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

42hr 7min

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 56sec

A bonus episode featuring me being interviewed on The Backgrounder podcast.

June 9, 201610min 7sec

The story of how this whole crazy adventure came about.

June 2, 201628min 58sec

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 51sec

We figure out what two pescatarians will eat in the meat-loving countries of Central Asia.

July 13, 201621min 51sec

I travel to Haiti to introduce you to the charity we'll be supporting on our trip.

September 15, 201612min 4sec

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 1sec

After a year of planning, we go to southern England to embark upon our journey.

December 22, 201627min 31sec

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 42sec

Thumbnail for "07: The Real Rally Begins".

The roads get rougher and our journey becomes more interesting in Eastern Europe.

February 27, 201729min 23sec

Thumbnail for "08: Not What We Expected".

Our road trip continues across Turkey, and we're surprised by what we see.

March 23, 201725min 9sec

Thumbnail for "09: An Eye-opening Experience".

As American tourists, we’re pleasantly surprised by how welcome we feel in Iran.

April 14, 201728min 6sec

We visit Iran's holiest mosque and break down again while driving across the desert.

May 20, 201734min 51sec

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 30sec

We visit Turkmenistan, a profoundly odd country where we feel like we’re being watched.

July 9, 201736min 38sec

A mechanic in eastern Turkmenistan repairs the hole in our radiator, but our car still won't start.

August 23, 201723min 20sec

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 50sec

After towing our broken down car to Bukhara, Uzbekistan, we finally get a proper diagnosis of what's wrong with it.

December 19, 201725min 12sec

While we wait for our car to be repaired in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, we encounter an endless list of unexpected challenges.

February 1, 201833min 33sec

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 37sec

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 24sec

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 31sec

Thumbnail for "19: One Surprise After Another".

Borat jokes aside, Kazakhstan turns out to be fascinating, friendly, and full of surprises.

June 11, 201831min 46sec

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 51sec

After our cars get stranded in Mongolia, we contact the embassy and wait for help to arrive.

October 1, 201830min 4sec

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 41sec

After 53 days and 11,000 miles on the road, we finally near the finish line of our journey!

March 21, 201936min 56sec

I look back at our 11,000 mi. journey and discuss what it was like returning to everyday life.

May 1, 201939min

Thumbnail for "Far From Home: Season 2 trailer".

On season 2 of Far From Home, we venture to more far-flung places and continue telling stories off the beaten path

June 18, 20191min 32sec

I take a trip to Ukraine to visit the abandoned villages surrounding the Chernobyl nuclear power plant

July 11, 201936min

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 38sec

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 50sec

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 40sec

I go to Peru and tag along with a traditional medicine man as he searches for a stone with magical powers

September 6, 201927min 49sec

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 46sec

In Peru, I attend a traditional healing ceremony where people drink a hallucinogenic potion called ayahuasca

September 23, 201930min 29sec

I travel to Cambodia and visit places that are no longer the way they used to be

October 4, 201922min

The remarkable story of Addi Somekh's worldwide travels, spreading peace and joy through balloon hats

October 17, 201925min 58sec

A decade after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, I revisit my reporting and get an update on the situation

November 5, 201942min 30sec

On this episode, I share listener comments, respond to some questions, and talk more about my background

November 14, 201936min 53sec

I enlist the help of an American journalist in Moscow to help me interpret and understand Russian culture

November 30, 201934min 35sec

A visit to the annual Junkanoo parade in The Bahamas, an all-night celebration of music and dance

December 24, 20196min 56sec

A story from my drive across Iran in the summer of 2016, when I met the friendlist people in the world

February 6, 202019min 34sec

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 35sec

We hear from an American traveler who was stranded abroad as a result of coronavirus

March 25, 202013min 34sec

We hear how COVID-19 is affecting Italy, and we listen to an episode of The Bittersweet Life podcast

April 21, 202043min 9sec

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 36sec

Funny and sad stories of what it's like being an African American traveling in their own country and abroad

June 22, 202033min 55sec

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 13sec

A digital travel safety guide for African Americans and members of other marginalized groups

July 21, 202022min 2sec

A collaboration with Planet Money to tell the story of Barbuda, whose communal land system is under threat

July 29, 202029min 31sec

Friends and colleagues around the world share their stories from the pandemic and the lockdown

August 17, 202026min 41sec

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 32sec

More friends and colleagues from around the world share their stories from the pandemic

October 12, 202018min 39sec

I visit one of the world's largest cemeteries in Peru, where people come to pay respects to their loved ones

November 4, 202020min 9sec

In this era of COVID-19, you don't necessarily have to travel far away to go on an adventure

December 4, 202018min 3sec

A mash-up of cultures celebrates the holiday season on a tropical island

December 25, 202013min 30sec

The backstory of how Far From Home host Scott Gurian got into journalism

February 16, 20211hr 25min

Justin and Patrice's hike across New Zeland ends up surprising them in all the best ways

February 24, 202121min 13sec

One of the overlooked impacts of COVID-19 is that it's changed the way the world sounds

March 22, 202122min 53sec

We get an update on the recent riots in Belfast and listen back to a documentary I produced for 99% Invisible

April 12, 202139min 56sec

Stories from the Oklahoma City bombing, which took place on April 19th, 1995

April 19, 202131min 40sec

On the 35th anniverary of Chernobyl, I revisit an old episode about the time I visited the site of the disaster

April 26, 202132min 30sec

Friends and colleagues from Africa, Europe, and the Americas share updates from the pandemic

May 21, 202120min 37sec

Shortwave and pirate radio aficionado David Goren shares recordings he's made monitoring the airwaves

June 11, 20211hr 6min

Thumbnail for "Out of Your Comfort Zone".

Stories from travelers whose plans went horribly awry

July 7, 202131min 45sec

Thumbnail for "Revisiting the Mongol Rally".

Looking back on my road trip to Mongolia, 5 years later

July 22, 20211hr 8min

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 36sec

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 9min

What starts out as an ordinary sushi dinner with co-workers turns into an unforgettable adventure

October 6, 202122min 39sec

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 7sec

The latest installment in my series checking in with colleagues around the world living through Covid-19

December 6, 202119min 39sec

An act of Christmas charity goes horribly awry

December 23, 20216min 43sec

Thumbnail for "Revisiting Central Asia".

In light of recent developments in Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, I revisit some earlier episodes

January 17, 202224min 7sec

Conversations with Ukrainians in the Midst of a War

March 28, 202221min 21sec

While Ukraine captures all the world's attention, refugees from other places share their stories

April 29, 202250min 7sec

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 24sec

I take another look at my series of stories on my visit to a hallucinogenic healing ceremony

August 1, 202227min 12sec

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 46sec

My friends and I visit Turkmenistan, a profoundly odd country where we feel like we're being watched

September 13, 202220min 11sec

Brit Jack Boswell takes an Amtrak train across the country and discovers the real America

October 8, 202221min 32sec

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 55sec

Tiffany Parks, co-host of The Bittersweet Life podcast, discusses life as an American expat

March 13, 202331min 3sec

Thumbnail for "Stories From Flyover Country".

Two stories I reported many years ago when I lived in Oklahoma

May 27, 202346min 6sec

A visit to the world’s only behind-the-walls prison rodeo, where inmates compete for prizes

June 15, 20238min 15sec

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 9sec

A field trip with my brother to northern New England to experience a total solar eclipse

April 21, 202421min 14sec

COVID Stories Part 1

August 17, 202026min 41sec

On this episode of Far From Home, I’m beginning an occasional series where I’m checking in with friends and colleagues around the world to get a sense of the many ways COVID-19 is affecting people and how their governments are handling the pandemic. This time we hear voices from France, Haiti, Brazil, the UK, Peru, the United Arab Emirates, and Japan.

I’m hoping to do more shows like this, and I’d love to hear from listeners in far flung places! If you’re living somewhere outside of the continental U.S. or Canada and you have a unique perspective, story, or experience you want to share about what’s going on where you are or in your life, please drop me a line at info@farfromhomepodcast.org, and I’ll send you some instructions on what I’m looking for and how to send me a recording from your cell phone.

Thanks to radio producer Neil Sandell, who generously allowed me to share his confinement diary recordings with my listeners. Check out his Soundcloud page if you’d like to hear more of his work.

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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