The One Way Ticket Show

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Natalya Murakhver is a documentary filmmaker, writer, and co-founder of Restore Childhood, a nonprofit focused on children's education, health, and parental rights advocacy. She directs and produces documentary films through Restore Childhood and as a fellow at Palladium Pictures. She also writes for the New York Post and her Substack.

Born in the Soviet Union and raised in America from age six, Natalya came to filmmaking the way many of the best stories begin, from lived urgency. When New York City schools closed during the pandemic, she co-founded #KeepNYCSchoolsOpen and filed a lawsuit against Mayor de Blasio to reopen them. That fight became 15 DAYS: The Real Story of America's Pandemic School Closures — a forensic documentary investigation into how and why America's children were locked out of their schools, and what it cost them.

Natalya was inspired to make the film in the tradition of Steven Spielberg's Shoah project, with the conviction that bearing witness to institutional failure is a moral obligation, not just a creative one.

Her current mission is to getting 15 DAYS seen by every parent in America, and inoculating families with the truth so they can push back against indoctrination and reclaim their children's futures.

On this episode of The One Way Ticket Show, we begin our conversation with Natalya's one way ticket back to 1980s Brooklyn, the world she was raised in after emigrating with her parents from Odessa.

From there, Natalya dives into the documentary. She reveals the leaked March 2020 Zoom call where Teachers' Union President Randi Weingarten met with activist groups and Jane Fonda and declared how the pandemic will "fundamentally change our lives," (at a moment when we were told we needed two weeks to stop the spread). Natalya also highlights the moment Fonda was separately caught on camera saying COVID was "G-d's gift to the left."

Further, Natalya breaks down the power of the teachers unions, the $189.5 billion they negotiated to reopen schools, why her lawsuit against Bill de Blasio mattered and more.

Natalya's latest film is: "Uncancellable", the story of former New York City Public Defender and mother of four, Maud Maron's fight to unseat Alvin Bragg in 2025 for the position of Manhattan District Attorney.

LINKS Restore Childhood / Natalya Murakhver • Substack: https://restorechildhood.substack.com

• X: https://x.com/Rstorechildhood

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/restorechildhood/

• Facebook (Restore Childhood): https://www.facebook.com/groups/restorechildhood

• Facebook (Natalya Murakhver): https://www.facebook.com/NatalyaMurakhver

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/restorechildhood

15 DAYS Film

• Website: https://www.15daysfilm.com/

• Linktree: https://linktr.ee/15DAYS

Film Trailer • YouTube Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/restorechildhood (trailer is pinned)

Websites • https://restorechildhood.com

• https://15daysfilm.com

Streaming — Where to Watch • Amazon Prime: https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0GMK76XVL/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

• Apple TV: https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/15-days-the-real-story-of-americas-pandemic-school-closures/umc.cmc.1s4x1ypd6ku4p1rk9c200pw6p

• Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/movies/details/15_DAYS?id=ukW8z3RV5Vw.P

• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vefG1koZ4P4

UNCANCELLABLE

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/06/11/uncancellable.html

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Rawan Osman is a Syrian-Lebanese activist, writer, and content creator based in Germany. She's a research and diplomacy fellow at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, and she describes herself as a recovered antisemite and an Arab Zionist.

On this episode of The One Way Ticket Show, Rawan highlights growing up in Lebanon and how she was taught to hate Israel and Jews, the panic attack she had the first time she met Jewish people (while in her mid '20s), how a shopkeeper's one small act of kindness changed the course of her life, going back to university to study Islam and Judaism, taking a DNA test that revealed her Jewish ancestry, her journey converting to Judaism and planning to make Aliyah, her unfiltered take on October 7th, Hezbollah's collapse, the Abraham Accords, the future of Lebanon and more.

As for Rawan's one way ticket destination of choice? It's to 50 years into the future to see what the world will look like then.

Follow Rawan Osman:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rawanosman2024/

X: https://x.com/RawaneOsmane

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/osman.rawan

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rawan-osman-8b453745/

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Melanie Phillips—renowned British broadcaster, journalist, author of Fighting the Hate: A Handbook for Jews Under Siege, and one of the most fearless voices defending Israel and Western civilization today—joins Steven Shalowitz on The One Way Ticket Show for a gripping conversation on antisemitism, Jewish identity, and the survival of the West.

In this episode, Melanie starts out by sharing where she would go if given a one-way ticket, no coming back: 12th-century Jerusalem to meet the great poet and philosopher Judah Halevi.

Beyond her fascinating destination, Steven and Melanie dive into a profound and urgent conversation about her latest book, Fighting the Hate: A Handbook for Jews Under Siege. Melanie offers practical, actionable advice on how to push back against antisemitism by opening minds rather than playing defense. They also discuss the historical realities of the Middle East, the troubling rise of anti-Western sentiment, the complexities of separating art from the artist, and her surprising predictions for the future of the British Monarchy.

Whether you are looking for historical clarity, practical advice on navigating Jew-hatred, or simply a captivating conversation about identity and purpose, this episode is not to be missed.

[About Melanie Phillips]

Melanie Phillips is a British journalist, broadcaster and author who has championed traditional values in the culture war for more than three decades.

She writes a weekly column for The Times of London and the Jewish News Syndicate, broadcasts on radio and TV, and gives public presentations across the English-speaking world.

Apart from her latest book, her work The Builder's Stone: How Jews and Christians Built the West and Why Only They Can Save It was published in 2025 by Wicked Son.

📚 Pick up Melanie Phillips' latest books from Wicked Son:

• Fighting the Hate: A Handbook for Jews Under Siege (2026) — A practical guide offering detailed advice on how to cope with and push back against the intense pressures of modern antisemitism.

• The Builder's Stone: How Jews and Christians Built the West and Why Only They Can Save It (2025) — An exploration of the foundational values of Western civilization and the current cultural forces threatening them.

[Links & Resources]

Read Melanie's weekly columns and subscribe to her Substack: https://melaniephillips.substack.com

Visit her official website: https://www.melaniephillips.com

Find Melanie on X at @MelanieLatest.

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At age 9, Simon Deng was kidnapped from his village in South Sudan, brought to North Sudan and given away as a gift. He was held as a slave for the next three and a half years. His journey including how he obtained freedom is remarkable.

In this unforgettable episode of The One Way Ticket Show Simon shares the story of how he survived, how he found freedom, and why he now uses his voice to fight modern slavery, defend religious liberties, and confront global hypocrisy.

Simon discusses Iran's role in Sudan, arguing that Iranian-backed weapons and influence helped fuel mass violence in Sudan -- and warning that Iran's reach is often underestimated.

The conversation also explores Simon's advocacy, his critique of international institutions, and why he stands with Israel -- drawing parallels between the October 7th massacre and what he witnessed in Sudan. Among his many roles, he's a co-founder and board member of the African Jewish Alliance.

As for Simon's one way ticket destination of choice, it isn't a place, but a mission — to search for freedom, speak for victims, and tell anyone trapped in suffering "you are not alone".

LINKS:

Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0o127iYosbU

Simon Deng on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simon.deng.3990

Simon Deng on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simon.deng.3990/?hl=en

African Jewish Alliance: https://africanjewishalliance.org/

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On August 24, 1929, 3000 Muslim men armed with swords, axes and daggers, marched through the ancient Jewish quarter of Hebron (the second holiest city in Judaism), and massacred every Jew they could find. In just a few hours, 67 unarmed Jewish men, women and children were dead. Families were burnt alive. Infants were slaughtered in their mother's arms. Children watched as their parents were butchered by their neighbors. Women and teenage girls were raped. Men were castrated.

This horrific pogrom was incited by a disinformation campaign spearheaded by the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Husseini. Years later, he fled Palestine as a wanted man by the British and moved to Berlin where he lived from 1941 – 1945, met with Hitler and other SS officials, and became Head of the Arab Bureau of the Nazi's Ministry of Propaganda. For that, and his other activities, after the war, he was placed on the UN's List of Nazi War Criminals. He fled to Cairo then Beirut where he lived an open life. Haj Amin al-Husseini was never brought to trial. His cousin was Yasser Arafat whom he took on as his protégé.

In her important book, Ghosts of a Holy War: The 1929 Massacre in Palestine That Ignited the Arab-Israeli Conflict, award-winning journalist and author, Yardena Schwartz points out that we can't understand the Arab-Israeli conflict today without understanding what happened during that massacre in Hebron, two decades before the establishment of the State of Israel.

Yardena is our latest guest on The One Way Ticket Show where we focus on the book, highlighting a number of inconvenient truths many academics and journalists avoid. Yardena weaves the thread that runs from 1929 through to the present time, including Hamas' terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. She points out how the West has difficulty understanding how religion in the Middle East continues to fuel violence.

As for Yardena's one way ticket destination of choice? She selected British Mandate Palestine where she would work as a journalist, bringing stories of the region to the world.

This episode fills in many historical gaps and offers insights which may surprise you. I hope you tune in and share. I also hope you add the book to your reading list.

Yardena is an award-winning journalist and Emmy-nominated producer who was based in Israel for a decade until 2023. Her reporting from four continents has appeared in dozens of publications, including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, New York Review of Books, The Economist, TIME, National Geographic, and Foreign Policy. Yardena previously worked at NBC News and MSNBC.

Yardena graduated with honors from Columbia Journalism School in 2011, received an Emmy nomination for her work at MSNBC in 2013, and the RNA award for excellence in magazine reporting in 2016.

She now lives in New York's Hudson Valley with her husband and children.

For more on Yardena, visit: https://www.yardenaschwartz.com/

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On this episode, we welcome Ory Slonim back to the program.

Ory is one of Israel's most distinguished lawyers. This year, 2026, he's marking 40 years since Israeli President Chaim Herzog tasked him with the role as Consultant to the Minister of Defense for Captives and MIAs -- a position he referred to as "The Knocker on Doors".

Ory's book about his work is title "A Knock at the Door" and is available wherever you like to buy your books.

He was our guest on episode 293 on September 26, 2023 where he shared his one way ticket destination which was: "To a future in a place where all soldiers, POWs & MIAs will be back home and where children in need will be okay".

In this conversation, Ory offers: How he came to be the knocker on the door; how he approached negotiating with terrorists; his role in working with the families of hostages held in Gaza after Hamas' October 7th, 2023 attack on Israel; the role "uncertainty" plays in the lives of those held captive and their loved ones; the important life lesson his grandfather taught him about who wins a match between a prize fighter or a boy with a broken bottle; the significance of giving back, and more.

For Ory's full bio, click here.

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Quadruple amputee, Tom Nash, is one of the funniest and most inspirational people we’ve met. So it was an absolute delight to welcome him as our guest on this episode of The One Way Ticket Show.

In our conversation, Tom shares how he lost all four of his limbs after a devastating brush with a deadly disease over twenty years ago. Coming as close to death as one ever can, he spent over 18 months in hospital, surviving a coma, life support and having to re-learn to walk using prosthetics.

He then had to learn to navigate life with prosthetic hooks for hands.

None of that stopped Tom.

He launched a career as a musical artist, first as a guitarist in a band, later as a nightclub DJ. Tom subsequently went on to enjoy remarkable success in the music industry, starting his own nightclub brand in 2006, curating music as DJ Hookie and producing numerous records.

He has since gone on to become one of the most in-demand DJs in his native Australia, playing sell-out shows across various countries and playing host to some of Australia’s biggest music festivals. He is the co-owner of a successful Entertainment company, and a platinum-producing record label. The nightclub brand he started became the longest running weekly club brand in Australia.

Tom is now a Global Keynote Speaker, inspiring audiences with thought-provoking takes on Antifragility — moving beyond resilience — and how embracing challenges can turn adversity into advantage. He has graced the stages of some of the world’s largest conferences and festivals including TED and SXSW. Tom’s unique talent for captivating people with his personal story, his dark sense of humor and his incredible wit are distilled into grounded philosophies for life from which everyone can draw wisdom. Tom's unapologetic attitude towards dealing with adversity renders him deserving of the platform he so eloquently uses, speaking openly with sincerity and candor to a full gamut of audiences.

Tom’s latest book ‘Hook, Line & Sinner’ was published through Penguin Random House in 2023, and his TEDx talk has amassed over two and a half million views on TED.com.

You can also catch Tom on his fabulous YouTube show, ‘Last Meal with Tom Nash’.

Apart from sharing his remarkable journey and offering insight into thriving amidst adversity, Tom shares his one way ticket to the year 3333.

In addition to being a fan of symmetry (which played into the year he selected), Tom would like to venture into the future (with his partner Lauren and his Italian Greyhound), to see how much we would have explored space by then, how we harvest energy, medical advances achieved, to meet the person in 3333 who’s at the forefront of technological innovation, and more.

Tom takes us on a wild ride, so fasten your seat belts!

LINKS:

www.tomnash.com

go.ted.com/tomnash

instagram.com/djhookie

x.com/djhookie

https://www.youtube.com/@lastmealtomnash

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Douglas Murray is a journalist and bestselling author of 8 books, including: On Democracies and Death Cults: Israel and the Future of Civilization (2025); The War on the West (2022); The Madness of Crowds: Gender, Race and Identity(2019); and The Strange Death of Europe: Immigration, Identity, Islam (2018).

He has been a contributor to The Spectator since 2000 and associate editor since 2012. He is a columnist at the New York Post and regularly writes for the Telegraph and the Sun.

Mr. Murray is also a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and contributing editor of City Journal.

On this episode of The One Way Ticket Show, we begin the conversation with Mr. Murray sharing his one way ticket back in time to Elizabethan England which he describes as the greatest period of the flowering of the English language. There, he would meet Shakespeare, attend performances at the Globe Theatre, and marvel at the Court of Queen Elizabeth I.

We then delve into his latest book, On Democracies and Death Cults: Israel and the Future of Civilization and cover topics and thoughts, including:

Vasily Grossman’s quote from his book, Life and Fate: “Tell me what you accuse the Jews of, I’ll tell you what you’re guilty of”
How many in the West don’t understand that for Hamas and people like Sinwar, their war against Israel is a religiously motivated jihad
It’s a myth that all people – everywhere – want the same thing
The extent to which and the consequences of populations being misled in closed societies
Divorcing a performer’s politics from their performance (and how it would be wonderful if actors just “shut up” about politics in the first place!)
The strange landscape that is the (news) media today
His break mechanism of: "Never forget how much damage can be done by willful optimism"
Why he never talks about his next book project
And much more . . .

LINKS:

https://douglasmurray.net/

Douglas Murray on:

X: https://x.com/DouglasKMurray

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/douglaskmurray/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DouglasKMurrayOfficial

Books:

On Democracies and Death Cults: Israel and the Future of Civilization

The War on the West

The Madness of Crowds: Gender, Race and Identity

The Strange Death of Europe: Immigration, Identity, Islam

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I’ve been following, Assita Kanko, Member of European Parliament on social media for quite some time, so it was a true thrill to welcome her into the studio as our latest guest on The One Way Ticket Show.

Ms. Kanko was born on July 14, 1980, in Godyr, Burkina Faso. She grew up in a society where women's rights were severely restricted and was subjected to female genital mutilation as a child. At a young age, she began writing about human rights and women's rights. In 2001, she moved to Belgium, where she eventually became a naturalized citizen. She studied journalism and political science and became a well-known voice in public debate, working as an author, opinion maker, and human rights activist.

Since 2019, Ms. Kanko has been a Member of the European Parliament for the N-VA party, affiliated with the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group. Within the Parliament, she serves on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), where she focuses on issues such as migration, security, women’s rights, and the fight against human trafficking. She is a vocal advocate for a controlled migration policy and the protection of Europe's external borders. Ms. Kanko also champions women’s empowerment, equal opportunities, and the defense of European values.

In our conversation, Ms. Kanko shares her journey from being a journalism student and activist in her native Burkina Faso, to being a powerful voice in Brussels.

Plus, she covers:

The stigma attached to being a conservative black woman
How it angers her that we still need to discuss protecting women against radical Islam
Why the rape of Israeli women on October 7th demonstrates that rape as a weapon of war is not treated the same everywhere (and her relentless fight against those who act as if the rapes and mutilations never took place)
Why UN Women and UNRWA need to be dissolved such that their funding can go to better use
Why the most important issue nobody is talking about today is Russia and China's involvement in the Sahel region
Why Europe needs to invest in its industries and defense
The one thing every visitor should do when traveling to Belgium.

As for her “one way ticket” destination of choice? It’s to New York City, sometime in the not too distant future, where she’ll bring her grandmother, mother and daughter with her.

This is a fascinating conversation that I know you’ll enjoy.

You can follow Ms. Kanko on:

Instagram: @assita_kanko

X: @Assita_Kanko

Facebook: KankoAssita

https://www.assita-kanko.be/

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On this episode, we welcome back to the program, journalist and author, Joshua Hammer who was our guest back on episode 112 in September 2016.

Joshua’s career has included serving as Newsweek Bureau Chief in, Nairobi, Buenos Aires, LA, Berlin, Jerusalem and Cape Town. His work has appeared in the New York Review of Books, The New Yorker, National Geographic and the Smithsonian just to name a few publications.

He is a New York Times bestselling author of six books, including The Falcon Thief and The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu (which we talked about in our last conversation).

Joshua’s just released and latest book is: The Mesopotamian Riddle: An Archaeologist, a Soldier, a Clergyman, and the Race to Decipher the World’s Oldest Writing, published by Simon & Schuster.

In the course of the conversation we dive deep into this fascinating book – everything from the Royal Asiatic Society’s 1857 Great Cuneiform Challenge and the gentlemen who took part in it, to the difficulty of the digs in the Near East, to the “Assyrian Fever” (as Joshua calls it) that swept London in 1851- 1852, to the origins of the British Museum, to the topic of cultural appropriation of a country or people’s national patrimony, and more.

In keeping with the theme of the show, should he take a one way ticket back in time, Joshua shared what he would tell scholars and archeologists in the mid 19th century about how their work resonates today.

As for Joshua’s own one way ticket destination, it’s still to Manhattan in 1967.

Do check out Joshua's other books: Chosen by God: A Brother's Journey; A Season in Bethlehem: Unholy War in a Sacred Place; and Yokohama Burning: The Deadly 1923 Earthquake and Fire that Helped Forge the Path to World War II.

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Alberto Nicheli is the Founder of the travel operator, TransAfrica.

For the last 40 years, Alberto, who was born in Italy, has made the West African nation of Togo his home. He knows Africa intimately, having done his first Trans-Sahara expedition in 1972 and having developed an expertise on West African tribes and art. Over the decades, he’s shared his knowledge with authors and filmmakers who want to better understand that part of the world.

Our conversation with Alberto took place in a very lively New York City restaurant while he was in town for the Travel & Adventure Show.

In our chat we cover everything from voodoo to photography to TransAfrica’s 55 day Great Expedition, to tribal Africa, to some unexpected destinations to visit in West Africa (including Liberia and Ivory Coast), to my upcoming trip to Guinea Bissau with TransAfrica, and a whole lot more.

We begin with Alberto sharing his one way ticket to scouting in West Africa. He features how scouting is an “artistic way of doing things”, how he breaks the ice when approaching a village for the first time, and how for him “adventure is culture”. Plus, Alberto offers why he never scouts without a corkscrew!

For information on TransAfrica’s fascinating journeys, visit: https://transafrica.biz/en/

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Our latest guest on The One Way Ticket Show is world-renowned Garden Designer, Madison Cox. The interview was conducted in September 2024 in the Willis Pavilion, beside the house today known as Villa Oasis which was built by French Orientalist painter, Jacques Majorelle in the 1920s, and later owned by Yves Saint Laurent & Pierre Bergé. Adjacent to the home is the famed Majorelle Garden.

Madison was born September 23, 1958, in Bellingham, Washington, and raised in San Francisco and Marin County, California. As a garden designer and author of books about gardens, he has traveled extensively across the United States and Europe as well as to Japan, China, Russia, India, North Africa, and Australia.

Madison’s passion for garden design has also extended to lecturing, leading garden tours in France and Italy, and book publications. He has lectured across the United States and Canada: at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. and the Art Institute of Chicago, as well as at the Portland Garden Club and the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto. Madison Cox is the author of Private Gardens of Paris (Harmony Books, 1989), co-author of Gardens of the World (Macmillan, 1991), and with photographer Erica Lennard, of Artists' Gardens: from Claude Monet to Jennifer Bartlett (Abrams, 1993), and Majorelle: A Moroccan Oasis (Vendome Press, 1999). Cox wrote the preface for The Gardener’s Garden (Phaidon, 2014).

He was the first American to design a garden at the Chelsea Flower Show in London in 1997, and won a Silver-Gilt Medal.

Madison is a member of the following institutions:

President, Fondation Pierre Berge – Yves Saint Laurent, Paris, France
President, Foundation Jardin Majorelle, Marrakech, Morocco
Co-Chairman of the American Schools of Tangier and Marrakech in Morocco
Advisory Board Member, The Aangan Trust, Mumbai, India
Patron, American Friends of Blérancourt, France
Board of Directors TALIM (The American Legation in Morocco)

In our conversation, Madison shares his one way ticket destination of choice is to Morocco. His first visit to the country was in 1979. While he was a student in Paris, Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé invited him as part of a small group down to Marrakech for a long weekend.

During our sit-down, Madison covers:

The difference between Marrakech in the 1970s and today
The nostalgia for Tangier (where Madison has a home)
The rich backstory behind Villa Oasis and the Majorelle Garden
Yves Saint Laurent’s love for Morocco (he first visited in 1966) and how the country significantly impacted his work
The Pierre Bergé Museum of Berber Arts which is housed in the former painting studio of Jacques Majorelle, in the garden
The Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Marrakech
How Morocco has impacted his own approach to designing gardens.

Plus, J. Paul Getty, Edith Wharton, Winston Churchill, FDR, and the photographer Horst, all make appearances in the interview.

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On this episode of the podcast, we’re joined by Frédéric Sola, the founder and owner of Fez’s Riad Laaroussa and Fez Real Estate.

In our conversation, Fred shares his one way ticket journey to mental health stability which manifested in Fez. He opens up about his own experience suffering from depression -- which began in his mid 30s amidst a successful career in finance in London and Paris – and how he has worked to live with and manage it all these years later.

He went on to describe how he fell in love with Fez on his first visit in 2003, so much so, that he bought Riad Laaroussa in 2005. After 18 months of intensive renovations on the 17th century structure whose past life included serving as a koranic school, he opened the riad as a hotel-spa-restaurant in October 2006. It is, what I describe as, “Morocco meets minimalist chic”.

For Fred, the allure of Fez is not only visceral, but therapeutic. He offers that in Fez “you can feel this medieval atmosphere, a feeling of being surrounded by a cocoon. Or being in a cocoon. Or let’s say a riad can create the feeling of a cocoon.”

After settling into his new surroundings, in 2007, Fred met his future wife, Cathy Bellafronto, an American diplomat working in project development in Morocco. They married 3 years later and between 2011-2013 adopted 4 children from the Fez orphanage.

Our interview features many thoughtful comments from Fred about what makes Fez magical, the importance of community, travel (he, Cathy and the kids took a year off and drove down the Pacific coast from the US to Chile in a mobile home) and mental illness (where he believes “part of the recovery is accepting your disease”).

Fred’s story really typifies what The One Way Ticket Show is all about – interesting people, doing interesting things, with something interesting to say. On top of that, Fred is truly living his one way ticket journey!

Fred closes the interview with one piece of advice: “Enjoy the present, that’s all we have”.

Frédéric Sola on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frederic-sola-20a0b87b/, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frederic.sola1

Riad Laaroussa: https://riad-laaroussa.com/

Fez Real Estate: https://www.fez-realestate.com

Journey Beyond Travel: https://www.journeybeyondtravel.com

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Given Jew-hatred and virulent anti-Israel rhetoric spiraling out of control, particularly on college campuses, we’ve invited Shai Davidai to be our featured guest on this episode of the program.

Shai is Assistant Professor in the Management Division of Columbia University Business School. His research examines people’s everyday judgments of themselves, other people, and society as a whole.

Born and raised just outside Tel-Aviv, Shai received his Ph.D. from Cornell in 2015. Before joining Columbia Business School, Shai spent a year as a post-doctoral fellow at Princeton and 3 years as an Assistant Professor of Psychology at The New School for Social Research.

Following the barbaric October 7th 2023 terrorist attack on Israel, Shai has faced deplorable treatment from Columbia University for standing up for Israel and the rights of Jewish students on campus. Today, he’s a leading face and voice in the fight against Jew-hatred and Israel-bashing.

Our conversation begins with Shai sharing his one way ticket to the safety of his late Grandmother’s couch in Givatayim, just outside of Tel Aviv. While on weekend breaks from his university studies in Jerusalem, Shai would visit his Savta (Grandmother) Lydia. Together they would talk, smoke, drink Turkish coffee and enjoy her signature Romanian cheesecake. And at some point, Shai would fall asleep on her couch.

Shai shares that Savta Lydia, who was from Bucharest, was studying to be a doctor. Aged 19 and after her first year of university, despite good grades, she was called into the Dean’s office and told she wouldn’t be able to continue her studies because the university met its quota of Jews. That, plus her being a woman, didn’t fit the university’s agenda. Realizing she had no future as a Jew in Romania, she packed up and traveled solo to Israel to chart a new course. Her biggest regret in life, Shai offers, is that she didn’t become a doctor.

We continue our chat with Shai highlighting:

1) How the first protests at Columbia supporting the October 7th attack (organizing began the evening of October 7th while terrorists were still in Israel!) took place at the university on October 12th before one IDF soldier set foot in Gaza and four days after Hezbollah’s unprovoked attack on Israel’s north. On the 12th, approximately 800 students, faculty and staff came out to celebrate “the historic day” (their words). They used slogans like “resistance by any means necessary” (which for them meant rape, murder and kidnapping civilians was “necessary”). For me, not sure what the need was for resistance since Israel had left Gaza 18 years before and thousands of Gazans would cross into Israel daily to work.

2) The Kafkaesque treatment he’s received from Columbia University, simply for speaking out, not against the protestors or their hatred, but against Columbia’s administration for allowing the hatred to fester and take root. For exercising his first amendment rights, he’s been banned from Columbia’s campus. This includes the Columbia Hillel.

3) His goal in speaking out is to push the message that we have a problem for support of anti-Jewish, anti-Israel and anti-American terrorism in academia.

4) How US professors openly support US designated terrorist groups, e.g., Hamas and the Houthis, but only ones that target Jews (you won’t see support for Boko Haram). How the same professors and others remained and remain silent on, for example, the October 7th attack and the burning of synagogues worldwide.

5) Jewish students being verbally and physically attacked on campuses and denied entry into their public campus spaces.

6) The silent, slanted and biased behavior of international aid organizations like the Red Cross (which to this day has not visited one single hostage), UNRWA, or Amnesty International which engages in historical revisionism.

7) How the anti-Israel and Jew-hating protests are in fact anti-democratic and also anti-American.

8) What starts with the Jews doesn’t end with the Jews.

This is a powerful episode to be heard more than once and shared widely.

For more from Shai, tune into his podcast: Here I Am With Shai Davidai.

Also, follow Shai on all social media: @shaidavidai

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Sebastian Copeland is a polar explorer, climate analyst, photographer and author. In 2017, he was named one of the world’s top 25 adventurers of the last 25 years.

Noted as a photographer “who has produced works that are of outstanding artistic merit and communicates messages of urgent global significance,” Sebastian has led numerous record-setting expeditions, documenting the endangered Polar regions while covering more than 10,000 km on skis over the ice.

Since 2000, he has warned of systemic transformations taking place in the polar regions and their geo- economic consequences. Sebastian has addressed audiences at the United Nations, institutions and governments globally, as well as Fortune 500 companies, about the urgent need for a market transformation towards a sustainable economy.

He is a fellow of The Explorers Club, and member of the International Glaciology Society, the American Polar Society, and a founding member of Artists for Amazonia.

Sebastian's books have sold in over 70 countries. He was named four times Photographer of the Year, including twice in 2020 (IPA and TIFA) for Antarctica: The Waking Giant (Rizzoli 2020). In 2024, he released his sixth monogram titled: The Arctic: A Darker Shade of White (Rizzoli) with a foreword by Dr. Jane Goodall.

In 2018, Sebastian received a Bambi award in Germany, in the “Our Earth” category. He was named a Knight twice by the French government: in the National Order of Merit, and in the Order of Arts and Letters.

Our guest on episode 228, Sebastian returns to the program to quickly revisit his one way ticket destination before talking about his sensational new book, The Arctic: A Darker Shade of White (Rizzoli). In the course of the conversation, we cover:

The changes in the Arctic and its impact on our lives outside the region
Svalbard Global Seed Vault
The Arctic as home to some of the oldest known life-forms (FYI: In 2011, scientists discovered 750-million-year-old bacteria trapped in ice)
His approach to taking award-winning photos (and the importance of patience in the process)
How icebergs are like people
The wildlife found in the Arctic
The connection between the peoples of the Arctic and the landscape, and the strains placed on their maintaining their traditional way of life
Dr. Jane Goodall writing the forward to the book and her influence on his work
Tourism's impact on the polar regions
What we all can do to help the environment.

The Arctic: A Darker Shade of White made the NYT & the New York Post Best Holiday Gift Guide lists!

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Aryeh Lightstone served as the Senior Advisor to U.S. Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, from 2017 to 2021. During his tenure as Senior Advisor, he played a critical role in advancing bilateral U.S. - Israel relations with a focus on economic development & technology cooperation.

Aryeh was appointed as the Special Envoy for Economic Normalization. In that role he was an integral member of the Peace to Prosperity team, leading the inaugural Abraham Accords Business Summit, directing the Abraham fund, and serving as point person in the Middle East for the actualization of the Abraham Accords.

Today, he is the CEO of the Abraham Accords Peace Institute, the author of "Let My People Know" the inside story of the Abraham Accords. Aryeh is a proud father of four and husband to a very patient wife, Estee.

On this episode, Aryeh shares his one way ticket to go back in time to be with Abraham. In the course of the conversation, Aryeh draws on Abraham's life which provides inspiration for meaning, value, purpose and sacrifice in our own lives.

Aryeh also provides perspective on the U.S. - Israel relationship and underscores how apart from Israel being an economic and technological powerhouse benefiting American companies, it has also provided the U.S. with intelligence which has saved American lives; the genesis and benefits of the Abraham Accords; why he's bullish on the Middle East and doesn't know if there will be a more exciting place to live outside of the U.S. than the Middle East in the next 25 years.

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Dickie Arbiter began his broadcasting career in Zimbabwe (Southern Rhodesia) in the mid-1960s.

Following a return to the United Kingdom in the early 1970s he joined LBC News Radio/IRN (Independent Radio News) as a newscaster and program presenter.

During late Queen’s 1977 Silver Jubilee he was asked to report on the British royal family.

In 1981 he was responsible for organizing the UK’s commercial radio coverage as well as taking on as lead commentator of the wedding of Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer.

With the success of the Royal wedding coverage, he was appointed IRN’s Court Correspondent with accreditation to Buckingham Palace – being only one of two such correspondents with continuous and unfettered access to the Palace.

His new role meant travelling extensively both at home and abroad, covering the British monarchy, his area of expertise.

In 1988, he joined the Buckingham Palace Press Office, serving not only as press spokesman to the late Queen Elizabeth II but also spokesman for The King, when he was The Prince of Wales and his late wife, Diana Princess of Wales.

In addition to his role as Royal press spokesman, Dickie was responsible for the media management of ceremonial occasions.

These included all major state events inside Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle inward State Visits, the late Queen’s major UK engagements and the operational media requirements for royal funerals, including that of the late Diana, Princess of Wales.

For his service to the crown, In the 1996 Birthday Honors, he was appointed Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO).

Since retiring from Royal duty, Dickie went back to his broadcasting roots as a television commentator.

Having spent going on fifty years covering royalty, heads of state, and other globally recognized figures, his knowledge qualifies him to bring his own personal insight into the public forum as a royal analyst and international lecturer.

On this episode, Dickie shares his one way ticket to Whitefish, Montana to horseback ride and enjoy a cowboy lifestyle.

In our conversation, we also cover a wide swath of topics including:

The role of the Monarchy
A window into the late Queen’s personality
The Republican movement in the UK and 13 realms where the Sovereign is Head of State
His tea with then Prince Charles & Lady Diana Spencer three days before their 1981 wedding…and what their relationship was really like
Lovely anecdotes of time spent with Diana during royal engagements
Behind the scenes look at managing the press for Diana’s funeral
The painstaking details that go into an overseas royal tour
How the King is navigating his relentless schedule despite his cancer
The U.S. President the late Queen tolerated and the U.S. First Lady with which she had a frosty relationship
The drama surrounding Harry and Meghan
The late Queen’s last days
What he really thinks of the Netflix series “The Crown”.

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Born and raised on the West Coast of the US, Lucas Peters now makes Tangier his home. He’s a travel writer and photographer and the author of the Moon Guide Book for Morocco. Together with his very accomplished wife, Amina, they own and operate Journey Beyond Travel, one of Morocco’s most successful, sustainable tour companies.

Lucas’ expertise isn’t limited to Morocco though. He also wrote Moon Guide Book’s Grand European Journeys: 40 Unforgettable Trips by Road, Rail, Sea & More.

In November 2024, Lucas is releasing the Moon Guide Book for Sevilla, Granada and Andalusia.

When he’s not writing or planning remarkable journeys for his clients, Lucas, together with Amina and their two kids, spends time traveling around Morocco, exploring the small towns dotting the national roads, difficult-to-access mountain villages and crumbling kasbahs of the Sahara.

On this episode, Lucas shares that in 2009, he bought a one way ticket to Morocco and never left – so he’s truly on a one way ticket journey!

Also in the conversation, Lucas and Host, Steven Shalowitz, touch on each of the destinations Steven visited on his recent four and a half week journey through Morocco which Lucas orchestrated. They included: Rabat, Tangier, Tetouan, Chefchaouen, Volubilis, Moulay Idriss, Meknes, Fes, Ifrane, Erfoud, the Sahara, the Atlas Mountains, Essaouira, Marrakech and Casablanca.

Plus, the two highlight everything from riads to hammams, Morocco’s rich Jewish heritage to Moroccan cuisine, the method to Moroccan aesthetic madness to the proliferation of cats throughout the country, and more.

For further information on Lucas, visit: http://lucasmpeters.com.

And for curated, bespoke visits to Morocco, Andalusia and select other destinations, visit: http://journeybeyondtravel.com

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Sophie Ibbotson is a Central Asia specialist who has worked in the region since 2008, focusing on economic development — in particular tourism development — and water security. Through her company Maximum Exposure, she is a consultant to national governments and to the World Bank, and is Uzbekistan’s Tourism Ambassador to the UK.

Sophie is the author of six guidebooks for Bradt Travel Guides, and has written for Lonely Planet, National Geographic Traveller, and Culture Trip, amongst many other publications.

She is also Chairman of the UK’s Royal Society for Asian Affairs, founded in 1901 as the Central Asia Society.

On this episode of the show, Sophie shares her one way ticket destination is to Samarkand in the early 1420s, when Ulugbek - a grandson of Amir Timur (Tamerlane) - was governor. Sophie points out that at this point, before he became the Timurid Emperor, Ulugbek had just finished constructing his madrassa and astronomical observatory, solidifying Samarkand as one of the great intellectual and cultural centers of the Islamic world.

In our conversation, Sophie also highlights:

What surprises most visitors to Uzbekistan
Why the Registan (central square) in Samarkand is one of the top 5 places in the world to visit along with Angkor Wat and the Taj Mahal
Tashkent’s dazzling subway
Bukhara's unique Jewish community and the city as the most beautiful on the Silk Road
The backstory behind suzani textiles
The world’s second largest collection of Russian avant-garde art is housed in the Savitsky Museum in the Karakalpakstan capital of Nukus (thus making it known as the Louvre of the Steppe!)
The gem that is the walled city of Khiva
What makes Sudan such a fascinating destination – apart from it having more pyramids than Egypt.

We wind down the conversation with Sophie sharing her philosophy on travel which is: “If you have the opportunity, go”!

Follow Sophie on Instagram & X: @uzambassador

For more on Sophie, visit: www.uzbekistan.travel/en &

www.maximumexposure.co

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A multiple Emmy Award-winning investigative reporter and producer, Peter Greenberg is America’s most recognized, honored and respected front-line travel news journalist. Known in the industry as “The Travel Detective,” he is the Travel Editor for CBS News, appearing on CBS Mornings, CBS Evening News, and Sunday Morning, among other broadcast platforms.

Greenberg produces and co-hosts an ongoing series of acclaimed public television specials, “The Royal Tour,” featuring personal, one-on-one journeys through countries with their heads of state. Along with such figures as the King of Jordan, Prime Ministers of New Zealand and Israel and Presidents of Mexico and Peru, and Tanzania.

The consummate insider on reporting the travel business as news, Greenberg also hosts the television show, “The Travel Detective with Peter Greenberg,” airing on Public Television. The series offers more than 50 half-hour episodes with cutting-edge travel information and insider tips you need to know before you ever leave home, plus in-depth reports on the good, bad, and yes, even ugly aspects of travel.

Greenberg also has launched a series of one hour specials called HIDDEN, revealing special destinations and unique experiences that you won’t find in the guidebooks or brochures. Destinations include Turkey, Poland, and Canary Islands, just to name a few.

On radio, he hosts the nationally syndicated “Eye on Travel,” broadcast each week from a different remote location worldwide, and is heard on hundreds of CBS radio stations across the U.S.

Greenberg is also author of The New York Times best- selling Travel Detective series. His most recent book, The Best Places for Everything, comes in the wake of such titles as Don’t Go There! and The Complete Travel Detective Bible.

He has also been a featured guest on CNN, NewsNation, “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “The Rachael Ray Show,” and “The View.”

Travel Weekly named him one of the most influential people in travel, along with Bill Marriott and Richard Branson. In 2012, he was inducted into the U.S. Travel Association’s Hall of Leaders for his contributions to the travel industry. Among his other honors, Greenberg received a News & Documentary Emmy Award as part of the “Dateline” team for outstanding coverage of a breaking news story, “Miracle on the Hudson.”

Greenberg began his career in journalism as West Coast correspondent for Newsweek in Los Angeles and San Francisco. He won a national Emmy Award (Best Investigative Reporting) for his ABC “20/20” special on the final orphan flight out of Vietnam, “What Happened to the Children?” Greenberg also received an Emmy Award for “Miracle on the Hudson” for NBC Dateline.

Greenberg is the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin, and an Excellence in Broadcasting Award from the Aviation Space Writers Association of America.

His website, PeterGreenberg.com, is one of the leading travel news resources for consumers and industry insiders alike. When he is not traveling the globe, Greenberg also serves as an active volunteer firefighter.

Our guest on episodes 109 and 287, Peter returns to the program where he confirms his one way ticket destination is still to Fire Island. After which he shares:

· Why with very few exceptions, the best time to go anywhere is immediately after political insurrection, a civil war, or a natural disaster

· The state of the airlines today – who’s really running them, how if at all they’re preparing for another software glitch, etc.

· Overtourism and how destinations are handling it

· The many treasures of Egypt, including the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and the Grand Egyptian Museum aka “GEM” (plus he recounts exploring the inside of a pyramid that was only just discovered)

· Some of what makes Uganda and Rwanda so special

· Why every American needs to buy an atlas

· How the cruise industry is changing rapidly when it comes to technology and sustainability

· Why he’ll only travel to a place where he knows who’s in control

· Why he has a bone to pick with US State Department Travel Advisories

· Why the worst four-letter word that starts with “f” when it comes to travel is “fear”.

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Mildred Kirschenbaum, a centenarian with a zest for life, is known for her viral life advice as a social media influencer, sharing her simple yet profound guidance for a fulfilling life.

Mildred came from humble beginnings, born to immigrant parents in Brooklyn, NY. She excelled in school but needed to work. By 19 she was married and began a family when her husband returned from the service after WWII. She held volunteer leadership positions in non-profit organizations. With a passion for travel, she started a travel agency and traveled the world.

Mildred wrote her first book, MILDRED'S MINDSET: WISDOM FROM A WOMAN CENTENARIAN, when she was 100 years old, to share her tips on longevity and living life to the fullest. Her positive attitude and love for socializing have endeared her to many, and her approach to life reflects her belief in enjoying every day. Mildred’s daughter, Gayle Kirschenbaum, has been instrumental in sharing her mother's wisdom with the world.

Mildred's remarkable journey and her unique perspective on life inspire and uplift readers of all ages.

On this episode, Mildred shares her one way ticket to the South of France which she describes as her logical answer (her illogical answer is to a place where there’s no cancer, no illness and where people can enjoy life).

Apart from exploring her destination, with her signature humor and candid character, we also spotlight a few keys to living a long and zestful life, as featured in her book. They include: Attitude, learning new things, the need to foster a sense of community, and the importance of forgiveness.

We also cover travel – her philosophy on it, dressing for it, and changes in it – and more!

This is a delightful conversation which you’ll surely enjoy and be inspired by.

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Tom Marchant is Co-Founder of award-winning, tailor-made luxury travel company Black Tomato. Described by Harper’s Bazaar as “having a finger on the pulse of travel that is incomparable” his experience shaping the business in the US and the UK has enabled a deep understanding of different markets and his innovative mindset has been lauded across the luxury sector, notably as a Game Changer in the 2021 Walpole Power List and for the past six years as a Conde Nast Traveler Top Travel Specialist.

Recognized as a leading authority in the travel industry, Black Tomato’s world-renowned approach to bespoke travel, alongside pioneering travel products, like Get Lost, Blink, Bring it Back and See You in the Moment reflect the company’s unique ability to uncover rare ways in which to experience destinations and address burgeoning client needs. Their discerning clientele are inspired by handcrafted experiences designed to reflect every passion, obsession and desire, with an acute prowess in the family market – Black Tomato’s center of gravity – with immersive collections including Field Trip and Take Me on a Story, driving the company’s exceptional success in this sector.

This creative ethos has led to Tom and the brand being consistently named best in class, including Conde Nast Traveller Readers' Choice Awards 2023; a Travel + Leisure World’s Best Tour Operator 2023; and 2023 Travel Brand of the Year as the Challenger in the industry at the Travel Marketing Awards. And most recently, Black Tomato was awarded as a Master of Luxury, Travel – in the Robb Report Travel Masters Awards 2024.

An entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for travel was instilled in Tom from a young age, and it was channeling this that allowed Tom and co-founder James to identify a gap in the travel market for trips that were centered around experiences, and the pursuit of feeling, rather than destinations. With this in mind, in 2005, they founded Black Tomato, their aim being to create a business that reflected the needs and personalities of clients for whom the existing travel market had become moribund.

Their innovative travel products and services began with - groundbreaking at the time - diving tectonic plates in Iceland, and this philosophy has fueled consistent growth of the business and has led to collaborations with leading global brands. These include fashion and automotive powerhouses, and in 2023, a first of its kind partnership with EON Productions (producers of the James Bond franchise) to create trips centered around the iconic history of 007, with the launch of James Bond-inspired European travel itineraries.

Tom is regularly asked to provide commentary and thought pieces within the media and as a result he is regularly sought by brands, agencies and conference organizers (from the Financial Times Business of Luxury Summit to Bloomberg's Future of Luxury) to speak on the luxury and travel sectors. This has steered him to take a number of influential board positions at leading companies targeting UHNWs/HNWs.

Taking oversight of the creative direction, product innovation, customer experiences and business development strategies, he continues to work with his co-founder James on driving the successful growth of Black Tomato and he is now regarded as one of the leading voices and authorities within the luxury travel space.

Tom’s accolades and awards are numerous including:

· Named ‘Young Entrepreneur of the Year’ by the British Travel Industry Hall of Fame

· Conde Nast Traveler - Named World's Best Travel Specialist in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

· Conde Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023

· Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards 2021, 2022, 2023

· The Guardian Future 500 List

· Winner of Pure’s ‘Contribution to Experiential Travel’ Award 2019

On this episode, Tom considers two one way ticket options. The first is to Belle Époque Paris, where his great-grandfather was a noted gallerist. The second is to Iceland where he'd embrace the landscape, culture, attitude, light and adventure of the island.

Apart from his one way ticket journeys, Tom covers the unique services that Black Tomato offers. We focus on: Get Lost, Bring it Back, Blink and the Journey into the World of James Bond. Tom also highlights where luxury travel is today and where it’s headed.

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I just returned from a magical week on the rivers of Germany as a guest of Transcend Cruises. Our stops and excursions included: Koblenz, Cochem, Boppard, Rudesheim, Heidelberg, Speyer, Wiesbaden, Wurzburg and Frankfurt. And I loved every second.

As for Transcend, it’s a charter-only river cruise line with a fleet of its own purpose-built vessels. The company offers truly customized river cruise journeys with tailor-made itineraries and experiences for any kind of group.

So for example, you can hold a destination wedding, or a corporate retreat, or celebrate a milestone birthday with family and friends, or really just about anything! On my sailing, the ship was chartered by the Porsche Club of North America with tailored experiences for car enthusiasts. And of course, there were plenty of cultural options to enjoy for the likes of yours truly.

The ship I was on was the Advance and was 5 stars all the way – from the suite to the dining to the staff. Frankly, I didn’t want to leave!

For more on Transcend, visit: https://www.transcend.cruises/ or tune in to episode 301 of The One Way Ticket Show where our guest was Matthew Shollar, Founder & Chief Visionary of Transcend Cruises.

While on board, I had the chance to sit down and chat with the ship’s Captain Rob Jager, Head Chef Mihai Tuca, and Transcend’s General Manager, Carmen Mladenovic. You can listen to each of those conversations here on The One Way Ticket Show.

On this episode, we’re featuring our conversation with Chef Mihai. We cover how he plans for a journey, how local cuisines impact menus on the ship, his favorite foods to prepare, what makes Transcend’s offering so unique, plus, it being the one way ticket show, of course I had to ask Chef Mihai where he’d go on his one way ticket journey of choice (if you’re new to the show, that’s the premise of the podcast).

Enjoy!

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I just returned from a magical week on the rivers of Germany as a guest of Transcend Cruises. Our stops and excursions included: Koblenz, Cochem, Boppard, Rudesheim, Heidelberg, Speyer, Wiesbaden, Wurzburg and Frankfurt. And I loved every second.

As for Transcend, it’s a charter-only river cruise line with a fleet of its own purpose-built vessels. The company offers truly customized river cruise journeys with tailor-made itineraries and experiences for any kind of group.

So for example, you can hold a destination wedding, or a corporate retreat, or celebrate a milestone birthday with family and friends, or really just about anything! On my sailing, the ship was chartered by the Porsche Club of North America with tailored experiences for car enthusiasts. And of course, there were plenty of cultural options to enjoy for the likes of yours truly.

The ship I was on was the Advance and was 5 stars all the way – from the suite to the dining to the staff. Frankly, I didn’t want to leave!

For more on Transcend, visit: https://www.transcend.cruises/ or tune in to episode 301 of The One Way Ticket Show where our guest was Matthew Shollar, Founder & Chief Visionary of Transcend Cruises.

While on board, I had the chance to sit down and chat with the ship’s Captain Rob Jager, Head Chef Mihai Tuca, and Transcend’s General Manager, Carmen Mladenovic. You can listen to each of those conversations here on The One Way Ticket Show.

On this episode, we’re featuring our conversation with Captain Rob. We cover the highlights one sees on the larger and smaller rivers of Europe, the allure of river cruising, his philosophy on leadership, what makes Transcend’s offering so unique, plus, it being the one way ticket show, of course I had to ask Captain Rob where he’d go on his one way ticket journey of choice (if you’re new to the show, that’s the premise of the podcast).

Enjoy!

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I just returned from a magical week on the rivers of Germany as a guest of Transcend Cruises. Our stops and excursions included: Koblenz, Cochem, Boppard, Rudesheim, Heidelberg, Speyer, Wiesbaden, Wurzburg and Frankfurt. And I loved every second.

As for Transcend, it’s a charter-only river cruise line with a fleet of its own purpose-built vessels. The company offers truly customized river cruise journeys with tailor-made itineraries and experiences for any kind of group.

So for example, you can hold a destination wedding, or a corporate retreat, or celebrate a milestone birthday with family and friends, or really just about anything! On my sailing, the ship was chartered by the Porsche Club of North America with tailored experiences for car enthusiasts. And of course, there were plenty of cultural options to enjoy for the likes of yours truly.

The ship I was on was the Advance and was 5 stars all the way – from the suite to the dining to the staff. Frankly, I didn’t want to leave!

For more on Transcend, visit: https://www.transcend.cruises/ or tune in to episode 301 of The One Way Ticket Show where our guest was Matthew Shollar, Founder & Chief Visionary of Transcend Cruises.

While on board, I had the chance to sit down and chat with the ship’s Captain Rob Jager, Head Chef Mihai Tuca, and Transcend’s General Manager, Carmen Mladenovic. You can listen to each of those conversations here on The One Way Ticket Show.

On this episode, we’re featuring our conversation with Carmen. We cover the enchanting stops we made on our journey, the allure of river cruising, what makes Transcend’s offering so unique, plus, it being the one way ticket show, of course I asked Carmen where she’d go on her one way ticket journey of choice (if you’re new to the show, that’s the premise of the podcast).

Enjoy!

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Marcus Samuelsson is the renowned chef behind many restaurants worldwide including Red Rooster in Harlem (NYC) and Overtown (Miami); Hav & Mar in Chelsea (NYC); Metropolis at PAC-NYC; Marcus Bar & Grille in Atlanta and its Live! flagship at American Dream (NJ); and several MARCUS locations including the Bahamas, Montreal and most recently Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Samuelsson was the youngest person to receive a three-star review from The New York Times and was the guest chef for the Obama Administration’s first state dinner. He has won eight James Beard Foundation Awards and recently won a 2023 Emmy Award for the Short Form Program “My Mark.” Samuelsson hosted the critically acclaimed No Passport Required on PBS. Additionally, Samuelsson has won numerous competition shows including Top Chef Masters and Chopped All-Stars and appears regularly on those franchises as a Judge. He also recently appeared as an Iron Chef on Netflix’s Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend. Samuelsson also hosted and produced the Seat at the Table on Audible and co-hosted This Moment podcast with Swedish rapper Timbuktu on ACAST.

A committed philanthropist, Samuelsson is co-chair of Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP), which focuses on helping underserved youth. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Samuelsson converted his restaurants Red Rooster Harlem and Red Rooster Overtown into community kitchens in partnership with World Central Kitchen, serving well over 280k meals to those in need. In Newark, Samuelsson’s Marcus B&P partnered with Audible and World Central Kitchen to create Newark Working Kitchens, which has engaged 37 local restaurants to provide 1.5 million meals to those in need. Samuelsson also co-produces the annual Harlem EatUp! Festival, which celebrates the food, art, and culture of Harlem.

He is the author of several cookbooks, the New York Times bestselling memoir Yes, Chef: A Memoir and his latest book, The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food.

Follow Samuelsson on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter at @MarcusCooks and on TikTok at @Marcus_Cooks.

On this episode of The One Way Ticket Show, Samuelsson offers his one way ticket destination is a toss-up between Rio de Janeiro and space!

In the course of the conversation, Samuelsson shares:

The allure of both Rio and space
The role soccer great, Pelé, played in his life
The link between memory and food and how that’s carried out in his work
How he draws on his Ethiopian and Swedish heritages
What Harlem means to him
His community and charity work
Inspiration for his unique sartorial sense
Why his happy space is to go into a small restaurant in Japan and watch the chefs go to work.

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Kenneth Meshoe was born in Pretoria and is the fourth of seven children.

He completed his Matric Certificate in 1972. In 1975 he graduated from the University of the North with a Secondary Teachers Diploma. In 1976, he married Lydia and they have three children, Olga, Esther and Joshua.

In 1983, Kenneth went to Shekinah Bible Institute in Kingsport, Tennessee in the US, where he did the first year of his Theological Diploma. He later returned to Kingsport in January 1987 to complete his 2nd year Diploma.

In 1988, Kenneth and Lydia started a non-denominational, praying church in Vosloorus, Gauteng, called Hope of Glory Tabernacle that is involved in running a number of community projects in the area. The church strongly advocates the power of prayer and actively mobilises Christians to pray for the nation of South Africa. Kenneth and Lydia are both international speakers, who travel extensively, speaking at conferences in many parts of world.

In December 1993, they started a political party based on biblical principles called the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP), and Kenneth became it’s first President and has remained thus to date. He also has also served as a Member of Parliament for the ACDP since 1994. In 2006, Kenneth completed a one-year programme in Economics and Public Finance with the Department of Economics at the University of South Africa. In 2008, Kenneth Meshoe completed his Advanced Diploma in Economic Policy (ADEP) with the University of the Western Cape.

Notable Achievements

Between 1994 and 1996, Kenneth was the only Evangelical Christian represented in the Constitutional Assembly’s Management Committee. The Committee was made up of around six to eight Members of Parliament. The rest of its contingent (12 in all) were officials.

The Committee was tasked with the organisation and management of the overall Constitution-making process. One of its major responsibilities was to ensure that the Constitutional Assembly worked according to an agreed schedule in order to meet its two-year target in which to complete the drafting of our new South African Constitution by 8 May 1996. This was achieved.

During the Constitution-making process, the ANC had made it very clear that it wished to see South Africa declared a secular state, which aimed to separate Church and State. Kenneth Meshoe, however, championed a backlash against this, both in Theme Committee 1 (Character of the State) that dealt with this particular clause and by raising his concerns over the implications such a status with as many Christians who would listen. As a result, in 1995, a protest march under the banner of the “Christian Voice’ was organised which saw Christians in their thousands march to Parliament against the proposed secular state clause as well as other concerning clauses in the draft Constitution, including the right to life and anti-discrimination clauses on the grounds of sexual orientation, all of which undermined our Biblical values. As a result, the Constitution today states that South Africa is a Constitutional Democracy, and churches can, to this day, fellowship in state-owned school classrooms and halls, civic centres and can still pitch a tent in which to meet or hold crusades on state-owned land.

In addition, faith-based political parties are able to exist and work to defend their the values and principles of their faith in all levels of government and religious leaders are able to serve as Members of Parliament. Also notable is that South Africa is the only African country to have a Christian Party serving in its Parliament.

“The ACDP would like to see a Constitution that is the supreme law of the land, a Constitution that protects not only the rights of individuals but also those of unborn children. The ACDP wishes to see a Constitution that will be legitimate, enduring and that upholds biblical, family and traditional values.” Rev KRJ Meshoe, MP - Constitutional Assembly, 24 January 1995.

Kenneth and the ACDP continues to be a voice for Christians at Parliament and other levels of government where attacks on our faith often creep in. One such example is that of proposals made to remove Christian Holy Days such as Easter and Christmas as official public holidays, as had been done with Ascension Day. The overwhelming majority of South Africans claim to be Christian and such a move was unthinkable. Kenneth arranged protest marches aptly branded “Hands Off Christmas and Good Friday!” His call was then reiterated in the ACDP’s submission which he handed over to the then Minister of Home Affairs, Ms Naledi Pandor. Through continued awareness campaigns and protests, sufficient pressure was placed on government to ensure the matter went no further. In 2012, Kenneth organised a protest march in defence of Israel after the Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies, gazetted General Notice 370 or 2012 that required Israel to label its products as originating from “Occupied Palestinian Territories”.

In June 2013, Kenneth established a non-profit organisation called DEISI International, with a mandate to challenge the ignorance of many about the true facts regarding the right of Israel to exist within safe and secure borders, and to dispel the lie that Israel is an apartheid state. DEISI is an acronym for Defend, Embrace, Invest, Support Israel. In 2020, after South Africans were placed under a severe, prolonged lockdowns and had many of their Constitutional freedoms undermined as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, Kenneth was extremely concerned, particularly given its potential threat to our economy and job security. He was also outraged that churches were not allowed to meet in person, except under excessively strict regulations, and that mandatory vaccination was being introduced by some universities and businesses. Kenneth was at the forefront of fighting for our right to ‘choose’ whether or not to be vaccinated. He did not want to see anyone being forced to do so, as “even God gives us the choice of whether or not to choose salvation,” he said.

Through the ACDP, he was able to be a voice for workers who had been given an ultimatum by their employers to ‘get vaccinated or lose your job’. He encouraged them to stand their ground and not be pressurised into violating the dictates of their consciences. Some lost their jobs as a result but Kenneth remained resolute and ensured that the ACDP fought for them at the CCMA, a fight that saw a number of these unfair dismissals rightly overturned. Kenneth led also a similar campaign at various universities that were refusing access to students who chose not to be vaccinated. Awards On the 18th December 1994, Kenneth Meshoe was awarded an Honorary Doctorate (Doctor of Humane Letters, abbreviated L.H.D.), by Bethel Christian College in Riverside, California, USA, and was also appointed to serve as an Associate Member on the Board of Regents of Bethel College.

In 1998, Kenneth was awarded the ‘International Leadership Award’ for outstanding leadership in the church and nation by the Australian Federation of Festival of Light Community Standards Organisation at the New South Wales Parliament House.

He was awarded a second Honorary Doctorate (L.H.D.) in 2007 by Logos Graduate School, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.

In November 2013, the international organisation, Stand With Us, in Michigan, USA, presented Kenneth Meshoe with the ‘Star of David’ award.

In 2014, Kenneth was honoured with the ‘Jerusalem Award 2014’ conferred on him by the World Zionist Organisation.

In September 2015, Israel Today Nigeria, in conjunction with the Embassy of Israel in Abuja, gave Kenneth the “Jerusalem Ambassador” award.

On this episode of The One Way Ticket Show, Reverend Meshoe (affectionately known as The Rev) shares his one way ticket to a peaceful and prosperous South Africa that is a very close friend of Israel.

Given South Africa’s national and provincial elections on May 29th, 2024, The Rev provides an assessment of South Africa today, and weighs in on the country’s poorly performing economy, high employment and crime and regular power cuts. He shares why people are looking for answers outside of the ANC which has ruled South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1994.

He also highlights how South Africa can learn from Israel’s water management, science and technological advancements and economic development to create a successful South Africa. Moreover, he shares why it's factually incorrect to call Israel an apartheid state and how those that do, trivialise the pain and suffering South Africans experienced during those dark years.

And when asked what Nelson Mandela would make of South Africa today, The Rev responded: “A heart break which might lead to a heart attack. He would faint.”

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Sasha Zabar, son of iconic New Yorker Eli Zabar, is the culinary dreamer and founder of Glace, the Upper East Side ice cream and sweet shop.

Sasha spent his childhood working at his father’s various businesses, including Eli’s Market and Eli’s Bread and then went on to attend the Nolan School of Hotel Administration at Cornell. His unshakable foundation in food, family, and business drew him back to Manhattan’s rich culinary scene, working stints at acclaimed restaurants like Daniel, Jean-Georges and The Mark between semesters.

Following graduation, he worked with his father and twin brother Oliver to open Broome Street Bakery and Devon on the Lower East Side, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, he re-entered the family business full-time. Sasha helped rebuild the brand’s digital strategy by creating new websites and bringing in new technology, eventually increasing the market’s home shopping orders to hundreds per day. Sasha then went on to open Noglu, a gluten-free bakery in NYC.

In June 2023, Sasha opened Glace, a French-inspired ice cream concept. When the cold weather arrived, Sasha pivoted to offer the now viral S’Mores Hot Chocolate, which led the shop to have lines around the block, more than 100k Instagram followers, features on The Today Show, The New York Times, Bloomberg and even a collaboration with Britney Spears.

Sasha is excited to continue to innovate the offerings at Glace and expand the brand to a national and even global audience.

On this episode, we explore Sasha's one way ticket to Edo period Japan, inspired by his love for one of his favorite books, Shogun, by James Clavell.

In the conversation we also cover Sasha’s passion for food, his grandfather as a role model, and his father’s work in expanding the American palate.

Of course, we also talk about Glace, including: The Proustian nature of ice cream, bringing flavors to life, Glace’s wildly popular hot chocolate, the shop’s tantalizing summer menu, and Glace’s ice cream truck soon slated to open at Rockefeller Center next to the rink!

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General David H. Petraeus is a retired United States Army general and a prominent commentator on contemporary security issues, military developments and global affairs, widely respected as a leading warrior intellectual.

The General graduated with distinction from the US Military Academy and earned a PhD from Princeton University. He served in the US Army for thirty-seven years, concluding his time in uniform with six consecutive commands as general officer, five of which were in combat, including command of the Surge in Iraq, US Central Command, and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. He then served as the director of the CIA.

The General has held academic appointments at six universities and is a senior fellow and lecturer at Yale University. He is currently a partner in a major investment firm and chairs that firm’s Global Institute.

The General is also a brilliant author. His latest book, Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine released at the end of 2023 and is a must read. He co-wrote it with noted biographer and historian Andrew Roberts. It’s published by Harper, an imprint of Harper Collins. You can pick up a copy wherever you like to buy your books.

On this episode, General Petraeus discusses:

Israel’s war against Hamas and why Gaza poses a challenging situation more so than any other urban operation since the end of 1945
The release of Israeli hostages
The four tasks of strategic leadership
How lessons of war are institutionalized
The danger of lack of Western resolve on the world stage
How what happens in one part of the world reverberates in another (e.g., if you have a red line in Syria over use of chemical weapons and it turns out not be a red line, that undermines deterrence in the Indo-Pacific)
The importance of soldier morale
Warfare of the future and the technology he’s following.

As for the General’s very creative answer to where he’d go if given a one way ticket, please listen to our interview with him on episode 268 from August 2022.

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An international figure in architecture and urban design, the architect Daniel Libeskind is renowned for his ability to evoke cultural memory and is informed by a deep commitment to music, philosophy, and literature. Mr. Libeskind aims to create architecture that is resonant, original, and sustainable. Born in Lód’z, Poland, in 1946, Mr. Libeskind immigrated to the United States as a teenager and with his family, settled in the Bronx. After studying music in New York and Israel on an American-Israel Cultural Foundation Scholarship, he developed into a musical virtuoso, before eventually leaving music to study architecture. He received his professional degree in architecture from the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in 1970 and a postgraduate degree in the history and theory of architecture from the School of Comparative Studies at Essex University in England in 1972.

Daniel Libeskind established his architectural studio in Berlin, Germany, in 1989 after winning the competition to build the Jewish Museum in Berlin. In February 2003, Studio Libeskind moved its headquarters from Berlin to New York City when Daniel Libeskind was selected as the master planner for the World Trade Center redevelopment. Daniel Libeskind’s practice is involved in designing and realizing a diverse array of urban, cultural and commercial projects internationally. The Studio has completed buildings that range from museums and concert halls to convention centers, university buildings, hotels, shopping centers and residential towers.

As Principal Design Architect for Studio Libeskind, Mr. Libeskind speaks widely on the art of architecture in universities and professional summits. His architecture and ideas have been the subject of many articles and exhibitions, influencing the field of architecture and the development of cities and culture. His new book Edge of Order, detailing his creative process, was published in 2018. Mr. Libeskind lives in New York City with his wife and business partner, Nina Libeskind. The Studio Libeskind office headquarters are in New York City.

On this episode, Mr. Libeskind reveals his one way ticket destination to the Garden of Eden before there was a Tree of Knowledge and before Adam gave Eve the apple. He shares why, what he would do there, whom he would take there, what he would take with him, and what if anything he would want to build in this perfect state of nature.

In the conversation, Mr. Libeskind also reflects on the role of an architect and the social responsibility he has. Plus, he showcases some of his completed work including his affordable housing projects in NYC, Maggie’s Center at the Royal Free Hospital in London, and the Dresden Museum of Military History. He also shares projects now underway (he’s working in 14 different countries at the moment!) such as the Einstein House at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, a museum in the Atacama Desert in Chile and more. Additionally, he offers what the ideal memorial would look like to mark the horrific October 7th attack in Israel. And, we covered what he thinks about each time he walks through Ground Zero (for which he created the master plan).

We wind down the conversation with Mr. Libeskind highlighting what role music has played in his life (he was a virtuoso) and just how much music and architecture both rely on precision.

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For more than five years, Zach Griff has been a Senior Reporter at The Points Guy. His contributions range from news about the airline industry to travel and product reviews to deep dives into loyalty programs.

Zach is also pursuing his MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

An avid traveler for over a decade now, Zach first redeemed miles for a last-minute, business-class ticket to the Middle East. He’s since been to 58 countries and counting — and can’t wait to keep writing about his travel experiences.

On this episode of The One Way Ticket Show, Zach shares his one way ticket “up in the air”!

Zach also highlights:

Maximizing travel awards with cards
Using tools like Google Flights for optimizing offers
That there’s no “one size fits all” on the best time to book travel, though there are general directions to consider
Why he never travels without an international power adapter (even domestically), writing instruments, and Apple air pods
Why you need to put an electronic tracking device even in your carry-on bags
Travel trends
What he’s looking forward to on the horizon in the industry . . . and more . . .

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Simon Cockerell is from the south-west of England. He moved to Beijing in 2000, becoming Koryo Tour’s General Manager two years later. Having traveled to North Korea 182 times, he has probably been to the country more than any other westerner. Simon is a respected speaker on the DPRK and appears regularly in international media. Simon’s tireless work, alongside Koryo’s partners in Pyongyang, has been essential in opening up new territories within the DPRK to tourists.

You can follow Simon’s adventures on his Instagram account: @simonkoryo.

On this episode, Simon shares his one way ticket to a future utopian post-scarcity society. He offers why and what it will look like, including how travel may be impacted.

Plus, Simon talks all about venturing to North Korea – from who goes and why, the “dos and don’ts” once you’re there, his favorite spots, and what would surprise most people about the country.

The DPRK has been closed to tourists since January 2020 and since September 1, 2017, the U.S. government has banned people traveling with a U.S. passport to the country. Like many, Simon is waiting for travelers to be able to visit North Korea once again.

Meanwhile, Koryo Tours orchestrates some tremendous tours to off-the-beaten-path destinations (Turkmenistan, anyone?) which Simon also spotlights in our conversation.

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Matthew’s passion for all things travel began in his childhood. He brings 25 years of entrepreneurial leadership experience in the luxury travel marketing, sales, and hospitality business development arena to Transcend Cruises. Matthew co-founded and served as CEO of e-Cruise, an online industry wide marketing and retention program, and created and led Chosen Voyage, a niche cruise charter company that has operated numerous full-ship programs with luxury ocean and river cruise lines.

Matthew subsequently served as a senior VP at INTRAV, a leading specialist cruise and tour operator, and has developed travel programs for clients including Starwood UK, Cunard Line, and Cuisinart. He has also launched cross-marketing programs between luxury cruise lines and retail partners such as Tourneau and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Matthew is a principal at Reception Hotels and Resorts, where he completed development of a 160-room EVEN Hotel, the first adaptive reuse project for the wellness-driven brand, in a historic department store in downtown Pittsburgh.

Matthew is founder and chief visionary of the company. He is Transcend’s lead evangelist, and will oversee all sales, partnerships, ship design, and fleet development efforts.

On this episode of the show, Matthew shares his one way ticket to a state where we all live together in harmony. Plus, he highlights Transcend, the new charter-only river cruise line with a fleet of its own purpose-built vessels. Matthew spotlights how the company is changing the face of cruising by offering truly customized river cruise experiences for groups, whether a corporate event, family gathering, wedding celebration, and more. Further, he talks about looking at river cruising through the lens of sustainability.

As Matthew lives in Pittsburgh, PA, we wind down the conversation with why everyone in earshot needs to visit the Steel City.

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Originally from the suburbs of Toronto, Canada, Scott Shelley is a Physics Laboratory Instructor at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. He moved to the US in 1997.

Scott has spent the last thirty years attempting to systematically visit every country in the world, while simultaneously minimizing the cost of flights. He believes that planning trips is half the fun. To date, he has visited 192 of the 193 United Nations Member States.

He lives in an old house with his extremely patient and understanding wife Julie (who quietly worries but never objects when he chooses a dangerous location to visit) and their three cats: Kit, Glow, and Noodle.

Apart from planning his global journeys, Scott enjoys seeing live music and collecting music memorabilia.

On this episode of the show, Scott shares his one way ticket to, in his words “rainy, kind of dank, Manchester England in the early 1980s” to enjoy the music scene then and there.

During the course of the conversation, Scott also shares:

How and why he got started on his path to visit every country
The best time to book air tickets
How he leverages credit cards to fund his travels (he has no sponsors!) and to keep costs down
The often times byzantine world of obrtaining visas
The beauty of travel for travel's sake
The sentimental item he never leaves home without
Why Namibia is worth visiting twice
His 193rd and last country he has left to visit.

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Mark your calendars for Saturday December 2nd, 2023. That’s when the Lifetime Channel will be releasing an original holiday movie, Ladies of the ‘80s: A Divas Christmas. It stars Loni Anderson, Morgan Fairchild, Donna Mills, Nicolette Sheridan and Linda Gray, our featured guest on this episode of The One Way Ticket Show.

In an acting and directing career spanning well over 50 years, Linda is perhaps best known for her role as Sue Ellen Ewing, the long-suffering wife of JR Ewing on the mega hit TV series Dallas, which premiered 45 years ago.

During our conversation, Linda shares her one way ticket to curiosity and all of its many facets.

Plus, she highlights how she approaches developing a character and what she loves about playing other people; takes us behind the scenes of Dallas; reflects on the 1980s; recalls working as the leg model for the poster for the 1967 film The Graduate, and the excitement on set working with acting veterans in Ladies of the ‘80s: A Divas Christmas.

For Linda's full bio, visit: lindagrayofficial.com

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In Karen’s own words:

“I was 17 years old, traveling alone, when I boarded a plane to Europe. Living in a different culture I experienced the world in new and surprising ways and discovered myself. My love of travel was born. I didn’t return to the US for three years.

Since then I’ve traveled to more than 90 countries. I climbed Kilimanjaro, conquered my fear of falling to go on an elephant trek in Thailand, spent time in Berlin shortly after the wall came down, stayed with a Japanese family who taught me to make sushi and made friends across the globe.

In pursuit of my passion for travel I’ve lost and gained friends and lovers and made a radical career change. Travel is my addiction, and I don’t want treatment

I studied ceramics in college and graduate school but abandoned that career and switched to marketing so that employers would pay for my travel. In my new career as a marketing strategist and researcher I’ve traveled the world conducting thousands of meetings, focus groups and interviews. My skills as an interviewer have persuaded total strangers to talk candidly about the most intimate of subjects, personal bankruptcy, illness, and religion. When traveling for pleasure, those same skills helped me to draw out people’s stories. I’ve learned about their lives, as well as local customs and fashions and what makes them laugh. These conversations often led to invitations for dinner and personal tours.

“Travel Mania: Stories of Wanderlust” is a compilation of stories that explore how travel can change a life. Like my readers, I am an ordinary person. Through travel I’ve learned courage and risk taking and succeeded at things I didn’t know I could do.

Each story can be read and enjoyed independently. My hope is that they will tickle the travel bug in readers and encourage them to set off on their own adventures.

I live in New York City.”

On this episode of The One Way Ticket show, Karen shares her one way ticket to see what New York City was like from the 1920s onwards. Plus, she also shares her second book, "Wanderlust: Extraordinary People, Quirky Places, and Curious Cuisine". Throughout the conversation, we talk travel, travel, and more travel!

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Michelle Lawton is a food and wine lover and founder of joyfulplate, a food and beverage research and branding consultancy. She is a happy home cook to her “Irishman” (aka her partner, Michael) in New York City, where she enjoys brainstorming on bike rides in Central Park and the kitchen -- her happy places.

Michelle holds an Advanced Wine Certificate from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust and shares her wine, food, and travel experiences on Instagram @joyfulplate and joyfulplate.com/inspiration.

Michelle is passionate about community, volunteering with the West Side Campaign Against Hunger in New York City for 15 years and with Les Dames d’Escoffier NY, a nonprofit supporting aspiring professional women in food and beverage hospitality.

Our guest on episode 39, Michelle returned to The One Way Ticket Show, where she shared a new one way ticket – to a place of protected health and joy. She also shares her book, Moderating a Love Affair with Food: 10 Tips to Mindful Eating and Drinking.

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On this special episode of The One Way Ticket Show, Host Steven Shalowitz sat down with Yahya Mahamid following the barbaric invasion of Israel by Hamas terrorists on Saturday 7 October 2023. The interview is from Steven’s conversation with Yahya on the Jewish National Fund USA podcast, IsraelCast.

Yahya Mahamid is an Arab-Israeli speaker, educator, and activist. He serves as a mentor in various programs and works to empower and integrate youth from Israel’s Arab minority. Mahamid was raised in the city of Um Al Fahm and grew up with a negative image of Israel and the Jewish people, but personal interactions with Israelis challenged and changed his perceptions. Notably, he volunteered as a combat infantry soldier in the Israel Defense Forces and has since dedicated his life to educating others about antisemitism and misinformation about Israel.

During the conversation, Yahya shares his remarkable life’s journey and debunks myths about Israel.

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On this special episode of The One Way Ticket Show, Host Steven Shalowitz sat down with Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, following the barbaric invasion of Israel by Hamas terrorists on Saturday 7 October 2023. The interview is from Steven’s conversation with her on the Jewish National Fund USA podcast, IsraelCast.

Fleur serves as Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem in charge of foreign relations, international economic development, and tourism. She is a co-founder of the UAE-Israel Business Council, an association of Emirati and Israeli business and government leaders fostering bilateral trade, innovation, and cooperation. Fleur was born in London, grew up in Gibraltar, and immigrated to Israel in 2001.

During the conversation, Fleur discusses the current environment in Jerusalem, organizing support from the international community, and the special resilience of the Jewish people. She also discusses how Hamas is ISIS and how this a clear battle between good and evil.

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On this special episode of The One Way Ticket Show, Host Steven Shalowitz sat down with Dr. Jonathan Schanzer to provide perspective on the barbaric invasion of Israel by Hamas terrorists on Saturday 7 October 2023.

The interview is from Steven’s conversation with Dr. Schanzer on the Jewish National Fund USA podcast, IsraelCast.

Dr. Jonathan Schanzer is senior vice president for research at FDD, where he oversees the work of the organization’s experts and scholars. He is also on the leadership team of FDD’s Center on Economic and Financial Power, a project on the use of financial and economic power as a tool of statecraft.

Jonathan previously worked as a terrorism finance analyst at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, where he played an integral role in the designation of numerous terrorist financiers. He has held previous think tank research positions at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and the Middle East Forum.

Jonathan has written hundreds of articles on the Middle East, along with more than a dozen monographs and chapters for edited volumes. His new book, Gaza Conflict 2021: Hamas, Israel and Eleven Days of War (FDD Press 2021), challenges and corrects some of the wildly inaccurate news reported during the conflict. It is the first book published on the war. His three other books have made unique contributions to the field. State of Failure: Yasser Arafat, Mahmoud Abbas, and the Unmaking of the Palestinian State (Palgrave Macmillan 2013) argues the main roadblock to Palestinian statehood is the Palestinian Authority’s political dysfunction and mismanagement. Hamas vs. Fatah: The Struggle for Palestine (Palgrave Macmillan 2008) is still the only book on the market that analyzes the ongoing Palestinian civil war. Al-Qaeda’s Armies: Middle East Affiliate Groups and the Next Generation of Terror (Washington Institute for Near East Policy 2004) was the first to explore the al-Qaeda franchises of the Middle East.

Jonathan testifies often before Congress and publishes widely in the American and international media. He has appeared on American television channels such as Fox News and CNN, and Arabic language television channels such as Al-Arabiya and Al-Jazeera.

A sought-after public speaker, Jonathan has traveled widely throughout the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, Iraq, Yemen, Egypt, Morocco, Kuwait, Qatar, Turkey, Jordan, Israel, and the Palestinian territories.

Jonathan has studied Middle East history in four countries. He earned his PhD from King’s College London, where he wrote his dissertation on the U.S. Congress and its efforts to combat terrorism in the 20th century. He speaks Arabic and Hebrew.

Al-Qaeda's Armies: Middle East Affiliate Groups & The Next Generation of Terror

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Born in Israel in 1942, Ory Slonim grew up amidst the ravages of the country’s War of Independence. Ory came from a seventh-generation family that lived in Hebron, grew up in Tel Aviv, married, and became a successful lawyer.

In 1986, Israeli President Haim Herzog appointed Ory as special counsel to the Defense Minister for issues of POWs & MIAs, from the civilian world, concentrating on families. Ory enlisted in the mission, gaining senior cooperation with the Mossad. For his work, he accepted a payment of one Israeli Shekel per year.

Over the next thirty-six years, Ory searched the world for young IDF soldiers, pilots and reservists who were captured in battles and never heard from again. His mission to find the missing boys saw him traveling to nations that did not recognize Israel, and meeting with terrorist representatives. In the capacity of knocking on doors worldwide, and on families of the POWs & MIAs, Ory became known as the “Door Knocker.”

In addition, Ory has tirelessly worked for Variety – the Children’s Charity, having served as President and Chairman of the organization in Israel and as International President between 2003 – 2005.

In 2011 Ory was honored by President Shimon Peres with the Israeli Presidential Medal of Distinction.

On this episode of The One Way Ticket Show, Ory shares his one way ticket to a future in a place where all soldiers, POWs & MIAs will be back home and where children in need will be okay.

During our conversation, Ory also shares what it’s like dealing with terrorists and non-state actors, the painful conversations he had with families of POW-MIAs, draws from Moliere who said how uncertainty is uglier than the worst certainty, and highlights the importance of giving.

For more, pick up a copy of Ory's book: "A Knock At The Door: The Story of My Secret Work with Israeli MIAs and POWs".

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Matt Gutman is ABC News’ Chief National Correspondent based in Los Angeles. He reports for all ABC News broadcasts and platforms, including “World News Tonight with David Muir,” “20/20,” “Good Morning America” and “Nightline.” He has reported for ABC from 40 countries across the globe.

A multiple award-winning correspondent, Matt has covered the COVID-19 crisis, the protests in American streets following the death of George Floyd, the immigration crisis, and countless foreign and domestic terror attacks. Over the past half-decade, he has been one of the most frequently used correspondents on “20/20.” Matt’s tireless reporting helped “20/20” win an Emmy® for its documentary on the 2017 Las Vegas massacre and a Christopher Award for its reporting on the Thai cave rescue. He followed every step of that treacherous mission to save the 12 boys and their soccer coach from a flooded cave in Thailand. Matt subsequently authored “The Boys in the Cave,” which chronicled the heroics of a motley crew of cave diving misfits, the US Airforce, and Thai Navy Seals who spearheaded the rescue.

Previously based in Miami, Matt won awards for his coverage of the Trayvon Martin Shooting and the BP Oil spill. From 2013-2018 he hosted the ABC Television Network’s Saturday morning show, “Sea Rescue,” which won the 2016 Emmy for “Outstanding Children’s Series.”

Before joining ABC News in 2008 where he started at ABC News Radio, Matt was a Jerusalem-based reporter for seven years, covering every major conflict in the Middle East.

Matt is married and a father of two. He is a graduate of Williams College in Massachusetts.

On this episode, Matt discusses his second book, “No Time to Panic: How I Curbed My Anxiety and Conquered a Lifetime of Panic Attacks”.

As an added bonus, Matt shares a new one way ticket – to the room in Tallahassee, Florida during the November 2000 election where the hanging chads were selected.

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Joyce Pomeroy Schwartz is a curator, lecturer and public art consultant with a unique concentration in public art policy, modern and contemporary art for architecture and the landscape in the broader context of cultural, urban and environmental revitalization.

In 1968-1971 she founded “The Photographer’s Gallery,” the first gallery in New York City exhibiting photography as fine art.

She was Director of Commissions at Pace Gallery in New York from 1972-1982, implementing public sculpture projects with Pace artists.

In 1982 Joyce founded “Works of Art for Public Spaces, Ltd.”, dedicated to working with American and International artists creating major works of Art for Architecture. She is also one of the founding board members of ARTTABLE.

She recently established the Harold and Joyce Pomeroy Schwartz “Archives of Public Art” at the Fales Special Collections/NYU Bobst Library, of artists’ monographs, photographs and papers available for public art historical research. It now includes the archives of the Public Art fund and Creative Time.

In July 2023, Joyce released her book: “The Private Eye in Public Art”, published by Oro Editions.

On this episode of The One Way Ticket Show, Joyce shares her one way ticket to 25 years into the future to know what her two great-granddaughters are doing then.

During the course of our conversation, Joyce also reflects on:

· Her lifelong love of art – particularly Native American and African Art - stemming from her visits as a young girl in the late 1930s to the Brooklyn Museum, the Met and MOMA (which she used to ride to solo via the subway)

· Visiting the 1939 World’s Fair and the futuristic GM pavilion

· The general role art plays in questioning and opening ones mind

· The role of public art and how it moved beyond sticks & stones to the art of ideas and place-making

· How public art shapes a space rather than fills it and how it provides a common cultural cue

· How from the very start, Chicago got public art projects right

· Collaborating with groundbreaking artists including: Louise Nevelson, Tony Smith, David von Schlegell and Isamu Noguchi

· Creating the Irish Hunger Memorial in New York City

· Arshile Gorky’s lost (then found!) murals at Newark Airport

· Why artists are the only narcissists she’ll ever forgive.

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On this Summer Special of The One Way Ticket Show, Host Steven Shalowitz welcomes Hollywood icon, Ann-Margret, to the program.

The Swedish-born actresss and performer has won five Golden Globe Awards, has been nominated for two Academy Awards, two Grammys, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and six Emmy Awards – winning one. She’s been a headliner at sold out shows, and has 56 films and counting to her credit, everything from "Viva Las Vegas" to "Grumpier Old Men", "Bye Bye Bird" to "Carnal Knowledge", and "The Cincinnati Kid" to "The Break Up".

She has worked alongside the great performers of the 20th and early 21st century, including: George Burns, Bette Davis, Elvis, Steve McQueen, Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Jack Lemon, Claudette Colbert, Jack Benny, Sophia Loren, Jack Nicholson, John Forsythe, Anthony Hopkins, Carol Burnett, Anthony Quinn, John Wayne, Alan Arkin, etc.

In 2003, the USO honored Ann-Margret with its Spirit of Hope Award, named in honor of Bob Hope, her friend whom she performed with in Vietnam during the war.

In our conversation, Ann-Margret touches on:

Performing with the USO, first in Europe as a college freshman at Northwestern, then in 1966 in Vietnam and back in 1968 with Bob Hope
What she learned from Bette Davis while working on the 1961 film (her first), "Pocketful of Miracles"
Elvis’ greatness as a performer and if we’ll ever see the likes of another
What Bob Hope did for soldiers serving in Vietnam which revealed his caring side
John Wayne’s kindness
Why she loves motorcycles
How her drama teacher at New Trier High School told her at age 16: “Olsson, you’re going to be an actress in the movies”.

Plus, Ann-Margret shares how her dear friend, actor Justin Chambers, said he was going to create a perfume for her. Twenty-five years in the making, the limited edition Ann-Margret Eau de Parfum has now been launched with all profits going to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.

To purchase, visit: www.annmargretperfume.com

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Jens Kurt Heycke was educated in Economics and Near Eastern Studies at the University of Chicago, the London School of Economics, and Princeton University.

He worked as an early employee and executive in several successful technology startups, including one that pioneered the mobile Internet and produced software installed in more than a billion mobile phones.

Since retiring from high tech, he has worked as a writer and independent researcher, conducting field research around the world, from Bosnia to Botswana.

He is an internationally competitive masters cyclist, winning a bronze medal at the World Masters Games and top-ten places in other world championship events.

On this episode, Jens shares his one way ticket to a future America that fully realizes the melting pot ideal.

Plus, he shares ideas and introduces us to historical figures as outlined in his book: “Out of the Melting Pot, Into the Fire: Multiculturalism in the World’s Past and America’s Future”. These include:

Ibn Khaldun, the 14th century North African father of sociology who introduced the notion of “asabiyah”, which scholars have translated to mean “social cohesion”, “group consciousness” or “esprit de corps”, and how without it, a nation falls apart
How a melting pot has always been a two-way process whereby immigrants adopt to the nation and the nation adopts to immigrants
Soft Multiculturalism which fits into the melting pot paradigm where cultures are respected and welcomed vs. Hard Multicultural or Multicultural Particularism where every ethnicity needs to remain separate, thereby not allowing for a shared culture
Examples of countries that adopted “asabiyah” to great success including, Botswana and Singapore and eventually after its horrific genocide, Rwanda
Examples of countries that pitted one ethnic group against another to disastrous effect, including Rwanda, the former Yugoslavia, and Sri Lanka
Ethnic opportunists
Questioning DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) programs and whether there are measures in place to quantify their success
How ethnic unity promotes economic success
History indicating how pitting one group against another is bad policy.

Jens believes the answer to segregation isn’t more segregation, which he believes is a path we’re currently going down in the US. To remedy this, he calls for: Ending group distinctions, ceasing to pit one group against another, national team building exercises (borrowing from the “umaganda” example in Rwanda), and a type of national service program to foster social cohesion.

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Jeh Johnson is a partner in the law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, LLP and the former Secretary of Homeland Security (2013-2017), General Counsel of the Department of Defense (2009-2012), General Counsel of the Department of the Air Force (1998-2001), and an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York (1989-1991).

In private life, in addition to practicing law, Johnson is on the board of directors of Lockheed Martin, U.S. Steel, MetLife, the Council on Foreign Relations, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York City, and is a trustee of Columbia University. Johnson is frequent commentator on national and homeland security matters on NBC, CBS, MSNBC, CNN, FOX, CNBC, NPR, Bloomberg TV and other news networks, and has written op-eds in The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Hill, Lawfare, and elsewhere. As of March 2022, Johnson also hosts a classic R&B radio show on FM public radio station WBGO, 88.3FM, based in Newark, NJ.

As Secretary of Homeland Security, Johnson was the head of the third largest cabinet department of the U.S. government, consisting of 230,000 personnel and 22 components, including TSA, Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Services, U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Coast Guard, the Secret Service, and FEMA. Johnson's responsibilities as Secretary included counterterrorism, cybersecurity, aviation security, border security, port security, maritime security, protection of our national leaders, the detection of chemical, biological and nuclear threats to the homeland, and response to natural disasters. In three years as Secretary of DHS, Johnson is credited with management reform of the Department, which brought about a more centralized approach to decision-making in the areas of budgets, acquisition and overall policy. Johnson also raised employee morale across the Department, reflected in the September 2016 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey.

As General Counsel of the Department of Defense, Johnson is credited with being the legal architect for the U.S. military’s counterterrorism efforts in the Obama Administration. In 2010, Johnson co-authored the report that paved the way for the repeal of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell by Congress later that year. In his book Duty, former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates wrote that Johnson "proved to be the finest lawyer I ever worked with in government - a straightforward, plain-speaking man of great integrity, with common sense to burn and a good sense of humor." According to published reports, Johnson provided the opinion that was the legal basis for U.S. special forces to enter Pakistan to kill Osama bin Laden on May 1, 2011.

Johnson is a 2022 recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, a 2021 recipient of the American Lawyer’s Lifetime Achievement Award, as “an American statesman [who] has devoted his career to the public interest,” and a 2018 recipient of the Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Award, presented at the Reagan Presidential Library, for “contribut[ing] greatly to the defense of our nation,” and “guiding us through turbulent times with courage and wisdom.”

In 2020 the Chief Judge of New York State asked Johnson to conduct a comprehensive review of equal justice in the New York State courts. On October 1, 2020 Johnson issued a public report with his findings and recommendations, all of which the Chief Judge has committed to adopting.

Johnson has debated at both the Cambridge and Oxford Unions in England, and in November 2019 was conferred honorary life membership in the Cambridge Union. Johnson is a graduate of Morehouse College (1979) and Columbia Law School (1982) and the recipient of 13 honorary degrees.

Johnson married “the girl next-door,” literally, Dr. Susan DiMarco, in 1994. Susan is a retired dentist, a volunteer at the southern border and in numerous other activities, and, at the request of the U.S. Navy, is the sponsor of the Virginia-class submarine USS NEW JERSEY (SSN-796). In February 2023, Johnson and his family history were profiled on an episode of PBS’ Finding Your Roots.

For Jazz fans, tune into “All Things Soul with Jeh Johnson", once a month on Saturdays from 8 – 10 am on WBGO 88.3 FM.

On this episode, Secretary Johnson shares his one way ticket to Birmingham, Alabama on May 20, 1961, to resume the Freedom Rides, and highlights the role they had in the US Civil Rights Movement.

During the course of our conversation, he also covers his family history as unearthed by Henry Louis Gates on Finding Your Roots, how he approached managing the Department of Homeland Security, concerns about cybersecurity and AI and his love for classic R&B which he features on his radio show.

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A multiple Emmy Award-winning investigative reporter and producer, Peter Greenberg is America’s most recognized, honored and respected front-line travel news journalist. Known in the industry as “The Travel Detective,” he is the Travel Editor for CBS News, appearing on CBS Mornings, CBS Evening News, and Sunday Morning, among other broadcast platforms.

Greenberg produces and co-hosts an ongoing series of acclaimed public television specials, “The Royal Tour,” featuring personal, one-on-one journeys through countries with their heads of state. Along with such figures as the King of Jordan, Prime Ministers of New Zealand and Israel and Presidents of Mexico and Peru, Greenberg’s newest special features the President of Tanzania.

The consummate insider on reporting the travel business as news, Greenberg also hosts the television show, “The Travel Detective with Peter Greenberg,” airing on Public Television. The series offers more than 50 half-hour episodes with cutting-edge travel information and insider tips you need to know before you ever leave home, plus in-depth reports on the good, bad, and yes, even ugly aspects of travel.

Greenberg also has launched a series of one hour specials called HIDDEN, revealing special destinations and unique experiences that you won’t find in the guidebooks or brochures. Destinations include Turkey, Poland, and Canary Islands, to name a few.

On radio, he hosts the nationally syndicated “Eye on Travel,” broadcast each week from a different remote location worldwide, and is heard on hundreds of CBS radio stations across the U.S.

Greenberg is also author of The New York Times best- selling Travel Detective series. His most recent book, The Best Places for Everything, comes in the wake of such titles as Don’t Go There! and The Complete Travel Detective Bible.

He has also been a featured guest on CNN, NewsNation, “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “The Rachael Ray Show,” and “The View.”

Travel Weekly named him one of the most influential people in travel, along with Bill Marriott and Richard Branson. In 2012, he was inducted into the U.S. Travel Association’s Hall of Leaders for his contributions to the travel industry. Among his other honors, Greenberg received a News & Documentary Emmy Award as part of the “Dateline” team for outstanding coverage of a breaking news story, “Miracle on the Hudson.”

Greenberg began his career in journalism as West Coast correspondent for Newsweek in Los Angeles and San Francisco. He won a national Emmy Award (Best Investigative Reporting) for his ABC “20/20” special on the final orphan flight out of Vietnam, “What Happened to the Children?” Greenberg also received an Emmy Award for “Miracle on the Hudson” for NBC Dateline.

Greenberg is the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin, and an Excellence in Broadcasting Award from the Aviation Space Writers Association of America.

His website, PeterGreenberg.com, is one of the leading travel news resources for consumers and industry insiders alike. When he is not traveling the globe, Greenberg also serves as an active volunteer firefighter.

Our guest on episode 109, Peter returns to the program where he briefly revisit his one way ticket destination to Fire Island. During our conversation, he also shares:

Reasons for visiting Belize
Saudi Arabia’s ambitious tourism plans (by 2025 they aim to have 30 million visitors a year)
The magic of Tanzania
The two 5 letter words he despises – “Plans” & “Later”
What he really thinks of “travel influencers”
Balance between a destination’s development & authenticity (and why during high season the Bridge of Sighs turns into the “Bridge of Thighs”)
Why he travels with 40 separate airline tickets
How to approach getting deals on cruises
Why airline loyalty programs border on the clinical definition of fraud
Why you should bring your own scale to the airport to weigh your bags
And speaking of bags, why the only two kinds of airline bags are carry on and lost.

For more, visit: petergreenberg.com.

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Gretchen Carlson, is an acclaimed journalist, New York Times bestselling author, speaker, and internationally recognized trailblazer for women’s rights in the workplace.

In 2016, she boldly went public with harassment claims against then Fox News Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes, paving the way for the #MeToo movement. Her story has been told in the movie Bombshell and the Showtime mini-series The Loudest Voice.

Gretchen is no stranger to your screen, having spent over 30 years as a journalist. She notably hosted the Saturday edition of The Early Show on CBS News, Fox News’ Fox & Friends, and The Real Story with Gretchen Carlson.

Today, Gretchen is ushering in a new movement as a co-founder of Lift Our Voices, a nonprofit organization fighting to eradicate forced arbitration clauses and non-disclosure agreements in workplace contracts that keep toxic workplace issues silent.

Gretchen is relentlessly dedicated to sharing her story to help create safe, welcoming, and harassment-free environments in workplaces all across the world.

Gretchen Carlson is a change maker, and she’s just getting started.

On this episode, Gretchen shares her one way ticket to a world where courage in coming forward about bad behavior at work is celebrated and not punished!

In our wide ranging conversation, Gretchen also highlights the two pieces of bipartisan legislation she tirelessly worked to pass. The first provides sexual misconduct survivors the right to file their claims in open court, even if they have a forced arbitration clause in an employment contract. The second invalidates existing NDAs and non-disparagement agreements prohibiting current, prospective or former employees and independent contractors from disclosing sexual harassment and assault, provided they have not yet initiated a legal claim.

Plus, Gretchen shares the need to change our culture – especially among boys and young men, why HR is like the KGB, and her reflections each July 6th, the anniversary of the day she filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Roger Ailes.

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On this special episode of “The One Way Ticket Show”, Host Steven Shalowitz shares the “7 Ps” that got him through his cancer diagnosis and treatment. They are:

Prayer
Perseverance
Patience
Planning
People
Positivity
Psalms

As he mentioned in the recording, credit for the first 3 Ps goes to his Rabbi. Steven added on the remaining 4.

After listening to the episode, share it with anyone going through a rough patch who may need a little encouragement.

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Melissa Biggs Bradley is the CEO and founder of Indagare, a membership-based luxury travel agency and media company that combines curated content with high-touch service and leverages its global network to create extraordinary, meaningful experiences for sophisticated travelers. Since launching, the company has been named to Inc.’s Fastest-Growing Companies in the U.S. and to Crain’s 50 fastest-growing companies in New York. Indagare believes that how you travel matters and its mission is to inspire and empower people to change their lives–and the world–through travel and to have a positive impact on the places they visit.

In 2022, Melissa launched a successful podcast on SiriusXM, Passport to Everywhere, where she takes you to dream destinations and hotels, shares insider travel intel and introduces you to extraordinary people she has met through her travels. She is also passionate about Africa, having traveled there more than 35 times–her book, Safari Style: Exceptional African Camps and Lodges, was published by Vendome Press in 2021.

Melissa also leads immersive small-group trips around the world. Among the journeys she led last year: a first-ever journey to Antarctica, a trip experiencing the world-famous cuisine of Massimo Bottura and Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region, an art and design-focused trip in the South of France and more. Indagare has partnerships with brands such as the Wall Street Journal, Vogue and Architectural Digest for exclusive journeys hosted by top editors and influencers.

Prior to launching Indagare in 2007, Melissa was the founding editor of Hearst’s Town & Country Travel and the travel editor at Town & Country magazine. She earned her master’s degree in creative writing at Columbia University and her B.A. from Yale College.

On this episode, Melissa shares her one way ticket to Paris in the 1920s. Melissa also highlights the joys of slow travel, the importance of having exchanges with people that our different than us, and packing tips for being a carry-on only traveler. Plus, Melissa spotlights how Indagare has offset carbon emissions for all its travelers, and more . . .

Melissa is just one of the exceptional individuals featured on the podcast where Host Steven Shalowitz explores with his guest where they would go if given a one way ticket, no coming back! Their destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or state of mind.

Steven's guests have included: Nobel Peace Prize Winner, President Jose Ramos-Horta; General David H. Petraeus, US Army (Ret.); Legendary Talk Show Host, Dick Cavett; Law Professor, Alan Dershowitz; Fashion Expert, Tim Gunn; Broadcast Legend, Charles Osgood; International Rescue Committee President & CEO, David Miliband; Former United States Senator, Joseph I. Lieberman; Playwright, David Henry Hwang; Journalist-Humorist-Actor, Mo Rocca; SkyBridge Capital Founder & Co-Managing Partner, Anthony Scaramucci; Abercrombie & Kent Founder, Geoffrey Kent; Travel Expert, Pauline Frommer, as well as leading photographers, artists, chefs, writers, intellectuals, etc.

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Steven Kotler is a New York Times bestselling author, an award-winning journalist, and the Executive Director of the Flow Research Collective. He is one of the world’s leading experts on human performance.

Steven is the author of eleven bestsellers (out of fourteen books), including The Art of Impossible, The Future is Faster Than You Think, Stealing Fire, The Rise of Superman, Bold and Abundance. His work has been nominated for two Pulitzer Prizes, translated into over 50 languages, and has appeared in over 100 publications, including the New York Times Magazine, Wired, Atlantic Monthly, Wall Street Journal, TIME, and the Harvard Business Review.

Alongside his wife, author Joy Nicholson, he is also the co-founder of The Buddy Sue Hospice Home for Old Dogs, a canine elder care facility, and Rancho de Chihuahua, a dog rescue and sanctuary.

On this episode, Steven shares his one way ticket to “flow”. In the course of the conversation, he describes what flow is, its importance, and how people can get into flow. Plus, he dives into peak performance aging as reflected in his latest book, Gnar Country: Growing Old, Staying Rad.

This is truly a wide ranging dialogue where everything from “loving kindness meditation” to ageism in hiring, to even the problems of posting photos while traveling are discussed.

Steven is just one of the exceptional individuals featured on the podcast where Host Steven Shalowitz explores with his guest where they would go if given a one way ticket, no coming back! Their destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or state of mind.

Steven's guests have included: Nobel Peace Prize Winner, President Jose Ramos-Horta; General David H. Petraeus, US Army (Ret.); Legendary Talk Show Host, Dick Cavett; Law Professor, Alan Dershowitz; Fashion Expert, Tim Gunn; Broadcast Legend, Charles Osgood; International Rescue Committee President & CEO, David Miliband; Former United States Senator, Joseph I. Lieberman; Playwright, David Henry Hwang; Journalist-Humorist-Actor, Mo Rocca; SkyBridge Capital Founder & Co-Managing Partner, Anthony Scaramucci; Abercrombie & Kent Founder, Geoffrey Kent; Travel Expert, Pauline Frommer, as well as leading photographers, artists, chefs, writers, intellectuals, etc.

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Born in Bosnia.

In Europe illustrated and art directed posters, record covers, books and comics.

Arrived in U.S. in 1986.

Was commissioned as an illustrator for many of the major magazines and newspapers in the U.S. and around the world.

In 1991 became an Art Director at Time Magazine, in charge of International editions.

In 1992 became an Art Director of New York Times Op-Ed pages.

In 1995 established Mirko Ilic Corp., graphic design and 3-D computer graphics and motion picture title studio.

Received Medals from Society of Illustrators, Society of Publication Designers, Art Directors Club, I.D. Magazine, Society of Newspaper Design, and others

His work is in collections of institutions such as Smithsonian Museum, SFMOMA in San Francisco and MoMA in New York has 38 of his designs in their collection.

He taught advanced design classes at Cooper Union with Milton Glaser, and master degree classes in Illustration at the School of Visual Arts.

He also organizes and curates shows and lectures around the world.

The most known of them is the Tolerance Project: A Traveling Poster Show, which appeared more than 157 times in 46 countries around the world.

He is the co-author of the following books with Steven Heller:

“Genius Moves: 100 Icons of Graphic Design With” (North Light Books, USA, 2001)

“Handwritten” (Thams & Hudson, UK, 2004)

“The Anatomy of Design” (Rockport, USA, 2007)

“Stop, Think, Go, Do” (Rockport, USA, 2011) “Lettering Large: The Art and Design of Monumental Typography” (The Monacelli Press, USA, 2013)

“Presenting Shakespeare: 1,100 Posters from Around the World” (Princeton Architectural Press, USA, 2015)

“Head to Toe: The Nude in Graphic Design” (Rizzoli, USA, 2018)

“Milton Glaser: POP“ (The Monacelli Press, USA, 2023)

And also he has co-authored these books with Milton Glaser:

“The Design of Dissent“ (Rockport, USA, 2005)

“The Design of Dissent, Expended Edition“ (Rockport, USA, 2017)

On this episode, Mirko shares his one way ticket into the light. He also talks about the origins and the importance of the Tolerance Project, why great ideas are often right under our noses, shares how good design is something we don't notice, and more.

Mirko is just one of the exceptional individuals featured on the podcast where Host Steven Shalowitz explores with his guest where they would go if given a one way ticket, no coming back! Their destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or state of mind.

Steven's guests have included: Nobel Peace Prize Winner, President Jose Ramos-Horta; General David H. Petraeus, US Army (Ret.); Legendary Talk Show Host, Dick Cavett; Law Professor, Alan Dershowitz; Fashion Expert, Tim Gunn; Broadcast Legend, Charles Osgood; International Rescue Committee President & CEO, David Miliband; Former United States Senator, Joseph I. Lieberman; Playwright, David Henry Hwang; Journalist-Humorist-Actor, Mo Rocca; SkyBridge Capital Founder & Co-Managing Partner, Anthony Scaramucci; Abercrombie & Kent Founder, Geoffrey Kent; Travel Expert, Pauline Frommer, as well as leading photographers, artists, chefs, writers, intellectuals, etc.

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Hamad is a Qatari comedian who grew up in Ireland, a rare commodity in the Middle East or anywhere else. Having spent time in Qatar, Southern Ireland and the US he’s had a unique opportunity to experience the diversity in cultures, which helped form his identity and approach to comedy.

With a broad repertoire, his experience ranges from stand-up comedy (his life’s passion and deepest love!), to being a keen ambassador for children’s charities, cancer awareness and local franchises, VIP corporate events and conferences, and producing online shows.

Despite the humor, Hamad is quite an intense character with a very serious side, and has a strong desire to teach, help, assist and educate, all common themes in his social commentary. Obviously not a run of the mill kid, he believes in freedom of speech, saying it as it is, and spreading ones wings.

Known internationally for hitting a Burger King drive-through on a camel no less, Hamad likes to break down barriers and boundaries. Where’s the humor in staying confined?!

On this episode, Hamad shares his one way ticket to a complete symbiotic relationship between man and technology. He also highlights what people should know about Qatar, the breathtaking Qatar National Museum, the 2022 World Cup, if there’s such a thing as Qatari humor, and more.

Hamad is just one of the exceptional individuals featured on the podcast where Host Steven Shalowitz explores with his guest where they would go if given a one way ticket, no coming back! Their destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or state of mind.

Steven's guests have included: Nobel Peace Prize Winner, President Jose Ramos-Horta; General David H. Petraeus, US Army (Ret.); Legendary Talk Show Host, Dick Cavett; Law Professor, Alan Dershowitz; Fashion Expert, Tim Gunn; Broadcast Legend, Charles Osgood; International Rescue Committee President & CEO, David Miliband; Former United States Senator, Joseph I. Lieberman; Playwright, David Henry Hwang; Journalist-Humorist-Actor, Mo Rocca; SkyBridge Capital Founder & Co-Managing Partner, Anthony Scaramucci; Abercrombie & Kent Founder, Geoffrey Kent; Travel Expert, Pauline Frommer, as well as leading photographers, artists, chefs, writers, intellectuals, etc.

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James Willcox is one of the founders of Untamed Borders, a travel and logistics company that offers bespoke trips and small group adventures to some of the world's most interesting and inaccessible places. Specializing in cultural, trekking, marathon and skiing trips, Untamed Borders offer some of the most unique itineraries in the travel market today. Operating in the Middle East, East Africa and Central Asia, Untamed Borders takes over 250 guests a year to unusual and largely unvisited areas of the world. Travelling in small groups and using local guides, the Untamed Borders mission is to add positive benefit to the countries and communities they visit.

Some of James' more notable achievements include pioneering ski tourism in Afghanistan and Iraq, organizing marathons in Afghanistan and Somaliland (the first mixed gender sporting events in the history of those respective countries) and more recently, arranged the logistics for Michael Palin's travel documentary in Iraq.

While James, our guest on episode 264 returns to the show to briefly re-visit his one way ticket to 300 years into the future somewhere in the mountains, the focus of our conversation here is his most recent adventure through Afghanistan. James covers logistics, security, changes he has and hasn’t seen in the country over the course of numerous visits, etc.

Plus, among other unforgettable experiences, James highlights camping out at the the 65m-tall Minaret of Jam, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which remotely stands alone in western Afghanistan, in all its 12th century magnificence.

James is just one of the exceptional individuals featured on the podcast where Host Steven Shalowitz explores with his guest where they would go if given a one way ticket, no coming back! Their destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or state of mind.

Steven's guests have included: Nobel Peace Prize Winner, President Jose Ramos-Horta; General David H. Petraeus, US Army (Ret.); Legendary Talk Show Host, Dick Cavett; Law Professor, Alan Dershowitz; Fashion Expert, Tim Gunn; Broadcast Legend, Charles Osgood; International Rescue Committee President & CEO, David Miliband; Former United States Senator, Joseph I. Lieberman; Playwright, David Henry Hwang; Journalist-Humorist-Actor, Mo Rocca; SkyBridge Capital Founder & Co-Managing Partner, Anthony Scaramucci; Abercrombie & Kent Founder, Geoffrey Kent; Travel Expert, Pauline Frommer, as well as leading photographers, artists, chefs, writers, intellectuals, etc.

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Michael Fabiano is a distinguished international opera singer. As a tenor, he regularly performs at leading opera houses worldwide. In 2014, Michael won both the Richard Tucker Award and the Beverly Sills Artist Award, making him the first singer to win both prestigious honors in the same year.

His musical artistry is matched by his passionate commitment to arts education. Michael is the Co-Founder & Executive Director of ArtSmart - a non-profit that transforms the lives of youth in under-resourced communities across the US through tuition-free music lessons and mentorship by paid, professional artists.

While opera is his passion, Michael’s large focus is building a better future for Americans seeking greater upward mobility. It is his belief that the arts is one of the great unifiers and a catalyst for success in life.

Additionally, as an entrepreneur, Michael is a partner in Resonance, an operating system for creative organizations and businesses that streamlines everything from payroll to spreadsheets and email to employee communication.

He is an active private pilot, a life-long baseball umpire, and writes extensively in blogs and articles about the American educative experience.

On this episode Michael shares his one way ticket to Mars. Plus, in our sweeping conversation, he highlights why arts education is critical to a child’s development, and why college campuses should be marketplaces of ideas (which he believes they’re currently not). Michael also calls for a re-imagined opera experience, which includes cell phone use and food and drink enjoyed in the theatre itself.

Michael is just one of the exceptional individuals featured on the podcast where Host Steven Shalowitz explores with his guest where they would go if given a one way ticket, no coming back! Their destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or state of mind.

Steven's guests have included: Nobel Peace Prize Winner, President Jose Ramos-Horta; General David H. Petraeus, US Army (Ret.); Legendary Talk Show Host, Dick Cavett; Law Professor, Alan Dershowitz; Fashion Expert, Tim Gunn; Broadcast Legend, Charles Osgood; International Rescue Committee President & CEO, David Miliband; Former United States Senator, Joseph I. Lieberman; Playwright, David Henry Hwang; Journalist-Humorist-Actor, Mo Rocca; SkyBridge Capital Founder & Co-Managing Partner, Anthony Scaramucci; Abercrombie & Kent Founder, Geoffrey Kent; Travel Expert, Pauline Frommer, as well as leading photographers, artists, chefs, writers, intellectuals, etc.

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Annie Fitzsimmons is a travel creative and editor and has worked in the travel industry for more than 17 years, traveling to six continents and reporting–on destinations, people, culture, hotels, and restaurants, and more – through numerous content platforms.

Annie is currently writing and researching her book for National Geographic and Disney Publishing, “Hotels of a Lifetime," to be published in 2024.

Most recently, she worked as Luxury Travel + Advisor Editor for AFAR Media, also hosting AFAR Live and Live from AFAR. Prior to AFAR, she was an editor at Virtuoso - one of the industry's leading networks for travel advisors - and held many roles at National Geographic over nine years, as their first and only Urban Insider, traveling the world and reporting on cities, culture, and lifestyle as their major female brand voice. She was a founding member of their Editorial Council, as well as spokesperson and foreword writer for two NatGeo books, The World’s Best Cities and The World’s Most Romantic Destinations.

Annie has been a keynote speaker and panelist on travel trends, media, and content at events around the world, including SXSW in Austin, World Travel Market in London, the International Tourism Conference in Latvia (sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in Riga), the Hospitality World Congress in Barcelona, and ILTM Americas in Mexico.

She is based in west London with her family, after living in her beloved NYC for more than a decade. She has been a licensed NYC tour guide since 2008.

On this episode, Annie returns to the show to revisit her one way ticket to Switzerland, to update us on her book, and to share 10 more “if these walls could talk” hotels. They are:

Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, Côte d’Azur
Hotel Sacher, Vienna
Hotel d’Angleterre & Nimb Hotel, Copenhagen (tie)
Baur au Lac, Zurich
Carlton, Cannes
Reid’s Palace, Madeira
Hotel Jerome, Aspen
Hotel Eden Rock, St. Barts
Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra
Belmond Venice-Simplon Orient Express, Train

Annie is just one of the engaging personalities featured on The One Way Ticket Show, where Host Steven Shalowitz explores with his guests where they would go if given a one way ticket, no coming back. Their destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or a state of mind.

Steven's guests have included: Nobel Peace Prize Winner, President Jose Ramos-Horta; Former CIA Director, General David H. Petraeus, US Army (Ret.); Legendary Talk Show Host, Dick Cavett; Law Professor, Alan Dershowitz; Fashion Expert, Tim Gunn; Broadcast Icon, Charles Osgood; International Rescue Committee President & CEO, David Miliband; Former Senator, Joe Lieberman; CNN Chief International Correspondent, Clarissa Ward; Playwright, David Henry Hwang; Journalist-Humorist-Actor, Mo Rocca; "1000 Places to See Before You Die" Author, Patricia Schultz; SkyBridge Capital Founder & Co-Managing Partner, Anthony Scaramucci; Abercrombie & Kent Founder, Geoffrey Kent; Travel Expert, Pauline Frommer, as well as leading photographers, artists, chefs, writers, entrepreneurs, intellectuals, etc.

World's Best Cities: Celebrating 220 Great Destinations

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I’ve dipped into our show’s archive from over the last decade and bring you an interview I released on 15 September 2020, with former United States Senator, Joseph I. Lieberman.

On this episode, Senator Lieberman shares his one way ticket to the day after the corona virus pandemic ends. The Senator also covers his work on the bi-partisan commission on bio defense which he co-chairs with former Homeland Security Secretary, Tom Ridge; comments on the far left turn of the democratic party, and shares what he thinks the rest of the world should know about the United States today.

Senator Lieberman is just one of the dynamic personalities featured on The One Way Ticket Show, where we explore with our guests where they would go if given a one way ticket, no coming back. Destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or a state of mind.

Our guests have included: Nobel Peace Prize Winner, President Jose Ramos-Horta; Legendary Talk Show Host, Dick Cavett; Law Professor, Alan Dershowitz; Fashion Expert, Tim Gunn; Broadcast Legend, Charles Osgood; International Rescue Committee President & CEO, David Miliband; Playwright, David Henry Hwang; Journalist-Humorist-Actor, Mo Rocca; SkyBridge Capital Founder & Co-Managing Partner, Anthony Scaramucci; Abercrombie & Kent Founder, Geoffrey Kent; Travel Expert, Pauline Frommer, as well as leading photographers, artists, chefs, writers, intellectuals and more.

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I’ve dipped into our show’s archive from over the last decade and bring you an interview I released on 8 January 2019, with New York City Mayor, The Honorable Eric L. Adams, while he was serving in his role as Brooklyn Borough President.

In our conversation, Mr. Adams shares his one way ticket to ancient Sumer. He also talks about what makes Brooklyn special, his vegan journey, and his plans for the city's highest office.

Mr. Adams is just one of the superb guests featured on The One Way Ticket Show, where Host Steven Shalowitz explores with them where they would go if given a one way ticket, no coming back! Destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or a state of mind.

Steven's guests have included: Nobel Peace Prize Winner, President Jose Ramos-Horta; Legendary Talk Show Host, Dick Cavett; Law Professor, Alan Dershowitz; Broadcast Legend, Charles Osgood; International Rescue Committee President & CEO, David Miliband; Playwright, David Henry Hwang; Journalist-Humorist-Actor, Mo Rocca; SkyBridge Capital Founder & Co-Managing Partner, Anthony Scaramucci; Abercrombie & Kent Founder, Geoffrey Kent; Travel Expert, Pauline Frommer, as well as leading photographers, artists, chefs, writers, intellectuals and more.

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I’ve dipped into our show’s archive from over the last decade and bring you an interview I released on 8 January 2019, with New York City Mayor, The Honorable Eric L. Adams, while he was serving in his role as Brooklyn Borough President.

In our conversation, Mr. Adams shares his one way ticket to ancient Sumer. He also talks about what makes Brooklyn special, his vegan journey, and his plans for the city's highest office.

Mr. Adams is just one of the superb guests featured on The One Way Ticket Show, where Host Steven Shalowitz explores with them where they would go if given a one way ticket, no coming back! Destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or a state of mind.

Steven's guests have included: Nobel Peace Prize Winner, President Jose Ramos-Horta; Legendary Talk Show Host, Dick Cavett; Law Professor, Alan Dershowitz; Broadcast Legend, Charles Osgood; International Rescue Committee President & CEO, David Miliband; Playwright, David Henry Hwang; Journalist-Humorist-Actor, Mo Rocca; SkyBridge Capital Founder & Co-Managing Partner, Anthony Scaramucci; Abercrombie & Kent Founder, Geoffrey Kent; Travel Expert, Pauline Frommer, as well as leading photographers, artists, chefs, writers, intellectuals and more.

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Patricia Schultz is the author of the bestselling travel book of all time, 1,000 Places to See Before You Die.

A veteran travel journalist with decades of experience, she’s written for all the major travel guides as well as for the WSJ, Conde Nast Traveler and other magazines and newspapers.

Patricia’s latest book is, Why We Travel: 100 Reasons to See the World.

Her home base is New York City, but good luck finding her there!

This is Patricia’s third visit to the show. She was our guest on episodes 178 and 193. Apart from restating her one way ticket is still to her hometown of Beacon, NY, Patricia shares how Why We Travel came into being, what travel does for us, how we can foster serendipity on our adventures, the importance of accepting invitations, and more.

Patricia Schultz is just one of the exceptional individuals featured on the podcast where Host Steven Shalowitz explores with his guests where they would go if given a one way ticket, no coming back. Their destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or a state of mind.

Steven's guests have included: Nobel Peace Prize Winner, President Jose Ramos-Horta; General David H. Petraeus, US Army (Ret.); Legendary Talk Show Host, Dick Cavett; Law Professor, Alan Dershowitz; Fashion Expert, Tim Gunn; Broadcast Legend, Charles Osgood; International Rescue Committee President & CEO, David Miliband; Former United States Senator, Joseph I. Lieberman; Playwright, David Henry Hwang; Journalist-Humorist-Actor, Mo Rocca; SkyBridge Capital Founder & Co-Managing Partner, Anthony Scaramucci; Abercrombie & Kent Founder, Geoffrey Kent; Travel Expert, Pauline Frommer, as well as leading photographers, artists, chefs, writers, intellectuals, etc.

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Patricia Schultz is the author of the bestselling travel book of all time, 1,000 Places to See Before You Die.

A veteran travel journalist with decades of experience, she’s written for all the major travel guides as well as for the WSJ, Conde Nast Traveler and other magazines and newspapers.

Patricia’s latest book is, Why We Travel: 100 Reasons to See the World.

Her home base is New York City, but good luck finding her there!

This is Patricia’s third visit to the show. She was our guest on episodes 178 and 193. Apart from restating her one way ticket is still to her hometown of Beacon, NY, Patricia shares how Why We Travel came into being, what travel does for us, how we can foster serendipity on our adventures, the importance of accepting invitations, and more.

Patricia Schultz is just one of the exceptional individuals featured on the podcast where Host Steven Shalowitz explores with his guests where they would go if given a one way ticket, no coming back. Their destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or a state of mind.

Steven's guests have included: Nobel Peace Prize Winner, President Jose Ramos-Horta; General David H. Petraeus, US Army (Ret.); Legendary Talk Show Host, Dick Cavett; Law Professor, Alan Dershowitz; Fashion Expert, Tim Gunn; Broadcast Legend, Charles Osgood; International Rescue Committee President & CEO, David Miliband; Former United States Senator, Joseph I. Lieberman; Playwright, David Henry Hwang; Journalist-Humorist-Actor, Mo Rocca; SkyBridge Capital Founder & Co-Managing Partner, Anthony Scaramucci; Abercrombie & Kent Founder, Geoffrey Kent; Travel Expert, Pauline Frommer, as well as leading photographers, artists, chefs, writers, intellectuals, etc.

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Andrew Schofield is a designer, entrepreneur and Founder and Creative Director of Flyypod®. This follows a career as a fashion designer and creative director for some of Australia’s leading brands including SABA -among the most fashion forward brands of its day.

Armed with a passion to fuse a luxury sensibility with ethical credentials, and in the process creating a product offering that was both compelling and intrinsically appealing, his journey was to find the right medium to express this through and take it to market, sourcing highly specialized and refined pieces from artisans in the most unusual corners of the world while blending this with high end fashion and objet d'art. An ethical luxury concept was born unlike any other for its time. Twenty-six years later HUSK has solidified its position as one of Australia’s most iconic and luxury fashion retail brands.

Continuing on from this very successful venture he went on to open an equally captivating retail experience called “egg”. This was a lifestyle store with a holistic approach to the world of nesting and the giving of life itself. With a florist and a day spa, this concept was also one of a kind.

In 2005 he joined the Voyager group and spent ten years traveling, creating and designing new brands and developing relationships with a host of retail giants and manufacturers alike. This led to being appointed men’s design director for both Trent Nathan and Wayne Cooper. Sourcing styles and inspiration from around the globe and dealing at a nuts & bolts level with department store teams taught Andrew the craft of wholesale selling and product development at a commercial level.

With over 30 years of experience in the fashion industry, Andrew’s knowledge of garment design is unsurpassed. He has an acute understanding of construction and manufacturing. After a lifetime spent travelling the globe in search of savoir-faire, influence and innovation, Flyypod®, was born. Combining the worlds of fashion and industrial design, he’s created a sophisticated collection offering consumers a more stylish way to travel without sacrificing the planet.

On this episode Andrew shares his one way ticket to travel the world in the early 1990s. He also takes us into the world of Flyypod® which creates innovative, sustainable and highly-designed travel products that are carefully crafted from recycled materials using ethical manufacturing processes. One product in the line is the world’s first sustainably designed sleeping bag for air travel that offers hygienic warmth in transit, and fits over any airplane seat. In our conversation, Andrew also offers tips for how best to dress when traveling, how to pack, and how fragrance can be used to keep memories alive from ones journey.

Andrew is just one of the exceptional individuals featured on the podcast where Host Steven Shalowitz explores with his guest where they would go if given a one way ticket, no coming back! Their destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or state of mind.