Vault: Update On Suzi The World Traveler

Summary

The Bert Show: Vault – Update On Suzi The World Traveler

Air Date: January 19, 2026
Podcast Host: Pionaire Podcasting
Cast: Bert, Jen Hobby, Susie (the traveler), and others

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EPISODE OVERVIEW

In this episode, the cast of The Bert Show reconnects with Suzi, their celebrated “world traveler” friend, for an update on her solo adventure across the globe. The segment highlights Suzi’s current Mediterranean escapades, Italian wedding culture, unexpected connections, and what’s coming up next on her whirlwind trip. The conversation combines humor, lively cultural storytelling, and one truly astonishing “small world” reunion moment.

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KEY DISCUSSION POINTS & INSIGHTS

1. Who is Suzi and Why Do They Check In?

• Background: Suzi is a friend of the show who decided to invest her savings, originally earmarked for marriage or a home, into traveling the world alone following a relationship that didn’t pan out.
• Purpose: The Bert Show frequently checks in to hear about her travels, cultural discoveries, and adventures, keeping listeners vicariously globe-trotting through her stories.
  (00:05)

2. Suzi’s Current Whereabouts: Sicily and the Mediterranean

• On a Boat: Suzi calls in from a boat in the Mediterranean, prepping for her best friend's wedding in Sicily. She depicts a scene right out of a movie, lounging in a bikini, surrounded by beautiful turquoise waters.
  “I’m just lying on the back here in my bikini like, you know, a diva.” – Suzi (01:38)
• Wedding Details: She’s in Sicily for her childhood friend’s wedding to a Sicilian man. There was also a previous ceremony in New York, but the Sicilian celebration offers uniquely local traditions.
  (01:10–02:27)

3. Sicilian vs. American Weddings and Family Culture

• Key Differences: Suzi observes the close-knit, extended Italian family dynamics, with relatives gathering days in advance, heated debates (that seem aggressive but are all in good fun), and plenty of food and wine. “I saw two uncles, these Sicilian guys, these hot tempered guys get into an argument about wine…for four hours, screaming and yelling at each other. Nobody’s upset, but everybody’s screaming and yelling.” – Suzi (02:36)
• Food and Setting: She’s blown away by the scenery, local agriculture (olives, figs, grapes), and culinary experiences. “The tomatoes taste different. The pasta is perfect. The olive oil, it's like…They don't play. They just do not play here with the food.” – Suzi (03:24)

4. Italian Men: Swagger and Stereotypes

• Host Curiosity: Bert and Jen ask Suzi if she’s experienced the famed Italian male “swagger”, especially as a non-local woman.
• Suzi’s Response: Suzi hasn’t felt any “lecherous” energy, theorizing it may depend on hair color or appearance. Other American friends, particularly blondes, had very different experiences. (04:24–05:08)

5. “You Won’t Believe What Happened in Rome!” – The Ultimate Small World Story

• Unexpected Encounter: Suzi recounts her jaw-dropping encounter with Jeff (a Bert Show colleague) at the Colosseum in Rome. She’d had a persistent feeling she’d bump into someone she knew, despite months on the road. “I jump in front of that person’s path and I say, I know you. And this person looks at me – his eyes are telling me, I don’t think I know you…All of a sudden, both of us, it clicked at the same time. It was Jeff from the Bert Show!” – Suzi (06:10)
• Reactions: The cast and Suzi are stunned by the improbability of the chance meeting: same city, same monument, same corner, same moment. “We could have been on opposite ends of the Colosseum…It was a random time of day. I mean, come on.” – Suzi (08:04) “If there’s a statistician listening out there, I’m like, if two people in the same city at the same time, what are the odds?” – Suzi (08:31)

6. Reflections on Serendipity and Connection

• Spiritual “Energy”: Suzi and the cast muse that maybe carrying positive thoughts (and a bit of the Bert Show with her) contributed to such a serendipitous moment. “The Bird Show is with me every day. So of course I bump into somebody from the Bird Show.” – Suzi (07:55) “There’s more out there than we realize…The fact that she had that energy of the Burt show in her mind all the time, I just really believe that.” – Cast (08:42)

7. Susie’s Journal and Photography

• Podcast Community: The hosts urge listeners to follow Suzi’s online travel journal and see her travel photos, describing them as “moving” and addictive.
• “I get a ton of emails from people going, oh my God, it’s like a soap opera that I can’t stop reading.” – Bert (09:17)
• “You’re becoming a great photographer, too. Your pictures from Southeast Asia…those were moving.” – Jen (09:44)

8. What’s Next for Suzi?

• Onward to Africa: Suzi shares her spontaneous decision to take a ferry from Sicily to Tunisia in North Africa after the wedding, admitting even she’s amazed by the trip’s scope and unpredictability. “After the wedding, I’m gonna travel in Sicily for about a week, and then I’m gonna hop on a boat. I’m gonna be in northern Africa, you guys. I can’t believe it. I’m in Tunisia.” – Suzi (10:01)

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NOTABLE QUOTES & MOMENTS WITH TIMESTAMPS

• “I’m just lying on the back here in my bikini like, you know, a diva.” – Suzi (01:38)
• “I saw two uncles, these Sicilian guys, these hot tempered guys get into an argument about wine…for four hours, screaming and yelling at each other. Nobody’s upset, but everybody’s screaming and yelling.” – Suzi (02:36)
• “The tomatoes taste different. The pasta is perfect. The olive oil, it's like…They don't play. They just do not play here with the food.” – Suzi (03:24)
• “I jump in front of that person’s path and I say, I know you…It was Jeff from the Bert Show!” – Suzi (06:10)
• “The Bird Show is with me every day. So of course I bump into somebody from the Bird Show.” – Suzi (07:55)
• “We could have been on opposite ends of the Colosseum…It was a random time of day. I mean, come on.” – Suzi (08:04)
• “You’re becoming a great photographer, too. Your pictures from Southeast Asia…those were moving.” – Jen (09:44)
• “After the wedding, I’m gonna travel in Sicily for about a week, and then I’m gonna hop on a boat. I’m gonna be in northern Africa, you guys. I can’t believe it. I’m in Tunisia.” – Suzi (10:01)

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SEGMENT TIMESTAMPS

• 00:00–01:21 – Introduction: Suzi’s world travels and present location
• 01:22–03:18 – Sicily, the wedding, and Italian cultural details
• 03:19–05:08 – Food, lifestyle, and Italian men
• 05:09–08:15 – The Colosseum coincidence: Meeting Jeff from the show in Rome
• 08:16–09:54 – Reflections on fate and staying connected through the Bert Show
• 09:55–10:22 – Next steps: Ferry to Tunisia, plans for Africa

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CONCLUSION

Episode Mood: Warm, funny, spontaneous, packed with wanderlust and a sense of fate. What Makes It Special: This check-in with Suzi perfectly blends dazzling travel storytelling, authenticity, and a truly remarkable “small world” moment that underscores how deeply connections and community travel, no matter how far the journey. If you’ve ever dreamed of dropping everything to see the world—or just need a reminder that wonderful surprises are out there—Suzi’s adventure, as told on The Bert Show, is both comforting and inspiring.

Transcript

[A]

The bird show. All right, Jen Hobby, who is Susie and why do we talk to her from time to time?

[B]

Well, Susie's your friend who decided to travel the world all by herself. She had enough money saved up maybe to get married, buy a home, but the marriage thing didn't work out. So she said, you know what? I am going to spend it on doing what I want to do. I'm going to travel around the world and go see this planet that we live on. And she's doing it all by herself. So we are learning along the way with Susie. We've learned about all kinds of different countries and cultures so far. I think we're all pretty envious of the journey she's taken, so we're following her throughout the world. Bert got her a universal international Verizon wireless cell phone. So we're getting in touch with her that way all over the world, and she's sharing with us her experience.

[A]

And she's either in a wind tunnel or she's got the phone in her esophagus right now.

[C]

Well, close to it. You guys, I'm on a boat in the Mediterranean.

[B]

Oh, nice.

[A]

How nice does that sound?

[C]

Excuse the wind.

[A]

How nice does that sound? What kind of boat are you talking about?

[C]

It's incredible. We rented a boat. Today I'm here for my girlfriend's wedding in Sicily marrying a Sicilian guy. We're all out on the boat, basically touring the most beautiful ocean I've ever seen.

[A]

Look at you. You know what? You set the timing on this so perfectly, because there you are with all your friends and stuff. You're like, excuse me while I pull away, while I call a radio station in Atlanta and tell them about my.

[C]

Travels interview because I'm a radio personality. Exactly.

[A]

I told you guys.

[C]

Oh, it just worked out this way. The wedding's tomorrow, so we all wanted to go and relax on a boat. And I was like, I hope the phone works out here in the Mediterranean. But it works, so we're in luck.

[A]

Very cool. Is it like one of those catamaran type deals or.

[C]

It's all. It's just all white and just Mediterranean. I don't know what it is, but I'm just lying on the back here in my bikini like, you know, a diva.

[D]

Nice. Now, now, last time we talked to you, was you still in Asia? Have we talked to her since she was in Asia?

[C]

Yeah, I was on. I was on the roof of a Vietnamese restaurant.

[D]

Right.

[C]

Right after that, I went to Thailand and just kicked it on the beach for a while. And Now I'm in Sicily from my best girlfriend's wedding. I've known her since kindergarten and I came here for the wedding. She's marrying a Sicilian guy in his hometown.

[A]

And you say she hasn't gotten married yet or she's getting married.

[C]

He had a wedding in New York a couple weeks ago, which I missed because I was in Cambodia or something at the time. And his whole family is still here. His mom, you know, in the town he grew up in, all the relatives, the brothers, the whole thing. So they planned a second wedding here in Sicily. So I came to that one.

[A]

Is there any like comparisons that you can make between weddings that are being prepared for in the States as opposed to over in Sicily?

[C]

So many things are different. First of all, I have watched all the Sicilian relatives pile into the house a couple days before the wedding. It's different here. They all come over the days before to sit and have their espresso and bring the envelopes over and everything. So I saw two uncles, these Sicilian guys, these hot tempered guys get into an argument about wine. I don't know what they were talking about for four hours, screaming and yelling at each other. Nobody's upset, but everybody's screaming and yelling. So yes, I would say it's a little bit different here at old wedding.

[A]

See, here we argue over religion and politics. In Italy it's all about the wine.

[C]

It's all about the wine. Everybody's uncle has grown grapes for the wine. And you know, there's a lot of politics around that issue.

[A]

What else can you tell us about Italy? I mean, a lot of us have never been there before. So kind of paint a picture for us.

[C]

I mean, if you guys could see what I'm looking at. Beautiful, craggy, incredible terrain. There's olive trees, fig trees, there's grapes growing everywhere. The food, you guys, I have never had better food in my life. Even if you just go for the simplest thing, everything's beautiful. I can't even like. The tomatoes taste different. The pasta is perfect. The olive oil, it's like. It's just. They don't play. They just do not play here with the food. And the water is. I had no idea the water in the Mediterranean was going to be turquoise. It looks just like the Caribbean here. Everybody's out on their. It's like people here work two hours a day. I don't know how they get away with it, but. But it's Italian style. I'll tell you something, these guys know things we don't know. They're living A beautiful life here. I'm like, whoa.

[A]

Now I know when my wife was in Italy, she thought maybe it was because of her blonde hair that the Italian men really seem to have kind of a swagger towards her. Are you finding that to be the case, everybody?

[C]

One of my girlfriends was like, oh, the guys in Italy are so lecherous. She used the word lecherous. I have not seen that hair at all. I mean, to me, the guys, they look a little bit longer and a little bit harder maybe than they would, you know, in New York. But it's like, it's a pretty sexual culture. It's definitely like everybody's beautiful here. So I think that adds to it. But I haven't had that kind of experience. And maybe it's because I look like the rest of these girls. I have dark curly hair and Stacy's obviously blonde and blue eyed. But no, I haven't gotten any of that. So maybe it's more like if you.

[A]

Look far in now, Jen, you've been.

[B]

So I was gonna say I had the experience. I was gonna say, Susie, you gotta go to a nightclub, go out.

[C]

I have not been to a nightclub.

[B]

Go dancing. And then you might have a different opinion.

[D]

But Jen's blonde.

[B]

That's true.

[C]

Yeah. You know, so many girls have said this to me from America. I know it must be true, but I just have not experienced it. I guess I'm not as hot as you, hottie.

[B]

You're plenty hot, girlfriend.

[A]

I told these guys and I haven't revealed to them your amazing small world story.

[C]

You guys, everyone who's listening, just hold on to a stationary object because this is the craziest thing that's happened to me yet on this trip. Okay, you ready? I'm in Rome. And first of all, just like, let's rewind. For the past seven months, I have been in the craziest corners of the world. I've been in big cities, I've been in Rio, I've been in Phnom Penh and I've been in Hanoi. And the whole time I've had a feeling that I am going to bump into somebody I know. And it's crazy and it's against all the odds, but I've just had this very strong feeling. And so I'm always looking around. People think I'm crazy. I'm like, it's going to happen. Today's going to be the day. I'm going to see somebody I know. And I'm always like, who's it going to be? Is it Going to be an ex boyfriend? Is it going to be a childhood friend? I'm not sure who it's going to be. Okay? Now I'm in the Coliseum in Rome, and I'm sitting there. I glommed onto a free tour so I could listen in on the English without paying for it. So I'm standing around this tour guide listening for free, and all of a sudden, I see a face that looks very familiar, but I'm not sure it's a familiar face, but it's not the face of an old friend or family. And I'm trying to place it, and all of a sudden I'm like, holy moly. I didn't say moley, but I'm on the radio now, so holy moly, right? I'm like, I think I know that person. So I jump in front of that person's path and I say, I know you. And this person looks at me and says, his eyes are telling me, I don't think I know you. But you could tell he's, like, tripping out. Like, who is this girl? All of a sudden, both of us, it clicked at the same time. It was Jeff from the Bird show. You are kidding. In the Coliseum. You are kidding. What are the odds? Literally, my mouth got dry, my leg was shaking, and I was like, I can't believe this is happening.

[B]

Oh, my God.

[C]

I could not believe it. First of all, I had no idea who was vacationing. That was Jessica. It wasn't in the Journal. Nobody knew. I never tell anybody where I'm going next. I'd like to just pop. No idea. We were both just tripping out. I screamed, I hugged him. I was like, I cannot believe this.

[D]

I forgot that's where he is.

[C]

Oh, my God. Seriously, what does that mean? I'm not like, oh, it's a coincidence. It means something from God. But I'm like, I. And I told my mother. I was like, mom, the Bird show is part of my life. Every day on this trip, every day, I'm thinking about the readers. I'm thinking about bird. I'm thinking about you guys. What am I going to say? What am I going to write? I'm always going to the Internet to check my email from you guys, you know, from the listeners. And I was like, the Bird show's with me every day. So of course I bump into somebody from the Bird show.

[B]

That is so wild. I mean, Jeff was in Rome for several days. So this. It was the same day he decided to go to the Coliseum.

[C]

Same day I decided we were in the same corner. We could have been on opposite ends of the Coliseum. He could have been up, I could have been down. It was a random time of day. It was like 4pm I mean, come on.

[B]

And the Coliseum's huge because Ryan and I just went a year ago. And there's different levels. I mean, there's tours going on all over the place. The fact that you were sneaking in on his tour is. That's even crazier. I mean, just like all the elements that had to happen for you guys to line up in the same place.

[C]

Exactly. All the planets that had to line up. It was. I mean, I wish somebody could calculate the odds. If there's a statistician listening out there, I'm like, if two people in the same city at the same time, what are the odds?

[D]

But it's just like she said, you know what? I. You know, there is. There's more out there than we realize. Because the fact that she had that energy of the Burt show in her mind all the time, I just really believe that. Yeah, it just.

[C]

Yeah, I'm with you. I believe they only. Like, I read. You know, I read books every once in a while about how to, like, be a better person. And they're always like, if you're scared of something, you attract it. And if you believe in something, you know what I mean? You're attracted, too. And I'm like, whatever. I just. It's been such. It's been like one of the most important elements of this trip has been this show. And I'm like. And I bumped into Jeff.

[D]

I don't know.

[A]

Strangest thing, man.

[B]

Wow. I bet he freaked out.

[A]

Totally.

[C]

Also, it's so encouraging for me.

[A]

So if you guys want, you gotta go and check out the Journal. We can't stress this enough. Like, everybody that goes and reads the Journal, I get a ton of emails from people going, oh, my God, it's like a soap opera that I can't stop reading. I wasted four hours at work today reading about it.

[D]

And it's not just the Journal too, because Susie has pictures. So when she said today about the, you know, the waters of the Mediterranean or turquoise. Well, you can see that soon on the, you know, all the hits q100.com to the bird show page. And all that information is right there.

[B]

Susie, I want to tell you, you're becoming a great photographer, too. Oh. I mean, your pictures from Southeast Asia, those were moving.

[C]

Thank you so much.

[A]

Go check it out and you can email her there also. Now, where are you heading next dude.

[C]

I'm going to Africa.

[B]

All right.

[A]

Where?

[C]

First, I had no idea. My friend's husband told me you could take a ferry boat from Sicily to Tunisia in between Algeria and Libya. And I was like, you can. Okay. And I bought a boat ticket. So after the wedding, I'm gonna travel on Sicily for about a week, and then I'm gonna hop on a boat. I'm gonna be in northern Africa, you guys. I can't believe it. I'm in Tunisia.

[D]

Very, very nice.

[A]

All right, so the next time we touch base, you'll be in Tunisia.

[C]

You got it.

[A]

Very good talking to you guys. All right, good talking to you, Susie. See you later, huh?

[B]

Ciao.

[A]

Bye. Bye.

[B]

Ciao.

[A]

The bird show.