Podcasts are a great way to immerse yourself in a world you’ve never known. Journalist Jocelyn de Kwant is a fan and shares how listening to a podcast has enriched her life.
It began on the way to a vacation in Germany. We were tired of listening to the radio, and I had heard from several people that the podcast S-Town was really worth a listen. We were hooked from the start, addicted to this true story about the clockmaker John B. McLemore, resident of ‘Sh*t Town, Alabama’, US.
We listened nonstop to the first three episodes full of amazing twists. The trip was actually too short, as we still had another four one-hour episodes left. We listened when we could, preferably together, but if that couldn’t be arranged fast enough, then separately.
After this magical story, I was completely sold on podcasts. I finally started listening to all the podcasts people had recommended over the years but that I had never gotten around to checking out. It’s now a regular part of my life. I listen to podcasts when I walk my dog, while I fold laundry, when driving, riding my bicycle, on the bus, and—perhaps my very favorite time—when I’m doodling in my sketchbook. While I listen, I draw what I see in my head and jot down a great saying now and then.
I get transported by the amazing life stories of This American Life, I nearly explode with ideas and insights after listening to episodes of CreativeMornings and Hurry Slowly, and have helpless fits of laughter listening to My Dad Wrote a Porno. Since I discovered podcasts, I actually love having to take long trips. A two-hour drive to the east of the country? Hurray! That’s at least two episodes!
- You can read the whole story ‘For the love of pod’ in Issue 30.
Text Jocelyn de Kwant Photography Toa Heftiba/Unsplash.com
