May 27, 2025 • 46 mins
In this episode of States of Discovery, we're diving headfirst into the world of extreme travel. From sand dune boarding in the Southwest to white water rafting in remote canyons, thrill-seekers across the U.S. are redefining what it means to take a vacation. But what's behind this hunger for adrenaline? And why are others content to sit back and play it safe?
Join us as we explore the psychology of sensation seeking, the most daring destinations in the United States, and the ways we balance risk and reward in travel. Whether you’re a storm chaser, a solo survivalist, or just curious about what drives people to leap from planes or dine suspended in mid-air, this episode is for you.
In This Episode, We Cover:
- Today’s extreme travel trends: from unique accommodations to once-in-a-lifetime thrill rides
- Adrenaline-fueled U.S. destinations, including National Parks and beyond
- The spectrum of adventure: comparing casual risk-takers to extreme thrill-seekers
- The psychology of thrill-seeking and insights from Psychology Today
- How to test yourself on the Sensation Seeking Scale – past and present
- Real examples of high-risk travel: ice climbing, storm chasing, deep wilderness survival
- The role of cost, comfort, and access in choosing your adventure
Resources Mentioned:
- Sensation Seeking Scale – Zuckerman Test (Classic Version)
- Updated Sensation Seeking Personality Tests
- Psychology Today Article on Thrill-Seeking Behavior
Connect With Us:
- Phone Number: 805-298-1420 - Leave us a message! We’d love to hear from you.
- Email: podcast@onlyinyourstate.com
Subscribe and leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts!
Listener Question:
Are you an adrenaline junkie or do you avoid risk altogether? Share your most extreme travel experience—or your most grounded one—by emailing us or tagging us on Instagram!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:04):
True and Emory psychologist and sensation seeking expert Kenneth
Carter says high sensation seekers see potential stressors
as challenges to overcome ratherthan threats that might crush
them. And this mindset is a buffer
against the stress of life, and I find that very, very
(00:27):
fascinating. I mean, talk about taking the
bull by the horns. I guess that's hey.
And welcome back to States of Discovery.
Today we're diving into the psychology and culture behind
thrill seeking travel. Why some of us crave the edge of
(00:48):
danger while others maybe cling to comfort?
From storm chasers in Tornado Alley to climbers scaling frozen
waterfalls in New Hampshire, we are looking into the psychology
and destinations that push the limits.
Yikes. OK, so just to start, I think we
need to cover our bases here. Not everyone's idea of vacation
(01:11):
includes the possibility of death, Yes.
Yes, 100%. I mean, for some people, yes,
the edge of their comfort zone is a spin on a roller coaster.
And that's pretty much me in a nutshell.
Or maybe just something as simple as ordering the spicy
option on a menu? Yes, so I think it's funny to
(01:34):
see how personal preferences really guide people's 3 thrill
seeking behaviors and honestly their inner psychology.
So there's actually studies behind this.
And according to Psychology Today, this sort of thrill
seeking and adrenaline junky behavior is actually tied to
something they call sensation seeking.
And it's not just a quirk, it's an innate trait in who you are
(01:56):
as a person. And some people are biologically
wired to crave that kind of intensity, new experiences,
unpredictable unpredictability, and even fear.
Yeah, and that doesn't necessarily mean that that these
people who are sensation seekingare reckless.
In fact, there are a lot of thrill seekers that are
calculated risk takers. So they're training, they're
(02:20):
preparing. They don't want to dive die.
In fact, it's the opposite. They want to feel alive.
And even in an article publishedby Outside Magazine, there's an
even deeper reason for thrill seeking adventuring.
It's that desire to feel alive, like you said, but also a desire
to be in tune with the natural world.
(02:41):
Which makes sense in a lot of ways when you think about thrill
seeking adventures which can include surfing, rock climbing,
splunking. All of these things allow humans
to move in tandem with nature. It just so happens that there
are calculated risks involved. Which I find really interesting
as well because there is an actual test you can take to kind
(03:05):
of define what your sensation seeking level is.
But first, I think we need to discuss what that actually is
and what this sensation seeking is comprised of.
It's a sensation seeking test that it was the scale created by
Doctor Zuckerman that's kind of been like reworked to get to the
(03:27):
corrupts them at all without spending hours taking a test.
So Sarah and I took this test and before we jump into our
results, I think what's really interesting the questions that
they're asking because it it really does boil down to the
psychology of, you know, they'renot asking you outright.
(03:48):
Do you want to go like jump off a Cliff and is that your idea of
a great vacation? They're asking you, how do you
feel about rewatching ATV show that you've already watched?
So I I think that I found that very interesting.
Yeah, it's closer to like the Myers Briggs test or an
Enneagram or maybe even just like a general Screener.
(04:08):
So it's like putting you throughlike these tests that look, this
is not a diagnostic official test.
Like you can't like take this and say like, Hey, this is what
I but I do think it's like a great insight into your
personality. So before we discuss our
results, I did want to touch on the components of sensation
seeking behavior and like what makes just to give context for
(04:30):
for what our answers are going to be.
So first, it is an innate quest for adventure and risk.
So this characteristic, these people are looking for
adventure, they're looking for risk.
Second, there is a love for varied and novel sensations.
3rd, there's a natural ability to be disinhibited and
(04:51):
unrestrained. And then fourth, there's a
susceptibility to boredom. So we can kind of see why these
4 traits would lead to someone seeking sensations and and
adventure. So drum roll, please.
Do you want to disclose your sensation seeking results?
Yeah. So I feel like this is going to
be a little bit boring and no surprise to anybody that listens
(05:14):
or perhaps knows me, but I actually land right in the
middle. I'm a 49 at home 100.
I'm a 45. Yeah.
What? Well.
There's no way. There's no way I'm more
sensation seeking than you. That cannot be true.
I mean, you do surf. I do not.
That is true. OK, Yeah, what I thought was
(05:38):
really interesting. So, you know, it says that if we
land in the middle, you're moderate and sensation seeking.
Sometimes you're searching for novel, thrilling experiences,
but striking a healthy balance, which I guess when you when it
boils down to it, yeah, that makes sense.
I can relate to that. 100 cents 100 I can relate to that.
(05:58):
Yes. Period.
So I think it's interesting because pursuing new experiences
and adventures is something thatis very, very important to me,
but I also like to maintain a comfortable daily routine.
Yeah, so. I'm curious what of the four
components you relate to the most, Because to me, if I think
(06:21):
of Marissa, I'm not thinking, oh, you're disinhibited,
unrestrained, dysregulated. You're you're just doing
whatever the hell. So what do the four do you feel
like you can see be part of yourpersonality?
Like more strongly. So I would say the second one, a
love for varied and novel sensations, a little bit more
(06:41):
towards a quest for adventure. I think for me, I, you know,
like adventure does come with risk and I don't think I get too
hung up on the risk because of the act of what I'm doing is so
much more important to me. So like, you know, like you
(07:03):
mentioned surfing, surfing to mecomes with a lot of risk,
injury, drowning, shark attacks,all of those things that if you
kind of get stuck on that you'renever going to try surfing.
But those are are usually just the outliers of the adventure,
when really the adventure will will be so much more rewarding
to you in the long run. Yeah.
(07:25):
And in a recent conversation we were having, you were describing
how you moved through your fear of flying, and it was imagining
the outcome. And I feel like that's a very
similar thing, Like you want to do it for, forgive me, but for
the vibe, like for the experience, like you want to
surf for the outcome, for the activity and not worry about
(07:46):
what could go wrong. That's.
Really interesting. That's a really good point
because when I'm surfing, I always imagine the feeling of
getting up on the board on the wave and you're, you're just
like that connection with with nature that we mentioned.
That's what I think about when Isurf.
I don't think about the risk. So maybe that is something in my
(08:08):
brain. But then I'll never jump out of
an airplane. Oh, you know, And that's like,
no. Right there with your time.
I mean, we're 45 and 49. We're not.
We're not gonna be jumping out of airplanes anytime soon.
I feel like that was actually one of the questions on the
Screener is like, would you enjoy jumping out of an
airplane? I was like, absolutely not, no.
Right. Same.
Yeah. OK, So what about you?
(08:29):
What do you relate to most out of these?
I think that the varied and novel sensations are is
honestly, that's really high. I do have a susceptibility to
boredom. I feel like I will seek even,
you know, errands and things to do around the house if I feel
like I'm having too much of A lion.
(08:50):
And then one of my core values that I seek is being curious and
well, two curious curiosity and adventure seeking.
So I feel like that's just kind of folded in, but I have that
huge part of me that is this over rationalization and seeking
information. And so I tend to like maybe
overthink something. So that's why I'm not #3 I'm
(09:13):
like unrestrained. No thank you.
I am over restrained if anythingso.
Just curious, do you think that your sensation seeking has
changed as you've like gone through life?
Do you think certain experiencesmay shift where you land on the
scale, or do you think your age plays a factor in how that might
(09:34):
fluctuate? I do feel like all of us have
gone through that phase of hey, my prefrontal cortex is finally
locked in in early 20s now I'm suddenly afraid of things.
So I do feel like there's some of that.
Because even as something as simple as a roller coaster,
whenever I was younger I gave zero thoughts to what could go
wrong. And now as I'm getting buckled
(09:55):
in I'm like, well hopefully thisisn't the day.
This is worth it. Yeah, that's interesting, 'cause
I do I I was thinking about thattoo the other day about just I
was chatting with my dad about the the movie.
I think it's called free dive onNetflix.
These free divers that yeah, I know I already by your reaction,
(10:17):
I already know the ocean deep diving unknown is that that's a
big no. But these people that free dive
without they hold their breath and they dive to like beat these
records and then they have to come up so slowly to you know
what decompress or is that? That level of talent is wild.
(10:38):
I was actually just like maxing out like your O2 skills, Like
how are you able to not need that much oxygen while you're
doing that level of exercise andyou're going slowly up it?
Nah, that sounds like a lot. It, it is and it's fascinated
because like, you know, Psychology Today is saying
(10:58):
thrill seek, thrill seekers aren't motivated by danger.
They're actually driven to soak up these life experiences and
they just like plainly put, theydo not let danger dissuade them.
Therefore they don't have these risks accompanying these
activities like Cliff diving or mountaineering.
Another one I thought was interesting.
(11:19):
An example is gambling that theyask in the in the questionnaire.
Do you like to gamble? And and really, I don't, I don't
find losing money. Fun.
Yeah, like the money in my pocket.
I'd much rather spend the money on an experience or food or
something. Not well, I had it and now I
don't. So I guess that does make sense
(11:41):
why someone would want to danglefrom a Cliff or chase a storm.
Like there's that calculated risk.
It's part of their personality. They're not necessarily throwing
themselves at danger, as maybe you or I might see it, but it's
they're deciding to do these things for very concrete
reasons. Yes, True.
And Emory psychologist and sensation seeking expert Kenneth
(12:04):
Carter says high sensation seekers see potential stressors
as challenges to overcome ratherthan threats that might crush
them. And this mindset is a buffer
against the stress of life, And I find that very, very
fascinating. I mean, talk about taking the
(12:25):
bull by the horns, I guess that's, but also I wanted to say
in addition to that kind of taking the bull by the horns,
we're making these calculated risks.
It's also for the story, right? It's for the I went to happy
hour and let me tell you about this time I scaled some, I don't
know, the Half Dome. Right.
(12:46):
Yeah, yes, I think, I mean, gosh, isn't it just like a shift
in perspective too that you're, you know, you're seeing these as
challenges to overcome rather than a threat.
So that mindset in general, of course, these people are, you
(13:07):
know, skydiving, paratrooping, doing all these, you know, like
these Cliff jumpers that just have the squirrel.
Parachutes that. Are gliding through the air.
I'm just oh gosh. But if they're looking at this
as like, hey, this is just a challenge to overcome and once I
(13:27):
crush it, then, you know, I can move on to the next thing.
And that mindset to me is very foreign 'cause I don't
necessarily have that when it comes to thrill seeking
behavior, I think. OK, so let me ask you this.
If you were going on this big adventure and you came back and
you didn't have a story to tell,you didn't say, well, you know
(13:51):
what? I actually surfed on the off the
coast of XY and Z or I went on a, you know, a hike through, I
don't know, the the hills of Spain.
And you said, well, I just can't.
I've watched a lot of hotel TV and then that was it.
Like, how would you feel? Would that be you?
(14:12):
Yeah, you know, no, that wouldn't be me because I, I, I
mean it. It also just like I, I do think
it comes from a varied sense of what thrill seeking can be.
Because to me, what's what wouldbe like thrilling to me in a way
that I think would really, you know, adrenaline rush is like
(14:33):
public speaking. I hate that.
I hate public speaking. I hate speaking in front of a
group. I hate all eyes on me.
Loathe it. OK, so bad news for you.
Did you know we're publishing this?
Yeah, it's just you and me, we're just like chit chatting
here and but like Zoom calls. I used to have like panic if
(14:55):
there were 20 people on a Zoom call and I had to.
It's just, I don't know what that is.
That is a whole other episode, Ithink.
But then something like running a marathon that is intriguing to
me. You know, for a while I was
training for like a Sprint triathlon cause I was like, hey,
wouldn't that be really cool at,you know, my age to just really
(15:17):
try that, try training and try getting my body in shape for
this and then completing it thatI find exciting.
But then don't ask me to jump out of a plane.
So what is the most adventurous thing you've ever done?
What is the like? Adrenaline pounding, Not
necessarily death defying, but you know, getting up there.
(15:40):
I don't even. I probably couldn't.
I think of just living in a Sprinter van for as long as I
did. Fair enough, given the
statistics. Yes, I mean, I was parking
sometimes in the middle of nowhere with nothing, no cell
service, no other human insight,nothing.
And it was just me and you know,ghost my dog and we were in the
(16:00):
middle of nowhere and it and that to me is very scary because
anything could happen, you know,like but and that was for years.
I don't what about you? What's the what's the most
thrill seeking thing you've done?
I've done some thrill seeking things, but not on purpose.
(16:20):
So there, there were times I, I was in Spain living for a little
bit and I remember, I, I'm not very, I'm not fluent in Spanish
at all. So I, I tried, I, I grew up
learning French and so I'd always get the pronunciation
backwards. And even when I had like, I
would like, write my conversations down.
It was terrible. So yeah, I, I, I tried to do my
(16:40):
due diligence and I failed. But anyway, I, I broke my foot
and I was abroad and I just wanted to get home, but I had to
like, accelerate my travel. So I and my two large checked
bags and a carry on bag took a bus from where I was in Alicante
up to Madrid by myself, unable to speak to anyone else because
(17:04):
I was, we were just going through random countryside like
they weren't speaking English, understandably so by myself.
And it was just like ill advised, you know, like it got
to the point where when you're looking back, like I didn't
really have self-service. I wasn't in contact with anyone.
I couldn't speak to anyone. I had a ton of luggage with me
and I could, I couldn't manage it myself.
I had a broken foot on crutches,like it could have went sideways
(17:27):
really easily. Thank goodness it didn't.
Even if it was as simple as missing my bus, what would I
have done? You know so.
And you know, what I think is interesting about that example
is that you weren't seeking out this situation like that's it
just happened to be this very could have gone wrong situation.
(17:52):
But it's it's because this is not your identity.
Your identity is not being this person.
That's that's like testing the waters.
No, I mean, I like to say that maybe I am brave, but also to
your point, I'm not jumping out of airplanes.
And this sort of, you know, I think it really does drill down
(18:14):
to this sort of like solo travel, solo adventure.
Both of us have had it in different flavors.
And I think that is thrill seeking in a way, especially as
women out in the world alone, that is sometimes pretty
dangerous. And I feel like trying to figure
out your way without a guided plan.
And as someone as a planner, that can be really feel makes me
(18:35):
feel like a daredevil, not goingto lie.
Yeah, I think, I think, you know, for certain instances, I
was just watching an episode of Top Chef, Top Chef Canada.
And in order for them to get an advantage in the challenge, they
had to be held the top tippy topof this building so high up they
(18:57):
had to go over the edge just by one rope harness.
They're connected, put their arms out and then look up.
And yeah, so they got some of them that did it, got a 30
minute advantage in the challenge.
And then the this one guy that didn't do it, he's like, I have
two kids, why am I doing this? You know, and I think just that
(19:17):
is an example of the calculated risk that you go into it and
you're like this isn't worth it versus.
OK, so when did Top Chef become Fear Factor?
Yeah, right. New seasons.
Right. Yes.
Wow. Speaking of fear factor, I
remember I used to watch that diligently and think like, you
know what? I can do it.
I can do that thing. And here I am in my 30s.
(19:40):
Absolutely not. That was not me.
Yeah. No.
OK, so let's talk about destinations and the people who
are opting in to chase these thrills.
It's not, oh, we were traveling and something went awry or, you
know, it's a it's a passion thatmaybe like surfing that you've
done, but it's not necessarily thrill seeking to the masses.
(20:01):
Let's talk about places in the US that people actually go to
get these jollies that scare thecrap out of me.
Yeah. So it's, you know, national
parks first and foremost, believe it or not, they offer a
lot of extreme adventures for thrill seekers, which I think is
(20:22):
fascinating because a lot of people go to national parks for
the beauty, the nature, the views, the short hikes.
But you know, we're not talking about these two mile hikes and
you know, we're, we're talking about the difference between
that and an overnight where you pack it in, pack it out, you're
just have what you brought and 20 miles from civilization.
(20:46):
That that is wild to me because even on the short hikes, even on
the family friendly moderate hikes, I was packing bear Mace
sirens like self-defense items. I was ready to go.
And I can't imagine people who are going on these like really
extreme overnight hikes or, you know, entering lotteries to do
like the big impressive climbs and things like that.
(21:07):
Like, I, my feet were sweating just going over to some of the
normal overlooks in some of these national parks, like at
Yosemite, Glacier Point. Beautiful.
I was having a moment. It was very high up for me.
And so you can also go sandboarding at places like
Great Sand Dunes National Park in Southern Colorado.
(21:28):
And that sound, that sounds incredibly fun to me, but I feel
like I would fail because it's across between skateboarding,
surfing, skiing and snowboarding.
And it's one of those things where if I'm sitting in at my
desk, I'm like, you know what, Ibet I could do that.
Absolutely not. No, I trip over myself going
down the stairs. Yeah, but you've gotten sledding
before, right? Well, sledding on my butt like.
(21:51):
Yeah, you could do that too. You could stand board.
You don't have to stand necessarily.
You could. You could stand board like a
sled down these dunes. See, this is the difference
between you and me. You're like in your wet suit
surfing just on my boogie board with floaties, like just like in
the shallows. Like, look, I'm doing it.
I got it. Yeah, but then you're like
(22:13):
you're talking about going on a roller coaster and just like,
you know, throwing your hands upand I'm on the ground taking
photos. So I think it's just about
perspective and maybe what's I don't, I don't know, like, yeah,
I, I don't know. I would do some, I would
definitely do some thrill seeking things like in Moab,
that's like extreme adventure Mecca where you have like free
(22:36):
climbing, base jumping, all these beautiful, gorgeous red
rock formations. And I, I feel like that's the
type of place where you can go ATV ING in the desert.
You like, there's so much to do,but the appeal of that is that
you're surrounded by this gorgeous landscape and that is
like a once in a lifetime experience.
(22:58):
The appeal, but also the fear because I don't know about you,
but whenever I'm out there in the middle of Utah and I'm like,
wow, if something happened to me, how long would it take to me
for me to get to a hospital? You know what I mean?
Like you see that Green River stop and it's like everything
else around it. It's hundreds of miles for the
next gas, let alone. Right.
(23:18):
What are you going? To do and that's why you're 45
out of 100 on the sensation seeking. 100%, yeah.
Have you ever gone like climbingor anything like that in Moab?
No. In Moab, no.
Yeah. What's the like most like, do
you boulder, rock climb, anything like that?
(23:39):
Are you? I walk through and I hike, but
I'm not climbing. Yeah.
I have climbed before. It was very big, believe it or
not, in Austin, TX. A lot of people would go to the
surrounding parks and I've always thought about climbing as
adding that to a list of things that I would want to do because
(24:01):
to me, like, I like having things to do in nature.
So maybe that's like part of this little seeking is that I
just like having hobbies outside, if that makes sense.
Like this summer, for example, we're gonna go white water
rafting in South Carolina. I haven't done that since I was
(24:22):
in Pennsylvania, since I was a kid.
And for some reason, it just does not scare me.
I'm not scared of white water rafting.
Wear your helmet. Wear your floaties.
Yeah, it's like the same as snowboarding to me.
You know, like I grew, I grew upsnowboarding and then as an
adult and I just took, you know,my wife's snowboarding for the
(24:43):
first time. And she makes fun of me because
I didn't take her to the Bunny slope first because she wanted
to learn on the Bunny slope, butI wanted to take her on the
bigger just to get her used to it.
And I was guiding her down the mountain and she was like, next
time, can we start on the Bunny slope?
Because I guess that was too much.
And I didn't even think about that.
But. Oh, no, I don't know.
(25:05):
I think people. You know, throwing someone in
the deep end, kind of, you know.I look, I understand and respect
that, but I too would want to goon the Bunny slope because I
feel like otherwise I'm just going to like plop over how to
stop and not, you know, run intoa tree.
I, I feel like climbing would bereally fun, but one thing I've
noticed that every time I've gone to like a bouldering gym,
(25:27):
I'm like, wow, my the like tendons in my forearm.
My grip strength just isn't whatit needs to be to do something
like this. And I've the one experience I
had climbing into a cave, I did not expect, nor did was I
prepared, nor did I have gear. So it was just a terrible
experience. Yeah, we went on this little, I
(25:50):
think I told you before about mylike, sort of like cave diving
scuba experience that I was not scuba, but like snorkeling that
I wasn't expecting. And it was terrifying.
Well, similarly, the guy in the little blow up dinghy was like,
Hey, climb up into this cave andis in the side of a Cliff in
Mallorca. And he's like, I'll be down
here. Didn't bring my anchor.
I'll take photos. You go have fun.
(26:12):
And all of us were just in like swimwear and didn't know how to
get up into the IT was a it was a thing.
Because so situations like that I think lead to certain traumas
that prevent you from doing things in the future we talk
about. PTSD.
Well. I mean, imagine though, if you
(26:34):
had that experience and you had a guy that was very prepared
that was like, hey, this, I'm super prepared.
I'm a professional. I have this, this, this, here's
your gear, here's the then you would be like, OK, I could do
this versus and then maybe you never want to do that again
because of that situation. So I do.
Yeah, I do think that that is impactful.
(26:55):
It's like, and maybe some of these people with higher
sensation seeking skills, yes, they biologically maybe crave
certain things, but I also thinkin terms of their formative
years and their nurturing, maybethey didn't have those
experience. They were taught the proper way
they understand and they were able to form those like
calculated risks. Whereas to me, I see it more as
danger because I just haven't had the good experiences that
(27:17):
I've looked back on. I'm like, well, it's a story.
It was fun. But I have learned that I don't
want to do XY and Z because of how I felt, you know, so even
people who go to say like DenaliNational Park, and they're
hardcore wilderness people, they're survivalists.
They could be on the show alone,which I am addicted to.
But like when you see people go on these shows and people who
(27:39):
are going out into the wilderness, they are so
prepared. They've like spent years of
their life getting ready for this kind of thing.
So of course, if I went there and I'm like, I'm going to go to
Denali National Park and I'm notprepared, I have a terrible
experience. The mosquitoes bite me to death
and I'm like, well, I'm never doing that again.
That's my fault because I wasn't.
I wasn't educated or ready for it.
(28:00):
Yeah, I yeah. And, and I think what also at
the same time, there might be like some evolutionary
hardwiring in our brain that is just, you know, protect from
danger, protect, protect. So it's maybe you're when you're
looking at an activity and you're seeing it for what it is,
maybe your brain is automatically pointing out all
(28:23):
the risks on the outset to like convince you to not do it
because there, there is a lot ofdanger involved.
And your brain's like, we want to stay alive, you know, don't
do this kind of thing. Yeah, I I also think too this
about how I grew up and where I grew up.
I wouldn't say that Ohio is veryhigh on the thrill seeking state
(28:43):
list, no offense. Ohio, I it's beautiful.
There are so many great things about it, but it's not the
California or Florida or Colorado or Washington or
Arizona, all these places. I mean, I didn't even list them
all have like these very like the national parks and these
extreme spots to where like I can't get white water rafting in
Ohio. Like not really like there are
rivers and things, but we're just gentle bumps.
(29:06):
You know, we go cabreuing here. That's what happens in Ohio.
What is cabreuing? It's like going on a river
afloat, either like inner tubes or in a canoe or kayak, and
you're bringing beer. So it's kabrewing and you're
just like all linked together. OK, I did not know that I had an
(29:28):
official name. OK, love that.
If not trade marking it now I. Feel like you should trademark
it? Oh gosh.
Yeah. And so, like on the opposite end
of the spectrum, also talking about very extreme things, you
know, what about suspended dining?
(29:50):
People that are hanging from a crane eating dinner at 150 feet
in the air, you know this type of this is definitely sensation
seeking behavior because why choose a restaurant where you
could have both feet on the ground when you could be hanging
from a crane? Exactly.
Also, I spill under normal circumstances, how are you
(30:10):
supposed to actually effectivelyeat and enjoy what you're eating
when you're like redlining at the top of a crane in the middle
of the I don't get it. I I could not I.
Maybe, yeah. But yeah, OK.
So on the flip side here, because that does not sound
appealing to me and I probably would never do suspended dining.
So, you know, for some of us, are we living in a time when
(30:33):
we're avoiding discomfort more than ever and and just like
preferring to have normal experiences to avoid discomfort
of anything else and why is that?
Why are we avoiding discomfort as much as we are?
I do think that especially because of COVID and we went
through this long period of timewhere there was a lot of fear
(30:54):
and a lot of real fear for like what is going on in terms of our
medical safety and you have to stay at home.
And there was, you know, the, the kind of like stay at home
orders and things like that. I feel like we got into this
mindset of, look, I was sanitizing my groceries, I was
wiping stuff down. I didn't know what was, you
know, safe and not safe. And it kind of put you in a
(31:16):
headspace of like, well, you need to protect yourself.
So maybe I'm not thinking about,I don't know, like wading
through a swamp with leeches andsnakes.
And I also think that there is alevel of you're no longer
desensitized to these like adventure seeking behaviors.
Like if you've ever you've been afraid of flying and you don't
(31:36):
fly for many years, all of the sudden it seems like a much
bigger deal than it used to be. Yeah, Yeah.
I think that's, that's a very good point because when you're
experiencing fear on a day-to-day basis of the world
that you live in, then why are you going to go out of your way
to be uncomfortable or find discomfort?
(31:59):
And it's, it's almost like we'retrying to regain control in a
world that feels very much out of control.
And I think that honestly related to some of the thrill
seeking you can do that's a little bit more approachable,
like a little bit more reasonable.
So say like theme parks to your point about, OK, I can identify
a space where I am in control orat least perceive control and
(32:21):
I'm going to have fun doing it. I think that that is really why
theme parks exist, right? It's interesting because I have
the opposite feeling about theme.
Parks. I don't know if it's just from
growing up and going to county fairs where just things looked
(32:41):
wobbly as heck. And I don't know, it's like I
someone else is controlling that.
So maybe it, it does boil down to control because when I'm
surfing, I feel like I'm in control.
When I'm on an airplane, I feel like I'm not in control fair.
And then when I'm at a theme park, the the ride is guided by
things that are out of my control.
So it's so maybe that does. Did we just have a breakthrough
(33:05):
moment? Oh my God.
Genius. Well, I think it's all about so.
OK, sure. I think it's I want to get back
to theme parks, but I think you hit on a really good topic about
control and perceived risk. And I think that being in
control can give people a sense of it's almost like inflated
(33:29):
risk reduction. It doesn't mean you're
necessarily safer, but it feels safer.
Just think about statistics in terms of driving versus flying.
Flying, you feel out of control.But still, even with everything
that's happened with, you know, the FAA and things this year and
the headlines that we've seen, it's still much safer than
driving. And driving?
More than likely you're in control.
(33:50):
Yeah, it's a great point. Every time I'm on a plane and I
hear the flight attendant talking to somebody about the
risk of flying and how much safer it is than anything else
we do on a daily basis. It's crazy.
And you're right, it's separating the actual risk from
the perceived risk. And then knowing how to protect
(34:11):
yourself in terms of like preparation or like you were
saying, having a good guide, good gear, all of that matters
in terms of maybe having you take a look at what the actual
risk is versus the perceived risk.
Yeah. And look, something as to me as
wild as skydiving has really lowfatality rates.
(34:33):
It's, you know, it's if you lookat the numbers, it's not
something that is necessarily going to hurt you.
But if you think about statistics, OK, how many people
are skydiving versus how many people are flying?
So if you wanna like start scaling out your level of
perceived risk, say, OK, sure, skydiving is safe.
(34:54):
They're really relatively low fatalities, but it is a numbers
game. Like how many people are
actually doing it. If you think about flying, even
as many accidents as we've seen in the headlines recently, I
would say, and I think from in a2024 safety report, there are
1.3 accidents per million flights.
Like that's, that's a lot. And I know that it feels like
(35:16):
we've seen more and I do think there are real infrastructure
issues and staffing issues that need to be addressed.
But it's still, you know, it is something we need to remember is
that that is still a really safeform of transportation, even if
our perceived risk has gone up just due to some of the things
that have happened recently. And, and I feel like part of
(35:39):
that too has to be our perceivedrisk is forever growing, I think
due to the media as well and, and, and how much information
we're able to consume on a dailybasis.
And the fact that if you're seeing like right now, we're
having a lot of issues with air travel, you know, confusion on
(36:00):
whatever, it's technically a lotof that information is coming at
you and your brain is kind of consuming it to where maybe your
perceived risk is going up when the actual risk is just staying
the same or even lower. Absolutely.
I mean, look, I'm flying to New York tomorrow and I'm not even
flying in a Newark, but I'm thinking, OK, think it's, it's
(36:24):
fine. It's fine, it's fine.
So you know, it, it is interesting like as a 45 out of
100 on the sensation seeking scale and someone who's maybe a
bit more cautious. Yeah, you're absolutely right.
Like the numbers are remaining the same essentially.
But my procedure risk is going up and that's probably why, you
(36:45):
know, if someone were to ask me like, hey, you gonna go base
jumping? I'll say no, absolutely not.
Like go on a roller coaster maybe.
But once I get on it, I'm gonna be extremely anxious until it's
over so. OK.
So circling back to themes, theme parks, because I did want
to go back to that, you find that theme parks what the
perceived risk versus actual risk is a lot higher.
(37:09):
Well, OK, county fairs, yes, they're putting together those
things on the fly. That's that's a whole different
story, I think. But in terms of theme parks,
the, the real risk is low. It's extremely low, but I don't
deny if I'm going to Cedar Pointand I'm sitting on that new Tilt
(37:30):
Coat coaster, I'm going to be like sweating a little, a little
bit. Yeah.
I is that why you don't go on roller coasters?
Is it because of the fear or is it more of like a body sensation
of I'm going to get sick or havea headache?
It's the body sensation. I think for me, I don't like
that feeling of falling, the first drop of a roller.
(37:52):
You know what it is to the anticipation of of you're
sitting there, you're strapped in the climb up.
The thing is like so slow. Like, like just drives me crazy
that you're just anticipating this.
And then but it happened so fastand then it's done and you're
like, Oh my gosh, this is great.And you asked me the other day
when the last roller coaster I was on was it was a Mummy at
(38:16):
Universal Studios. I love the mummy.
Yeah, and I think the reason I like The Mummy is because, A,
it's very dark, so I don't really see what's going on.
B, there is the anticipation, isn't there?
Because you're also in like parts of the movie and you're
able to look around and see things.
I think to me, a roller coaster,that first climb, I I just don't
(38:37):
wanna do it. Well, good news for you if
you're going to Epic Universe, the Stardust Racers, and
Celestial Park, that's a launch coaster.
You're going at 60 mph immediately, so you'll be fine.
No anticipation needed. Yeah, OK.
I need. To solved it for you.
I'm gonna, you know what's interesting too about this whole
situation is that going to Epic Universe I, I purposely have not
(39:00):
looked at the rides because I don't want to.
No, no, no, no, no, I'm still gonna, I'm still gonna do it
'cause you. I, that was helpful information
that you just shared because I just right out the gate, I'm
gonna go. But I think the more I don't
know about something, yeah, I'm able to do it versus the more I
know about it. And then my brain will just
(39:22):
like, ruminate on it and then which?
You would think would be different given our entire
conversation today about preparation, skill, education.
You're like, Nah, just put the blinders on.
Yeah, drop me. In Yeah, probably not healthy
either, but. Yeah, I was.
You know, the rumination can be.I get that a lot too.
Like you just sit in your own, you know, cage thinking about
(39:46):
something that's going to happen.
Being an over thinker, I think that's where a lot of the
perceived risk comes from is because, you know, it's just
it's growing up and it's the stories that people tell you of
oh, did you hear about that boy growing up that got, you know,
injured on a ride or and and then that just sticks with you
in your head. And then that's the one example
(40:07):
and not the millions of examplesof safe rides.
So it's also, I think too some external factors like maybe, you
know, my mom will text me like, hey, did you hear about that
roller coaster on the other sideof the world that did something
and someone got caught? I'm like, oh, I didn't.
Thanks, Mom. Yeah, my mom too.
Same. And that's probably why it's.
(40:29):
Yes, it's just like creeping andI would love to do a gut check
episode 20 years from now and belike, hey, how do we?
How do we, how do you feel aboutif podcasting is still a thing?
Yeah. Are we now the people who are
like, texting others like, hey, did you hear about that accident
about that on that tilt twirl? Oh my gosh.
I hope not. I hope that's not me, but yeah.
(40:53):
So OK. Do you, are there any, any
thrill seeking adventures that we've talked about that we
haven't talked about that you would want to add to your bucket
list, let's say in the next fiveyears?
Absolutely. I, I think we didn't talk about
it very long, but there are so many things in the United
States, I think it would be worth doing so even in my
(41:15):
hometown of Canton. OH, and then I know, and I think
Santa Fe, they do a lot of air balloon launches and I don't
like heights. I don't know if I would freak
out during it, but it does seem like something fun to like be
part of like one of those air balloon festivals and like go up
in one and just see cuz how do you I?
It just blows my mind that you can't really control it.
(41:38):
You literally have a car that chases you to find where you
land because all you do is go upand float and that's it.
So you're talking about like a tethered ride or untethered?
Untethered. OK, So just going up, floating
around, coming back down. Yeah, yeah, Every year for the
Football Hall of Fame, they havea air balloon festival and it
(42:00):
looks really fun. And like they don't float far,
they land in the same town. But I still think that would be
fun. That would be fun.
That would be really fun. I've never done anything like
that. Well, I mean, how far are you
from the Football Hall of Fame and is this something you can
cross off your list? I mean, maybe I should start
reaching out for this August. We have our known travellers,
(42:20):
thrill seekers launching this fall.
What if I go up in an air balloon just for this, for this
campaign? I think I did, yes.
Just had me out down in the corner of the basket sledding.
It's gonna be a compelling video.
You're like, so sorry, I didn't get any photos.
I actually didn't see anything. I was curled up in a bowl.
(42:42):
See I will need a a GoPro like what you have so that way I can
at least put it on my head so ifI'm crapped down at least see
what's. Going on, hold it up while
you're down there. What about you?
What's something? I mean, I know you're going to
white water rafting, but anything else?
Yeah, I think honestly I yeah, nothing.
(43:04):
No, I don't know. My wife keeps talking about
diving. She has her certification for
like open water diving. And I've never done scuba diving
before and snorkeling makes me nauseous.
I get seasick snorkeling. So I don't know.
Looking up and down like what isit?
Yeah, I think it's just like you're there and you're floating
(43:25):
on the surface snorkeling and you're head you're just, you're
looking around and stuff and. Aw, man, I yeah, scuba.
It's a lot. It's a lot.
Same so I'm gonna I'm gonna say yes to it I I think that's just
where I'm at too. I told you this for Epic
Universe. I'm, I'm, I'm saying yes to
(43:46):
everything. I'm also, I don't know, I've
reached this point in my life the past year or so, two years.
I don't know. Everyone says once you hit 40,
then it's you're just kind of like you don't give a darn about
anything. And I feel like right now that's
just where I'm at. I'm like, yes, let me just say
yes to things. Let me just do it.
(44:07):
And you know what's the worst that can happen?
I think that's a great mentalityto have because it's not like
you're saying yes to uncalculated risks that are
wild. Like you know what, I am going
to just like jump in the back ofthat van and like go base diving
and try these strange drugs. I do hope that you're snort if
you do go scuba diving, maybe you can ease in with like I
(44:27):
mean, obviously you probably have access to like crystal
clear waters, but I feel like ifit's like bright and they're
like cool fishies and you can just like suffer through for
that. Yes, I will say I'll report
back. I am afraid of I'm afraid of
fish in the water and all the things we know this.
But the one time I did get luredinto snorkeling with fish, it's
(44:48):
because I saw turtles and I got so excited about the turtles and
they bait and switched me. I'm like, oh, I want to go see
the turtle. And then they swam away and then
I was just surrounded by like fish and coral and I hated it.
But. What?
So OK, another disappointing thrill seeking experience that
probably. OK, we are wrapping this up but
(45:12):
I'm getting a lot of insane. Yeah, we got it.
Wow. I learned a lot about myself.
Forget the episode. Oh man, this is yeah, no, this
is great. I love this.
So yeah, I think whether you're scaling cliffs or screaming like
me on a roller coaster, thrill seeking is so much more than
(45:36):
just a rush. It really is a way of exploring
and testing the boundaries of life and maybe just being able
to feel everything more deeply. So yeah, feel, Feel nature more
deeply, feel the fear and anxiety.
Just say yes in calculated ways.But thank you for joining us on
(45:58):
States of Discovery. If you have a travel story that
pushed you to your limits, brought you to the edge, you
want to share it? Or maybe you just want to share
a story like me, who you did an adventure and then you're like,
wow, that was terrible. What happened?
Send us an e-mail at Podcast at All in Your state.com and we'd
love to hear about it. Yes.
And until then, stay curious andmaybe just a little bit wild.
True and Emory psychologist and sensation seeking expert Kenneth
Carter says high sensation seekers see potential stressors
as challenges to overcome ratherthan threats that might crush
them. And this mindset is a buffer
against the stress of life, and I find that very, very
(00:27):
fascinating. I mean, talk about taking the
bull by the horns. I guess that's hey.
And welcome back to States of Discovery.
Today we're diving into the psychology and culture behind
thrill seeking travel. Why some of us crave the edge of
(00:48):
danger while others maybe cling to comfort?
From storm chasers in Tornado Alley to climbers scaling frozen
waterfalls in New Hampshire, we are looking into the psychology
and destinations that push the limits.
Yikes. OK, so just to start, I think we
need to cover our bases here. Not everyone's idea of vacation
(01:11):
includes the possibility of death, Yes.
Yes, 100%. I mean, for some people, yes,
the edge of their comfort zone is a spin on a roller coaster.
And that's pretty much me in a nutshell.
Or maybe just something as simple as ordering the spicy
option on a menu? Yes, so I think it's funny to
(01:34):
see how personal preferences really guide people's 3 thrill
seeking behaviors and honestly their inner psychology.
So there's actually studies behind this.
And according to Psychology Today, this sort of thrill
seeking and adrenaline junky behavior is actually tied to
something they call sensation seeking.
And it's not just a quirk, it's an innate trait in who you are
(01:56):
as a person. And some people are biologically
wired to crave that kind of intensity, new experiences,
unpredictable unpredictability, and even fear.
Yeah, and that doesn't necessarily mean that that these
people who are sensation seekingare reckless.
In fact, there are a lot of thrill seekers that are
calculated risk takers. So they're training, they're
(02:20):
preparing. They don't want to dive die.
In fact, it's the opposite. They want to feel alive.
And even in an article publishedby Outside Magazine, there's an
even deeper reason for thrill seeking adventuring.
It's that desire to feel alive, like you said, but also a desire
to be in tune with the natural world.
(02:41):
Which makes sense in a lot of ways when you think about thrill
seeking adventures which can include surfing, rock climbing,
splunking. All of these things allow humans
to move in tandem with nature. It just so happens that there
are calculated risks involved. Which I find really interesting
as well because there is an actual test you can take to kind
(03:05):
of define what your sensation seeking level is.
But first, I think we need to discuss what that actually is
and what this sensation seeking is comprised of.
It's a sensation seeking test that it was the scale created by
Doctor Zuckerman that's kind of been like reworked to get to the
(03:27):
corrupts them at all without spending hours taking a test.
So Sarah and I took this test and before we jump into our
results, I think what's really interesting the questions that
they're asking because it it really does boil down to the
psychology of, you know, they'renot asking you outright.
(03:48):
Do you want to go like jump off a Cliff and is that your idea of
a great vacation? They're asking you, how do you
feel about rewatching ATV show that you've already watched?
So I I think that I found that very interesting.
Yeah, it's closer to like the Myers Briggs test or an
Enneagram or maybe even just like a general Screener.
(04:08):
So it's like putting you throughlike these tests that look, this
is not a diagnostic official test.
Like you can't like take this and say like, Hey, this is what
I but I do think it's like a great insight into your
personality. So before we discuss our
results, I did want to touch on the components of sensation
seeking behavior and like what makes just to give context for
(04:30):
for what our answers are going to be.
So first, it is an innate quest for adventure and risk.
So this characteristic, these people are looking for
adventure, they're looking for risk.
Second, there is a love for varied and novel sensations.
3rd, there's a natural ability to be disinhibited and
(04:51):
unrestrained. And then fourth, there's a
susceptibility to boredom. So we can kind of see why these
4 traits would lead to someone seeking sensations and and
adventure. So drum roll, please.
Do you want to disclose your sensation seeking results?
Yeah. So I feel like this is going to
be a little bit boring and no surprise to anybody that listens
(05:14):
or perhaps knows me, but I actually land right in the
middle. I'm a 49 at home 100.
I'm a 45. Yeah.
What? Well.
There's no way. There's no way I'm more
sensation seeking than you. That cannot be true.
I mean, you do surf. I do not.
That is true. OK, Yeah, what I thought was
(05:38):
really interesting. So, you know, it says that if we
land in the middle, you're moderate and sensation seeking.
Sometimes you're searching for novel, thrilling experiences,
but striking a healthy balance, which I guess when you when it
boils down to it, yeah, that makes sense.
I can relate to that. 100 cents 100 I can relate to that.
(05:58):
Yes. Period.
So I think it's interesting because pursuing new experiences
and adventures is something thatis very, very important to me,
but I also like to maintain a comfortable daily routine.
Yeah, so. I'm curious what of the four
components you relate to the most, Because to me, if I think
(06:21):
of Marissa, I'm not thinking, oh, you're disinhibited,
unrestrained, dysregulated. You're you're just doing
whatever the hell. So what do the four do you feel
like you can see be part of yourpersonality?
Like more strongly. So I would say the second one, a
love for varied and novel sensations, a little bit more
(06:41):
towards a quest for adventure. I think for me, I, you know,
like adventure does come with risk and I don't think I get too
hung up on the risk because of the act of what I'm doing is so
much more important to me. So like, you know, like you
(07:03):
mentioned surfing, surfing to mecomes with a lot of risk,
injury, drowning, shark attacks,all of those things that if you
kind of get stuck on that you'renever going to try surfing.
But those are are usually just the outliers of the adventure,
when really the adventure will will be so much more rewarding
to you in the long run. Yeah.
(07:25):
And in a recent conversation we were having, you were describing
how you moved through your fear of flying, and it was imagining
the outcome. And I feel like that's a very
similar thing, Like you want to do it for, forgive me, but for
the vibe, like for the experience, like you want to
surf for the outcome, for the activity and not worry about
(07:46):
what could go wrong. That's.
Really interesting. That's a really good point
because when I'm surfing, I always imagine the feeling of
getting up on the board on the wave and you're, you're just
like that connection with with nature that we mentioned.
That's what I think about when Isurf.
I don't think about the risk. So maybe that is something in my
(08:08):
brain. But then I'll never jump out of
an airplane. Oh, you know, And that's like,
no. Right there with your time.
I mean, we're 45 and 49. We're not.
We're not gonna be jumping out of airplanes anytime soon.
I feel like that was actually one of the questions on the
Screener is like, would you enjoy jumping out of an
airplane? I was like, absolutely not, no.
Right. Same.
Yeah. OK, So what about you?
(08:29):
What do you relate to most out of these?
I think that the varied and novel sensations are is
honestly, that's really high. I do have a susceptibility to
boredom. I feel like I will seek even,
you know, errands and things to do around the house if I feel
like I'm having too much of A lion.
(08:50):
And then one of my core values that I seek is being curious and
well, two curious curiosity and adventure seeking.
So I feel like that's just kind of folded in, but I have that
huge part of me that is this over rationalization and seeking
information. And so I tend to like maybe
overthink something. So that's why I'm not #3 I'm
(09:13):
like unrestrained. No thank you.
I am over restrained if anythingso.
Just curious, do you think that your sensation seeking has
changed as you've like gone through life?
Do you think certain experiencesmay shift where you land on the
scale, or do you think your age plays a factor in how that might
(09:34):
fluctuate? I do feel like all of us have
gone through that phase of hey, my prefrontal cortex is finally
locked in in early 20s now I'm suddenly afraid of things.
So I do feel like there's some of that.
Because even as something as simple as a roller coaster,
whenever I was younger I gave zero thoughts to what could go
wrong. And now as I'm getting buckled
(09:55):
in I'm like, well hopefully thisisn't the day.
This is worth it. Yeah, that's interesting, 'cause
I do I I was thinking about thattoo the other day about just I
was chatting with my dad about the the movie.
I think it's called free dive onNetflix.
These free divers that yeah, I know I already by your reaction,
(10:17):
I already know the ocean deep diving unknown is that that's a
big no. But these people that free dive
without they hold their breath and they dive to like beat these
records and then they have to come up so slowly to you know
what decompress or is that? That level of talent is wild.
(10:38):
I was actually just like maxing out like your O2 skills, Like
how are you able to not need that much oxygen while you're
doing that level of exercise andyou're going slowly up it?
Nah, that sounds like a lot. It, it is and it's fascinated
because like, you know, Psychology Today is saying
(10:58):
thrill seek, thrill seekers aren't motivated by danger.
They're actually driven to soak up these life experiences and
they just like plainly put, theydo not let danger dissuade them.
Therefore they don't have these risks accompanying these
activities like Cliff diving or mountaineering.
Another one I thought was interesting.
(11:19):
An example is gambling that theyask in the in the questionnaire.
Do you like to gamble? And and really, I don't, I don't
find losing money. Fun.
Yeah, like the money in my pocket.
I'd much rather spend the money on an experience or food or
something. Not well, I had it and now I
don't. So I guess that does make sense
(11:41):
why someone would want to danglefrom a Cliff or chase a storm.
Like there's that calculated risk.
It's part of their personality. They're not necessarily throwing
themselves at danger, as maybe you or I might see it, but it's
they're deciding to do these things for very concrete
reasons. Yes, True.
And Emory psychologist and sensation seeking expert Kenneth
(12:04):
Carter says high sensation seekers see potential stressors
as challenges to overcome ratherthan threats that might crush
them. And this mindset is a buffer
against the stress of life, And I find that very, very
fascinating. I mean, talk about taking the
(12:25):
bull by the horns, I guess that's, but also I wanted to say
in addition to that kind of taking the bull by the horns,
we're making these calculated risks.
It's also for the story, right? It's for the I went to happy
hour and let me tell you about this time I scaled some, I don't
know, the Half Dome. Right.
(12:46):
Yeah, yes, I think, I mean, gosh, isn't it just like a shift
in perspective too that you're, you know, you're seeing these as
challenges to overcome rather than a threat.
So that mindset in general, of course, these people are, you
(13:07):
know, skydiving, paratrooping, doing all these, you know, like
these Cliff jumpers that just have the squirrel.
Parachutes that. Are gliding through the air.
I'm just oh gosh. But if they're looking at this
as like, hey, this is just a challenge to overcome and once I
(13:27):
crush it, then, you know, I can move on to the next thing.
And that mindset to me is very foreign 'cause I don't
necessarily have that when it comes to thrill seeking
behavior, I think. OK, so let me ask you this.
If you were going on this big adventure and you came back and
you didn't have a story to tell,you didn't say, well, you know
(13:51):
what? I actually surfed on the off the
coast of XY and Z or I went on a, you know, a hike through, I
don't know, the the hills of Spain.
And you said, well, I just can't.
I've watched a lot of hotel TV and then that was it.
Like, how would you feel? Would that be you?
(14:12):
Yeah, you know, no, that wouldn't be me because I, I, I
mean it. It also just like I, I do think
it comes from a varied sense of what thrill seeking can be.
Because to me, what's what wouldbe like thrilling to me in a way
that I think would really, you know, adrenaline rush is like
(14:33):
public speaking. I hate that.
I hate public speaking. I hate speaking in front of a
group. I hate all eyes on me.
Loathe it. OK, so bad news for you.
Did you know we're publishing this?
Yeah, it's just you and me, we're just like chit chatting
here and but like Zoom calls. I used to have like panic if
(14:55):
there were 20 people on a Zoom call and I had to.
It's just, I don't know what that is.
That is a whole other episode, Ithink.
But then something like running a marathon that is intriguing to
me. You know, for a while I was
training for like a Sprint triathlon cause I was like, hey,
wouldn't that be really cool at,you know, my age to just really
(15:17):
try that, try training and try getting my body in shape for
this and then completing it thatI find exciting.
But then don't ask me to jump out of a plane.
So what is the most adventurous thing you've ever done?
What is the like? Adrenaline pounding, Not
necessarily death defying, but you know, getting up there.
(15:40):
I don't even. I probably couldn't.
I think of just living in a Sprinter van for as long as I
did. Fair enough, given the
statistics. Yes, I mean, I was parking
sometimes in the middle of nowhere with nothing, no cell
service, no other human insight,nothing.
And it was just me and you know,ghost my dog and we were in the
(16:00):
middle of nowhere and it and that to me is very scary because
anything could happen, you know,like but and that was for years.
I don't what about you? What's the what's the most
thrill seeking thing you've done?
I've done some thrill seeking things, but not on purpose.
(16:20):
So there, there were times I, I was in Spain living for a little
bit and I remember, I, I'm not very, I'm not fluent in Spanish
at all. So I, I tried, I, I grew up
learning French and so I'd always get the pronunciation
backwards. And even when I had like, I
would like, write my conversations down.
It was terrible. So yeah, I, I, I tried to do my
(16:40):
due diligence and I failed. But anyway, I, I broke my foot
and I was abroad and I just wanted to get home, but I had to
like, accelerate my travel. So I and my two large checked
bags and a carry on bag took a bus from where I was in Alicante
up to Madrid by myself, unable to speak to anyone else because
(17:04):
I was, we were just going through random countryside like
they weren't speaking English, understandably so by myself.
And it was just like ill advised, you know, like it got
to the point where when you're looking back, like I didn't
really have self-service. I wasn't in contact with anyone.
I couldn't speak to anyone. I had a ton of luggage with me
and I could, I couldn't manage it myself.
I had a broken foot on crutches,like it could have went sideways
(17:27):
really easily. Thank goodness it didn't.
Even if it was as simple as missing my bus, what would I
have done? You know so.
And you know, what I think is interesting about that example
is that you weren't seeking out this situation like that's it
just happened to be this very could have gone wrong situation.
(17:52):
But it's it's because this is not your identity.
Your identity is not being this person.
That's that's like testing the waters.
No, I mean, I like to say that maybe I am brave, but also to
your point, I'm not jumping out of airplanes.
And this sort of, you know, I think it really does drill down
(18:14):
to this sort of like solo travel, solo adventure.
Both of us have had it in different flavors.
And I think that is thrill seeking in a way, especially as
women out in the world alone, that is sometimes pretty
dangerous. And I feel like trying to figure
out your way without a guided plan.
And as someone as a planner, that can be really feel makes me
(18:35):
feel like a daredevil, not goingto lie.
Yeah, I think, I think, you know, for certain instances, I
was just watching an episode of Top Chef, Top Chef Canada.
And in order for them to get an advantage in the challenge, they
had to be held the top tippy topof this building so high up they
(18:57):
had to go over the edge just by one rope harness.
They're connected, put their arms out and then look up.
And yeah, so they got some of them that did it, got a 30
minute advantage in the challenge.
And then the this one guy that didn't do it, he's like, I have
two kids, why am I doing this? You know, and I think just that
(19:17):
is an example of the calculated risk that you go into it and
you're like this isn't worth it versus.
OK, so when did Top Chef become Fear Factor?
Yeah, right. New seasons.
Right. Yes.
Wow. Speaking of fear factor, I
remember I used to watch that diligently and think like, you
know what? I can do it.
I can do that thing. And here I am in my 30s.
(19:40):
Absolutely not. That was not me.
Yeah. No.
OK, so let's talk about destinations and the people who
are opting in to chase these thrills.
It's not, oh, we were traveling and something went awry or, you
know, it's a it's a passion thatmaybe like surfing that you've
done, but it's not necessarily thrill seeking to the masses.
(20:01):
Let's talk about places in the US that people actually go to
get these jollies that scare thecrap out of me.
Yeah. So it's, you know, national
parks first and foremost, believe it or not, they offer a
lot of extreme adventures for thrill seekers, which I think is
(20:22):
fascinating because a lot of people go to national parks for
the beauty, the nature, the views, the short hikes.
But you know, we're not talking about these two mile hikes and
you know, we're, we're talking about the difference between
that and an overnight where you pack it in, pack it out, you're
just have what you brought and 20 miles from civilization.
(20:46):
That that is wild to me because even on the short hikes, even on
the family friendly moderate hikes, I was packing bear Mace
sirens like self-defense items. I was ready to go.
And I can't imagine people who are going on these like really
extreme overnight hikes or, you know, entering lotteries to do
like the big impressive climbs and things like that.
(21:07):
Like, I, my feet were sweating just going over to some of the
normal overlooks in some of these national parks, like at
Yosemite, Glacier Point. Beautiful.
I was having a moment. It was very high up for me.
And so you can also go sandboarding at places like
Great Sand Dunes National Park in Southern Colorado.
(21:28):
And that sound, that sounds incredibly fun to me, but I feel
like I would fail because it's across between skateboarding,
surfing, skiing and snowboarding.
And it's one of those things where if I'm sitting in at my
desk, I'm like, you know what, Ibet I could do that.
Absolutely not. No, I trip over myself going
down the stairs. Yeah, but you've gotten sledding
before, right? Well, sledding on my butt like.
(21:51):
Yeah, you could do that too. You could stand board.
You don't have to stand necessarily.
You could. You could stand board like a
sled down these dunes. See, this is the difference
between you and me. You're like in your wet suit
surfing just on my boogie board with floaties, like just like in
the shallows. Like, look, I'm doing it.
I got it. Yeah, but then you're like
(22:13):
you're talking about going on a roller coaster and just like,
you know, throwing your hands upand I'm on the ground taking
photos. So I think it's just about
perspective and maybe what's I don't, I don't know, like, yeah,
I, I don't know. I would do some, I would
definitely do some thrill seeking things like in Moab,
that's like extreme adventure Mecca where you have like free
(22:36):
climbing, base jumping, all these beautiful, gorgeous red
rock formations. And I, I feel like that's the
type of place where you can go ATV ING in the desert.
You like, there's so much to do,but the appeal of that is that
you're surrounded by this gorgeous landscape and that is
like a once in a lifetime experience.
(22:58):
The appeal, but also the fear because I don't know about you,
but whenever I'm out there in the middle of Utah and I'm like,
wow, if something happened to me, how long would it take to me
for me to get to a hospital? You know what I mean?
Like you see that Green River stop and it's like everything
else around it. It's hundreds of miles for the
next gas, let alone. Right.
(23:18):
What are you going? To do and that's why you're 45
out of 100 on the sensation seeking. 100%, yeah.
Have you ever gone like climbingor anything like that in Moab?
No. In Moab, no.
Yeah. What's the like most like, do
you boulder, rock climb, anything like that?
(23:39):
Are you? I walk through and I hike, but
I'm not climbing. Yeah.
I have climbed before. It was very big, believe it or
not, in Austin, TX. A lot of people would go to the
surrounding parks and I've always thought about climbing as
adding that to a list of things that I would want to do because
(24:01):
to me, like, I like having things to do in nature.
So maybe that's like part of this little seeking is that I
just like having hobbies outside, if that makes sense.
Like this summer, for example, we're gonna go white water
rafting in South Carolina. I haven't done that since I was
(24:22):
in Pennsylvania, since I was a kid.
And for some reason, it just does not scare me.
I'm not scared of white water rafting.
Wear your helmet. Wear your floaties.
Yeah, it's like the same as snowboarding to me.
You know, like I grew, I grew upsnowboarding and then as an
adult and I just took, you know,my wife's snowboarding for the
(24:43):
first time. And she makes fun of me because
I didn't take her to the Bunny slope first because she wanted
to learn on the Bunny slope, butI wanted to take her on the
bigger just to get her used to it.
And I was guiding her down the mountain and she was like, next
time, can we start on the Bunny slope?
Because I guess that was too much.
And I didn't even think about that.
But. Oh, no, I don't know.
(25:05):
I think people. You know, throwing someone in
the deep end, kind of, you know.I look, I understand and respect
that, but I too would want to goon the Bunny slope because I
feel like otherwise I'm just going to like plop over how to
stop and not, you know, run intoa tree.
I, I feel like climbing would bereally fun, but one thing I've
noticed that every time I've gone to like a bouldering gym,
(25:27):
I'm like, wow, my the like tendons in my forearm.
My grip strength just isn't whatit needs to be to do something
like this. And I've the one experience I
had climbing into a cave, I did not expect, nor did was I
prepared, nor did I have gear. So it was just a terrible
experience. Yeah, we went on this little, I
(25:50):
think I told you before about mylike, sort of like cave diving
scuba experience that I was not scuba, but like snorkeling that
I wasn't expecting. And it was terrifying.
Well, similarly, the guy in the little blow up dinghy was like,
Hey, climb up into this cave andis in the side of a Cliff in
Mallorca. And he's like, I'll be down
here. Didn't bring my anchor.
I'll take photos. You go have fun.
(26:12):
And all of us were just in like swimwear and didn't know how to
get up into the IT was a it was a thing.
Because so situations like that I think lead to certain traumas
that prevent you from doing things in the future we talk
about. PTSD.
Well. I mean, imagine though, if you
(26:34):
had that experience and you had a guy that was very prepared
that was like, hey, this, I'm super prepared.
I'm a professional. I have this, this, this, here's
your gear, here's the then you would be like, OK, I could do
this versus and then maybe you never want to do that again
because of that situation. So I do.
Yeah, I do think that that is impactful.
(26:55):
It's like, and maybe some of these people with higher
sensation seeking skills, yes, they biologically maybe crave
certain things, but I also thinkin terms of their formative
years and their nurturing, maybethey didn't have those
experience. They were taught the proper way
they understand and they were able to form those like
calculated risks. Whereas to me, I see it more as
danger because I just haven't had the good experiences that
(27:17):
I've looked back on. I'm like, well, it's a story.
It was fun. But I have learned that I don't
want to do XY and Z because of how I felt, you know, so even
people who go to say like DenaliNational Park, and they're
hardcore wilderness people, they're survivalists.
They could be on the show alone,which I am addicted to.
But like when you see people go on these shows and people who
(27:39):
are going out into the wilderness, they are so
prepared. They've like spent years of
their life getting ready for this kind of thing.
So of course, if I went there and I'm like, I'm going to go to
Denali National Park and I'm notprepared, I have a terrible
experience. The mosquitoes bite me to death
and I'm like, well, I'm never doing that again.
That's my fault because I wasn't.
I wasn't educated or ready for it.
(28:00):
Yeah, I yeah. And, and I think what also at
the same time, there might be like some evolutionary
hardwiring in our brain that is just, you know, protect from
danger, protect, protect. So it's maybe you're when you're
looking at an activity and you're seeing it for what it is,
maybe your brain is automatically pointing out all
(28:23):
the risks on the outset to like convince you to not do it
because there, there is a lot ofdanger involved.
And your brain's like, we want to stay alive, you know, don't
do this kind of thing. Yeah, I I also think too this
about how I grew up and where I grew up.
I wouldn't say that Ohio is veryhigh on the thrill seeking state
(28:43):
list, no offense. Ohio, I it's beautiful.
There are so many great things about it, but it's not the
California or Florida or Colorado or Washington or
Arizona, all these places. I mean, I didn't even list them
all have like these very like the national parks and these
extreme spots to where like I can't get white water rafting in
Ohio. Like not really like there are
rivers and things, but we're just gentle bumps.
(29:06):
You know, we go cabreuing here. That's what happens in Ohio.
What is cabreuing? It's like going on a river
afloat, either like inner tubes or in a canoe or kayak, and
you're bringing beer. So it's kabrewing and you're
just like all linked together. OK, I did not know that I had an
(29:28):
official name. OK, love that.
If not trade marking it now I. Feel like you should trademark
it? Oh gosh.
Yeah. And so, like on the opposite end
of the spectrum, also talking about very extreme things, you
know, what about suspended dining?
(29:50):
People that are hanging from a crane eating dinner at 150 feet
in the air, you know this type of this is definitely sensation
seeking behavior because why choose a restaurant where you
could have both feet on the ground when you could be hanging
from a crane? Exactly.
Also, I spill under normal circumstances, how are you
(30:10):
supposed to actually effectivelyeat and enjoy what you're eating
when you're like redlining at the top of a crane in the middle
of the I don't get it. I I could not I.
Maybe, yeah. But yeah, OK.
So on the flip side here, because that does not sound
appealing to me and I probably would never do suspended dining.
So, you know, for some of us, are we living in a time when
(30:33):
we're avoiding discomfort more than ever and and just like
preferring to have normal experiences to avoid discomfort
of anything else and why is that?
Why are we avoiding discomfort as much as we are?
I do think that especially because of COVID and we went
through this long period of timewhere there was a lot of fear
(30:54):
and a lot of real fear for like what is going on in terms of our
medical safety and you have to stay at home.
And there was, you know, the, the kind of like stay at home
orders and things like that. I feel like we got into this
mindset of, look, I was sanitizing my groceries, I was
wiping stuff down. I didn't know what was, you
know, safe and not safe. And it kind of put you in a
(31:16):
headspace of like, well, you need to protect yourself.
So maybe I'm not thinking about,I don't know, like wading
through a swamp with leeches andsnakes.
And I also think that there is alevel of you're no longer
desensitized to these like adventure seeking behaviors.
Like if you've ever you've been afraid of flying and you don't
(31:36):
fly for many years, all of the sudden it seems like a much
bigger deal than it used to be. Yeah, Yeah.
I think that's, that's a very good point because when you're
experiencing fear on a day-to-day basis of the world
that you live in, then why are you going to go out of your way
to be uncomfortable or find discomfort?
(31:59):
And it's, it's almost like we'retrying to regain control in a
world that feels very much out of control.
And I think that honestly related to some of the thrill
seeking you can do that's a little bit more approachable,
like a little bit more reasonable.
So say like theme parks to your point about, OK, I can identify
a space where I am in control orat least perceive control and
(32:21):
I'm going to have fun doing it. I think that that is really why
theme parks exist, right? It's interesting because I have
the opposite feeling about theme.
Parks. I don't know if it's just from
growing up and going to county fairs where just things looked
(32:41):
wobbly as heck. And I don't know, it's like I
someone else is controlling that.
So maybe it, it does boil down to control because when I'm
surfing, I feel like I'm in control.
When I'm on an airplane, I feel like I'm not in control fair.
And then when I'm at a theme park, the the ride is guided by
things that are out of my control.
So it's so maybe that does. Did we just have a breakthrough
(33:05):
moment? Oh my God.
Genius. Well, I think it's all about so.
OK, sure. I think it's I want to get back
to theme parks, but I think you hit on a really good topic about
control and perceived risk. And I think that being in
control can give people a sense of it's almost like inflated
(33:29):
risk reduction. It doesn't mean you're
necessarily safer, but it feels safer.
Just think about statistics in terms of driving versus flying.
Flying, you feel out of control.But still, even with everything
that's happened with, you know, the FAA and things this year and
the headlines that we've seen, it's still much safer than
driving. And driving?
More than likely you're in control.
(33:50):
Yeah, it's a great point. Every time I'm on a plane and I
hear the flight attendant talking to somebody about the
risk of flying and how much safer it is than anything else
we do on a daily basis. It's crazy.
And you're right, it's separating the actual risk from
the perceived risk. And then knowing how to protect
(34:11):
yourself in terms of like preparation or like you were
saying, having a good guide, good gear, all of that matters
in terms of maybe having you take a look at what the actual
risk is versus the perceived risk.
Yeah. And look, something as to me as
wild as skydiving has really lowfatality rates.
(34:33):
It's, you know, it's if you lookat the numbers, it's not
something that is necessarily going to hurt you.
But if you think about statistics, OK, how many people
are skydiving versus how many people are flying?
So if you wanna like start scaling out your level of
perceived risk, say, OK, sure, skydiving is safe.
(34:54):
They're really relatively low fatalities, but it is a numbers
game. Like how many people are
actually doing it. If you think about flying, even
as many accidents as we've seen in the headlines recently, I
would say, and I think from in a2024 safety report, there are
1.3 accidents per million flights.
Like that's, that's a lot. And I know that it feels like
(35:16):
we've seen more and I do think there are real infrastructure
issues and staffing issues that need to be addressed.
But it's still, you know, it is something we need to remember is
that that is still a really safeform of transportation, even if
our perceived risk has gone up just due to some of the things
that have happened recently. And, and I feel like part of
(35:39):
that too has to be our perceivedrisk is forever growing, I think
due to the media as well and, and, and how much information
we're able to consume on a dailybasis.
And the fact that if you're seeing like right now, we're
having a lot of issues with air travel, you know, confusion on
(36:00):
whatever, it's technically a lotof that information is coming at
you and your brain is kind of consuming it to where maybe your
perceived risk is going up when the actual risk is just staying
the same or even lower. Absolutely.
I mean, look, I'm flying to New York tomorrow and I'm not even
flying in a Newark, but I'm thinking, OK, think it's, it's
(36:24):
fine. It's fine, it's fine.
So you know, it, it is interesting like as a 45 out of
100 on the sensation seeking scale and someone who's maybe a
bit more cautious. Yeah, you're absolutely right.
Like the numbers are remaining the same essentially.
But my procedure risk is going up and that's probably why, you
(36:45):
know, if someone were to ask me like, hey, you gonna go base
jumping? I'll say no, absolutely not.
Like go on a roller coaster maybe.
But once I get on it, I'm gonna be extremely anxious until it's
over so. OK.
So circling back to themes, theme parks, because I did want
to go back to that, you find that theme parks what the
perceived risk versus actual risk is a lot higher.
(37:09):
Well, OK, county fairs, yes, they're putting together those
things on the fly. That's that's a whole different
story, I think. But in terms of theme parks,
the, the real risk is low. It's extremely low, but I don't
deny if I'm going to Cedar Pointand I'm sitting on that new Tilt
(37:30):
Coat coaster, I'm going to be like sweating a little, a little
bit. Yeah.
I is that why you don't go on roller coasters?
Is it because of the fear or is it more of like a body sensation
of I'm going to get sick or havea headache?
It's the body sensation. I think for me, I don't like
that feeling of falling, the first drop of a roller.
(37:52):
You know what it is to the anticipation of of you're
sitting there, you're strapped in the climb up.
The thing is like so slow. Like, like just drives me crazy
that you're just anticipating this.
And then but it happened so fastand then it's done and you're
like, Oh my gosh, this is great.And you asked me the other day
when the last roller coaster I was on was it was a Mummy at
(38:16):
Universal Studios. I love the mummy.
Yeah, and I think the reason I like The Mummy is because, A,
it's very dark, so I don't really see what's going on.
B, there is the anticipation, isn't there?
Because you're also in like parts of the movie and you're
able to look around and see things.
I think to me, a roller coaster,that first climb, I I just don't
(38:37):
wanna do it. Well, good news for you if
you're going to Epic Universe, the Stardust Racers, and
Celestial Park, that's a launch coaster.
You're going at 60 mph immediately, so you'll be fine.
No anticipation needed. Yeah, OK.
I need. To solved it for you.
I'm gonna, you know what's interesting too about this whole
situation is that going to Epic Universe I, I purposely have not
(39:00):
looked at the rides because I don't want to.
No, no, no, no, no, I'm still gonna, I'm still gonna do it
'cause you. I, that was helpful information
that you just shared because I just right out the gate, I'm
gonna go. But I think the more I don't
know about something, yeah, I'm able to do it versus the more I
know about it. And then my brain will just
(39:22):
like, ruminate on it and then which?
You would think would be different given our entire
conversation today about preparation, skill, education.
You're like, Nah, just put the blinders on.
Yeah, drop me. In Yeah, probably not healthy
either, but. Yeah, I was.
You know, the rumination can be.I get that a lot too.
Like you just sit in your own, you know, cage thinking about
(39:46):
something that's going to happen.
Being an over thinker, I think that's where a lot of the
perceived risk comes from is because, you know, it's just
it's growing up and it's the stories that people tell you of
oh, did you hear about that boy growing up that got, you know,
injured on a ride or and and then that just sticks with you
in your head. And then that's the one example
(40:07):
and not the millions of examplesof safe rides.
So it's also, I think too some external factors like maybe, you
know, my mom will text me like, hey, did you hear about that
roller coaster on the other sideof the world that did something
and someone got caught? I'm like, oh, I didn't.
Thanks, Mom. Yeah, my mom too.
Same. And that's probably why it's.
(40:29):
Yes, it's just like creeping andI would love to do a gut check
episode 20 years from now and belike, hey, how do we?
How do we, how do you feel aboutif podcasting is still a thing?
Yeah. Are we now the people who are
like, texting others like, hey, did you hear about that accident
about that on that tilt twirl? Oh my gosh.
I hope not. I hope that's not me, but yeah.
(40:53):
So OK. Do you, are there any, any
thrill seeking adventures that we've talked about that we
haven't talked about that you would want to add to your bucket
list, let's say in the next fiveyears?
Absolutely. I, I think we didn't talk about
it very long, but there are so many things in the United
States, I think it would be worth doing so even in my
(41:15):
hometown of Canton. OH, and then I know, and I think
Santa Fe, they do a lot of air balloon launches and I don't
like heights. I don't know if I would freak
out during it, but it does seem like something fun to like be
part of like one of those air balloon festivals and like go up
in one and just see cuz how do you I?
It just blows my mind that you can't really control it.
(41:38):
You literally have a car that chases you to find where you
land because all you do is go upand float and that's it.
So you're talking about like a tethered ride or untethered?
Untethered. OK, So just going up, floating
around, coming back down. Yeah, yeah, Every year for the
Football Hall of Fame, they havea air balloon festival and it
(42:00):
looks really fun. And like they don't float far,
they land in the same town. But I still think that would be
fun. That would be fun.
That would be really fun. I've never done anything like
that. Well, I mean, how far are you
from the Football Hall of Fame and is this something you can
cross off your list? I mean, maybe I should start
reaching out for this August. We have our known travellers,
(42:20):
thrill seekers launching this fall.
What if I go up in an air balloon just for this, for this
campaign? I think I did, yes.
Just had me out down in the corner of the basket sledding.
It's gonna be a compelling video.
You're like, so sorry, I didn't get any photos.
I actually didn't see anything. I was curled up in a bowl.
(42:42):
See I will need a a GoPro like what you have so that way I can
at least put it on my head so ifI'm crapped down at least see
what's. Going on, hold it up while
you're down there. What about you?
What's something? I mean, I know you're going to
white water rafting, but anything else?
Yeah, I think honestly I yeah, nothing.
(43:04):
No, I don't know. My wife keeps talking about
diving. She has her certification for
like open water diving. And I've never done scuba diving
before and snorkeling makes me nauseous.
I get seasick snorkeling. So I don't know.
Looking up and down like what isit?
Yeah, I think it's just like you're there and you're floating
(43:25):
on the surface snorkeling and you're head you're just, you're
looking around and stuff and. Aw, man, I yeah, scuba.
It's a lot. It's a lot.
Same so I'm gonna I'm gonna say yes to it I I think that's just
where I'm at too. I told you this for Epic
Universe. I'm, I'm, I'm saying yes to
(43:46):
everything. I'm also, I don't know, I've
reached this point in my life the past year or so, two years.
I don't know. Everyone says once you hit 40,
then it's you're just kind of like you don't give a darn about
anything. And I feel like right now that's
just where I'm at. I'm like, yes, let me just say
yes to things. Let me just do it.
(44:07):
And you know what's the worst that can happen?
I think that's a great mentalityto have because it's not like
you're saying yes to uncalculated risks that are
wild. Like you know what, I am going
to just like jump in the back ofthat van and like go base diving
and try these strange drugs. I do hope that you're snort if
you do go scuba diving, maybe you can ease in with like I
(44:27):
mean, obviously you probably have access to like crystal
clear waters, but I feel like ifit's like bright and they're
like cool fishies and you can just like suffer through for
that. Yes, I will say I'll report
back. I am afraid of I'm afraid of
fish in the water and all the things we know this.
But the one time I did get luredinto snorkeling with fish, it's
(44:48):
because I saw turtles and I got so excited about the turtles and
they bait and switched me. I'm like, oh, I want to go see
the turtle. And then they swam away and then
I was just surrounded by like fish and coral and I hated it.
But. What?
So OK, another disappointing thrill seeking experience that
probably. OK, we are wrapping this up but
(45:12):
I'm getting a lot of insane. Yeah, we got it.
Wow. I learned a lot about myself.
Forget the episode. Oh man, this is yeah, no, this
is great. I love this.
So yeah, I think whether you're scaling cliffs or screaming like
me on a roller coaster, thrill seeking is so much more than
(45:36):
just a rush. It really is a way of exploring
and testing the boundaries of life and maybe just being able
to feel everything more deeply. So yeah, feel, Feel nature more
deeply, feel the fear and anxiety.
Just say yes in calculated ways.But thank you for joining us on
(45:58):
States of Discovery. If you have a travel story that
pushed you to your limits, brought you to the edge, you
want to share it? Or maybe you just want to share
a story like me, who you did an adventure and then you're like,
wow, that was terrible. What happened?
Send us an e-mail at Podcast at All in Your state.com and we'd
love to hear about it. Yes.
And until then, stay curious andmaybe just a little bit wild.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.