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About Far From Home
People often say it’s a small world, but in reality, there are giant parts of the planet that most people never think about, and billions of stories they’ve never heard. Far From Home is an immersive, first-person, documentary-style travel and culture podcast where veteran public radio reporter Scott Gurian visits some of those places and tells some of those stories. It's part journalism, part narrative nonfiction, part fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants storytelling that aims to take listeners outside their comfort zones and bring them along on unexpected adventures and chance encounters with interesting people around the world.
The first season told the serialized story of Gurian’s 11,000-mile / 7-week road trip from London to Mongolia in a ridiculously tiny car, as part of an event called the Mongol Rally. He recorded more than 65 hours of audio on that journey, capturing everything from his experience crashing a Kazakh wedding to his conversations with Iranians eager to meet an American for the first time.
In subsequent seasons, he's ditched the car and slowed down the journey, sharing stories from his ongoing travels to far-flung places around the world. Among the highlights, he’s wandered through abandoned buildings in Chernobyl, attempted to learn the art of Tuvan throat-singing, and participated in a hallucinogenic ayahuasca ceremony in Peru.
Unlike most travel podcasts, Far From Home strives to venture away from the throngs of tourists, get lost down back alleys, and interact with locals to give listeners a more authentic sense of place. Some of the places might seem familiar, but the stories will reveal something new. Using the intimate power of audio, the goal is to turn listeners into armchair adventurists, guiding them through locations and situations they might never experience on their own. Ultimately, the show aims to capture the nuance and complexity of the world and demonstrate that despite cultural, political, and geographic differences, people are generally far more alike than they are different.
Where to Find the Show
Website: farfromhomepodcast.org
Email: info[at]farfromhomepodcast.org
Download / subscribe: You can listen or subscribe to Far From Home in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music, Overcast, Pocket Casts, and most other podcast apps and platforms, or in the smart speaker of your choice. You can also listen directly on the show’s website at farfromhomepodcast.org
(higher quality .wav files available upon request)
If you’re discovering Far From Home for the first time, you might want to start with the episode about the medicine man in Peru or check out the one about the guy who’s traveled around the world making balloon hats. The show about the experiences of African Americans traveling the world was also pretty popular among listeners.
The Host
Scott Gurian is a Peabody and Murrow award-winning reporter who’s spent more than two decades working in radio and online journalism. Over the years, he's made documentaries, helped produce talk shows, anchored newscasts, and covered breaking news live from the field. His work has aired on NPR, the BBC, and dozens of public radio programs and stations around the U.S. For more info on his background or to listen to some of his past work, visit his website.
Awards for far from home
Far From Home podcast
Winner of Podca$h sponsorship for up-and-coming podcasts
“Traveling While Black”
Gold Award, Travel Broadcast – Audio Category
2020 North American Travel Journalists Association Awards
“Medicine Man”
First Place, Talk Radio Category
Garden State Journalists Association 2020 Awards
Gold Award, Audio Travel Broadcast category
2019 North American Travel Journalists Association Awards
Bronze Award, Travel Audio – Podcasts category
2019-20 Society of American Travel Writers Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition
“Kazakhstan: One Surprise After Another”
Gold Award, Audio Travel Broadcast category
2018 North American Travel Journalists Association Awards
First Place, Podcast Features Category
Garden State Journalists Association 2019 Awards
“Turkmenistan: Just Plain Weird”
Gold Award, Audio Travel Broadcast category
2018 Society of American Travel Writers Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition
First Place, Podcast Features Category
Garden State Journalists Association 2018 Awards
Silver Award, Audio Travel Broadcast category
2017 North American Travel Journalists Association Awards
Far From Home podcast
Second Place, Best Podcast Category
NJ Society of Professional Journalists 2017 Awards
“Day of the Deceased”
Silver Award, Travel Podcast category
2021 North American Travel Journalists Association Awards
“COVID Stories” series
First Place, Herbert Morrison Award for Best Audio News Story
New Jersey Society of Professional Journalists 2021 Signature Awards
Third Place, podcast category
2020-2021 Society of Professional Journalists Keystone Pro Chapter Excellence in Journalism contest
“Ayahuasca”
Honorable Mention, Travel Broadcast – Audio Category
2020 North American Travel Journalists Association Awards
"Mother Russia"
First Place, Podcast Category
Garden State Journalists Association 2020 Awards
“Visiting Chernobyl”
First Place, podcast category
2019 Society of Professional Journalists Keystone Pro Chapter Excellence in Journalism contest
Second Place, Herbert Morrison Award for best audio story
New Jersey Society of Professional Journalists 2020 Signature Awards
"Iran: An Eye-Opening Experience"
Second Place, Independent Podcasts Division
Public Radio News Directors Incorporated awards, 2018
Second Place, Podcast Features Category
Garden State Journalists Association 2018 Awards
“Iran: Culture Clash”
Third Place, Podcast Features Category
Garden State Journalists Association 2018 Awards
What people are saying about Far From Home
Recommended “if you are a fan of ‘This American Life’ or ‘Serial’ without the murder”
"Far from Home captures the strangeness of places most Westerners have never heard of, much less visited, like the giant fire pit and the near-empty capital city of Turkmenistan. But it’s at its best in small human moments, from hospitality offered in Iran to the kindness of strangers after multiple mishaps. A brilliant listen."
"One of the greatest things I've ever heard!"
"Far from Home encapsulates what makes travel so formative and important. There’s the typical cliche about how it’s not about the destination, but the journey, and that’s partially true... but it’s also about the destination. Far from Home is one of the few podcasts that balances both concepts almost effortlessly."
— Podcast reviewer Wil Williams
"This podcast feels like reading the blog of a seasoned journalist. The research and rigor is there when it needs to be, but Scott is free to go down rabbit holes and explore stories in interesting ways. I've listened to a lot of podcasts but have never heard anything like this."
— Ben Kuebrich, Host of Selects Podcast
“For those with wanderlust, Scott’s insights act as a siren call, encouraging listeners to embrace the unknown and find joy in the serendipitous moments that travel invariably presents. His advice to embrace the spontaneous is not just about international expeditions but also about finding adventure in our backyards.The tales that Scott shares are more than just anecdotes; they’re an inspiration, urging us to step out of our comfort zones and into the vast, open world. They remind us that our paths are ours to choose, and it’s along these roads that we find ourselves and the stories we’ll tell for years to come."
— Jake Bushman, Host of Journey with Jake podcast
"Scott’s travel philosophy is how I want to be when traveling the world. His natural ability to home in on a story or to find an angle for one wherever he goes in the world is inspirational. In the age of people only travelling to increase their country ‘number’ or to get that viral reel on social media, or to be paid only for travelling, it can be soul-destroying. However, Scott bucks this trend."
— James Hammond, Host of Winging It Travel Podcast
LISTENER COMMENTS
"Truly a must listen. One of the most interesting podcasts out today. It should be getting way more attention than it is. It will challenge your sense of adventure like nothing else. Scott does a terrific job putting it all together. He makes you feel like you are there. I can't say enough good things about this. Hit the 'subscribe' button right now and start listening. WARNING: You're going to want to binge listen, so allow plenty of time."
“I wanted to thank you for the awesome podcast. I have listened to most of your episodes and have really enjoyed them. In particular, I wanted to thank you for including interviews of women and people of color. I have found that a lot of travel podcasts don't have many minorities and women included in their programming, and as a woman I find this discouraging. I am at a point in my life that I am unable to travel very much, although I have been fortunate to do so in the past. I like listening to the podcast because it makes me feel as though I am able to travel the world even though I haven't left my home.”
"This podcast is an engaging form of storytelling that takes the listener from wherever they are sitting to right next to [the host] in the streets, rolling through the bumpy countryside and into city marketplaces. Scott asks thoughtful questions, and his conversations are insightful, interesting, and funny as he and his traveling companions explore ever-changing surroundings. The tie-in to the website with videos and photos only enhances the experience and leaves the listener coming back for more each podcast release. Really happy to discover this podcast, and would definitely recommend it to others."
Far From Home currently has an average 5 star rating in Apple Podcasts.
Gallery
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Banner image by Drew Gurian