The One Way Ticket Show Steven Shalowitz

General David H. Petraeus is a retired United States Army general and a prominent commentator on contemporary security issues, military developments and global affairs, widely respected as a leading warrior intellectual.
The General graduated with distinction from the US Military Academy and earned a PhD from Princeton University. He served in the US Army for thirty-seven years, concluding his time in uniform with six consecutive commands as general officer, five of which were in combat, including command of the Surge in Iraq, US Central Command, and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. He then served as the director of the CIA. 
The General has held academic appointments at six universities and is a senior fellow and lecturer at Yale University. He is currently a partner in a major investment firm and chairs that firm’s Global Institute.
The General is also a brilliant author. His latest book, Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine released at the end of 2023 and is a must read. He co-wrote it with noted biographer and historian Andrew Roberts. It’s published by Harper, an imprint of Harper Collins. You can pick up a copy wherever you like to buy your books.
On this episode, General Petraeus discusses:
Israel’s war against Hamas and why Gaza poses a challenging situation more so than any other urban operation since the end of 1945 The release of Israeli hostages The four tasks of strategic leadership How lessons of war are institutionalized The danger of lack of Western resolve on the world stage How what happens in one part of the world reverberates in another (e.g., if you have a red line in Syria over use of chemical weapons and it turns out not be a red line, that undermines deterrence in the Indo-Pacific) The importance of soldier morale Warfare of the future and the technology he’s following. As for the General’s very creative answer to where he’d go if given a one way ticket, please listen to our interview with him on episode 268 from August 2022.
 
 

An international figure in architecture and urban design, the architect Daniel Libeskind is renowned for his ability to evoke cultural memory and is informed by a deep commitment to music, philosophy, and literature. Mr. Libeskind aims to create architecture that is resonant, original, and sustainable. Born in Lód’z, Poland, in 1946, Mr. Libeskind immigrated to the United States as a teenager and with his family, settled in the Bronx. After studying music in New York and Israel on an American-Israel Cultural Foundation Scholarship, he developed into a musical virtuoso, before eventually leaving music to study architecture. He received his professional degree in architecture from the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in 1970 and a postgraduate degree in the history and theory of architecture from the School of Comparative Studies at Essex University in England in 1972.
Daniel Libeskind established his architectural studio in Berlin, Germany, in 1989 after winning the competition to build the Jewish Museum in Berlin. In February 2003, Studio Libeskind moved its headquarters from Berlin to New York City when Daniel Libeskind was selected as the master planner for the World Trade Center redevelopment. Daniel Libeskind’s practice is involved in designing and realizing a diverse array of urban, cultural and commercial projects internationally. The Studio has completed buildings that range from museums and concert halls to convention centers, university buildings, hotels, shopping centers and residential towers.
As Principal Design Architect for Studio Libeskind, Mr. Libeskind speaks widely on the art of architecture in universities and professional summits. His architecture and ideas have been the subject of many articles and exhibitions, influencing the field of architecture and the development of cities and culture. His new book Edge of Order, detailing his creative process, was published in 2018. Mr. Libeskind lives in New York City with his wife and business partner, Nina Libeskind. The Studio Libeskind office headquarters are in New York City.
On this episode, Mr. Libeskind reveals his one way ticket destination to the Garden of Eden before there was a Tree of Knowledge and before Adam gave Eve the apple. He shares why, what he would do there, whom he would take there, what he would take with him, and what if anything he would want to build in this perfect state of nature.
In the conversation, Mr. Libeskind also reflects on the role of an architect and the social responsibility he has. Plus, he showcases some of his completed work including his affordable housing projects in NYC, Maggie’s Center at the Royal Free Hospital in London, and the Dresden Museum of Military History. He also shares projects now underway (he’s working in 14 different countries at the moment!) such as the Einstein House at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, a museum in the Atacama Desert in Chile and more. Additionally, he offers what the ideal memorial would look like to mark the horrific October 7th attack in Israel. And, we covered what he thinks about each time he walks through Ground Zero (for which he created the master plan).
We wind down the conversation with Mr. Libeskind highlighting what role music has played in his life (he was a virtuoso) and just how much music and architecture both rely on precision.

For more than five years, Zach Griff has been a Senior Reporter at The Points Guy. His contributions range from news about the airline industry to travel and product reviews to deep dives into loyalty programs. 
Zach is also pursuing his MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
An avid traveler for over a decade now, Zach first redeemed miles for a last-minute, business-class ticket to the Middle East. He’s since been to 58 countries and counting — and can’t wait to keep writing about his travel experiences.
On this episode of The One Way Ticket Show, Zach shares his one way ticket “up in the air”! 
Zach also highlights:
Maximizing travel awards with cards Using tools like Google Flights for optimizing offers That there’s no “one size fits all” on the best time to book travel, though there are general directions to consider Why he never travels without an international power adapter (even domestically), writing instruments, and Apple air pods Why you need to put an electronic tracking device even in your carry-on bags Travel trends What he’s looking forward to on the horizon in the industry . . . and more . . .  

Simon Cockerell is from the south-west of England. He moved to Beijing in 2000, becoming Koryo Tour’s General Manager two years later. Having traveled to North Korea 182 times, he has probably been to the country more than any other westerner. Simon is a respected speaker on the DPRK and appears regularly in international media. Simon’s tireless work, alongside Koryo’s partners in Pyongyang, has been essential in opening up new territories within the DPRK to tourists.
 
You can follow Simon’s adventures on his Instagram account: @simonkoryo.
 
On this episode, Simon shares his one way ticket to a future utopian post-scarcity society. He offers why and what it will look like, including how travel may be impacted.
 
Plus, Simon talks all about venturing to North Korea – from who goes and why, the “dos and don’ts” once you’re there, his favorite spots, and what would surprise most people about the country. 
 
The DPRK has been closed to tourists since January 2020 and since September 1, 2017, the U.S. government has banned people traveling with a U.S. passport to the country. Like many, Simon is waiting for travelers to be able to visit North Korea once again.
 
Meanwhile, Koryo Tours orchestrates some tremendous tours to off-the-beaten-path destinations (Turkmenistan, anyone?) which Simon also spotlights in our conversation.
 

Matthew’s passion for all things travel began in his childhood. He brings 25 years of entrepreneurial leadership experience in the luxury travel marketing, sales, and hospitality business development arena to Transcend Cruises. Matthew co-founded and served as CEO of e-Cruise, an online industry wide marketing and retention program, and created and led Chosen Voyage, a niche cruise charter company that has operated numerous full-ship programs with luxury ocean and river cruise lines. 
Matthew subsequently served as a senior VP at INTRAV, a leading specialist cruise and tour operator, and has developed travel programs for clients including Starwood UK, Cunard Line, and Cuisinart. He has also launched cross-marketing programs between luxury cruise lines and retail partners such as Tourneau and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Matthew is a principal at Reception Hotels and Resorts, where he completed development of a 160-room EVEN Hotel, the first adaptive reuse project for the wellness-driven brand, in a historic department store in downtown Pittsburgh.
Matthew is founder and chief visionary of the company. He is Transcend’s lead evangelist, and will oversee all sales, partnerships, ship design, and fleet development efforts.
 On this episode of the show, Matthew shares his one way ticket to a state where we all live together in harmony. Plus, he highlights Transcend, the new charter-only river cruise line with a fleet of its own purpose-built vessels. Matthew spotlights how the company is changing the face of cruising by offering truly customized river cruise experiences for groups, whether a corporate event, family gathering, wedding celebration, and more. Further, he talks about looking at river cruising through the lens of sustainability.
As Matthew lives in Pittsburgh, PA, we wind down the conversation with why everyone in earshot needs to visit the Steel City.

Originally from the suburbs of Toronto, Canada, Scott Shelley is a Physics Laboratory Instructor at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. He moved to the US in 1997. 
Scott has spent the last thirty years attempting to systematically visit every country in the world, while simultaneously minimizing the cost of flights. He believes that planning trips is half the fun. To date, he has visited 192 of the 193 United Nations Member States.
He lives in an old house with his extremely patient and understanding wife Julie (who quietly worries but never objects when he chooses a dangerous location to visit) and their three cats: Kit, Glow, and Noodle.
Apart from planning his global journeys, Scott enjoys seeing live music and collecting music memorabilia.
On this episode of the show, Scott shares his one way ticket to, in his words “rainy, kind of dank, Manchester England in the early 1980s” to enjoy the music scene then and there.
During the course of the conversation, Scott also shares:
How and why he got started on his path to visit every country The best time to book air tickets How he leverages credit cards to fund his travels (he has no sponsors!) and to keep costs down The often times byzantine world of obrtaining visas The beauty of travel for travel's sake The sentimental item he never leaves home without Why Namibia is worth visiting twice His 193rd and last country he has left to visit. -