323: Visiting Libya in 2025 and Lessons from Growing Up as an Iranian Refugee with Youshita Fathi

Hear stories from Balochistan, Afghanistan & Pakistan, and why Youshita wants to travel to every country in the world.  _____________________________ Subscribe to The Maverick Show’s Monday Minute Newsletter where I email you 3 short items of value to start each week that you can consume in 60 seconds (all personal recommendations like the latest travel gear I'm using, my favorite destinations, discounts for special events, etc.). Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram ____________________________________ In Part 2 of this interview, Youshita talks about her first experience living abroad on her own in London and later moving to Dubai to work as cabin crew for Emirates Airlines. She then talks about her decision to take jobs for 1-3 years at a time in different countries and reflects on living in Dubai, Portugal, Switzerland, Malta and Gibralter. Youshita shares why she loves Spain so much and offers her top recommendations. She then describes her trip to Afghanistan, why it was life-changing, and why it inspired her to travel to every country in the world. Youshita then talks about the month she spent in Pakistan, her experience crossing the land border into Iran, and her stereotype-busting trip through Balochistan. FULL SHOW NOTES WITH DIRECT LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED ARE AVAILABLE HERE.  ____________________________________ 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? 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 growing up in Iran, being a refugee in Europe & ethical considerations when traveling to low income areas.  _____________________________ Subscribe to The Maverick Show’s Monday Minute Newsletter where I email you 3 short items of value to start each week that you can consume in 60 seconds (all personal recommendations like the latest travel gear I'm using, my favorite destinations, discounts for special events, etc.). Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram ____________________________________ Youshita Fathi joins Matt and they start off talking about how they met at the Extraordinary Travel Festival in Bangkok and connected around their shared human rights activism. Youshita then talks about her recent trip to Jamaica, including both the importance of getting out of the tourist areas and the ethical dynamics of visiting low-income or high-crime areas. Next, she describes her recent trip to Libya in 2025 and why it was so special to her. Youshita then talks about growing up in Iran until the age of 13, and the experience of her family applying for refugee asylum in Europe. She reflects on what that experience taught her about the way refugees are treated, and what she learned from the other refugees she met during that time. Youshita then describes her experience culturally acclimating to Austria as a teenager, confronting stereotypes about Iranians, and later working at an NGO to help religious minorities emigrate from Iran.  FULL SHOW NOTES WITH DIRECT LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUCSSED ARE AVAILABLE HERE.  ____________________________________ 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? 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 traveling 2,500 miles across India by Rickshaw and driving a “Shoe-Baru” from the UK to Cape Town.   _____________________________ Subscribe to The Maverick Show’s Monday Minute Newsletter where I email you 3 short items of value to start each week that you can consume in 60 seconds (all personal recommendations like the latest travel gear I'm using, my favorite destinations, discounts for special events, etc.). Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram ____________________________________ In Part 2 of this interview, Scott Brills tells the story of driving from the UK to Cape Town in cars decorated as Chuck Taylor sneakers. He describes his experience getting stuck in Aswan in Southern Egypt, and then evading Bandits in Ethiopia and plowing through a makeshift roadblock. Scott then reflects on doing the “Rickshaw Run” in India 3 times and describes the uniquely rich and immersive experience of traveling 2,500 miles across India in a tuk tuk. Next, he talks about falling in love with Japan and founding his company “Eat Japan” which runs small group tours for people to experience Japanese culture through food. Scott then talks about his distilling and brewing experience and his upcoming launch of his own tea brand, “Asa Tea”. He then offers tips on language learning, as well as business lessons from starting companies in 6 countries. Scott also shares some thoughtful advice on avoiding the pitfalls of voluntourism and the white savior complex. And finally, he reflects on the impact over 2 decades of travel has had on him and what travel means to him today. FULL SHOW NOTES WITH DIRECT LINKS TO EVERYING DISCUSSED ARE AVAILABLE HERE. ____________________________________ 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? 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 plan your Tanzanian Safari, hire an ethical company, tip correctly, and have an amazing experience. _____________________________ Subscribe to The Maverick Show’s Monday Minute Newsletter where I email you 3 short items of value to start each week that you can consume in 60 seconds (all personal recommendations like the latest travel gear I'm using, my favorite destinations, discounts for special events, etc.). Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram ____________________________________ Scott Brills starts off talking about the wine sommelier training he is currently doing and how he often structures his travel experiences around wine and other beverages. He then talks about growing up in Michigan, traveling to China at age 13, and then living abroad in Japan and Turkey. Next, Scott shares his experience doing the “Mongol Rally” and driving from the UK to Mongolia in a beater car, hitchhiking in Central Asia with a gangster, and running a marathon in the Gobi Desert with no preparation. He then talks about co-founding his company “Pamoja Safaris” in Tanzania with a local Maasai business partner. Scott then shares tips on navigating the ethical dynamics of the tourism industry in Tanzania—what you need to know about local compensation, tipping, and the neo-colonial context of safaris in Africa—so you can make responsible decisions as a customer. FULL SHOW NOTES AND DIRECT LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED IS AVAILABLE HERE ____________________________________ 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? 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 make a life pivot in your 30s, move abroad, reinvent yourself and become the person you really want to be. _____________________________ Subscribe to The Maverick Show’s Monday Minute Newsletter where I email you 3 short items of value to start each week that you can consume in 60 seconds (all personal recommendations like the latest travel gear I'm using, my favorite destinations, discounts for special events, etc.). Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram ____________________________________ Cepee Tabibian joins Matt from Malaga, Spain and starts off talking about her parents’ journey immigrating to the U.S. from Iran and Colombia respectively, and then reflects on her own experience growing up in an immigrant home in Houston. She talks about her first trips back to Iran and Colombia as an adult, and how those identities have evolved for her over the years. Cepee then talks about her decision to hit refresh at age 35, quit her traditional job in the U.S. and move to Spain. She opens up about her journey into remote work, entrepreneurship, and how the move abroad empowered her to reinvent herself in her 30s. Cepee explains how adopting an immigrant mindset can be as superpower, and how moving abroad can give us the freedom to be more creative, try new things, and become the person we really want to be. She gives tips on building a business, designing a travel lifestyle, and explains how her community “She Hit Refresh” helps women over 30 improve their lives by moving abroad. FULL SHOW NOTES AND DIRECT LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED ARE AVAILABLE HERE.  ____________________________________ 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? 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! :)

The tables are turned and Matt Bowles is interviewed about purposeful travel, social justice & his digital nomad life. _____________________________ Subscribe to The Maverick Show’s Monday Minute Newsletter where I email you 3 short items of value to start each week that you can consume in 60 seconds (all personal recommendations like the latest travel gear I'm using, my favorite destinations, discounts for special events, etc.). Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram ____________________________________ In this special episode, The Maverick Show host Matt Bowles is interviewed by Brittany Braddock in an episode that originally aired on the Manifest Travel podcast. Matt starts off explaining how he co-founded Maverick Investor Group as a fully remote real estate brokerage and later became a digital nomad. He reflects on his travel intentions, the synergy between travel and human rights, and how he builds community as he travels. Matt also talks about the art of podcasting and how he has refined the craft of interviewing. He then explains how his company, Maverick Investor Group, empowers you to buy “turnkey” rental properties in the best U.S. markets from anywhere. Matt reflects on building the company with a location-independent infrastructure and running it remotely for over 17 years. He then gives tips on creating immersive local travel experiences. Matt also emphasizes the importance of learning about the places we travel, and gives some tips on how we can all be more conscious travelers. Finally, he reflects on ways to create stability, productivity and harmony in the digital nomad life. FULL SHOW NOTES WITH DIRECT LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED ARE AVAILABLE HERE. ____________________________________ 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? 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 neo-colonial dynamics in the travel industry but how tourism can include both recreation & human rights. _____________________________ Subscribe to The Maverick Show’s Monday Minute Newsletter where I email you 3 short items of value to start each week that you can consume in 60 seconds (all personal recommendations like the latest travel gear I'm using, my favorite destinations, discounts for special events, etc.). Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram ____________________________________ In part 2 of this interview, Hira Aftab starts off talking about the neo-colonial dynamics of the travel industry. She explains what prompted her to co-found the Hybrid Tours and how she integrates human rights and refugee experiences into her travel itineraries. Hira also explains the importance of studying genocides and understanding what leads to them. She then talks about her evolving connection with her Pakistani identity, learning about the 1971 Bangladesh genocide, her upcoming Hybrid Tour to Pakistan, and how you can join. Finally, Hira reflects on how travel has impacted her, give tips on how we can be more ethical travelers, and shares specific action items for how we can help stop the genocide in Palestine. FULL SHOW NOTES WITH LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED ARE AVAILABLE HERE. ____________________________________ 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? 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 importance of prioritizing the voices, stories, and experiences of refugees in the places we travel.   _____________________________ Subscribe to The Maverick Show’s Monday Minute Newsletter where I email you 3 short items of value to start each week that you can consume in 60 seconds (all personal recommendations like the latest travel gear I'm using, my favorite destinations, discounts for special events, etc.). Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram ____________________________________ Hira Aftab talks about growing up in a Pakistani immigrant home between the UK and Saudi Arabia. She reflects on the life changing impact of her first trip to Palestine, and how that inspired her to become a human rights activist. Hira then reflects on doing two Master’s degrees and working in the international humanitarian sector. She talks about her trip to Jordan, the impact of meeting with Palestinian refugees there, and how that inspired her to start “Our World Too” as a platform to center the voices and stories of refugees. She also talks about hosting the “More than a Statistic Podcast” and shares some of her most powerful interviews. Finally, she reflects on the lessons from her international humanitarian work and unpacks some of the neo-colonial dynamics in the space. FULL SHOW NOTES WITH DIRECT LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED ARE AVAILABLE HERE.   ____________________________________ 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? 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 leave your corporate job and transition into the digital nomad lifestyle with the skills you already have. _____________________________ Subscribe to The Maverick Show’s Monday Minute Newsletter where I email you 3 short items of value to start each week that you can consume in 60 seconds (all personal recommendations like the latest travel gear I'm using, my favorite destinations, discounts for special events, etc.). Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram ____________________________________ Yuri Chu Su talks about her Chinese-Peruvian identity while growing up in Lima, Peru. She reflects on her first visit China at age 9 and then moving to Canada with her family. Yuri talks about her traditional career path of becoming an Accountant, and then her journey discovering The Maverick Show podcast and being inspired to become a digital nomad. She explains her process for quitting her job, using her existing skillset to land remote freelance clients, and then transitioning into a lifestyle of itinerant world travel. Yuri talks about her experiences on the Nomad Cruise and the Remote Year Program, shares stories from her travels, and explains how she was able to build meaningful community with other world travelers. Finally, she reflects on her multi-cultural identity and what travel means to her today. FULL SHOW NOTES WITH DIRECT LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCSUSSED ARE AVAILABLE HERE.  ____________________________________ 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? 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 take some of the most epic train rides in the world, and hear highlights from spending time in Africa.  _____________________________ Subscribe to The Maverick Show’s Monday Minute Newsletter where I email you 3 short items of value to start each week that you can consume in 60 seconds (all personal recommendations like the latest travel gear I'm using, my favorite destinations, discounts for special events, etc.). Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram ____________________________________ In Part 2 of this interview with Sojourner White, Matt and Sojourner discuss the best long distance train rides in the U.S.. Sojourner then describes her experience taking the Jose Cuervo Express Tequila Train in Mexico. She also reflects on how special and unique it was to take the train through Peru, and then shares her experience hiking the Rainbow Mountain. Sojourner also talks about visiting Panama, and shares a unique experience hiking a volcano in Guatemala for pizza. She then talks about her experiences visiting Kenya, going on Safari, and spending time in Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa. Sojourner shares reflections about connecting with the African Continent as a Black American, and the importance of paying attention to social, economic and political dynamics as we travel. Finally, she reflects on how all this travel has impacted her and what travel means to her today. FULL SHOW NOTES WITH DIRECT LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED ARE AVAILABLE HERE. ____________________________________ 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? 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! :)