John Balsdon on World Records and Crossing Africa

Overland Journal Podcast host Scott Brady interviews John Balsdon of Always Look Twice, a recent world record holder, about his 28-day drive from Nordkapp, Norway, to Cape Agulhas, South Africa. Balsdon, who largely hugged West Africa’s coast in two INEOS Grenadiers (one towing a Bruder trailer), shares how early travels and his mother, a professional photographer, shaped his attention to detail and lifelong drive to document landscapes and cultures. They discuss staying grounded post-travel through planning and reflection, the contrasts of living abroad versus passing through, and why he pursued the record as an antidote to “doom scrolling.” Balsdon highlights Guinea and the North Cape, describes low points in Angola, a lost passport recovered through Nigerian kindness, vehicle prep, and a forthcoming feature-length film.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.