The Urban Exodus Podcast

This episode is brought to you by Spoondrift Studio. Let website designer and brand specialist Nora Gray at Spoondrift Studio take the burden of all things design and website off of your plate so that you can focus on what you do best! Nora excels at listening to her clients immediate and long term needs - crafting engaging websites that bring your vision to life and set you up for success. It’s Spoondrift Studios mission to make your business shine and stand out from the crowd.  Put your best foot forward and visit www.spoondrift.studio today for a free consultation!

I’m excited to invite you to my conversation with Joshua Kwaku Asiedu. ​​Born and raised in Milan, Italy, Joshua didn’t feel like he could thrive within the modern, Western culture he found himself in. At 20, he decided to leave home in order to explore the world and see what it would teach him. With 50 euros in his pocket and a one-way ticket, he left without knowing where this new chapter would lead.

Joshua worked a myriad of jobs - an electrician, mason, model, retailer, waiter, chef, farmer, etc. He lived for periods in cities all over the globe London, Sydney, Auckland, Cape Town, Los Angeles and more. Then he ventured to rural awe-inspiring landscapes. Midway through his travels Joshua started to leave behind hostels, guests houses and rental rooms, in order to find rest in tents, caves, beaches, temples, and forests.

After seven years of life altering experiences exploring remote regions of the world and learning from the places and people he encountered, Joshua came to the conclusion that our modern Western world, is rooted in materialism, consumerism and superficialities. This is leading us away from Mother Nature - the source of independence, freedom and inner expansion.

Willing to leave those said societal structures once and for all, he started to look for a native piece of land where to move. After a demanding and dedicated search, he discovered that his father’s ancestors left plots of lands in heritage - in Ghana. This brought him back to his Motherland to track down and reclaim this inherited land.

Joshua moved into the bush with only a mosquito net and a beach bed. His home that he has lived in for the past 3 years, he built himself out of cow dung, mud, clay, and bamboo. After digging a well, planting fruit trees, Joshua has been working on expanding his eco-village by building more dwellings on the land.

In 2019, Joshua began  sharing his journey on social media and started Asaase - Live to Learn. Learn to Live - a series of online and in person courses centered around relearning Indigenous practices, organic farming, decolonization and natural building methods. Joshua has amassed a large online following who are inspired by his journey and want to learn from him.

In our conversation we speak about Joshua’s paradigm shift, the challenges he has faced while building his new community, how to find and follow your purpose, working through fear-based narratives, and rediscovering ancestral knowledge.

This is a story about the transformative power of travel, choosing earth centric living, and the value of persevering through fears and obstacles in order

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urbanexodus.com | @theurbanexodus | buy the book

This episode is brought to you by Spoondrift Studio. Let website designer and brand specialist Nora Gray at Spoondrift Studio take the burden of all things design and website off of your plate so that you can focus on what you do best! Nora excels at listening to her clients immediate and long term needs - crafting engaging websites that bring your vision to life and set you up for success. It’s Spoondrift Studios mission to make your business shine and stand out from the crowd.  Put your best foot forward and visit www.spoondrift.studio today for a free consultation!

I’m excited to invite you to my conversation with Australian farmer and conservationist Louise Glut. She and her husband David run HighField Farm and Woodland: A working farm, conservation site, and eco-stay.

In their prior lives, work took them to cities all over the world. They’ve lived in Beijing, Sydney, Melbourne, and Shanghai. Now their home is 27 km from the nearest town, a very small one. 

While living in Sydney, David and Louise both worked at the University of Sydney. Although they liked their jobs, they lefty the city nearly every weekend to bushwalk in the High Plains of the Kosciuszko National Park. They both felt like they were born into the wrong place – country people living city lives.

One day, the push they needed arrived. A newspaper ad for  a voluntary residency in the country opened up, allowing them a structured opportunity to leave their city lives behind. Eventually that led them to plant permanent roots near Kosciusko.

Louise and David had no farming background, but had a drive that led them to want to learn as much as they could. They now find tremendous joy and fulfillment feeding their community. Nothing can compare to the quiet, the merits of working for themselves, and living in alignment with their values.

In our conversation we speak about the reality of climate change as a farmer, indigenous land management, the impact of tourism on the land, eschewing black and white thinking when it comes to change, and the importance of living your values.

This is a story about finding your “why,” supporting your community through tough times, and protecting our wild spaces.

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I’m excited to invite you to my conversation with Asli Mohamed. Asli is difficult to describe because she does so many things, and has lived in so many different places. She is a mother, a world traveler, a doula, a farmer, and an entrepreneur among many other things. While Asli grew up in London, she was born in Somalia, and has spent the last few years living abroad back in Somalia, then Kenya, and now Belize.

While in London, Asli and her husband both had very busy lives, working constantly, and unable to spend much time with their young son. They were earning a good living, but felt unfulfilled. Every break they got, they spent traveling. They were itching to see the world and experience new ways of life. A few years ago, Asli had a realization that she wanted to live what she calls a “decentralized life.” Meaning she has no place she calls her one home. Instead, she plans to move every few years to a new country, experiencing different cultures, careers, and communities.

Asli has made bold steps, moving countries twice while pregnant, building a homestead over the past few months in Belize, and is growing her skincare brand while also homeschooling her children. She has embraced the unconventional nature of her life, preferring to live a life full of cultural and natural richness, and passing along that joy and curiosity to her young children.

In our conversation we speak about myths around childbirth, global citizenship, indigenous vs. western ways of living, the joys of travel, and nomadic sustainability.

This is a story about trusting yourself, stepping outside the bounds of convention, the oneness of humanity, and the magic of motherhood. 

Support the show

Sign up for Apple Podcasts premium or our Patreon Membership for ad-free listening, rapid-fire guest interviews & our new mini-pod Ditch the City.

urbanexodus.com | @theurbanexodus | buy the book

This episode is brought to you by Spoondrift Studio. Let website designer and brand specialist Nora Gray at Spoondrift Studio take the burden of all things design and website off of your plate so that you can focus on what you do best! Nora excels at listening to her clients immediate and long term needs - crafting engaging websites that bring your vision to life and set you up for success. It’s Spoondrift Studios mission to make your business shine and stand out from the crowd.  Put your best foot forward and visit www.spoondrift.studio today for a free consultation!

I’m excited to invite you to my conversation with mushroom farmers John Deloge and Lizzie Devane of Slipstream Farm in Newfane, Vermont. At Slipstream they grow gourmet mushrooms and make medicinal tinctures.

When Lizzie’s job became remote in the early days of the pandemic, Lizzie and John took it as the push to pursue their dream of becoming full time farmers. They packed up their lives in Boston and found their way to Vermont. 

Lizzie and John met in Boston at an NA meeting, and have found time on the farm and in nature has helped them tremendously in their recovery. Growing mushrooms has put them in touch with the magic of the mycelial process, which is integral in both human and ecosystem health. 

I’m grateful to Jon and Lizzie for sharing their story with depth and candor. We speak about the reality of running a business, making money without feeling like money owns you, marketing yourself as a small business, addiction recovery, and the truth behind the saying that “wherever you go, there you are.”

This is a story about recovery, putting yourself out there, the healing powers of mushrooms, and personal reinvention. 

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Sign up for Apple Podcasts premium or our Patreon Membership for ad-free listening, rapid-fire guest interviews & our new mini-pod Ditch the City.

urbanexodus.com | @theurbanexodus | buy the book

I’m excited to invite you to my conversation with Grace Chen. Grace is a big thinker, product engineer, former tech CEO, musician, mother and self confessed pickleball fanatic. After studying Management Science and Engineering at Stanford, Grace began working in the Silicon Valley tech world. She worked at several large companies before co-founding Common Networks - a start-up aiming to bring affordable, high-speed internet to the masses.

Several months into the pandemic, Grace and her husband Ryan decided to go visit his parents in rural Maine so that they could escape the wildfire smoke, stay at home orders, and their small San Francisco apartment with two restless kids. Grace had recently become the CEO of her start-up and was pitching to banks, venture capital firms and companies from an unreliable wifi signal in the small community of Unity, Maine. Despite the technical obstacles, the pace of life in Maine agreed with Grace and she found herself feeling more at ease and happier than she had been in years.

After just a few months, Grace and her husband Ryan decided to move to Maine permanently. They didn’t even return to pack up their apartment in San Francisco. In December of 2020, Grace’s company was acquired by Meta. She worked remotely for Meta until quitting a few months ago. She is keeping busy by volunteering at her kids school and figuring out ways she can plug her skills into the community. Her goal for this next chapter is to be a net positive in the place where she now calls home.

This is a story about tenacity and overcoming obstacles, plugging your energy and passion into your community, and the importance of rest and reflection after periods of intensity and change.

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Sign up for Apple Podcasts premium or our Patreon Membership for ad-free listening, rapid-fire guest interviews & our new mini-pod Ditch the City.

urbanexodus.com | @theurbanexodus | buy the book

This episode is sponsored by Maine Women Magazine. As a Maine-based entrepreneur, I can’t say enough good things about Maine Women. For those of you that aren’t familiar, Maine Women is a printed quarterly and an online publication focused on sharing news and stories that highlight innovative women making waves in the state of Maine and beyond. When you subscribe, you’ll find a myriad of articles exploring Arts & Culture, Activism & Social Issues, Health & Wellness, Business & Entrepreneurship, and much more! Maine Women is going through an exciting transformation and will be soon offering Maine-made goods, classes, networking events, and retreats. You don’t want to miss out!

I’m excited to invite you to my conversation with Helena Woods. Helena grew up in San Diego but moved to New York City at the age of 18 to pursue a career in acting. After a few exciting years in the city, the charm of the entertainment industry began to wear off. She realized what a fickle and difficult business it was and yearned to find another way to tap into her creativity. After the sudden passing of her father, Helena started a photography practice. Photography was an incredible way of capturing time, space and memory. 

Although Helena had always been interested in astrology, photography led her on her journey into the study of astrocartography - how place and time interact with one another in our lives. She dove deep into studying all that she could about astrocartography and now gives online readings to people to help them find the best places for them to live, based on their birth charts. 

In 2020, Helena and her English professor partner decided they were ready for a big change. He applied for several university positions around the world and landed a job teaching English at a college in a small town in the French countryside. Helena didn’t hesitate when he asked her to join him. They quickly got married, sold nearly all of their possessions and moved to France. Helena’s work as a content creator and astrocartographer allows her to be a digital nomad - working from wherever she is. Since moving, Helena has lived in three small rural communities in France. 

Helena has amassed a large following from vlogging and blogging about astrocartography, her life in France and embracing slow living. After years of creating content for fun, it has evolved into a sustainable career that gives her greater flexibility in her days. Through her work, Helena wants to inspire others to reconnect with their inner voice, downsize their lives and find greater happiness in the everyday. 

This is a story about turning passion into profession, the freedom and joy of minimalism and tapping into the cosmos to find a place where you belong.

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Sign up for Apple Podcasts premium or our Patreon Membership for ad-free listening, rapid-fire guest interviews & our new mini-pod Ditch the City.

urbanexodus.com | @theurbanexodus | buy the book

I’m excited to invite you to my conversation with Jonathan Weston. Jonathan is a serial entrepreneur, a father of four, a technology executive, the author of Camping is for Everyone and the founder of Wanderland Campground and the Wanderland Society in Rising Fawn, Georgia.

Jonathan felt called to 72 acres of land near Lookout Mountain in Walker County. It is a magnificent site of hilly and steep terrain with views across the lower Appalachian Mountain range. He has intentionally steward the land as a primitive event space, keeping the ecosystem intact. In an era where camping is being tied more and more to RV pads and electrical hookups, Jonathan is proud to offer a venue for traditional tent camping.

The mission of Wanderland is to conserve natural areas while providing a welcoming space for all campers to enjoy the outdoors. The slogan, "Camping is for everyone, Wanderland is for you," reflects the belief that everyone should have the opportunity to connect with nature. 

Since 2020, Wanderland has hosted thousands of campers, many of whom were new to camping and left with a newfound appreciation for the outdoors. By creating a safe and welcoming environment, Wanderland hopes to help individuals feel connected to the earth and to each other.

Reconnecting with nature has profoundly impacted Jonathan’s life. He has found wisdom, healing and solace spending time in the forest. Through his work at Wanderland, Jonathan aims to give others an opportunity to do the same and nurture the next generation of ecological stewards. 

This is a story about getting lost in the woods to find yourself, growing slowly with intention, and the transformative power of rites of passage rooted in nature.    

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Sign up for Apple Podcasts premium or our Patreon Membership for ad-free listening, rapid-fire guest interviews & our new mini-pod Ditch the City.

urbanexodus.com | @theurbanexodus | buy the book

This episode is brought to you by Taproot Magazine. Now is the perfect time to rediscover the joys of snail mail! Published in Portland, Maine, Taproot is a beautiful print publication that celebrates food, farm, family, and craft through six ad-free issues a year. I've been a subscriber for years now and am always so excited to find my next issue in my mailbox! I love how there's a little bit of everything in this magazine. Each issue features seasonal recipes, tutorials, craft projects, and stories inspiring readers to live more intentionally and connect with their communities and the natural world. Want to see what Taproot is all about? Use code PODCAST for free US shipping on a past issue at at taprootmag.com. 

I’m excited to invite you to my conversation with Ashlie Thomas. Ashlie is a scientist, writer, health coach and food security advocate. She is the woman behind the Mocha Gardener on Instagram, where she shares her tips, advice and growing journey. 

Ashlie was inspired to start gardening after spending time in rural South Carolina with her grandparents. She realized how few healthy, fresh food options were available locally and decided to roll up her sleeves and learn to grow. Ashlie and her husband Tyler settled in the suburbs of North Carolina and built a garden oasis on their 1-acre lot, where they grow food year around. 

Ashlie's growing journey has been so profound that she has decided to go back to school to study nutrition. She wants to encourage more people to tear up their lawns and get growing - not just for the food but also for the healing that comes from reconnecting with the soil. Gardening has shifted Ashlie's outlook on the world and how she interprets living a successful, happy life. 

This November, Ashlie authored her first book How to Become a Gardener: find empowerment in creating your own food security. This book walks readers through the practical ins and outs of gardening, providing tangible pathways for people to take charge of their family’s food security by learning how to grow their own fruits, vegetables, and herbs. In addition, Ashlie discusses the often overlooked, but equally important, benefits of gardening - beyond the nutritious food it provides. 

This is a story about the life altering experience of becoming a gardener and the gifts, magic, and lessons that growing gives. 

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Sign up for Apple Podcasts premium or our Patreon Membership for ad-free listening, rapid-fire guest interviews & our new mini-pod Ditch the City.

urbanexodus.com | @theurbanexodus | buy the book

I’m excited to invite you to my conversation with Diane Anastasio. Diane grew up in the rural reaches of the Connecticut suburbs. From a young age she was planning her escape to the bright lights of the city. Right out of high school she moved to New York City for college. After she graduated, she moved to San Francisco and worked for a music magazine. City living agreed with Diane, she loved the culture, diversity and easy access to community, especially as a queer person and musician. She never in her wildest dreams thought she would live in a rural place again.

In 2015, Diane moved to London to pursue a masters in gender studies. She battled some health problems which caused her to drastically shift her diet and lifestyle in order to heal. The recovery journey was so profound that it derailed Diane’s academic career to study nutrition. Nutrition led Diane on a path towards working with livestock because she became interested in the intersections of human health, raising healthy animals, and preserving the health of the land. This interest inspired Diane’s journey back to rural living and becoming a shepherd. 

One fateful day, Diane was driving in her car in Oakland and heard a radio segment about a sheep shearing course in Hopland and every part of her knew she had to do it.

Yet, after five days of shearing at Hopland, Diane knew that wasn’t the way she wanted to work with animals. In 2019, she embarked on her first shepherding journey in the European Alps and then moved to a sheep and pig farm in VT during the pandemic. There she learned rotational grazing, lambing and farrowing, butchery, and some business aspects of agriculture. 

While living in Vermont Diane’s perspective on rural living started to shift. He began to see the real benefits of living a life rooted to people and place. She noticed that folks treated each other with such kindness, respect and generosity - regardless of their background or politics. She began to build deep, lasting friendships with her neighbors and realized she had been missing that deeper knowing and understanding of the people in her midst.

After the pandemic, Diane moved back to the West Coast and landed a job as the ranch manager at Shepherdess in Ojai. Diane now runs sheep and goats through hard to reach lands in the Southern California mountains. This work has helped to mitigate fires by restoring soil, native vegetation and cutting back on brittle grasses and brush. It is labor intensive, solitary work but she feels a deep connection to the animals and the land she roams. In addition, the isolation of shepherding has given Diane time and space for her creative passions of music and writing. She has come full circle, weaving the fibers of the sheep she keeps into tapestries and writing songs inspired by the diverse landscapes of the rural spaces she’s had the opportunity to call home. For a woman who has had many metamorphosis, the life of a shepherd feels just right.

This is a story about trusting your gut, the grand adventure of a life bravely led, and the importance of utilizing the wisdom from the past in the future.

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urbanexodus.com | @theurbanexodus | buy the book

I’m excited to invite you to my conversation with Mary and Magdalene (M & M for short) - the identical twin sisters behind Busy Homebodies, an urban homesteading focused Instagram account. Here, the sisters share the ins and outs of their journey towards greater self-sufficiency. In only several years, these two ambitious siblings have learned how to can and cook food from whole ingredients, raise, breed and harvest quails and rabbits and a myriad of other homesteading skills.

Before homesteading and working in content creation, M & M worked for many years in childcare and teaching. When their work closed down in 2020, the sisters began to awaken to the reality that they were completely reliant on our fragile supply chains to feed and care for themselves. Although they were living in an apartment, that didn’t deter them from starting to acquire homesteading skills.

Mary and Magdalene decided to bring others along on their journey by documenting their triumphs, failures and experiments. They bring a refreshing authenticity to the urban homesteading space - learning from books, Youtube and trial and error.

This is a story about sisterhood, surpassing expectations, and starting wherever you are and growing from there. 

Support the show

Sign up for Apple Podcasts premium or our Patreon Membership for ad-free listening, rapid-fire guest interviews & our new mini-pod Ditch the City.

urbanexodus.com | @theurbanexodus | buy the book