In this episode Derek Baron talks about his experience traveling through Iraq, Syria and Yemen, including the incredibly unique island of Socotra. He explains why he loves the Middle East and talks about the small group tours he runs to Iraq, based on his personal local contacts on the ground. Derek also talks about his love for Central Asia, and the tours he runs to Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. He explains how he designs all of his tours sustainably to have a maximum positive impact on the local people and places. Derek reflects on the trends of over-tourism, digital nomad gentrification, and offers some suggestions for how we can make thoughtful travel decisions. He also talks about stability anchors in an itinerant lifestyle, and pillars for sustaining the lifestyle longterm. Derek opens up about dating as a digital nomad, how his lifestyle design choices have changed in different seasons of life, and why he does not have a goal of visiting every country. Finally, Derek reflects on the biggest impact 23 years of world travel has had on him, why he continues to travel, and what travel means to him today. FULL SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT: www.TheMaverickShow.com
Hosted by Matt Bowles
254: Wandering Across Iraq, Yemen, Syria and Lessons from 23 Years of World Travel with Derek Baron
Episode #254: Wandering Across Iraq, Yemen, Syria and Lessons from 23 Years of World Travel with Derek Baron
Hosted by Matt Bowles
254: Wandering Across Iraq, Yemen, Syria and Lessons from 23 Years of World Travel with Derek Baron
Episode Summary
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About the Guest
Derek Earl Baron
Derek Earl Baron, aka Wandering Earl, left home in 1999 shortly after graduating from university. He wanted to travel around SE Asia for 3 months before starting a career back in the US. Somehow, he never stopped traveling. Derek has now been traveling around the world for 23 years and has been to 133 countries. He runs the popular Wandering Earl travel blog as well Wandering Earl Tours which organizes unique, small-group trips to some of his favorite countries. The tour company has been in operation for over 10 years, helping travelers explore fascinating destinations in a style that you won’t find with a typical group tour. He regularly appears in the media to share insights and adventures from his life of travel and he has been featured by publications such as Time Magazine and The New York Times.
What You'll Learn
- What it’s like to travel in Iraq, Syria and Yemen, including the island of Socotra
- How to navigate the dynamics of over-toursim and digital nomad gentrification
- Reflections on the impact of 23 years of world travel
Links From the Episode
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#1 BOOK THAT DEREK RECOMMENDS
#1 PERSON WITH WHOM DEREK WANTS TO HAVE DINNER
TOP 3 FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATIONS
TOP 3 BUCKETLIST DESTINATIONS
WINES CONSUMED IN THIS EPISODE
LOCATIONS WHERE THE INTERVIEW TOOK PLACE
OTHER PLACES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
- Cairo, Egypt
- Central Asia
- Kyrgyzstan
- Uzbekistan
- Baghdad, Iraq
- Socotra Island
- Syria
- Taj Mahal in India
- Yemen
- Venice, Italy
- Playa Del Carmen, Mexico
- Lisbon, Portugal
CONTACT DEREK
Time Stamped Show Notes
**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode.
[2:50] The Island of Socotra
[4:37] Eight Days in Mainland Yemen
[6:10] Six Weeks in Syria
[7:27] Derek’s Experiences in Iraq
[9:08] Derek’s “Wandering Across Iraq” Tour
[12:28] Derek’s Kyrgyzstan/Uzbekistan Tour
[13:43] Running Sustainable Tours with Positive Local Impact
[17:39] Reflections on Over-touristification
[20:24] Reflections on Digital Nomad Gentrification
[26:05] Long-Term Digital Nomad Lifestyle Pillars
[27:30] How Travel Enables Deeper Connections Back Home
[29:53] Acclimation techniques and Stability Anchors
[32:05] Dating in the Digital Nomad Lifestyle
[34:37] Lifestyle Design Choices in Different Seasons of Life
[37:51] The Biggest Impact 23 Years of Travel Has Had on Derek
[39:26] What Travel Means to Derek
[40:47] Why Derek Does Not Have the Goal of Traveling to Every Country in the World
[42:19] The Lightning Round
[44:40] Follow Derek and Learn More About His Tours
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