WanderLearn: Travel to Transform Your Mind & Life

The Most Well-Traveled Serbian Ever!

I met Nenad Stojanovic in 2008 when he hosted me on Couchsurfing.com. He’s been traveling ever since!This is a 5-part series featuring Nenad, one of the world’s most fascinating travelers. This is part 1!Watch the video!Timeline00:00 Who is Nenad Stojanovic?04:25 North American journey05:25 Remarkable borders08:20 ChinaWhat do you think?Put your thoughts in the comments.ConnectSend me an anonymous voicemail at SpeakPipe.com/FTaponYou can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my Substack newsletter.If you like this podcast, subscribe and share!On social media, my username is always FTapon. Connect with me on:* YouTube* Facebook* Instagram* X* TikTok* LinkedInSponsors1. My Patrons sponsored this show! Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron for as little as $2/month at https://Patreon.com/FTapon2. For the best travel credit card, get one of the Chase Sapphire cards and get 75-100k bonus miles!3. Get $5 when you sign up for Roamless, my favorite global eSIM with its unlimited hotspot & data that never expires! Use code LR32K4. Or get 5% off when you sign up with Saily, another global eSIM with a built-in VPN & ad blocker.5. Get 25% off when you sign up for Trusted Housesitters, a site that helps you find sitters or homes to sit in.6. Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free!7. In the United States, I recommend trading cryptocurrency with Kraken.8. Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees!9. For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear10. Get nomadic travel insurance from SafetyWing! Get full access to Francis Tapon at ftapon.substack.com/subscribe

Transcribe →

400th Episode!

6d ago00:12:59Tap to summarize

I explained 6 years ago why Plan B’s Stock-to-Flow Bitcoin model was doomed and would fail. Few believed me. Most insulted me. Today, I can confidently declare that I was right and Plan B was wrong.Watch the video of this episode!Also, watch my May 2020 video that started all the controversy and read the detailed article about why Plan B’s stock-to-flow model was doomed!In mid-2026, with the price of Bitcoin languishing around $65,000, below the lowest stock-to-flow band, we can officially declare that Plan B’s stock-to-flow model is dead.I waited until Bitcoin was consistently below the outer bands before declaring “victory” in my debate with Plan B. It’s a Pyrrhic victory because I was hoping all along that he would be right and I would be wrong, since I have stacked bitcoin.Unfortunately, time proved me right.Ultimately, Plan B’s model was only good for one Bitcoin cycle.Given how wide a price band the model has, it’s unsurprising that it lasted for four years.However, it couldn’t keep up with the aggressive, uber-optimistic price prediction.What do you think?Put your thoughts in the comments.ConnectSend me an anonymous voicemail at SpeakPipe.com/FTaponYou can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my Substack newsletter.If you like this podcast, subscribe and share!On social media, my username is always FTapon. Connect with me on:* YouTube* Facebook* Instagram* X* TikTok* LinkedInSponsors1. My Patrons sponsored this show! Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron for as little as $2/month at https://Patreon.com/FTapon2. For the best travel credit card, get one of the Chase Sapphire cards and get 75-100k bonus miles!3. Get $5 when you sign up for Roamless, my favorite global eSIM with its unlimited hotspot & data that never expires! Use code LR32K4. Or get 5% off when you sign up with Saily, another global eSIM with a built-in VPN & ad blocker.5. Get 25% off when you sign up for Trusted Housesitters, a site that helps you find sitters or homes to sit in.6. Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free!7. In the United States, I recommend trading cryptocurrency with Kraken.8. Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees!9. For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear10. Get nomadic travel insurance from SafetyWing! Get full access to Francis Tapon at ftapon.substack.com/subscribe

Transcribe →

Stop saying, "If I Die..."

2w ago00:01:17Tap to summarize

My mom often says, “If I die….”I sometimes accidentally say the same thing.The “if” is a cognitive security blanket I pull over my head so I can pretend that death — the only thing every single human being who has ever lived has accomplished — might somehow not apply to me. As though the universe looked at my particular assortment of questionable decisions and said, “This one, we keep.”It will not say that. I am, biologically speaking, a disaster in slow motion. I have a weakening knee. I have eaten gas station sushi. Twice. I once stayed up until 3 am reading reviews for a blender I did not buy.“If I die, give my record collection to someone who will actually appreciate it.”Wrong.“When I die, some stranger at an estate sale is going to pay $4 for a crate containing my entire personality.”The “if” started innocently enough. Parents use it. “If something happens to me...” they say, then trail off.But I’ve decided to stop. As an act of radical honesty, I am replacing every “if I die” with “when I die,” and I am inviting you to join me in this terrifying linguistic journey.Let’s tryBefore: “If I die, make sure the kids know I loved them.”After: “When I die, make sure the kids know I loved them — and also that the router password is taped inside the drawer.”What do you think?Put your thoughts in the comments.ConnectSend me an anonymous voicemail at SpeakPipe.com/FTaponYou can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my Substack newsletter.If you like this podcast, subscribe and share!On social media, my username is always FTapon. Connect with me on:* YouTube* Facebook* Instagram* X* TikTok* LinkedInSponsors1. My Patrons sponsored this show! Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron for as little as $2/month at https://Patreon.com/FTapon2. For the best travel credit card, get one of the Chase Sapphire cards and get 75-100k bonus miles!3. Get $5 when you sign up for Roamless, my favorite global eSIM with its unlimited hotspot & data that never expires! Use code LR32K4. Or get 5% off when you sign up with Saily, another global eSIM with a built-in VPN & ad blocker.5. Get 25% off when you sign up for Trusted Housesitters, a site that helps you find sitters or homes to sit in.6. Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free!7. In the United States, I recommend trading cryptocurrency with Kraken.8. Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees!9. For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear10. Get nomadic travel insurance from SafetyWing! Get full access to Francis Tapon at ftapon.substack.com/subscribe

Transcribe →

72-Year-Olds Admit Their Parenting Mistakes

3w ago00:27:16Tap to summarize

Sym Blanchard & Joan Chan discuss the ups and downs of their parenting journey. They are both around 72 years old. Each had a boy and a girl with their exes.Watch the video of this podcast!They candidly share their mistakes and how things turned out decades later.Timeline00:00 Two parents made 4 children02:00 Sym’s daughter04:20 Teenagers06:00 Cultural difference09:00 Change after 4016:20 Sym’s mistakes21:50 Kids having kidsWhat do you think?Put your thoughts in the comments.ConnectSend me an anonymous voicemail at SpeakPipe.com/FTaponYou can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my Substack newsletter.If you like this podcast, subscribe and share!On social media, my username is always FTapon. Connect with me on:* YouTube* Facebook* Instagram* X* TikTok* LinkedInSponsors1. My Patrons sponsored this show! Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron for as little as $2/month at https://Patreon.com/FTapon2. For the best travel credit card, get one of the Chase Sapphire cards and get 75-100k bonus miles!3. Get $5 when you sign up for Roamless, my favorite global eSIM with its unlimited hotspot & data that never expires! Use code LR32K4. Or get 5% off when you sign up with Saily, another global eSIM with a built-in VPN & ad blocker.5. Get 25% off when you sign up for Trusted Housesitters, a site that helps you find sitters or homes to sit in.6. Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free!7. In the United States, I recommend trading cryptocurrency with Kraken.8. Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees!9. For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear10. Get nomadic travel insurance from SafetyWing! Get full access to Francis Tapon at ftapon.substack.com/subscribe

Transcribe →

2 Skeptics Try Earthing & Grounding! Results?

May 2900:19:41Tap to summarize

Is grounding & earthing BS?I interview two skeptical elders: Joan Chan & Sym Blanchard.Hear what happened.Watch the video!Timeline00:00 Car accidents04:55 Intro to Earthing08:00 Placebo effect?11:30 The Limits of Grounding14:50 How to startWhat do you think?Put your thoughts in the comments.ConnectSend me an anonymous voicemail at SpeakPipe.com/FTaponYou can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my Substack newsletter.If you like this podcast, subscribe and share!On social media, my username is always FTapon. Connect with me on:* YouTube* Facebook* Instagram* X* TikTok* LinkedInSponsors1. My Patrons sponsored this show! Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron for as little as $2/month at https://Patreon.com/FTapon2. For the best travel credit card, get one of the Chase Sapphire cards and get 75-100k bonus miles!3. Get $5 when you sign up for Roamless, my favorite global eSIM with its unlimited hotspot & data that never expires! Use code LR32K4. Or get 5% off when you sign up with Saily, another global eSIM with a built-in VPN & ad blocker.5. Get 25% off when you sign up for Trusted Housesitters, a site that helps you find sitters or homes to sit in.6. Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free!7. In the United States, I recommend trading cryptocurrency with Kraken.8. Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees!9. For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear10. Get nomadic travel insurance from SafetyWing! Get full access to Francis Tapon at ftapon.substack.com/subscribe

Transcribe →

The Downsides of Dating a Nomad

May 2200:21:37Tap to summarize

Sym Blanchard has appeared on many WanderLearn episodes. In this 3-part series, Sym appears with his sweetheart, Joan Chan.Both are in their early 70s. I love elders because they usually don’t give a f**k what others think of them. They’re the opposite of teenagers. Elders are genuine, transparent, and wise.They’re also human, as this three-part series will reveal. Watch it:Timeline00:00 How they met05:00 First night together8:00 First trip11:00 Downsides of nomads16:00 Relationship managementWhat do you think?Put your thoughts in the comments.ConnectSend me an anonymous voicemail at SpeakPipe.com/FTaponYou can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my Substack newsletter.If you like this podcast, subscribe and share!On social media, my username is always FTapon. Connect with me on:* YouTube* Facebook* Instagram* X* TikTok* LinkedInSponsors1. My Patrons sponsored this show! Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron for as little as $2/month at https://Patreon.com/FTapon2. For the best travel credit card, get one of the Chase Sapphire cards and get 75-100k bonus miles!3. Get $5 when you sign up for Roamless, my favorite global eSIM with its unlimited hotspot & data that never expires! Use code LR32K4. Or get 5% off when you sign up with Saily, another global eSIM with a built-in VPN & ad blocker.5. Get 25% off when you sign up for Trusted Housesitters, a site that helps you find sitters or homes to sit in.6. Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free!7. In the United States, I recommend trading cryptocurrency with Kraken.8. Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees!9. For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear* Get nomadic travel insurance from SafetyWing! Get full access to Francis Tapon at ftapon.substack.com/subscribe

Transcribe →

1,000 Subscribers! Thank you!

May 2000:00:07Tap to summarize

Thank you, Sande, my 1,000th Substack subscriber!Naturally, the other 999 of you are equally valuable!Thank you to Adam Gasner for being my first Founding Member and Sym Blanchard for being my first paid member!When you create content, you often feel like you’re speaking to a wall. Even when you have 1,000 Substack subscribers or 4,500 YouTube subscribers, it’s sometimes a lonely endeavor: crickets. Still, I’m grateful for days like today.So, thank you!Next goal: 2,000 subs by August 2026!Francis Tapon Get full access to Francis Tapon at ftapon.substack.com/subscribe

Transcribe →

Black & White Holes + Galactic Power Plants

May 1400:35:31Tap to summarize

Dr. Sten Odenwald discusses The Essential Book of Black Holes. See my review of the new book below.But first, watch this video in which I interview Dr. Odenwald about his book!Timeline00:00 Intro2:15 Math & Black Holes5:00 Holographic universe5:50 Hypernova9:05 White holes14:45 Is our universe in a black hole?17:50 Gravity is NOT a force25:45 Galactic Power PlantBook Review of The Essential Book of Black HolesAt 159 pages and 12 chapters, The Essential Book of Black Holes is a literary black hole: deceptively small, absurdly dense, and liable to warp your sense of time until “I’ll just read a few pages” becomes “where did my evening go?”If you’ve ever wanted a NASA astronomer to sit you down and explain black holes without making your brain perform quantum tunneling, this is it.Sten Odenwald walks you through gravity, quantum mechanics, thermodynamics, and even the holographic principle in bite-sized chunks that hit harder than a collapsing star. The language is accessible, which is impressive given the subject matter and slightly suspicious given how much you suddenly think you understand.The format helps with the illusion of safety: 12 short chapters, full color, pretty illustrations, and a neat foil-stamped hardback in the print edition—like a friendly brochure for the end of spacetime. Each chapter is compact enough to read on a commute, but information-dense enough that your neurons may demand hazard pay. It’s marketed as a “pocket volume,” which is appropriate, because it will happily consume every spare pocket of free time you have.As an introduction, it’s almost suspiciously good: clear explanations, focused scope, and just enough cosmological mind-bending to make you question reality without needing a support group. If you’re black-hole-curious and want a fun, manageable plunge into the abyss, this is a stellar gateway drug to modern astrophysics—compact, colourful, and with a gravitational pull that far exceeds its modest 159 pages.VERDICT: 9 out of 10 stars!About Sten OdenwaldSten Odenwald is an American astronomer, author, NASA scientist-educator, and science communicator.He earned his Ph.D. in astronomy from Harvard University in 1982, focusing on accretion disks around supermassive black holes and the far-infrared properties of the Milky Way’s Galactic Center.CareerOdenwald worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Naval Research Laboratory’s Space Sciences Division from 1982 to 1990, contributing to the NASA Cosmic Background Explorer and Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment. Later roles included positions at Sachs Freeman Associates, BDM International, Applied Research Corporation, and Raytheon, with a focus on education outreach for missions like IMAGE and COBE. Since 2005, his research has centered on space weather impacts, such as solar storms on satellites, and he retired from NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center while serving as Director of STEM Resource Development and part of the Heliophysics Education Consortium until 2025.PublicationsHe has authored books like The Astronomy Cafe, The 23rd Cycle, Patterns in the Void, and Back to the Astronomy Cafe, and published over 100 papers, including recent ones on geomagnetic storms, time, and DIY magnetometers.Odenwald runs The Astronomy Cafe, an online resource, and has appeared on media outlets such as Naked Science to promote citizen science and heliophysics education.What do you think?Put your thoughts in the comments.ConnectSend me an anonymous voicemail at SpeakPipe.com/FTaponYou can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my Substack newsletter.If you like this podcast, subscribe and share!On social media, my username is always FTapon. Connect with me on:* YouTube* Facebook* Instagram* X* TikTok* LinkedInSponsors1. My Patrons sponsored this show! Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron for as little as $2/month at https://Patreon.com/FTapon2. For the best travel credit card, get one of the Chase Sapphire cards and get 75-100k bonus miles!3. Get $5 when you sign up for Roamless, my favorite global eSIM with its unlimited hotspot & data that never expires! Use code LR32K4. Or get 5% off when you sign up with Saily, another global eSIM with a built-in VPN & ad blocker.5. Get 25% off when you sign up for Trusted Housesitters, a site that helps you find sitters or homes to sit in.6. Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free!7. In the United States, I recommend trading cryptocurrency with Kraken.8. Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees!9. For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear* Get nomadic travel insurance from SafetyWing! Get full access to Francis Tapon at ftapon.substack.com/subscribe

Transcribe →

The World Is Complex. ‘Global South’ Isn’t. Stop saying it.

May 800:02:04Tap to summarize

The term “Global South” is doing a lot of heavy lifting for a geographically illiterate phrase. Australia is in the Global South. So is New Zealand. Both are fabulously wealthy, stable democracies with excellent dental care.Meanwhile, Afghanistan is in the Global North.The “Global South” term was invented by diplomats who needed something that sounded neutral but meant “the countries that got colonized and are still annoyed about it,” which is fair, but the compass metaphor fell apart immediately upon contact with a map.“Developing countries” is perhaps the most optimistic euphemism in the history of language. It implies that Sudan is in some kind of chrysalis phase, about to emerge as a butterfly of prosperity any day now — any decade now — just give it time. Sudan has been “developing” since the term was coined. At some point, you have to admit the butterfly is not coming.“Developed countries” have other problems. It implies completion. South Korea is developed. South Korea is finished. South Korea has arrived. South Korea shouldn’t be considered a “developed” country because it’s still developing . . . at a ferocious pace.”“Third World” is Cold War archaeology. It was coined in 1952 by French demographer Alfred Sauvy to describe countries aligned with neither NATO nor the Soviet bloc — the First and Second Worlds, respectively. The First World was the US alliance. The Second World was the communist bloc. The Third World was everyone else, which included India, Yugoslavia, and Egypt — all countries with ancient civilizations that found it slightly condescending to be ranked third.Then the Soviet Union dissolved, the Second World vanished, and suddenly we had a ranking system with a missing middle tier. Nobody uses “Second World” anymore, so “Third World” just floats there, meaning “poor” by inertia and insult.The best alternative is probably the most boring one: low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries, as classified by the World Bank using GDP per capita thresholds. It is not poetic. Nobody is writing a political manifesto that opens with “the struggle of low-income countries.”But it is at least accurate, updatable, and it doesn’t imply that geography determines destiny or that anyone is finished developing. South Korea can graduate. Sudan’s situation can be described honestly. Australia doesn’t have to share a category with Mozambique because they’re both south of the equator.The runner-up is “majority world,” which at least has the virtue of pointing out that the so-called periphery contains most of the humans. It flips the frame.The Global North, with its confident assumption that it is the default, contains a minority of the world’s population, making the rules for everyone else. “Majority world” is a quiet little power move that geographers occasionally use and that never quite caught on because it makes wealthy nations slightly uncomfortable, which is probably the most honest thing that can be said for it.What do you think?Put your thoughts in the comments.ConnectSend me an anonymous voicemail at SpeakPipe.com/FTaponYou can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my Substack newsletter.If you like this podcast, subscribe and share!On social media, my username is always FTapon. Connect with me on:* Facebook* X* YouTube* Instagram* TikTok* LinkedIn* Pinterest* TumblrSponsors1. My Patrons sponsored this show! Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron for as little as $2/month at https://Patreon.com/FTapon2. For the best travel credit card, get one of the Chase Sapphire cards and get 75-100k bonus miles!3. Get $5 when you sign up for Roamless, my favorite global eSIM with its unlimited hotspot & data that never expires! Use code LR32K4. Or get 5% off when you sign up with Saily, another global eSIM with a built-in VPN & ad blocker.5. Get 25% off when you sign up for Trusted Housesitters, a site that helps you find sitters or homes to sit in.6. Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free!7. In the United States, I recommend trading cryptocurrency with Kraken.8. Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees!9. For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear10. Get nomadic travel insurance from SafetyWing! Get full access to Francis Tapon at ftapon.substack.com/subscribe

Transcribe →

The Truth About Rapido Trimarans

May 300:32:41Tap to summarize

Rapido Trimarans Founder Paul Koch reveals the truth about their fast trimarans. There are many myths and misunderstandings that Paul seeks to shatter. Listen to this 30-minute interview with one of sailing’s greatest innovators, shot in Vietnam.Watch my interview with Paul Koch of RapidoBackgroundTrimarans are boats with three hulls, whereas catamarans have two hulls, and monohulls have one hull.I have a long-term dream of sailing around the world, so I’m looking for the best boat to make that happen.I’ve crossed monohulls off the list, even though most sailboats are monohulls. Although they have some advantages, I dislike how they heel (tilt) more than multihulls and are the slowest boats.Catamarans are attractive, but trimarans have advantages that cats lack. The interview goes into many of the advantages of a trimaran, so I won’t repeat.Timeline00:00 Foldable trimarans01:00 Speed, tack, & angle advantages02:15 Unsinkable05:25 Sailing Future08:00 High latitude sailing09:50 Why make a boat in Vietnam?12:30 Why are trimarans unpopular?18:30 Rapido future19:45 All-electric boats21:45 Are trimarans hard to sail?24:30 Who should not get a Rapido?26:20 Plans for 203027:00 Paul’s sailing origins29:00 Best tenders and dinghyWhy Rapido is on my shortlist of dream sailboatsI like the Rapido 40, 50, and 53XS.The Rapido Trimaran 50 is my favorite because it features the folding amas and a protected helm (whereas the Rapido 40 has an exposed helm).The Rapido 53XS is also tempting, but I’d like a shorter boat. Already, the 50 is plenty long.In case you’re a boat nerd, here are some other boats I find intriguing...List of contenders* Neel 43 trimaran* Fountaine Pajot Aura 41 Electric* Vaan the R4 Aluminium Electric Catamaran* Outremer’s 4 zero failed, so retrofit a 48-ft Outremer X* HH44* Seawind 1270 has 0.9 meter bridge deck clearance & is made in Vietnam, like Rapido.* Leopard 46 hybrid* Excess 13 performance* Garcia Explocat 52* Island Spirit has an electric drive motor and a genset* Antares 44These aren’t on the list because they’re too expensive, but they’re innovative, all-electric designs* Zen50* Whisper 50* MODX 70This is a long-term goal of mine, so don’t expect me to be sailing next year.If you have sailing experience, let me know! I’d love your advice!What do you think?Put your thoughts in the comments.ConnectSend me an anonymous voicemail at SpeakPipe.com/FTaponYou can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my Substack newsletter.If you like this podcast, subscribe and share!On social media, my username is always FTapon. Connect with me on:* Facebook* X* YouTube* Instagram* TikTok* LinkedIn* Pinterest* TumblrSponsors1. My Patrons sponsored this show! Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron for as little as $2/month at https://Patreon.com/FTapon2. For the best travel credit card, get one of the Chase Sapphire cards and get 75-100k bonus miles!3. Get $5 when you sign up for Roamless, my favorite global eSIM with its unlimited hotspot & data that never expires! Use code LR32K4. Or get 5% off when you sign up with Saily, another global eSIM with a built-in VPN & ad blocker.5. Get 25% off when you sign up for Trusted Housesitters, a site that helps you find sitters or homes to sit in.6. Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free!7. In the United States, I recommend trading cryptocurrency with Kraken.8. Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees!9. For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear* Get nomadic travel insurance from SafetyWing! Get full access to Francis Tapon at ftapon.substack.com/subscribe

Transcribe →

WanderLearn: Travel to Transform Your Mind & Life

All episodes

The Most Well-Traveled Serbian Ever!

400th Episode!

Stop saying, "If I Die..."

72-Year-Olds Admit Their Parenting Mistakes

2 Skeptics Try Earthing & Grounding! Results?

The Downsides of Dating a Nomad

1,000 Subscribers! Thank you!

Black & White Holes + Galactic Power Plants

The World Is Complex. ‘Global South’ Isn’t. Stop saying it.

The Truth About Rapido Trimarans