The Maverick Show: Global Travel Stories & Life Beyond Borders

Hear stories from visiting Nubia, the slums of Nairobi, rural villages in Zambia & going volcano-boarding in Nicaragua.

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Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds.

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ON THIS EPISODE

Darren Chew (“Chew”) joins Matt and starts off talking about his Jamaican and Chinese heritage and shares the story of how his parents met in Jamaica and immigrated to New York.  He then talks about his experience growing up in New York with mixed cultural heritage, traveling back to Jamaica to visit family, and the pivotal role of basketball in his life.  Chew explains how he started traveling the world to visit former basketball teammates in Europe and then reflects on his first impression of the continent of Africa.  He tells travel stories from Kenya, Zambia, Senegal, Egypt, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and explains why Rio is his favorite city in the world.  Chew reflects on visiting Nubia, gives a preview of his upcoming talk at Black Travel Summit in Brazil, and ends with an unexpected story of cultural immersion in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

→ Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here.

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FIND YOUR NEXT EPISODE

Explore The Maverick Show Starter Packs — some of my favorite conversations curated by theme so you can easily find the episodes that match your interests.

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FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU

See my Top 10 Travel Apps

See my Top 10 Books that Shaped the Way I Travel

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)

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Learn how to use points & miles to perform Umrah with a family and travel the world to celebrate Eid in different cities.

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Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds.

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ON THIS EPISODE

Amena tells the story of how she met Matt and bonded around Palestine solidarity at the WITS Travel creator summit in NYC.  She then talks about her parents’ experience immigrating to the U.S. from India and Pakistan, her experience growing up in Dallas in a Muslim immigrant home, the impact of the post 9-11 environment on her life, and how she developed her politics and worldview. Amena then talks about her first trip back to India as an adult, performing Hajj in Saudi Arabia, seeing the Islamic architecture in southern Spain, celebrating Eid in Istanbul, and visiting Japan and London.  She then talks about performing Umrah as a family, shares strategies to accumulate points and miles to cover international family travel, and talks about her Umrah Guide. Finally, Amena talks about raising socially conscious kids, integrating travel into their lives, and what travel means to her today.

→ Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here.

============================

FIND YOUR NEXT EPISODE

Explore The Maverick Show Starter Packs — some of my favorite conversations curated by theme so you can easily find the episodes that match your interests.

============================

FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU

See my Top 10 Travel Apps

See my Top 10 Books that Shaped the Way I Travel

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)

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ENJOYING THE SHOW?

Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram and DM Matt to continue the conversation

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Learn how to coordinate your travel plans with friends, exchange recommendations & connect around the world with Pangea.

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Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds.

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ON THIS EPISODE

Matt Gray starts off describing what he loves about Cape Town and tells the story of taking the world’s highest bungee jump off a bridge there. He then reflects on growing up outside NYC, studying abroad in Vienna, and traveling the world for a decade as part of his corporate job.  Matt tells stories from visiting Reunion Island, Madagascar, Lapland, Greenland, Antarctica, Armenia and Uzbekistan.  He then talks about organizing a group safari to Botswana, building community in the digital nomad lifestyle, and his plans for co-hosting Nomad Week 2026 in Cape Town.  Next, Matt talks about founding the Pangea App which enables you to coordinate your travel plans with friends, exchange recommendations & connect around the world.  He opens up about his own transition into full-time entrepreneurship, his journey building and scaling Pangea, his recent acquisition of the Overlap app, and his 5-year vision for Pangea.  Finally, Matt explains how he designs his digital nomad lifestyle, why he wants to travel to every country in the world, and what impact all this travel has had on him as a person.

→ Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here.

============================

FIND YOUR NEXT EPISODE

Explore The Maverick Show Starter Packs — some of my favorite conversations curated by theme so you can easily find the episodes that match your interests.

============================

FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU

See my Top 10 Travel Apps

See my Top 10 Books that Shaped the Way I Travel

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)

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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

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Hear about living in China, Malaysia, Poland and Mexico as a Black Muslim woman & raising her son in multiple countries.

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Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds.

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ON THIS EPISODE

In part 2 of this interview Imani talks about her experience living in China, Poland, Malaysia and Mexico. She tells stories about how many of these places defied stereotypes and how warmly she was received and treated in Poland when she gave birth there.  Imani then reflects on raising her son across multiple countries and how living abroad has impacted him as a person.  She also reflects on the development of her own politics of collective liberation, how she maintains long-term activist stamina, and how we can all rise to meet this historical moment despite feeling overwhelmed.  Imani then talks about her current role as a co-director at “Resist” and the storytelling and communications work she does.  She explains the history of the organization, their present day work in supporting grassroots initiatives, and how you can support their work.  Imani then reflects on how her travel and activism are so integrally intertwined.  She shares tips on raising socially conscious kids, standing in better solidarity with marginalized groups, and offers specific advice to Black and Muslim women travelers.  Finally, Imani reflects on why she continues to travel and what travel means to her today.

→ Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here.

============================

FIND YOUR NEXT EPISODE

Explore The Maverick Show Starter Packs — some of my favorite conversations curated by theme so you can easily find the episodes that match your interests.

============================

FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU

See my Top 10 Travel Apps

See my Top 10 Books that Shaped the Way I Travel

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

Support the show by buying me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes!

Learn about being a Black Muslim activist in the U.S., meeting Malcolm X’s daughter, moving abroad and living in Cairo.

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Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds.

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ON THIS EPISODE

Imani Bashir joins Matt in Washington, DC and they reflect on their Keynote panel at Nomadness Fest and their experience meeting Malcolm X’s daughter there.  Imani breaks down the neocolonial dynamics that often pervade the travel industry and travel journalism, and then offers tips on how be a more socially conscious traveler and content creator.  Next, she talks about the history of Islam in Black America, her experience navigating her Black and Muslim identities in the U.S., her experience after 9-11, and how her father raised her in an activist home.  Imani then talks about her commitment to Palestine solidarity work and reflects on the history of Palestine solidarity within Black American and other anti-colonial struggles around the world.  She then takes us on her personal journey attending an HBCU, getting her first passport, the impact of visiting London, and recognizing the beauty of immigrant communities.  Finally, Imani reflects on the history of Black-American expatriation, how the death of Sandra Bland motivated her to move out of the U.S., and her lessons and reflections from living in Cairo, Egypt.

→ Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here.

============================

FIND YOUR NEXT EPISODE

Explore The Maverick Show Starter Packs — some of my favorite conversations curated by theme so you can easily find the episodes that match your interests.

============================

FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU

See my Top 10 Travel Apps

See my Top 10 Books that Shaped the Way I Travel

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

Support the show by buying me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes!

Hear highlights from digital nomading around Africa & the power of travel in learning about struggles against injustice.

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Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds.

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ON THIS EPISODE

In Part 2 of this interview Janessa Klatt talks about her experience working remotely while traveling through Africa for 7 consecutive months.  She explains why Nairobi, Kenya won her heart, why her first safari in Tanzania was so magical, and why Cape Town, South Africa is now one of her favorite cities.  She also talks about her travels in Namibia, why the landscape is so uniquely spectacular, how she learned about the genocide that the German government committed there in 1907, and how travel has impacted her politics and worldview overall.  She then talks about co-hosting the “Remote Roundup” segment on the Zero to Travel podcast, gives minimalist packing tips for women, and reflects on why she continues to travel.  Finally, Janessa gives advice to aspiring digital nomads and speaks directly to people currently in a traditional 9-5 job that aspire to create a fulfilling life of long term world travel.

→ Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here.

============================

FIND YOUR NEXT EPISODE

Explore The Maverick Show Starter Packs — some of my favorite conversations curated by theme so you can easily find the episodes that match your interests.

============================

FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU

See my Top 10 Travel Apps

See my Top 10 Books that Shaped the Way I Travel

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

Support the show by buying me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes!

Learn how to leave your 9-5 job and build a fulfilling life of long-term world travel rooted in a supportive community.

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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

Janessa Klatt joins Matt from Winnipeg, Canada over a bottle of wine and tells the story of her grandparents’ experience immigrating to Canada from Germany, and then talks about her experience growing up in Winnipeg.  She gives her recommendations for visiting Canada, and talks about the role of sports in her life and how that started to pique her interest in world travel. Janessa then tells the story of her first solo back-packing trip through New Zealand, her study abroad experience in Melbourne, Australia, and learning to scuba dive at the Great Barrier Reef.  Next, she talks about leaving her corporate job for an adult gap year, living and working in Berlin, and re-connecting with her German heritage.  Janessa then shares her experiences traveling around Europe and reflects on the powerful impact of visiting the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland.  She then talks about her experience working as a deck hand on a private yacht, becoming a dive master in the Canary Islands, discovering The Maverick Show podcast, and becoming a full-time digital nomad.  Finally, she reflects on how she has built a meaningful community, both online and offline, in her itinerant digital nomad lifestyle.

→ Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here.

============================

FIND YOUR NEXT EPISODE

Explore The Maverick Show Starter Packs — some of my favorite conversations curated by theme so you can easily find the episodes that match your interests.

============================

FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU

See my Top 10 Travel Apps

See my Top 10 Books that Shaped the Way I Travel

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

Support the show by buying me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes!

Hear from the author of my most recommended book for travelers: Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel in an Unequal World.

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Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds.

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ON THIS EPISODE

In part 2 of this interview, Dr. Anu Taranath talks about her motives for writing her book “Beyond Guilt Trips”, the value and importance of  stories, and how we can understand guilt and shame in order to move beyond them and build real solidarity.  She then explains and unpacks the all too common division between cross cultural engagement “at home” vs. “abroad” and offers tips on how we should think about personal transformation through travel and becoming more thoughtful at home.  Anu then talks about the importance of noticing the small moments of everyday joy and reflects on how she has incorporated travel into her parenting. She also unpacks the concept of ‘complexity’ and explains how it can sometimes be used as a tool to illuminate important nuances and at other times be used by powerful interests to obfuscate the way dominant power structures function in order to demobilize opposition and maintain unjust power arrangements.  Finally, Anu reflects on what “belonging” means to her today and names the 3 best places in the world to get Indian food outside of the Subcontinent.

→ Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here.

============================

FIND YOUR NEXT EPISODE

Explore The Maverick Show Starter Packs — some of my favorite conversations curated by theme so you can easily find the episodes that match your interests.

============================

FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU

See my Top 10 Travel Apps

See my Top 10 Books that Shaped the Way I Travel

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

Support the show by buying me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes!

Learn about Indian-American identity, the value of critical pedagogy, and making meaningful connections in West Africa.

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Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds.

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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.

============================

FIND YOUR NEXT EPISODE

Explore The Maverick Show Starter Packs — some of my favorite conversations curated by theme so you can easily find the episodes that match your interests.

============================

FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU

See my Top 10 Travel Apps

See my Top 10 Books that Shaped the Way I Travel

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

Support the show by buying me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes!

Hear how 25 years of solidarity work shaped Matt’s analysis and where individuals can exert meaningful pressure today.

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Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds.

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ON THIS EPISODE

Matt Bowles is interviewed by Yulia Denisyuk about Palestine and action items you can take to help stop the genocide. 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 antisemitic 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.

============================

FIND YOUR NEXT EPISODE

Explore The Maverick Show Starter Packs — some of my favorite conversations curated by theme so you can easily find the episodes that match your interests.

============================

FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU

See my Top 10 Travel Apps

See my Top 10 Books that Shaped the Way I Travel

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

Support the show by buying me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes!