Learn how volunteering, internships, and cultural exchanges abroad can transform your life & positively impact the world. Yazan Badarny joins Matt from Haifa and starts off by talking about his experience growing up in the Palestinian city of Arraba. He describes the racism and second class citizenship experienced by Palestinians with Israeli citizenship, and explains how travel and living abroad empowered him to confidently embrace his Palestinian identity and speak up about the Palestinian struggle around the world. Yazan takes us on his transformative journey doing an internship in South Africa, taking one of the world’s highest bungee jumps, and developing the idea for his company Home Awe. Yazan explains his passion for empowering other Palestinians to travel the world, both so that they can have personal growth experiences by connecting with the world and so that they can educate the world about Palestine. He talks about his travels from Tanzania to Switzerland, shares life lessons from learning to ski in the Alps, and explains the importance of ‘starting with why’. Yazan talks about the volunteer and internship opportunities that Home Awe offers around the world today, from Brazil to Sri Lanka, and how he grew his Instagram following to over 400,000. Finally, he reflects on the impact Home Awe has had on its participants, and on what travel means to him today.
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Hosted by Matt Bowles
331: From Palestine to Global Impact: The Transformative Power of Cultural Exchange Through Travel with Yazan Badarny
Episode #331: From Palestine to Global Impact: The Transformative Power of Cultural Exchange Through Travel with Yazan Badarny
Hosted by Matt Bowles
331: From Palestine to Global Impact: The Transformative Power of Cultural Exchange Through Travel with Yazan Badarny
Episode Summary
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About the Guest

Yazan Badarny
Yazan Badarny is a Palestinian digital nomad, keynote speaker, remote entrepreneur and the founder of HomeAwe—the first Arabic platform that organizes volunteer, cultural exchange, and internship opportunities for Palestinians worldwide. Born and raised in Arraba, a village in northern Palestine, his mission is to connect Palestinians with the world and empower them through travel, helping them step out of their comfort zones, break societal limitations, and discover new perspectives. Home Awe currently has over 400,000 followers on Instagram, reaching millions of people each month.
What You'll Learn
- What it’s like to grow up as a Palestinian with Israeli citizenship
- The transformative power of living abroad and doing a cultural exchange
- How to “Start with Why” and build a impactful company aligned with your passion
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OTHER MAVERICK SHOW PODCAST GUESTS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
#1 BOOK THAT YAZAN RECOMMENDS
#1 PERSON WITH WHOM YAZAN WANTS TO HAVE DINNER
TOP 3 FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATIONS
TOP 3 BUCKETLIST DESTINATIONS
PLACES IN PALESTINE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
LOCATIONS WHERE THE INTERVIEW TOOK PLACE
- Matt: Asheville, North Carolina
- Yazan: Haifa, Palestine
OTHER PLACES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
- Austria
- Brazil
- Bulgaria
- Europe
- France
- Germany
- Israel
- Jerusalem
- Observatory
- Portugal
- Romania
- Serengeti
- Sri Lanka
- South Africa
- Swiss Alps
- Thailand
CONTACT AND FOLLOW YAZAN
Time Stamped Show Notes
**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode.
[1:37] Introducing Yazan Bardarny
[3:02] Growing up in 1948 Palestine
[5:50] The Experience of Palestinians who are Citizens of Israel
[8:33] Developing His Initial Interest in World Travel
[9:48] Yazan’s Traditional Career Path
[11:17] The Path to Doing a Cultural Exchange in South Africa
[14:12] Expectations about South Africa
[15:56] Arriving in South Africa
[18:33] South African Solidarity with Palestine
[19:52] The Impact of Taking one of the World’s Highest Bungee Jump
[23:00] The Personal Transformation that Occurred in South Africa
[25:23] Yazan’s Experience in Switzerland
[29:14] Life Lessons from Learning to Ski in the Swiss Alps
[31:10] Building Home Awe from a Side Hustle into a Full Time Business
[35:59] Yazan’s Experience in Tanzania
[39:25] The Mission of Home Awe
[39:57] Helping Palestinians Connect to the World and the World to Palestinians
[40:50] Organizing Ski Trips in the Swiss Alps
[42:19] Growing the Home Awe Instagram to Over 400,000 followers
[44:16] The importance of starting with “Why”
[45:44] The Impact of Home Awe on its Participants
[49:47] What Travel Means to Yazan
[51:40] The Lightning Round
[53:17] Follow and Contact Yazan and Learn More About Home Awe