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Andrew Evans

Travel Writer. Digital Nomad. Black Penguin.

Andrew Evans

Author, speaker, and TV host, Andrew Evans shares stories from around the world on paper, pixel, and screen. A peripatetic travel writer, Andrew has completed some 50 assignments for National Geographic, reporting live from all seven continents and over one hundred countries. Some of his favorite adventures include live-tweeting his ascent of Mt. Kilimanjaro, blogging his thru-hike on The Jordan Trail (from Syria to Saudi Arabia), traveling to remotest Polynesia with an 18th-century guidebook, and traveling a 12,000-miles overland journey from Washington, DC, to Antarctica using public transportation.


Andrew—a five-time Lowell Thomas Award winner from the Society of American Travel Writers—is a contributor to National Geographic, BBC Travel, NBC, The Chicago Tribune and The Boston Globe. He is the author of five books, including two bestselling guidebooks (Ukraine and Iceland). His award-winning memoir The Black Penguin tells the personal story of a devout Mormon boy whose religion had pre-ordained his life’s path: baptism, mission, Brigham Young University, temple marriage, and children. Andrew lived the life expected of him while balancing a growing awareness that his own nature as a gay man conflicted with his religion and heritage. He escaped bullying and frustration in the faraway places shown on the glossy pages of National Geographic—especially his dream destination Antarctica.  After years of faithful church service and two years spent as a missionary overseas, he came out as gay and was excommunicated by his church (and for a time, his family). His personal memoir, The Black Penguin—equal parts coming of age, expedition journal, and his dream journey to the bottom of the Earth, while on assignment for National Geographic—tells his story.


Andrew also appears as on-air talent for the National Geographic Channel, hosting “World’s Smartest Cities” (a series focusing on the intersection of tech and geography) and “Hidden Gems”—a travel series that celebrates the lesser-known histories and cultures around the world.


A renowned influencer in the world of travel media, Andrew calls for traveling sustainably, open to experiencing the unfamiliar world with respect and mindfulness. Multilingual, Andrew holds degrees from Brigham Young University and Oxford University. When not on planes, trains, or the trail, he lives in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains.

Andrew Evans

Travel: A Bridge to Enlightenment

Despite this new era of hyper-connective technology, we are becoming a more divided and less compassionate species.  Travel can be an antidote to hate and ignorance by teaching us to laugh at ourselves, appreciate the limits of our own worldview, and learn from the knowledge and experience of different cultures. With humorous and gripping tales pulled from journeys to over 100 countries, Andrew reveals how travel can truly change our lives—and the world.


Rejecting Rejection

Adversity is part of life, and overcoming opposition is a skill that every one of us must learn, be it on the playground, in our communities, or in the office. Delving into his his award-winning memoir, The Black Penguin, Andrew shares his struggle growing up gay, inside a highly religious family and offers real-world solutions to coping with violence, bullying, and oppression, stressing the importance of self-discovery, authenticity, and finding joy in life—despite the bumps in the road.

Featured Presentation

Photos: courtesy Andrew Evans

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