Kindred Roads Podcast

Cyril Derreumaux holds three Guinness World Records. In 2016, he and a crew of three other men set a record for the fastest ocean rowing crossing from California to Hawaii, finishing in 39 days. In 2022, he went back completely alone in a kayak he built himself and became the first person to cross that same distance 100% human powered, solo, and unsupported. Then in 2025, he crossed the Atlantic in 71 days, becoming the first person in history to solo kayak two different oceans.
In this episode, Cyril takes us back to where it all started, backpacking around the world alone at 25 with just $7,000 and a one year plane ticket. He tells us how that trip turned him from a tourist into a traveler, and how it planted the seed for the life he lives now. Then we get into how he went from never having kayaked in his life to captaining a rowing crew across the Pacific, and why that wasn't enough for him.
We get into exactly how he survived 90 days completely alone in the middle of the ocean, the routine that kept him alive while sleeping through the night with cargo ships passing just miles away, what actually happens to your mind after weeks with no human contact, and the moment during his crossing that he says changed how he thinks about God. He also opens up about his grandfather, who escaped Nazi occupied France on foot during World War II, and how that story has pushed Cyril toward hardship his entire life.
This is a story about pushing past what you think a normal person is capable of, on land and at sea. Cyril is proof that the line is much further out than you'd expect. Let's dive in!
Connect with Cyril:
Website
Instagram
Watch His Solo Kayak Adventure 
Follow along on other platforms:
Instagram
TikTok
YouTube
KEYWORDSocean rowing, solo kayak crossing, guinness world record, california to hawaii kayak, pacific ocean crossing, atlantic ocean crossing, adventure podcast, ultra endurance, human powered expedition, motivational speaker, solo expedition, ocean adventurer, kayaking hawaii, first person to cross two oceans solo, extreme adventure, mental toughness, spirituality and adventure, kindred roads podcast, mary goggin podcast

What happens when the person responsible for spotting the next wildfire is 100 feet in the air, completely alone, and just got struck by lightning for the fourth time?
If you're Trina Moyles, you climb back up the tower the next day anyway.
Trina is an award-winning environmental journalist and author living off-grid in a Mongolian yurt outside Whitehorse, Yukon, with her partner (a filmmaker) and their three dogs. Before journalism became her full-time gig, she spent seven fire seasons working as a fire tower lookout in the boreal forest of northern Alberta… months at a time, totally alone, scanning the horizon for smoke from a hundred-foot tower. She's also the author of three books: Women Who Dig, which took her to eight countries interviewing 150 women farmers; Lookout, her National Outdoor Book Prize-winning memoir on isolation and wildfire; and her newest, Black Bear, about the wild bears she came to know so well at her lookout that she started calling them by name.
In this episode, we get into what it's actually like to be the first person to spot a wildfire before it turns into a disaster, the season she watched a small fire balloon into something four times the size of one of Canada's biggest cities, and the night she had to be evacuated as a nearby community lost homes to the flames. She tells us about the mother bear she watched raise cub after cub, the strange kind of community that forms over a lookout radio when your nearest neighbor is miles away, and why she'd honestly rather be alone in the forest with a handful of bears than out in the "real world" during a pandemic.
We also talk about her time in Uganda, Guatemala, and Cuba interviewing women farmers about land, power, and what it really means to feed a family, plus the caribou story she's covering right now…one that ties back to her own father's life's work.
This one is for anyone drawn to a slower, wilder, more intentional way of living, or anyone who's ever wondered what it actually feels like to be alone with your thoughts for months at a time. Trina doesn't sugarcoat any of it, and that's exactly why you need to hear it!
CONNECT WITH TRINA
Read Her Work (Website)
Instagram
Books (support an indie bookstore or your local library if you can!):
Women Who Dig: Farming, Feminism, and the Fight to Feed the World
Lookout: Love, Solitude, and Searching for Wildfire in the Boreal Forest
Black Bear: A Story of Siblinghood and Survival
FOLLOW ALONG ON OTHER PLATFORMS
Instagram
TikTok
YouTube
KEYWORDS
trina moyles, fire tower lookout, wildfire journalist, black bear book, women who dig, lookout book, off grid yukon, yurt living, mongolian yurt, boreal forest, alberta wildfire, environmental journalism, canadian geographic, the narwhal, women farmers, caribou arctic refuge, gwich'in first nation, indigenous storytelling, human bear coexistence, national outdoor book prize, solo travel podcast, unconventional life podcast, off grid living, wildlife journalist, canada wildfire season, kindred roads podcast, mary goggin podcast, inspiring women, adventure podcast, remote living

Matt was riding a horse over a mountain pass above 3,000 meters when the weather turned and he ended up stuck in a snowstorm. What do you do when there's nowhere to turn back to?
This is Part 2 of Matt Whitley's episode. If you haven't listened to Part 1 yet, go back and start there first, you'll want the full picture before this one!
We pick up in Kyrgyzstan, where Matt's sister and dad fly out to join him for a month on the road. Remote valleys, hitchhiking with strangers going 120km an hour down dirt tracks, and that horseback pass turning into a snowstorm above 3,000 meters. From there he heads into Tajikistan and the Pamirs, riding some of the most remote bikepacking routes on the planet, before crossing into Pakistan over one of the highest motorable passes in the world.
Then Matt cycles into Peshawar, gets his visa at a consulate run by the Taliban, and rides into Afghanistan with no guide and no real plan. What happens next takes some turns we didn't see coming.
From there, we go into privilege, happiness, and what community really means… like why some of the poorest, most conflict marked places on his route made him feel more welcomed than wealthy Europe ever did, and what that says about what money can't buy.
We close out with Matt's biggest takeaways from a year and a half on the road.
This episode goes to some heavier places than Part 1. Can’t wait for you guys to hear it!
CONNECT WITH MATT
Instagram
Fund a kitchen in Gaza
CONNECT WITH SURF CASCAIS 
Book Now!
Website
Instagram
FOLLOW ALONG ON OTHER PLATFORMS
Instagram
KEYWORDS
matt whitley, afghanistan travel, taliban interview, pakistan cycling, karakoram highway, pamir highway, tajikistan bikepacking, kyrgyzstan travel, central asia travel, kabul airstrike, bikepacking asia, solo cycling afghanistan, privilege and travel, happiness and community, capitalism and community, global south travel, adventure travel podcast, kindred roads podcast, mary goggin podcast, unconventional life, part 1 and part 2, solo traveler stories, human connection travel, poverty and happiness, taliban border crossing, extreme adventure podcast, cycling the world, rhea run vladivostok lisbon

What do you do when the only way out of the country during a pandemic is to advertise yourself on a Facebook sailing group and hope someone takes you?
If you're Matt Whitley, you pack your bags, fly to Spain, and spend 21 days crossing the Atlantic with a family you'd met on one 20 minute call.
Matt is a 23 year old adventurer from South Manchester quietly living a life most people only dream about. At 19, with COVID shutting every door, he hitchhiked onto sailing boats across the Atlantic, worked in the Amazon jungle, and sailed the Caribbean before making it back just in time for university. Fresh out of graduation, he flew his bike to Vietnam with nothing but dots on Google Maps, and spent a year cycling through Vietnam, China, the Tibetan Plateau, Mongolia, and Central Asia, roughly 100km a day.
In this episode, we cover his bike completely breaking down in the middle of the Tibetan Plateau and how he got himself out of it, a stranger he met at a frozen mountain lake whom he never expected to encounter, a 5:30am wake-up call in Mongolia that turned into one of the scariest moments of the trip, and how he pulled off a year like this with barely any plan at all.
We also go deep on privilege, what it means to be born in the global north, why the poorest countries on his route made him feel the most welcomed, and what to actually do with that beyond feeling guilty.
This episode is for anyone who has talked themselves out of the thing they actually want to do, or wondered if the world is as scary as it looks. Spoiler: it's not. Matt is living proof.This is Part 1. Part 2 is coming, and it's the one that stops people in their tracks. Stay close!
Connect with Matt:
Instagram
Fund a kitchen in Gaza
Follow along on other platforms:
Instagram
~KEYWORDS:bikepacking Vietnam to UK, solo cycling Central Asia, cycling the Tibetan Plateau, bike touring Afghanistan, sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, hitchhiking on sailing boats, crossing the Amazon rainforest by boat, adventure travel podcast, cycling Pakistan mountains, solo travel fear and courage, charity water fundraiser run, global privilege and travel perspective, bikepacking route planning tips, Suriname sailing adventure, Mongolia cycling trip, extreme endurance challenges, long distance cycling gear and logistics, travel storytelling podcast, backpacker life lessons, gap year adventure travel, cycling through China, Kyrgyzstan travel story, sailing the Caribbean, ultra marathon training, run club culture, digital nomad travel podcast, world travel and humility, dangerous travel encounters, global south vs global north, meaningful travel experiences, van life and camping on the road, cultural immersion travel stories, remote adventure cycling, travel and mental resilience

What happens when a 23-year-old, unemployed and fresh out of university during Portugal's worst financial crisis, decides to start his own surf camp anyway?
In this episode, David Moore shares the story of building Surf Cascais from the ground up into one of Portugal's most loved surf schools, surf camps, and surf villas. I had the absolute pleasure of staying at Surf Cascais while recording this conversation, and can say firsthand that the community David has created is truly something special.
David opens up about growing up in Lisbon completely obsessed with surfing, catching his first waves at 13, and how a lifelong passion for surfing slowly turned into a business he never set out to build. He shares the mentor who changed everything, the mindset that carried him through his early 20s with zero plan B, and why Cascais might be one of the most underrated surf towns in Europe.
We also talk about what it really takes to build a business rooted in connection rather than hustle. Now 13 years into running Surf Cascais, David spills the real secret to running a successful surf camp, the one belief that has driven every decision he's ever made, and his newest project taking the Surf Cascais community around the world.
This conversation is for anyone curious about starting a business from scratch, what it really takes to build a successful surf camp, or daring to leave the traditional path behind and build a life around the thing you love most.
Connect with David & Surf Cascais:
Book your stay → surfcascais.com
Instagram → @surf.cascais
Surf Atlas (small-group surf trips worldwide, via Surf Cascais) @surfatlas.co
David on LinkedIn → David Moore Rodrigues dos Santos
Surf Cascais Video Linked Here.
Follow along on other platforms:
Instagram
Tiktok
Youtube
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KEYWORDS
surf cascais, david moore surf cascais, surf camp portugal, surf school cascais, how to start a surf camp, starting a business in your 20s, guincho beach surf, carcavelos surf, praia grande surf, surf villa portugal, surf atlas, maldives surf trip, lisbon surf camp, move to portugal, learn to surf portugal, solo travel portugal, kindred roads podcast, mary goggin podcast, unconventional life podcast, solo travel podcast

What happens when two friends invite a man they met outside a Little Caesars to come live with them, and all three of their lives change forever?
This one is a little different from our usual episodes, but it might be the most important kind of story this podcast was made for.
In this episode, Josh and Chandler share the story of how they met Trevor, a man who had been living on the streets, and what unfolded when they opened their home to him. We invited Trevor to join this conversation and share his own story, and while he could not make it, his presence is woven into every part of it.
Josh and Chandler talk about the months of showing up before Trevor ever moved in, the laughter and the hard conversations, and how what started as wanting to help someone turned into one of the most meaningful friendships any of them have ever had. They get into the spontaneous trip to New York where Trevor received something he had dreamed about for years, the ways Trevor has healed parts of them they did not expect, and how he is already inspiring others simply by being himself.
This conversation also goes deep on the biggest misconceptions people carry about the homeless community, why money and housing alone rarely create lasting change, and the vision Josh and Chandler are building through the Good Intentions Club to help more people the way Trevor has helped them.
It is a powerful reminder that when you show up for someone, you never know how much they will end up showing up for you too.
Connect with Josh and Chandler:
Chandler's Instagram
Josh's Instagram
Good Intentions Club Products
Help Get Trevor His Van
Follow along on other platforms:
Instagram
TikTok
homelessness, homeless community, helping the homeless, kindness, human connection, community, Good Intentions Club, misconceptions about homelessness, changing lives, friendship, giving back, mental health, loneliness, healing, unconventional life, hope, generosity, paying it forward, servant leadership, social impact, acts of kindness, faith in humanity, inspiring stories, purpose driven life, making a difference

What happens when a solo woman decides to cross continents by bicycle, trusting the kindness of strangers along the way?
In this episode, Claire Wyatt shares the story of cycling across some of the most remote places on earth. From riding thousands of miles across Mongolia to cycling from Asia to the UK, Claire built a life on the road powered by curiosity, resilience, and the generosity of people she had never met before.
Claire talks about navigating long stretches of wilderness, crossing rivers in Mongolia, cycling through Central Asia, and riding parts of the Pamir Highway. Along the way she experienced countless moments of unexpected kindness, from families inviting her into their homes to strangers helping when the road became difficult.
We also talk about what it really takes to live this kind of unconventional life. Claire shares how she prepared for long distance cycling, the mental challenges of traveling alone for months at a time, and what she learned about trust, independence, and human connection along the way.
This conversation is for anyone curious about long distance cycling, solo female adventure travel, or what happens when you step far outside the normal path and discover how supportive the world can actually be.
Let’s dive in!
Connect with Claire:
Instagram
Biking Guide Coming Soon (Message me in the meantime if you'd like it)!
Follow along on other platforms:
Instagram
Tiktok
Youtube
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KEYWORDS
solo female cyclist, cycling across Mongolia, Mongolia to UK cycling journey, solo female travel adventure, long distance bicycle touring, bikepacking Central Asia, Pamir Highway cycling, cycling across continents, kindness of strangers travel stories, women adventure travel, solo female adventure travel, bicycle touring inspiration, cycling the Silk Road route, extreme bikepacking journey, female cyclist world travel

What happens when you leave a stable 9 to 5 and decide to build a career around your passions instead?
In this episode, Olivia Chenery, a London based events, hotel, fashion, and brand photographer, shares how she walked away from corporate life and built a photography career. What started as small shoots and saying yes to opportunities before she felt fully ready turned into photographing Morgan Riddle, a major influencer at Wimbledon, and working with brands and hotels across the UK and the world.
Olivia talks about the fear of losing financial stability, the pressure of starting over, and the steps she took to turn photography into a full time career. She shares how she found her first clients, how she built her portfolio, and how she positioned herself in competitive industries like fashion, hotels, events, and brand photography in London.
We also talk about her solo trip to Portugal and how traveling alone helped her grow creatively and personally.
This episode is for anyone who feels stuck in a 9 to 5 but is scared to leave. It is about taking a creative risk, building something from scratch, and understanding what it actually takes to make photography a real career. Let’s dive in!
Connect with Olivia:
Website
Instagram
Follow along on other platforms:
Instagram
Tiktok
Youtube
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KEYWORDS Olivia Chenery, London photographer, London fashion photographer, London events photographer, London hotel photographer, brand photographer London, how to become a photographer, leaving your 9 to 5 job, quit your corporate job for photography, creative career change, full time photographer journey, how to start a photography business, beginner photography tips, building a photography portfolio, finding your first photography clients, freelance photographer London, female photographer London, travel photography Portugal, solo travel Portugal, creative entrepreneurship, turning your passion into a career, how to grow as a photographer, photography business advice, starting over in your twenties, leaving a safe job for a creative career, photography industry insights

What happens when two travelers leave everything familiar behind and cross the Middle East on foot and by camel, following a path few Westerners have ever taken?
In this episode, Wells Jones shares the story of a 1,100 mile trek across Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Syria, retracing the route of T.E. Lawrence through deserts, border crossings, and remote communities, alongside his close friend Miles. What he expected to find was tension and danger. What he found instead was something far more complex, moments of uncertainty paired with unexpected kindness, generosity, and deep humanity.
Wells talks about riding camels through Wadi Rum, navigating intense checkpoints, preparing for real risk, and learning how listening and humility opened doors that fear never could. This conversation explores long distance travel in politically complex regions, cultural respect, trust, and what happens when you let curiosity lead instead of assumptions.
It is a powerful reminder that the world is often more human than we are taught to believe.
Connect with Wells:
Purchase His Book, A Line in the Sand
Connect on Linkedin
Kayak for a Cause
Follow along on other platforms:
Instagram
Tiktok
Youtube
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KEYWORDS
Middle East trek, 1,100 mile journey, desert expedition, camels, cultural understanding, T.E. Lawrence, long distance travel, humanity and travel, middle east travel

Max Campbell is sailing around the world on a 50 year old Swan 37 named Elixir, a boat he rebuilt by hand and turned into a fully functioning home at sea. Over the past few years, he has sailed from the UK to New Zealand with an ever changing crew, navigating open ocean crossings, remote coastlines, and places that can only be reached by boat.
In this episode, Max walks us through the moments that defined his journey. He shares the story of being caught on fire during a solo Atlantic crossing, then sailing alone for two more days with serious burns to reach land. He explains what daily life actually looks like at sea, how it feels to be disconnected for weeks at a time, and why that level of isolation can bring clarity rather than fear.
We also dive into experiences that still feel hard to believe, such as being boarded off the coast of Venezuela, spending time in an immigration jail in southern Mexico, listening to firsthand stories from people who crossed the Darien Gap, and reaching South Pacific islands where boats are the only way in and trading supplies for food is still part of everyday life. This conversation is raw, eye opening, and deeply human, and it offers a rare look at what it really means to live at the edge of the world.
Let’s dive in!
Connect with Max and follow the journey below:
Instagram
Youtube
Tiktok
Website
Patreon Sailing Crew
About Elixir and the Crew
Follow along on other platforms:
Instagram
Tiktok
Youtube
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KEYWORDS
Max Campbell, Untide, un tide, Elixir sailboat, Swan 37, sailing around the world, circumnavigation, solo Atlantic crossing, Atlantic crossing fire, boat fire accident, ocean sailing crew, sailing New Zealand, South Pacific remote islands, being boarded at sea, Venezuela coast guard boarding, piracy at sea story, Mexico immigration jail, Tapachula detention center, Darien Gap stories, sailing content creator