Mike considers a day-long unplugged drive across Michigan, inspired by Dave Rubin's month off the grid.
Mike Dell opens the episode by discussing major vehicle changes: his wife prompted him to buy a 2013 Z71 Chevy pickup truck because they plan to sell their motorhome and eventually get a pull-behind camper. He also mentions selling his wife's Highlander and getting back a Subaru to repair and resell. Mike then shifts to his recent travel to Podcast Movement in Nashville, Tennessee, where he stayed at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel, which he describes as a 'food desert' due to expensive and limited dining options. He highlights seeing Questlove perform a two-hour DJ set at a bar downtown. At the conference, Mike worked a booth with colleagues Todd, McKenzie, and Tara, and notes the colored button system (red, yellow, green) used to indicate comfort levels with physical contact during COVID. He got a free ElectroVoice shock mount from a booth rep after chatting about music. Mike details exploring downtown Nashville, including a six-story diner, and later having a solo dinner at a German beer house in a nearby mall. He flew home with Todd on Delta Airlines and felt exhausted from the walking and standing. Reflecting on constant connectivity, Mike mentions podcaster Dave Rubin, who unplugs for all of August, and considers doing a mini-version himself: taking a day off to drive a 300-mile medical route across Michigan without his phone. He ends by urging listeners to try alternative podcast apps like Fountain or Podverse due to Apple Podcasts' delayed updates.
