Name: Death And Globetrotting | Mortician Victor M. Sweeney & Jon Tevlin
Uploaded: 2026-08-26T14:00:35.000Z
Duration: 2920
Description: In this episode of "Death And," licensed mortician Victor M. Sweeney sits down with retired journalist Jon Tevlin to talk about life, loss, and starting over....

In this episode of "Death And," licensed mortician Victor M. Sweeney sits down with retired journalist Jon Tevlin to talk about life, loss, and starting over. The conversation weaves through Jon Tevlin's decades-long career in journalism, his travels around the world, and the two very different lives he’s lived. They candidly explore the impact of caring for a spouse with a chronic illness, the realities of grief, guided experiences with psychedelics, and searching for meaning after losing a life partner.

LINKS
https://jontevlin.substack.com/p/open-spaces
http://instagram.com/victor.m.sweeney
http://tiktok.com/@victormsweeney
http://x.com/victormsweeney

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00:00 Victor M. Sweeney welcomes you to Death And
02:04 Mortician Q&A: Can you have part of your body buried, part cremated?
03:40 Mortician Q&A: What happens to polyester suits buried in the '60s and '70s?
05:39 How to send death questions to Victor
06:07 Trigger warning; themes of sadness, self-harm, and hope discussed
07:14 Jon Tevlin's unlikely path to meeting Victor
08:28 Jon explains how he ended up in Warren, Minnesota
10:08 Reflecting on living two very different lives
10:28 Jon’s entry into journalism and world travel
12:29 Pitching stories to magazines and getting assignments
13:35 Combining travel with journalism—Cuba story
15:33 Meeting and eloping with Jon’s first wife, Ellen
19:07 35 years of marriage and losing Ellen
20:09 Navigating illness and traveling with Ellen until her death
21:10 Ellen’s passing in Savannah and her approach to death
23:25 Grief, loneliness, and false expectations of healing through travel
24:47 Solo travel after Ellen’s death and confronting loneliness
26:15 Seeking connections after loss—Ellen’s advice
27:22 Restlessness, hitting rock bottom, and seeking help
28:02 The myth of travel as ultimate fulfillment
29:13 Reflections on freedom, family, and the desire for connection
29:43 Darkest moments and a wake-up call from a nurse
30:27 Experience in a psychiatric ER and the struggle with mental health care
32:06 Writing intimately about personal mental health struggles
33:16 Jon’s ketamine therapy: confronting and healing grief
36:30 Meeting Irene and starting a new chapter in life
36:52 Life in northern Minnesota with Irene and her six children
37:30 The strange poetry of changing landscapes—balcony views revisited
38:35 Jon’s new volunteer work: writing resident biographies at a care center
41:21 Unexpectedly interesting stories found in small towns
43:15 Perception of places: escaping "hellholes" and defining home
44:43 Embracing paradoxes, curiosity, and the value of every life
47:55 Closing thoughts on friendship, curiosity, and celebrating diversity

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