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I'm Amanda Knox, and you're listening to Hard Knocks.

Music Amanda Knox, and you're listening to Hard Knocks.

Today on Hard Knocks, we have Rick Steves, the acclaimed travel writer and television host.

His latest memoir is called On the Hippie Trail, Istanbul to Kathmandu, and the making of a travel writer. It's about his formative 1978 journey that influences lifelong advocacy and interest in cultural immersion

and open-minded travel. So this was a really fun conversation because obviously he has had a lot

he has had a lot of great travel experiences, and I have had

less nice ones. So we talk about what it means to travel through not just the world, but through

life, how to have different kinds of ideas of how to navigate the challenges and opportunities

of travel and life. So, you know, what is what is an abundant

versus scarcity mindset? What does it mean to think communally versus individually? How to be,

you know, what is more important generosity or greed, affinity and fear? How does that,

how does that impact our how we encounter life both personally and

socially and politically? Rick has some very strong political feelings, and we get into that,

so I hope you enjoy.

Welcome to Hard Knocks. I'm so excited to talk to you. I mean, you know, you're this acclaimed travel writer who has a big heart and an open mind and all these great experiences. And I am super interested to talk to you because of all of my traumatic experience.

Yeah. Well, I think you've had a little more trauma than me on the road, but I'm happy to be with you, Amanda.

Yeah, thank you. Well, so first of all, I know that you are a huge, you know, proponent for travel.

And I think a lot of people would be surprised that I am as well, that, you know, I get, even today, someone asked me, you know, given everything that I've experienced, studying abroad, one of my roommates being murdered, going to prison for that murder, even though I didn't commit it, would I recommend studying abroad to any young person

who could have been me or could have been my roommate? And my answer is very definitively,

yes, in the sense that I think that travel and especially study abroad are these these hugely impactful like moments of

personal growth and interconnection, these huge opportunities for cultural exchange that are so

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