Today, I’m sharing a story I wrote for Conde Nast Traveler called In Jordan, a Community Disrupted Awaits Travel’s Return. I traveled to Jordan this February amid the ongoing war on Gaza by the Israeli government. This story was the outcome of this trip. Featured on the show:Read Yulia's CN Traveler story, In Jordan, a Community Disrupted Awaits Travel’s ReturnListen to Episode 113, Palestine, Orientalism, and Solidary Movements with Matt Bowles on Apple Podcasts or SpotifySubscribe to Yulia's Going Places newsletter to get notified about Yulia's October group trip to JordanGet more information at: Going Places website Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter!For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube!Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia!And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you!Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more. Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

If I could summarize this conversation with one phrase, it would be something Shannon said: “When people meet each other they find out that the other is not so other.”Shannon Stowell is the CEO of the Adventure Travel Trade Association, an organization for travel industry partners that believes travel can be a powerful force for good in the world. Shannon has spent over 30 years working in adventure travel, e-commerce, outdoor retail, and environmental science. Shannon and I met in person on a trip to Jordan this February, and we immediately connected around our shared belief about what travel could be. In this conversation, Shannon takes us to Kurdistan, an autonomous region in Northern Iraq, where Shannon traveled with his son in 2017. You’ll learn about the meaning of the Kurdish saying “The Kurds have no friends but the mountains,” and what it feels like to visit the Yazidi sacred village of Lalish. We also discuss Shannon’s must-see places for people like me who have already traveled a lot, the Tomorrow’s Air initiative led by ATTA, why Shannon believes travel is a privilege, not a right, and what is a soft ambassador.What you’ll learn in this episode:How Shannon defines adventure travelShannon’s trip to Kurdistan in 2017What living off the grid in nature is likeWhat Maslow's hierarchy of needs has to do with modern depressionMust-see places for people who've already traveled a lotThe impact of media on destinationsMeeting the current moment: travelers' role in times of strifeThe story of “To kill a white person”What gives Shannon hope right nowFeatured on the show:Learn more about the Adventure Travel Trade AssociationCheck out Explore Mesopotamia tours in Iraqi KurdistanRead The New York Times story about KurdistanCheck out Shannon's book, Riding The Hula Hula to the Arctic OceanLearn more about the Tomorrow’s Air initiativeFollow ATTA on InstagramGet more information at: Going Places website Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter!For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube!Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia!And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you!Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people

Welcome back to Going Places!Matt Bowles is a veteran location-independent entrepreneur and host of The Maverick Show. I recently sat down with Matt to do a two-part series for his show. Matt has been doing activism work in solidarity with the Palestinian movement for the past 25 years, and in this conversation, we cover how he and I first became aware of the Palestinian struggle and movement, Orientalism, the asymmetry of power, the student encampments currently taking over the US and the world, what activism inside solidarity movements looks like, and more. If you like this conversation with Matt, head to the Maverick Show to listen to the full two-part interview series we did on his feed. What you’ll learn in this episode:Matt's story: joining the Palestinian solidarity movementWhat Orientalism looks likeHow the asymmetry of power is related to injustices around the worldMultiple ways to become an activistFeatured on the show:Listen to The Maverick Show's episodes with Yulia: Episode 282: Growing up in the Soviet Union, Traveling Through Africa, and Falling in Love with Jordan and Episode 283: The “Travel Industry for Palestine” Petition, Unpacking Orientalism, and Writing Great Travel StoriesVisit Travel Industry For Palestine to learn moreFollow Matt on InstagramGet more information at: Going Places website Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter!For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube!Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia!And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you!Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more. Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

Welcome back to Going Places! We’re speaking to Jen Ruiz, a lawyer turned full-time travel writer, blogger, and content creator. Jen is a 5-time Amazon bestselling author, 3x TEDx speaker, and 4-time award-winning journalist. She is also the solo female traveler behind Jen on a Jet Plane, with an audience of over 350,000 social media followers. In this conversation, Jen and I discuss dating while traveling, our strategies for finding a partner for life, why we don’t want to put all our eggs into one basket as entrepreneurs, and what passive income streams Jen is currently working on. Jen will also share her approach to achieving so many incredible accomplishments in the span of several years, like self-publishing a book, becoming a TEDx speaker, and getting a book deal based on an article she wrote 5 years ago. The book in question, 12 Trips in 12 Months is available to pre-order!What you’ll learn in this episode:Jen's story: Giving Up Dating to Travel the WorldThe evolution of travel journalismChallenges and opportunities in monetizing travel journalismHow Jen is diversifying her income streamsNavigating the volatility of freelancingFinding love and building relationships as a digital nomadFeatured on the show:Jen's book, 12 Trips In 12 Months, is available to pre-order now!Check out Jen's story, Giving Up Dating to Travel the WorldGet Jen's free list of 17 flight alert websites and apps to get notified of flight deals (business class, too!) Jen's Ted Talks: The Power of Flying Solo; Why Can't We Be Friends?; Remote Work FreedomCheck out the Jen On A Jet Plane websiteFollow Jen on InstagramFollow Jen on TikTokFollow Jen on FacebookGet more information at: Going Places website Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter!For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube!Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia!And show us some love, if you have a minute, by...

Welcome back to Season 10 of Going Places, everyone! I'm your host Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel photographer, writer, storyteller, community builder, podcaster, filmmaker, educator, and entrepreneur working on stories from around the world for top global publications, traveling to places like Botswana and the Arctic Circle, and producing stories about people that live and work in those places that I’m excited about.Going Places is my show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far. We hope to foster a space for real conversations to occur as we celebrate humanity in all its forms and hope to build bridges, rather than walls, with our work. How does one move through the world in this moment in time? This will be the central question we will explore on the show this season. How do we stay engaged with the world that has so much injustice and pain in it? How can we, through our individual actions, improve the situation around us? How do we stay open to the joys of travel while recognizing how our political and societal structures impact, and often oppress others? These are all complex questions that I don’t have an answer to. But I am inviting a host of smart and kind people on the show to help me tackle them.Thank you so much for listening and stay tuned for the first episode coming to you next week!Get more information at: Going Places website Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter!For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube!Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia!And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you!Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more. Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

Welcome back to Going Places, everyone! This season on the show, we learned about Bedouin hospitality, heard from Ammani artists on Gaza, traveled to Italy in search of the world’s rarest silk, and more.I hope you enjoyed the new show format - and if you did, please take a moment to leave us a rating or a review on Apple podcasts or Spotify. I appreciate it! This episode and the entire season of the show are brought to you by Visit Jordan. Be sure to visit myjordanjourney.com to learn more about Jordan. I loved partnering with this organization because, as you know, I love the country of Jordan so much, and I loved the opportunity to talk about it at length. Today is our last episode and we’re going on a short hiatus, but before we do, I want to leave you with final thoughts on whether or not travel can change the world. This episode will talk about and reflect upon my latest trip to Jordan in February 2024.Get more information at: Going Places website Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter!For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube!Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia!And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you!Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more. Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.Our theme music this season, Abbad El Shams, is provided by Rawan Roshni, a Palestinian/Balkan singer based in Jordan.

Welcome back to Going Places! Today, we have a conversation with Amelia Bilbeisi, co-founder of Maida Olive Oil, known as Onsuri Olive Oil in North America. Amelia produces one of the world's most premium olive oils on a farm deep inside a Jordanian desert. Tasting this olive oil, designated ultra premium quality, a coveted grade only 5 percent of the world's olive oil producers meet, has opened my eyes and my palette to what quality olive oil should taste like. Olive oil is central to Jordanian culture, and today, Amelia and her team are well on their way to elevating its status worldwide. To get the taste of this incredible oil, head to onsurioliveoil.com. And be sure to use code GOINGPLACES, all caps, to get 10 percent off your purchase. Onsuri ships free to North America. This episode and the entire season is brought to you by Visit Jordan. Be sure to visit myjordanjourney.com to learn more about Jordan.Get more information on the episode page.What you’ll learn in this episode:Significance of olive oil in Jordanian cultureHow ONSURI became a top olive oil producerHow to tell if the extra virgin olive oil is of high qualityChallenges affecting olive oil production (e.g., climate change)Traditional vs. modern approaches in agricultureThe role of women in olive oil productionWhere olive trees come fromCultural significance of olive oil in the Middle EastSustainability practices on Amelia's farmONSURI's environmental sustainability efforts (it's carbon-negative)Amelia's journey to becoming an olive oil sommelierBenefits and versatility of extra virgin olive oil in cooking and bakingVarieties of olive oil offered by Onsuri and their recommended usesTours and visits to Onsuri Farm for travelers What it's like for Amelia to be a part of her father's dream Featured on the show:To get a taste of this incredible oil, head to onsurioliveoil.com and use code GOINGPLACES to get 10% off your purchase. Onsuri ships free to North America!Get more information at: Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter!For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube!Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia!And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you!Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk,...

Join us in this episode in conversation with Chicago-based travel journalist and photographer Karthika Gupta. Her work has been featured in Vogue, BBC Travel, USA Today, Condé Nast Traveler, Fodors, AFAR, Travel & Leisure, Robb Report, and more. Karthika is also the founder of Culturally Ours, a platform dedicated to promoting cultural understanding and celebrating global diversity.In this episode, Karthika and I cover great distances. We travel to the flower markets of Mumbai,  the deserts of Jordan, and the sustainable farm run by one of the smallest tribal nations in California. Karthika shares with us the backstory to her latest work for Vogue magazine,  the motivation that enables her to keep pitching her beautiful stories and get published in places like Vogue, AFAR, and others, and how knowing people from places we visit can exponentially increase our understanding of the world.We also discuss the misconceptions about traveling to the Middle East and why traveling with her two children is Karthika's favorite way of learning something new about herself and others. Discover the motivation behind her compelling stories and her insights on how connecting with locals can deepen our understanding of the world.This episode and the entire season of the show is brought to you by Visit Jordan.  Be sure to visit myjordanjourney.com to learn more about this beautiful place.Featured on the show:Read Karthika's Vogue Story, How One of the Smallest Tribal Nations in the U.S. Is Redefining Sustainable Living Follow Karthika on Instagram: @karthikaguptaKarthika's website: karthikagupta.comListen to Episode 07: You're Good Enough To Do This Work with Karthika Gupta Get more information at: Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com. Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter!For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube!Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia!And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you!Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National...

Welcome back to Going Places! Today, I'm thrilled to reconnect with Nikki Vargas, a senior editor at Fodor's Travel and the founder of Unearthed Women joins me to discuss her latest book, "Call You When I Land." In this travel memoir, Nikki shares her profound experiences navigating cultures, finding love, and discovering herself along the way.&nbsp;Throughout our conversation, Nikki sheds light on the transformative power of travel and its ability to shape our journeys and our careers. We discuss the role travelers play in supporting the communities they visit, echoing Nikki's commitment to championing women's voices worldwide. From her experiences founding Unearthed Women to her latest book project, Nikki's wisdom and passion for exploration shines through, offering listeners a fresh perspective on the intersection of travel, self-discovery, and advocacy."Call You When I Land" is out now and promises readers a captivating exploration of wanderlust, resilience, and pursuing one's dreams. Whether you're an avid traveler or simply curious about the world, Nikki's story will surely resonate.&nbsp;This episode and the entire season is brought to you by Visit Jordan. Be sure to visit myjordanjourney.com to learn more about Jordan.What you’ll learn in this episode:Introduction and overview of Nikki's new book, "Call You When I Land."Excerpt reading and discussion of pivotal moments from the bookComparison of the writing process between Nikki's first book, "Wanderess," and her memoir, "Call You When I Land."Challenges and rewards of book writing compared to articlesOvercoming self-doubt and fears in the writing processPractical strategies for tackling a writing projectThe influence of Nikki's career as a travel journalist and editor on her book writingThe power of memoirs and travel narratives in inspiring transformationRecognizing the privilege of travel and finding accessible ways to exploreSupporting women in travel and amplifying their voices through conscious consumerismHighlighting stories of everyday women making a difference in their communities, like Manal Kahi's Eat Offbeat.Importance of authenticity in social media, particularly TikTokBalancing personal life milestones with professional endeavorsNikki's upcoming book project inspired by a trip to NorwayInvitation to join Nikki on her book tour and connect in personFeatured on the show:Order Nikki's travel memoir, CALL YOU WHEN I LANDNikki’s book Instagram: @callyouwhenilandNikki Vargas website: nikkivargas.comNikki’s Instagram: @niknakvargasNikki’s Twitter: @MsNikkiVargasCatch up with Nikki on her book tour.&nbsp;Follow Nikki on Tiktok: @authornikkivargasEat OffBeat: eatoffbeat.com<a href="https://www.fodors.com/about-us#contact" rel="noopener...

Today, we'll learn about the story of the world's rarest silk with writer, editor, and now book author Eliot Stein. Eliot and I first got to know each other through our shared passion for the types of stories that reveal something about a place through the lens of tradition and unique cultural practices.Eliot has edited a few of my stories at BBC Travel, where he currently serves as the deputy editor,&nbsp; and where he started a column called Custom Made that highlights cultural custodians preserving vanishing customs. Eliot has recently completed a book inspired by this column that will be published this fall.This conversation has given me a sense of joy and lightness that I haven't felt in a while. You're going to hear about our shared passion for telling stories about people preserving cultural traditions, like the last remaining sea silk seamstress in Sardinia and Japan's craft soy sauce brewer who still makes shoyu in a traditional way. We also discuss what the book writing process was like for Eliot and hear more about his upcoming book. If you want to learn more about Eliot and receive updates on his upcoming book, follow him on Instagram @Eliot.Stein.This episode and the entire season is brought to you by Visit Jordan. Be sure to visit myjordanjourney.com to learn more about Jordan.What you’ll learn in this episode:Discussion about the story "The Last Surviving Sea Silk Seamstress" for BBC TravelImportance of highlighting the person, tradition, and craft rather than the writerInsight into the process of building relationships and trust with subjects for storytellingImportance of traditions in shaping places and peopleRecognition of the depth beyond tourist attractionsDiscussion on changing reading habits and the impact on storytellingMultifaceted approaches to storytelling in the digital ageEliot's upcoming book "Custodians of Wonder"Eliot's background in travel journalism and its influence on the bookThe labor of love and intense commitment required to write a bookAdvice for aspiring authors: prioritize passion over monetary or personal gainsResources and opportunities for aspiring authors, such as the Writer's Digest conferenceStory behind a photo featuring traditional soy sauce production in JapanImportance of clear pitching guidelines for democratizing travel journalismHope in the power of travel journalism to foster empathy and understanding across culturesFeatured on the show:Follow Eliot on Instagram: @eliot.steinRead Eliot’s article on BBC Travel: The last surviving sea silk seamstressLearn about the Barrel-aged soy sauce, also available online at trf-ny.comPitch your book idea: writersdigestconference.comRead the BBC Travel author briefGet more information at: Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com. Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at <a href="https://www.goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter" rel="noopener noreferrer"...