This week threw us a curveball we truly didn’t expect.

While scouting hunting camps deep in the Idaho forest, our truck suddenly refused to shift into gear — leaving us stranded on a narrow service road with no cell service, three dogs, wildfire smoke drifting overhead, and a drop-off just a few feet away. What followed was equal parts stressful, hilarious, and oddly synchronistic.

In this episode we share:

• The moment the truck broke down — and why we’re lucky it happened the way it did

• The zip-tie solution that saved the day

• The surprising discovery of a potential property with a creek running right through it

• Our favorite riverside camp yet (dogs included)

• How wildfire closures are changing hunting season plans

• Why the hardest moments on the road often lead to the clarity we needed

🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube: @KerouacsCruising

📸 Blog & travel stories: KerouacsCruising.com

💬 Instagram & Facebook: @KerouacCruising

📧 Email: Join@KerouacsCruising.com

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If this episode moved you, the kindest thing you can do is like, subscribe, and leave a review. It’s a small action that makes a huge difference in helping us keep the journey going.

💚🩷💚🩷 Thank you for being here — your presence means everything.

Let us know: have you ever had a road-life crisis turn into a blessing?

We are grateful for all of our friends, family supporters and everyone joining our journey, as we figure out this thing called life together! We hope you have a wonderful weekend, see you next week for our next adventure episode 💚🩷

What if the real magic of travel isn’t the views, but the people you meet along the way? In this episode, we sit down with traveler and memoirist Melissa Rodway to talk about backpacking Southeast Asia, travel fatigue, leech-filled jungle treks, and why some of our most authentic selves show up far from home.

Canadian traveler, writer, and podcast host Melissa Rodway joins us to share the real story behind her travel memoir The People You Meet: Luxury, Leeches, Love & Lao-Lao with a Host of Interesting Characters in Southeast Asia.

Her love of adventure started early—moving from small-town Canada to a bush community outside Perth, Australia as a kid. Years later, a four-month trip through Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and China became the backbone of her book and completely changed her relationship with travel, writing, and herself.

In this conversation, we explore:

• How a “once in a lifetime” trip turned into a raw, funny, and honest travel memoir
• The jungle trek in Laos that went very, very differently than expected
• What travel fatigue actually feels like—and how to know when it’s time to go home
• Why the people you meet matter more than the places you see
• The strange freedom of being more yourself when you’re far from home
• Why it’s never too late to start traveling (or to finally write the book that’s been tugging at you)

If you’ve ever dreamed about backpacking Asia, traveling solo, or simply reconnecting with your authentic self, this episode will give you both permission and a gentle nudge out the door.

All Things Melissa:

The People You Meet

Instagram: @fly_travel_media

Website: https://flyrodway.com

Facebook: FLYTravelMedia

💻 Watch this episode on YouTube: @KerouacsCruising

📸 Blog & travel stories: KerouacsCruising.com

💬 Instagram & Facebook: @KerouacCruising

📧 Email: Join@KerouacsCruising.com

✨ Support our journey on Ko-fi: Every little bit helps us keep creating from the road!

If this episode moved you, the kindest thing you can do is like, subscribe, and leave a review. It’s a small action that makes a huge difference in helping us keep the journey going. 💚💗