From riding through remote mountain passes on her motorcycle to organizing global nomad festivals, Mahsa has redefined what it means to travel with purpose. With over 100 countries behind her, a multi-base lifestyle, and a deep passion for cultural exchange, she’s building a movement. We sat down to talk about her journey, her inspirations, and how she sees the future of travel.
Q: You started traveling at 16. Was it something you always dreamed of, or did a particular event spark it?
I would say I was always very curious about other cultures, other people, other countries. And I think the most direct way to learn about other places is by traveling. Also, I always loved improvement. I never believed that just because I was born somewhere, I had to live my whole life there. I wanted to improve my quality of life, my world vision, even the quality of people I was surrounded by.
So it was this combination of curiosity—about how the world is, what people think and feel—and this urge for improvement, to achieve something better.
Q: Out of all the places you’ve been, what makes Greece stand out?
I think choosing a favorite country is very personal. For me, what I really appreciate in any place is the people; their kindness, helpfulness, and consideration. Greece still has that. Compared to many places in the European Union, Greece feels more genuine and authentic because people remain warm-hearted and generous. In more modernized countries, things get automated and regulations sometimes reduce personal interaction. But in Greece, the friendliness is still intact.
Also, Greece is one of the oldest civilizations in the world. Traveling here means you’re walking through the history of humanity, philosophers, scientists, mathematicians. Democracy was invented here, even if it never worked perfectly!
Then there's nature—the mainland, the islands, the food. Its location is exciting, too, close to the Balkans, Turkey, the Ottoman influences, and North Africa. For example, from Greece I could easily fly to Egypt for €100 and visit the pyramids. It’s a very complete country in lifestyle, culture, geography, so many boxes are checked.
Q: You’ve been to over 100 countries. Are there a few that had a particularly big impact on you, and why?
I’m impacted by countries where you see how the government or society isn’t functioning well, where there’s injustice and corruption. The social, political, and geopolitical situation really affects me, more than nature or other things.
For example, I traveled a lot in Central America. It was tough to see entire nations suffering because of failing governments and corruption. It’s similar to what we see in Europe and Greece: great people but governments that don’t create the right environment for a good quality of life.
When it comes to nature, of course, I love Greece’s beauty. Another surprising place was Sudan. Both North and South Sudan are heavily affected by the civil war, but the people were so friendly and the country felt safe. Sudan is almost invisible in the news, but it’s an amazing country with a generous heart.
Kyrgyzstan impressed me with its wild nature and nomadic culture—I feel a connection because I’m a bit of a nomad myself. Pakistan is similar, with people moving seasonally with their animals, living a simple life, which I admire and keep going back to.
Q: Do you consider yourself to have a home base? Is it Athens, or do you feel most at home while traveling from place to place?
Well, a few years ago, I realized that for me, it only takes about two days to start feeling at home in any city. Because I move around so much—especially on a motorcycle—I’m not someone who stays put in one city for a month. I’m always traveling around the country, exploring day by day: the north, the east, the west, the coast, the mountains, big cities, remote villages.
That kind of lifestyle requires a lot of adaptation. You get very used to adapting and feeling comfortable, because otherwise it would be hard, changing your environment and circle of people every day.
So I’m very comfortable on the road, but it’s funny—I do get homesick. I miss Athens, or Greece.
Q: Do you ever see yourself settling down in one place, or do you believe you’ll always be traveling?
Yeah, many people ask me that question, but honestly, I’ve never really asked it to myself, because it’s always felt very natural. I started traveling simply because I could. I could work while traveling, and I wanted to do that. It wasn’t some big plan; it just happened organically.
I think today, with all the tools we have—not just for running our businesses, but really for managing our whole lives—there’s no real need to settle down in the traditional sense. I mean, I love Athens, and I use it as a base. I think that’s how more and more nomads are thinking: not so much about settling, but about finding “bases.”
For me, I have a few of those. One is in Bansko, which has this amazing digital nomad community. It’s like a creative Silicon Valley, every day you’re learning something new, starting projects, bouncing around ideas. It’s really alive. Then there’s Athens, where I come back and instantly feel at home. I see friends, enjoy the culture, and reconnect. Austria is another base—it was my old one—so I go back there sometimes too.
This kind of setup works much better for me than settling down in just one place. Settling would actually feel like reducing my chances to travel, to learn, to grow, to live a more exciting life. So for now, I’d say no, I don’t see myself settling. I see myself expanding… just with multiple bases.
Q: You mentioned that your preferred way of traveling is motorcycling. Why is that?
It was both a practical and personal choice. No one in my family rode motorcycles, but I’ve always valued independence—and a bike gave me exactly that. It’s cheaper than a car, can handle rough terrain, and lets me reach remote places to meet people and learn.
Mobility means everything today. With my bike, I don’t have to wait—I just go. It matches my rhythm: fast, open, connected. I’m not closed off like in a car. I’m out there, talking to people, and that suits me perfectly.
Q: You speak so many languages. Can you tell us which ones, and how you picked them up?
Yes, unfortunately, I don’t speak any Greek yet, and that bothers me. From what I’ve heard, Greek is more difficult than other languages. It’s not something you can just learn casually; it requires focus and time, which I don’t have right now. But I haven’t given up hope.
My mother tongue is Persian, and my second language is German. I also speak English, Spanish, and French, though not as well as the others. I can read and write French, and I know some Arabic and Russian, which helps me when I travel.
Q: Out of all these languages, which was the hardest to learn?
Arabic and Russian. I never really finished them, so I know just enough for basic conversation and survival. Both have very complicated grammar. I was more comfortable with Russian because it’s Indo-European like my other languages, but Arabic is from a totally different language family.
Arabic is especially hard because there’s a classical version and many local dialects. Arabic from Egypt is very different from Arabic in Saudi Arabia or Yemen, or the formal Quranic Arabic. So, you’re not just learning one language; you’re learning five or six different versions.
Q: Your brand “Not Just a Tourist” is all about authentic cultural experiences. What inspired you to start it?
Yeah, like I mentioned, I always loved traveling. I started young and whenever I had time and some resources as a student, I’d just go explore Europe or wherever I could. I’m a perfectionist—I like improving things and I don’t like when something isn’t functional or doesn’t work well.
I used to work in corporate jobs, with long hours, like officially 9 to 5 but really more like 7 to 9 pm. I tried to make the most out of my vacations, but it was hard because there wasn’t much freedom or flexibility. Then in 2008, during the crisis, I got fired from Philip Morris. I thought, okay, great, now I can travel and figure out what I want to do with my life.
While traveling, I noticed that a lot of tours and companies don’t offer quality experiences. You pay for a tour but the car is bad, the guide isn’t passionate, the food is poor. I thought, no, this should be better.
I also wanted to create a real connection between tourists and locals. I’m not going to Thailand just to eat coconut and drink. I want to understand the local culture, what people care about, what excites them, their history. That local aspect was missing from most tours back then.
So I decided to create my own initiative and brand—not just a tourist, but a traveler who’s enthusiastic about local people and culture. That was the main idea.
Q: Since launching the brand, have you seen tourism change? Are people seeking more authentic experiences now?
Tourism has changed a lot and is evolving fast. It’s become more personalized, more experience-based. People aren’t just snapping pics of the Acropolis anymore; they’re doing VR tours, hands-on workshops, connecting with locals.
Take food, for example. Twenty years ago, food tours didn’t exist. Now, food is a way to consume culture. In Greece, it’s not just about eating souvlaki, it’s the whole tavern vibe: the music, the people, the old chairs. That’s what makes you fall in love with the place.
Tourism has improved, but overtourism is a real issue. Places like Athens are struggling—prices in the center are crazy. Tourism can be a powerful tool for learning and connection, but it's getting overrun by influencer culture and consumerism. It’s becoming about photos, not real experiences.
Q: Let’s talk about Athens Nomad Fest. What sparked the idea, and why is Athens the right place for it?
As I said, I’m someone who always likes to improve things, not just be passive and use resources without giving back. When I first came to Athens, I barely knew anyone but there was already a small digital nomad community, people working in Athens for weeks or months at a time. We had a WhatsApp group and did activities together. That gave me a sense of community right away.
Then Covid hit and everything stopped. When it was over, I came back to Athens, and with another foreigner based here, we started a community WhatsApp group for expats, foreigners, and Greeks to hang out, explore, and work together. That was the main idea: to build community.
I’ve been a digital nomad since 2013 and have attended and helped organize one of the biggest digital nomad festivals in Bansko, Bulgaria, a small mountain town. It’s not just a music festival, but a conference-festival where people share skills, network, and have fun.
Seeing how successful that was in a small place like Bansko, I thought, why not Greece? We have the infrastructure, the qualities to host something like that.
Last year, I connected with active Greek remote workers and others organizing similar things, so we created Athens Nomad Fest to put Athens and Greece on the digital nomad map. Greece is amazing, and Athens is one of the oldest European capitals, but hardly anyone thinks of it as a hub for highly skilled professionals working remotely. People go to Berlin, Lisbon, even Albania, but not Athens.
The festival promotes Athens and Greece to the world and brings skilled professionals here for locals to meet them and see there’s a whole different world out there, a way to live and work that’s empowered and different. So it’s about mutual benefit: foreigners coming here, locals learning, and building community together.
What’s interesting is that countries like Korea, Japan, Taiwan are heavily investing in digital nomadism. It’s like the governments have a clear vision. For example, Asians came to Bansko, learned from our festivals and communities, went back home, and talked to their governments. Then those governments said, “Here is the money, go make it happen.” So Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and even Thailand are now joining this movement with serious support.
Q: What’s next on your personal or professional journey?
Professionally, I’m really focusing on consolidating both the Athens Nomad Fest and the Bansko Nomad Fest. These are still works in progress. You start with an idea, and then you expand it, you shape it, you learn as you go.
Something I’ve been dreaming about—and it’s not a fixed project yet, but definitely on my mind—is creating a co-living space or retreat for remote workers. A kind of intentional community where people can come not just to work, but also to rest, to learn, to connect with others on a deeper level. A place that combines personal development, creativity, and downtime.
You know, talking again about travel and this whole question of settling down, while I still believe in having bases, I think there’s a beautiful middle ground. And that’s creating spaces where people like us—remote workers, creatives, nomads—can pause, recharge, and grow together without losing that freedom.
Q: What advice would you give to someone who wants to become a digital nomad and travel the world?
Start by informing yourself. There are tons of resources—courses, webinars, communities—that can help you understand location independence and financial freedom. But most importantly, you need inspiration. That’s what truly gets people moving.
Events like Athens Nomad Fest can be life-changing. You meet others, hear real stories, and suddenly things feel possible. All it takes is one spark, one connection, and you realize—yes, I can do this too. Learn from others, follow their example, and take the leap.
Q: And finally, if you had to sum up travel in just three words, what would they be?
Growth. Empowerement. Excitement.
Huge thanks to Mahsa for sharing her amazing story and inspiring us to travel with purpose and heart. If you want to follow her adventures, check out her Instagram
HERE!
And if you’re curious about the vibrant communities she’s building, explore the Athens Nomad Festival
HERE and the Bansko Nomad Festival
HERE.
