Rolf Potts

Rolf Potts

Travel Writer, Essayist, Adventurer, Teacher

Rolf Potts

  • About
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  • Writing
    • Essays & Travel Stories
    • Dispatches
    • Travel Writer Profiles
    • No Baggage Challenge
    • Vagablogging
  • Books
    • The Vagabond’s Way
    • Vagabonding
    • Souvenir
    • Marco Polo Didn’t Go There
    • The Geto Boys (33 1/3)
    • The Misadventures of Wenamun
    • La déchirante histoire de l’homme qui inventa le livre de poche
    • Audiobooks
    • Anthologies
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Essays & Stories Korea

Expats in Asia

October 24, 2006

Korean-born U.S. filmmaker Wonsuk Chin is making a movie that is partially inspired by Rolf’s 1990’s expatriate writings about Busan. With the movie in pre-production, Rolf travels to Korea to meet Chin and reflect on the expat experience.

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Dispatches Korea

Korea’s no-man’s land

February 3, 1999

Rolf describes a visit to Korea’s DMZ, one of the planet’s oddest tourist attractions, where visitors can pick up everything from propaganda to perfume.

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Essays & Stories Korea

Man bites dog

October 28, 1998

Koreans and Americans both love dogs — they just have a different way of showing it.

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Dispatches, Travel Korea

Ignorants abroad

June 22, 1998

An American expatriate weathers the slings and arrows of learning another language.

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Vagabonding Trip Planner

Books by Rolf

  • Souvenir (Object Lessons) book cover
  • The Geto Boys cover

Podcast: Deviate with Rolf

  • Mars on Earth: The world’s driest desert, and what travelers might find when they go there May 6, 2025
  • Why a chapter about “slum tourism” was edited out of The Vagabond’s Way (with Chloe Cooper Jones) April 1, 2025
  • Long-term travel 101: Matt Kepnes on how to slow down and save money on an extended global journey March 25, 2025
  • Travel memoir lab: On blending travel narrative with a broader memoiristic life-narrative March 4, 2025
  • How a journey on the Hippie Trail changed Rick Steves’ life (and influenced Rolf’s travels too) February 11, 2025

Recent Blog Posts

  • On travel writing, writing classes, community, mentorship, and how travel fosters creativity May 8, 2025
  • Travel Writer: Dustin Grinnell May 1, 2025
  • An audio book-club podcast companion to Rolf’s 2022 book “The Vagabond’s Way” April 24, 2025
  • 18 essential bits of creative advice from Kevin Kelly’s “Excellent Advice for Living” April 17, 2025
  • A return, once again, to Khao San Road (my neophyte backpacker travel home more than 25 years ago) April 10, 2025
  • Travel Writer: Blake Boles April 3, 2025

Travel Writer Interviews

  • Travel Writer: Dustin Grinnell May 1, 2025
  • Travel Writer: Blake Boles April 3, 2025
  • Travel Writer: Tania Romanov March 1, 2025
  • Travel Writer: Lucas Peters February 1, 2025
  • Travel Writer: Pier Nirandara January 1, 2025
  • Travel Writer: Troy Nahumko December 1, 2024

Books

The Vagabond’s Way

The Vagabond’s Way

Lands of Lost Borders

Tools of Titans

The 33 1/3 B-sides

Vagabonding

Souvenir

Marco Polo Didn’t Go There

The Misadventures of Wenamun

The Geto Boys (33 1/3)

Recent Podcasts

Mars on Earth: The world’s driest desert, and what travelers might find when they go there

Why a chapter about “slum tourism” was edited out of The Vagabond’s Way (with Chloe Cooper Jones)

Long-term travel 101: Matt Kepnes on how to slow down and save money on an extended global journey

Travel memoir lab: On blending travel narrative with a broader memoiristic life-narrative

How a journey on the Hippie Trail changed Rick Steves’ life (and influenced Rolf’s travels too)

A travel writers’ Super Bowl special: Pico Iyer and Rolf discuss NFL football from the global perspective

Pico Iyer on how solitude, stillness, and silence play an essential counterbalance to the traveling life

Life changing travel experiences: Memories of traveling to Syria, 25 years on (with Ari Shaffir)

Travel memoir lab: How to fast-track your travel book by working with a hybrid publisher

HoneyTrek: A case study in making a full-time living as travel influencers and content creators

Travel Writers

Travel Writer: Dustin Grinnell

Travel Writer: Blake Boles

Travel Writer: Tania Romanov

Travel Writer: Lucas Peters

Travel Writer: Pier Nirandara

Travel Writer: Troy Nahumko

Travel Writer: Laura Kiniry

Travel Writer: Rosie Bell

Travel Writer: James Michael Dorsey

Travel Writer: Shahnaz Habib