The Maverick Show: Global Travel Stories & Life Beyond Borders

Hear Dianni’s stories and reflections as a Queer Latina slow-traveling through India, Spain, Vietnam, Greece and Brazil. ============================ Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds. ============================ ON THIS EPISODE Dianni joins Matt for an afternoon wine sesh. They start talking about the immigrant experience of Dianni’s parents, and Dianni then reflects on her journey embracing her Guatemalan and Puerto Rican heritage, as well as her Queer identity. She also talks about her interest in world travel, and how her journey as a full-time solo world traveler began in India. Dianni opens up about the transformative experience she had while staying at an Ashram with other women and shaving her head. She then talks about her journey traveling across Vietnam by motorcycle, living in Spain, and sailing the Greek Islands. Finally, Dianni talks about the magical experience of attending the largest LGBTQIA+ Pride Celebration in the world in Sao Paulo, Brazil. → Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here. ============================ FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU: See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that’s not traditionally virtual) Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use) ============================ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram and DM Matt to continue the conversation Please leave a rating and review — it really helps the show and I read each one personally You can buy me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)

Learn how Vanessa Fondeur is diversifying the face of travel and empowering the Latino community to travel the world. ============================ Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds. ============================ ON THIS EPISODE Vanessa Fondeur joins Matt for a wine night and they start off reminiscing about the time they went out in Louisville, Kentucky and Vanessa borrowed a cowboy hat to ride a mechanical bull. She then talks about her experience growing up in the Dominican Republic, moving to New York City at age 17, and going to college and grad school in upstate New York. Vanessa explains how her interest in travel developed, shares stories from her study abroad experience in Spain, and the path that led her to become a teacher. She talks about her travels to Egypt and the UAE and then explains how she started taking her students all over the world, from Spain to China, and what impact that had on them. Next, Vanessa talks about diving the Great Barrier Reef in Australia without being able to swim and then explains how she met her husband through a travel mishap and planned a destination wedding in Thailand. She opens up about why her first trips to China and Mexico were so emotional for her and then describes her journey to Antarctica. Vanessa then talks about founding the “Latino World Travelers” community, and how you can attend the next “Latino Travel Fest” and get a special Maverick Discount. → Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here. ============================ FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU: See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that’s not traditionally virtual) Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use) ============================ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram and DM Matt to continue the conversation Please leave a rating and review — it really helps the show and I read each one personally You can buy me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)

Learn how to stop ‘traveling to escape’ and instead how to create an exciting life of travel with meaning and purpose. ============================ Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds. ============================ ON THIS EPISODE In Part 2 of this interview, Geleen talks about moving to Chicago and what she loves about the city. She then explains how she transitioned into a full-time digital nomad lifestyle, and the impact all of this travel has had on her. Geleen also talks about her podcast “Travel not to Escape” and how she helps women create exciting lives of travel. And, finally, she reflects on the impact of returning to her homeland of the Philippines as an adult and reconnecting with her family, roots, and culture. → Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here. ============================ FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU: See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that’s not traditionally virtual) Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use) ============================ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram and DM Matt to continue the conversation Please leave a rating and review — it really helps the show and I read each one personally You can buy me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)

Learn how to create impactful travel experiences rooted in personal transformation, authentic connection, and play. ============================ Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds. ============================ ON THIS EPISODE Geleen Antonio joins Matt from the Philippines. She starts off reflecting on her experience coming up in California and navigating her Filipina-American identity. Geleen talks about growing up in an immigrant home, the impact of a study abroad experience, her path to self-empowerment, and how she started to travel the world. She then explains how she used to travel to escape, but how she is now intentional about designing transformative travel experiences and teaching other women how to do the same. Geleen shares some of her most epic adventures from skydiving to paragliding to white-water rafting around the world. She explains how they have impacted her, and why she uses skydiving as a metaphor for coaching other women on how to chart a path to self-empowerment and create a life of travel that they truly love. → Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here. ============================ FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU: See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that’s not traditionally virtual) Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use) ============================ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram and DM Matt to continue the conversation Please leave a rating and review — it really helps the show and I read each one personally You can buy me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)

Learn about burlesque, Afro-diasporic dance, telling Black stories, and whether BIPOC travelers can be colonizers too. ============================ Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds. ============================ ON THIS EPISODE Janna Zinzi joins Matt from New Orleans and they talk about meeting at Nomadness Fest. Janna then talks about growing up in New York during the golden era of hip-hop in the 90s. She reflects on the role of dance in her life as a young person, and the history and significance of BIPOC women in burlesque. Janna then talks about how she started traveling the world and telling Black stories. She shares some of her top travel experiences from Haiti to Napoli to Costa Rica and reflects on the type of travel stories she chooses to write about. Janna then shares some key takeaways from her talk to Nomadness Fest about whether BIPOC travelers can be colonizers too. She also offers tips for people from dominant groups on how we can be better allies as we move through the world and create content about our travels. Janna then reflects on teaching burlesque, connecting with cultures through dance, and the impact that travel has had on her. Finally, she talks about co-founding WanderWomxn for BIPOC women and gender-expansive travelers. → Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here. ============================ FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU: See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that’s not traditionally virtual) Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use) ============================ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram and DM Matt to continue the conversation Please leave a rating and review — it really helps the show and I read each one personally You can buy me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)

Learn where to find some of the world’s most beautiful landscapes and most extraordinary hiking and diving experiences. ============================ Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds. ============================ ON THIS EPISODE Sandi Oluoch shares her experience growing up in Kenya and Tanzania, then moving to the U.S. for college and grad school, and then traveling the world for the last 5 years. She shares her top recommendations for East Africa, as well as her top hiking recommendations inside the U.S. Sandi, talks about her travels through Latin America, hiking Machu Picchu, and scuba diving in Mexico and Belize. She then talks about learning to surf in Hawaii, learning to free dive in the Philippines, and shares her experience diving in Raja Ampat, Indonesia. Sandi also talks about her trip to Namibia and explains the other-worldly landscape found there. She then talks about her travel photography, explains how she works remotely and travels, and reflects on the impact all this travel has had on her as a person. She offers tips for Black travelers from the Continent and for solo female travelers, as well as tips on how we can all travel more ethically and sustainably. → Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here. ============================ FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU: See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that’s not traditionally virtual) Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use) ============================ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram and DM Matt to continue the conversation Please leave a rating and review — it really helps the show and I read each one personally You can buy me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)

Learn how to travel the world inexpensively, make meaningful connections across cultures quickly, and find nomadic love. ============================ Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds. ============================ ON THIS EPISODE Juky Lee joins Matt in person in Salvador, Brazil. She talks about her experience growing up in Korea and shares what she loves about Korea. Juky then talks about starting her world travels in South America, and then spending extensive time in Central America and Mexico. She shares stories of living with a Mayan community in Belize, being pulled over by narcotraficantes in Mexico, working as a photographer for an extreme tour company, and writing a travel guide for the Yukutan in Korean.  Juky also talks about couch-surfing around the world, what she loves about Budapest, Hungary, and gives tips for budget travel. She then explains how she makes meaningful connections quickly all over the world, whether plugging into cryptocurrency communities, joining in-depth book groups, or organizing “skip the small talk” meetups. Finally, Juky opens up about her experiences dating and finding love as a nomad and reflects on the impact that 6 years of full-time world travel has had on her as a person. → Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here. ============================ FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU: See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that’s not traditionally virtual) Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use) ============================ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram and DM Matt to continue the conversation Please leave a rating and review — it really helps the show and I read each one personally You can buy me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)

Learn how to create travel content more ethically, amplify marginalized narratives, and support communities in struggle. ============================ Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds. ============================ ON THIS EPISODE In Part 2 of this interview, travel journalist Joel Balsam explains how to effectively pitch publications, and how he structures his lifestyle of full-time world travel. He then reflects on the ethics of travel writing, the white man’s gaze, and the dynamics of the travel-influencer economy. Matt and Joel share their experiences and inspiration from Langa Township in South Africa. Next, they reflect on genocides, ethnic cleansing, and the importance of supporting collective liberation. Joel then reflects on the impact travel has had on him as a person and how Anthony Bourdain influenced him. Finally, Matt and Joel reflect on the importance of platforming marginalized narratives and standing in solidarity with oppressed people. → Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here. ============================ FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU: See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that’s not traditionally virtual) Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use) ============================ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram and DM Matt to continue the conversation Please leave a rating and review — it really helps the show and I read each one personally You can buy me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)

Learn about some of the world’s most interesting (and little-known) stories documented by travel journalist Joel Balsam. ============================ Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds. ============================ ON THIS EPISODE Travel journalist and full-time digital nomad Joel Balsam joins Matt over a bottle of wine. He talks about his upbringing in Canada as the grandson of a Holocaust survivor and how that shaped his politics, his values, and his curiosity about the world. Matt and Joel discuss what they love about Bolivia and Joel shares his path to becoming a professional travel journalist. Joel then talks about some of the most interesting stories he has covered from the Creole Black cowboys in the American South, to surfing bore tidal waves in the Amazon, to venomous snakes that could cure cancer, to the mysterious naked night runners of western Kenya. He also shares his lessons on the politics, history, and travel experiences he had while writing the Lonely Planet guidebooks for Armenia as well as Albania and Kosovo. → Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here. ============================ FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU: See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that’s not traditionally virtual) Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use) ============================ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram and DM Matt to continue the conversation Please leave a rating and review — it really helps the show and I read each one personally You can buy me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)

Learn the self-growth potential of solo travel for women, and how to do it consciously, thoughtfully, and ethically. ============================ Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds. ============================ ON THIS EPISODE Delia Colantuono joins Matt over a bottle of wine on the Nomad Cruise and starts off reflecting on Matt’s Keynote speech about the importance of consistently standing with oppressed groups around the world as we travel. Delia then reflects on her personal journey growing up in Italy, and how the development of her political consciousness was intertwined with her early travels. She then talks about her journey as a solo female traveler and eventually a full-time digital nomad. Delia shares stories from her travels to over 60 countries, especially around her main passions of scuba diving and free diving.  She also reflects on over-touristification, digital nomad gentrification, how we can be better allies with marginalized groups as we travel, and how we can be more environmentally sustainable, socially conscious, and thoughtful as we move through the world. And, finally, Delia talks about her mentoring program for aspiring solo-female travelers and her upcoming women’s retreats in the Canary Islands. → Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here. ============================ FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU: See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that’s not traditionally virtual) Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use) ============================ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram and DM Matt to continue the conversation Please leave a rating and review — it really helps the show and I read each one personally You can buy me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)