What Is “Happiness”? Discovering Meaning on the Silk Road with Will Rickard

Zero To Travel Podcast

Jason Moore

Society & Culture, Business, Entrepreneurship, Places & Travel

4.6 • 866 Ratings

🗓️ 17 July 2025

⏱️ 84 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What if chasing happiness meant giving up everything you thought you wanted? Will Rickard is the author of The Silk Road to Happiness, a book born from his solo journey through the “Stans" - Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Afghanistan - on a quest to explore happiness through travel, conversations, and culture. After leaving a prestigious corporate career in Sydney, he hit reset, taking only a backpack and a big question on the road: What is happiness? In this episode, Will and I unpack the complex relationship between travel and happiness, and what he discovered by going off-grid in some of the world’s least-visited countries. If you’ve ever felt torn between being grateful for what you have and craving something more, this conversation might hit home. Will doesn’t offer a tidy formula for happiness, but instead, he shares five powerful themes that emerged during his journey - from purpose and minimalism to gratitude and detachment. We talk about how travel can shift your perspective, why sometimes you just have to book the flight, and how embracing discomfort can lead to deeper meaning. Plus, we explore how moving abroad redefined my own ideas about happiness. What’s something you’ve learned about yourself while traveling that changed the way you define happiness? I'd love for you to share your thoughts by sending me an audio message. *This is a previously released episode from the archives! Zero To Travel interviews are timeless, offering valuable insight whenever you listen. Tune In To Learn: Why Will walked away from a “dream” corporate job to explore the Silk Road How a photo on Instagram sparked a life-changing decision What the “anti-bucket list” is and how it might reshape your goals Advice to anyone stuck in a career rut and wondering what’s next Why pursuing “more” isn’t always a bad thing—and when it is How five schools in Afghanistan changed Will’s view of purpose Why these little-visited countries offer some of the most generous hospitality Insights from ancient philosophy (and a scary night on the Pamir Highway) The difference between enthusiasm and passion when it comes to career How practicing gratitude—especially while traveling—can shift your mental state And so much more Resources: Sign up for our FREE newsletter Will's book The Silk Road To Happiness Follow Will on Instagram, LinkedIn Want More? The power Of Death In Life with Gentle Rebel Bronnie Ware How To Add More Play Into Your Life w/ Jeff Harry Sweet Ass Strategies For Achieving Anything Fast w/ Heath Armstrong Thanks To Our Sponsors Apple Card - Earn 3% back on the Apple products and services you love with Apple Card. Moon Travel Guides - Use code ‘ZERO’ for 20% off your order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Oh, that's my prime delivery.
0:01.6	What, already?
0:02.7	Only one thing can match the buzz of Prime's fast delivery.
0:06.2	And that's the buzz of Prime's entertainment.
0:09.0	What are we watching?
0:09.7	Heads of state, that new action comedy with Idris Elber as the Prime Minister,
0:13.3	John Sina as the president, and Prianka Chopra Jonas,
0:15.9	as their only hope.
0:17.0	It looks like a blast.
0:18.2	From fast delivery to explosive entertainment, it's on Prime. For only 899 a month, join now. Content includes limited ads, subscription, or to renews. For more information, go to amazon.com.uk.U.K. slash prime. If you're in a career and you're thinking about what's next, your frame of reference is only what's in front of you. It's only what your colleagues are doing. It's like, oh, they go work for a bank or they go work for another consulting firm.
0:40.7	Like, that's what you're comparing it to. Whereas if you actually go and disappear for a few months,
0:45.4	you really get this like crazy, different set of perspectives.
0:50.5	That was a little clip from my interview today with Will Ricard, who wrote a book about his
0:56.4	travels through some of the stands along the Silk Road in a pursuit to find happiness,
1:03.2	find out what happiness really means. And what is happiness, really? We dig into that topic,
1:09.6	and it's a big one here on today's show. We also talk
1:12.8	about how this particular set of destinations plays into what he discovered about himself
1:20.8	and happiness while he was traveling along the Silk Road after quitting a corporate job and doing the anti-bucket
1:29.8	list thing. I'll explain what that is before we get into the interview. You might want to take
1:34.7	the anti-bucket list approach after hearing that. And of course, a lot of topics swirling around
1:41.3	the theme of happiness. And there's a lot of nuance to this topic, right?
1:46.0	We talk about gratitude a lot on the show.
	...

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