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

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! :)

Om Podcasten

Meet diverse travelers and digital nomads from every continent who share their personal journey to location-independence as well as their reflections on identity, the power dynamics that shape our world, and how we can be more thoughtful, conscious travelers as we move through it.  Hosted by Matt Bowles—your typical Irish-American hip hop DJ turned human rights activist turned location-independent entrepreneur turned minimalist world-traveler and podcaster—these in-depth conversations take place all over the world (often over a bottle of wine, or 2).  Listen in as Matt draws out stories of their most epic adventures, and unpacks the skills, tactics, and strategies they use to build their remote businesses and design their lifestyles. Ranked the #1 Digital Nomad Podcast by Web Work Travel and the Top 1% of all podcasts by Listen Notes, each episode pulls out actionable tips and advice you can implement in your own life each week.  In 2024 The Maverick Show hit the Top 100 on Apple Podcasts and ranked the #1 “Places and Travel” podcast on Apple.