March 17th, 2026

Looking for a relaxing sleep podcast to help you unwind, quiet busy thoughts, or gently fall asleep? In this episode of The Insomnia Project, Marco welcomes special guest Daniela Vlaskalic for a calm and easygoing conversation about travel and podcasting.
Together, they explore the simple pleasures of travelling — the observations, routines, and small moments that make each journey memorable. Daniela also shares insights from her podcast, Every Place Is The Same, where she reflects on culture, connection, and the surprising similarities found across different destinations.
Despite the lively topic, the conversation remains soft, meandering, and low-stakes — designed to soothe your mind, reduce anxiety, and help you drift toward rest. This relaxing sleep podcast is perfect for bedtime listening, calming your thoughts during the day, or creating a peaceful atmosphere while you work or unwind.
Let the gentle rhythm of conversation carry you into a more relaxed state — and if you fall asleep before the episode ends, that’s exactly what we’re here for.
#sleeppodcast #insomniapodcast #relaxingpodcast #sleepconversation #calmpodcast #bedtimepodcast #fallasleepfast

​Travels, Traveling and Podcasting about it.
(Original airdate: June 6, 2018)

Speaker:  Welcome to the Insomnia Project. Sit back, relax and listen as we have a conversation about the mundane. One thing that we can promise is that our conversation will be less than fascinating so that you can just feel free to relax, chill, drift off, whatever you need. Use this podcast podcasts, but don't operate heavy machinery while listening. I want to thank you for joining us. We hope that you will listen and sleep. I'm your host, Marco Tampano, and joining me once again is Daniela Vlascalic. Did I get your name right this time?

Speaker:  You did, Marco. You got it perfectly right.

Speaker:  Welcome back to our show.

Speaker:  Thank you. It's always a pleasure to be on.

Speaker:  And the reason I got it right, Daniela, is because we had a conversation and now you're a fellow podcaster.

Speaker:  Absolutely.

Speaker:  And I produce and direct your podcast. So this is the first episodes where we're kind of doing a cross cross promotion or a dovetail. I'm making a gesture with my hands that no one can see where I'm crossing my fingers, but we're kind of dovetailing and talking about our latest project on the Insomnia Project which is your podcast. So, Daniela, first tell us the name of your podcast and where people can find it.

Speaker:  Well, it is called Every Place is the Same. And you can find us on Instagram at Every Place is the Same. You can find us on Facebook also at Every Place is the Same. And on twitter@, uh, epitsnow.

Speaker:  So epits would stand for Every Place is the Same. Now, so it's the first letter of each of those words that's correct together, Daniela. And I know this is kind of self indulgent, because I know kind of the answer, but how did this first of all, tell me about this podcast? What are you doing on this podcast?

Speaker:  Well, on this podcast, what I try and do is take on the challenge of comparing two places in the world and revealing to the guest and to our listeners that they are, in fact, the same.

Speaker:  So it's a comedic travel podcast with a challenge twist in it?

Speaker:  Absolutely.

Speaker:  And so you're asking your guest what, like, where they're from or like.

Speaker:  Yeah, we generally, we would take the guest where they grew up or where they're from or a place that they've lived and are for a long time and are very familiar with. And then we would, uh, cross that with a place that they've traveled to or spend some time. And then we take these two places, and, um, generally they don't think that they're anything alike or. But I'm there to prove that they are, in fact, the same.

Speaker:  All right, well, we won't go any further with that because if you really want to know more about it, check out Every Place is the Same on itunes. But how did this come to be? Because I often find that the stories behind projects, whether they be podcast, podcast, televisions, or television shows, or just about any interesting project, the story behind it I often find fascinating.

Speaker:  Well, Marco, uh, you and I were on a car trip. We were heading out to, uh, Collingwood,

Speaker:  which is kind of like a resort town in Ontario. Would you describe it as.

Speaker:  I'd never been there before.

Speaker:  You hadn't?

Speaker:  But it was your first time. I mean, my first time. But you'd been there many times.

Speaker:  Yeah, because it's kind of like an area of Ontario where you can go skiing. So it's not far from Toronto. And Collingwood has a great sort of ski and outdoorsy kind of feel to it. They have caves you can explore in the summertime, and they've got beautiful spots.

Speaker:  Blue Mountains.

Speaker:  That's right. Correct.

Speaker:  Is that sort of the famous landmark of that area? Yeah, well, we were traveling there to do Some business, as you and I have traveled all over the world.

Speaker:  That's right. We do a lot of corporate, um, work.

Speaker:  That's right. All over the world. So we were talking about.

Speaker:  See, I don't remember this. I'm trying to think, Danielle. I'm like, how did we. How did the concept form? So I'm glad you're telling me this, because now we have recorded evidence of the birth of this new podcast.

Speaker:  Exactly. So I think we were talking about traveling.

Speaker:  Okay.

Speaker:  Uh, and the fact that we both love to do it, that we've both been to many places in the world, and we love hearing travel stories or people's experiences of the places that they've been or the places that they've lived. Of course, travel podcasts and blogs and TV shows are the rage. I mean, they're everywhere.

Speaker:  They're everywhere. They're. And they, once again, they dovetail with other subject matters like travel and food or travel and spas you can go to and whatnot.

Speaker:  Absolutely. And so I think that when we were talking about a travel podcast, it was more about what's not different about the places that we go to, but how are they the same?

Speaker:  Right.

Speaker:  And that oftentimes things that you would do in your own city are things that you would seek out and do in a foreign city or somewhere that's foreign to you. So I think this just made us laugh a great deal.

Speaker:  Well, because we were also, um, saying how sometimes when you go these corporate hotels, they're so similar even in their design, that you might be in Dallas, but you're thinking you're in Atlanta because they look. Or Chicago because you're in these giant corporate hotels where they have meeting rooms and whatnot. And there's usually, like, a FedEx kiosk in there that you can do any of that sort of faxing or mailing or shipping. And so I think we were talking about how a lot of those hotels are exactly the same.

Speaker:  They absolutely are. I feel like I've woken up in Shanghai and I've woken up in Auckland, New Zealand, and been wondering, where am I? This hotel room is exactly the same as the other.

Speaker:  It's like those rock stars who, like, you know, they do so many tour dates that all of a sudden, things become a big blur. And one of the things I love about it is that, you know, everyone talks about how wonderfully different every place is and how you should travel because it's different. But this podcast kind of says, yeah, everything's wonderfully different, but everything's wonderfully. The same too. So congratulations on that, Daniella. Uh, thank you. Speaking of traveling, let's talk about traveling. What are your rituals before you travel? When you know you have a trip, you're gonna. Just before you're packing or when you're packing or before you head to the airport, do you have any rituals or any things that you do?

Speaker:  I clean my apartment.

Speaker:  Okay.

Speaker:  I don't know why, but I just feel like it needs to be immaculate before I go. And maybe a lot of people do this, I'm not sure, but the thought of returning from somewhere, no matter how long I've I'm going for, thought of returning to a dirty place or if somebody has to go or a messy place, um, really stresses me out.

Speaker:  Sure.

Speaker:  So for me, I kind of have to make sure that I'm leaving my space in perfect order.

Speaker:  Okay. What about when you pack? Do you have a system of packing?

Speaker:  I do. Typically, I lay everything out on my bed that I'm going to need. And then I also categorize weather.

Speaker:  Oh, with. With your items.

Speaker:  With my items. And I think the main reason is because if I'm going mainly to warm places, I can pack more in a similar sized suitcase.

Speaker:  Okay.

Speaker:  Whereas if I'm going somewhere that's cold, it's a lot trickier because then you're looking at coats and boots and you. You can't get away with. With as much stuff.

Speaker:  Do you have a preferred size of luggage?

Speaker:  Ideally, I like the. The mid size.

Speaker:  The mid size. Okay.

Speaker:  And you know, in. In an ideal word, I just world, I have the mid size and I have a small carry on and that's all. But if I'm traveling for a long period of time, um, I like to have as little carry on as possible, which is of kind, completely antithetical to what everyone is doing in the world.

Speaker:  Why is that?

Speaker:  Um, because I hate dragging things around and having a million bags in my hands and having to put things up in the overhead bin. And people aren't very gracious about the overhead bin or under their seats. They've always got way more than they should. And so preferably, I'd like to have everything under the plane and have as little to worry about on the plane or the train as possible.

Speaker:  So when you're on the plane or the train and you've taken off, what do you want near you so that you can access. Do you bring certain things with you?

Speaker:  I always have earphones.

Speaker:  Okay.

Speaker:  I always have my Kobo or a book.

Speaker:  And that's. That's an Electronic reader of a book. Right.

Speaker:  An ereader. Um, I always make sure I have bottled water, which I've bought once I've cleared the customs area. And I typically.

Speaker:  Oh, I like where this one's going.

Speaker:  Pack a lunch.

Speaker:  Oh, you do?

Speaker:  I do.

Speaker:  For whatever flight or travel you're doing.

Speaker:  I do. I like to have, um. And whatever that might be. It's just a depends, you know, whatever I'm feeling. But most, um, people are under the impression that you can't fly. Fly with food, which is completely wrong.

Speaker:  Right.

Speaker:  You can. And so, um, you know, I know you can order now and. And there's all kinds of things you can do. And you don't get anything on the plane. Sometimes internationally you do, but even then, I generally like to pack a lunch.

Speaker:  Cool. Now, Daniela, stop me if this is too personal, but now you've arrived at your destination, you've opened the hotel room door. What, do you have a process or something you do when you get to the hotel room? I'll tell you what I do. I usually travel with. I go to the dollar store, and I'll get a little spray bottle of alcohol, and I'll take that spray bottle and I'll spritz the alcohol on the, what I call converter, but many people know as the remote control. I'll spritz it on the doorknobs. I'll spritz it on the, um, light switches. I'll spritz it on the toilet seat and the toilet flusher and the. The, uh, faucets. I'll spritz that, um, alcohol bottle on all areas where I know people have touched quite a bit. And then I'll take the face cloth from the bathroom, which I never use, and I'll use that to clean all the areas that I've spritzed. Then I will just, you know, put that cloth to be picked up by the maid the next day or whenever they come to clear the room. And sometimes, even if I'm feeling it, I will travel with a Ziploc bag and I'll put the remote control in the Ziploc bag because it was a hack or something that I saw on a program once. So that's the first thing I do. And once I've done that. Oh, and I travel with a, um, pillowcase that's impossible. Permeable. And I've taken a marker like a, um, wash M. What do you call those markers that you use to write on clothes so it doesn't wash? And I wrote my name on it. And I wrote please do not remove from room. And then I zip my pillow in that bag in that pillowcase and I feel much better.

Speaker:  Wow.

Speaker:  That's my little process.

Speaker:  That's quite the process.

Speaker:  I know.

Speaker:  I do a similar one with the pillow case. If I know I'm going somewhere that I'm staying for a long time.

Speaker:  Okay.

Speaker:  Um, I'll. And I have room. I'll pack a pillowcase, but I think I might steal that one. Actually do that. I turn off the air conditioning.

Speaker:  Okay.

Speaker:  I typically find that the rooms are so cold.

Speaker:  Right.

Speaker:  And they are so, um, stuffy. So what I'll do is if there's a window or a. I'll just get fresh air.

Speaker:  Okay.

Speaker:  Into the room somehow. And I'll turn off the air conditioning. Now if I'm in a tropical place, they can only do that for so long or I'll at least lower it to a reasonable degree. Degree.

Speaker:  Okay. And let me ask you this. What makes you happy in a hotel? Like, there's certain things that. For example, I like a modern hotel room and I like to have my room far away from the elevator. Those are two things that make me happy. And I don't ever need turn down service. That's not something I enjoy. It's not something that I want. What makes you happy? If you go to a hotel, you're like, uh, ah, I'm happy to be in this hotel.

Speaker:  I'm happy if there is enough space to get around the bed.

Speaker:  Okay.

Speaker:  I'm happy if there's somewhere that I can put my suitcase that is not on the floor.

Speaker:  Like one of those luggage. I don't even know what you call them. You know those things that you kind of open up, folds out like a. Like a weird ironing board or like a. I guess it's called a luggage rack. I don't know what else to call it.

Speaker:  I think it is. Okay, but sometimes they're small or they're broken.

Speaker:  Right.

Speaker:  Or they don't, you know, they're not there. But I really like it. The m. Really modern hotels will have it built into the wall where you can just open your suitcase. The closet space is there.

Speaker:  Sure.

Speaker:  And there's enough hair hangers. Oh. I almost always have to call down and request more. 10 to 15 more hangers.

Speaker:  It makes sense because if you're traveling for work in particular, you have a lot of suits and things that you need hanged. And uh. Yeah, that makes sense. Um, nicest hotel or nicest surprise hotel that you've been to, you can tell by the destination. Like, I wasn't expecting this, but. But it was great.

Speaker:  It was a trip that I recently went on to Mexico.

Speaker:  Ooh, Mexico City to Tulum. Okay.

Speaker:  And it was a resort. And it was a beautiful room that didn't look out. Looked out over the garden. It had, um, a beautiful Jacuzzi hot tub. It had lots of stuff, closet space and drawer space. And it had an, uh, espresso or a coffee machine in the room. Okay. Which was beautiful.

Speaker:  It wasn't one of those, like, really sort of inexpensive, plasticky kind of.

Speaker:  It was the real.

Speaker:  It was the real deal. Okay.

Speaker:  So that was absolutely fantastic. And it did have turndown service, which I've never before had nor wanted.

Speaker:  Okay.

Speaker:  But it. It happened one night without our knowledge. And when we came back into the

Speaker:  room,

Speaker:  they had managed to change the lighting, so there was this beautiful lighting and music playing that they had put on. And. And it was actually. And, uh, some sort of smell, a scent was sprayed, was sprayed, and it actually was beautiful.

Speaker:  Okay.

Speaker:  Now, I don't imagine it would be that way somewhere else.

Speaker:  Sure.

Speaker:  But, um, it was there and it was. It was really lovely.

Speaker:  Have you been to a destination that surprised you? That maybe you were going there and you were like, I don't know if this is going to be my scene, or I'm not particularly excited to go there, or I just don't know what to expect. And then it turned out to be a lovely experience.

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Speaker:  Because for me, like, you know, there's certain places where if I'm going to go there, I'm like, I'm anticipating it's going to be great. San Francisco, for example, had a trip to San Francisco, had, you know, you know, you see it in movies. There's this expectation and it delivered and I was so excited. I love San Francisco Francisco. Has there ever been a place where you're like, wow, this was such a great place to visit?

Speaker:  Mumbai.

Speaker:  Oh, okay.

Speaker:  It was very surprising. I mean, you hear so many stories about, um, traveling in India. Amazing, moving stories. Uh, people go there to change their lives. You hear about, you know, a lot. And then you, you also watch films like Slumdog Millionaire. Of course, of course there's all the media. So I think you really don't know what to expect. And I think I went there and Beautiful, beautiful hotel.

Speaker:  It's one of my favorite places too. I have to say. I, I, I count the days when I can go back to India. Uh, souvenirs, I would guess you're not someone who picks up souvenirs readily. Does that say, because people who tend to travel, this is my reasoning, I could be totally wrong. They tend not to be bringing home so much because they've just been everywhere and then they have so much. Are you a souvenir collector?

Speaker:  I have one that I collect and it's fridge magnets.

Speaker:  Okay.

Speaker:  And I decided this quite a long time ago now because I wanted something from the places that I went. And I'm, if you know me or if you come to my home, I don't like clutter. Like, I, I like a clean, empty environment. I just minimalist, Minimalist and, um. And so I thought, I don't really want to collect a bunch of things, but I want there to be a little reminder of all the places I've been.

Speaker:  Okay.

Speaker:  So for me, it was the fridge magnet.

Speaker:  Okay.

Speaker:  And so I have these. This beautiful, colorful fridge of all of these places. And it's a relatively easy thing to collect.

Speaker:  It doesn't take up room in the luggage.

Speaker:  It doesn't. And every time I open my fridge and, you know, catch a glimpse of one of the places I've been, and it's a great conversation starter. I see people who come over and, you know, you end up in the kitchen inevitably. Um, they always ask about one of the places I've been or take a look at the magnets. And so you always. The conversation always comes around to at least one of the places on the. On the fridge.

Speaker:  Where haven't you been that you'd like to go to?

Speaker:  Oh, I have the longest list.

Speaker:  Okay, give me your top five.

Speaker:  Okay.

Speaker:  It doesn't have to be ranked in any order. Just give me five.

Speaker:  Okay. Um, I really want to go to Africa.

Speaker:  Okay.

Speaker:  I know that's a very large place, so if I have to narrow it down, it would probably be Kenya or, um, Nigeria or South Africa. Those are the top three places I'd like to go in Africa.

Speaker:  Sure.

Speaker:  I would like to go to Iceland.

Speaker:  Yes.

Speaker:  Um, that's definitely up on my list. And I really want to go to Buenos Aires.

Speaker:  Oh, I been there.

Speaker:  You have?

>> Paige Desorbo: I have.

Speaker:  Years and years ago. It's phenomenal. I found Buenos Aires to be very much like, if you were to take Paris, Rome, and New York and squeeze them together and then just put in the most lovely Spanish, uh, feel in that.

Speaker:  Wow.

Speaker:  And it was. It's. It's a wonderful, wonderful place. And you should really. I think you would. You would appreciate it. I would put money on that.

Speaker:  Well, that is. Those are just a few. I actually. I have a bit of a running joke with my partner. I pretty much bring up a new place every couple of days, and he says, add it to the list.

Speaker:  Add it to the list. Is there a place your partner wants to go to that you're like, I never thought about that place.

Speaker:  But, um, I think he's pretty much on board with all the places that I want to go. I haven't asked him specifically. Um, but he loves to travel as well.

Speaker:  I know. For. For example, my wife was gonna go on a trip with friends to Ireland, and I was like, no, I want to go to Ireland. And I'LL feel horrible if you go without me. So she had to alter her plans because she knows there's a couple of destinations where I'm like, we either go together or we never go.

Speaker:  Okay.

Speaker:  And Ireland is one.

Speaker:  Okay.

Speaker:  Israel is another one.

Speaker:  Yes.

Speaker:  Iceland. So anything that starts with an I

Speaker:  is on your list.

Speaker:  Is. She cannot go without me. I cannot go without her. If it has the letter I in it. That's just the way it is.

Speaker:  Although I'm one of those people that I could go anywhere.

Speaker:  Right.

Speaker:  I really. I would. I would happily go anywhere in the world. I don't think there's a place that I would not want to go to.

Speaker:  Best meal you've had in a destination.

Speaker:  Oh, it's always going to come down to Italy.

Speaker:  Okay.

Speaker:  Um. It's pretty hard to beat.

Speaker:  Okay.

Speaker:  Um, it would probably be in, uh. I was in Volterra.

Speaker:  Okay.

Speaker:  Which is a medieval town in Tuscany, which is famous. I'm going to say this wrong. Marco.

Speaker:  Yeah.

Speaker:  Is that right?

Speaker:  No, but it's really close. Yeah, but you're very close. Yeah.

Speaker:  Thank you. So it's. It's famous from that region.

Speaker:  Yes.

Speaker:  And I had that there, and it was incredible. Maybe you can describe what it is.

Speaker:  Yeah. Is wild boar. And Tuscany is. Is famous for its wild boar. And I would imagine if you go to a medieval town in Tuscany that is already famous for its wild boar, that medieval town is going to have recipes that they've been doing for centuries, and they're going to have the most wonderful dish. Was it a pasta dish or was it a.

Speaker:  It was a pasta dish, and it was a.

Speaker:  Like a pappardelle, I would guess.

Speaker:  That's exactly right. That's exactly right. And Volterra is sort of well known because they filmed one of the Twilight episodes or films there because it does look so incredibly medieval.

Speaker:  Best cocktail you've had?

Speaker:  Oh, you know, this is going to be kind of funny, but I think it was probably in Chicago.

Speaker:  Okay.

Speaker:  Yeah. There's a, um, a great famous, uh, steakhouse in Chicago called Gibson's that is one of my favorites that I love to go to, and they make a very, very good dry martini.

Speaker:  Okay. And is that the place where Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. And it has a beautiful bar that. Okay.

Speaker:  Beautiful piano bar at the front and all career waiters, um, white jackets. And it's, uh. It's a beautiful, beautiful restaurant. And, you know, you like to go early instead of the piano bar. And I mean, the only flaw is that all the cocktails are the size of your head. But.

Speaker:  And probably really pricey too. Right?

Speaker:  But they're, um, they're very good.

Speaker:  Best nights scene or night like, um, nightclub scene.

Speaker:  Well, I think mine is probably Hong Kong.

Speaker:  Oh, okay.

Speaker:  And the reason is because Hong Kong is famous for these hidden bars.

Speaker:  Okay.

Speaker:  And so the. I've been twice now and both times I've gone on this. Half of the fun is finding.

Speaker:  Sure.

Speaker:  The bar. So you end up in a car, going to some neighborhood, looking for landmarks and side streets and asking people. And you find an unmarked door and you knock on it and you give a code and it opens and suddenly you're in the most beautiful James Bond, uh, bar that, um, you've ever seen.

Speaker:  It sounds like a speakeasy almost.

Speaker:  It is. It definitely has that feel.

Speaker:  Well, Daniela, thank you so much for being a part of this podcast.

Speaker:  Thank you.

Speaker:  And thank you for coming up with the podcast that we're both working on.

Speaker:  Yes.

Speaker:  Check it out on itunes called Every Place is the Same. You were going to say something.

Speaker:  Sorry, I was just going to say it's just a pleasure working with you.

Speaker:  There you go. Check out that podcast. It's a 10 minute podcast.

Speaker:  That's right.

Speaker:  And what's lovely about that, Daniela, is that if you are like waiting for the bus or in a waiting room and you just need a little distraction, that's what you'll get with that.

Speaker:  It's perfect for those moments when you're just needed something. 10 minutes to fill your time and

Speaker:  it'll kind of get you thinking into other destinations. So if you'd like to travel, it's definitely a podcast to check out. As always. The Insomnia Project is produced by drumcast Productions and this episode was recorded in the city we like to call Toronto in Canada.

Speaker:  Sam.