Independent Travel as a Female in Afghanistan, Hitchhiking Iraq, and Ex-Pat Life in Sudan with Jacquelyn Kunz

Zero To Travel Podcast

Jason Moore

Society & Culture, Business, Entrepreneurship, Places & Travel

4.6 • 866 Ratings

🗓️ 20 November 2025

⏱️ 88 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

IMPORTANT: This episode was recorded before the conflict in Sudan, and Jacqui has since left the country. For additional information and ways to support the Sudanese people, you can visit eyesonsudan.net and follow Jacqui on Instagram. Why would someone choose to travel to the world’s most dangerous places? Today I’m joined by Jacquelyn Kunz, the first female to travel independently through Afghanistan after the Taliban regained control. In this episode, Jacqui shares some of the toughest moments from her time in Afghanistan, what led her to move to Sudan, and her life as an expat. We also talk about what it was like to hitchhike in Iraq and how these experiences have shifted her outlook on life. *This is a previously released episode from the archives! Zero To Travel interviews are timeless, offering valuable insight whenever you listen. Do you consider yourself a risk-taker? I'd love to hear your thoughts and hope you will share them by sending me an audio message. Tune in to Learn: What Jacqui considers the ultimate traveler fantasy Her favorite places to visit and what attracts her to more extreme foreign destinations Insight into the experience of being a woman in Sudan How Government censorship and surveillance impact a society Why Jacqui chose to move to Sudan (and her family's reaction) Life in Sudan with political instability, and how she fits into society Why a foreign woman is considered an "honorary man," and how this impacts her relationship with Sudanese women How these experiences changed her perspective on life and relating to others Insight into finding the courage to take a different path Jacqui's best advice for safety and her thoughts on being a risk-taker And so much more Resources: Join Zero To Travel Premium Passport Subscribe to our FREE newsletter Learn more about the conflict in Sudan Connect with Jacqui on Instagram Listen to Laundry House on Spotify and follow us on Instagram Want More? 7 Pro Tips For Traveling In Dangerous Countries w/ Bjorn Palsson Travel In The Middle East with Genevieve Hathaway What Is “Happiness”? Discovering Meaning On The Silk Road w/ Will Rickard Thanks to our Sponsors Holafly - Get 10% off your annual Holafly eSIM with code “ZEROTOTRAVEL” Moon Travel Guides - Use code ‘ZERO’ for 20% off your order. Turkish Airlines Series - Listen to the podcast on Apple and Spotify Planet Visionaries - Listen to the podcast on Apple and Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, it's Jason here. A quick and very important announcement before we get into today's show.
0:05.5	Our guest is Jackie Kuntz, who up until recently was living in Sudan. And you may have seen in the news.
0:13.3	There is fighting between the SAF and the RSF and civilians are caught in the middle. It's been a terrible situation.
0:20.7	You can learn more about it at eyes on Sudan.net, which I'll link up to.
0:26.2	And Jackie is posting a lot of resources, fundraisers, resources where you can learn more pages to follow, hashtags to follow, and so on.
0:37.0	And that way, you are able to help out if you are so inclined.
0:42.0	So I thought it would be good to get this episode out here now so we could bring attention
0:46.6	to these resources and awareness to this situation.
0:50.3	And if you follow Jackie on Instagram, we'll link up to that in the show notes as well.
0:55.8	She is continuing to update resources
0:58.8	and provide helpful news on how you can help.
1:01.9	So I just wanted to give you some context for this episode,
1:05.0	which again was recorded prior to this situation in Sudan.
1:09.8	But now we can put it out there and give you an opportunity
1:16.2	to learn more and help out. Thanks for listening and please enjoy the show.
1:22.7	So, and I realized too, like if I stayed in that job, I could be happy probably forever, just comfortable enough.
1:30.4	Like, I made enough money where I could have the things I needed.
1:33.3	And so it was kind of like, this is my chance.
1:35.6	Do I leave or stay here forever?
1:36.9	So I booked a ticket to Sudan, like any normal person would.
1:41.3	I'd always wanted to be somewhere different or do something different, like
1:45.5	reading books or watching movies as a kid and dreaming about these faraway places. So I was like,
	...

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