Program 648: Becoming a Digital Nomad; Window Seat; Spirit of the Grand Canyon

With a decent wi-fi connection, you might be able to "work from home" from anywhere! On the next Travel with Rick Steves, an American who's relocated to the Republic of Georgia explains how to become a "digital nomad."

Also, an Arizona novelist reveals how the overwhelming beauty of the Grand Canyon inspires her writing. And a geologist recommends what to look for from a window seat on your next domestic flight.

Take a deeper look at America, on this week's Travel with Rick Steves.

• Mike Swigunski, author of "Global Career:  How to Work Anywhere and Travel Forever" (self-published)
• Geologist James  S. Jackson, instructor at Portland State University, and co-author of “America From the Air”  (Houghton Mifflin)
• Margaret Erhart, Grand Canyon guide and novelist, author of “The Butterflies of Grand Canyon”  (Plume)

• Mike Swigunski shares his tips for working from other countries in his self-published book "Global Career: How to Work Anywhere and Travel Forever."
• James Jackson is co-author of "America from the Air:  A Guide to the Landscape Along Your Route."
• While teaching at Portland State University, Jim Jackson posted resources for educators to use from his landscape air guide in "America from the Air." 
• Margaret Erhart is author of "The Butterflies of Grand Canyon."
• The website for Grand Canyon National Park.

• Pilot says "looking out the window never gets old! My best view was flying from Saudi Arabia to England, going right by Mount Etna in Sicily as it was erupting. The most amazing site ever, seeing a volcano from 31,000 feet!" (Tony in Houston, Texas)
• Shares enthusiasm for hiking Grand Canyon.  (Mark in Tempe, Arizona)
• Coping with vertigo in Grand Canyon. "Is riding a donkey or a horse safe for travelling in the Canyon? I heard that they trot in very narrow paths along the precipices, and that gives me vertigo and fear." (Maria in Lewiston, New York)
• "At night at the Grand Canyon we were able to view the stars with a guide. Since there are few artificial lights, we could see many constellations." (Elinda in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania)
• Suggests hiking the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim in one day. "I have done this five times! It makes for a long day, but a beautiful way to commune with nature in a most dramatic setting." (Harry in Springfield, Virginia)

• King Kooba, "Koobesq," Nikki Beach, vol. 1 (collection) / Musicrama
• Junius Meyvant, "Signals," Floating Harmonies / Record Records
• Tin Hat Trio, "Foreign Legion," Memory is an Elephant / Angel
• Rouge Rouge, "C'est Presque Ca," Paris Lounge 2: Paris By Day (collection) / Wagram
• Ronan, "Otoño Porteño (Dark Piano Mix)," Buenos Aires-Paris: The Electronic Tango Anthology, disc 2 (collection) / PMB Music (Argentina)
• Richsteiner-Burkhard, "Hanswurst," SRI Demo 5-97 (collection) / Swiss Radio International
• * Percy Faith and his Orchestra, "Theme from 'A Summer Place,'" Pop Music:  The Golden Era 1951-1976 (collection) / Sony
• Merchants of Moonshine, "Texas Toast," More Than Whiskey / (self-released)
• Cleveland Quartet, "Quartet No. 12, Op. 96, I-Allegro ma non troppo (Dvorak),"  Dvorak: Quartet No. 12 and 14 / Telarc
• Bob Thompson, "Star Fire," Cocktail Mix vol. 1: Bachelor's Guide to the Galaxy (collection) / Rhino  
• Guitar intro to John Prine, "My Old Kentucky Home," Beautiful Dreamer: The Songs of Stephen Foster (collection) / American
• Ottmar Liebert and Luna Negra, "Chama 2 Santa Fe," Opium, disc 2 / Epic
• Phoenix Boys Choir, "America the Beautiful," Let Freedom Sing / Summit
• Herb Ellis, "America the Beautiful," Texas Swings / Justice Records - Fontana
• * Shelburne Quartet, "Fantasia on 'Shenandoah' for Guitar and String Quartet (Sowash)," Music for the Appalachian Trail (various artists) / Gasparo
• New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein, cond., "Grand Canyon Suite - III: On the Trail (Grofe)," Gershwin-Rhapsody In Blue / Sony Classical
• Gary Stroutsos, "Along the River (The Shoshones)," Lewis and Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery (soundtrack) / RCA
• Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, May Festival Chorus (Erich Kunzel, cond.), "'Humming Chorus' from 'Madama Butterfly' (Puccini),"  Bella Tuscany (collection) / Telarc
• Sharon Burch, "Hooghan," Touch the Sweet Earth / Canyon Records
• Mary Youngblood, "Lady Bug Dance," Many Blessings (collection) / Silver Wave Records

* indicates filler music used during breaks

• At 7:55, Mike Swigunski says over the last decade he's been to 85 different countries, and is looking to explore Africa. He later adds that the "'Stans" of Southwest Asia will be his next destinations from his base in Tbilisi.  
• Jim Jackson says at  27:50 that FAA-established flight routes over the US have been in effect "for probably 50 years." He adds that jet planes are required to maintain at least 1000 feet of vertical clearance and 5 miles of distance from other aircraft.
• Caller Tony notes at 29:43 that he flew over Sicily's Mt Etna when it was erupting in 2003. Jim adds that the landscape north of Mt. St Helens in Washington state is still "a remarkable site" and made the cover of his book. 
• At 34:12, Jim describes the height of late summer afternoon thunderstorms that tend to form near Chicago.
• At 35:58, Jim says you can spot people on the green Spring training baseball fields of Arizona in February.
• At 46:11, Margaret Erhart describes what it's like to gaze upon Grand Canyon in the heat of summer.