The Urban Exodus Podcast

This episode is brought to you by Spoondrift Studio. Let website designer and brand specialist Nora Gray at Spoondrift Studio take the burden of all things design and website off of your plate so that you can focus on what you do best! Nora excels at listening to her clients immediate and long term needs - crafting engaging websites that bring your vision to life and set you up for success. It’s Spoondrift Studios mission to make your business shine and stand out from the crowd.  Put your best foot forward and visit www.spoondrift.studio today for a free consultation!I’m excited to invite you to my conversation with Joshua Kwaku Asiedu. ​​Born and raised in Milan, Italy, Joshua didn’t feel like he could thrive within the modern, Western culture he found himself in. At 20, he decided to leave home in order to explore the world and see what it would teach him. With 50 euros in his pocket and a one-way ticket, he left without knowing where this new chapter would lead.Joshua worked a myriad of jobs - an electrician, mason, model, retailer, waiter, chef, farmer, etc. He lived for periods in cities all over the globe London, Sydney, Auckland, Cape Town, Los Angeles and more. Then he ventured to rural awe-inspiring landscapes. Midway through his travels Joshua started to leave behind hostels, guests houses and rental rooms, in order to find rest in tents, caves, beaches, temples, and forests. After seven years of life altering experiences exploring remote regions of the world and learning from the places and people he encountered, Joshua came to the conclusion that our modern Western world, is rooted in materialism, consumerism and superficialities. This is leading us away from Mother Nature - the source of independence, freedom and inner expansion.Willing to leave those said societal structures once and for all, he started to look for a native piece of land where to move. After a demanding and dedicated search, he discovered that his father’s ancestors left plots of lands in heritage - in Ghana. This brought him back to his Motherland to track down and reclaim this inherited land.Joshua moved into the bush with only a mosquito net and a beach bed. His home that he has lived in for the past 3 years, he built himself out of cow dung, mud, clay, and bamboo. After digging a well, planting fruit trees, Joshua has been working on expanding his eco-village by building more dwellings on the land.In 2019, Joshua began  sharing his journey on social media and started Asaase - Live to Learn. Learn to Live - a series of online and in person courses centered around relearning Indigenous practices, organic farming, decolonization and natural building methods. Joshua has amassed a large online following who are inspired by his journey and want to learn from him. In our conversation we speak about Joshua’s paradigm shift, the challenges he has faced while building his new community, how to find and follow your purpose, working through fear-based narratives, and rediscovering ancestral knowledge.This is a story about the transformative power of travel, choosing earth centric living, and the value of persevering through fears and obstacles in order Support the showSign up for Apple Podcasts premium or our Patreon Membership for ad-free listening, rapid-fire guest interviews & our new mini-pod Ditch the City. urbanexodus.com | @theurbanexodus | buy the book

This episode is brought to you by Spoondrift Studio. Let website designer and brand specialist Nora Gray at Spoondrift Studio take the burden of all things design and website off of your plate so that you can focus on what you do best! Nora excels at listening to her clients immediate and long term needs - crafting engaging websites that bring your vision to life and set you up for success. It’s Spoondrift Studios mission to make your business shine and stand out from the crowd.  Put your best foot forward and visit www.spoondrift.studio today for a free consultation!I’m excited to invite you to my conversation with Australian farmer and conservationist Louise Glut. She and her husband David run HighField Farm and Woodland: A working farm, conservation site, and eco-stay.In their prior lives, work took them to cities all over the world. They’ve lived in Beijing, Sydney, Melbourne, and Shanghai. Now their home is 27 km from the nearest town, a very small one. While living in Sydney, David and Louise both worked at the University of Sydney. Although they liked their jobs, they lefty the city nearly every weekend to bushwalk in the High Plains of the Kosciuszko National Park. They both felt like they were born into the wrong place – country people living city lives.One day, the push they needed arrived. A newspaper ad for  a voluntary residency in the country opened up, allowing them a structured opportunity to leave their city lives behind. Eventually that led them to plant permanent roots near Kosciusko.Louise and David had no farming background, but had a drive that led them to want to learn as much as they could. They now find tremendous joy and fulfillment feeding their community. Nothing can compare to the quiet, the merits of working for themselves, and living in alignment with their values.In our conversation we speak about the reality of climate change as a farmer, indigenous land management, the impact of tourism on the land, eschewing black and white thinking when it comes to change, and the importance of living your values.This is a story about finding your “why,” supporting your community through tough times, and protecting our wild spaces.Support the showSign up for Apple Podcasts premium or our Patreon Membership for ad-free listening, rapid-fire guest interviews & our new mini-pod Ditch the City. urbanexodus.com | @theurbanexodus | buy the book

I’m excited to invite you to my conversation with Asli Mohamed. Asli is difficult to describe because she does so many things, and has lived in so many different places. She is a mother, a world traveler, a doula, a farmer, and an entrepreneur among many other things. While Asli grew up in London, she was born in Somalia, and has spent the last few years living abroad back in Somalia, then Kenya, and now Belize. While in London, Asli and her husband both had very busy lives, working constantly, and unable to spend much time with their young son. They were earning a good living, but felt unfulfilled. Every break they got, they spent traveling. They were itching to see the world and experience new ways of life. A few years ago, Asli had a realization that she wanted to live what she calls a “decentralized life.” Meaning she has no place she calls her one home. Instead, she plans to move every few years to a new country, experiencing different cultures, careers, and communities. Asli has made bold steps, moving countries twice while pregnant, building a homestead over the past few months in Belize, and is growing her skincare brand while also homeschooling her children. She has embraced the unconventional nature of her life, preferring to live a life full of cultural and natural richness, and passing along that joy and curiosity to her young children. In our conversation we speak about myths around childbirth, global citizenship, indigenous vs. western ways of living, the joys of travel, and nomadic sustainability. This is a story about trusting yourself, stepping outside the bounds of convention, the oneness of humanity, and the magic of motherhood. Support the showSign up for Apple Podcasts premium or our Patreon Membership for ad-free listening, rapid-fire guest interviews & our new mini-pod Ditch the City. urbanexodus.com | @theurbanexodus | buy the book

I’m excited to invite you to my conversation with Grace Chen. Grace is a big thinker, product engineer, former tech CEO, musician, mother and self confessed pickleball fanatic. After studying Management Science and Engineering at Stanford, Grace began working in the Silicon Valley tech world. She worked at several large companies before co-founding Common Networks - a start-up aiming to bring affordable, high-speed internet to the masses. Several months into the pandemic, Grace and her husband Ryan decided to go visit his parents in rural Maine so that they could escape the wildfire smoke, stay at home orders, and their small San Francisco apartment with two restless kids. Grace had recently become the CEO of her start-up and was pitching to banks, venture capital firms and companies from an unreliable wifi signal in the small community of Unity, Maine. Despite the technical obstacles, the pace of life in Maine agreed with Grace and she found herself feeling more at ease and happier than she had been in years.After just a few months, Grace and her husband Ryan decided to move to Maine permanently. They didn’t even return to pack up their apartment in San Francisco. In December of 2020, Grace’s company was acquired by Meta. She worked remotely for Meta until quitting a few months ago. She is keeping busy by volunteering at her kids school and figuring out ways she can plug her skills into the community. Her goal for this next chapter is to be a net positive in the place where she now calls home. This is a story about tenacity and overcoming obstacles, plugging your energy and passion into your community, and the importance of rest and reflection after periods of intensity and change.Support the showSign up for Apple Podcasts premium or our Patreon Membership for ad-free listening, rapid-fire guest interviews & our new mini-pod Ditch the City. urbanexodus.com | @theurbanexodus | buy the book

This episode is sponsored by Maine Women Magazine. As a Maine-based entrepreneur, I can’t say enough good things about Maine Women. For those of you that aren’t familiar, Maine Women is a printed quarterly and an online publication focused on sharing news and stories that highlight innovative women making waves in the state of Maine and beyond. When you subscribe, you’ll find a myriad of articles exploring Arts & Culture, Activism & Social Issues, Health & Wellness, Business & Entrepreneurship, and much more! Maine Women is going through an exciting transformation and will be soon offering Maine-made goods, classes, networking events, and retreats. You don’t want to miss out! I’m excited to invite you to my conversation with Helena Woods. Helena grew up in San Diego but moved to New York City at the age of 18 to pursue a career in acting. After a few exciting years in the city, the charm of the entertainment industry began to wear off. She realized what a fickle and difficult business it was and yearned to find another way to tap into her creativity. After the sudden passing of her father, Helena started a photography practice. Photography was an incredible way of capturing time, space and memory. Although Helena had always been interested in astrology, photography led her on her journey into the study of astrocartography - how place and time interact with one another in our lives. She dove deep into studying all that she could about astrocartography and now gives online readings to people to help them find the best places for them to live, based on their birth charts. In 2020, Helena and her English professor partner decided they were ready for a big change. He applied for several university positions around the world and landed a job teaching English at a college in a small town in the French countryside. Helena didn’t hesitate when he asked her to join him. They quickly got married, sold nearly all of their possessions and moved to France. Helena’s work as a content creator and astrocartographer allows her to be a digital nomad - working from wherever she is. Since moving, Helena has lived in three small rural communities in France. Helena has amassed a large following from vlogging and blogging about astrocartography, her life in France and embracing slow living. After years of creating content for fun, it has evolved into a sustainable career that gives her greater flexibility in her days. Through her work, Helena wants to inspire others to reconnect with their inner voice, downsize their lives and find greater happiness in the everyday. This is a story about turning passion into profession, the freedom and joy of minimalism and tapping into the cosmos to find a place where you belong.Support the showSign up for Apple Podcasts premium or our Patreon Membership for ad-free listening, rapid-fire guest interviews & our new mini-pod Ditch the City. urbanexodus.com | @theurbanexodus | buy the book

I’m excited to invite you to my conversation with Jonathan Weston. Jonathan is a serial entrepreneur, a father of four, a technology executive, the author of Camping is for Everyone and the founder of Wanderland Campground and the Wanderland Society in Rising Fawn, Georgia.Jonathan felt called to 72 acres of land near Lookout Mountain in Walker County. It is a magnificent site of hilly and steep terrain with views across the lower Appalachian Mountain range. He has intentionally steward the land as a primitive event space, keeping the ecosystem intact. In an era where camping is being tied more and more to RV pads and electrical hookups, Jonathan is proud to offer a venue for traditional tent camping.The mission of Wanderland is to conserve natural areas while providing a welcoming space for all campers to enjoy the outdoors. The slogan, "Camping is for everyone, Wanderland is for you," reflects the belief that everyone should have the opportunity to connect with nature. Since 2020, Wanderland has hosted thousands of campers, many of whom were new to camping and left with a newfound appreciation for the outdoors. By creating a safe and welcoming environment, Wanderland hopes to help individuals feel connected to the earth and to each other.Reconnecting with nature has profoundly impacted Jonathan’s life. He has found wisdom, healing and solace spending time in the forest. Through his work at Wanderland, Jonathan aims to give others an opportunity to do the same and nurture the next generation of ecological stewards. This is a story about getting lost in the woods to find yourself, growing slowly with intention, and the transformative power of rites of passage rooted in nature.    Support the showSign up for Apple Podcasts premium or our Patreon Membership for ad-free listening, rapid-fire guest interviews & our new mini-pod Ditch the City. urbanexodus.com | @theurbanexodus | buy the book

This episode is brought to you by Taproot Magazine. Now is the perfect time to rediscover the joys of snail mail! Published in Portland, Maine, Taproot is a beautiful print publication that celebrates food, farm, family, and craft through six ad-free issues a year. I've been a subscriber for years now and am always so excited to find my next issue in my mailbox! I love how there's a little bit of everything in this magazine. Each issue features seasonal recipes, tutorials, craft projects, and stories inspiring readers to live more intentionally and connect with their communities and the natural world. Want to see what Taproot is all about? Use code PODCAST for free US shipping on a past issue at at taprootmag.com. I’m excited to invite you to my conversation with Ashlie Thomas. Ashlie is a scientist, writer, health coach and food security advocate. She is the woman behind the Mocha Gardener on Instagram, where she shares her tips, advice and growing journey. Ashlie was inspired to start gardening after spending time in rural South Carolina with her grandparents. She realized how few healthy, fresh food options were available locally and decided to roll up her sleeves and learn to grow. Ashlie and her husband Tyler settled in the suburbs of North Carolina and built a garden oasis on their 1-acre lot, where they grow food year around. Ashlie's growing journey has been so profound that she has decided to go back to school to study nutrition. She wants to encourage more people to tear up their lawns and get growing - not just for the food but also for the healing that comes from reconnecting with the soil. Gardening has shifted Ashlie's outlook on the world and how she interprets living a successful, happy life. This November, Ashlie authored her first book How to Become a Gardener: find empowerment in creating your own food security. This book walks readers through the practical ins and outs of gardening, providing tangible pathways for people to take charge of their family’s food security by learning how to grow their own fruits, vegetables, and herbs. In addition, Ashlie discusses the often overlooked, but equally important, benefits of gardening - beyond the nutritious food it provides. This is a story about the life altering experience of becoming a gardener and the gifts, magic, and lessons that growing gives. Support the showSign up for Apple Podcasts premium or our Patreon Membership for ad-free listening, rapid-fire guest interviews & our new mini-pod Ditch the City. urbanexodus.com | @theurbanexodus | buy the book

I’m excited to invite you to my conversation with Diane Anastasio. Diane grew up in the rural reaches of the Connecticut suburbs. From a young age she was planning her escape to the bright lights of the city. Right out of high school she moved to New York City for college. After she graduated, she moved to San Francisco and worked for a music magazine. City living agreed with Diane, she loved the culture, diversity and easy access to community, especially as a queer person and musician. She never in her wildest dreams thought she would live in a rural place again.In 2015, Diane moved to London to pursue a masters in gender studies. She battled some health problems which caused her to drastically shift her diet and lifestyle in order to heal. The recovery journey was so profound that it derailed Diane’s academic career to study nutrition. Nutrition led Diane on a path towards working with livestock because she became interested in the intersections of human health, raising healthy animals, and preserving the health of the land. This interest inspired Diane’s journey back to rural living and becoming a shepherd. One fateful day, Diane was driving in her car in Oakland and heard a radio segment about a sheep shearing course in Hopland and every part of her knew she had to do it.Yet, after five days of shearing at Hopland, Diane knew that wasn’t the way she wanted to work with animals. In 2019, she embarked on her first shepherding journey in the European Alps and then moved to a sheep and pig farm in VT during the pandemic. There she learned rotational grazing, lambing and farrowing, butchery, and some business aspects of agriculture. While living in Vermont Diane’s perspective on rural living started to shift. He began to see the real benefits of living a life rooted to people and place. She noticed that folks treated each other with such kindness, respect and generosity - regardless of their background or politics. She began to build deep, lasting friendships with her neighbors and realized she had been missing that deeper knowing and understanding of the people in her midst. After the pandemic, Diane moved back to the West Coast and landed a job as the ranch manager at Shepherdess in Ojai. Diane now runs sheep and goats through hard to reach lands in the Southern California mountains. This work has helped to mitigate fires by restoring soil, native vegetation and cutting back on brittle grasses and brush. It is labor intensive, solitary work but she feels a deep connection to the animals and the land she roams. In addition, the isolation of shepherding has given Diane time and space for her creative passions of music and writing. She has come full circle, weaving the fibers of the sheep she keeps into tapestries and writing songs inspired by the diverse landscapes of the rural spaces she’s had the opportunity to call home. For a woman who has had many metamorphosis, the life of a shepherd feels just right. This is a story about trusting your gut, the grand adventure of a life bravely led, and the importance of utilizing the wisdom from the past in the future.Support the showSign up for Apple Podcasts premium or our Patreon Membership for ad-free listening, rapid-fire guest interviews & our new mini-pod Ditch the City. urbanexodus.com | @theurbanexodus | buy the book

I’m excited to invite you to my conversation with Mary and Magdalene (M & M for short) - the identical twin sisters behind Busy Homebodies, an urban homesteading focused Instagram account. Here, the sisters share the ins and outs of their journey towards greater self-sufficiency. In only several years, these two ambitious siblings have learned how to can and cook food from whole ingredients, raise, breed and harvest quails and rabbits and a myriad of other homesteading skills. Before homesteading and working in content creation, M & M worked for many years in childcare and teaching. When their work closed down in 2020, the sisters began to awaken to the reality that they were completely reliant on our fragile supply chains to feed and care for themselves. Although they were living in an apartment, that didn’t deter them from starting to acquire homesteading skills.Mary and Magdalene decided to bring others along on their journey by documenting their triumphs, failures and experiments. They bring a refreshing authenticity to the urban homesteading space - learning from books, Youtube and trial and error. This is a story about sisterhood, surpassing expectations, and starting wherever you are and growing from there. Support the showSign up for Apple Podcasts premium or our Patreon Membership for ad-free listening, rapid-fire guest interviews & our new mini-pod Ditch the City. urbanexodus.com | @theurbanexodus | buy the book

I am excited to invite you to my conversation with Hillarie Maddox. Hillarie is a writer, creator and life-long learner. She is founder of Black Girl Country Living. Hillarie studied social work in college, but realized that a social worker's salary would barely cover her school loans. Instead, she got hired at a big tech company and began her successful climb up the corporate ladder. Although Hillarie enjoyed her work and her contribution to her company, the birth of her first child made her start to rethink her career path and work/life balance. She felt like something was missing and yearned to live closer to nature.After the 2020 stay at home order, Hillarie and her husband decided to leave Seattle. They settled in a small island community in the Puget Sound. This move made Hillarie tap back into herself - she began the process of “rewilding” - reconnecting with the natural world, reconnecting with others and reconnecting with her own inner voice.Moving to the country profoundly transformed Hillarie’s life and set her on a course towards a greater purpose. And now she is building Rewilding experiences so that she can help others find healing, clarity and grounding from the process of reconnection. This is a story about breaking the golden handcuffs, collaboration over competition, and creating pathways for people to rewild.Support the showSign up for Apple Podcasts premium or our Patreon Membership for ad-free listening, rapid-fire guest interviews & our new mini-pod Ditch the City. urbanexodus.com | @theurbanexodus | buy the book

This episode is sponsored by Maine Women Magazine. Maine Women is a printed quarterly and an online publication focused on sharing news and stories that highlight innovative women making waves in the state of Maine and beyond. When you subscribe, you’ll find a myriad of articles exploring Arts & Culture, Activism & Social Issues, Health & Wellness, Business & Entrepreneurship, and much more! Maine Women is going through an exciting transformation and will be soon offering Maine-made goods, classes, networking events, and retreats. You don’t want to miss out, sign up for a membership today! Learn more by visiting their website.  I am excited to invite you to my conversation with Susie (Susana) Hernandez Zaldivar. Susie is a stay-at-home mom, a homesteader, a content creator and a small scale flower, egg & veggie farmer. On her Instagram, @Home.Garden.Coop Susie shares tutorials, videos, creative projects and images from her homesteading journey. Susie grew up in a multi-generational household on her grandmother’s farm in Sonoma Country. Her grandmother practiced homesteading and taught Susie how to grow food and raise chickens. At 12, Susie’s grandmother passed and her parents sold the farm to move to the city. Susie married young, and worked for a couple of years before becoming a stay-at-home mom for her two kids. She did little jobs here and there - working in gardens and volunteering at the farmers market. She always knew she wanted to work outdoors.Susie’s vision for the future is buying land to build a regenerative farm. She wants to create a place where she can host field trips and workshops and grow/raise food to sell and donate to her local community. Through her continued work, Susie wants to inspire people to start their homesteading journey, no matter where they are in their lives.This is a story of listening to your inner voice and changing course, dreaming big but starting where you are at and the restorative, healing power of slowing doing and reconnecting. Support the showSign up for Apple Podcasts premium or our Patreon Membership for ad-free listening, rapid-fire guest interviews & our new mini-pod Ditch the City. urbanexodus.com | @theurbanexodus | buy the book

This episode is sponsored by Marvelous, is a software platform that has everything: courses, bundles, memberships, live streams, community, integrations, a mobile app, and live tech support from real humans. It is the world's most beautiful and easeful teaching platform. Check it out at: heymarvelous.comI’m excited to invite you to my conversation with Nicola Harvey and Pat Ledden. In 2017, Pat and Nicola relocated from Sydney, Australia to take over her father’s land lease, north of Taupo in Aotearoa New Zealand. It was here that they built Slow Stream Farm. Their primary goal at Slow Stream Farm is to create a sustainable and regenerative agriculture operation - raising cattle on rotationally grazed pasture. Rich soil, clean waterways and healthy animals – all of the elements of the land and the farm living harmony with one another. Since our last interview, Nicola and Pat had a baby, they pivoted their farm and work processes to weather Covid. They experimented with more unconventional ways of raising animals and regenerating the soil, and Nicola published a book on her farming journey, Farm: The Making of a Climate Activist, documenting her farming journey and struggle with effective industry-wide climate action.Before starting Slow Stream Farm, Nicola worked as a journalist. Her career had her working for various media companies and production houses in London, Melbourne and Sydney. She worked her way up the corporate ladder and landed the sought after Managing Editor position at Buzzfeed Australia. Pat worked as a property valuer and played guitar in bands. In 2019, I interviewed and featured Nicola and Pat for Urban Exodus. They were just starting their journey and it is absolutely incredible how far they’ve come since we last spoke - what they’ve learned, the hardships they’ve faced, and the incredible ways their lifestyles and perspectives have shifted since leaving city life in Sydney. This is a story about stepping outside of your comfort zone, coloring outside the lines to find better ways of doing things, and standing up for the planet (even when it isn’t popular).Support the showSign up for Apple Podcasts premium or our Patreon Membership for ad-free listening, rapid-fire guest interviews & our new mini-pod Ditch the City. urbanexodus.com | @theurbanexodus | buy the book

This episode is sponsored by Marvelous, is a software platform that has everything: courses, bundles, memberships, live streams, community, integrations, a mobile app, and live tech support from real humans. It is the world's most beautiful and easeful teaching platform. Check it out at: heymarvelous.comI’m excited to invite you to my conversation with KT and Marco Benevento. KT is a metalsmith, jewelry artist and t-shirt designer and Marco is a pianist, songwriter and record producer, who has been a fixture of the New York experimental music rock and jazz scene for the past two decades. He is the founder and recording engineer of Fred Short, a recording studio in Upstate New York, and a member of the rock groups Benevento/Russo Duo and Joe Russo's Almost Dead. I photographed Marco and KT for Urban Exodus back in 2016. When I first met them they were just a few years into their transition from NYC to the woods of Woodstock, New York. They had both hoped that eventually they would find their way out of New York City but it wasn’t until Marco had made it to a level in his career where he didn’t need to live in a city to survive that they felt confident to make the leap. It took the couple three years of house hunting, with their baby girls in tow, before they finally found their perfect place in the country. Covid threw the Benevento’s a major curveball when Marco’s touring income, that their family was dependent on, completely dried up. KT and Marco put their heads together and came up with a number of creative ways to stay afloat. Marco collaborated and recorded with other artists, hosted virtual concerts and started a local outdoor concert series. KT began designing T-shirts, making jewelry and hosting pop-ups. Her local Woodstock community - that she cultivated through years of helping and volunteering  - championed her work and were her biggest customers.This is a story about taking risks and making creative pivots, being held and supported by the community in hard times, and the amazing way music fosters deeper connection and compassion.Support the showSign up for Apple Podcasts premium or our Patreon Membership for ad-free listening, rapid-fire guest interviews & our new mini-pod Ditch the City. urbanexodus.com | @theurbanexodus | buy the book

This episode is sponsored by New Hampshire’s Monadnock Region. Home to five state parks, thousands of acres of pristine lakes, a flourishing arts scene, and Mount Monadnock, the most climbed mountain the U.S. Natural beauty and bustling downtowns await, just a two-hour drive from Boston. Every Urban Exodus begins with an urban escape, and yours is Within Thriving Distance. Visit MonadnockNH.com today.I am excited to invite you to my conversation with Mara Tiekan. Mara is an Associate Professor of Education at Bates College.  Her writing and research focuses on racial and educational equity in rural America. Her book, Why Rural Schools Matter, is an ethnographic study of two rural Arkansas communities that examines the roles that schools play in rural towns. Mara’s interest in rural education began while working for a small school in Tennessee. There, she was able to witness first hand the experience of a struggling rural public school, but also the school’s integral place in the community. She noticed that unique issues regarding rural education were often overlooked in political reform, and education research and schooling. In our conversation we speak about the impacts of school closures and consolidations in rural America, how rural schools have weathered Covid, the lasting ramifications of segregation and discrimination in public schooling, the blind spots that legislatures have when it comes to rural education and funding, the economic and social value of public schools in rural communities, and why everyone should be paying attention to the issues facing rural education.Mara's work has been published in the Review of Educational Research, Harvard Educational Review, American Educational Research Journal, Peabody Journal of Education, and Sociological Focus.Support the showSign up for Apple Podcasts premium or our Patreon Membership for ad-free listening, rapid-fire guest interviews & our new mini-pod Ditch the City. urbanexodus.com | @theurbanexodus | buy the book

This episode is sponsored by Marvelous, is a software platform that has everything: courses, bundles, memberships, live streams, community, integrations, a mobile app, and live tech support from real humans. It is the world's most beautiful and easeful teaching platform. Check it out at: heymarvelous.com I’m excited to invite you to my conversation with Renaldo Holmes, Holmes to all who know him, he is the person behind HolmesFindsFreedom on Youtube and Instagram. Holmes is a talented poet, educator, farmer and nomad. Holmes says that poetry saved his life and wants others to experience the healing power of spoken word. He had a bad stutter as a child and had hard time communicating and making friends. He would write a lot of poetry and eventually discovered spoken word. Holmes went to his first open mic, knowing he would stutter, and was terrified. The host told him he had two options - stay on this stage and recite your work no matter how long it takes or quit. He stayed on the stage and that changed his life. He began going back every week and his stuttering improved until he was able to cure himself of it completely. This is a perfect example of the courage, passion, dedication and creativity that Holmes approaches life with.  Several years ago Holmes sold his home, left a career as a power plant technician in Connecticut. He wasn’t feeling fulfilled in his life and didn’t want to live out his days continuing to feel like something was missing. He traveled all over the United States and eventually found a  city to settle in, bought a plot of land and started growing food for himself and his community. During the pandemic, Holmes felt called back to nomadic life. He sold his property, bought a van and embarked on a new adventure, spreading seeds, his farming knowledge and joy in every community he visited. He found his way to Mexico, working for a few urban farms before settling in a small rural  community. Holmes fell in love with the people, culture,  and way of life in Mexico. Holmes also felt greater love, acceptance and ease being a Black man in Mexico. He didn’t feel like people looked at him differently because of the color of his skin. With funds running out, Holmes made the difficult decision to return to the US so that he could put a plan in place to move to Mexico permanently. He returned to his power plant job in  and is continuing to live out of his van so that he can save money. A passionate grower, Holmes hasn’t let vanlife keep him from farming. When he returned to Connecticut, he put a call out to his community to see if anyone would let him grow food at their house and someone offered their front yard. This summer he grew a ton of produce and continued making  wonderful tutorial videos for his online following. His goal is to build  passive income streams to sustain him for the long term and save enough  to buy a small parcel of land in Mexico to homestead and live off of the land. This is a story about the healing effects of poetry, the community building power of growing food, and commitment and vision to work towards your dreams. Support the showSign up for Apple Podcasts premium or our Patreon Membership for ad-free listening, rapid-fire guest interviews & our new mini-pod Ditch the City. urbanexodus.com | @theurbanexodus | buy the book

This episode is sponsored by New Hampshire’s Monadnock Region. Home to five state parks, thousands of acres of pristine lakes, a flourishing arts scene, and Mount Monadnock, the most climbed mountain the U.S. Natural beauty and bustling downtowns await, just a two-hour drive from Boston. Every Urban Exodus begins with an urban escape, and yours is Within Thriving Distance. Visit MonadnockNH.com today.I’m excited to invite you to my conversation with Mallika Viegas. Mallika was born in Goa, India, and moved to Canada with her family at age 11. Her husband was also born in Goa and immigrated to Canada. Serendipitously, the couple met in Toronto after college and connected over their shared friends and upbringing. In Toronto, Mallika built a successful career in storytelling - working as a journalist, documentarian, content producer and podcast host. She has worked for Vice, Toronto Star, CBC, Fashion and The Cut. When Mallika’s son Freddie was born in the early days of the pandemic, she realized her desire to make a seismic life shift so that she could work less and spend more quality time with her family.Battling the isolation of being a new mom during a pandemic, Mallika yearned to be closer to her parents, who had recently retired in Costa Rica. Throwing caution to the wind, the young family braved a pandemic trip to see her family. Fate changed their plans of a return trip, because their flights back to Canada kept getting canceled. It only took a few weeks before they decided to relocate permanently. Since moving to Costa Rica, Mallika’s lifestyle and priorities have completely shifted. The lower cost of living has allowed her to be more selective of the freelance work she takes on - giving her much more freedom in her days. Living in a close-knit beach community, with an appreciation of family and children, has also allowed her to let go from elements of materialism and individualism, raising her son in a more holistic and natural environment.This is a story about the beauty of embracing a new culture, unexpected new chapters, and finding home wherever family is.Support the showSign up for Apple Podcasts premium or our Patreon Membership for ad-free listening, rapid-fire guest interviews & our new mini-pod Ditch the City. urbanexodus.com | @theurbanexodus | buy the book

This episode is sponsored by New Hampshire’s Monadnock Region, home of Keene Pride week; the Monadnock Arts Open Studio Tour and the Radically Rural Summit. Natural beauty and bustling downtowns await, just two hours from Boston. Every Urban Exodus begins with an Urban Escape, and yours is Within Thriving Distance. Visit MonadnockNH.com today.I’m excited to invite you to my conversation with State Senator Chloe Maxmin. At 28, Chloe Maxmin is the youngest woman ever to serve in the Maine State Senate. She was elected in 2020, after unseating a two-term Republican incumbent. In 2018, Chloe served in the Maine House of Representatives, after beating a Republican incumbent in her traditionally conservative leaning rural district. Chloe ran on a 100% positive campaign, choosing to reject political partisanship and toxic attacks on her opponent. She went on an epic door-to-door campaign, knocking on tens of thousands of doors in her district, committed to reaching her voters directly. Chloe grew up on her family’s farm in Nobleboro, Maine. From a young age, she has been a community organizer and dedicated climate activist. While attending Harvard, Chloe co-founded Divest Harvard, a campaign calling on Harvard University to divest from fossil fuels. The campaign drew hundreds of thousands of supporters and eventually pressured the university to divest the entirety of their multi-billion dollar endowment from fossil fuel stocks.Chloe is the recipient of the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes and the Brower Youth Award. She was also named a “Green Hero” by Rolling Stone. Her work has been recognized by the Maine Women’s Fund, Washington Post, Rolling Stone, Real Time with Bill Maher, CNN, MPBN and more. This year, Chloe wrote and published Dirt Road Revival, along with her campaign manager, a how-to guide on rebuilding rural politics, and tackling political polarization from the ground up.This is a story about radical empathy, tenacity, and the power of humility in connecting with others.Support the showSign up for Apple Podcasts premium or our Patreon Membership for ad-free listening, rapid-fire guest interviews & our new mini-pod Ditch the City. urbanexodus.com | @theurbanexodus | buy the book

The introductory teaser episode of the Urban Exodus Podcast. A show that celebrates country living and shares the stories of people who are crafting creative, sustainable and self-sufficient lives in the country.This episode is an interview with founder Alissa Hessler. She discusses why she started the project and her vision for the future of the Urban Exodus website and podcast. Music by: Benjamin BethurumAudio editing: Ari SniderProduction: Simone Leon & Alissa HesslerHost: Alissa HesslerGuest Co-Host: Jacob Hessler

This episode is brought to you by Spoondrift Studio. Let website designer and brand specialist Nora Gray at Spoondrift Studio take the burden of all things design and website off of your plate so that you can focus on what you do best! Nora excels at listening to her clients immediate and long term needs - crafting engaging websites that bring your vision to life and set you up for success. It’s Spoondrift Studios mission to make your business shine and stand out from the crowd.  Put your best foot forward and visit www.spoondrift.studio today for a free consultation! I’m excited to invite you to my conversation with mushroom farmers John Deloge and Lizzie Devane of Slipstream Farm in Newfane, Vermont. At Slipstream they grow gourmet mushrooms and make medicinal tinctures.When Lizzie’s job became remote in the early days of the pandemic, Lizzie and John took it as the push to pursue their dream of becoming full time farmers. They packed up their lives in Boston and found their way to Vermont. Lizzie and John met in Boston at an NA meeting, and have found time on the farm and in nature has helped them tremendously in their recovery. Growing mushrooms has put them in touch with the magic of the mycelial process, which is integral in both human and ecosystem health. I’m grateful to Jon and Lizzie for sharing their story with depth and candor. We speak about the reality of running a business, making money without feeling like money owns you, marketing yourself as a small business, addiction recovery, and the truth behind the saying that “wherever you go, there you are.”This is a story about recovery, putting yourself out there, the healing powers of mushrooms, and personal reinvention. Support the showSign up for Apple Podcasts premium or our Patreon Membership for ad-free listening, rapid-fire guest interviews & our new mini-pod Ditch the City. urbanexodus.com | @theurbanexodus | buy the book

I’m excited to invite you to my conversation with Shala Monroque. Shala is a Saint-Lucian native who chased her big city dreams to NYC in the early 2000s. Shala was a verifiable “it-girl “of the art and fashion worlds -  glossing the pages of numerous magazines and street-style blogs. She was a creative director at Garage, an independent fashion magazine, and also worked as a consultant for Prada. Shala was by all accounts on top of the world, but in reality she battled burnout, depression, and an unshakeable homesickness.In 2012, Shala returned to St. Lucia after her brother was in a near-fatal car accident, staying for a few months while he returned to health. However, by 2014 Shala didn’t want to be away from her family any longer, and made the decision to leave her sought after career in fashion to move back home to St. Lucia. Since moving, she has established a small organic farm on her family’s land, taken up diving and photography, and has slowly found her way back into the fashion world on her own terms. Shala’s determination, and commitment to herself and the natural world has allowed her to reimagine a future in fashion defined by balance, wellness, and ecological consciousness.This is a story about following your intuition, prioritizing your well-being, and earth-centric thinking.Read Shala's full feature on the Urban Exodus blogSupport the showSign up for Apple Podcasts premium or our Patreon Membership for ad-free listening, rapid-fire guest interviews & our new mini-pod Ditch the City. urbanexodus.com | @theurbanexodus | buy the book