Episode 100: The Tables Turn - Jennifer Peterkin on Dreams, Travel, and the Power of Legacy
For this milestone 100th episode, we're doing something special—host Jennifer Peterkin hands over the mic to her friend, Kesh Witmer, for an intimate conversation about the journey behind The Human Experience podcast.
In this raw and reflective episode, Jennifer opens up about the three-year odyssey of creating this show, from publishing her first episode at 11:50 PM on January 31st, 2023 (cutting it close to her self-imposed deadline) to interviewing guests across the world. She shares the deeply personal reasons behind her commitment to in-person interviews, how her grandfathers' stories inspired the podcast, and why she believes everyone has a story worth telling.
Jennifer also reveals the evolution of her relationship with travel, from leveraging her podcast as a way to see the world to discovering that solo adventures gave her more confidence than anything else in her life. Plus, she unveils an exciting new venture: The Human Experience Legacies, a curated interview service designed to preserve family stories as heirloom keepsakes.
This is a celebration of 100 episodes, countless miles traveled, and the beautiful realization that sometimes our dreams are already happening—even when they don't look exactly like we imagined.
Key Takeaways
- Everyone has a story worth telling: You don't need trauma or drama—being alive means you have experiences that matter and they are doors to connection.
- Dreams happening ≠ dreams perfected: Your dreams may already be coming true even if they don't match your original vision. Don't let perfectionism blind you to your progress.
- Confidence comes from doing: Solo travel, launching a podcast, or any challenge teaches you that you're capable of more than you thought—and you don't need anyone's permission.
- In-person connection is irreplaceable: There's something sacred about physically bearing witness to someone's story that can't be replicated virtually.
- Preserve stories before it's too late: Voices, laughter, emotion—these disappear when people pass. Recording stories in real-time is a gift to future generations.
- Compassion is about being present: You don't need to fix, advise, or relate—sometimes compassion means simply bearing witness and sitting in lament with someone.
- Travel expands your worldview exponentially: Leaving your bubble and experiencing how others live teaches you that "maybe my life experience isn't the only one that matters."
Memorable Episodes Referenced
Quotes to Remember
"Our stories are always gonna be the thing that capture our humanity, so they're always worth telling." - Jennifer Peterkin
"If I want to do it, I can do it... Nothing is holding you back except yourself." - Jennifer Peterkin
"You're alive, so you have a story. The problem is that we feel like things have to be so dramatic or, unfortunately, traumatic for them to be worth telling." - Jennifer Peterkin
"Just because the vision you have in your head about what your dream is, just because that doesn't fully get realized, doesn't mean that your dreams aren't happening and they aren't a reality." - Jennifer Peterkin
"When somebody is in need of compassion, they don't need fixing. They need a soft place to land." - Jennifer Peterkin
"I think lamentation is something that we are very uncomfortable with because there is no quick fix for it... I think that it is an act of compassion itself. And I also think it's an act of worship when we can sit with somebody and just try to feel this depth of sorrow for their pain and not try to do anything else with it." - Jennifer Peterkin
"Just because you're not in the exact place you thought you would be when all of these things are happening doesn't negate the fact that they are happening." - Jennifer Peterkin
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