“My tattoo reminds me of who I was at that age. I was so fraught with the existential stakes—I wanted to have lived. I wanted to remind myself to be present in the world and not let youth slip” – Rolf Potts

To celebrate the release of his new book Souvenir, Rolf welcomes back Ari Shaffir for a deep dive on the topic of souvenirs, their meaning, and their importance related to the experience of traveling (14:00). Rolf then reads an excerpt from his book (1:09:00) before exploring some of Ari’s favorite souvenirs (1:22:00).

Ari Shaffir (@AriShaffir) is a comedian, writer, podcaster, and actor. A schedule of his upcoming comedy performances can be found here.

To purchase Rolf’s latest book, titled Souvenir, click here.

Notable Links:

Tim Ferriss (author and entrepreneur)
Marco Polo Didn’t Go There: Stories and Revelations From One Decade as a Postmodern Travel Writer, by Rolf Potts (book)
"Be Your Own Donkey," by Rolf Potts (travel essay)
"Why Do We Still Buy Mass-Produced Souvenirs?" by Rolf Potts (book excerpt)
Jim Morrison (musician)
Zippo (metal cigarette lighter)
Damara people (African ethnic group)
The Zeila (shipwreck on Namibia's Skeleton Coast)
Swakopmund (Namibian coastal resort town)
Ari Shaffir's podcast interview with Henry Rollins
New Market (market in Calcutta)
Lamb sketch from The Simpsons
Mekong (Southeast Asian river)
Shaker furniture (style)
Souvenir de Paris Par'ici (gift shop)
Paris American Academy writing workshop
Animism (religious belief)
Harold and Maude (film)
Sleep No More (immersive play)
Flores (island in Indonesia)
Tottenham Hotspur (English soccer club)
Manchester United (English soccer club)
Dili (capital city of East Timor)
Jaco Island (uninhabited island in East Timor)

The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel's 2017 album Lumber.

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