The One Way Ticket Show

Quadruple amputee, Tom Nash, is one of the funniest and most inspirational people we’ve met. So it was an absolute delight to welcome him as our guest on this episode of The One Way Ticket Show. In our conversation, Tom shares how he lost all four of his limbs after a devastating brush with a deadly disease over twenty years ago. Coming as close to death as one ever can, he spent over 18 months in hospital, surviving a coma, life support and having to re-learn to walk using prosthetics. He then had to learn to navigate life with prosthetic hooks for hands. None of that stopped Tom.  He launched a career as a musical artist, first as a guitarist in a band, later as a nightclub DJ. Tom subsequently went on to enjoy remarkable success in the music industry, starting his own nightclub brand in 2006, curating music as DJ Hookie and producing numerous records.  He has since gone on to become one of the most in-demand DJs in his native Australia, playing sell-out shows across various countries and playing host to some of Australia’s biggest music festivals. He is the co-owner of a successful Entertainment company, and a platinum-producing record label. The nightclub brand he started became the longest running weekly club brand in Australia.  Tom is now a Global Keynote Speaker, inspiring audiences with thought-provoking takes on Antifragility — moving beyond resilience — and how embracing challenges can turn adversity into advantage. He has graced the stages of some of the world’s largest conferences and festivals including TED and SXSW. Tom’s unique talent for captivating people with his personal story, his dark sense of humor and his incredible wit are distilled into grounded philosophies for life from which everyone can draw wisdom. Tom's unapologetic attitude towards dealing with adversity renders him deserving of the platform he so eloquently uses, speaking openly with sincerity and candor to a full gamut of audiences.  Tom’s latest book ‘Hook, Line & Sinner’ was published through Penguin Random House in 2023, and his TEDx talk has amassed over two and a half million views on TED.com.  You can also catch Tom on his fabulous YouTube show, ‘Last Meal with Tom Nash’.  Apart from sharing his remarkable journey and offering insight into thriving amidst adversity, Tom shares his one way ticket to the year 3333. In addition to being a fan of symmetry (which played into the year he selected), Tom would like to venture into the future (with his partner Lauren and his Italian Greyhound), to see how much we would have explored space by then, how we harvest energy, medical advances achieved, to meet the person in 3333 who’s at the forefront of technological innovation, and more. Tom takes us on a wild ride, so fasten your seat belts! LINKS:     www.tomnash.com go.ted.com/tomnash instagram.com/djhookie x.com/djhookie https://www.youtube.com/@lastmealtomnash

Douglas Murray is a journalist and bestselling author of 8 books, including: On Democracies and Death Cults: Israel and the Future of Civilization (2025); The War on the West (2022); The Madness of Crowds: Gender, Race and Identity(2019); and The Strange Death of Europe: Immigration, Identity, Islam (2018). He has been a contributor to The Spectator since 2000 and associate editor since 2012. He is a columnist at the New York Post and regularly writes for the Telegraph and the Sun.  Mr. Murray is also a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and contributing editor of City Journal.  On this episode of The One Way Ticket Show, we begin the conversation with Mr. Murray sharing his one way ticket back in time to Elizabethan England which he describes as the greatest period of the flowering of the English language. There, he would meet Shakespeare, attend performances at the Globe Theatre, and marvel at the Court of Queen Elizabeth I.  We then delve into his latest book, On Democracies and Death Cults: Israel and the Future of Civilization and cover topics and thoughts, including: Vasily Grossman’s quote from his book, Life and Fate: “Tell me what you accuse the Jews of, I’ll tell you what you’re guilty of” How many in the West don’t understand that for Hamas and people like Sinwar, their war against Israel is a religiously motivated jihad           It’s a myth that all people – everywhere – want the same thing          The extent to which and the consequences of populations being misled in closed societies           Divorcing a performer’s politics from their performance (and how it would be wonderful if actors just “shut up” about politics in the first place!)           The strange landscape that is the (news) media today           His break mechanism of: "Never forget how much damage can be done by willful optimism" Why he never talks about his next book project And much more . . . LINKS: https://douglasmurray.net/ Douglas Murray on: X: https://x.com/DouglasKMurray Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/douglaskmurray/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DouglasKMurrayOfficial Books: On Democracies and Death Cults: Israel and the Future of Civilization The War on the West  The Madness of Crowds: Gender, Race and Identity The Strange Death of Europe: Immigration, Identity, Islam  

I’ve been following, Assita Kanko, Member of European Parliament on social media for quite some time, so it was a true thrill to welcome her into the studio as our latest guest on The One Way Ticket Show.  Ms. Kanko was born on July 14, 1980, in Godyr, Burkina Faso. She grew up in a society where women's rights were severely restricted and was subjected to female genital mutilation as a child. At a young age, she began writing about human rights and women's rights. In 2001, she moved to Belgium, where she eventually became a naturalized citizen. She studied journalism and political science and became a well-known voice in public debate, working as an author, opinion maker, and human rights activist. Since 2019, Ms. Kanko has been a Member of the European Parliament for the N-VA party, affiliated with the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group. Within the Parliament, she serves on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), where she focuses on issues such as migration, security, women’s rights, and the fight against human trafficking. She is a vocal advocate for a controlled migration policy and the protection of Europe's external borders. Ms. Kanko also champions women’s empowerment, equal opportunities, and the defense of European values. In our conversation, Ms. Kanko shares her journey from being a journalism student and activist in her native Burkina Faso, to being a powerful voice in Brussels. Plus, she covers: The stigma attached to being a conservative black woman How it angers her that we still need to discuss protecting women against radical Islam  Why the rape of Israeli women on October 7th demonstrates that rape as a weapon of war is not treated the same everywhere (and her relentless fight against those who act as if the rapes and mutilations never took place) Why UN Women and UNRWA need to be dissolved such that their funding can go to better use Why the most important issue nobody is talking about today is Russia and China's involvement in the Sahel region  Why Europe needs to invest in its industries and defense The one thing every visitor should do when traveling to Belgium. As for her “one way ticket” destination of choice? It’s to New York City, sometime in the not too distant future, where she’ll bring her grandmother, mother and daughter with her. This is a fascinating conversation that I know you’ll enjoy. You can follow Ms. Kanko on:  Instagram: @assita_kanko X: @Assita_Kanko Facebook: KankoAssita https://www.assita-kanko.be/

On this episode, we welcome back to the program, journalist and author, Joshua Hammer who was our guest back on episode 112 in September 2016.  Joshua’s career has included serving as Newsweek Bureau Chief in, Nairobi, Buenos Aires, LA, Berlin, Jerusalem and Cape Town.  His work has appeared in the New York Review of Books, The New Yorker, National Geographic and the Smithsonian just to name a few publications. He is a New York Times bestselling author of six books, including The Falcon Thief and The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu (which we talked about in our last conversation). Joshua’s just released and latest book is: The Mesopotamian Riddle: An Archaeologist, a Soldier, a Clergyman, and the Race to Decipher the World’s Oldest Writing, published by Simon & Schuster. In the course of the conversation we dive deep into this fascinating book – everything from the Royal Asiatic Society’s 1857 Great Cuneiform Challenge and the gentlemen who took part in it, to the difficulty of the digs in the Near East, to the “Assyrian Fever” (as Joshua calls it) that swept London in 1851- 1852, to the origins of the British Museum, to the topic of cultural appropriation of a country or people’s national patrimony, and more. In keeping with the theme of the show, should he take a one way ticket back in time, Joshua shared what he would tell scholars and archeologists in the mid 19th century about how their work resonates today.   As for Joshua’s own one way ticket destination, it’s still to Manhattan in 1967. Do check out Joshua's other books: Chosen by God: A Brother's Journey; A Season in Bethlehem: Unholy War in a Sacred Place; and Yokohama Burning: The Deadly 1923 Earthquake and Fire that Helped Forge the Path to World War II. 

Alberto Nicheli is the Founder of the travel operator, TransAfrica. For the last 40 years, Alberto, who was born in Italy, has made the West African nation of Togo his home. He knows Africa intimately, having done his first Trans-Sahara expedition in 1972 and having developed an expertise on West African tribes and art. Over the decades, he’s shared his knowledge with authors and filmmakers who want to better understand that part of the world. Our conversation with Alberto took place in a very lively New York City restaurant while he was in town for the Travel & Adventure Show. In our chat we cover everything from voodoo to photography to TransAfrica’s 55 day Great Expedition, to tribal Africa, to some unexpected destinations to visit in West Africa (including Liberia and Ivory Coast), to my upcoming trip to Guinea Bissau with TransAfrica, and a whole lot more.  We begin with Alberto sharing his one way ticket to scouting in West Africa. He features how scouting is an “artistic way of doing things”, how he breaks the ice when approaching a village for the first time, and how for him “adventure is culture”. Plus, Alberto offers why he never scouts without a corkscrew! For information on TransAfrica’s fascinating journeys, visit: https://transafrica.biz/en/  

Our latest guest on The One Way Ticket Show is world-renowned Garden Designer, Madison Cox. The interview was conducted in September 2024 in the Willis Pavilion, beside the house today known as Villa Oasis which was built by French Orientalist painter, Jacques Majorelle in the 1920s, and later owned by Yves Saint Laurent & Pierre Bergé. Adjacent to the home is the famed Majorelle Garden. Madison was born September 23, 1958, in Bellingham, Washington, and raised in San Francisco and Marin County, California.  As a garden designer and author of books about gardens, he has traveled extensively across the United States and Europe as well as to Japan, China, Russia, India, North Africa, and Australia.  Madison’s passion for garden design has also extended to lecturing, leading garden tours in France and Italy, and book publications.  He has lectured across the United States and Canada: at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. and the Art Institute of Chicago, as well as at the Portland Garden Club and the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto. Madison Cox is the author of Private Gardens of Paris (Harmony Books, 1989), co-author of Gardens of the World (Macmillan, 1991), and with photographer Erica Lennard, of Artists' Gardens: from Claude Monet to Jennifer Bartlett (Abrams, 1993), and Majorelle: A Moroccan Oasis (Vendome Press, 1999). Cox wrote the preface for The Gardener’s Garden (Phaidon, 2014). He was the first American to design a garden at the Chelsea Flower Show in London in 1997, and won a Silver-Gilt Medal.  Madison is a member of the following institutions:  - President, Fondation Pierre Berge – Yves Saint Laurent, Paris, France - President, Foundation Jardin Majorelle, Marrakech, Morocco - Co-Chairman of the American Schools of Tangier and Marrakech in Morocco - Advisory Board Member, The Aangan Trust, Mumbai, India - Patron, American Friends of Blérancourt, France - Board of Directors TALIM (The American Legation in Morocco)  In our conversation, Madison shares his one way ticket destination of choice is to Morocco. His first visit to the country was in 1979.  While he was a student in Paris, Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé invited him as part of a small group down to Marrakech for a long weekend. During our sit-down, Madison covers: - The difference between Marrakech in the 1970s and today - The nostalgia for Tangier (where Madison has a home) - The rich backstory behind Villa Oasis and the Majorelle Garden - Yves Saint Laurent’s love for Morocco (he first visited in 1966) and how the country significantly impacted his work - The Pierre Bergé Museum of Berber Arts which is housed in the former painting studio of Jacques Majorelle, in the garden - The Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Marrakech - How Morocco has impacted his own approach to designing gardens. Plus, J. Paul Getty, Edith Wharton, Winston Churchill, FDR, and the photographer Horst, all make appearances in the interview.  

On this episode of the podcast, we’re joined by Frédéric Sola, the founder and owner of Fez’s Riad Laaroussa and Fez Real Estate. In our conversation, Fred shares his one way ticket journey to mental health stability which manifested in Fez. He opens up about his own experience suffering from depression -- which began in his mid 30s amidst a successful career in finance in London and Paris – and how he has worked to live with and manage it all these years later. He went on to describe how he fell in love with Fez on his first visit in 2003, so much so, that he bought Riad Laaroussa in 2005. After 18 months of intensive renovations on the 17th century structure whose past life included serving as a koranic school, he opened the riad as a hotel-spa-restaurant in October 2006. It is, what I describe as, “Morocco meets minimalist chic”. For Fred, the allure of Fez is not only visceral, but therapeutic. He offers that in Fez “you can feel this medieval atmosphere, a feeling of being surrounded by a cocoon. Or being in a cocoon. Or let’s say a riad can create the feeling of a cocoon.” After settling into his new surroundings, in 2007, Fred met his future wife, Cathy Bellafronto, an American diplomat working in project development in Morocco. They married 3 years later and between 2011-2013 adopted 4 children from the Fez orphanage. Our interview features many thoughtful comments from Fred about what makes Fez magical, the importance of community, travel (he, Cathy and the kids took a year off and drove down the Pacific coast from the US to Chile in a mobile home) and mental illness (where he believes “part of the recovery is accepting your disease”). Fred’s story really typifies what The One Way Ticket Show is all about – interesting people, doing interesting things, with something interesting to say. On top of that, Fred is truly living his one way ticket journey! Fred closes the interview with one piece of advice: “Enjoy the present, that’s all we have”. Frédéric Sola on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frederic-sola-20a0b87b/, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frederic.sola1 Riad Laaroussa: https://riad-laaroussa.com/ Fez Real Estate: https://www.fez-realestate.com Journey Beyond Travel: https://www.journeybeyondtravel.com  

Given Jew-hatred and virulent anti-Israel rhetoric spiraling out of control, particularly on college campuses, we’ve invited Shai Davidai to be our featured guest on this episode of the program. Shai is Assistant Professor in the Management Division of Columbia University Business School. His research examines people’s everyday judgments of themselves, other people, and society as a whole. Born and raised just outside Tel-Aviv, Shai received his Ph.D. from Cornell in 2015. Before joining Columbia Business School, Shai spent a year as a post-doctoral fellow at Princeton and 3 years as an Assistant Professor of Psychology at The New School for Social Research. Following the barbaric October 7th 2023 terrorist attack on Israel, Shai has faced deplorable treatment from Columbia University for standing up for Israel and the rights of Jewish students on campus. Today, he’s a leading face and voice in the fight against Jew-hatred and Israel-bashing. Our conversation begins with Shai sharing his one way ticket to the safety of his late Grandmother’s couch in Givatayim, just outside of Tel Aviv. While on weekend breaks from his university studies in Jerusalem, Shai would visit his Savta (Grandmother) Lydia. Together they would talk, smoke, drink Turkish coffee and enjoy her signature Romanian cheesecake. And at some point, Shai would fall asleep on her couch. Shai shares that Savta Lydia, who was from Bucharest, was studying to be a doctor. Aged 19 and after her first year of university, despite good grades, she was called into the Dean’s office and told she wouldn’t be able to continue her studies because the university met its quota of Jews. That, plus her being a woman, didn’t fit the university’s agenda. Realizing she had no future as a Jew in Romania, she packed up and traveled solo to Israel to chart a new course. Her biggest regret in life, Shai offers, is that she didn’t become a doctor. We continue our chat with Shai highlighting: 1) How the first protests at Columbia supporting the October 7th attack (organizing began the evening of October 7th while terrorists were still in Israel!) took place at the university on October 12th before one IDF soldier set foot in Gaza and four days after Hezbollah’s unprovoked attack on Israel’s north. On the 12th, approximately 800 students, faculty and staff came out to celebrate “the historic day” (their words). They used slogans like “resistance by any means necessary” (which for them meant rape, murder and kidnapping civilians was “necessary”). For me, not sure what the need was for resistance since Israel had left Gaza 18 years before and thousands of Gazans would cross into Israel daily to work.  2) The Kafkaesque treatment he’s received from Columbia University, simply for speaking out, not against the protestors or their hatred, but against Columbia’s administration for allowing the hatred to fester and take root. For exercising his first amendment rights, he’s been banned from Columbia’s campus. This includes the Columbia Hillel. 3) His goal in speaking out is to push the message that we have a problem for support of anti-Jewish, anti-Israel and anti-American terrorism in academia. 4) How US professors openly support US designated terrorist groups, e.g., Hamas and the Houthis, but only ones that target Jews (you won’t see support for Boko Haram). How the same professors and others remained and remain silent on, for example, the October 7th attack and the burning of synagogues worldwide. 5) Jewish students being verbally and physically attacked on campuses and denied entry into their public campus spaces. 6) The silent, slanted and biased behavior of international aid organizations like the Red Cross (which to this day has not visited one single hostage), UNRWA, or Amnesty International which engages in historical revisionism. 7) How the anti-Israel and Jew-hating protests are in fact anti-democratic and also anti-American. 8) What starts with the Jews doesn’t end with the Jews. This is a powerful episode to be heard more than once and shared widely. For more from Shai, tune into his podcast: Here I Am With Shai Davidai.  Also, follow Shai on all social media: @shaidavidai

Sebastian Copeland is a polar explorer, climate analyst, photographer and author. In 2017, he was named one of the world’s top 25 adventurers of the last 25 years.  Noted as a photographer “who has produced works that are of outstanding artistic merit and communicates messages of urgent global significance,” Sebastian has led numerous record-setting expeditions, documenting the endangered Polar regions while covering more than 10,000 km on skis over the ice. Since 2000, he has warned of systemic transformations taking place in the polar regions and their geo- economic consequences. Sebastian has addressed audiences at the United Nations, institutions and governments globally, as well as Fortune 500 companies, about the urgent need for a market transformation towards a sustainable economy. He is a fellow of The Explorers Club, and member of the International Glaciology Society, the American Polar Society, and a founding member of Artists for Amazonia. Sebastian's books have sold in over 70 countries. He was named four times Photographer of the Year, including twice in 2020 (IPA and TIFA) for Antarctica: The Waking Giant (Rizzoli 2020). In 2024, he released his sixth monogram titled: The Arctic: A Darker Shade of White (Rizzoli) with a foreword by Dr. Jane Goodall. In 2018, Sebastian received a Bambi award in Germany, in the “Our Earth” category. He was named a Knight twice by the French government: in the National Order of Merit, and in the Order of Arts and Letters. Our guest on episode 228, Sebastian returns to the program to quickly revisit his one way ticket destination before talking about his sensational new book, The Arctic: A Darker Shade of White (Rizzoli). In the course of the conversation, we cover: The changes in the Arctic and its impact on our lives outside the region Svalbard Global Seed Vault The Arctic as home to some of the oldest known life-forms (FYI: In 2011, scientists discovered 750-million-year-old bacteria trapped in ice)  His approach to taking award-winning photos (and the importance of patience in the process) How icebergs are like people The wildlife found in the Arctic The connection between the peoples of the Arctic and the landscape, and the strains placed on their maintaining their traditional way of life Dr. Jane Goodall writing the forward to the book and her influence on his work Tourism's impact on the polar regions What we all can do to help the environment.  The Arctic: A Darker Shade of White made the NYT & the New York Post Best Holiday Gift Guide lists! 

Aryeh Lightstone served as the Senior Advisor to U.S. Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, from 2017 to 2021. During his tenure as Senior Advisor, he played a critical role in advancing bilateral U.S. - Israel relations with a focus on economic development & technology cooperation.  Aryeh was appointed as the Special Envoy for Economic Normalization. In that role he was an integral member of the Peace to Prosperity team, leading the inaugural Abraham Accords Business Summit, directing the Abraham fund, and serving as point person in the Middle East for the actualization of the Abraham Accords.  Today, he is the CEO of the Abraham Accords Peace Institute, the author of "Let My People Know" the inside story of the Abraham Accords. Aryeh is a proud father of four and husband to a very patient wife, Estee. On this episode, Aryeh shares his one way ticket to go back in time to be with Abraham. In the course of the conversation, Aryeh draws on Abraham's life which provides inspiration for meaning, value, purpose and sacrifice in our own lives. Aryeh also provides perspective on the U.S. - Israel relationship and underscores how apart from Israel being an economic and technological powerhouse benefiting American companies, it has also provided the U.S. with intelligence which has saved American lives; the genesis and benefits of the Abraham Accords; why he's bullish on the Middle East and doesn't know if there will be a more exciting place to live outside of the U.S. than the Middle East in the next 25 years.  

Dickie Arbiter began his broadcasting career in Zimbabwe (Southern Rhodesia) in the mid-1960s. Following a return to the United Kingdom in the early 1970s he joined LBC News Radio/IRN (Independent Radio News) as a newscaster and program presenter. During late Queen’s 1977 Silver Jubilee he was asked to report on the British royal family. In 1981 he was responsible for organizing the UK’s commercial radio coverage as well as taking on as lead commentator of the wedding of Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer. With the success of the Royal wedding coverage, he was appointed IRN’s Court Correspondent with accreditation to Buckingham Palace – being only one of two such correspondents with continuous and unfettered access to the Palace. His new role meant travelling extensively both at home and abroad, covering the British monarchy, his area of expertise. In 1988, he joined the Buckingham Palace Press Office, serving not only as press spokesman to the late Queen Elizabeth II but also spokesman for The King, when he was The Prince of Wales and his late wife, Diana Princess of Wales. In addition to his role as Royal press spokesman, Dickie was responsible for the media management of ceremonial occasions. These included all major state events inside Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle inward State Visits, the late Queen’s major UK engagements and the operational media requirements for royal funerals, including that of the late Diana, Princess of Wales. For his service to the crown, In the 1996 Birthday Honors, he was appointed Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO). Since retiring from Royal duty, Dickie went back to his broadcasting roots as a television commentator. Having spent going on fifty years covering royalty, heads of state, and other globally recognized figures, his knowledge qualifies him to bring his own personal insight into the public forum as a royal analyst and international lecturer. On this episode, Dickie shares his one way ticket to Whitefish, Montana to horseback ride and enjoy a cowboy lifestyle. In our conversation, we also cover a wide swath of topics including: 1. The role of the Monarchy 2. A window into the late Queen’s personality 3. The Republican movement in the UK and 13 realms where the Sovereign is Head of State 4. His tea with then Prince Charles & Lady Diana Spencer three days before their 1981 wedding…and what their relationship was really like 5. Lovely anecdotes of time spent with Diana during royal engagements 6. Behind the scenes look at managing the press for Diana’s funeral 7. The painstaking details that go into an overseas royal tour 8. How the King is navigating his relentless schedule despite his cancer  9. The U.S. President the late Queen tolerated and the U.S. First Lady with which she had a frosty relationship 10. The drama surrounding Harry and Meghan 11. The late Queen’s last days 12. What he really thinks of the Netflix series “The Crown”.  

Born and raised on the West Coast of the US, Lucas Peters now makes Tangier his home. He’s a travel writer and photographer and the author of the Moon Guide Book for Morocco. Together with his very accomplished wife, Amina, they own and operate Journey Beyond Travel, one of Morocco’s most successful, sustainable tour companies.  Lucas’ expertise isn’t limited to Morocco though. He also wrote Moon Guide Book’s Grand European Journeys: 40 Unforgettable Trips by Road, Rail, Sea & More. In November 2024, Lucas is releasing the Moon Guide Book for Sevilla, Granada and Andalusia. When he’s not writing or planning remarkable journeys for his clients, Lucas, together with Amina and their two kids, spends time traveling around Morocco, exploring the small towns dotting the national roads, difficult-to-access mountain villages and crumbling kasbahs of the Sahara. On this episode, Lucas shares that in 2009, he bought a one way ticket to Morocco and never left – so he’s truly on a one way ticket journey! Also in the conversation, Lucas and Host, Steven Shalowitz, touch on each of the destinations Steven visited on his recent four and a half week journey through Morocco which Lucas orchestrated. They included: Rabat, Tangier, Tetouan, Chefchaouen, Volubilis, Moulay Idriss, Meknes, Fes, Ifrane, Erfoud, the Sahara, the Atlas Mountains, Essaouira, Marrakech and Casablanca.  Plus, the two highlight everything from riads to hammams, Morocco’s rich Jewish heritage to Moroccan cuisine, the method to Moroccan aesthetic madness to the proliferation of cats throughout the country, and more. For further information on Lucas, visit: http://lucasmpeters.com. And for curated, bespoke visits to Morocco, Andalusia and select other destinations, visit: http://journeybeyondtravel.com   

Sophie Ibbotson is a Central Asia specialist who has worked in the region since 2008, focusing on economic development — in particular tourism development — and water security. Through her company Maximum Exposure, she is a consultant to national governments and to the World Bank, and is Uzbekistan’s Tourism Ambassador to the UK.  Sophie is the author of six guidebooks for Bradt Travel Guides, and has written for Lonely Planet, National Geographic Traveller, and Culture Trip, amongst many other publications.  She is also Chairman of the UK’s Royal Society for Asian Affairs, founded in 1901 as the Central Asia Society.  On this episode of the show, Sophie shares her one way ticket destination is to Samarkand in the early 1420s, when Ulugbek - a grandson of Amir Timur (Tamerlane) - was governor. Sophie points out that at this point, before he became the Timurid Emperor, Ulugbek had just finished constructing his madrassa and astronomical observatory, solidifying Samarkand as one of the great intellectual and cultural centers of the Islamic world.  In our conversation, Sophie also highlights: What surprises most visitors to Uzbekistan Why the Registan (central square) in Samarkand is one of the top 5 places in the world to visit along with Angkor Wat and the Taj Mahal Tashkent’s dazzling subway Bukhara's unique Jewish community and the city as the most beautiful on the Silk Road The backstory behind suzani textiles The world’s second largest collection of Russian avant-garde art is housed in the Savitsky Museum in the Karakalpakstan capital of Nukus (thus making it known as the Louvre of the Steppe!) The gem that is the walled city of Khiva What makes Sudan such a fascinating destination – apart from it having more pyramids than Egypt. We wind down the conversation with Sophie sharing her philosophy on travel which is: “If you have the opportunity, go”!  Follow Sophie on Instagram & X: @uzambassador For more on Sophie, visit: www.uzbekistan.travel/en & www.maximumexposure.co

A multiple Emmy Award-winning investigative reporter and producer, Peter Greenberg is America’s most recognized, honored and respected front-line travel news journalist. Known in the industry as “The Travel Detective,” he is the Travel Editor for CBS News, appearing on CBS Mornings, CBS Evening News, and Sunday Morning, among other broadcast platforms. Greenberg produces and co-hosts an ongoing series of acclaimed public television specials, “The Royal Tour,” featuring personal, one-on-one journeys through countries with their heads of state. Along with such figures as the King of Jordan, Prime Ministers of New Zealand and Israel and Presidents of Mexico and Peru, and Tanzania. The consummate insider on reporting the travel business as news, Greenberg also hosts the television show, “The Travel Detective with Peter Greenberg,” airing on Public Television. The series offers more than 50 half-hour episodes with cutting-edge travel information and insider tips you need to know before you ever leave home, plus in-depth reports on the good, bad, and yes, even ugly aspects of travel. Greenberg also has launched a series of one hour specials called HIDDEN, revealing special destinations and unique experiences that you won’t find in the guidebooks or brochures. Destinations include Turkey, Poland, and Canary Islands, just to name a few. On radio, he hosts the nationally syndicated “Eye on Travel,” broadcast each week from a different remote location worldwide, and is heard on hundreds of CBS radio stations across the U.S. Greenberg is also author of The New York Times best- selling Travel Detective series. His most recent book, The Best Places for Everything, comes in the wake of such titles as Don’t Go There! and The Complete Travel Detective Bible. He has also been a featured guest on CNN, NewsNation, “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “The Rachael Ray Show,” and “The View.” Travel Weekly named him one of the most influential people in travel, along with Bill Marriott and Richard Branson. In 2012, he was inducted into the U.S. Travel Association’s Hall of Leaders for his contributions to the travel industry. Among his other honors, Greenberg received a News & Documentary Emmy Award as part of the “Dateline” team for outstanding coverage of a breaking news story, “Miracle on the Hudson.” Greenberg began his career in journalism as West Coast correspondent for Newsweek in Los Angeles and San Francisco. He won a national Emmy Award (Best Investigative Reporting) for his ABC “20/20” special on the final orphan flight out of Vietnam, “What Happened to the Children?” Greenberg also received an Emmy Award for “Miracle on the Hudson” for NBC Dateline. Greenberg is the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin, and an Excellence in Broadcasting Award from the Aviation Space Writers Association of America. His website, PeterGreenberg.com, is one of the leading travel news resources for consumers and industry insiders alike. When he is not traveling the globe, Greenberg also serves as an active volunteer firefighter. Our guest on episodes 109 and 287, Peter returns to the program where he confirms his one way ticket destination is still to Fire Island. After which he shares: 1.    ·      Why with very few exceptions, the best time to go anywhere is immediately after political insurrection, a civil war, or a natural disaster ·      The state of the airlines today – who’s really running them, how if at all they’re preparing for another software glitch, etc. ·      Overtourism and how destinations are handling it ·      The many treasures of Egypt, including the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and the Grand Egyptian Museum aka “GEM” (plus he recounts exploring the inside of a pyramid that was only just discovered) ·      Some of what makes Uganda and Rwanda so special ·      Why every American needs to buy an atlas ·      How the cruise industry is changing rapidly when it comes to technology and sustainability ·      Why he’ll only travel to a place where he knows who’s in control ·      Why he has a bone to pick with US State Department Travel Advisories ·      Why the worst four-letter word that starts with “f” when it comes to travel is “fear”.  

Mildred Kirschenbaum, a centenarian with a zest for life, is known for her viral life advice as a social media influencer, sharing her simple yet profound guidance for a fulfilling life.  Mildred came from humble beginnings, born to immigrant parents in Brooklyn, NY. She excelled in school but needed to work. By 19 she was married and began a family when her husband returned from the service after WWII. She held volunteer leadership positions in non-profit organizations. With a passion for travel, she started a travel agency and traveled the world. Mildred wrote her first book, MILDRED'S MINDSET: WISDOM FROM A WOMAN CENTENARIAN, when she was 100 years old, to share her tips on longevity and living life to the fullest. Her positive attitude and love for socializing have endeared her to many, and her approach to life reflects her belief in enjoying every day. Mildred’s daughter, Gayle Kirschenbaum, has been instrumental in sharing her mother's wisdom with the world. Mildred's remarkable journey and her unique perspective on life inspire and uplift readers of all ages. On this episode, Mildred shares her one way ticket to the South of France which she describes as her logical answer (her illogical answer is to a place where there’s no cancer, no illness and where people can enjoy life). Apart from exploring her destination, with her signature humor and candid character, we also spotlight a few keys to living a long and zestful life, as featured in her book. They include: Attitude, learning new things, the need to foster a sense of community, and the importance of forgiveness. We also cover travel – her philosophy on it, dressing for it, and changes in it – and more! This is a delightful conversation which you’ll surely enjoy and be inspired by.

Tom Marchant is Co-Founder of award-winning, tailor-made luxury travel company Black Tomato. Described by Harper’s Bazaar as “having a finger on the pulse of travel that is incomparable” his experience shaping the business in the US and the UK has enabled a deep understanding of different markets and his innovative mindset has been lauded across the luxury sector, notably as a Game Changer in the 2021 Walpole Power List and for the past six years as a Conde Nast Traveler Top Travel Specialist.  Recognized as a leading authority in the travel industry, Black Tomato’s world-renowned approach to bespoke travel, alongside pioneering travel products, like Get Lost, Blink, Bring it Back and See You in the Moment reflect the company’s unique ability to uncover rare ways in which to experience destinations and address burgeoning client needs. Their discerning clientele are inspired by handcrafted experiences designed to reflect every passion, obsession and desire, with an acute prowess in the family market – Black Tomato’s center of gravity – with immersive collections including Field Trip and Take Me on a Story, driving the company’s exceptional success in this sector.  This creative ethos has led to Tom and the brand being consistently named best in class, including Conde Nast Traveller Readers' Choice Awards 2023; a Travel + Leisure World’s Best Tour Operator 2023; and 2023 Travel Brand of the Year as the Challenger in the industry at the Travel Marketing Awards. And most recently, Black Tomato was awarded as a Master of Luxury, Travel – in the Robb Report Travel Masters Awards 2024. An entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for travel was instilled in Tom from a young age, and it was channeling this that allowed Tom and co-founder James to identify a gap in the travel market for trips that were centered around experiences, and the pursuit of feeling, rather than destinations. With this in mind, in 2005, they founded Black Tomato, their aim being to create a business that reflected the needs and personalities of clients for whom the existing travel market had become moribund. Their innovative travel products and services began with - groundbreaking at the time - diving tectonic plates in Iceland, and this philosophy has fueled consistent growth of the business and has led to collaborations with leading global brands. These include fashion and automotive powerhouses, and in 2023, a first of its kind partnership with EON Productions (producers of the James Bond franchise) to create trips centered around the iconic history of 007, with the launch of James Bond-inspired European travel itineraries. Tom is regularly asked to provide commentary and thought pieces within the media and as a result he is regularly sought by brands, agencies and conference organizers (from the Financial Times Business of Luxury Summit to Bloomberg's Future of Luxury) to speak on the luxury and travel sectors. This has steered him to take a number of influential board positions at leading companies targeting UHNWs/HNWs. Taking oversight of the creative direction, product innovation, customer experiences and business development strategies, he continues to work with his co-founder James on driving the successful growth of Black Tomato and he is now regarded as one of the leading voices and authorities within the luxury travel space. Tom’s accolades and awards are numerous including: ·      Named ‘Young Entrepreneur of the Year’ by the British Travel Industry Hall of Fame ·      Conde Nast Traveler - Named World's Best Travel Specialist in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 ·      Conde Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 ·      Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards 2021, 2022, 2023 ·      The Guardian Future 500 List ·      Winner of Pure’s ‘Contribution to Experiential Travel’ Award 2019 On this episode, Tom considers two one way ticket options. The first is to Belle Époque Paris, where his great-grandfather was a noted gallerist. The second is to Iceland where he'd embrace the landscape, culture, attitude, light and adventure of the island.   Apart from his one way ticket journeys, Tom covers the unique services that Black Tomato offers. We focus on: Get Lost, Bring it Back, Blink and the Journey into the World of James Bond. Tom also highlights where luxury travel is today and where it’s headed.     

I just returned from a magical week on the rivers of Germany as a guest of Transcend Cruises. Our stops and excursions included: Koblenz, Cochem, Boppard, Rudesheim, Heidelberg, Speyer, Wiesbaden, Wurzburg and Frankfurt. And I loved every second. As for Transcend, it’s a charter-only river cruise line with a fleet of its own purpose-built vessels. The company offers truly customized river cruise journeys with tailor-made itineraries and experiences for any kind of group. So for example, you can hold a destination wedding, or a corporate retreat, or celebrate a milestone birthday with family and friends, or really just about anything! On my sailing, the ship was chartered by the Porsche Club of North America with tailored experiences for car enthusiasts. And of course, there were plenty of cultural options to enjoy for the likes of yours truly. The ship I was on was the Advance and was 5 stars all the way – from the suite to the dining to the staff. Frankly, I didn’t want to leave! For more on Transcend, visit: https://www.transcend.cruises/ or tune in to episode 301 of  The One Way Ticket Show where our guest was Matthew Shollar, Founder & Chief Visionary of Transcend Cruises. While on board, I had the chance to sit down and chat with the ship’s Captain Rob Jager, Head Chef Mihai Tuca, and Transcend’s General Manager, Carmen Mladenovic. You can listen to each of those conversations here on The One Way Ticket Show.  On this episode, we’re featuring our conversation with Chef Mihai. We cover how he plans for a journey, how local cuisines impact menus on the ship, his favorite foods to prepare, what makes Transcend’s offering so unique, plus, it being the one way ticket show, of course I had to ask Chef Mihai where he’d go on his one way ticket journey of choice (if you’re new to the show, that’s the premise of the podcast).   Enjoy!

I just returned from a magical week on the rivers of Germany as a guest of Transcend Cruises. Our stops and excursions included: Koblenz, Cochem, Boppard, Rudesheim, Heidelberg, Speyer, Wiesbaden, Wurzburg and Frankfurt. And I loved every second. As for Transcend, it’s a charter-only river cruise line with a fleet of its own purpose-built vessels. The company offers truly customized river cruise journeys with tailor-made itineraries and experiences for any kind of group. So for example, you can hold a destination wedding, or a corporate retreat, or celebrate a milestone birthday with family and friends, or really just about anything! On my sailing, the ship was chartered by the Porsche Club of North America with tailored experiences for car enthusiasts. And of course, there were plenty of cultural options to enjoy for the likes of yours truly. The ship I was on was the Advance and was 5 stars all the way – from the suite to the dining to the staff. Frankly, I didn’t want to leave! For more on Transcend, visit: https://www.transcend.cruises/ or tune in to episode 301 of  The One Way Ticket Show where our guest was Matthew Shollar, Founder & Chief Visionary of Transcend Cruises. While on board, I had the chance to sit down and chat with the ship’s Captain Rob Jager, Head Chef Mihai Tuca, and Transcend’s General Manager, Carmen Mladenovic. You can listen to each of those conversations here on The One Way Ticket Show.  On this episode, we’re featuring our conversation with Captain Rob. We cover the highlights one sees on the larger and smaller rivers of Europe, the allure of river cruising, his philosophy on leadership, what makes Transcend’s offering so unique, plus, it being the one way ticket show, of course I had to ask Captain Rob where he’d go on his one way ticket journey of choice (if you’re new to the show, that’s the premise of the podcast). Enjoy!  

I just returned from a magical week on the rivers of Germany as a guest of Transcend Cruises. Our stops and excursions included: Koblenz, Cochem, Boppard, Rudesheim, Heidelberg, Speyer, Wiesbaden, Wurzburg and Frankfurt. And I loved every second. As for Transcend, it’s a charter-only river cruise line with a fleet of its own purpose-built vessels. The company offers truly customized river cruise journeys with tailor-made itineraries and experiences for any kind of group. So for example, you can hold a destination wedding, or a corporate retreat, or celebrate a milestone birthday with family and friends, or really just about anything! On my sailing, the ship was chartered by the Porsche Club of North America with tailored experiences for car enthusiasts. And of course, there were plenty of cultural options to enjoy for the likes of yours truly. The ship I was on was the Advance and was 5 stars all the way – from the suite to the dining to the staff. Frankly, I didn’t want to leave! For more on Transcend, visit: https://www.transcend.cruises/ or tune in to episode 301 of  The One Way Ticket Show where our guest was Matthew Shollar, Founder & Chief Visionary of Transcend Cruises. While on board, I had the chance to sit down and chat with the ship’s Captain Rob Jager, Head Chef Mihai Tuca, and Transcend’s General Manager, Carmen Mladenovic. You can listen to each of those conversations here on The One Way Ticket Show.  On this episode, we’re featuring our conversation with Carmen. We cover the enchanting stops we made on our journey, the allure of river cruising, what makes Transcend’s offering so unique, plus, it being the one way ticket show, of course I asked Carmen where she’d go on her one way ticket journey of choice (if you’re new to the show, that’s the premise of the podcast). Enjoy!

Marcus Samuelsson is the renowned chef behind many restaurants worldwide including Red Rooster in Harlem (NYC) and Overtown (Miami); Hav & Mar in Chelsea (NYC); Metropolis at PAC-NYC; Marcus Bar & Grille in Atlanta and its Live! flagship at American Dream (NJ); and several MARCUS locations including the Bahamas, Montreal and most recently Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  Samuelsson was the youngest person to receive a three-star review from The New York Times and was the guest chef for the Obama Administration’s first state dinner. He has won eight James Beard Foundation Awards and recently won a 2023 Emmy Award for the Short Form Program “My Mark.” Samuelsson hosted the critically acclaimed No Passport Required on PBS. Additionally, Samuelsson has won numerous competition shows including Top Chef Masters and Chopped All-Stars and appears regularly on those franchises as a Judge. He also recently appeared as an Iron Chef on Netflix’s Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend. Samuelsson also hosted and produced the Seat at the Table on Audible and co-hosted This Moment podcast with Swedish rapper Timbuktu on ACAST.  A committed philanthropist, Samuelsson is co-chair of Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP), which focuses on helping underserved youth. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Samuelsson converted his restaurants Red Rooster Harlem and Red Rooster Overtown into community kitchens in partnership with World Central Kitchen, serving well over 280k meals to those in need. In Newark, Samuelsson’s Marcus B&P partnered with Audible and World Central Kitchen to create Newark Working Kitchens, which has engaged 37 local restaurants to provide 1.5 million meals to those in need. Samuelsson also co-produces the annual Harlem EatUp! Festival, which celebrates the food, art, and culture of Harlem.  He is the author of several cookbooks, the New York Times bestselling memoir Yes, Chef: A Memoir and his latest book, The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food. Follow Samuelsson on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter at @MarcusCooks and on TikTok at @Marcus_Cooks. On this episode of The One Way Ticket Show, Samuelsson offers his one way ticket destination is a toss-up between Rio de Janeiro and space! In the course of the conversation, Samuelsson shares: 1.     The allure of both Rio and space 2.     The role soccer great, Pelé, played in his life 3.     The link between memory and food and how that’s carried out in his work 4.     How he draws on his Ethiopian and Swedish heritages 5.     What Harlem means to him 6.     His community and charity work 7.     Inspiration for his unique sartorial sense 8.     Why his happy space is to go into a small restaurant in Japan and watch the chefs go to work.