Peace. This is Clarke Illmatical—journalist, director, and host of Homeboy and The Pyramids. In this episode, I reflect on my journey—eight years living abroad in total, across Brazil, China, Taiwan, Cambodia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Tanzania, Mexico, and Guatemala. As I wrap up my travel memoir, I take time to celebrate those years and reflect on the lessons I’ve learned along the way.
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Homeboy’s Travel Origins
What pushed me to leave the U.S. and build a life abroad.
The transition from corporate life to international living.
Key cultural influences, including how films like City of God and The Beach shaped my imagination about the world, freedom, and escape.
Countries I’ve lived in
My experience living in Brazil, China, Taiwan, Cambodia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Tanzania, Mexico, and Guatemala.
How each country shaped me differently.
The difference between visiting a place and actually building a life there.
Which countries made me feel most accepted and comfortable as a so-called Black man.
Culture shock and adjustment
The hardest parts of adjusting to new countries.
Responding to the common claim that locals in some countries “don’t know any better,” and why that phrase can oversimplify people and excuse bad behavior.
Expat communities in real life
The different types of expat communities I’ve encountered abroad.
The positives and negatives of expat circles.
Difficulties of integrating into those spaces.
Digital nomad reality check
My honest thoughts on the digital nomad lifestyle and why can promote bad travel habits.
Whether it’s better to start with a stationary position abroad before jumping into the digital nomad lifestyle.
Friendship, romance, and temporary relationships
How to build meaningful friendships when traveling.
The host’s own struggle with making lasting connections abroad.
Navigating expat friendships, romantic relationships, and dating in foreign countries.
Learning to appreciate temporary relationships without forcing everything to become permanent.
The Passport Bro conversation
Thoughts on the Passport Bro movement and how it has affected Black travelers.
Whether it has created opportunity, stigma, misunderstanding, or all three.
The racial dimension: how Black men are perceived, policed, or judged while traveling.
Beliefs that changed
A belief I had before traveling that changed completely after living abroad.
A belief that stayed the same no matter where I went.
The biggest surprises
Which country surprised me the most, and why.
Locations that helped me grow the most as a traveler and as a person.
The most transformative moments
The most transformative experience from eight years of travel.
Whether growth came from one defining moment or from a long, gradual process.
Moments when something “clicked” internally.
What keeps travel alive
What still excites me about travel after all these years.
Advice to my younger self
What I would tell myself before my first international move.
Advice for a younger Black traveler who wants to explore the world seriously.
The future for Black men in travel
Reasons for optimism for Black men in the global travel space.
