The Maverick Show: Global Travel Stories & Life Beyond Borders

Learn about Indian-American identity, the value of critical pedagogy, and making meaningful connections in West Africa. ============================ 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 Dr. Anu Taranath joins Matt from Seattle and they reflect on their time together in NYC at the WITS Travel Creator Summit, including Anu’s keynote panel that centered the genocide in Palestine and got a standing ovation from 600 people. Anu then talks about her experience navigating racism while growing up in an Indian immigrant home in Houston. She reflects on her trips back to India, her study abroad year in Delhi, her academic journey, and how she eventually found the language to process racism, power inequality, and turn her immigrant diaspora identity into a superpower. Anu also reflects on her experience teaching in Seattle in the  period after the September 11th attacks, and the importance of critical pedagogy for both teaching and learning. Finally, she reflects on the role of travel in her life and her teaching. Anu shares stories from her time in Ghana building connections with locals, and also reflects on her connections with the Indian diaspora communities around the world. → 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! :)

Matt Bowles is interviewed by Yulia Denisyuk about Palestine and action items you can take to help stop the genocide. ============================ 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 this special episode, The Maverick Show host Matt Bowles is interviewed on the Going Places podcast about his 25 years of Palestine solidarity work. He shares his own activist trajectory and  reflects on the state of the Palestine solidarity movement today in response to the live-streamed genocide.  He then discusses the history of Israeli colonialism, provides an analysis of the power asymmetry at the root of the conflict, and unpacks dominant framing that is used to obfuscate the unjust power dynamics.  Matt explains how to respond to claims like “it’s complicated” and “Israel has a right to defend itself”.  He also discusses the history of Zionism, gives examples of anti-semitic support for the Zionist movement, and explains the role of U.S. foreign policy in supporting Israel and providing an atmosphere of impunity for their war crimes. Finally, Matt provides concrete action items that you can take to help stop the genocide and discusses the various arenas where we have leverage to exert pressure—including political, economic, legal, diplomatic, and disrupting the genocide supply chain through non-violent direct action.  Matt and Yulia conclude by discussing hope for the future and why Gaza will change the world. → 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 what you can do to combat environmental destruction and human rights abuses in the coffee industry staring today. ============================ 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, Etelle Higonnet explains how human rights abuses and environmental destruction are intertwined and breaks down the main causes and industries harming the environment today. She then explains the sustainable alternatives, how we can work together to reform these industries, and shares some specific activist victories.  Etelle then talks about the environmental campaign she ran against the company Olam in Gabon, and tells the story of how she survived when two hitmen were sent to kill her. She then talks about her love of coffee, what most people don’t know about the coffee they drink, and why she founded Coffee Watch.  Etelle explains how human rights abuses and environmental destruction pervade the coffee industry, and what campaigns Coffee Watch is undertaking to combat them. She explains how we can all make an impact towards reforming the coffee industry by buying more ethical coffee, pressuring our favorite brands, signing petitions, getting politically active, and volunteering with Coffee Watch. → 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! :)

Hear stories about standing up for human rights around the world and struggling for truth, accountability and justice. ============================ 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 Etelle Higonnet joins Matt for a wine night from Copenhagen, and begins by talking about her role as a founding member of the Sustainable Wine Round table.  She then describes her family background, her experience moving around growing up, and how her passion for social justice developed.  Etelle talks about her college experience at Yale and what compelled her to move to Guatemala to work with refugees and displaced people.  She describes a scary encounter there with masked gunmen and her eventual publication a book on the U.S.-backed genocide in Guatemala.  Etelle then talks about spending time in Chiapas, Mexico, supporting a lawsuit brought by indigenous women, and attending a speech by Subcommandante Marcos, the spokesperson of the Zapatista movement. Next, she describes her experience working for Human Rights Watch and investigating crimes of sexual violence in the Ivory Coast after the 2007 civil war.  Etelle also talks about her time living in Iraq documenting testimonies from victims of political violence, her human rights work with Amnesty International in Sierra Leone, and her role in helping establish the Cambodian war crimes tribunal.  She reflects on the history and legacy of French colonialism, the need for post-colonial justice systems, and shares some human rights victories in Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone.  Finally, Etelle offers her insights, strategies, and encouragement to everyone working to stop the genocide in Palestine.  ⁠ → 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 traveling the world as a deafblind Latina—salsa dancing, sumo-wrestling and becoming a disability advocate. ============================ 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 Catarina joins Matt and talks about growing up in the U.S. in an immigrant home with Puerto Rican and Cuban heritage. She reflects on what those identities mean to her as well as her deafblind disability journey with Usher syndrome. Catarina debunks common misconceptions people have about deafblind people and offers tips on non-disabled people can be better allies to disabled travelers.  She then reflects on how her interest in world travel developed and tells stories from a family trip to Spain in high school and more immersive trips to rural Kentucky, Argentina and Korea in college. Next, Catarina talks about her first solo-trip with the white cane to Montreal, her love for Salsa dancing around the world, and her recent trip to Japan where she had epic tea experiences and got to try sumo-wrestling. She then talks about the trip she led to Portugal for disable travelers and reflects and the power and impact of that experience. Catarina next takes us on her journey of becoming an intersectional activist and building a fully remote company to smash disability stigmas. She explains how she designs her travel lifestyle and offers trips for disabled travelers as well as those traveling with a relationship partner. And finally Catarina reflects on how traveling to nearly 40 countries has impacted 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! :)

Hear stories from visiting the occupied West Bank, being sexually harassed in Guatemala &  founding the “Queen of Trips” ============================ 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, Mari Monsalve talks about her experience visiting the occupied Palestinian West Bank and reflects on anti-colonial solidarity. She then opens up about her trip to Guatemala where she was sexually harassed by a hotel employee.  Mari reflects on solo-female travel safety and offers suggestions for how men can be better allies to women travelers. She then talks about founding the “Queen of Trips” platform to empower Latinas to confidently explore the world through solo travel, and what type of content she is putting out via her blog, newsletter, and social media. Finally, Mari reflects on the impact all of this 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! :)

Hear about living in Escobar-Era Medellin, Surviving Cancer & Leaving an Abusive Relationship to Solo-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 Mari Monsalve starts off talking about her involvement with two empowering travel events: The WITS Travel Creator Summit and Latino Travel Fest. She then reflects on her grandparents experience immigrating to Florida in the 1960s during Jim Crow segregation. Mari tells the story of growing up in Miami and then moving back to Medellin during the Pablo Escobar era and what it was like to live there during that time. She then talks about moving back to the U.S. as an adult, developing her interest in world travel, and organizing a transformative trip to Iceland. Next, Mari opens up about leaving an abusive relationship to travel the world solo, being diagnosed with cancer, and choosing to use travel as a tool to recover from cancer. She shares stories at different points in her cancer journey from Paris, Morocco and Thailand. Finally, Mari reflects on her last trip to the Pacific coast of Colombia, shares some ethical considerations for visiting Colombia, and makes specific recommendations for how to respectfully immerse in her beautiful country. → 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! :)

Hear stories from Brazil, Japan, Serbia and get tips on budget travel, minimalist packing, and monetizing travel content. ============================ 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 Chris talks about building her remote freelance business and gives tips for spending time in the UK where she is currently based.  Matt and Chris then talk about their experiences in Brazil and Japan and why those two countries are so uniquely special. Chris then talks about founding her blog “Girl Takes Mundo” for Latino solo travelers and shares some budget travel hacks, minimalist packing tips for women, and advice for monetizing your travel content.  She then tells an unforgettable experience about wine tasting in Serbia, reflects on the impact traveling to 80 countries has had on her, and shares what travel means to her today. → 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! :)

Hear Latina-solo-travel stories from Guatemala, Sweden, Colombia, Easter Island, Bolivia, Madagascar, Spain and Vietnam. ============================ 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 Chris Davila joins Matt for a virtual wine night and starts off reflecting on speaking at the Latino Travel Fest in Chicago. She then shares her parents immigration journey from Guatemala to the U.S. and how she navigated her Guatemalan and American identities while growing up in an immigrant home in Chicago. Chris then gives her tips for how to visit and experience Guatemala, reflects on her trips back to the homeland, and explains how her interest in world travel developed. She describes her professional career journey, explains why she took an 18 month sabbatical to travel the world, and tells the story of spending Summer Solstice in Sweden with Benny from Abba. Chris then takes us on her journey solo-camping on Easter Island, visiting the world’s largest salt-flats in Bolivia, and meeting her husband in Colombia. She also describes solo-traveling to Madagascar and how visiting local villages there changed her perception of what it takes to be happy. Chris also talks about her experience Running with the Bulls 6 times in Spain and training others how to do it. She then explains why she became a vegetarian in Vietnam, how she celebrated a 42-hour long birthday while traveling from Australia to LA, and reflects on the impact of her 18 month sabbatical. → 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 the similarities between Colombian and Botswana culture, and how to take a life-changing camping safari. ============================ 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 Paula Gean joins Matt for a wine night and talks about her experience being born in Colombia amidst the cartel violence of the 1980s, immigrating to Chicago and living in poverty, and then growing up in East Texas and navigating her Colombian-American identity.  She reflects on the complex experience of going back to Colombia at age 14, then talks about the origins of her lifelong activist journey and gives tips on how to stand in solidarity with immigrant communities in the U.S. today.  Paula then explains how she learned about Botswana through her husband, describes her magical first trip to the country, and shares her journey learning about the history and making connections between Colombian and Botswana culture.  She talks about co-founding Africa Culture Journeys with local Botswana people, and explains how she navigated the neocolonial dynamics in the African tourism space to build a sustainable company that empowers and benefits local people.  Finally, Paula describes how you can experience a life-changing trip to Botswana with Africa Culture Journeys and get a special Maverick Show 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! :)