Holding Patterns

Ashton Arnold
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What if you’re not lost, just living in a part of the story no one talks about? Holding Patterns is a podcast about the in-between. The messy, undefined seasons of life where nothing quite makes sense. Hosted by Ashton Arnold, a deeply curious traveler who is carving out a life beyond the conventional path. Ashton leads guests through the kind of conversations that get honest, intimate, and are rooted in what it actually means to be human. This show is for people who’ve felt unsure, off-course, or like they’re making it up as they go. Each episode features a conversation with someone who has built a life outside the typical script, unpacking the moments where success felt out of reach. From travel and relationships to money and mental health, nothing’s off-limits. Holding Patterns is here to remind you that you’re not behind, you’re not alone, and you’re allowed to figure it out your own way.

  1. 9월 9일

    13. The Holding Pattern Is the Tool | Know What You Want, Let Go of How You’ll Get There

    What if the Holding Pattern can help you get clear on what you want to build your life around? This week I'm joined by my friend Nelly Alger, who I met while living in New Zealand. We catch up on her second summer running a youth conservation crew in Denver, and then dive into the heart of this episode: her holding pattern after leaving New Zealand, and how she found her way out of it. Nelly's holding pattern came after a breakup, shoulder surgery, and moving back to the United States. Like a lot of us, she felt the pressure to figure out her whole life, to land on "the plan." But the thing that actually got her unstuck wasn't finding a dream career, it was getting honest about what she actually needed. The holding pattern wasn't something to escape, it was what forced that clarity in the first place. So instead of mapping out the exact path, Nelly built her life around what mattered: a home and a community in Denver. That foundation didn't make her feel stuck, it gave her the freedom to leave again. When an opportunity came along to live and work on a remote ranch in Patagonia for six months, guiding backpacking and horse packing trips with no roads in or out, she could step into the unknown without needing to know what came next.  In this episode we talk about: Nelly's two rougher abroad experiences (Madrid and New Zealand) before Patagonia, and what made the third one differentWhy the holding pattern is something to use, not just surviveHow to hold onto what you want, even when you don't know how you'll get thereWhat it's actually like living in a tent for six monthsThe role privilege, health, and circumstance play in being able to live this wayReverse culture shock and technology detoxNelly's journaling practice and her four tips for starting your own_______________________________________________ Holding Patterns Instagram Here! Cover art by Remy Arnold Music by penguinmusic - Better Day from Pixabay

  2. 8월 26일

    12. The End Goal Isn't Happiness | Depression, the Pursuit of More & Finding Enough

    What if we’ve done ourselves a disservice by centering our whole lives around the pursuit of happiness? In episode 12, Joe Hutchinson and I explore what happens when the things we think will make us happy don't quite do the trick. We talk about depression, losing a sense of direction, constantly searching for what's next, and the pressure we put on ourselves to find the life that will finally make us feel fulfilled. Joe's life has taken him through more versions of himself than either of us could probably count—Navy diver, construction worker, bike park supervisor, medic, psychology student, sauna worker, husband, dad. In this episode, we talk about:  Joe's unexpected path from Navy diver to where he is today  What happens when the structure you've built your life around disappears  Depression, asking for help, and learning that you don't have to figure everything out alone  Why being good at hard things doesn't necessarily make uncertainty easier  The tendency to keep chasing the next experience, achievement, or version of yourself  Learning to be bad at things and becoming comfortable being a beginner  Giving yourself permission to change your mind  The difference between happiness and contentment  What a “miracle life” actually looks like  Finding meaning in the mundane  Maybe a good life isn't about being happy all the time. Maybe it's about becoming content enough to stop needing something else to make it better. _______________________________________________ Holding Patterns Instagram Here! Cover art by Remy Arnold Music by penguinmusic - Better Day from Pixabay

  3. 8월 12일

    11. Try, Learn, Try Some More | Giving Yourself the Freedom to Choose Again

    What if our decisions were less about finding the “right” path and more about choosing what feels right for who we are today? In this episode of Holding Patterns, I sit down with my friend Michael Bortnowski to talk about what happens when we give ourselves permission to change course and trust that each chapter will give us something we need for the next. Mike has taken some pretty major turns. He left engineering school to pursue a life in the mountains, became an avalanche educator and guide, eventually left guiding, went back to school at 25, moved into management consulting, and most recently moved across the world to Australia. From the outside, these might look like completely different lives. But looking back, each chapter gave him a new perspective, lessons, and a better understanding of what mattered to him. In this episode, we chat about: The courage it takes to leave something that is objectively “good" The difference between failure and discovering something isn't right for youThe value of curiosityHow our values naturally change as we move through different stages of lifeThe reality of turning passions professionalThe question: “If I had one year left, what would I regret most having not done?”Ultimately, Mike's story is a reminder that you don't have to know where every decision will lead. You just have to be willing to keep listening to yourself along the way. _______________________________________________ Taiye Selasi: Don't ask where I'm from, ask where I'm a local (TED Talk) Holding Patterns Instagram Here!  Cover art by Remy Arnold  Music by penguinmusic - Better Day from Pixabay

  4. 7월 22일

    10. The Cost of Constant Change | A Solo Episode on Anxiety & Letting an Identity Go

    For episode 10, I'm bringing you another solo episode. This isn't an episode about what I've learned, it's an episode about what it sounds like while I'm still learning it. It's a little messy and unpolished, because I'm still in the middle of this Holding Pattern, and I wanted to document it before I had all the answers. I spend a lot of time talking about anxiety; how it shows up in my life, when it tends to appear, and what changes when I stop asking, "How do I make this go away?" and start asking, "Why is it here?" From there, I dive into the specific Holding Pattern I'm currently in and how it feels different from the ones I've experienced before. This one is less about not knowing what's next and more about not recognizing who I'm becoming. To help make sense of it all, I reference Lawrence Yeo's article, Travel Is No Cure for the Mind, and connect his "box" analogy to what I'm experiencing in my own life. It's a vulnerable episode, but my hope is that if you're feeling anything like I am right now, it helps you feel a little less alone in the uncertainty. Turns out it's a lot easier to interview people about their Holding Patterns than to share your own. But I guess that's what practicing what you preach looks like. _______________________________________________ Holding Patterns Instagram Here! (https://www.instagram.com/holdingpatternspod?igsh=MXB1ajk3ZHhwdjYxMg%3D%3D) Cover art by Remy Arnold (https://www.instagram.com/remyarnoldxo?igsh=dWx3aWJsMmZheWNx) Music by penguinmusic - Better Day from Pixabay

  5. 7월 1일

    9. The Process is the Point | A Master's Thesis on the In-Between

    This week’s guest is one of my best friends, Lexi Sullens. Lexi is a teacher, a two-time master's graduate, and someone who has spent the last several years building a life between Spain and the US. We met while studying abroad in Sevilla in the spring of 2021, and five years later, we're still finding our way through holding patterns together. This episode is a fun mix of sharing our friendship lore (including our Michelin restaurant dinner) and unpacking how Lexi’s master's thesis is basically the framework for Holding Patterns. Lexi shares what the past five years have looked like, from Fulbright rejection to teaching English through NALCAP, navigating a difficult year living alone while teaching at a boarding school, and completing two master's degrees. She also shares genuinely helpful insights for anyone curious about teaching abroad or looking for affordable paths to graduate school. We talk about the difference between linear and cyclical time, why uncertainty (not the waiting itself) is usually the hardest part, and how easy it is to mistake an in-between season for failure instead of seeing it as part of the process. Along the way, we get into what it actually costs to push through a difficult season just to prove you can, and the small, unglamorous things that help you make it through: a gratitude list, a scheduled call with a friend, a yoga mat you haven't unrolled in weeks. This conversation is about learning to trust the process when you can't yet see where it's leading, and choosing to be present instead of constantly chasing what's next. ______________________________________________ Holding Patterns Instagram Here! (https://www.instagram.com/holdingpatternspod?igsh=MXB1ajk3ZHhwdjYxMg%3D%3D) Cover art by Remy Arnold (https://www.instagram.com/remyarnoldxo?igsh=dWx3aWJsMmZheWNx) Music by penguinmusic - Better Day from Pixabay

  6. 6월 17일

    8. Trying to Manufacture Certainty | A Perfectionist’s Guide to Coloring Outside the Lines

    This week, my friend Kate and I are talking about our obsession with certainty, and all the ways we try to create it when life refuses to give it to us. Kate is an Outward Bound instructor and middle school English teacher. Outside of her professional endeavors, she defines herself as an enthusiast of escaping into the wilderness and an advocate for earnestness.  From chasing achievement and validation to planning our lives down to the smallest detail, it's easy to convince ourselves that if we can just figure out the "right" path, we'll finally feel settled. But what if the very thing we're searching for is keeping us stuck? We chat about perfectionism (eldest daughters, this one's for you), achievement as a source of self-worth, and how our surroundings shape what we believe success is supposed to look like. Along the way, we discuss following the energy of people who inspire us, how passion projects can turn into something real, and why the chaos we're often trying to avoid may actually contain the outcome we're hoping for. This conversation is really about the tension between competing desires, the voice that wants security and the voice that wants adventure, and how to decide which one gets the final say. And finally, a simple question: if your younger self could see the life you're building today, what would make them proud? _______________________________________________ Holding Patterns Instagram Here! (https://www.instagram.com/holdingpatternspod?igsh=MXB1ajk3ZHhwdjYxMg%3D%3D) Cover art by Remy Arnold (https://www.instagram.com/remyarnoldxo?igsh=dWx3aWJsMmZheWNx) Music by penguinmusic - Better Day from Pixabay

  7. 6월 3일

    7. A Life Built Around Leaving | Using Travel to Cope, Mental Health & Knowing When to Stay

    This episode is for anyone who has wondered what it actually means to live the "traveler" lifestyle for years at a time. Today, I have my friend Andi Borden on the podcast. She has spent the majority of her adulthood living a very nomadic life; many titles can be used to describe her: chef, baker, activist, tree-planting cook, shelter worker…honestly, the list goes on. She's someone who has truly lived a thousand lives, and this conversation reflects that. We get into all of it. How travel can start as a goal and slowly become the only coping mechanism you know. The way moving countries can silence depression and anxiety just long enough to keep going, until you finally have to stop and sit with it. What it feels like to belong everywhere and nowhere at the same time, and why the people who don't travel will never quite understand your life, and why you'll never quite understand theirs either. We also talk about the moment you realize you're tired. Not of travel, but of running. And what it actually looks like to choose to settle down when your whole identity has been built around leaving. This is one of my favorite conversations I've had on this podcast yet. If you've ever sat with that deep, 3 am kind of question…Am I doing the right thing? Am I running from something? Is any of this adding up to what I think it is? I think you’re going to get a lot out of this one. _______________________________________________ Holding Patterns Instagram Here! (https://www.instagram.com/holdingpatternspod?igsh=MXB1ajk3ZHhwdjYxMg%3D%3D) Cover art by Remy Arnold (https://www.instagram.com/remyarnoldxo?igsh=dWx3aWJsMmZheWNx) Music by penguinmusic - Better Day from Pixabay

  8. 5월 13일

    6. Confidence Before Competence | Solo Travel, Loneliness & Reinvention

    In this episode of Holding Patterns, I chat with my friend and fellow tour guide, Regan Fox, to talk about solo travel, loneliness, the excitement of uncertainty, and the strange beauty of not having life figured out. Regan shares the winding path that took her from studying environmental management in Florida to living in Bakersfield, California, traveling solo through Morocco and Europe, working seasonal jobs across the U.S., and eventually guiding trips through national parks. Together, we reflect on: Learning to be alone without feeling lonelyWhy uncertainty can become an opportunity instead of a fearThe freedom (and chaos) of solo travelSeasonal work, transient lifestyles, and constantly starting overThe pressure of “having a plan” in your 20sFinding peace in stability after years of movementWhy confidence often comes before competenceTrusting that every experience is shaping you into who you’re becoming_______________________________________________ Holding Patterns Instagram Here! (https://www.instagram.com/holdingpatternspod?igsh=MXB1ajk3ZHhwdjYxMg%3D%3D) Cover art by Remy Arnold (https://www.instagram.com/remyarnoldxo?igsh=dWx3aWJsMmZheWNx) Music by penguinmusic - Better Day from Pixabay

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소개

What if you’re not lost, just living in a part of the story no one talks about? Holding Patterns is a podcast about the in-between. The messy, undefined seasons of life where nothing quite makes sense. Hosted by Ashton Arnold, a deeply curious traveler who is carving out a life beyond the conventional path. Ashton leads guests through the kind of conversations that get honest, intimate, and are rooted in what it actually means to be human. This show is for people who’ve felt unsure, off-course, or like they’re making it up as they go. Each episode features a conversation with someone who has built a life outside the typical script, unpacking the moments where success felt out of reach. From travel and relationships to money and mental health, nothing’s off-limits. Holding Patterns is here to remind you that you’re not behind, you’re not alone, and you’re allowed to figure it out your own way.

정보

  • 제작진
    Ashton Arnold
  • 방송 연도
    2026년
  • 에피소드
    13
  • 등급
    무삭제판
  • 저작권
    © 2026 Ashton Arnold