In this candid one-on-one, journalist and political analyst Zerlina Maxwell shares why she pressed pause on the chaos of U.S. headlines and chose a new life in Sicily. Just days after the 2025 Inauguration, with her Italian visa freshly approved, she relocated to Palermo to prioritize peace, healing, and a different way of working.

You may know Zerlina as host of Mornings with Zerlina on SiriusXM and author of The End of White Politics. In this rich discussion with Courtney, she opens up about therapy, loss, reinvention—and what distance from America is clarifying about media, power, and joy.

Also in this episode:

• Why Palermo—not Rome—and what daily life looks like (yes to seaside runs, no to $11 eggs)
• How she miraculously exited the U.S. just days after the 2025 Inauguration.
• The shrinking space for Black women in mainstream media—and how she’s reshaping her role
• Media diet vs. outrage machine: protecting your mind in a volatile news cycle
• “Peace protocols” for the Trump 2.0 era: the simple habits keeping her grounded
• The Inner Work Dispatch: her mental-health–focused Substack and community
• Her take on the Blaxit movement—and advice if you’re contemplating a move

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Ready to start charting your own journey abroad? Download our FREE Blaxit Soundtrack & Soul Work Journal—a curated blend of music and guided prompts to help you reflect, dream, and move with intention: https://blackexpatstories.com/soundtrack

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Resources mentioned:

• Zerlina’s Substack, The Inner Work Dispatch:https://zerlinamaxwell.substack.com/

Zerlina's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zerlinamaxwell

• Courtney’s essays:

— Don’t Save Her. She Don’t Wanna Be Saved: A Love Letter to the 92%: https://courtneybowden.substack.com/p/dont-save-her-she-dont-wanna-be-saved?utm_source=publication-search

— Just Gimme a (Mexican) Minute: https://courtneybowden.substack.com/p/just-gimme-a-mexican-minute-moving

— The Mainstream Media Is Playing In the American Public’s Face: https://courtneybowden.substack.com/p/the-mainstream-media-is-playing-in

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