Paths

Running 20,000 km Across Asia and Europe: Ria Xi on Training, Logistics, Rest, and Human-Powered Travel

What does it actually take to prepare for a 20,000 kilometer run across continents?In this short episode, Ria Xi breaks down how she’s preparing to run from Russia to Portugal, averaging roughly 50 kilometers a day for over a year. She talks through how she approaches training, recovery, logistics, and mental preparation, and why breaking an overwhelming goal into small, repeatable steps makes it feel possible. She also shares why running felt like the most natural way to cross Asia and Europe, and how she’s thinking about support, community, and sustainability on the road. A grounded, practical look at preparing for a truly extreme human-powered journey.Listen to the full conversation here! Follow Ria and support her next adventure: Instagram: @whereisriaxWebsite: 20000km.comIf you enjoyed this episode, please consider sharing it with a friend, subscribing, and signing up for my newsletter at pathspodcast.com to get updates on new episodes.Connect on:Instagram: @paths_podLinkedIn: Paths PodcastListen and subscribe on:SpotifyApple Podcasts

Ria Xi on Agency, Pilgrimage, and the Long Road From the Camino to a 20,000km Continental Run

Ria Xi on Agency, Pilgrimage, and the Long Road From the Camino to a 20,000km Continental RunRia Xi has spent the last two years pulling her life apart and rebuilding it entirely on her own terms. She left a tech career in California, stepped away from the version of success she once thought she was supposed to want, and slowly discovered something she never expected: running as a path toward agency, direction, and self-trust. In this episode, she talks openly about moving to Portugal, finding community after years of drifting, why she’s drawn to extreme challenges, and what it feels like to be in the quiet space between a major accomplishment and the biggest adventure of her life.She recently ran 780 kilometres of the Camino de Santiago and is now preparing for an almost unimaginable project: running 20,000 kilometres from Russia to Portugal. But this isn’t a conversation about distance — it’s about agency, identity, loneliness, self-worth, and building a life that feels like it belongs to you. Ria shares the inner battles she’s faced and why running became her way of stepping back into her own power. It’s a thoughtful, honest journey through what it means to choose your own life.Follow Ria and support her next adventure: Instagram: @whereisriaxWebsite: 20000km.comIf you enjoyed this episode, please consider sharing it with a friend, subscribing, and signing up for my newsletter at pathspodcast.com to get updates on new episodes.Connect on:Instagram: @paths_podLinkedIn: Paths PodcastListen and subscribe on:SpotifyApple Podcasts

Why We Seek Community in the Wild — with Sophie Nolan

Why do people sign up for group adventures with complete strangers? In this short segment, Sophie talks about the unexpected community that grows on Sidetracked trips — how shared effort, simplicity, and the Arctic cold can bring people closer than they expect. She explains why these connections form so quickly, what people are really searching for, and why returning to the outdoors often feels like returning to ourselves.It’s a reflection on belonging, challenge, and the surprising ways people reconnect when the noise of everyday life falls away.Check out Sophie’s stuff:Instagram @soph_nolan_ and @sidetracked_adventureWebsite sidetrackedadventures.co.ukIf you enjoyed this episode, please consider sharing it with a friend, subscribing, and signing up for my newsletter at pathspodcast.com to get updates on new episodes.Connect on:Instagram: @paths_podLinkedIn: Paths PodcastListen and subscribe on:SpotifyApple Podcasts

Sophie Nolan on Building an Adventure Travel Company, Designing a Life Outdoors, and the Power of Community in Nature

Sophie Nolan built Sidetracked Adventures from a simple desire to share the wild places she loved. In this conversation, she reflects on how she shaped a life around the outdoors, curiosity, and community. We talk about her early pull toward nature, the years she spent searching for a different path, and how guiding people into remote landscapes has changed her understanding of connection, comfort, and ambition.Sophie also shares what it’s really like to run an adventure company in a fast-paced world, how she learned to trust her own voice, and why people keep returning to wilderness experiences even as modern life becomes more digital and convenient. It’s a grounded, honest look at building a life that matches your values.Check out Sophie’s stuff:Instagram @soph_nolan_ and @sidetracked_adventureWebsite sidetrackedadventures.co.ukIf you enjoyed this episode, please consider sharing it with a friend, subscribing, and signing up for my newsletter at pathspodcast.com to get updates on new episodes.Connect on:Instagram: @paths_podLinkedIn: Paths PodcastListen and subscribe on:SpotifyApple Podcasts

How the 2004 Tsunami Shaped Jonis Strom's Outlook on Life

In this short segment, Jonathan reflects on the 2004 tsunami in Thailand, which he and his family survived when he was just fourteen. He talks about how the experience reshaped his outlook on life, influenced the risks he was willing to take, and even guided the creative decisions he makes today as a filmmaker and photographer. It’s a brief but moving conversation about clarity, perspective, and the way certain moments stay with us long after they pass.Check out Jonathan’s stuffInstagram: @jonisstromsolkattstudios.comConnect on:Instagram: @paths_podLinkedIn: Paths PodcastListen and subscribe on:SpotifyApple Podcasts