A Williams Life | Episode 7: Will Parish & Perk Perkins - Adventurers, Lifelong Friends

A Williams Life was conceived as a means to capture, in podcast format, some of the lives led by members of the Williams Class of 1975. The goal is to explore those lives in depth-examining personal backgrounds, time at Williams, and what has transpired in the years since graduation.
hwww.75creates.com/a-williams-...
In this episode of "A Williams Life," we delve into the enduring friendship of classmates Will Parish and Perk Perkins, whose bond spans 50 years. Starting in the fall of 1975, they embarked on a 20-month journey, crossing five oceans and seas, and exploring 35 countries-an experience they later chronicled in their book, "Around the World in a Jeep.” We also explore their lives today, with Will engaged in educational and environmental causes in California, and Perk running Orvis, a family-owned business specializing in outdoor sporting goods, previously run by his father. Additionally, Will and Perk discuss the strong influence their fathers, both Williams alums, played in their lives. Their friendship remains the central theme of the episode, including how they use annual retreats to strengthen their friendship and reflect on their lives.
View pictures and episode transcript on our website: www.75creates.com/will-parish...
00:00 Introduction
01:23 Beginnings of a Lifelong Bond
03:43 Embarking on a Round-the-World Trip
05:26 Memorable Encounters
13:17 Navigating Challenges and Embracing Humanity
15:36 Reflections on Mortality and “Invincibility"
23:53 Life Lessons from the Trip
27:25 Will & Perk’s Annual Retreats
30:01 The Evolution of the Retreats
33:40 Navigating Family Legacies and Career Paths
37:24 Conservation & Activism
50:38 A Climate Message to Future Generations
53:26 Closing Thoughts
This episode was recorded in February 2024 in New York City and Salt Lake City.
Listen and Subscribe to A Williams Life
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/0fcC...
Producer: Jon Earle '09 (www.jonearle.co/)
Web designer: Kathy Bogan '75 (www.kboganart.com/)