Episode 221: Adam Skolnick, American Tiger

Episode 221 of The Adventure Podcast features international journalist and author, Adam Skolnick. Adam has written for countless news outlets, Lonely Planet guidebooks, magazines, and columns, and has travelled to over 40 countries. In this episode, Matt and Adam discuss his journey into writing. His first gigs, travelling for stories, and how to make a living doing so. Adam reflects about the early adventures he went on; cycling around the world in his twenties and how the reality looked very different from the romantic version he imagined. Often including long-stretches of boredom, loneliness and self-doubt. It's a wide-ranging conversation as they discuss everything from the pressure of shaping messy reality into something coherent on page, to ego and validation, the discomfort of being honest about motivations that don’t fit the heroic narrative, and the temptation to chase ever-bigger projects for 'better' stories. Adam also talks about the inspiration behind his new book, American Tiger, which he covered live as a journalist at the time, and how he found transitioning from fact to fiction.

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Chapter Breakdown

00:00-05:00: Motivations, ego, and the difference between starting an adventure and finishing one.

05:00-12:00: Adam reflects on riding around the globe, and the uncomfortable truth about why he really left.

12:00-25:00: A raw account of failure at sea, coping in crisis, and how unfinished journeys shape us differently.

25:00-35:00: Why success can be less interesting than failure, and how chasing “epic” creates a moving goalpost.

35:00-45:00: Different ways people experience fear, and why acknowledging it can be more powerful than suppressing it.

45:00-55:00: How children, responsibility, and time away from crisis culture reframed Adam’s sense of purpose.

55:00-01:05:00: Adam introduces a new philosophy: joy over grit, presence over performance.

01:05:00-01:20:00: Why “hero moments” lose value over time, and what actually lasts from a life of adventure.

01:20:00-End: Closing reflections on peace, humility, and finding meaning without needing the next big thing.

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