282: Growing up in the Soviet Union, Traveling Through Africa, and Falling in Love with Jordan with Yulia Denisyuk

Learn how to transition into travel journalism, and seek out people-centric stories and experiences around the world. ============================ 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 Yulia Denisyuk joins Matt for a virtual wine night and starts off talking about her parents’ cultural background, and her experience of being born in Kazakhstan and growing up mostly in Estonia. She then talks about moving to the U.S. at age 16, the culture shock of landing in Miami, and coming of age in the U.S.. Yulia then explains her decision to join the U.S. Navy, and talks about how serving in Iraq and Afghanistan impacted her politics and her understanding of U.S. imperialism. She then talks about getting her MBA and pursuing a traditional corporate career path until a trip to Morocco changed everything. Yulia discusses her life pivot into becoming a travel journalist and tells stories about spending time in Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Botswana, and Jordan. She explains why Jordan is so close to her heart, why she spends so much time there, and what her favorite places are, and concludes by talking about a powerful and emotional podcast interview she hosted with artists in Amman shortly after the genocide in Palestine began. → Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here. ============================ FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU: 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? 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 You can buy me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)