Stephanie Zito talks about growing up in the U.S. and developing her interest in travel, as well as her early interest in finding creative ways to get free stuff. She talks about connecting with her Italian heritage through multiple trips to Italy over the years and also reflects on the impact of studying abroad in China. Stephanie then talks about getting into International humanitarian work and shares her experiences living in Sierra Leone and Sudan, as well as visiting Ethiopia 5 times. She talks about founding her fair trade, women-run company “Color Cloud Hammocks” in Cambodia, and then moving it to Ethiopia. Stephanie then shares her minimalist packing tips for women, her travel hacking strategies for optimizing points and miles, and some of the most epic luxury travel experiences she has gotten for free. She then reflects on why travel will not help you find yourself, why you can only experience a place in the present moment, what it means to be an ethical traveler, why you should always talk to your taxi driver, why Stephanie marks major life changes with epic pilgrimages, how she thinks about the concept of “home”, how her lifestyle choices have evolved through different seasons of life, and the impact that 30 years of travel to 140 countries has had on her. FULL SHOW NOTES AT: www.TheMaverickShow.com
Episode #244: Lessons from 30 Years of Travel to 140 Countries with Stephanie Zito
Episode Summary
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About the Guest
Stephanie Zito
Stephanie Zito is a life-time traveler, full-time humanitarian consultant, author, entrepreneur, and professional travel hacker who lives according to her mission statement: “see the world, change the world, have fun doing it.”. Originally from the U.S., Stephanie lived abroad full-time from 1997-2013, before dropping an anchor in Portland Oregon where she currently stores her orange Tumi carry-on between trips. She is the founder of Color Cloud Hammocks, a fair-trade women-run hammock company, made primarily by Ethiopian women. Stephanie is the author of the award winning travel guides “The Honeymoon Hack and “Upgrade Unlocked: The Unconventional Guide to Luxury Travel”. She has worked for numerous humanitarian organizations around the world and has now been to 140 countries and all 7 continents.
What You'll Learn
- The value of doing epic pilgrimages to mark major life transitions
- Reflections on international humanitarian work, voluntourism, and ethical travel
- Lessons from Living in Sudan and Sierra Leone
Links From the Episode
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DIRECT MESSAGE COLOR CLOUD HAMMOCKS ON INSTAGRAM AND MENTION “THE MAVERICK SHOW” FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A FREE HAMMOCK
READ STEPHANIE’S ARTICLES:
#1 BOOK THAT STEPHANIE RECOMMENDS
#1 PERSON WITH WHOM STEPHANIE WANTS TO HAVE DINNER
TOP 3 TRAVEL DESTINATIONS
TOP 3 BUCKETLIST DESTINATIONS
LOCATIONS WHERE THE INTERVIEW TOOK PLACE
WINE CONSUMED IN THIS EPISODE
OTHER PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
OTHER BOOKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
OTHER PLACES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
- Africa
- Alabama
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Cambodia
- Canada
- Chad
- China
- Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Europe
- Germany
- Italy
- London
- Mexico
- Morocco
- Mount Kilimanjaro
- Mount Mitchell
- Portland Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Sierra Leone
- Sudan
- Thailand
- Washington DC
- USA
CONTACT AND FOLLOW STEPHANIE
Time Stamped Show Notes
**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode.
[5:26] Growing up in the U.S.
[8:18] Stephanie’s Heritage Trips to Italy
[13:08] Studying Abroad in China
[14:53] Getting into International Humanitarian Work
[18:09] Living in Sierra Leone
[19:48] Living in Sudan during the Genocide in Darfur
[24:08] Reflections on 5 trips to Ethiopia
[27:00] Co-Founding “Color Cloud Hammocks”
[31:22] Stephanie’s Minimalist Packing Tips for Women
[33:55] Watch Matt’s Free Video on Stylish Minimalist Packing
[35:23] Why Stephanie Takes One Item Out of Her Carry-On Before Leaving
[37:27] Stephanie’s Travel Hacks with Points and Miles
[41:53] Stephanie’s Most Epic Free Luxury Travel Experiences
[43:06] Travel Hacking Tips
[47:30] Why travel will not help you find yourself
[47:54] Why you can only experience a place in its present moment
[49:47] Reflections on what it means to be an ethical traveler
[52:13] Why you should always talk to your taxi driver
[56:20] Why Stephanie Marks Major Life Changes with Epic Pilgrimages
[59:06] The “Seasons” of Stephanie’s Travel Journey
[1:03:22] How Stephanie Thinks About the Concept of “Home”
[1:03:55] The Impact of 30 Years of Travel on Stephanie
[1:05:58] What Travel Means to Stephanie
[1:07:19] The Lightning Round
[1:10:24] Follow and Connect with Stephanie
