In this powerful episode of RISE Traveler: Unpacking Conversations of Sustainable Travel, host Amy Hager sits down with self-acceptance coach and longtime traveler Maria Hernandez for an honest conversation about borders, identity, safety, and belonging.

Maria shares her perspective on political borders as human-made systems that shape how people move, travel, and experience freedom. Drawing from her own experiences as a transgender woman and person of color, she reflects on the emotional realities of crossing borders, encounters with law enforcement, and the lasting trauma caused by racial profiling and systemic scrutiny.

The conversation explores what it means to seek safety in today’s world, particularly for transgender individuals navigating an increasingly politicized environment in the United States. Maria opens up about her and her wife’s decision to relocate to Spain, discussing how factors like identity protections, quality of life, immigration policy, and economic realities influenced their choice.

Blending personal storytelling with deeper reflections on travel, privilege, immigration, and human connection, this episode challenges listeners to rethink the purpose of borders and what it truly means to feel at home in the world.

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