Stories in Life. On the Radio with Mark and Joe.

Mark Wolak and Joe Boyle
  • 5.0 (9)
  • PERSONAL JOURNALS
  • BIMONTHLY SERIES

Mark and Joe interview people with stories that affirm your belief in the goodwill, courage, determination, commitment and vision of everyday people. Our primary goal is that, through another person's story, you will find meaningful connection no matter your place in life. We intend that the stories we select will be inspiring and maybe help you laugh, cry, think or change your mind about something important in your life.

See All

  1. EPISODE 29

    One Backpack, Maps and the Open Road - How Travel Built My Faith In Humanity

    Click here to send a message. We love to hear from our listeners! Send us a text message and share your feedback What would you learn if you crossed international borders with only a 26-liter backpack and a belief that most people are kind? We sit down with friend Dean Fromm, a Colorado based traveler who’s visited 109 countries, to unpack how light gear, slow plans, and open eyes can turn the world into a classroom. From Ecuador’s Amazon, where a landslide an innovative act of collective problem-solving, to nights in Beirut under rolling blackouts, Dean shows how generosity often lives where our news cycles don’t look. We dig into practicals—e-visas, passports, research routines, and why maps reveal more than roads. Dean chooses regions and builds trips around terrain, history, and the people he meets along the way. He makes the case for the Middle East and Asia as welcoming, life-affirming places, sharing vivid stories from Lebanon, Armenia, and an unforgettable solo entry into Gaza in the mid-90s that led to two days of hospitality from people with very little to spare. It’s not a blind faith; it’s a risk-aware posture shaped by real mishaps like a fall near Lake Baikal that turned into a lesson on resilience, recovery, and listening to your limits. If you’ve ever wondered how to travel with intention, Dean’s playbook is simple and demanding: pack less, stay longer, talk to strangers, and let maps guide your understanding of why cities exist where they do. Let local food, markets, and music become your syllabus. Say yes when your gut says yes, and keep your boundaries when it doesn’t. You’ll come home with fewer certainties and a deeper, steadier confidence in people—and in your own ability to navigate the unknown. Enjoy the conversation, then share it with a friend who needs a nudge to book that first trip. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: where did a stranger’s kindness change your route? Support the show

    59 min
See All Season 4 (1)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

Mark and Joe interview people with stories that affirm your belief in the goodwill, courage, determination, commitment and vision of everyday people. Our primary goal is that, through another person's story, you will find meaningful connection no matter your place in life. We intend that the stories we select will be inspiring and maybe help you laugh, cry, think or change your mind about something important in your life.

Information