Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers

Episode: Temple Mishaps, Rafting with Mr. Darcy & A Sacre Bleu Moment: Listener Episode #21

Hosts: Josh Meyers & Seth Meyers (with guest host Hillary “Hurry” Meyers)
Date: February 26, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode is a "Listener Stories" special, with Seth and Josh’s mother, Hillary ("Hurry") Meyers, joining while Seth is away. The Meyers family, joined by producer Sam, listen to listeners’ travel stories full of mishaps, near-misses, and heartwarming moments. There's also a listener-written poem, questions about Josh's beloved episode songs, and the usual blend of affectionate teasing, self-deprecation, and Meyers-family warmth.

Key Discussion Points & Highlights

1. Welcoming Hurry - Snow Angels & Family Pets (00:17–03:28)

• Winter in New Hampshire: Hillary shares tales of the enduring snow and how their sheepdog Albert camouflages outside.
  • “[Albert] comes up around quarter to seven because he knows he gets his father up at seven. So he lays between us... Because I don’t like to get slubered on in the morning.” — Hillary (02:05)
• Prism Rainbows: Hillary and Josh bond over the joy of inexpensive window prisms that scatter rainbows into their rooms.
  • “They’re like five or $6 each. I mean, it's nothing... they're fabulous.” — Hillary (03:16)

2. Hillary’s “Sacre Bleu” Canal Adventure (03:28–07:59)

• Annual "Girls Only" Sister Trips: Hillary describes an epic sisters-only annual tradition, culminating in a houseboat mishap in France.
  • The group’s rented "penny shet" (actually péniche/houseboat) drifts away after being improperly tied.
  • Sister Alex dives in to rescue the boat—stripped to her underwear—while French onlookers exclaim, “Mesdames, mesdames, bleu, mon Dieu.”
  • Memorable moment: “She can’t do everything. She threw up her hands and said, I can’t do everything here. So I said, well, I’ll tie it up. Well, apparently not well.” — Hillary (05:55)
• Family inside jokes emerge: Jokes about Alex's “va va va voom” presence and the classic “sacre bleu” French stereotype.

3. Listener Stories

a. Jean’s Temple Mishap in Seoul (08:15–13:29)

[08:15–11:25]

• Jean and her uncle visit Korea, accidentally get stuck in a Buddhist service, and try to leave discreetly… only to get trapped in an electrical closet, having to re-enter through the temple and bow their way out.
  • “Our embarrassment turned to semi comfort. That was until I looked at my clock and realized that we were supposed to be meeting up with my uncle's friend for lunch... We would simply walk out the door, gather our shoes... Boy, were we wrong.” — Jean (10:43)
• Host reaction:
  • “That’s those situations where you know every eye is going to be on you. It’s just the worst.” — Josh (11:31)
  • “A religious ceremony is a different level of something to have to walk out of.” — Hillary (12:14)
  • Musings on Buddhist forgiveness and the perils of accidentally breaking social customs.

b. Eileen’s “Mr. Darcy” Whitewater Disaster (19:26–26:51)

[19:26–26:51]

• Eileen, newly in love and idealistic from Jane Austen novels, is whisked by her boyfriend “Mr. Darcy” and his parents onto dangerous class 5-6 whitewater rapids instead of the safer 3-4 level. The family is tossed from the boat, glasses and ankles are broken, but the romance endures.
  • “Mr. Darcy led us over to the line of the 5, 6 rapids… ‘I thought it would be good for us to challenge ourselves. I’m sure we’ll all laugh about this someday.’ Dead silence.” — Eileen (22:00)
  • “Nope, he’s still cute. So the next day, Mrs. Darcy goes to the doctor and finds out her ankle is broken. But you know what’s not broken? The spell this guy has cast on me. Because 33 years and two kids later, Mr. Darcy, my husband Craig, continues to take me down adventurous paths...” — Eileen (23:05)
• Host reaction:
  • “I mean, if you were already married, that’s grounds for divorce.” — Josh (23:18)
  • “That’s like my old man... I always said do not be going near those black diamonds. And he’d say, oh, I made a little miscalculation.” — Hillary (23:32)
  • Laughter about risky trip decisions being a feature of family journeys.

c. Andrea’s Pontiac Gas Leak (26:56–30:45)

[26:56–30:45]

• Andrea tells of a cross-Nebraska road trip where her dad’s car leaks gas after hitting tire debris. The dad’s advice: “Children, put your shoes on in case we need to jump.”
  • “Even as a 10 year old, I knew that was not a good sign... Our father, who was not a very mechanically minded man... said, ‘children, put your shoes on in case we need to jump.’” — Andrea (28:17)
• Host reaction:
  • “Jump out of a moving car. Is that what the implication is?” — Hillary (28:55)
  • “Disaster averted.” — Josh (29:28)
• Reflections on the universal anxiety of breakdowns in desolate places; mention of Iceland’s law requiring you to stop for any car on the road.

d. Whitney’s “Tum Tum” Squirrel Saga (30:52–34:36)

[30:52–34:36]

• Listener Whitney relates “befriending” generations of red squirrels, all named “Tum Tum,” and draws a parallel to the Meyers' affectionate naming of all pets “Albert.”
  • “My daughter and I are now determined to befriend any squirrels possible.” — Whitney (32:19)
  • She also shares how the podcast inspires her to build a family like the Meyers.
• Host reaction:
  • “Albert is not the first animal we’ve had the same name for... All of our frogs were jimmies... Any frog we found moving forward... we always said Jimmy came home.” — Josh (33:07)
  • “There’s something to a consistency of a name... That’s comforting. Because a lot of times with these animals you can’t build a long relationship, but if you just keep stringing them together, it can be your whole life.” — Josh (34:16)

4. Listener Questions & A Poem

a. The “Joshies” Award Proposal & Origin of the Songs (40:07–44:59)

[40:07–44:59]

• Listener suggests the “Joshies,” an award for best original podcast song.
  • “Feel like Josh puts a ton of work into them and maybe doesn’t get all the recognition he deserves.” (40:23)
• Josh discusses the songwriting process, avoiding AI, and his growing workload.
  • “There's something I feel like would be lost in that... These songs really are a challenge for me, but I do enjoy it.” — Josh (41:14)
• Hillary weighs in on authenticity vs. AI after a husbandly editing anecdote.

b. Listener Poem—A Podcast Ode from Jen (45:02–48:57)

[45:02–48:57]

• Jen from Boston shares an original, affectionate poem about the podcast, referencing inside jokes, recurring guests, and family quirks.
  • “Seth jokes that their parents without a doubt like Josh the most… no matter what kind of episode, Josh writes a song for each and they are all amazing to hear…” — Jen (47:13)
• Hosts “warmed” by the tribute; Hillary especially appreciates the literary effort.

5. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “He [the dog Albert] kind of... he's camouflaged in the snow, so it's tricky to find him sometimes.” — Hillary (01:33)
• “She can’t do everything. She threw up her hands and said, ‘I can’t do everything here.’ So I said, well, I’ll tie it up. Well, apparently not well.” — Hillary re: the floating boat (05:55)
• “Nope, he’s still cute. [after the rafting disaster] So the next day, Mrs. Darcy goes to the doctor and finds out her ankle is broken. But you know what’s not broken? The spell this guy has cast on me.” — Eileen (23:05)
• “Children, put your shoes on in case we need to jump.” — Andrea’s father (28:17)
• “Any frog we found moving forward, regardless of size, color, whatever. Maybe it was a toad. ...We always said Jimmy came home.” — Josh (33:31)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:17–03:28: Josh & Hillary chat winter in NH, Albert the sheepdog, family rituals
• 03:28–07:59: Hillary’s “sacre bleu” canal-boat mishap
• 08:15–13:29: Jean’s temple mishap in Korea
• 19:26–26:51: Eileen’s “Mr. Darcy” whitewater rafting misadventure
• 26:56–30:45: Andrea’s leaking Pontiac adventure in Nebraska
• 30:52–34:36: Whitney names all squirrels “Tum Tum” & listener inspirations
• 40:07–44:59: Question about the “Joshies,” Josh on songwriting, avoiding AI
• 45:02–48:57: Jen’s poem tribute to the show

Recurring Themes & Tone

• Affectionate family ribbing and humor (“That’s like my old man...I made a little miscalculation.”)
• Treasured, often chaotic, childhood and family travel memories
• A celebration of mishaps binding families together
• Sincere appreciation of the podcast’s listeners and their creative engagement
• Understated, dry-witted, and warm tone throughout (“Jump out of a moving car. Is that what the implication is?”)

Closing

The episode ends with Josh’s signature recap song weaving together all the listener stories and inside jokes (“Jean and her uncle went to Seoul to explore... Mr. Darcy lied about the list—classics rapids... children put on your shoes in case we all need to jump... Jen wrote a poem, Whitney told us about Tum Tum, oh yeah, Tum Tum’s a red squirrel…” 50:38–53:41).

A quintessential “Family Trips” episode: funny, poignant, comfortably chaotic, and full of love for both family and the show’s community.