May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Today my Talking Travel interview guest is doing his part with a twist on travel.
Most travelers prefer to limit their time in airports, but Justin Spencer isn’t like most people. He has spent the last 14 days living in an airport to raise awareness for mental health while working on his upcoming novel, Terminal Anxiety. It’s a cause near to his heart, having battled various mental health issues.
Photo courtesy of Justin Spencer
Spencer has always done things a bit differently but always with a concern for people and the world. Thirty years ago he formed Recycled Percussion, a musical act using buckets and recycled elements. That led to thousands of concerts worldwide. In 2016 he created the Chaos and Kindness brand to inspire people to be kind in this chaotic world.
Spencer chose Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport because it is the busiest in the world. His only self-imposed rule was he could not go outside. Besides finishing his book, Spencer does acts of kindness for strangers. He also ran a marathon within the airport (believed to be the first person ever to do so).
In our interview Spencer discussed his process and preparation for his stay. He also gave his views on travel and a few tips learned from his stay. Always with a world view, Spencer mentioned the good and bad from what he’s experienced.
Few things can be more chaotic than the busiest airport, but Spencer is surviving by living up to one of his mottos: “In a world full of chaos, always show your kindness.” There’s no better time to learn a bit from Spencer than Mental Health Awareness Month.
Talking Travel is an interview series on Global Traveler. Subscribe to the GT YouTube channel to be notified of all future interviews and other travel-related videos.
— John Wroblewski, podcaster
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