Paths

Driving Through History: Alex Bescoby’s Overlanding Journey Across the World and the Stories That Shape Us

What does it really mean to see and experience the world?I sit down with filmmaker and historian Alex Bescoby to explore the story behind The Last Overland — a 13,000-mile or 20,000km journey retracing a 1950s expedition from Singapore to London in the original Land Rover Series 1. What began as an ambitious road trip quickly becomes something deeper. A reflection on timing, purpose, and the pull of adventure that exists at different moments in life.Alex shares how history shapes the way we experience places, why travel without context can feel empty, and what he learned from spending a decade in Myanmar. Together, we explore bigger questions about freedom, curiosity, and why the most meaningful journeys are not defined by distance, but by how they change the way we see the world.Follow AlexInstagram: @alex_bescoby @thelastoverland @grammarproductionsWebsite: alexbescoby.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_podListen and subscribe on:SpotifyApple Podcasts

Refilling the Creative Well: Why Alison Cochrun Walked the Camino Across Spain and Portugal

In this short segment, author Alison Cochrun shares the impulsive decision to walk the Camino de Santiago during a period of depression and creative burnout. She describes the physical reality of the Portuguese coastal route, from the unexpected pain of a 22-mile first day to the simple, ritualistic beauty of just putting one foot in front of the other.It is an honest look at why a standard vacation may not be enough to fix a creative slump. Alison explains how the physical effort of the trail helped her regain mental strength and why having time completely to herself was the most transformative part of the journey.Follow AlisonInstagram: @alisoncochrun Website: alisoncochrun.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_podListen and subscribe on:SpotifyApple Podcasts

Becoming an Author, Creative Burnout, and Walking the Camino de Santiago with Alison Cochrun

Alison Cochrun spent over a decade as a high school English teacher before a shift led her to become a full-time author. In this episode, we talk about the reality of that transition, from the adrenaline of writing her first book draft in just six days to the grueling, transformative experience of walking 200 miles on the Camino de Santiago.We dive into the messy parts of the creative process, including how she uses fiction to process her own life and how a period of severe depression and writer's block led her to the Portuguese coast. It is a conversation about burnout, the necessity of time alone, and why the hardest parts of a journey are often what make it worth doing.Follow AlisonInstagram: @alisoncochrun Website: alisoncochrun.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_podListen and subscribe on:SpotifyApple Podcasts

Adam Pawlikiewicz Mesa on Ultra Running and Self Acceptance

In this short episode, Adam Pawlikiewicz Mesa reflects on his relationship with ultra running and why he sees endurance sports as a double-edged sword. What began as a way to explore his limits and better understand himself also forced him to confront expectations, self-judgment, and the fine line between growth and harm.Rather than focusing on performance, this conversation looks at endurance as a practice of listening, awareness, and self-acceptance. It connects closely with themes explored in a previous episode with Ria Xi, where running showed up as a tool for agency and growth rather than achievement.Follow Adam⁠Instagram @adamonthego⁠ ⁠adampawlikiewicz.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

Adam Pawlikiewicz Mesa on Bikepacking, Storytelling, and Building an Intentional Life

Adam Pawlikiewicz Mesa is a filmmaker, photographer, endurance athlete, and bikepacker whose work grows out of long days on the road and a deep curiosity about people, place, and movement. Before starting a career in consulting at a big firm, Adam completed his first bikepacking journey across the U.S., an experience that quietly reshaped how he thought about effort, vulnerability, and direction. He went on to work in consulting for two years, but that early journey never really left him.In this conversation, we talk about Adam’s early influences, the years between that first bikepacking trip and the work people know today, and the decision to leave a secure career to start over creatively. We explore bikepacking historic routes in Peru and Brazil, endurance sports as a form of self-exploration, partnership on the road, and the responsibility that comes with telling stories about people and places that are often misunderstood or overlooked. This is a conversation about curiosity, uncertainty, and learning how to build a life that feels honest over the long haul.Follow AdamInstagram @adamonthegoadampawlikiewicz.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