Travel is more than moving from one place to another; it's a journey of personal transformation and growth. In this episode of the Transform with Travel podcast, we had the pleasure of diving into the remarkable journey of Madison Bailey Mengueme, a true embodiment of how travel can profoundly shape one’s life. Madison's journey weaves in culture, service, and sustainability work across the globe, culminating in entrepreneurship back in the United States.
From a young age, travel was ingrained in Madison's life from a young age. Her passion for exploring the world was truly ignited after a life-changing trip to the Dominican Republic (DR) at 17, a journey she embarked on reluctantly after a breakup. Little did she know, this trip would shape her future career and passions. Working with a nonprofit on sustainability projects in the DR, Madison got her first taste of merging her love for travel with meaningful work, a theme that would define much of her life.
Madison’s travels took her from the bustling cities of Europe and South America to the remote Amazon jungle of Peru, where she implemented a mosquito prevention program while pursuing her master's at the University of Notre Dame. Each destination brought new challenges, insights, and a deeper understanding of the world and her place in it.
Madison continued to push the boundaries of her comfort zone. Her sustainability and health education work spanned continents, from assisting with a mosquito prevention program in Peru to empowering teens in Seville, Spain, with the Red Cross. Her time in Cameroon with the Peace Corps, where she met her husband and developed numerous community health initiatives, was a testament to her commitment to making a tangible difference in the communities she served.
Madison’s story is a reminder of the transformative power of travel - not just in changing locations, but in changing lives. Her journey underscores the importance of stepping out of one’s comfort zone, embracing new cultures, and dedicating oneself to meaningful work. It is a call to all aspiring adventurers to pick a place on the map, go, and let the journey transform you.
We talk about:
- 00:00 Intro
- 02:37 What first sparked her interest in travel
- 07:39 What led her to do a mosquito prevention program
- 09:07 Living in the Amazon
- 10:59 Choosing to join the Peace Corps
- 11:41 The onboarding process of joining the Peace Corps
- 21:15 The kinds of projects she was working on
- 22:47 Did she ever feel respected in the community, or like she belonged?
- 23:50 Did homesickness set in?
- 25:35 The mindset that helped her overcome the barrier of isolation
- 27:04 Meeting her husband out of the blue
- 32:14 Being in Cameroon when the pandemic hit
- 33:27 Coming home after living in the village of Cameroon
- 36:04 How 'materialism' reshaped Madison as a person
- 38:26 Weaving in her son's Cameroonian culture
- 39:46 Running a small business in America
Connect with Madison
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Mentioned in this episode:
Child & Company
Byte & Coffee
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