Hear why understanding a destination’s history and politics can transform how you travel and connect with people there. ============================ 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 Flora Mendoza joins Matt over a bottle of wine in Dakar, Senegal. She reflects on what she loves most about Senegal after spending a month in Dakar, and also shares her experiences traveling through Tunisia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Next, Flora talks about being half Mexican and half Basque, shares her experience growing up in Queens, NY, and reflects on her study abroad experience in Salvador de Bahia in Brazil. She then talks about her journey with music and acting which included studying opera in Italy, being a recurring extra on Saturday Night Live, and spending time with Michael K Williams. Next, Flora talks about her path to becoming a professional political consultant and pollster, and explains how she turned that into a fully remote position and started traveling the world full time. She explains why she prioritizes an understanding of the history and politics of her travel destinations and then talks about her trip to Palestine. Flora and Matt then reflect on the general importance of making distinctions between government policy vs. the individual citizens of a country, and how dominant groups in all societies have the option to side with oppressed groups. Flora then talks about moonlighting as a Jazz singer in Puerto Rico, attending Fidel Castro’s funeral in Cuba, and traveling through Colombia in two different decades. She offers tips on traveling with a relationship partner, solo female travel, and balancing work and travel in different time zones. Matt and Flora then reflect on the beauty of the Basque country. Finally, Flora shares what travel means to her and opens up about the real reason why she continues to nomad and live her life to the fullest. → 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!

Moonlighting as a Jazz Singer in Puerto Rico, Attending Fidel Castro's Funeral in Cuba, and Becoming a Fully-Nomadic Political Consultant with Flora Mendoza (Ep 221)

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Hear why understanding a destination’s history and politics can transform how you travel and connect with people there.  ============================  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  Flora Mendoza joins Matt over a bottle of wine in Dakar, Senegal.  She reflects on what she loves most about Senegal after spending a month in Dakar, and also shares her experiences traveling through Tunisia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe.  Next, Flora talks about being half Mexican and half Basque, shares her experience growing up in Queens, NY, and reflects on her study abroad experience in Salvador de Bahia in Brazil.  She then talks about her journey with music and acting which included studying opera in Italy, being a recurring extra on Saturday Night Live, and spending time with Michael K Williams.  Next, Flora talks about her path to becoming a professional political consultant and pollster, and explains how she turned that into a fully remote position and started traveling the world full time.  She explains why she prioritizes an understanding of the history and politics of her travel destinations and then talks about her trip to Palestine.  Flora and Matt then reflect on the general importance of making distinctions between government policy vs. the individual citizens of a country, and how dominant groups in all societies have the option to side with oppressed groups.  Flora then talks about moonlighting as a Jazz singer in Puerto Rico, attending Fidel Castro’s funeral in Cuba, and traveling through Colombia in two different decades.  She offers tips on traveling with a relationship partner, solo female travel, and balancing work and travel in different time zones.  Matt and Flora then reflect on the beauty of the Basque country.  Finally, Flora shares what travel means to her and opens up about the real reason why she continues to nomad and live her life to the fullest.  → 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!

The Maverick Show is a global travel podcast about what really happens when people cross borders and build lives across cultures. Hosted by full-time world traveler Matt Bowles, each episode features intimate, unfiltered conversations (often over a bottle of wine) exploring the human stories behind global travel and what the journey teaches us about the world and ourselves.  Guests include expats, digital nomads, women and diaspora storytellers, worldschooling families, and human rights advocates, all sharing travel stories that are funny, moving, and deeply human.  In addition to hearing about extraordinary places and the people who live there, you’ll learn what it’s really like to move abroad, build an expat life, or travel long-term, as guests open up about their personal journeys navigating culture, race, power, identity, and belonging in an unequal world. If you’ve ever felt that travel changes you in ways no one talks about, you’re in the right place.  The Maverick Show hit the Top 100 on Apple Podcasts (including #1 in Places & Travel), was ranked in the Top 1% of podcasts globally by Listen Notes, and was named the #1 Digital Nomad Podcast and #1 Remote Work Podcast by Million Podcasts — with hundreds of five-star listener reviews.

The Maverick Show: Global Travel Stories & Life Beyond Borders

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