FoodLove 14: Francis Tapon of Wander Learn, Part I

Meet Francis Tapon, author of Hike Your Own Hike and podcast host of WanderLearn. He has traveled over 120 countries and believes that travel is the best university. Francis and I began our friendship at Amherst College while playing volleyball in the off-season for the men’s volleyball team, and so our conversation takes shape as a volley of questions after more than two decades of not having spoken with each other.

Interestingly, our divergent paths in life intersect in some ways. When I asked Francis to be a guest on FoodLove, I was interested in Francis’ wanderings through different lands and landscapes. He had hiked in the Pacific Northwest and on multiple famous, longer trails like the Appalachian Trail. He also had never owned a bed until Amazon sent him one when he was 48 years old. (Read more about this on his website.) That lack of attachment to material things was a point of interest to me, and I learned later in the interview that Francis has been studying Zen Buddhism while I have been studying Taoism.

In one of Francis’ TedX talks, he suggests that we ought to look at the world with new eyes to see unexpected safety in places where one might assume unrest and in this, I felt a kindred sense of openness to the world and humanity. I also imagined a quiet undercurrent in his talks that peace across countries is possible through learning about other cultures and dismantling misconceived notions.

Working my way back from a larger objective of “world peace through food and a podcast,” I wanted to ask him a series of questions about how food and travel intersect for him. Naturally, as a podcaster and long lost (or maybe just wandering) friend, Francis had some questions for me. You will hear the story of what I ate in which country that was most “out-of-the-norm” for me but the most indicative of how I try to immerse myself in culture (and family bondedness) when traveling. You’ll also hear some of my thoughts on when to salt food and why.

Through the course of our conversation, you’ll hear how food, culture, and travel have shaped Francis’ experiences as well as some expert advice on how to travel well. He shares guidance on how and what to pack for food and the one thing that can give you cover while cooking in the rain on longer hikes that you might not expect for those of you hiking the trails this summer. Listen in toPart II of this podcast for deeper dives into food commentaries. Two decades of missed conversations required a little more time for us to catch up!