About

Hi, I’m Zack — also known as Geography Geek on YouTube!

In the summer of 2018, I combined two of my biggest passions — maps and exploring U.S. National Parks — into an online map shop. For the first few years, it was called Zack’s Map Shop. Back then, I mainly sold original maps of national parks that I had designed myself. Over time, I expanded into historic map prints and other geographic artwork — not just my own creations.

That same year, I graduated with a B.S. in Geography and left my full-time job as an ESL teacher to begin teaching 8th Grade Global Geography & Cultures. When COVID-19 moved classrooms online, I started making YouTube videos to better engage my students. The channel grew faster than I expected, and I soon found myself making videos for a broader audience beyond just students. In 2022, I left classroom teaching to take YouTube and my online map business full-time.

In 2024, I grew even more passionate about languages — a natural interest for anyone into geography — and started creating more content related to languages on my YouTube channel posters for this shop and so I changed to name to Maps & Words.

I’m also a member of the U.S. Army Reserves, going on 14 years now. I’ve served as both a Civil Affairs Specialist and an ROTC trainer — where I’ve continued to use my passion for geography and maps.

Thanks so much for stopping by and for supporting me, my channel, and this shop! None of this — the videos and the maps — would be possible without viewers and customers like you.