S3E2: Jeff Baker - 'Can an Ocean Rise Up from the Desert?' - a podcast by Hayden Lee

When you reach a certain age, many people think it becomes their job to settle down at home and leave the living to the young people. Jeff Baker is not one of those men. When Jeff and his wife reached that certain age, and they saw their kids doing fun and exciting things with their lives, they said to themselves, “Why can’t we have fun?” So, they gave away most of their belongings, sold their house, and decided to travel while they still could and share their adventures as they went. “It’s like we’re 25 again,” Jeff said of their travels, and he was right - their lives are not average, but they are adventurous. 

Jeff is a radio host in his “typical” life, hosting the show Savory Road, which is part of an NPR public radio-affiliate station in Southern California. His philosophy is that everyone partakes in food, even if they do not partake in travel, so logic dictates that everybody who listens to his show can relate to it. Jeff knows that people seek narrative and reflection, just like they do when they come to the Travel Stories Podcast, so he strives to put that into each of his shows. In between talking with Hayden about starting your travels, working through your financing, and managing the travel lifestyle, Jeff shares a story which he believes addresses expectations. While he considers expectations to be a double-edged sword, he also knows they are important to any travel experience. His story, titled, “Can an Ocean Rise Up From the Desert?”, follows Jeff as he visits the less-traveled parts of Peru and realized that reaching the “next level” of travel does not necessarily need to be any specific event, but can just be what it is. Jeff Baker knows that bravery, optimism, and having an open mind while you travel are vital to having an enjoyable experience. 

Even though you may reach a certain age, and society may expect certain things of you - in the end, you live your own life, and travel is an essential part of that rebirth. 

• 1:16 - Stay tuned for live streaming on our Facebook while Hayden is in Brazil, and you can ask questions for the end of season Q&A at our website . 


• 2:32 - Hayden introduces Jeff Baker, who hosts a travel and food show on a local NPR affiliate radio station. He’s one of those people who reached a certain age and thought, “What do we do now?”, and the answer was, inevitably, “travel.” Jeff also has a great, baritone, radio-esque voice that Hayden very much enjoys. 


• 6:27 - Hayden and Jeff talk about starting your adventures and your fun, exciting travel life even when other people your age think you should not be. It all started with a family backpacking trip through Europe in 2004, and Jeff caught the travel bug from there. 


• 9:00 - Hayden talks about working with your finances and making big decisions in order to figure out how to travel in your life, and how not to give in to excuses.

Get in Touch with Hayden on Instagram: @backpackdigital

Further episodes of Backpack Digital

Further podcasts by Hayden Lee

Website of Hayden Lee