PODCAST · society
Letters to Kody : Postcards from Coffeeshops
by D. J. Swales
Letters to Kody is dedicated to all those who have wandered, all those who wish to wander, and to the loved ones we’ve lost along the way.Several years ago, a young man’s car collided with a fire truck in Kentucky. His name was Kody. He dreamed of seeing the world beyond the beauty of Kentucky, but had barely glimpsed it when he lost his life on his way to work at Walmart, aged twenty-three. For years beforehand, Kody had keenly followed my travel dispatches from around the world, sharing questions and comments. Now, through Letters to Kody, I’m taking him with me around the world — on the road, in the present, and through anecdotes from past travels. Every episode dedicated to Kody honours his spirit of adventure and curiosity.I’m author D. J. Swales. As a child, I gripped my teenage mum’s hand on a stormy ferry to Liverpool, fleeing the violence of conflict-torn Belfast. I haven’t stopped travelling since. I’ve been
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EP 5 | (BONUS) | LETTERS TO KODY | 120 Countries and Counting | World Travel | Culture | Nature
Coal Smoke, Dragons, West Belfast, Monsters, Seoul, Holy Water, Lourdes, Long Island City, Fairy Wind, Chanel No. 5, Fallen Angel, Druids, Han River, and the Korean War.Several years ago, a young man's car tragically collided with a fire truck in Kentucky. His name was Kody. Kody dreamed of seeing the world, but had barely awakened when he lost his life on his way to work at Walmart. Now, through Letters to Kody, author and adventurer D. J. Swales honours that dream — for a special soul who followed his Instagram travelogue for years, with kindness, curiosity, and the keen questions of youth.Welcome to EP4 (Part III of III) of Letters to Kody. This was recorded in Times Square, New York City. ,As a child, D. J. escaped the war-torn streets of Belfast and hasn't stopped travelling since. Drifting in the wake of his grandfather, an old Irish sea-dog, he shares weekly memoir-episodes from his tumbleweed life — addressed to Kody, who yearned to explore the world beyond the beauty of Kentucky.From the 12 countries and 3 U.S. states he's called home, to 120 countries and counting — and 45 states visited — D. J. explores the natural world, folklore, history, culture, and the humble or extraordinary moments that make life on the road unforgettable.In these travel memoirs to a lost friend, you are invited to speak Kody's name and, by listening, help bring his spirit to the places he longed to see.Letters to Kody is dedicated to all those who have wandered, all those who wish to wander, and to the loved ones we’ve lost along the way. Each week, author and adventurer D. J. Swales writes a letter to Kody, a young friend who yearned to travel but never got the chance. Having escaped Belfast as a child and wandered through 120 countries since, D. J. shares intimate memoir-episodes about the natural world, folklore, history, culture, and the humble or extraordinary moments discovered on the road. This is travel writing with heart—for Kody, and for anyone who dreams of faraway places.If you enjoyed this letter, please share it with someone who loves to travel, even if only in their imagination. Until next week, keep exploring." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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EP 4 | (Part III of III) | LETTERS TO KODY | 120 Countries and Counting | World Travel | Culture | Nature
Mistbound Realm, Germany, Ancient Headdress, Shamanic Trance, British Museum, Bloomsbury, Yorkshire, Brontë Sisters, Buried Treasure, and Ancient Celts.Several years ago, a young man's car tragically collided with a fire truck in Kentucky. His name was Kody. Kody dreamed of seeing the world, but had barely awakened when he lost his life on his way to work at Walmart. Now, through Letters to Kody, author and adventurer D. J. Swales honours that dream — for a special soul who followed his Instagram travelogue for years, with kindness, curiosity, and the keen questions of youth.Welcome to EP4 (Part III of III) of Letters to Kody. This was recorded in Times Square, New York City. ,As a child, D. J. escaped the war-torn streets of Belfast and hasn't stopped travelling since. Drifting in the wake of his grandfather, an old Irish sea-dog, he shares weekly memoir-episodes from his tumbleweed life — addressed to Kody, who yearned to explore the world beyond the beauty of Kentucky.From the 12 countries and 3 U.S. states he's called home, to 120 countries and counting — and 45 states visited — D. J. explores the natural world, folklore, history, culture, and the humble or extraordinary moments that make life on the road unforgettable.In these travel memoirs to a lost friend, you are invited to speak Kody's name and, by listening, help bring his spirit to the places he longed to see.Letters to Kody is dedicated to all those who have wandered, all those who wish to wander, and to the loved ones we’ve lost along the way. Each week, author and adventurer D. J. Swales writes a letter to Kody, a young friend who yearned to travel but never got the chance. Having escaped Belfast as a child and wandered through 120 countries since, D. J. shares intimate memoir-episodes about the natural world, folklore, history, culture, and the humble or extraordinary moments discovered on the road. This is travel writing with heart—for Kody, and for anyone who dreams of faraway places.If you enjoyed this letter, please share it with someone who loves to travel, even if only in their imagination. Until next week, keep exploring." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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EP 3 | (Part II of III) | LETTERS TO KODY | 120 Countries and Counting | World Travel | Culture | Nature | History |
Appalachia, Mummified Monkeys, Changelings, Wild Dogs, Roman Legions, Fairy Forts, Abandoned Airport, Egyptian Princess, Yokai, Rochester, Berlin Wall, Bridge of Spies, Belfast, Camera Obscura, and Cyprus.Several years ago, a young man's car tragically collided with a fire truck in Kentucky. His name was Kody. Kody dreamed of seeing the world, but had barely awakened when he lost his life on his way to work at Walmart. Now, through Letters to Kody, author and adventurer D. J. Swales honours that dream — for a special soul who followed his Instagram travelogue for years, with kindness, curiosity, and the keen questions of youth.Welcome to EP3 (Part II of III) of Letters to Kody. This was recorded in Worcestershire, on the 3rd April 2026, just a few miles from the childhood home of Bosie, Oscar Wilde’s lover.As a child, D. J. escaped the war-torn streets of Belfast and hasn't stopped travelling since. Drifting in the wake of his grandfather, an old Irish sea-dog, he shares weekly memoir-episodes from his tumbleweed life — addressed to Kody, who yearned to explore the world beyond the beauty of Kentucky.From the 12 countries and 3 U.S. states he's called home, to 120 countries and counting — and 45 states visited — D. J. explores the natural world, folklore, history, culture, and the humble or extraordinary moments that make life on the road unforgettable.In these travel memoirs to a lost friend, you are invited to speak Kody's name and, by listening, help bring his spirit to the places he longed to see.Letters to Kody is dedicated to all those who have wandered, all those who wish to wander, and to the loved ones we’ve lost along the way. Each week, author and adventurer D. J. Swales writes a letter to Kody, a young friend who yearned to travel but never got the chance. Having escaped Belfast as a child and wandered through 120 countries since, D. J. shares intimate memoir-episodes about the natural world, folklore, history, culture, and the humble or extraordinary moments discovered on the road. This is travel writing with heart—for Kody, and for anyone who dreams of faraway places.If you enjoyed this letter, please share it with someone who loves to travel, even if only in their imagination. Until next week, keep exploring." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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EP 2 | (Part I of III) | LETTERS TO KODY | 120 Countries and Counting | World Travel | Culture | Nature | History |
Yakushima Island, Studio Ghibli, Princess Mononoke, The Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton, Germany, Giant Trees, The Amazon, West Berlin, Loggerhead Turtles, Queen Nefertiti, and Christopher Isherwood.Several years ago, a young man's car tragically collided with a fire truck in Kentucky. His name was Kody. Kody dreamed of seeing the world, but had barely awakened when he lost his life on his way to work at Walmart. Now, through Letters to Kody, author and adventurer D. J. Swales honours that dream — for a special soul who followed his Instagram travelogue for years, with kindness, curiosity, and the keen questions of youth.Welcome to EP2 (Part I of III) of Letters to Kody. This was recorded in Worcestershire, on the 3rd April 2026, just a few miles from the childhood home of Bosie, Oscar Wilde’s lover.As a child, D. J. escaped the war-torn streets of Belfast and hasn't stopped travelling since. Drifting in the wake of his grandfather, an old Irish sea-dog, he shares weekly memoir-episodes from his tumbleweed life — addressed to Kody, who yearned to explore the world beyond the beauty of Kentucky.From the 12 countries and 3 U.S. states he's called home, to 120 countries and counting — and 45 states visited — D. J. explores the natural world, folklore, history, culture, and the humble or extraordinary moments that make life on the road unforgettable.In these travel memoirs to a lost friend, you are invited to speak Kody's name and, by listening, help bring his spirit to the places he longed to see.Letters to Kody is dedicated to all those who have wandered, all those who wish to wander, and to the loved ones we’ve lost along the way. Each week, author and adventurer D. J. Swales writes a letter to Kody, a young friend who yearned to travel but never got the chance. Having escaped Belfast as a child and wandered through 120 countries since, D. J. shares intimate memoir-episodes about the natural world, folklore, history, culture, and the humble or extraordinary moments discovered on the road. This is travel writing with heart—for Kody, and for anyone who dreams of faraway places.If you enjoyed this letter, please share it with someone who loves to travel, even if only in their imagination. Until next week, keep exploring." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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EP 1 | LETTERS TO KODY | 120 Countries and Counting | World Travel | Culture | Nature | History |
Tokyo Food Halls, Snaggletooth, BTS, Magnolias, Dinosaurs, Dentist, Pickling, Carrot Cake, Eleanor of Provence, Fallen Bishop, Tutankhamun, and Seoul.Several years ago, a young man's car tragically collided with a fire truck in Kentucky. His name was Kody. Kody dreamed of seeing the world, but had barely awakened when he lost his life on his way to work at Walmart. Now, through Letters to Kody, author and adventurer D. J. Swales honours that dream — for a special soul who followed his Instagram travelogue for years, with kindness, curiosity, and the keen questions of youth.Welcome to EP1 of Letters to Kody. This was recorded in Worcestershire, on the 30th March, just a few miles from the childhood home of Bosie, Oscar Wilde’s lover.As a child, D. J. escaped the war-torn streets of Belfast and hasn't stopped travelling since. Drifting in the wake of his grandfather, an old Irish sea-dog, he shares weekly memoir-episodes from his tumbleweed life — addressed to Kody, who yearned to explore the world beyond the beauty of Kentucky.From the 12 countries and 3 U.S. states he's called home, to 120 countries and counting — and 45 states visited — D. J. explores the natural world, folklore, history, culture, and the humble or extraordinary moments that make life on the road unforgettable.In these travel memoirs to a lost friend, you are invited to speak Kody's name and, by listening, help bring his spirit to the places he longed to see.Letters to Kody is dedicated to all those who have wandered, all those who wish to wander, and to the loved ones we’ve lost along the way. Each week, author and adventurer D. J. Swales writes a letter to Kody, a young friend who yearned to travel but never got the chance. Having escaped Belfast as a child and wandered through 120 countries since, D. J. shares intimate memoir-episodes about the natural world, folklore, history, culture, and the humble or extraordinary moments discovered on the road. This is travel writing with heart—for Kody, and for anyone who dreams of faraway places.If you enjoyed this letter, please share it with someone who loves to travel, even if only in their imagination. Until next week, keep exploring." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Letters to Kody is dedicated to all those who have wandered, all those who wish to wander, and to the loved ones we’ve lost along the way.Several years ago, a young man’s car collided with a fire truck in Kentucky. His name was Kody. He dreamed of seeing the world beyond the beauty of Kentucky, but had barely glimpsed it when he lost his life on his way to work at Walmart, aged twenty-three. For years beforehand, Kody had keenly followed my travel dispatches from around the world, sharing questions and comments. Now, through Letters to Kody, I’m taking him with me around the world — on the road, in the present, and through anecdotes from past travels. Every episode dedicated to Kody honours his spirit of adventure and curiosity.I’m author D. J. Swales. As a child, I gripped my teenage mum’s hand on a stormy ferry to Liverpool, fleeing the violence of conflict-torn Belfast. I haven’t stopped travelling since. I’ve been
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