Best Road To Rio Podcasts (2025)

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EP 153 | Pedro Rios, Director of the U.S.-Mexico Border Program for the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) 1:02:39

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1d ago1:02:39

1:02:39

Host Ruben Navarrette has a great conversation with Pedro Rios, who -- like him -- has been intimately acquainted with the immigration issue for more than 30 years. The San Diego native, and graduate of the University of San Diego, is the director of the U.S.-Mexico Border Program for the American Friends Service Committee. He is also an op-ed cont…

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John Irving 47:02

2d ago47:02

47:02

Host Jason Blitman sits down with literary icon John Irving to discuss his latest novel, Queen Esther. Their wide-ranging conversation touches on the story behind Irving’s first tattoo, what it truly means to be an ally, where he finds optimism in uncertain times, and the deeply personal experiences that continue to shape his writing—plus plenty mo…

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Sequoia w 1:14:48

4d ago1:14:48

1:14:48

I have my friend Sequoia on the podcast. She talks about her life growing up in East County and her struggles with addiction.With numerous run ins and feeling trapped using meth, Xanax and fentanyl. Sequoia had enough and decided to give up everything after being released from prison going into a sober living. She not used fentanyl since her last a…

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Adam Lincoln and Jessica Schrader The wild story of the making of Baja Rehab 1:23:01

9d ago1:23:01

1:23:01

I have my friends and co-owners of Baja rehab Adam Lincoln and Jessica Schrader on the podcast. They talk about their upbringings in San Diego and their struggles with addiction. They met and turned a chaotic relationship into a successful partnership creating a lockdown rehabilitation center in Puerto Nuevo Mexico called Baja Rehab. Mentioned in t…

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The Book Club Menu feat. The Defined Dish & Ariel Sullivan (Conform) 37:39

9d ago37:39

37:39

In this episode, host Jason Blitman sits down with Alex Snodgrass (aka The Defined Dish) to talk all things book club menus—how to plan them, why they matter, and how food can deepen the reading experience. Using Alex’s recent book club gathering for Conform as a case study, the conversation expands to include Conform author Ariel Sullivan, who joi…

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Stephi 2.0 1:08:39

14d ago1:08:39

1:08:39

the follow up podcast of my friend Stephi. She is now entering her 4th year of sobriety. Stephi talks about facing one of the biggest challenges of her life and how she got through it sober. The goth gym girl updates us what has happened in the 2 years since her last podcast FFP episode 4 Mentioned in this episode: SD sober living Lawtigers (858) 3…

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E071: Using Home Warranties as a Strategic Negotiating Tool for Sellers 33:41

14d ago33:41

33:41

In this episode of Selling St. Pete, host Nicole Saunches sits down with home warranty expert Tina Romanik from Home Warranty of America to discuss how sellers can leverage home warranties as powerful negotiating tools. Whether you're listing a property with aging mechanicals or simply want to stand out in a competitive market, learn how offering a…

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7th Stranger 1:19:33

16d ago1:19:33

1:19:33

I have my friend Jamie on the podcast. She talks about growing up in San Diego and her struggles with opiate addiction and alcoholism. After successfully tapering off medical assistant treatment she decided to fully commit to sobriety and gave up drinking on New Year's Day 2022. With over 3 years sober she gets devote her time to her passion of bei…

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Dwayne Betts (Freedom Reads) 38:34

16d ago38:34

38:34

Host Jason Blitman sits down with Reginald Dwayne Betts—poet, lawyer, and founder of Freedom Reads—for an intimate conversation about transforming America's prison system one library at a time. In an extraordinary turn of events, Dwayne receives a live call from Jermaine, a friend currently incarcerated at Lawrenceville Correctional Facility. Jerma…

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Greg T 1:07:26

17d ago1:07:26

1:07:26

I have my homie Greg on the podcast. Talks about growing up in Texas in the suburbs and going from the party scene to full blown heroin addict. Moving to San Diego with the hopes of getting clean he obtained almost 5 years sobriety. With a relapse and nearly fatal overdose it was a spiritual bottom that inspired him to check back to treatment and g…

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EP 152 | Esther Valdez Clayton, San Diego-based Immigration Attorney 50:05

18d ago50:05

50:05

Host Ruben Navarrette has a great conversation with Esther Valdez Clayton, a San Diego-based Mexican American immigration attorney and evangelical Christian who is also a pro-Trump Republican. The two discuss the ICE raids and the reasons for the drop in Latino support for President Trump. They unpack the complexities of the immigration debate and …

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Rio Dobbs 1:03:31

18d ago1:03:31

1:03:31

I have my friend Rio on the podcast for the Big 200. She talks about growing up as a wild child in Carlsbad aka Carlos malos. She opens up about her struggles with addiction and getting sober but not living honestly during the pandemic. After going through a intense relapse she decided to take her recovery more seriously working her self with 12 st…

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Dakota M 1:03:16

20d ago1:03:16

1:03:16

I have my homie Dakota on the podcast. Growing up in Southeast San Diego he started drinking in using at a young age and got involved with gangs which led him to being in the system. After years of being in and out jail and surviving near death experiences. Dakota signed up for drug court and has been clean and sober for 18 months. He now has his s…

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Makai P 1:02:24

21d ago1:02:24

1:02:24

I have my homie makai on the podcast. Growing up all over but mostly in Arizona. He opens up about his opiate addiction that let him to a 6-year prison term that took him all over the Arizona system. Being in and out recovery having survived a fentanyl relapse and overdose. Makai now has 10 months of sobriety andis committed to his recovery and ser…

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[Re-Release] Gregory Maguire (Wicked) feat. Eric Williams and Eden Espinosa 1:33:31

23d ago1:33:31

1:33:31

In this re-release special episode, host Jason Blitman dives into the world of Wicked. Joined by legendary author Gregory Maguire, Guest Gay Reader is comedian and host of That’s a Gay Ass Podcast, Eric Williams, and Gays Reading’s first Guest Gay Icon, Broadway powerhouse Eden Espinosa. Highlights include: 📖 The legacy of this iconic story 🎭 Insid…

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Jenn Schwager 1:30:19

27d ago1:30:19

1:30:19

I have a special awareness episode with my friend Jenn Schwager. She talks about her brother Evan Schwager who passed away from a Fentanyl overdose in 2008 at 18 years old. She opens up about the repercussions of losing her brother to what at the time was not a commonly known substance and the grief she had to overcome. She also talks about what ma…

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Justinian Huang (Lucky Seed) feat. Lukas Gage, Guest Gay Reader 1:03:51

1M ago1:03:51

1:03:51

In this Thanksgiving week episode, host Jason Blitman talks to brand-new-dad Justinian Huang about his paper baby, Lucky Seed. Conversation highlights: 👻 hungry ghosts and superstitions 🤳🏼 social media and millennials 🦃 tips for navigating family during Thanksgiving Guest Gay Reader™️ this week is White Lotus and Overcompensating favorite--and avid…

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Jim Walters 1:05:53

1M ago1:05:53

1:05:53

Today I have my colleague Jim on the podcast. Jim talks about his life growing up in El cajon with a passion for baseball and music, struggles with alcoholism and drug addiction and his healing journey to recovery . He has been sober for 6 years and working as drug and alcohol counselor in the height of the fentanyl epidemic. Mentioned in this epis…

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Jesse 1:25:44

1M ago1:25:44

1:25:44

I got my homie Jesse on the podcast. Growing up in Chula Vista in a household of abuse, he applied in himself to school to escape from home. He later would start drinking and indulge in drugs and give up his opportunity in school. With years of run-ins with the law in both America and Mexico with an addiction to meth and alcohol that let him homele…

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Olivia Laing (The Silver Book) feat. Michael "Dancing Blue Shirt Guy" Galyean, Guest Gay Reader 1:07:49

1M ago1:07:49

1:07:49

Host Jason Blitman sits down with author Olivia Laing (The Lonely City) to talk about their new book, The Silver Book. In this conversation, they dive into: 🎥 making art and Italian cinema 🏳️‍🌈 the role queerness plays throughout Laing’s work 🗣️ how identity becomes a negotiation with—and around—fakeness Plus, this week’s Guest Gay Reader™️ is Mich…

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December Book Club: Erin O. White (Like Family) 31:07

1M ago31:07

31:07

In this *spoiler free* conversation, host Jason Blitman talks to author Erin O. White about her book LIKE FAMILY, the December Gays Reading Book Club pick with Allstora. LIKE FAMILY — a warm, big-hearted debut about the beautiful, messy, complicated ways we love one another. Set in a picturesque town in upstate New York, the novel follows three int…

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Gráinne O'Hare (Thirst Trap) feat. Brian Schaefer, Guest Gay Reader 1:10:34

2M ago1:10:34

1:10:34

Host Jason Blitman talks to award-winning Irish writer Gráinne O'Hare about her debut novel, Thirst Trap. Conversation highlights include: ❤️‍🔥 icks on dates 🙃 drunk alter egos 🧡 Taylor Swift 👯‍♀️ long friendships Next up is Guest Gay Reader™️ Brian Schaefer who talks about what he's been reading (hint: it's NOT books!), the book club he has with h…

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Pepe 57:38

2M ago57:38

57:38

Today I have my homie Pepe on the podcast. One of my good friends from a "magical place" . He talks about his life growing up in Mexicali and his progression to meth addiction. While living in Chula Vista he started working in the restaurant industry but the lifestyle would catch up and he go to state prison. After being parole mandated to go to tr…

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Nick Sev 1:04:41

2M ago1:04:41

1:04:41

I have my homie Nick on the podcast. Growing up in Jersey he started experimenting with drugs and alcohol while he was in middle school. He later was offered Percocet that turned out to be pressed fentanyl pills and fell into crack and Fentanyl addiction. With over 20 trips to rehab The 21st attempt he decided he had enough and move to San Diego to…

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Kristina F 1:57:55

2M ago1:57:55

1:57:55

Today I have my friend kristina on the podcast. Growing up in San Marcos she always lived a double life of getting in trouble and having success in school and sports. She started drinking and using drugs at 18 and hide her problem with fitness working as trainer and competing. With years of hard drug use living at the mt Vernon hotel and the street…

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ELK HORN, IOWA: Ghosts in the Cemetery and Beers With the Big-Bearded Mayor in His Harley Garage 38:42

2M ago38:42

38:42

In this final episode from Elk Horn, Iowa – the most Danish town in America – I visit the local cemetery, where history is literally carved in stone. Warren Whatson, the caretaker and local historian, shares stories about the early Danish settlers and how names and traditions changed over time. Then I meet Stan Jens, the big-bearded mayor of Elk Ho…

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Aja Gabel (Lightbreakers) feat. Anthony Delaney, Guest Gay Reader 1:05:42

2M ago1:05:42

1:05:42

Host Jason Blitman is joined by Aja Gabel to talk about her first novel in nearly a decade, Lightbreakers. Conversation highlights include: ✍🏻 the death of handwriting 🧪 science vs art 💭 what memory means to us Jason's then joined by Guest Gay Reader™️ Anthony Delaney who shares a giant stack of books he's reading as well as shares about his new bo…

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Faye B 37:21

2M ago37:21

37:21

Today I have my friend Faye on the podcast. Grewing up in Encinitas and Solana Beach , she was living the night club life in highschool. Faye was quickly addicted to multiple substances and gave up everything and hit bottom. She went to treatment in Orange county where she last used and has been sober for 13 years (11-3-12). 4 years ago she lost he…

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LITTLE DENMARK, USA: Inside the Most Danish Town in America 39:03

2M ago39:03

39:03

Welcome to Elk Horn, Iowa – a tiny farming town of about 650 people that calls itself Dane Country. I'm spending time with locals to find out how Danish it still is today. I stay in a Danish-style BnB, eat æbleskiver with medister sausage for breakfast, visit a real 1848 windmill brought here piece by piece from Denmark, and sit down with the peopl…

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ELK HORN, IOWA: Windmills, Museums, and a Prince Named Otto 34:50

2M ago34:50

34:50

Welcome back to Elk Horn, Iowa – a small Midwestern town that became the heart of Danish America. In this episode, we hear a remarkable coincidence about the first Danes to arrive here, visit the historic Danish Windmill with manager Lisa Steen Riggs, and explore The Museum of Danish America. I also get a personal tour of "Bedstemor's Hus," built i…

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SAUDI ARABIA: Camels, CouchSurfing, and the World's Tallest Tower That Never Was 38:06

2M ago38:06

38:06

In this final episode from Saudi Arabia, I travel from the peaceful Red Sea town of Yanbu to vibrant Jeddah – and end the journey at the King Abdulaziz Camel Festival near Riyadh. Along the way, I meet generous locals at a night market, stay with a kind CouchSurfing host, and visit the world's tallest unfinished skyscraper, the Jeddah Tower, now st…

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Michelle M 52:17

2M ago52:17

52:17

I have my friend Michelle in the podcast today. Growing up all over San Diego but mostly South Bay she had started drinking at young age but heavily progressed when she turned 21. She has worked in the industry as a bartender and functioned drinking for 14 years. Hitting a spiritual bottom and wanting more of our life ,with the help of the recovery…

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Catherine Newman (Wreck) feat. Rachel Runya Katz, Guest Gay Reader 1:19:00

2M ago1:19:00

1:19:00

Host Jason Blitman sits down with returning Gays Reading guest Catherine Newman (Sandwich) to talk about her new book, Wreck. Conversation highlights include: 🤧 Ailments, of course. 😵‍💫 Anxiety, of course. 💻 The Portal, you understand. 🥳 But also a lot of fun stuff, too. Jason is then joined by Guest Gay Reader™️ Rachel Runya Katz to hear about wha…

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SAUDI ARABIA: Reflections in the Desert and the World's Largest Mirror 29:26

2M ago29:26

29:26

In this episode, my travel partner Cynthia and I explore Al Ula in northwestern Saudi Arabia – where ancient culture meets cutting-edge architecture. We stroll through Old Town's 1,300 mudbrick houses, chat with a modern young Saudi woman named Dalal, and marvel at Maraya, the world's largest mirrored building shimmering in the desert. We also test…

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SAUDI ARABIA: Driving to the Edge of the World and Beyond 26:31

2M ago26:31

26:31

In this episode, we leave Riyadh behind and head for "The Edge of the World" – a jaw-dropping cliff where the desert drops into infinity. With only vague directions from a CouchSurfing friend ("Go to the mosque… don't die"), my travel buddy Cynthia and I set out on a 4,000 km road trip across Saudi Arabia. We encounter rare desert rain, camel carav…

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SAUDI ARABIA UNCOVERED: Road Trips, Red Dunes, and a Culture Few Get to See 33:08

2M ago33:08

33:08

Join me on an unforgettable journey across Saudi Arabia – from the futuristic capital Riyadh to the dramatic Red Sand Dunes where my travel partner Cynthia and I got repeatedly stuck. Along the way, we discover a country transforming itself through Vision 2030, meet warm and curious locals, and experience the blend of old traditions and bold modern…

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E070: The Girl Boss Effect: Empowering Women, Building Wealth, and Creating Community 45:22

2M ago45:22

45:22

In this inspiring episode of Selling St. Pete with Nicole Saunches, Nicole sits down with Sandy Bean, founder of the St. Pete Girl Boss Network — a 10,000+ member community of women entrepreneurs who are redefining what collaboration and connection look like in business. Together, they explore how Sandy transformed personal challenges into a powerf…

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Julia D 57:54

2M ago57:54

57:54

I have my friend Julia on the podcast. Growing up in the South she suffered with severe depression at 8 years old and has been battling with mental health. She would start drinking alcohol and eventually got addicted to cocaine. Wanting to do something with her life She moved to the San Diego to enter treatment. At 23 years old Julia is over one ye…

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Tom Ryan (We Had a Hunch) feat. Kim Chi, Guest Gay Reader 1:13:09

2M ago1:13:09

1:13:09

Host Jason Blitman talks to bestselling author Tom Ryan about his latest adult mystery, We Had A Hunch. Highlights include: 🕵🏻‍♂️ a love of mysteries ✍🏻 how Tom taught himself to write 🎤 a question that Tom calls "Barbara Walters level journalism" Jason is then joined by Guest Gay Reader™️, RuPaul's Drag Race superstar, Kim Chi about what she's bee…

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What Are You Reading? with Mark and Scott Hoying 29:39

2M ago29:39

29:39

Prepare to grow your already overflowing TBR (sorry, not sorry!) with our new series What Are You Reading?. In this episode, host Jason Blitman sits down with Pentatonix and Dancing with the Stars' Scott Hoying and Mark Hoying to chat about the books that they've been reading recently and about their new children's book, Fa La La Family. Scott Hoyi…

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November Book Club: Victoria Redel (I Am You) 40:37

2M ago40:37

40:37

In this *spoiler free* conversation, host Jason Blitman talks to author Victoria Redel about her book I AM YOU, the November Gays Reading Book Club pick with Allstora. I AM YOU subverts the idea of a 17th-century historical novel — it’s intimate, modern, and deeply queer in the way it explores gender, art, and identity. The characters feel so alive…

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Megha Majumdar (A Guardian and a Thief) feat. Brandon Taylor, Guest Gay Reader 1:20:52

3M ago1:20:52

1:20:52

Host Jason Blitman talks with Megha Majumdar about her acclaimed second novel, A Guardian and a Thief—recently nominated for the Kirkus Prize and shortlisted for the National Book Award. Conversation highlights include: 🐢 fables and folktales 🦬 interpretations of cave art 🤔 moral quandaries 🎶 concerts and music taste Jason is then joined by Guest G…

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RIO DE JANEIRO: Chaos, Beauty, and the Night I'll Never Forget 36:43

3M ago36:43

36:43

In this flashback episode, I'm in Rio de Janeiro – a city bursting with life, rhythm, and contradictions. From the stunning beaches of Copacabana to the chaotic streets where danger can lurk in the shadows, Rio is a place that never lets you relax completely. Join me as I dive into the culture, meet the locals, and experience both the breathtaking …