A caller checks in from a Costco parking lot to mark one year sober after 25 years of blackout drinking. He talks about kicking opioids, rebuilding his life, and what it's like to actually remember things again. He and Geth get into punk shows, lost friends, and how addiction doesn't always look the way people think it does.

Plus, Dog Talk makes a rare appearance from behind the paywall.

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Here we are. Episode 500. We celebrated the only way that makes sense. With a few hundred listeners packed into a theater in Jersey and a caller whose story pretty much sums up what this show is all about.

Our 500th caller is one year out from a stay in a mental hospital. She opens up about what it was like to lose her grip on reality in a pretty intense way and shares how far she's come with self-awareness, perspective, and so much humor. She and Gethard also get deep into some classic Jersey debates with our audience (porkroll vs Taylor ham? Does Central Jersey exist?), who share some of their best roadside emergency rest stop stories and try to convince our caller to divulge her government secrets

Five hundred episodes. Wild. Thanks to everyone who's listened, called, and shared a piece of themselves with this show. Here's to the next 500.

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500 Episodes of Beautiful Anonymous T-Shirt: chrisgethard.bigcartel.com

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You've heard us talk about it. Here's your reminder. In the last nearly TEN YEARS of Beautiful Anonymous, Gethard has had 499 unforgettable conversations with our callers. This Friday, October 17th, we're recording number 500. We'll be live at Kevin Smith's Smodcastle Cinemas in beautiful Atlantic Highlands, NJ. Get your tickets now, then come hang out, grab a shirt, get to know one another, and maybe win a chance to be a future caller. It'll be our usual mix of chaos and heart… or at least we think so. Live shows are unpredictable. Could be the best call ever. Could be a total trainwreck. Come find out with us.

Head to punchup.live/chrisgethard for tickets to our 500th episode, recording live at Smodcastle Cinemas in New Jersey THIS Friday, October 17th.

Gethard talks with a caller who shares her story of adopting a young girl and what happened when, after a year, that child chose to return to her foster family. It's an honest conversation about one person's experience with adoption, the unpredictability of parenthood, and finding a way forward when something you've hoped for doesn't turn out the way you imagined.

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Head to punchup.live/chrisgethard for tickets to our 500th episode, recording live at Smodcastle Cinemas in New Jersey THIS Friday, October 17th.

Layer up this fall with pieces that feel as good as they look. Go to Quince.com/beautiful for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.

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An Australian on a solo vacation calls in from Italy. She and Gethard chat about travel, trade stereotypes about each other's countries, and get into how the rest of the world views the U.S. right now, all while the caller gives us a little walking tour of the charming Italian town she's calling from.

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Head to punchup.live/chrisgethard for tickets to our 500th episode, recording live at Smodcastle Cinemas in New Jersey!

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Upside has given back $1 Billion dollars to its users. To find out how much you could earn, Download the FREE Upside App and use promo code BEAUTIFUL to get an extra 25 cents back for every gallon on your first tank of gas.

Text BEAUTIFUL to 64000 to get twenty percent off all IQBAR products, plus FREE shipping. Message and data rates may apply.

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This call starts at Burning Man but quickly opens up into a far more complicated conversation about grief, abuse, healing, and the long work of rebuilding. But the playa stays in the mix throughout, a touchstone for how this caller has tried to redefine life along the way. And, of course, we make a stop at the Orgy Dome.

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Head to punchup.live/chrisgethard for tickets to our 500th episode, recording live at Smodcastle Cinemas in New Jersey!

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This week, Geth talks with a railroad worker who shares what it's really like on the job. They get into the nitty-gritty of trains, unions, and infrastructure, and explore how the rails often reflect bigger truths about where the country is headed.

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Head to punchup.live/chrisgethard for tickets to our 500th episode, recording live at Smodcastle Cinemas in New Jersey!

Listen now to the Life Kit podcast from NPR.

Keep it classic and cool this fall—with long-lasting staples from Quince. Go to Quince.com/beautiful for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.

Your first great love story is free when you sign up for a free 30-day trial at Audible.com/BEAUTIFUL.

Text BEAUTIFUL to 64000 to get twenty percent off all IQBAR products, plus FREE shipping. Message and data rates may apply.

This week, Geth talks with a firefighter/EMT who's training to be a paramedic. They get into the vital importance of volunteer work, what it's like to serve in rural communities versus tourist towns, and how showing up in moments of crisis can remind you what humanity is all about.

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Leave us a voicemail at (973) 306-4676

Head to punchup.live/chrisgethard for tickets to our 500th episode, recording live at Smodcastle Cinemas in New Jersey!

Head to letsliveitup.com/BEAUTIFUL and use code BEAUTIFUL for 15% off your first Super Greens order.

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code BEAUTIFUL at checkout.

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Text BEAUTIFUL to 64000 to get twenty percent off all IQBAR products, plus FREE shipping. Message and data rates may apply.