What Am I Making #017 - Travel Talk with Bill Boyle

What Am I Making is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.I first got to know Bill Boyle from his insights and analysis at Stand Up with Pete Dominick. While Bill’s day job is owning and running a series of parking garages around the DC Metro area, his real genius is breaking down complex information into discernible chunks. I have learned as much from him about the war in Ukraine as I have from any single outlet. Bill is not a journalist, and would never promote himself as such, but he has an insatiable curiosity about the world around him. He’s incredibly well read, well researched, and well traveled. He has also had the good fortune not only to see much of the world, but he also possesses the curiosity and background to genuinely understand the stories behind that travel. Initially, I reached out to Bill to discuss traveling to Vietnam. My mother and I are looking at travel in the region, and I wanted to get the straight dope. Bill’s wife Vi had begun her life in Vietnam with her family. In the late 70’s, the family joined hundreds of thousands of other refugees , the infamous“boat people”, and made their way to America. The family has since traveled extensively throughout Southeast Asia and I wanted to talk to Bill for the pod to garner my own intel about daily life in Vietnam, and what to look for when getting around. Being the dudes that Bill and I are, we pulled at the thread that is travel discussion, and it led down a path of fascinating conversation that highlights Bill’s penchant for great storytelling, and his extensive knowledge on any number of disparate topics. It was a blast to try and keep up. We hit upon history, culture, philosophy, pho, and day drinking. It’s a great chat. Enjoy.Cheers,Matty C Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe