The Nightly

Josh Gondelman talks with caller Tomas about trading the Swiss school system for Texas sunshine, a seventeen-hour bus ride across the Alps, and the shawarma shop near his house in Houston.What You'll Hear:From Basel to Houston: Tomas explains how he ended up finishing high school in Texas a year early, and why his mom thought it made sense to skip ahead.Grading on a Curve, Swiss Style: The two compare notes on how differently school tracks students in Switzerland versus the all-in, all-individual pressure of the American system.The Long Way Home: Before leaving for the States, Tomas took an unforgettable seventeen-hour bus ride from Italy back to Switzerland, passing vineyards, castles, and even a tiny country along the way.CHAPTERS:00:00 Welcome to The Nightly02:16 Meet caller Tomas03:41 Switzerland's school tracks, explained10:33 Texas heat, Swiss air conditioning envy15:42 The seventeen-hour bus ride home21:53 Good nights

Matt Bragg tracks down Yashi, the original owner of Big Goose (the four-foot stuffed goose that caller Julia chat with him about), to learn its true origin story.What You'll Hear:The Goose Heard Round Facebook Marketplace: Matt replays Julia's original call about the puzzling purchase that's been bugging him ever since, and sets off to find out where in the world a $15 goose that size even comes from.Waddle's Origin Story: Yashi, Waddle's original owner, explains how her brother's oddly perfect gift helped her survive her first lonely weeks as an international student, 7,000 miles from home.A Transitional Object, Officially: As a working psychologist, Yashi has an actual clinical term for what Waddle was to her, and why saying goodbye was so much harder than she expected.CHAPTERS:00:00 The four-foot goose that started it all01:44 Meet Yashi, Waddle's original owner03:13 A brother's gift, a safe space07:12 Letting go of a transitional object13:00 Advice for Waddle and Julia15:57 Good nights

Matt Bragg talks with Caller Anita about her love of ASMR role-play videos, ten-hour boxed fan loops, and rewatching Frasier in Spanish to drift off.What You'll Hear:A Case of Mistaken Fame: Matt kicks things off with a tour support story that ends in the most polite kind of being ignored, and what it teaches him about staying in unfamiliar hotel rooms.The ASMR Confession: Anita calls in wondering if she's alone in loving oddly specific sounds to fall asleep to, from flight attendant role-play to the gentle chaos of Frasier reruns.Gunfire, Furniture Bob, and Good Old Tom: The conversation wanders through weird white noise, beloved local commercials, and the lost art of minor celebrity, before ending in some very sincere goodnights.CHAPTERS:00:00 A case of mistaken fame01:53 Welcome, Caller Anita!02:03 The ASMR confession begins08:16 Falling asleep to gunfire, apparently13:03 A deep dive into nostalgic sleep sounds23:47 Good nights

Josh Gondelman talks with Caller Elani about renting her event space while Paula Abdul sat in the next room and later spotting her own hallway on a reality TV show.What You'll Hear:A Celebrity Who Had No Idea Who Josh Was: Josh opens with his favorite brush-with-fame story, one where an actor's polite nod said everything about anonymity in show business.Paula Abdul, Tupac, and a Chicano Art Show: Elani describes the surreal first month of running her LA event space.A Hallway That Became a TV Set: Elani recalls the strange jolt of recognizing her own building on a reality show she was just watching for fun.CHAPTERS:00:00 This actor has no idea who I am02:55 Welcome, Caller Elani!05:13 When Paula Abdul crashed the event11:11 Recognizing my building on reality TV16:05 Signs that you belong19:18 Goodnights

Greta Johnsen talks with Caller Sylvia about trading her Google paycheck for a Silicon Valley gamble, the layoff that blindsided her, and the 3 a.m. regrets that keep circling back.What You'll Hear:The 3 A.M. Math Problem: Sylvia opens up about the intrusive thoughts that visit during perimenopause insomnia, mostly questions about the career path she didn't take.A Four-Hour Commute and a Big Bet: From nearly a decade at Google to chasing a Silicon Valley payday, Sylvia walks through the sacrifices, the risks, and the layoff that upended the plan.Windows Where Doors Used to Be: Greta and Sylvia land on something gentler than regret, the idea that the life you didn't choose might have cost you the one you actually wanted.CHAPTERS:01:34 Welcome, Caller Sylvia!06:43 Leaving Google for a Silicon Valley bet11:03 The layoff that changed everything16:54 When one door closes, a window opens21:41 Goodnights

Matt Bragg talks with caller Julia about the four-foot goose she rescued off Facebook Marketplace, her theory on manufactured whimsy, and the actor's trick of wiping your feet before walking onstage.What You'll Hear:A Jacket Collection, Not a Problem: Matt confesses his Vinted struggles and defends his growing pile of jackets as fine art, thank you very much.The Goose That Found Her: Julia describes stumbling on a $15, four-foot stuffed goose with a tragic backstory, and why it's already changing how she writes.Wiping Your Feet Before You Begin: The two swap tricks for staying present, from feeling the floor under your feet to an actor's quiet ritual before stepping onstage.CHAPTERS:00:00 Matt's jacket collecting confession01:47 Julia calls in about a curious find05:44 Naming the goose07:56 Why strange joyful moments matter10:54 Feet on the ground, presence rituals18:24 Goodnight to Big Goose and Queen Trumpet

Josh Gondelman talks with Caller Savannah about why her friends' pets never quite charm her through a screen, her cat Daisy's medieval-gremlin face, and the case for giving every pet its own dating profile.What You'll Hear:A Pug With a Bruiser Attitude: Josh opens with stories about his pug Maggie, who adores every human she meets but turns surprisingly scrappy around bigger dogs.The Trouble With Pet Photos: Savannah calls in to explain why it's so hard to fall for a friend's pet through a screen, especially when a chronic illness keeps more of her friendships online than in person.A Case for Pet Dating Profiles: Together they dream up a delightfully specific idea, complete with favorite snacks and walking routes, for getting to know a pet's true personality before you meet.CHAPTERS:00:00 Josh on pugs, cats, and photogenic pets02:07 Welcome, Caller Savannah!03:00 Why pet photos just don't hit the same06:00 Dreaming up a pet dating website09:00 Maggie the bruiser meets a baby14:00 Goodnights for literally everyone

Matt Bragg talks with journalist Lindsay Crouse about the guilt of dreading a workout, the zebrafish who know when to stop fighting the tide, and why quitting might be the bravest thing you do all year.What You'll Hear:The Run You Don't Have to Love: Matt revisits a caller's confession about dreading her workouts, and Lindsay explains why forcing yourself through something that drains you isn't always discipline.What Zebrafish Know About Giving Up: Lindsay shares the oddly comforting science of built-in futility counters, and why humans seem to be the one species that ignores them.A Coin Toss and the Regret That Follows: A surprising study on people who let chance decide whether to quit, and why it's usually inaction, not action, that we regret by the end.CHAPTERS:00:00 Welcome to Sunday's deep dive on quitting01:10 Lindsay Crouse joins The Nightly02:57 Should you push through a run you hate08:34 The zebrafish who know when to stop fighting11:36 A coin toss and the regret of staying too long17:57 Micro-quitting and decluttering your yes20:11 Good nights