Cheftimony Episode 031 – Man.Van.Dog.Blog.Interview
“Today, you’ll hear Joe’s thoughts on what it was like to leave the structure and familiarity of professional football to venture into the wide-open spaces of retirement and travel”
In the introduction to today’s episode, I’m excited to share that a culinary colleague reached out from across the country with kind words and to pass on some recipes. Chef Doris Fin wrote in to share her takes on an easy-to-digest delicious hummus and a beautiful vegan, gluten-free cream of mushroom soup. These look so incredibly good that I’m passing them on to you today. Thanks Doris! I do hope we can meet up in Toronto later this year.
My guest today is outside the usual profile of Cheftimony guests, and I couldn’t be happier to bring you our talk. It was last fall on a trip to Boulder City, just outside of Las Vegas, that I first heard of Joe Hawley. Bart Cops, the Camper Chef himself, said to me after we’d finished our interview in his backyard, that I should connect with his friend Joe, a guy who has a really interesting story. And does he ever!
Joe played centre for eight seasons in the NFL, with both the Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After retiring in 2018, Joe donated most of his belongings to charity, bought a van, and found his traveling partner Freedom at an animal shelter. He and Freedom set out on the road.
Today, you’ll hear Joe’s thoughts on what it was like to leave the structure and familiarity of professional football to venture into the wide-open spaces of retirement and travel. Along the way, Joe has developed a passion for reading, he’s taken up yoga and meditation, and he has a serious focus on what proper nutrition can do for our bodies and our minds.
Joe experimented with the keto diet but finds now that a plant-based approach works best for him. You’ll hear Joe’s thoughts on the importance of micro-nutrients and just how great one can feel eating real, natural foods. Joe believes that many people don’t know what feeling good truly feel likes, and I suspect he’s right.
Joe also talks about some of his favourite stops along the way so far, including baseball stadiums and many national parks. We agreed that Arches National Park in Utah is something special (and it also happens to be the backdrop for one of my very favourite books).
Toward the end of our talk, Joe shares some great practical tips for cooking delicious, healthy food on the road.
To the interview now… join us!