Unpacked by AFAR

It’s easier than ever to earn travel points and (sometimes) miles through credit cards and loyalty programs. But when it comes to actually using those points to book travel, things can get complicated. While there are people out there who love to geek out about those complications, it’s not for everyone. Enter companies like Award Magic, which uses their expertise to book award travel using your hard-earned points. In this week’s episode, Award Magic owner and CEO shares shares his backstory (shocker: he was a math teacher), his vision for the business (it involves really affordable around-the-world tickets), and why we should all be flying business class more than we do. Plus, he works his magic to book a Japan flight using host Aislyn Greene’s Chase points.

Meet this week’s guests

• Brian Cohen, CEO and owner of Award Magic

Resources

• Read the full transcript of the episode.
• Check out Brian’s Award Magic services.
• Listen to our episode about the best programs to earn points and miles.
• Explore Point.Me, another award-booking service.
• Follow the podcast to ensure you don’t miss an episode.
• Subscribe to Afar’s YouTube channel for a full video of the conversation.

Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Travel Tales, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us.

Have you ever gotten stuck in indecision? Maybe it was around where to travel, or when to book your tickets, or even something as small as where to eat when you’re on the road. Well, this week’s guest is an expert at cutting through the noise and helping her clients—and now you—make fast, solid decisions. Her name is Nell McShane Wulfhart, and she’s a professional decision coach.

Does it sound like a made-up job? Nell is the first to admit that it is in fact a made-up job. But one that she is uniquely qualified for, especially when it comes to travel. I’ve known Nell for about a decade now—as a travel writer. She has lived all around the world, from South Korea to Uruguay to Switzerland.

A couple of months ago, I got an email from Nell about her new Audible podcast, The Decision Coach. And I learned that for the past decade, she has also been (in her words) a “professional bossy boots.” That means that she sits down with clients who are stuck and helps them get unstuck. Some are chronically indecisive and need help getting out of that rut. Others are usually good decision makers but are stuck on a big life decision, like whether to have a baby, or take a new job, or move to a new country.

So I sat down with Nell to talk about how she makes decisions, how we can make better decisions, and how we can apply all of that to travel.

Meet this week’s guest

• Nell McShane Wulfhart, podcaster and travel writer

Resources

• Read a full transcript of the episode.
• Listen to Nell’s podcast, The Decision Coach.
• Check out her website for tips on making decisions and to sign up for her newsletter.
• Follow the podcast to ensure you don’t miss an episode.
• Subscribe to AFAR’s YouTube channel for a full video of the conversation.

Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Travel Tales, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us.

This podcast episode is part of Afar, A Retrospective. As part of Afar’s 15-year anniversary celebration, this episode from our sister podcast, Travel Tales by Afar, was selected as one of our favorites. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do—and stay tuned for more archival Travel Tales episodes from September - December 2024. Explore more of our favorite stories over the years at afar.com/fifteen.

A day in the life of a rent-a-friend can run the gamut of fake romance, crying at funerals and a 30-second selfie with a teenager. In this episode of Travel Tales by Afar, contributing writer Chris Colin travels to Tokyo to rent a friend.

At first, he expected nothing but kitsch. But as he navigates his newly forged—and reasonably priced—friendships with Miyabi,Yumi and Yusuke, what he learns changes the way he views Japan and his friendships back at home.

A Day In the Life of A Rent-A-Friend

In this episode you’ll discover:

• The values and issues of Japanese society that created Client Partners, a rent-a-friend company.
• The various reasons why Japanese locals are renting friends.
• How you can rent a friend in Japan during your next solo trip.

Kodoku: The Lonely Gap

Don’t miss these memorable moments:

[06:11] Real life fake engagements and other rent-a-friend scenarios.

[10:47] Hikikomori and a nation’s spiritual health: A conversation with Client Partners’ CEO.

[16:22] Clarity, okonomiyaki and a genuine connection with a professional friend.

A Cultural Phenomenon or A Cure for Loneliness?

When writer Chris Colin first rented a friend in Tokyo, he was expecting something kitsch and wacky, like a cuddle or owl cafe. Instead, he found genuine connection and clarity about the elusiveness of friendship in his own life.

What are the issues in society that create a commercial market for friendship and what does this reveal about the connections we are able to create?

Resources:

Read Chris' original story and check out his other work.

Explore Afar's travel guide to Tokyo.

Learn more about Client Partners, the rent-a-friend company that Chris visited.

Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Travel Tales, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us.

This week, we’re heading to Iceland—well, kinda. We’re actually exploring the Viking hearts of New Icelanders, from Gimli, Manitoba to Mountain, North Dakota. Two towns divided by a border, but forever linked by their surprisingly storied and deep Icelandic roots.

Liz Beatty, host of the North Americana podcast, will be our guide to foam swords, Icelandic folk songs no child should hear, and an epic Viking battle reenactment at Gimli’s annual Icelandic festival. We’ll also meet a real, live fjallkonan. Want to know what that means? Tune in to find out.

Bonus: This week, we’re hosting travel trivia at the end of the episode!

Resources:

• Read this week’s show notes, including a full transcript of the episode.
• Look at photos and listen to the full tracks of the songs featured in the episode.
• Visit Íslendingadagurinn, the Gimli Icelandic Festival, which takes place this year from August 4–7.

Sidestep a stereotypical trip to Paris with cultural insights from journalist and long-time Paris resident Lindsey Tramuta. In this episode of Unpacked by Afar, she shares ways that Paris has changed over the last 20 years and tips for travelers to key into those changes when they travel.

From etiquette to fashion, cuisine to favorite neighborhoods—she helps you experience Paris off the beaten path.

Paris Like You Haven’t Seen It Before

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How Paris is blossoming into a global leader for urban transformation.
• How the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics affected French locals.
• Insider tips and must-knows before you travel to Paris.

French Tip: Always say “Bonjour”

Don’t miss these moments:

[04:32] Key insights from 20 years of change in Paris

[18:34] French etiquette and other things to know before you go.

[ 27:04 ] Lindsey’s favorite neighborhood spots.

An Insider’s Guide To Paris

Your local guide is Lindsey Tramuta, a journalist who has been living and reporting about life in Paris for two decades. In her work, she explores the people and ideas shaping Paris, and in today’s episode she lets us in on 20 years of change.

From what it’s been like in The City of Light since the Olympics and Paralympics wrapped, to the city’s evolving food scene, get local, these are the need-to-know tips for your next Paris trip.

Resources

• Read the transcript of this episode.
• Check out Lindsey Tramuta’s books: The New Paris and The New Parisienne
• Follow The New Paris podcast
• Explore more Paris content from Afar, including a travel guide, local tips for a 4-day trip, and where to go to avoid crowds.

Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode.

And explore our second podcast, Travel Tales, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us.