Podcast Summary: Bawdy Storytelling – Episode 24 "Wanderlust"
Host: Dixie De La Tour
Date: April 19, 2017
Featured Storytellers: Carrie Callah, Beth Hirsch
Theme: Wanderlust—stories of travel, adventure, self-discovery, and sex-positive hospitality
Overview
In this episode, Dixie De La Tour explores the theme of "Wanderlust": what it means to long for adventure and connection, both on the road and in new places. Through raw, funny, and touching true stories from real people, listeners are transported to wild nights out, unexpected hookups, and deeply personal journeys of self-acceptance and sexual awakening.
Host’s Framing & Personal Context
[00:54]–[03:44]
- Dixie opens by sharing her own struggle with wanderlust while unable to travel due to her partner Bent’s recent injury. She describes their lives as adventurers, highlighting her own distaste for hiking—a running joke—while now taking care of both her partner and their energetic St. Bernard.
- “I don't like hiking… Did I say I don't like hiking? I'm not sure I got across that. I don't like hiking.”—Dixie de La Tour (02:20)
- She sets the tone for the episode: since she can't wander, listeners will vicariously experience the joys and oddities of travel and new encounters through others' stories.
Story 1: Carrie Callah—"Falling in Love with San Francisco"
[03:44]–[16:13]
Opening & Backstory
- Carrie introduces herself as a trans woman, sharing her post-breakup malaise after moving back in with her parents: “...my childhood bedroom is like a pretty not sexy place, but still I was not feeling it. My mojo was gone.” (04:47)
- Her friend Nelly decides what Carrie needs is a trip to the “land of queers and weed”—San Francisco.
The Misadventures Begin
- Carrie details classic Midwestern tourist mistakes (hotel in the financial district, wrong attire for February), but soon finds the right crowd after Yelping “lesbian bar.”
- The lesbian bar is packed with “very, very cute, masculine women with asymmetrical haircuts,” causing anxiety and excited nerves.
Memorable Meet-Cute
- Carrie meets Jack, who is “exceptionally cute.... like a young Michael J. Fox” and a champion at the gay rodeo.
- “Once someone tells you that one of the things that they do well is hang on to a bucking bull long enough to win buckles for it, it’s all you can think about.” (06:41 & 33:46)
A Night of Queer Cowboy Fantasy
- Carrie, swept up in fantasy, is taken by Jack to gay country-western dancing at Sundance Saloon—an eye-opening and magical subculture: “I'm in Brokeback Mountain now already. I'm in the outfit.” (09:14)
- The scene: hundreds in cowboy gear, elaborate line dances, and Carrie being taught to two-step with Jack.
- “We’re whirling around to a Dwight Yoakum song and all these gay couples are around us whirling in the lights and I say, ‘This is the most romantic moment of my life.’ And Jack says, ‘Cool.’” (10:40)
Sex, Self-Discovery, and Caring Hospitality
- Back at Jack’s apartment, Carrie experiences electrifying sex, exploring boundaries and vulnerability as a bottom.
- A pivotal moment: Jack asks if Carrie wants to keep her shirt on—a gesture of respect for body dysphoria. This resonates deeply and affirms Carrie’s right to comfort and agency in queer sex.
- “Honestly, it had never occurred to me...that maybe my chest didn't have to be a part of the sex equation. First time I realized that.” (12:38)
- The next morning—fancy coffee, bubble sets, and a glimpse of the life Carrie could build for herself.
- Final reflection: The real transformative magic was in being welcomed, shown hospitality, and seeing the possibility of a beautiful, authentic queer life.
- “Show them a beautiful thing and also just let them see how—what a weird little world you’ve created for yourself. Because they might be looking for their own weird little world themselves.” (15:55)
Story 2: Beth Hirsch—"What Kind of Broken Person Am I?"
[19:04]–[28:14]
Stage Fright and Candid Beginnings
- An anxious but determined Beth shares her first act of independence at age 18: becoming a stripper, reveling in the newfound power of sexual desirability.
- She reflects tongue-in-cheek on her juvenile notions: “…At the time, I thought what was going to turn me into an adult was sex. Like some guy would stick his dick in me and I would come and I'd know how to do my taxes….” (20:30)
The Quest for Validation (and Mediocre Sex)
- Beth recounts driving 800 miles to have sex with Jude, a blurry memory from a family wedding (with a quick, outrageous aside: “I hadn't had sex with him that night because I was blowing my cousin…not blood related at all. Not that that would have stopped 18 year old Beth.” [21:36])
- Her excitement on arrival quickly fades into disappointment: quick, uninspired sex on a dirty kitchen floor, followed by drunken humiliation at a gross college party.
The Morning After: Reckoning and Growth
- Beth wakes, hungover and naked, being kicked aside by Jude’s roommate as he makes breakfast. She realizes how unfulfilling the encounter was, both sexually and emotionally.
- Standing in the sun, she experiences an “overwhelming feeling...summed up in one, one quick phrase: Boy, I sure did that. I have made some choices and I have, like, living with the consequences of those choices. Good on me.” (26:35)
- After ignoring Jude post-hookup, he later accuses her of breaking his heart. Beth reflects briefly on her patterns and motivations before deciding to simply keep driving ahead—embracing the uncertainty of adulthood.
Notable Quotes & Moments
- “I'm going to dream of the road. And we're going to live through the adventures of others.” —Dixie de La Tour (03:18)
- “I really love bottoming a lot. It's hard because when you're a masculine person, people a lot of times want you to top them. And I'm trying to do that. But it was such a thrill to be the bottom in this situation.” —Carrie Callah (11:59)
- “At the time, I thought what was going to turn me into an adult was sex. Like some guy would stick his dick in me and I would come and I'd know how to do my taxes...” —Beth Hirsch (20:30)
- “What kind of broken person am I that I don't give a shit about hurting this guy who I supposedly really liked?...And then I stopped wondering about those things because I was 18 and it was really dark and I could only see as far as my headlights would show.” —Beth Hirsch (27:54)
Episode Structure & Key Timestamps
- 00:54: Dixie’s wanderlust, personal life update, and episode theme
- 03:44: Carrie Callah’s story—falling for queer San Francisco, rodeo romance, and sexual self-acceptance
- 16:13: Dixie’s brief Patreon pitch, live show plugs, and introduction to next storyteller
- 19:04: Beth Hirsch’s story—awkward hookups, stripping, and growing pains of self-worth
- 28:14: Outro, upcoming show previews, community appreciation
Tone & Style
The episode is candid, unflinchingly honest, and laced with humor and compassion. Storytellers speak openly about queer identity, sexual experimentation, longing, uncertainty, and the messy truths of human connection—always with an eye toward self-growth and the value of sex-positive storytelling.
Final Thoughts
Episode 24 of Bawdy Storytelling encapsulates the thrill and risk of wanderlust, not only as literal travel but also as an emotional journey toward self-knowledge and acceptance. Through the bold, deeply personal stories of Carrie Callah and Beth Hirsch, listeners are reminded of the transformative power of hospitality, experimentation, and unfiltered, heartfelt narrative.