The Maverick Show: Global Travel Stories &amp; Life Beyond Borders

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Studying Abroad in India, Living in Namibia and Traveling Deeper Through South Africa & Ghana with Alexa Moore (Ep 412) Oct 26, 2026

Show notes

Learn how slow immersive travel can deepen cultural understanding and transform how you see the world and yourself.

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ON THIS EPISODE

Alexa Moore shares how studying abroad in India transformed her confidence as a traveler and opened her mind to a life of exploring the world. She talks about her Jamaican-American upbringing in the Washington, D.C. area, living and working in Namibia after college, taking a 24-hour bus journey from Windhoek to Cape Town, and developing a deep connection with the African continent. Alexa reflects on exploring Johannesburg and Soweto, engaging critically with the legacy of apartheid, and learning about contemporary xenophobia and the experiences of African immigrants in South Africa. She also shares stories of hospitality and human connection in Senegal before taking us to Ghana, where she experienced the historic Year of Return, explored Accra during the high-energy Detty December season, and discovered a different side of the country through the Volta Region, Mole National Park, local food, surfing, and conversations with people along the way. Throughout the episode, Alexa reflects on how cultural immersion, historical awareness, curiosity, and meaningful connections with local people can challenge our assumptions and deepen our understanding of the places we visit.

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Socially Conscious Travel Writing, Colombian Coffee Culture & Becoming a Guardian of the Places We Visit with Ocean Malandra (Ep 411) Oct 19, 2026

Show notes

Learn how traveling with greater depth and intention can transform our relationship with people, place, and the planet.

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ON THIS EPISODE

Ocean Malandra shares how he built a career in socially conscious travel writing and why introducing readers to a destination comes with a responsibility to understand the impact tourism can have on local communities and environments. He reflects on reporting about conservation, Indigenous land rights and sustainable development in Colombia, explores the country’s evolving specialty coffee culture, and explains how travel writers can help direct attention and resources toward people and projects creating positive change. Ocean also discusses tourism as a form of activism, the importance of slow travel and cultural immersion, and how traveling with greater depth and intention can foster meaningful relationships—and ultimately a sense of responsibility for protecting the places we come to love. 

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

See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use)

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Falling in Love with Colombia: Ocean Malandra on Cali's Salsa Culture, Bogotá Graffiti, Indigenous Land Defenders & the Afro-Colombian Pacific (Ep 410) Oct 12, 2026

Show notes

Learn how Colombia is shaped by beautiful human connection. cultural resilience, community power, & ancestral knowledge.

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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

Ocean Malandra takes us deep into Colombia as he shares how an intended journey through South America turned into a life-changing relationship with the country that has lasted for more than 17 years. He reflects on growing up around Oakland hip-hop, discovering the cultural roots connecting Colombia to the African diaspora, and learning from communities using art, music, collective land ownership, and community-led tourism to preserve their heritage and shape their future. Ocean also discusses Colombia’s extraordinary biodiversity, environmental conservation, the legacy of political violence, responsible travel, overtourism and gentrification—and offers insights for experiencing the country in ways that more directly benefit the people who call it home.

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

See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use)

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ENJOYING THE SHOW?

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Please leave a rating and review — it really helps the show and I read each one personally

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Black Travelers and the Outdoors: Lauren Gay on Nature, Adventure, Storytelling & Environmental Activism (Ep 409) Oct 05, 2026

Show notes

Discover the roots of the racial diversity gap in outdoor recreation and how travel creators can help reshape the narrative.

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ON THIS EPISODE

Lauren Gay shares stories of paragliding in Cape Town, gliding in Japan, visiting a nudist resort, and swimming between tectonic plates in Iceland. She then unpacks the historical roots of the racial diversity gap in outdoor recreation, the importance of authentic Black visibility in outdoor culture, and why nature has become both therapy and a spiritual space for her. Lauren also talks about co-founding the Black Travel Alliance, how the story of a destination changes depending on who is telling it, and the responsibility travel creators have to the communities and places they feature. She reflects on becoming an environmental and conservation activist, balancing tourism promotion with the dangers of overtourism, and why travel can foster greater empathy, human connection, and care for the natural world.

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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 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that’s not traditionally virtual)

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

See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use)

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

ENJOYING THE SHOW?

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Please leave a rating and review — it really helps the show and I read each one personally

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From the Azores to the Arctic: Lauren Gay on Solo Travel, Reinvention & Epic Outdoor Adventures (Ep 408) Sep 28, 2026

Show notes

Hear how a life-changing journey sparked a new chapter filled with whale sharks, northern lights and wild landscapes.

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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

Lauren Gay joins Matt for a wide-ranging conversation about the experiences that shaped her into the Outdoorsy Diva. She shares how chasing waterfalls with her son helped ignite her passion for outdoor recreation, how a pivotal trip to the Azores gave her a new vision for her life, and how she went on to pursue extraordinary experiences around the world. Lauren tells stories of swimming with whale sharks in Mexico, encountering incredible wildlife in the Galápagos, exploring the landscapes of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, dog mushing through Arctic Norway, witnessing the northern lights after a decade of trying, watching a whale breach in Alaska, and experiencing a profound sense of connection while visiting Zimbabwe.

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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.

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

FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU

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

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

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!

Traveling the World as a Gay Couple: Ross OC Jennings on Queer Life Across Cultures & Finding Home Abroad (Ep 407) Sep 21, 2026

Show notes

Learn about backdoor diplomacy, pink imperialism, colonial history & why slower travel can create deeper connections.

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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

Ross OC Jennings tells the story of meeting his husband Travis and building a relationship centered around a life of travel. He reflects on living in Guatemala and the Philippines, navigating countries where homosexuality is criminalized, and the complex dynamics of queer travel across different cultural contexts. Ross also shares why Mozambique holds a special place in his heart, what playing the bagpipes around the world taught him about colonial history and cultural exchange, and how returning to Shanghai nearly 30 years after moving there as a child affected his understanding of identity and home. He then talks about his show So Where’s It From? And, finally, he reflects the responsibility travel content creators have when telling other people’s stories, the limitations of country counting and achievement-oriented travel, and why slowing down has ultimately led to deeper connections and more meaningful experiences around the world.

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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.

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

FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU

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

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

See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use)

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

ENJOYING THE SHOW?

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Please leave a rating and review — it really helps the show and I read each one personally

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From Growing Up in China to Playing the Bagpipes in 117 Countries with Ross OC Jennings (Ep 406) Sep 14, 2026

Show notes

Discover how an unlikely instrument opened doors, crossed cultures and turned travel adventures into human connection.

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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

Ross OC Jennings shares how growing up in China shaped his identity, curiosity and relationship with travel. He reflects on his childhood in Shanghai, learning Mandarin, navigating reverse culture shock at boarding school in the UK, and eventually combining his passion for travel with his Scottish heritage to pursue an audacious global bagpiping quest. Ross tells stories of a tense police encounter in Tunisia that took an unexpected turn, playing on the Yamuna River in front of the Taj Mahal, performing for Bhutanese royalty, piping beside an erupting volcano in Guatemala, playing atop the Burj Khalifa, and even performing at 35,000 feet on a commercial flight. Along the way, he explains what he discovered about the surprising global history of the bagpipes, cultural identity, respectful travel, and the extraordinary ways music can break down barriers between people.

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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.

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

FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU

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

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

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!

Traveling Through Syria, Iran & Turkmenistan with His Dad, Telling Deeper Stories & Building 3 Million Followers with Chris Joondeph (Ep 405) Sep 07, 2026

Show notes

Discover why Chris believes the most meaningful and important travel stories begin where headlines and stereotypes end.

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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

How do you tell compelling stories about places that are often misunderstood? In this episode, Chris Joondeph reflects on the lessons he's learned from traveling to more than 170 countries and creating one of the world's largest travel communities on social media. Through conversations about Syria, Iran, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Turkmenistan, Algeria, Malawi, and beyond, Chris explores the responsibilities of travel creators, the importance of context over sensationalism, and why genuine human connection is essential to understanding the world. He also shares how traveling with his father after the loss of his mother transformed both of their perspectives, and why curiosity, humility, and firsthand experience continue to shape the stories he chooses to tell.

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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.

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

FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU

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

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

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!

Finding Home in Nigeria: Chris Joondeph on Cultural Immersion, Love & Authentic Travel (Ep 404) Aug 31, 2026

Show notes

Hear how a trip to Nigeria became a lifelong commitment to a country, a culture, and a completely different way of life.

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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

How does an American traveler go from teaching English in Thailand to building a life in Nigeria? In this episode, Chris Joondeph shares the remarkable journey that led him from growing up in the United States to living abroad, studying international affairs, maximizing airline travel to explore the world, and ultimately falling in love with Nigeria. Chris reflects on meeting his wife, embracing Yoruba traditions through their traditional wedding and marriage ceremonies, relocating to Lagos, and co-founding Authentic Traveling Tours to help visitors experience Nigeria through local relationships and genuine cultural immersion. Along the way, he shares why Lagos is best explored with locals, the places in Nigeria that have captured his heart, and how meaningful travel can grow into a life, a community, and a true sense of home.

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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.

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

FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU

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