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Enoch Pratt Library
A few weeks ago I had the honor of speaking at the Enoch Pratt Free Library on traveling as solo and using travel for reinvention. I was invited to speak by a content creator I respect a great deal Brian Oliver. Big thank you to Nichole Terry for doing a phenomenal job capturing the energy of the night.
A few takeaways for traveling as a female solo traveler & reinvention:
1. Keep a travel journal – I have one that has traveled from Arizona to Morocco and everywhere in between. It helps when you cannot talk to love ones because of time differences. It also helps to have a place to store memories and emotions that are just for you.
2. Live in the moment – Put the phone away and be in the moment. I remember being in Santorini standing on a hill, looking out at the water and just breathing. In that moment I wasn’t thinking about how I was glad I didn’t have asthma because walking up the hill almost took me out. I was enthralled with the beauty that I got to witness in person and not just behind a screen. I was grateful. Have a moment of gratitude to enjoy that you are able to travel, no matter where you are.
3. Safety always – Never tell anyone you are alone. Many taxi drivers will ask just to start a conversation. If I am asked I always explain that I am meeting friends, family or a partner. Get a door lock for your hotel room. I was in Morocco when someone tried to get into my room while I was in the bathroom. It was not house keeping. Finally when you reach your hotel, make sure your room number is written down and not said out loud. If it is immediately ask for a new room.
4. Do a deep dive – Always research the culture and customs of your destination. Tik Tok and YouTube are wonderful resources I use to make sure my experience as a Black woman in another country will be pleasant. I have had a few occasions when people assumed because I was a Black woman I could be treated with disrespect.
I hope these 4 tips will help you on your travels! If you have any others you swear by drop them in the comments.
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A year in review
Whew child! 2020 has been a year where I have stepped fully into damn myself. No longer worried about what others think of me and how I express myself. It has been a year for telling my story on my own terms. Embracing my spirituality and growing into my relationship with my Ancestors. Realizing that I have to be honest with myself, even when it hurts. Healing is a journey, even when you think you are finished, there is always more.
This year has also been the year for asking for help and building community. Being dependent on others and allowing people in has been a struggle. Not just a struggle, but a strug-gleee! Past trauma does that to us if we are not careful. Our past will show up in the present as self-sabotaging behavior or imposter syndrome and we don’t even realize it. I am grateful to my Ancestors and the Creator that amazing sister-friends are in my life who give it to me straight, no chaser! The end of 2020 has been emotional, but very much needed. A purge of my past to bring forth the love, sisterhood, and abundance I deserve.
Now that, that is out of the way, this has been a year of self-portraits for me. Honestly, it has helped me be a better boudoir photographer when I practice posing. It has also helped me get in touch with my inner goddess, sensuality, and sexuality. Check out my Tulum selfies here. My phone has been my self-portrait camera, but I decided to take it up a notch and use my baby with it’s self-timer. I plan to make this a monthly personal project and at the end of 2021 see my progression. Enjoy and Happy New Year!
