, 30 times in my life, I've had to hear his joke about how Americans and Europeans are like the difference between Europeans and Americans is the difference of 100. Europeans think 100 miles is a long ways and Americans think 100 years is a long time.
Brandon Giella (08:37.964)
Ha ha.
Brandon Giella (08:55.054)
Yeah, that's actually a really great joke. That perfectly encapsulates that. Yes. That's great. Yes. Yeah. 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 Asia, it's, mean, millions, tens of millions of people that live in just one city.
Ian Andersen (08:55.195)
Like, I've... Yeah. Yeah.
Ian Andersen (09:23.397)
And even beyond just the strict populations, because New York City is every bit as big as many Asian cities, but the way it's organized still seems so much more spacious, 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, but you go on the train in Japan or most East Asian places, it's gonna be just a cigar tube full of people, right?
Brandon Giella (09:54.956)
Yep.
Brandon Giella (10:04.334)
Yeah.
I had to had to google this so in New York City population is 8 million and in Shanghai population is 25 million and in Tokyo 37 million That's amazing 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
Ian Andersen (10:18.995)
Cheers.
Ian Andersen (10:23.249)
I thought New York is that just the city or is that kind of greater? Okay.
Brandon Giella (10:37.518)
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 world of travel and then you've discovered it yourselves. But it's bled, obviously, because you work at Switchfly, into your professional life as well. So I'd love to hear from you guys 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?
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 (11:38.342)
I one, I don't get to travel so much for work. So maybe it's enough of a separation to not be my hobby. But I think you're right that it does give a lot of insight, just enjoying it. What jumps to mind is we talk a lot about experiences of speaking to people.
Brandon Giella (11:46.488)
Fair.
Ian Andersen (12:07.205)
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 it's a decompression from stress. It's you know, an adventure like 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. that's something we talk a lot about in our marketing, especially is just from that experiential perspective.
Brandon Giella (12:54.638)
Yeah, that's right. Rachel, what about you? What keeps you working in the travel industry?
Rachel Satow (12:59.251)
Yeah, 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, know, like PMS systems that also facilitate, you know, the hospitality and tourism industries. So there was always this like little bit of a connection there with my, 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 Switchfly 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 go with the idioms of, 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 study.
Brandon Giella (13:59.384)
Yes.
Rachel Satow (14:10.169)
I realized that merging some of the things that I am passionate about, travel being one of those things, but also getting to help this brand really showcase and connect with its audiences. That, I think, is why it enthralls me so much is I actually truly love the message and I love to be able to help our team facilitate getting that message out.
Brandon Giella (14:30.19)
Hmm.
Rachel Satow (14:36.979)
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. That's something that I can't take for granted. It's like, how many jobs can you say, I get to be looking at all of these wonderful pictures and planning my next bucket list ad. Like, how many jobs can you say that that's what you do?
Rachel Satow (15:03.955)
Yeah, exactly.
Brandon Giella (15:06.85)
So this, is joyful or creates envy. One of the two is, you know, no, I'm just kidding. No, yeah, I get that. Um, yeah, to your point, both of you that it is such a healthy.
Rachel Satow (15:11.175)
Both, I think all of the above.
Brandon Giella (15:19.576)
thing to travel and it's healthy for employees to be able to travel, for customers to be able to travel. Like bringing that as part of the reward infrastructure, it just creates a huge benefit and boost to people's productivity 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 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 done this for a while, you do it personally, professionally. So talk to us a little bit about that arc.
Ashley Martinez (15:57.89)
Yeah, no, I'm very fortunate that I'm
definitely can say wholeheartedly I found my industry. But it definitely wasn't always that way. I actually studied mechanical engineering. I, yeah, yeah, I'm an engineer by study and use that skill set 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 made a decisive shift from engineering into travel.
Brandon Giella (16:07.51)
What? I did not know this. Wow.
Ashley Martinez (16:29.99)
I, through my experience, have been very fortunate to be able to travel. I've lived in South America, which was extremely transformative, absolutely, again, personally, professionally. But I knew that 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 SwitchFi and other 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 the education to how to accomplish that trip. my core passion is truly making travel accessible and that is not just reserved for the few that might have...
Exclusive time off or you know the finances to do it but travel can be extremely accessible and you we again We you know we've talked about on the podcast how you can travel in your own backyard I mean there's going outside of your comfort zone or 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 (17:40.574)
I that. I love that. It's like democratizing travel for everyone because it is so powerful. It's changed your life 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'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
Ashley Martinez (17:44.686)
Yeah.
Ashley Martinez (17:52.516)
I was going to say, how did you know?
Brandon Giella (18:10.448)
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 (18:37.075)
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 podcast in itself at some point, but like, you know, the, a whole load of cultural and economic and all different kinds of reasons, people are able to travel more. People want to travel more. you know, when I was a kid, going on an airplane was like,
It was pretty rare, you know, like we would do it but it wasn't you know, like we're gonna go this weekend to somewhere or or next month or whatever it was it was quite a planned out and and thorough process so Being the 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 I have
Brandon Giella (19:37.592)
Mm-hmm.
Brandon Giella (19:45.431)
Mm-hmm.
Ian Andersen (20:03.251)
Kind of two different mindsets and I'm not sure which it's going to be or probably a combination of both. One is that trend is just going to continue. People are going to travel more and more and more, especially as we get better at energy production and things like that. We're going 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 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 (21:19.298)
Okay, so next episode, geopolitical risks and travel. I'm into it, let's do it. That's great, okay, awesome. Rachel, what about you? What are some trends that you're paying attention to and how you think maybe in the next five years, travel is going to change?
Ian Andersen (21:23.783)
Now we're getting into my wheelhouse. Yeah, now we're, this is my personal podcast at the moment. Yeah.
Rachel Satow (21:39.075)
Yeah, so I mean, to Ian's point about 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 travel are more focused on mental health, are more focused on personal well-being, and we also can't ignore that travel is consistently tied to personal well-being and quality of life. So...
when I think about what's next in the next five years, I don't see it slowing down, regardless of geopolitical things going on in the world. think 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 personal take on it because when you think about it from a psychology standpoint, if...
It is so tied to that mental wellbeing and quality of life. 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 fulfillment of, I've done this to make myself feel more centered.
And that is something that I think we can ignore it. I personally think it's gonna keep picking up.
Ian Andersen (23:12.519)
People don't always do things in their own best interests though, Rachel.
Rachel Satow (23:16.211)
Fair enough.
Brandon Giella (23:16.718)
That's fair. That's fair. That's fair point. But no, I kind of, I kind of see what you're saying, Rachel. It's like as, what Jonathan Haidt 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 traveling still quite a lot and wanting to travel. You know, yes, there's maybe some certain areas to avoid, but, but yeah, I see, I see travel becoming still like a really important thing. Like, especially as our generation has kids and grows families, we want to expose that to our, our families and friends.
all that kind of stuff so I'm with you on that.
Ashley, yeah. No, no, no, no, no, you go first.
Ian Andersen (24:16.401)
Yeah, so something might, sorry. Let me go ahead, Ashley. I've been dominating this last part, so all yours, please.
Brandon Giella (24:22.67)
Hahaha
Ashley Martinez (24:23.703)
no, I love it. This whole concept of the person that you are while traveling, think everyone...
while traveling can say sometimes they're at their best version of themselves or their purest form like as Rachel alluded to. didn't, discovered that I actually liked reading a book you know, but I found it just enjoying peace. 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-
Brandon Giella (24:39.352)
Yeah. Yeah.
Ashley Martinez (24:55.464)
wealth of locations that we probably are unheard of. I know the first time that I went to Dubai I was telling my grandma 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 access to a wealth of educational content and.
Brandon Giella (24:59.054)
Mm-hmm.
Brandon Giella (25:04.078)
Mm-hmm.
Ashley Martinez (25:12.9)
inspiration or travel inspiration. know, my feed is constantly places, 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 intentionally and being present while traveling? So, one thing for me, my grandfather, had a religious tour agency so he would bring...
Brandon Giella (25:40.558)
Mm.
Ashley Martinez (25:57.602)
groups of people and 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. And I think that is so.
Brandon Giella (26:00.0)
you
Hmm.
Brandon Giella (26:10.734)
Hmm.
Ashley Martinez (26:14.552)
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 full circle to that growth, you're going somewhere to grow. So for me, I'm very hopeful that the new next generation of travelers or future travelers will be really intentional of where they're going and really immerse themselves in that culture.
Brandon Giella (26:37.196)
Yeah, amen. Yeah.
Rachel Satow (26:37.203)
Yeah, I would add to that commandment. Not only are you going to experience somebody else's culture, you're going to experience somebody else's home. If you truly think about it, these, 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, know, mean, Granite Gainesville, Florida is...
Brandon Giella (26:47.438)
Hmm.
Brandon Giella (27:06.83)
The Paris of the South! Yes, that's right.
Rachel Satow (27:07.155)
Not Paris. Just like Paris. Exactly. I'm gonna send that over to the city as the new tagline. But if people were to come here, would want them to treat it with respect as well. And I think to the point, that you made about social media being such a driver,
Ian Andersen (27:07.315)
It's just like Paris. Yeah, just like Paris. Yeah, the Paris of Florida, definitely.
Brandon Giella (27:19.362)
There we go.
Rachel Satow (27:33.661)
FOMO is a real thing. And when you're seeing all of these magnificent places and influencers doing, you know, their grandeur photo shoots, it can really drive that, you I want to go see what they saw because it looks so beautiful. And again, going back to me being a 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 made that trip. And they would be exposed to the history of places in the culture that would shift the whole reason that they originally went. regardless of if it was FOMO from an Instagram post or if they had really gone out from the get-go to immerse themselves in culture, that at the end of it,
it does have that emotional connection and tie of, wow, this place is so much bigger and more beautiful than I could ever have imagined.
Ian Andersen (28:41.763)
One thing, I mean, that's all absolutely true, right? Like you go to experience something new, but something I always find really comforting. I've been, think on every continent except Antarctica.
Ian Andersen (28:59.567)
Everywhere is very different, but it's also very similar right like wherever you go. They're just people right there going to work raising their kids having fun like You know 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 and
Brandon Giella (29:07.406)
Mm-hmm.
Ian Andersen (29:28.487)
I think that helps connect you, right? There's that oft abused twain quote about travel being the death of bigotry and narrow-mindedness. And I think a lot of that is just realizing that people are people. They're doing the same thing you're doing. And that can be really comforting.
Brandon Giella (29:39.374)
Hmm.
Brandon Giella (29:43.95)
Hmm.
Ian Andersen (29:57.372)
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 because we're all humans, you know, and I've always found that really comforting, whether, you know, especially in something Americans, I think, don't often realize, ones that don't travel too much. Sometimes we forget.
Brandon Giella (30:07.438)
Yeah.
Ian Andersen (30:25.971)
lucky we are as a country, right? And you go to bend a few parts of the world that aren't quite so lucky 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...
Brandon Giella (30:28.238)
Yeah.
Brandon Giella (30:40.546)
Yeah.
Brandon Giella (30:50.028)
Mm-hmm.
Ian Andersen (30:54.481)
finding out what movie they want to 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 (31:05.004)
Yeah, same. I couldn't agree more. 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 bonjour and I grab a crepe they are very happy because I'm experiencing their culture and I think it'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 because I know she's got some very fun travel coming up. starting with Rachel, where are you traveling next or where are you planning to think about traveling next?
Rachel Satow (32:06.811)
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'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
Brandon Giella (32:18.926)
Charlson's the best, yep.
Rachel Satow (32:35.441)
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 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 (32:37.966)
Nice.
Brandon Giella (32:49.128)
Ha ha ha ha ha
Brandon Giella (32:55.074)
that's great okay I think they filmed some it's just like there you go 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 imagine mystical there you go 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
Ian Andersen (32:56.049)
It's just like the show. Yeah, absolutely. It's just like it.
Rachel Satow (32:58.631)
Yeah, I'm gonna go touch some really old rocks and if you don't hear from me, that's what happened.
Rachel Satow (33:09.768)
Mm-hmm.
Rachel Satow (33:14.408)
mystical. It's very, it's yes.
Brandon Giella (33:22.496)
Scotland or something like that, but Wales, I don't know many people that have actually been there, which is great.
Rachel Satow (33:25.913)
Yeah.
Ian Andersen (33:26.973)
Cardiff is the most fun I've ever had in the UK. Just for history nerd side of me, London is of course London, but just for going and having a good time, Cardiff is the most fun place. Yeah, I loved it. Wales is great.
Brandon Giella (33:30.496)
Really?
Rachel Satow (33:31.004)
Here we go.
Brandon Giella (33:36.642)
Yeah.
Brandon Giella (33:43.253)
Okay, good to know. London has the chocolate covered strawberries in the markets. I don't know if Cardiff has that, so maybe I may not go there, but we'll see.
Rachel Satow (33:50.51)
Okay.
Ian Andersen (33:51.984)
No, but it had probably the highest like percentage of public intoxication I've ever seen and and I've been to New Orleans on Mardi Gras, Ashley. like I got a high bar, right? Like, yeah, yeah, it's it was a blast. We had a great time.
Brandon Giella (33:57.166)
Really? That's right, yeah, Ashley knows New Orleans. Okay. That's great.
Rachel Satow (33:57.297)
hahahaha
Hahaha!
Brandon Giella (34:08.674)
That's great. Okay, so Ian, where are you going next?
Ian Andersen (34:11.987)
Probably similar to Rachel, a couple of little semi-local trips will hit Phoenix and see my folks for Christmas. Probably down to Mexico sometime this winter to see my wife's dad. But we are tentatively planning Norway, Denmark, maybe Sweden next summer.
Brandon Giella (34:37.678)
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 right here. That's great. Okay, Ashley, tell us about your expeditions coming up soon.
Ashley Martinez (34:55.012)
Yeah, quite a few, but I do have to say, Ian, I'm jealous that Northern Lights 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...
Brandon Giella (35:00.012)
Hmm.
Ashley Martinez (35:11.468)
Workation or you could say, know the leisure a combination of business and leisure So switch fly has a conference the world aviation festival and Lisbon next week that I'll be attending Portugal's amazing very excited to visit Portugal and then after that we are going to Morocco So which Morocco's incredible culture that we were talking about earlier in the show. So Those are the three that I've coming up. But after that, 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
Brandon Giella (35:13.218)
hehe
Brandon Giella (35:22.286)
Mm-hmm.
Ashley Martinez (35:41.422)
trip planned I get really uneasy that's kind of what I was thinking about Ian when your dad was saying you know 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 (35:43.778)
Yeah.
Brandon Giella (35:51.277)
Huh.
Brandon Giella (35:54.998)
Okay, I've got to 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 up. Thanks. So, okay, so Copenhagen known for its bikes. Gotta ride a bike while you're there. Lisbon known for its... I shouldn't say it. I've seen it other things.
Ashley Martinez (35:56.844)
Yeah.
Ian Andersen (36:01.093)
I'll shoot it over to you.
Ashley Martinez (36:02.564)
You
Ashley Martinez (36:08.408)
Got to.
Ian Andersen (36:12.571)
music, the music in Lisbon.
Ashley Martinez (36:14.254)
This 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 south of Portugal.
Ian Andersen (36:17.467)
Yeah.
Brandon Giella (36:22.637)
Yes.
Brandon Giella (36:26.727)
Yes, Lisbon is wonderful. The pastel de natas. You have to have a pastel de nata. It is one of my favorite treats ever. No, they're at Costco though. You can go to Costco and buy some now.
Ashley Martinez (36:34.172)
I told you my pastel de nata story. well, I had to bring, you know, obviously bring things home to my family. And so I brought six pastel de natas to bring home and they did not make them home because I ate them all in the airport.
Ian Andersen (36:40.883)
Totally authentic, just like the real thing.
Brandon Giella (36:54.026)
Yeah, that would happen to me because they are delicious. I love them so so much Yes, yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. and then Morocco known for its coffee. I hear amazing coffee in Morocco. You have to go
Ashley Martinez (36:59.172)
Oh good. With this little bit of cinnamon, yeah.
Ashley Martinez (37:08.438)
Yeah, Marrakesh Bacha coffee is a famous coffee spot in Marrakesh, but this time I'll actually be going to Casablanca and Fez. So Fez is what's considered the cultural capital of Morocco. So very excited to see, yeah, to see some new places. Yeah.
Brandon Giella (37:18.946)
Cool
Great, okay. Wait, is that why it's called that? man, I'm enlightened so much on this episode. Okay.
Ian Andersen (37:21.625)
You're get the little hat.
Rachel Satow (37:25.329)
Wear a fez and fez.
Ian Andersen (37:25.412)
and that the fast yeah.
Ashley Martinez (37:31.908)
I will find out. about that? I'll find out.
Brandon Giella (37:35.424)
Okay, okay, great. And Casablanca, famous movie. I've seen parts of it, but I hear it's great. Okay, awesome.
Ashley Martinez (37:40.504)
Yes. Yes.
Ian Andersen (37:41.477)
You will, and you'll be doing the reenactment of the famous scene, right? Yeah.
Ashley Martinez (37:45.124)
Of course.
Brandon Giella (37:49.102)
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 to Western Europe. So, yeah. And of course I need to add to my list the Paris of the South, Gainesville, Florida. And I need to try their crepes and their amazing coffee. Okay.
Ian Andersen (37:56.83)
You got Texas and France down. You just need to branch out from there a little,
Ian Andersen (38:06.756)
Yeah.
Brandon Giella (38:12.718)
Well guys, thanks so much for this episode. love traveling so much. I know you guys do too, and I know 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. 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 switchfly.com and see the rest of the team's great work there. And we will see you on the next episode.
Ian Andersen (38:39.987)
Thanks, everybody.
Rachel Satow (38:40.071)
Thanks, Brendan.
Ashley Martinez (38:41.06)
Thanks, Brandon.
Brandon Giella (38:41.24)
Bye guys.
