"Las Vegas meets Pyongyang." That's how our guidebooks described Turkmenistan's capital Ashgabat, and from what we saw, that seemed like an apt description. In fact, there was something about the entire country that was downright odd.

"Honestly, most Americans -- when they think of Iran -- probably think of 3 things," my brother said. "Desert, oil, and nuclear capabilities." And it was true. Before our road trip across Europe and Asia last summer, we didn't really have much of an idea what to expect.

Our eighteen country road trip across Europe and Asia last summer left us with a wealth of memorable stories and experiences. But if you asked me to name the single most fascinating and thought-provoking place we visited, the answer would clearly be Iran.

First there were a series of terrorist attacks in Istanbul and Ankara and a threat from Kurdish separatists vowing to target Turkey's tourism industry to inflict economic harm. Then an attempted military coup followed by a government crackdown on dissent. As we followed the news in the months leading up to our planned drive across Turkey, it was easy to feel nervous and uncertain about just what we would encounter.

It started at a highway rest stop in Germany. There we were, driving 11,000 miles on a road trip to Mongolia, and who do we meet but a group of young Mongolian tourists on a journey of their own across Europe!

We embark upon our drive across Europe, heading towards the Turkish border while we continue to follow the news closely and weigh the risks of driving through Turkey just days after an attempted coup.

So far I've told you about the massive amount of preparation this trip required, from planning our route to securing visas, getting vaccinations to buying a car and learning to drive stick. On my latest podcast, I pick up where I left off, on the day last summer when we finally embarked on our journey!

As my brother and I have spent the past several months driving 11,000 miles across Europe and Asia, those of you following us on Facebook and Instagram have seen what a fun and crazy adventure it's been. But while we've been going to all these places, meeting interesting people, and having incredible experiences along the way that we'll likely remember for the rest of our lives, we've also been trying to make a difference, raising money for several great charities whose work we support.

You’ll hear about the many logistical and bureaucratic hoops we had to jump through to prepare for our journey as well as some of the final preparations we've made.

After reading Tim Wu's hilarious, cringe-worthy article at Slate about the "culinary horrors of Mongolia," we were curious what us two pescatarians will eat in the meat-loving countries of Central Asia, so we take a field trip to Cheburechnaya — an Uzbeki restaurant in Queens, NY — to find out.