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Far From Home

Scott Gurian

An immersive travel and culture documentary podcast where Peabody award-winning public radio journalist Scott Gurian reports fascinating stories from faraway places and makes you feel like you’re really there! On past episodes, he’s road tripped 18,000 mi. (29,000 km) from the UK to Mongolia and back, visited Iran as an American tourist, wandered through abandoned buildings in Chernobyl, and participated in a hallucinogenic healing ceremony in Peru. Learn more and view bonus content at farfromhomepodcast.org

Copyright © 2024. Scott Gurian. All rights reserved.

An immersive travel and culture documentary podcast where Peabody award-winning public radio journalist Scott Gurian reports fascinating stories from faraway places and makes you feel like you’re really there! On past episodes, he’s road tripped 18,000 mi. (29,000 km) from the UK to Mongolia and back, visited Iran as an American tourist, wandered through abandoned buildings in Chernobyl, and participated in a hallucinogenic healing ceremony in Peru. Learn more and view bonus content at farfromhomepodcast.org

Copyright © 2024. Scott Gurian. All rights reserved.
44hr 48min
Thumbnail for "Far From Home: Season 1 Trailer".
On the first season of Far From Home, I take an 11,000 mi. / 18 country road trip in a ridiculously tiny car
March 10, 20161min 56sec1.87 MB
Thumbnail for "01a: Bonus Episode".
A bonus episode featuring me being interviewed on The Backgrounder podcast.
June 9, 201610min 7sec9.73 MB
Thumbnail for "01: Getting Started".
The story of how this whole crazy adventure came about.
June 2, 201628min 58sec27.89 MB
Thumbnail for "02: What Kind of Car Do You Drive to Mongolia?".
We make the most important decision of our entire trip: what kind of car to drive.
June 20, 201629min 51sec28.73 MB
Thumbnail for "03: What Will We Eat?".
We figure out what two pescatarians will eat in the meat-loving countries of Central Asia.
July 13, 201621min 51sec21.06 MB
Thumbnail for "04a: For a Good Cause".
I travel to Haiti to introduce you to the charity we'll be supporting on our trip.
September 15, 201612min 4sec11.66 MB
Thumbnail for "04: Final Preparations Before the Big Day".
We make final preparations before setting out on our 11,000 mile journey.
August 18, 201631min 1sec29.85 MB
Thumbnail for "05: Hitting the Road".
After a year of planning, we go to southern England to embark upon our journey.
December 22, 201627min 31sec26.49 MB
Thumbnail for "06: Mad Dash Across Europe".
We overcome our fears and throw our plans out the window as we drive across Europe.
January 26, 201727min 42sec26.67 MB
Thumbnail for "07: The Real Rally Begins".
The roads get rougher and our journey becomes more interesting in Eastern Europe.
February 27, 201729min 23sec28.22 MB
Thumbnail for "08: Not What We Expected".
Our road trip continues across Turkey, and we're surprised by what we see.
March 23, 201725min 9sec24.15 MB
Thumbnail for "09: An Eye-opening Experience".
As American tourists, we’re pleasantly surprised by how welcome we feel in Iran.
April 14, 201728min 6sec27.06 MB
Thumbnail for "10: Culture Clash".
We visit Iran's holiest mosque and break down again while driving across the desert.
May 20, 201734min 51sec33.53 MB
Thumbnail for "11a: Bonus Episode – Voices From the Door to Hell".
A bonus episode of conversations with other rally teams at Turkmenistan’s Door to Hell.
July 27, 20175min 30sec5.35 MB
Thumbnail for "11: Just Plain Weird".
We visit Turkmenistan, a profoundly odd country where we feel like we’re being watched.
July 9, 201736min 38sec35.24 MB
Thumbnail for "12: Breaking Down".
A mechanic in eastern Turkmenistan repairs the hole in our radiator, but our car still won't start.
August 23, 201723min 20sec22.4 MB
Thumbnail for "13: Should We Stay or Should We Go?".
After our car breaks down in Turkmenistan, we run into trouble trying to get it fixed
November 10, 201731min 50sec30.63 MB
Thumbnail for "14: From Bad to Worse".
After towing our broken down car to Bukhara, Uzbekistan, we finally get a proper diagnosis of what's wrong with it.
December 19, 201725min 12sec24.21 MB
Thumbnail for "15: Whatever It Takes".
While we wait for our car to be repaired in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, we encounter an endless list of unexpected challenges.
February 1, 201833min 33sec32.28 MB
Thumbnail for "16: The Roads Get Rougher".
We drive along the Afghan border on one of the most spectacular and potentially dangerous roads in the world
March 5, 201829min 37sec28.45 MB
Thumbnail for "17: Stranded".
After camping at 13,000 feet, our car refuses to start, and we get stranded in the most remote place we've been.
April 3, 201830min 24sec29.19 MB
Thumbnail for "18: Wrong Way".
After being told our car is on its last legs, we face several new challenges: climbing to the top of a 15k ft. mountain pass and getting horribly lost.
May 2, 201825min 31sec28.48 MB
Thumbnail for "19: One Surprise After Another".
Borat jokes aside, Kazakhstan turns out to be fascinating, friendly, and full of surprises.
June 11, 201831min 46sec30.56 MB
Thumbnail for "20: The Going Gets Tough".
We finally arrive in Mongolia and see that its notoriously bad roads live up to their reputation!
August 1, 201831min 51sec30.59 MB
Thumbnail for "21: A Costly Mistake".
After our cars get stranded in Mongolia, we contact the embassy and wait for help to arrive.
October 1, 201830min 4sec28.88 MB
Thumbnail for "22: The Longest Day Ever".
A combination of bad decisions and really bad luck lead to a complicated rescue and a really long day!
December 24, 201825min 41sec24.66 MB
Thumbnail for "23: The Finish Line!".
After 53 days and 11,000 miles on the road, we finally near the finish line of our journey!
March 21, 201936min 56sec35.53 MB
Thumbnail for "24: Looking Back".
I look back at our 11,000 mi. journey and discuss what it was like returning to everyday life.
May 1, 201939min37.45 MB
Thumbnail for "Far From Home: Season 2 trailer".
We venture to more far-flung places and continue telling stories off the beaten path
June 18, 20191min 32sec1.55 MB
Thumbnail for "Visiting Chernobyl".
I take a trip to Ukraine to visit the abandoned villages surrounding the Chernobyl nuclear power plant
July 11, 201936min34.64 MB
Thumbnail for "The Largest Fish Market in the World".
I attend the early morning tuna auction at Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market before it closes for good
July 25, 201928min 38sec27.56 MB
Thumbnail for "Learning to Throat Sing".
I visit the remote Russian republic of Tuva to learn about the traditional music and take a throat singing class
August 13, 201922min 50sec21.99 MB
Thumbnail for "Another Brick in the Wall".
In Belfast, walls and fences continue to divide Protestants and Catholics, 20 years after fighting officially ended.
August 22, 201927min 40sec29.4 MB
Thumbnail for "Medicine Man".
I go to Peru and tag along with a traditional medicine man as he searches for a stone with magical powers
September 6, 201927min 49sec26.78 MB
Thumbnail for "Ayahuasca - bonus episode".
My friend Dennis tells the story of the time he tried ayahuasca in Peru, and how it didn't affect him either.
September 28, 201916min 46sec16.11 MB
Thumbnail for "Ayahuasca".
In Peru, I attend a traditional healing ceremony where people drink a hallucinogenic potion called ayahuasca
September 23, 201930min 29sec29.34 MB
Thumbnail for "Before It's Too Late".
I travel to Cambodia and visit places that are no longer the way they used to be
October 4, 201922min21.12 MB
Thumbnail for "Balloon Hats".
The remarkable story of Addi Somekh's worldwide travels, spreading peace and joy through balloon hats
October 17, 201925min 58sec24.94 MB
Thumbnail for "Haiti: Ten Years Later".
A decade after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, I revisit my reporting and get an update on the situation
November 5, 201942min 30sec40.87 MB
Thumbnail for "Meet Your Maker".
On this episode, I share listener comments, respond to some questions, and talk more about my background
November 14, 201936min 53sec35.48 MB
Thumbnail for "Mother Russia".
I enlist the help of an American journalist in Moscow to help me interpret and understand Russian culture
November 30, 201934min 35sec33.27 MB
Thumbnail for "Junkanoo".
A visit to the annual Junkanoo parade in The Bahamas, an all-night celebration of music and dance
December 24, 20196min 56sec6.73 MB
Thumbnail for "Revisiting Iran".
A story from my drive across Iran in the summer of 2016, when I met the friendlist people in the world
February 6, 202019min 34sec18.86 MB
Thumbnail for "Touring North Korea with The Radio Vagabond (bonus episode)".
A story from The Radio Vagabond podcast about what it's like to visit North Korea as a tourist
March 3, 202038min 35sec37.11 MB
Thumbnail for "No Place Like Home".
We hear from an American traveler who was stranded abroad as a result of coronavirus
March 25, 202013min 34sec13.09 MB
Thumbnail for "Finding the Helpers (with The Bittersweet Life)".
We hear how COVID-19 is affecting Italy, and we listen to an episode of The Bittersweet Life podcast
April 21, 202043min 9sec41.51 MB
Thumbnail for "Pandemic Diary (with On Spec)".
Journalist Fariba Nawa tells me how COVID-19 is affecting Turkey, and she shares an episode of her podcast, On Spec
May 24, 202040min 36sec38.99 MB
Thumbnail for "Traveling While Black".
Funny and sad stories of what it's like being an African American traveling in their own country and abroad
June 22, 202033min 55sec32.63 MB
Thumbnail for "Double Your Bubble, Double Your Fun".
Canadians in Newfoundland try an experiment in social distancing that forces them to make difficult decisions
July 9, 202013min 13sec9.59 MB
Thumbnail for "Green Book".
A digital travel safety guide for African Americans and members of other marginalized groups
July 21, 202022min 2sec15.94 MB
Thumbnail for "The Island No One Owns".
A collaboration with Planet Money to tell the story of Barbuda, whose communal land system is under threat
July 29, 202029min 31sec21.32 MB
Thumbnail for "COVID Stories Part 1".
Friends and colleagues around the world share their stories from the pandemic and the lockdown
August 17, 202026min 41sec25.63 MB
Thumbnail for "New Orleans 15 Years Later".
On the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, I revisit some conversations I had with New Orleanians following the storm
September 9, 202034min 32sec33.22 MB
Thumbnail for "COVID Stories Part 2".
More friends and colleagues from around the world share their stories from the pandemic
October 12, 202018min 39sec13.49 MB
Thumbnail for "Day of the Deceased".
I visit one of the world's largest cemeteries in Peru, where people come to pay respects to their loved ones
November 4, 202020min 9sec19.42 MB
Thumbnail for "Close to Home".
In this era of COVID-19, you don't necessarily have to travel far away to go on an adventure
December 4, 202018min 3sec17.41 MB
Thumbnail for "Japarican Christmas".
A mash-up of cultures celebrates the holiday season on a tropical island
December 25, 202013min 30sec13.04 MB
Thumbnail for "Foreign Correspondence".
The backstory of how Far From Home host Scott Gurian got into journalism
February 16, 20211hr 25min61.51 MB
Thumbnail for "Te Araroa".
Justin and Patrice's hike across New Zeland ends up surprising them in all the best ways
February 24, 202121min 13sec17.25 MB
Thumbnail for "The Sounds of Silence".
One of the overlooked impacts of COVID-19 is that it's changed the way the world sounds
March 22, 202122min 53sec21.97 MB
Thumbnail for "Revisiting Belfast".
We get an update on the recent riots in Belfast and listen back to a documentary I produced for 99% Invisible
April 12, 202139min 56sec38.34 MB
Thumbnail for "Oklahoma City".
Stories from the Oklahoma City bombing, which took place on April 19th, 1995
April 19, 202131min 40sec30.41 MB
Thumbnail for "Revisiting Chernobyl".
On the 35th anniverary of Chernobyl, I revisit an old episode about the time I visited the site of the disaster
April 26, 202132min 30sec31.21 MB
Thumbnail for "COVID Stories Part 3".
Friends and colleagues from Africa, Europe, and the Americas share updates from the pandemic
May 21, 202120min 37sec19.8 MB
Thumbnail for "Tuning in the World".
Shortwave and pirate radio aficionado David Goren shares recordings he's made monitoring the airwaves
June 11, 20211hr 6min47.48 MB
Thumbnail for "Out of Your Comfort Zone".
Stories from travelers whose plans went horribly awry
July 7, 202131min 45sec30.5 MB
Thumbnail for "Revisiting the Mongol Rally".
Looking back on my road trip to Mongolia, 5 years later
July 22, 20211hr 8min49.12 MB
Thumbnail for "Stockholm Norms (with Here There Be Dragons)".
Podcast host Jess Myers shares her recent episode about the pressure Swedes feel to conform
August 20, 202150min 36sec48.58 MB
Thumbnail for "The Stories of September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows".
Family members of 9/11 victims tell the story of why they're calling for peace
September 10, 20211hr 9min66.05 MB
Thumbnail for "How did I end up here?".
What starts out as an ordinary sushi dinner with co-workers turns into an unforgettable adventure
October 6, 202122min 39sec21.75 MB
Thumbnail for "Playing Tour Guide (with The Radio Vagabond)".
I show a world traveler some lesser-known attractions around my own city of New York
October 27, 202133min 7sec31.81 MB
Thumbnail for "COVID Stories Part 4".
The latest installment in my series checking in with colleagues around the world living through Covid-19
December 6, 202119min 39sec18.87 MB
Thumbnail for "Cell Phone Santa".
An act of Christmas charity goes horribly awry
December 23, 20216min 43sec6.53 MB
Thumbnail for "Revisiting Central Asia".
In light of recent developments in Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, I revisit some earlier episodes
January 17, 202224min 7sec23.16 MB
Thumbnail for "Ukraine".
Conversations with Ukrainians in the Midst of a War
March 28, 202221min 21sec51.26 MB
Thumbnail for "Refugee Stories".
While Ukraine captures all the world's attention, refugees from other places share their stories
April 29, 202250min 7sec48.13 MB
Thumbnail for "What Shelter Means to Me".
How do you "shelter in place" during a pandemic if you don't live in a typical home?
June 15, 202234min 24sec33.03 MB
Thumbnail for "Ayahuasca Reexamined".
I take another look at my series of stories on my visit to a hallucinogenic healing ceremony
August 1, 202227min 12sec26.13 MB
Thumbnail for "The Salvage Car Silk Road".
I follow the journey of a totaled Lexus from Turkmenistan back to a driveway in suburban New Jersey
September 13, 202229min 46sec28.59 MB
Thumbnail for "Turkmenistan Revisited".
My friends and I visit Turkmenistan, a profoundly odd country where we feel like we're being watched
September 13, 202220min 11sec19.38 MB
Thumbnail for "Off the Beaten Jack".
Brit Jack Boswell takes an Amtrak train across the country and discovers the real America
October 8, 202221min 32sec20.69 MB
Thumbnail for "Stranger in a Strange Land".
An American expat describes life in New York, life in the Netherlands, and getting caught in between
February 14, 202328min 55sec27.77 MB
Thumbnail for "18 Years in Rome (with The Bittersweet Life)".
Tiffany Parks, co-host of The Bittersweet Life podcast, discusses life as an American expat
March 13, 202331min 3sec29.87 MB
Thumbnail for "Stories From Flyover Country".
Two stories I reported many years ago when I lived in Oklahoma
May 27, 202346min 6sec44.27 MB
Thumbnail for "Prison Rodeo".
A visit to the world’s only behind-the-walls prison rodeo, where inmates compete for prizes
June 15, 20238min 15sec7.93 MB
Thumbnail for "Every Country Without Flying".
The story of a Danish explorer who spent close to a decade traveling the world to set a new record
December 11, 202349min 9sec47.19 MB
Thumbnail for "Eclipse Chaser".
A field trip with my brother to northern New England to experience a total solar eclipse
April 21, 202421min 14sec20.4 MB
Thumbnail for "Season 4 Trailer".
A new season of episodes coming Tuesday, October 8th
October 1, 20241min 48sec1.74 MB
Thumbnail for "Freetown Christiania".
After more than 50 years, Copenhagen's famous anarchist commune faces an uncertain future
October 8, 202443min 40sec41.93 MB
Thumbnail for "Christiania bonus episode".
More content I didn't have room to include in my documentary about Christiania
October 8, 202422min 53sec21.97 MB
Thumbnail for "Canadian Cuisine".
I visit Toronto to try to solve the mystery of how exactly to define Canadian cuisine
October 29, 202428min 34sec27.44 MB
Thumbnail for "Winging It".
A recent interview I did with the Winging It Travel Podcast
November 19, 202427min 13sec26.14 MB
Thumbnail for "World Reacts to Trump".
A montage of voices from around the world reacting to the recent U.S. election
December 12, 202425min 39sec24.63 MB
Thumbnail for "Christmas in Puerto Rico Revisited".
A mash-up of cultures celebrates the holidays on a tropical island
December 23, 202411min 57sec11.48 MB

Revisiting Central Asia

Thumbnail for "Revisiting Central Asia".
January 17, 202224min 7sec

Central Asia is not a place that most Westerners know or think about very often. But now that I’ve been there, my ears perk up on the rare instances when it makes the news, as was the case on two separate occasions over the past few weeks. In light of recent developments in Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, I re-play excerpts of some episodes I featured several years ago on the first season of Far From Home, where I documented an 11,000 mile road trip my friends and I took from the UK to Mongolia in a couple of really tiny cars.

If you’re new to the program, I recommend going back to the very beginning of my podcast feed and bingeing the entire story of my journey. In particular, if you want to listen to longer versions of the stories I played on today’s show, here are the links:

“Kazakhstan: One Surprise After Another” (ep. 19)

“Turkmenistan: Just Plain Weird” (ep. 11) - go to that link also to see a video of my friends and I approaching the giant fire pit in the middle of Turkmenistan’s Karakum Desert

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On Far From Home, award-winning public radio journalist Scott Gurian documents fascinating stories from far-flung places like Iran, Chernobyl, and Mongolia. For more info, visit farfromhomepodcast.org

Thumbnail for "Revisiting Central Asia".
Revisiting Central Asia
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