{"podcast":{"title":"Traveling with AAA","slug":"traveling-with-aaa-5494223","podcast_index_feed_id":5494223,"rss_url":"https://feeds.blubrry.com/feeds/travelingwithaaa.xml","website_url":"https://www.ace.aaa.com/?zip=92626&devicecd=PC","image_url":"https://assets.blubrry.com/coverart/orig/1459491-463819.jpg","author":"Auto Club Enterprises","episode_count":185,"summary":"To help you get the most of your travel experiences, Traveling with AAA takes you around the country and the world through conversations with industry pros. You’ll hear tips and tricks, travelers’ tales, and hard-won wisdom that will inspire you to plan your next adventure. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are not necessarily the views of Auto Club Enterprises/The Automobile Club of Southern California, AAA and/or its affiliates.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-09T18:21:00.790291+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/traveling-with-aaa-5494223"},"episode":{"title":"Traveling for Connection with Andrew McCarthy","slug":"traveling-for-connection-with-andrew-mccarthy","published_at":"2026-03-19T09:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/traveling-with-aaa-5494223/traveling-for-connection-with-andrew-mccarthy","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/traveling-with-aaa-5494223","url":"https://podcast.show/travelingwithaaa/episode/153023370/","audio_url":"https://media.blubrry.com/travelingwithaaa/ins.blubrry.com/travelingwithaaa/TWA-2026-03-19-218.mp3","summary":"When was the last time you actually saw your closest friends? Texts and social media can help you stay connected, but chances are, it’s been too long since you’ve been together in person. The same was true for actor, director, and New York Times bestselling author Andrew McCarthy. A pointed question from his teenage son sparked an unplanned, 10,000-mile road trip across America; Without GPS or an itinerary, he packed a bag and an old-school map, determined to reconnect with the people who helped shape him. In this episode, host Angie Orth sits down with Andrew McCarthy to explore the deeply human themes behind his latest book, Who Needs Friends, which chronicles his journey across back roads to reignite decades-old friendships. What You’ll Learn: 01:22 – The moment that launched a 10,000-mile journey 08:35 – How to pitch a travel story 15:26 – Why showing up in a friend's world fosters reconnection 23:45 – Andrew's pick for America's most overlooked destination 32:22 – An incremental approach to getting out of your comfort zone Connect with Andrew McCarthy: Website: https://andrewmccarthy.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrewtmccarthy Episodes Mentioned: The Art of Pilgrimage with Andrew McCarthy: https://podcast.show/travelingwithaaa/episode/132461820/ Top 5 Tips for Walking the Camino de Santiago with Andrew McCarthy: https://podcast.show/travelingwithaaa/episode/132461821/ Where would YOU go to reconnect with old friends? Tell us about it in the comments! Connect with AAA: Book travel: https://aaa-text.co/travelingwithaaa LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aaa-auto-club-enterprises Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/AAAAutoClubEnterprises Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AAAAutoClubEnterprises","meta_description":"When was the last time you actually saw your closest friends? Texts and social media can help you stay connected, but chances are, it’s been too long sinc…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2104,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/traveling-with-aaa-5494223/episodes/traveling-for-connection-with-andrew-mccarthy/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/traveling-with-aaa-5494223/traveling-for-connection-with-andrew-mccarthy.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}