Which 1 of these 5 Travel Types are You?

You remember my article about group travel? (No? Check it out!) I outlined the do's and dont's of group travel, and the importance of making sure you have a similar (or at least bearable) travel style as those you're adventuring with! Also, it's just nice to know what kind of person you are when you travel. Check out the descriptions for each of these travel styles and self-actualize! Get to know yourself below...

1. Cameron the Cultural Connoisseur 

"That art museum looks cool! Let's go check it out!" Cultural connoisseurs love to learn, especially about the culture they're attempting to immerse themselves in. Always down to wander into the closest temples, synagogues, or mosques, these individuals might be interested in history. A lot of foodies tend to be cultural connoisseurs as they leave behind their home environment in a desire to become a part of the culture they visit-and a part of joining any culture means diving into all sorts of food, music, and dress. Rest assured that this individual will be checking you on your shit throughout your travels, ensuring you're using the right language, terms, and customs of the country. As the culturally sensitive one of the group, they will constantly check themselves and those around them to refrain from cultural appropriation. This person is usually very knowledgeable, might listen to Lauren Hill, Erykah Badu, or Kendrick Lamar and consider themselves "woke". 

Note: This person is not a culture vulture nor do they participate in cultural appropriation

2. Aisha the Adventurer

"It's Victoria Falls, we have to bungee jump!" Sound familiar? Your crazy friend who wants to jump out of airplanes, off of cliffs and bridges might be the adventurer of the group. This individual is always searching for an adrenaline rush. Something dangerous to get their blood going (and yours) always seems like the perfect idea. Their idea of a good time involves running with bulls, cliff diving, bungee jumping, sky diving....take your pick. These individuals laugh in the face of danger, and are naturally curious beings. They want to test limits and see how far they can go before something bad truly happens. "What are the chances of that?" might be a common saying among adventurers. This person loves to live life on the edge (literally and figuratively) and tends to have high energy. Adventurers tend to make friends easily and are likable in nature. They might describe themselves as "carefree" and their curious nature will probably get you in some sort of trouble (or fun) by the end of the trip.

 

3. Pam the Partier

"Ok, I just need a drink first." The partier is always down for a...you guessed it, party. They are looking for the closest bar to shake their tail feather at. They might be looking for love in all the wrong places, and usually find happiness at the bottom of a bottle of Jack or a glass of Rum and Coke. Since they are usually partying all night, they tend to sleep the days away. Don't ask this friend about daytime activities, they are not here for it. Find them a concert, a club, a bar and watch them come to life. Partiers know all the best music, know how to make the best drinks, and find the coolest spots to hang at nighttime. They are usually very well connected and come across a promoter, a club owner or a party friend wherever they are. Even in foreign countries, they are able to get you into VIP without much hassle (or money), find the hottest parties, and help you back it up against that cute guy or gal in the corner. They are essential, but steer clear of their drunken tirades and afternoon hangovers-not their best moments. 

4. Liam the Lounger

"Imma just chill." Loungers want to chill all day. The best part of their day is laying in bed, reading a book, taking a nice leisurely swim or something of the sorts. This traveler just wants to relax, their experience is one large vacation. This individual might like to blow down some green, wants peace and serenity at all times, and is easily uncomfortable when it comes to confrontation or imbalance. Possibly in tune with their chakras, possibly a lazy slob, loungers don't want to do much when travelling. They are quite fine sipping a pina colada on a beach, getting a massage, or getting into their newest novel from the point of arrival until departure. Don't talk too much to the lounger, they might want to hear about your adventure, but definitely not your drama. They came to relax, and anything disrupting that quiet time is not welcome into their sphere. Loungers might love long walks on the beach, romance, and flower petal filled hot-tubs......low-key they might be on a baecation. Let them live their best life. 

5. Collabo Chloe

"I want it ALL." Collabos are the most well-rounded of the travel types. They may be down to hit the club tonight, but wake up early to catch a museum opening before going to cliff-dive. Collabos are not just one type, but they embody two or more of the travel styles listed above. Collabos probably know themselves well and can gauge what they need at what time. When they're feeling drained, they might decide to get the massage, sip the pina colada, and read the Nicholas Sparks book. Collabos might want to go to a party right after coming back from the X-sports park, they are not limited. These individuals might be the most self actualized as they know that they need to tap into more than one aspect of themselves to get the most out of their travel experience. 

Note: Most of you are going to want to say that you're collabos, but not all of you are...so go ahead and be real with yourself...and me.

Are you really Collabo Chloe? If so, what are you a collabo of? If not, what's your travel style? Let me know if the comments below!

Happy Wandering....

New York: The City of NEVER GOING BACK pt. 3

When we last left off, I had just sprinted through a safari to try to make it to my flight on time. I ran up on the train panting out of breath and sweating like a hog. I looked at the lady next to me-composed, poised...she clearly has her shit together. So I ask her, "Hey, this train goes to Newark Airport right?" She stared into the depths of my soul and replied, "I'm sorry, I don't think so."

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, go ahead and check out part 1 and part 2 to get caught up on all of my shenanigans.

I looked at this woman with tears in my eyes, knowing I had limited time to catch my flight. I started freaking out internally. "Where is this train going?" "How am I going to make it home?" "What the hell is this life?"

As I was drowning in my invisible tears, the woman looked at me with the warmest smile and said, "Actually this does go to Newark Airport, I usually get off on the first stop so I wasn't sure." I smiled and thanked her for checking. I was so grateful man, this woman just took me to hell and brought me back. I'm not gonna lie, I was tainted with a bit of anger. "BITCHHHH WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST TELL ME YOU DIDN'T KNOW! YOU PUT ME THROUGH A WHOLE DAMN EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOATER (shoutout Vivian Green)"

I thanked God up above for his guidance, and sat on that damn train praying that I would make it to my flight on time. I knew that once this train stopped, I needed to not sprint, but literally hit a Usain Bolt to my gate. The train stopped, and I hit that bolt y'all, I was out. Me and little blue (my suitcase, in case you don't remember) were weaving through all sorts of people. Making it through an airport in a rush should be an Olympic sport-I'd win gold every time. Try me. 

I made it all the way to security, took my jacket, shoes, and laptop out with the quickness! I was in first place in my Olympic mind game. Made it through and low and behold, who's bag gets "randomly checked"? Haha, you guessed it! ME! I'm look up at the sky (ceiling) and audibly say "Yo, G... is this a joke?" People look at me and I don't care. 

I wait for a TSA agent to come and check my bag out. I promise I'm not smuggling drugs or dates this time. (Check this post out about my smuggling adventures) I'm waiting...and waiting...and waiting. The TSA agent finally arrives, after about 10 minutes (but remember that time is of the essence here, I have a plane to catch!). There are about 2 bags in front of me, and I look at this man with desperation in my eyes and say "Sir, I am about to miss my flight, can you please check my bag first? It's the little blue one." He turns around, looks at my bag and dryly says, "No. Sorry." 

"NIGGGGG....wooosahhh" I sat on the bench, waiting for him to reach my bag fuming. I'm surprised people couldn't see steam coming from the top of my head. I'm brown, but I'm sure that my skin turned red in that moment. I sat patiently, waiting for this man to rummage through my bag. I wanted to reach in and throw tampons at him to make him uncomfortable, but I didn't. I sat there, seemingly calm, and waited for him to pull out my tube of toothpaste. 

He threw the toothpaste away and left me with a rummaged little blue to put back together. I didn't have time to worry about that man. I put little blue back together and booked it to my gate. I was yet again in the Airport Olympics. Dodging, weaving, and possibly pushing people out of the way. Passengers were boarding, and I had little to no time to make it. I'm talking to God like "G..please, PLEASE, I need to get out of New York...you know I'll die here....PLEASE".

I finally made it to my gate, sweating, out of breath, tears on the verge of breaking the barrier, only to find that MY FLIGHT HAS BEEN DELAYED. So I ran, pushed, stomped and shoved for no reason. "I mean...this wasn't what I had in mind, but thanks G." Life is funny.

When I boarded that flight, I made a promise to myself...I WILL NEVER GO BACK TO THAT RAT INFESTED, BAD-LUCK CONJURING, DISRESPECTFUL-ASS CITY! I made it back to North Carolina in one piece (barely), and cried in rejoice for making it back to this simpleton-ass place. Thanks G!

Long story short, y'all can have New York and all of its mess. I don't want it. I don't want anything to do with it. I will chase my dreams from the comfort of my simpleton home. Thanks!

What city are you never going back to? Tell me about your story in the comments below!

Happy Wandering............except to NY.......

New York: The City of NEVER GOING BACK pt. 2

Well I've had enough of you ask me to finish the story that I brought my sorry behind back to let you all know what happened after life brutally laughed in my face. If you last recall, I'm standing in the middle of the United Nations, after 3 days of hell, to find out that there was a BIG OL lunch break scheduled from 1pm-3pm. It was currently 1:03pm and 3pm also happened to be the time I needed to head out to catch my flight. So a full flight, Airbnb, stress and panic for....no reason. YUP!

If you have no idea what I'm talking out, and haven't checked out the first part to this three-part series, click here to get caught up!

So, all I can do is laugh. I look at my friend and bust out laughing. She's visibly irritated, but how can you not laugh at the irony? There's no way I can make this life of mine up. I mean, it's real, it's happening. So being my optimistic self I repeat my mantra to myself, "everything happens for a reason". Now, whenever I say this mantra, I try to come up with reasons that the Universe, God, and any and all other energies came to the conclusion that this needed to happen. 

Me to myself: Well...maybe if you would've attended a conference you would've died
Myself to me: No....these other people didn't die sooooo.....
Me to myself: Right, right, well...maybe there was no one here of value to you
Myself to me: Really? Do you know where you are right now? It's the UN! What're you even saying?
Me to Myself: Right, right, well...it wasn't meant for you. Can we live with that?
Myself to me: *eye roll* fine. We'll live.

So I decided I would live with it, it wasn't meant for me, and that was ok...I GUESS. As my friend and I walked out of the building, I took one last look at what was once my dream...it wasn't that great anyways. Y'all know I'm lying, it was everything and so much more, but I digress.

We get on the bus back towards our luggage drop-off location to pick up our bags. My friend is nervous about riding the metro without getting lost, but I reassure her that she'll be fine. I show her how to utilize Google Maps and send her on her way. Her confidence in me made me believe I was some kind of pro, and off to the airport I went!

Let me back up a little here and give you all some context. When I first arrived in New York, I flew into Newark. To get from Newark to NYC, you can buy a cheap train ticket to NYC, and if you're really trying to save money, you can buy a round-trip train ticket. So y'all k now what I did right? I bought that damn round-trip ticket! Problem is, as I'm standing at this luggage-drop-off location, I'm thinking to myself: How the hell do I get back to that train? 

I did what any sane person would do, I asked the store owner (to no avail), random people on the street (to no avail), and finally I asked Google. Somehow I ended up at Grand Central. It didn't look familiar, but I followed some signs that had trains on them. When I finally showed an attendant my round-trip ticket, I was informed that none of the trains at Grand Central took you to Newark. SHOCK.

I freaked out a bit, calmed down, and found a bus that departed every 15 minutes to Newark for $20. I'm blown, but it's cool, I was still on track to catch my flight. 

PRO TIP: When travelling, make sure to always include buffer time in your departure!

I waited 15 minutes...no bus....20 minutes....no bus....30 minutes....you guessed it! NO BUS! I didn't know what to do, but during the time I was waiting for the bus, I finally discovered that my train to Newark leaves from Penn Station! I run to catch a metro to Penn Station (only to find out I don't have enough money on my MetroCard). I'm now forced to put money on a MetroCard I'm fairly certain I'll never use again because F*** NEW YORK! 

I make it to Penn Station, and it is a literal zoo. No, no, a zoo is too contained. This shit was a damn Safari, you know, where the animals run wild, and you can literally get eaten by a lion? Yeah. This was a SAFARI. So I'm looking around in amazement, admiring all the animals, hoping none of them bite me. I quickly snap out of it and hit a dash to the train station. It wasn't actually a dash, but more of a push-get pushed back-push more forcefully through-type of situation. The reason for the crazy amount of people: y'all remember that crazy blizzard that cancelled the conference? Well guess what? It also cancelled all the trains. So all the people who missed their trains yesterday were now at Penn Station trying to find a way home. Just my luck.

My rolling suitcase was doing pretty well, I couldn't complain. She stuck by me through it all. I can't say that was the case for everyone at Penn that day. When I finally reach the train booth, I show the man my round-trip ticket and he tells me that I'm in the right place HALLELUJAH! This is the first sign of good news since I'd arrived in that God-forsaken city. He told me that my train was leaving in 2 minutes, and the next train to Newark Airport wouldn't be back until 9pm. Mind you my flight leaves at 8pm, I HAVE to make this train. Remember...there is a Safari, and now I have to run through the giraffes, monkeys, lions, tigers, and bears (shoutout Jazmine Sullivan) to catch my train.

When I tell y'all that I literally picked up little blue (my rolling suitcase) and stormed through the damn Safari. Have any of you ever seen the move 300 where the main character yells "THIS IS SPARTA!!!" 

Me...running to catch my train

Yup! That's pretty much me, running through the Safari, carrying little blue over my head, waves of people pushing against me. I run up to the train literally sweating from my adventure. It feel like I've just ran a marathon, given birth, taken over the world, your pick. Point is, I've made it on the train! I'm gonna make it to my flight! Right? I sit down, sweating, panting, and ask the lady next to me, "Hey, this train goes to Newark Airport right?". She stares into my defeated eyes, looks at my furrowed brow, my sweat stains and says, "I'm sorry, I don't think so." I wanted to cry. 

Do I ever make it home? Do I kill this lady? Do I give up my life and become homeless? Find out next time on....DragonBa.....no, that's not it. Find out next time on...THE WANDERLUSTWAD CHRONICLES!

Let me know if you want to hear the rest in the comments below!

Happy Wandering...

New York: The City of NEVER GOING BACK

Hey Y'all!

G'day wanderers! I've missed you lovelies, but I needed to come back to share a story with you all. We all know about New York, "The City of Dreams" where "The Big Apple" resides. Youngsters move there from far and wide to pursue dreams, job opportunities, and live their best lives. Me? I went there starry-eyed and in pursuit of my dreams for a United Nations conference. But you didn't click this to learn about some boring conference, you clicked this to learn how my dreams were crushed, squashed, and pulverized right before they were obliterated. Dramatic much? Possibly, but bear with me. 

Before New York...

I found out about this conference promptly 3 days before the actual date. This meant I had 3 days to find a flight, a place to stay, and mentally prepare to represent an organization I knew little about. My checklist soon read: Flight: ✓ , Airbnb: ✓ , Mentally Prepared: TBD. 

All that was left to do was pack, but I decided I needed a break. Fast forward a couple hours to being passed out on my couch from exhaustion. I woke up frantic as I only had two hours to pack and get ready for my red-eye flight to New York. Imagine my shock when I found out that on this day (at approximately 2am) the time changed! It was daylights savings time ladies and gentlemen, and my frantic state turned into a full on panic. I had one hour to pack clothes, get ready and get to the airport on time. BISHHHH DID YOU MAKE IT??

Barely y'all, I barely made it, but by the grace of God himself, I found myself on this flight. After arriving in NY at 7am, I see a message from my Airbnb host (in Brooklyn) saying that I need to pick up the key to the apartment at 3pm in Manhattan. So I have to lug my bags around Manhattan for 8 hours. It's fine, no big deal. I made it to NY without missing my flight, and this is a great opportunity to network, I'm just going to make the best of it. So I did!

In New York...

3pm rolls around, no sign of host, 3:15...3:30....3:45...... This man doesn't show up until 4pm. I'm pissed and starving at this point, but figure I will find some real food once I get settled in. I arrive at the Airbnb, and see a couple that looks familiar. We realize that we are headed to the same Airbnb, but staying in different rooms. I walk into my room to see nothing but filth and used bed sheets y'all. FILTH AND USED BED SHEETS. I go see what the couple's room looks like, but before I can reach them I hear the girlfriend raging (at this point I know I'm not alone). 

We decide to cancel our booking, call Airbnb to make a formal complaint, and book another Airbnb together to save on costs. We finally arrive at our new Airbnb around 7pm and I am famished. Instead of heading out into the cold with my sorry excuse of a jacket, I decided to order something from GrubHub and rest for the night to start my conference the next day on a positive note. HAHA, I'm so naive. Positivity? What's that?

I order from GrubHub at 8pm with an anticipated hour wait. 9pm rolls around, no sign of food, 9:30...10pm....10:30. After many calls and many empty promises of food, I fell asleep. Do y'all believe that around 11pm the delivery driver calls me to tell me he's outside. It took every ounce of my being not to curse him smooth TF out. I told him to go on with his food, I was in bed for the night (in retrospect, I see that my anger and petty left me hungry still...I'm working on myself, ok?). 

Day 1/3 of the Conference

So I woke up the next morning going on almost 24 hours without food, starving AF and cold. So, flashback to me taking all of my winter clothes back to my parents house and picking up my spring clothes because North Carolina (where I live) had some promising weather. I left a light jacket here and there, but nothing heavy duty. Fast forward to me in NY with a light jacket in 20 degree weather. I was freezing. When I woke up in the morning, I decided the first order of business was to invest in a jacket (that I would promptly return upon leaving NY because financial responsibility DUUHHH). Although I had a friend to pick up from the bus station (as she was joining me for the conference), I assumed I would get a jacket to refrain from frostbite, get some food and head to the conference to begin my sessions before picking her up. 

I got a jacket! I got some food! All was going well for the day until I realized I had some papers to print out to gain access to the UN Headquarters. Do y'all know how expensive it is to print something out in NY man? I went to a FedEx and to use the computer was $2/minute plus a printing fee. I was shook. Who pays these prices? THOSE SCAMMERS! By the time I went on this adventure, I had exactly enough time to get on the metro and reach not the conference, but my friend at the bus stop. The day was over. I spent my day riding metros, getting lost, printing expensive papers, and trying to stay positive (HAHA! POSITIVITY? WHAT'S THAT?)

Day 2/3 of the Conference

I woke up the next day, friend in hand, ready to take on the new day...this time with a partner in crime! I had forgotten my woes from the past two days, had a couple great laughs, and woke up with a smile on my face. I pull back the curtain to find A F***ING BLIZZARD. The conference was cancelled for the day. It's ok, we'll wake up the next day and try it all over again. HAHA, there I go with that positivity shit.

Day 3/3 of the Conference

On this day, we needed to check out of our Airbnb, meaning that we had to take all of our luggage with us. Here's the thing, the United Nations does not allow luggage into the premise for security reasons, so now we need to find a place to keep our luggage. Furthermore, my friend accidentally took a pair of car keys that she needed to overnight back to Virginia. So, we began our adventure lugging our suitcases through New York to a luggage dropoff zone in Manhattan, dropped off the keys, hit a couple of road blocks (i.e. missed bus, wrong metro time, soaked socks from the snow on the ground, etc.), but we finally made it to the United Nations. 

We arrive at the main building, show our papers (that cost an arm and a leg to print), and get directed to another building a couple blocks away. We reach that building, show our papers, and get directed to another building in the same direction we just came from. So we're playing hide and go seek with the damn conference at this point. After about an hour, we get find the correct building, get our badges made and FINALLY enter the United Nations Headquarters.

There I am, at the United Nations, with a jacket I'll soon be returning, a smile thats an inch away from a cry, and ready to get all my dreams crushed.

After taking some pictures, looking around, and taking in the pure beauty that is that building, we picked up a program to see what workshops we could partake in. Since it was already 1pm, we knew we only had a couple hours to spare before needing to retrieve our luggage before we needed to be on the road for our bus and flight respectively. A good look at the program showed that right there, between 1pm and 3pm was a scheduled LUNCH period. 

I could honestly do nothing but laugh. It was purely comical. I came all this way, wasted all this time, and all this money to go to the United Nations for a conference that I never even attended. BAHAHAHA, life is hilarious!

I wish I could say that was the end of my New York adventure, but lo and behold life always has plans of its own for you. If you're interested in what happens next, let me know in the comments below and I'll make a follow-up post!

WHAT CITY ARE YOU NEVER GOING BACK TO? Also let me know in the comments below!!!

And as always....

Happy Wandering....

Group Travel: Are You Sure You're About that Life?

What could be better than sipping piña coladas in Puerto Rico, skiing in the Alps, or scuba-diving in Thailand? Going with your friends! Imagine living your dreams and having your crew there to experience it with you. Those are real #friendgoals #crewgoals #travelgoals. Group travel sounds like a blast! Especially with everyone posting pictures with their friends, the age of social media has not only popularized travel, but popularized group travel. When we consider going on extended trips with our friends we seem to focus on all the potential fun. Don't get me wrong, I'm a truly positive person, and so I ascribe to this tendency. Before embarking on my first #grouptravel, I daydreamed of laughing on beaches, taking pictures underwater and enjoying the company of those closest to me.

While this left me counting down the days, I wish I would have taken some time to consider some of the implications of this trip.  I wasn't too worried, I mean friends always make everything better...right? What could possibly go wrong? Haha...Where do I begin?

 Let's start by mentioning that the people you choose to travel with can either make or break your trip, so make sure you're confident in your choices. Whitney the whiner, yeahhhhh....you might want to leave her ass at home. Negative Natalie might also want to sit this one out along with inconsiderate Isabel. The point is to create the vibe that you want. If you want laughs and flexibility don't bring the anal Amy of your crew. If you want structure and planning then tell whimsical Wade he can come through next time. Create the space that you wish to live in.

Moving forward, you're going to have to prepare to ask yourself some questions. These are all questions I wish that I would have considered before agreeing to go on my group travel experience. Hopefully they get you thinking about the implications of galavanting with your gals and guys. 

How many people are in your group?

When you're thinking of how many people you want to be with you at your destination, how many do you picture? Two, four, seven, or even seventeen? The choice is yours, but if I were you, I would stick with the magic number. What is this magic number? It's 4! I believe to get the most of your trip you should invite three people, and when you include yourself, you have four, the magic number. 

Why Four?

1. Taxis and Ubers
   There are many countries that charge you extra, even in vans, for more than four passengers which is an inconvenience and annoying as hell. I'm all about saving that paper. Get hip or get lost. Also, four people fit together perfectly in a taxi in just about any country. Four is the perfect number. 
    
2. Restaurants
   When you're hungry and roll into a restaurant with a crew of hungry hippos, the last thing you want to be doing is waiting. People get agitated, HANGRY (a deadly combination of hungry and angry which I've been diagnosed with numerous times), and are not usually in a good mood when they are required to wait around for a table. And guess what you'll be doing if your group is over four people? Waiting. Sure, not always, but the 'hole in the wall' magical realms are usually small and can only accommodate but so many. For the best chance of immediate seating, zero hangry fits, and 'hole in the wall' acceptance, go ahead and choose that magic number: Four. 
    
3. Drama
   Four people gives little room for drama, although depending on your friend group, it is always possible. The more people involved in the trip, the more cliques tend to pop up. She doesn't like her, and he doesn't like them and their energy doesn't flow, and vibes are off. Do yourself a favor and stick to the magic number. With a smaller group, it is easier to reconcile arguments and come to conclusions. Also, with a group of four, you can tailor the type of energy and vibe you want for your trip.
    
4. Hostel/Hotel Rooms
   Most hostels and hotels have rooms that accommodate either two or four people. If it accommodates four, you can all share the room and split the costs. If the hostel/hotel accommodates two, you can split up and still end up splitting the costs. This buddy system has never let me down and ensures everyone is safe at the end of the night. Issues begin to arise if you have an odd number of people or too many people. You may not be able to find a place to stay if it wasn't pre-planned, and who wants to be constrained by a schedule? Keep your life simple and find you a nice group of four to split costs with and stay safe with!

Are you ready to be frustrated?

No matter how many people you bring or leave at home, get ready to be frustrated. I don't say this to dissuade you from traveling with others, I say this to be frank. There will be a discussion about everything, which sounds great, because "communication is key"...NOT. Before every meal there will be a "so, where should we eat" conversation. Three meals a day = three times this question will be asked. Multiply that by the number of days you're vacationing and that equals too many damn times.

"Where should we go?" is another common one. If not everyone in the group has the same travel style, then some could leave without getting what they wanted out of the trip. There are party-goers and culturalists and adventure-junkies and historians and those who want to eat crickets and others who want to stay in the hotel/hostel by the pool. Make sure that the group you're traveling with has a good mix of people who are interested in multiple things so that everyone can at least do some of the things they anticipated doing. 

Are you ready to compromise?

What it comes down to is that you are not going to be able to do everything you wanted to do on your trip. You can plan from today until tomorrow through next week and you will still not be prepared for all the curveballs that group travel throws you. If you travel with someone with the same travel style as you that might make things a little easier, but it is also great to get out of your comfort zone and try new things. 

You may be outnumbered by your group in terms of food choices, parties to attend, or landmarks to see. Learn patience, something that I mention many times throughout this blog. You will have to compromise, there is no getting around it. Compromise is hard for a lot of us (myself included), but remember that you're the one who wanted your friends around. Whatever happened to #friendgoals...not feeling it so much anymore?

WANDERLUST TIPS ON GROUP TRAVEL

• PATIENCE, it's a reoccurring theme.
• Go with the flow, don't let things get to you.
• Leave the group if you're not feeling it, no one is forcing you to hang with these people.
• If there is something you really want to do, but you're outnumbered, do it by yourself. 
• Learn to breathe.
• Don't take anything they say drunk seriously. Let that shit roll off your shoulders.
• Remember that you love these people (most of the time).
• Drink lots of tea, it sort of fixes everything.

So, while you want to post all of the #friendgoals #grouptravel #meandmyfriendstravelandyoudont pictures available, you might want to consider the consequences of a group trip. Your friends are amazing people, and you love them dearly, so of course you want to see the world with them. Just know that it's not all shits and giggles. For all you "I'm not with the shits" individuals...get ready for the shits, because it's a lot of shit. Enjoy!

Have you ever traveled in a group? What was your experience like? Where did you go? Let me know in the comments below!

 

HAPPY WANDERING...

The BadAss Who Dodged Airport Security

What's the worst part of going to the airport? AIRPORT SECURITY. You have to wait, and wait....and then wait some more. You finally get to the security belt and realize you have to strip naked in front of strangers. No Coats! No Shoes! No Belts! No Wallets! No Spare Change! For goodness sakes, if you want to see me naked just ask! We don't need to go through these formalities. 

Well one badass found a way to dodge airport security. Who was this wonderful woman? ME! Twas I. I am the badass. So, I'm sure you have many questions as to how I made this possible, hoping that one day, you too, could become a badass like me. Well, let me tell you, it's not easy. Also kids, don't try this at home, it's dangerous. But you know, badasses like me don't fear danger.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

I was in Sudan waiting at Gate 2 to board the plane. As they started calling up groups to board, I realized that I didn't have my iPod. I had a 4 hour flight to Turkey and an 8 hour layover before taking a 10 hour flight back to Washington, D.C. How was I going to survive without any music? I couldn't! There was no way. It was impossible. My iPod was at my aunts house, and she lived 10 minutes away from the airport. "I CAN MAKE THIS HAPPEN", I thought to myself. I called my cousin who initially dropped me off and begged him to find my iPod and bring it to the airport.

The way the main airport in Sudan works is that unless you're actually flying out, you aren't allowed to go inside. Consequently, there is a mob of people standing outside the airport wishing their loved ones farewell. I was concerned about time, but when my cousin texted me minutes later saying he found the iPod and that he was on the way to the airport, I knew I had a chance to save myself from complete and utter boredom. All I had to do was find a way to run from Gate 2 to the entrance of the airport and back without getting stopped in about 2 minutes. 

The announcements called for group 4 to board the plane. Group 4 was the last to board this flight, and I was on group 4. Simultaneously, my cousin was outside waiting for me. The time was now or never. I had a decision to make, and I decided to choose the iPod. I was literally willing to risk missing this flight back to the United States for my iPod. Could you all last 22 hours with no form of entertainment? I didn't think so. This decision was justified. 

I picked up my bag and booked it! I ran through security, customs, and ticketing, stopping for no one. The security guard began to chase me at one point, but gave up once I reached customs, probably assuming someone down the line would catch me (welcome to Sudan). As I reached the entrance door, I saw my cousin reaching for me with an iPod in hand. I grabbed it, pivoted, and turned around to race back to Gate 2. On the way there, I held my hands up in victory, waving my prized possession at the customs official, at the security guard, and at the empty lobby at Gate 2. 

On that day, I was the last person to board the plane, but the first person to run through security, customs, and ticketing without officially getting stopped. As I sat in my chair, sweaty, tired, and victorious, I fell into a deep slumber. The running wore me out! I'm in no shape to be running like that! 

I woke up in Turkey 4 hours later with iPod in hand and headphones missing. Life is funny that way. The moral of the story is, be a badass, you actually might get away with it. Just remember that life is also a circle, so it always catches up with you!

What badass things have you done? Did you get away with it? Did life catch up with you? Let me know in the comments below! And as always..

Happy Wandering...

I Refuse to Fly

I refuse to fly. Wait, you're WanderlustWad! What do you mean? Oh, I'm sorry, was I not clear? What I meant to say was I'm not flying anymore. I've had a horrible experience, and I've made a final decision. What horrible experience?

So glad you asked!

I was recently in Sudan for my cousin's wedding, and what a fancy shmancy soiree it was. She looked lovely, it was lovely, I wore a ball gown, I posed next to a vintage Rolls Royce, everything I expected and so much more. Ok, I wasn't expecting the Rolls Royce, but what a plus!

In my ball gown posing next to the vintage Rolls Royce. Shoutout cuzzo for providing the car, the pose, and the awkward smile!

I'm currently in graduate school and took a week off to attend this wedding. This was a big decision because it's my first year of grad school, I honestly have no idea what's going on in my program, I've just moved to a whole new state where I know no one, and I'm dealing with imposter syndrome. Needless to say, I decided I was going to swing it! My cousin wanted me to be there, I wanted to be there, and this meant a lot to my family. So I took the risk, hoping that a sufficient plan would rid me of any mishaps. As you can tell by the title of this blog post...I was mistaken.

I meticulously planned my flights. I picked a flight leaving on a Friday and returning the following Sunday around 2 p.m. This was going to give me just enough time to come home, decompress, possibly unpack (ha, yeah right...but I was optimistic), and prepare to get back in the swing of things at grad school. I was going to figure out what I missed, get notes for those classes, and hit the ground running. I had this all planned out. I was ready. I was prepared. I was confident in my planning. What a sham.

The week started out great! I saw my haboba (grandma in Arabic), I visited relatives, I attended the wedding, danced my little tail off, and had a ball. It was when I was attempting to head back to the United States that things slowly started to unravel.

Haboba showing me all the love

I just finished saying bye to my grandma, and my parents and younger brother Lofy were taking me back home to finish packing my bags before dropping me at the airport. I insisted we stop at Tweety (a fresh juice bar) so I could get a "nus darba". For all those unaware, "nus darba" is the most delicious fruit salad you'll ever taste. Made with all fresh fruit and ingredients (as most things in Sudan are), this is a must if/when you visit Sudan. As my dad made his way to Tweety, my mom began fussing about missing my flight. I literally laughed. I had ran through security at the airport in Sudan before, I was completely unconcerned about "missing a flight", and we had ample time. If you know my mom, she's a bit dramatic, and so to Tweety we went. 

It took me possibly 15 minutes to shove all my clothes in my suitcase and head out the door to begin my journey to the airport. I got to the airport an hour and a half before takeoff. An hour and a half. Just to be clear, that's almost two hours before takeoff. As I make my way to the Ethiopian Airlines stand and begin to wait in line to check my luggage, the middle-aged woman in front of me begins to argue with the attendant. Everyone in Sudan argues, so I paid them no mind until I heard the attendant tell this woman that "the scale is closed". 

The woman had tears in her eyes, was explaining to the attendant that she had four kids, and this was her second day missing this flight. My eyes almost bulged out of my face. I rudely interrupted their conversation to ask what exactly a "closed scale" means. The man behind this counter looked me dead in my eyes and told me that it means I can't get on the plane. Now if you know me, and if you know Sudan, you know that I used every tactic I knew to finesse this process. I asked to speak to a supervisor, then a manager, I asked him how much money it would take to get on the flight. I HAD A PLAN. I needed to be on this plane. Everyone in Sudan takes bribes, but this man was not having it. I was at the airport an hour and a half early, and this man was truly playing with me. How is the scale closed? I didn't understand. Honestly, I still don't.

I eventually told him that since the scale was closed I would leave my luggage. I just needed my person to be on the next plane out of Sudan, so that I could make it back to America on time. I couldn't miss any more school, I was already falling behind, and I had a plan. He was so sick of me. He said no. I spoke to his supervisors and managers who also said no. I was fed up. Fuck Ethiopian Airlines!

When I finally came to accept that I wasn't leaving Sudan, and that my plan was ruined, I had to figure out my next steps. The lovely attendant (heavy eye roll) told me to go around the back of building where I would see the Ethiopian Airlines offices. They would be able to help me there. When I finally found these offices, thanks to the help of no signs or knowledgeable airport personnel, I was told that the staff was out. Where were they? They were busy checking people into the airplane that I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ON. You want to talk about livid, I was on the border of bursting.

After waiting for my flight to leave me (oh, the irony, I had a MF plan), the Ethiopian Airlines personnel decided to come back to their offices only to tell me that they couldn't help me. Their office didn't handle missed flights and I needed to go to their headquarters the next morning to rebook. IF YOU COULDN'T HELP ME THEN WHY DID YOU HAVE ME WAITING AROUND FOR YOU! These pricks y'all. THESE PRICKS!

So of course I had to hear my mother's mouth the whole time about how I should have listened to her, how we could have gotten there earlier, and her annoying "I told you so" eyes. Ugh. It killed me.

You want to know what's worse than missing a flight you meticulously planned to no fault of your own? When your mom is right and gives you "I told you so" eyes. UUUUGGGHHHHH. THOSE EYES. THE WORST.

The next day, I woke up at the crack of dawn, and headed to the Ethiopian Airlines headquarters. Much to my surprise, I was not the only one who encountered this. There was at least 11 other individuals (including the woman with her four kids from the previous day) who had "missed" their flight. What we came to find out is that the airline is overbooking their flights, and when enough people have checked in to fill the plane, they "close the scales". PRICKS!

Even at this headquarters, they refused to help a majority of us rebook without purchasing a whole new ticket because our original tickets were bought from travel agents or companies. My mind was so blown. The lovely Ethiopian Airlines attendant (eye roll) behind this desk at this headquarters was telling me that she couldn't help me with my ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES ticket? Does this make sense to anyone? Anyone at all? 

After ANOTHER trip, this time to the travel agency the ticket was booked from, I finally had a ticket sending my black ass back to the United States. All to go to a Master's program that scares the crap out of me, to a state where I know no one, and to a school that had me feeling like an imposter. I was drained. 

So I made a decision. I'm not flying anymore! At least not Ethiopian Airlines, those..you guessed it..PRICKS! 

But while you're out wandering for the both of us...

Happy Wandering...

Have you ever experienced such inconsistency? Ever dealt with imposter syndrome? Ever planned and your plans fell through? What happened? Let me know in the comments below!

"All Black People are Scared of the Police" WRONG.

I saw him and instinctively froze, my heart beating fast. His demeanor was very casual, he had a smile spreading across his face, and he even resembled me in color: unapologetically black. These characteristics did not stop me in my tracks, but the words boldly printed across his chest did: POLICE. He was an officer, a protector of the law, and my initial reaction was...fear.

As I looked around the car, I realized I was the only one who had had this frightening moment. The other passengers (all people of color) looked unaffected by the presence of the officer, and the driver of the vehicle even went passed the policeman on the road; she didn't look back to see if he would pull her over. An unprecedented act for any person of color in the United States. When I asked everyone why they were so nonchalant, the simplicity astonished me. Someone uneasily said, " This isn't America you know, you don't have to be scared of them here." It dawned on me that I was in Trinidad. Police aren't feared like in the States. The statement was followed up by a question. "Why would we be scared when we weren't doing anything wrong?"

Great question. Why was I scared? Could it be the ongoing genocide of African Americans in the United States of America? Possibly.

Just as prey live in fear of their predator, similar to the Jewish living in terror because of Nazi officials, African Americans generally live horrified at the sight of police. The difference is that while the identifying marker for Jews was a badge in Nazi Germany, they were able to take it off at the end of the day. It was a badge they could look in their closet and see. One they could store away, not having to deal with it until leaving their home. For an African Americans to find their marker they don't need to look in a closet, they just have to look in the mirror. Their skin is not stored anywhere except on their body. In the "land of the free" the wrong skin color is enough reason to compel an authority figure to insensibly fire bullets in your direction. 

Lightbulb moment: I've been conditioned to fear those appointed to protect me. 

As a black person, you don't wake up in the morning and choose to put your skin on. You don't need to alter your clothes for people to know that you're black. You don't even need to speak for people to know that you're black. You don't need to do anything, because you were born black. You can't remove your skin color, nor should you want to.

You are not the problem. Your skin is not the problem. You should not have to fear for your life. You should not have to explain injustice to your child. The color you were endowed is not threatening. But in America you are, it is, you do, you are, it is.

The system was not built for your success, it was built for your failure. SUCCEED ANYWAYS. The unjust killings, the systemic demise of African Americans, and the justice system are the problems. The solutions are complex, but in the efforts to create sustainable change, one thing is evident: we need to be united. There is power in numbers. Revolutions start with one person, a couple of people, but real change is seen when the masses gather. 

It's unfortunate that it struck me as odd that many people of color around the world don't fear the police. I'm not saying they don't get tickets, fines or pulled over; I'm saying that their interactions with policemen are justifiable, regardless of color. That isn't the case in the States. For the first time in my life I feel that where I live is the third world country, and not the places I am traveling to.

The world is a scary place on its own without genocide, racism or police killings. There is no reason that present day America should feel like Nazi Germany. If you want to "Make America Great Again" (even though it's never really been that great), why not start with ending the senseless killings of the second largest demographic in the country. 

#BLACKLIVESMATTER

This is usually where I ask you to leave a comment. Don't bother this time. I said what it was.

Do I Have Zika?

As you all know, this Summer was filled with Caribbean flavor. From Barbados to Trinidad to Guyana, I consciously ignored the travel warnings about Zika floating throughout the tropical region. I never thought I would contract the disease and imagined dousing myself in mosquito repellent. I knew there was still a probability of extracting the disease, but considered the risk minimal.

Lesson #1: You are not immune.

So many of us think that we are invincible; that things can not touch us. So we are reckless. We allow ourselves to be reckless. To do reckless things. To give in to our inner desire for danger, and adventure. 

I loved Trinidad most, of the places I visited in the Caribbean. It felt like home. A place that seemed to fit in places you didn't know could heal you, love you, and feed you (and boy, could they feed you!). Trinidad was magical like that. I stayed at Pearl's Guesthouse. It's a beautiful Victorian home with hospitable hosts and kind, enlightening travelers. There I met a friend who showed me around Port of Spain, took me to eat Bake and Shark, and introduced me to how Trinidadians live. 

After some time, I left Pearl's Guesthouse and began my first Couchsurfing adventure (read here) with Phyllis. Phyllis showed me a whole new world. We explored a good part of Trinidad and she introduced me to the warmest of her friends. In the weeks I stayed with Phyllis, I heard of 2 individuals who had contracted Zika: my friend from Pearl's Guesthouse, and a friend of Phyllis'. This got me thinking heavily about my chances of getting Zika. 

Was I being careful? Was I using the right mosquito repellent? Had I even been wearing repellent? Sometimes, but not consistently enough.

Thankfully, neither of the individuals who contracted Zika were women of child bearing age. But I am. I had researched and found the best mosquito repellent spray before embarking on this adventure to the Caribbean, I had just been failing to apply it regularly. It seems that I planned to have this amazing repellent, but never put it on. Lazy girl issues. 

Lesson #2: When you adequately prepare, make sure you follow through with your plan, especially if it's life or death

So I started to regularly wear this repellent, dousing myself in it every morning after my shower. It lasted me all day, was never sticky or oily, and had no foul smell. Deet was the best! It saved my life. As it turns out, I DIDN'T get Zika, but that doesn't mean that I couldn't have. I put myself in a risky situation that could have permanently altered my life or my future child's. Which leads me to lesson number three.

Lesson #3: The universe always has your back.

Sometimes you make dumb decisions, take a big risk and regret it after the fact. Sometimes you have unprotected sex and you end up pregnant, other times you don't. Sometimes you make an illegal U-turn and no cop catches you, other times they do. Sometimes you fly to a Zika infested region, don't use mosquito repellent and still don't contract Zika, but other times you do.

No matter where you end up, there is a reason you are there. I was blessed, but others weren't as fortunate as I. There is always a time to take into consideration the risks and benefits before making careless decisions. It wasn't till recently that I've noticed the long-term effects Zika can have on people, and it's particularly difficult when the individuals suffering are people you have grown close to. So spray that Deet! 

What risky behavior have you participated in? Did it work out? Did the risk outweigh the benefits? Let me know in the comments below!

Happy Wandering...

 

Crashing at a Stranger's House

Most people think I'm crazy when I tell them that I'm staying with a stranger in Trinidad. I haven't found myself in any freezers as of lately, so I think I'm safe...but really who knows. My host's name is Phyllis, but I like to call her Philly and she is quite possibly the warmest individual I have met throughout any of my travels. 

Now, I'm sure you have a ton of questions. Are you crazy? (Yes.) Why are you staying with this woman? (Because I can.) What are you doing? (Couchsurfing.) What the hell is that? (Read on...)

Welcome to Couchsurfing. An online community of travelers who love to travel, but don't have much to spend. Let's say for example, you're going to Greece. You've paid for your ticket (which I hope you got a good deal on) and now you're looking at accommodation. Couchsurfing allows you to stay with different hosts from across the globe for free. Did you guys catch that? FOR FREE. 

I know you're like "WHATTT??!?!?!!" "How do I do that??!?!?!!?" Well...let me explain.

You begin by creating an online profile here, where you let people know a little bit about yourself: what you like, what you love to do, places you've been, etc. You then search for hosts who are accepting guests and send them requests to stay with them for a duration of time. So, going back to the Greece example, I would find a couple hosts in Greece who are accepting guests, send each of them a small blurb about when I want to stay with them, what I'm coming for, and when I'll be leaving and wait for a reply. Hearing back from the hosts could take a while depending on how often they visit the site, so make sure you reach out to a couple different hosts.

When choosing which hosts you'll reach out to, I always suggest that you stay with an individual who has many references. Make sure to read these references and see what others are saying about the individual, the space, the location of the home etc. If you would feel uncomfortable in the setting described, do yourself a favor and find another host.

Once you finally find a host who is willing to welcome you into your home, you coordinate with them accordingly to accommodate your arrival and your stay. You are now not only touring, but seeing the country/city/state from a native's perspective, and for me, that's what traveling is all about. Instead of the touristy places, you'll get to see all the "hole-in-the-wall" eats and locations. Instead of being a visitor in your new destination, you transform into a traveler. That's what I love about couchsurfing, it opens you up to a world of possibilities, and the whole damn thing is free.

Once you've created your online profile, you become a host as well. This doesn't mean that you have to host guests, but it's how the community works, so I would strongly suggest that you open your home to a stranger, just like someone is willing to do (or did) for you. If you still don't feel comfortable with the idea of staying with a stranger, you can still utilize couchsurfing. If you're visiting a country and want to meet up with some locals, you can contact some hosts and see if they're free to show you around. You can post discussion questions about your area, and some people even use it to find others who are willing to travel with them.

I'm not saying you'll stay in the nicest places, but you'll have a roof over your head, and you're guaranteed a couch if nothing else. Philly, my couchsurfing host, has given me a whole room to myself, so it all depends on what your host has available. As you're staying with strangers, and don't want to be locked up in any freezers, I've given you some pro-tips.

PRO-TIPS

• Make sure your host has a good amount of references, you can even go so far as to check your reference's references.
• Be brave and be open
• If you don't feel comfortable, then LEAVE, no one is forcing you to stay
• Be clear of the house rules so that you and your host don't have any issues
• Stay tidy and neat, especially if you're staying in a common area
• Let someone know where you are and who you're staying with
• Try to arrive in the day, foreign places can be scary at night
• If you see something that you can help with, do so, it's the least you can do (i.e. dishes, cleaning etc.)

The essence of couchsurfing is that you shouldn't have to spend loads of money to see the world. If you find a cheap flight (read here to see how), the next largest expense is always accommodation, and couchsurfing handles that for you. For all of the people who have wondered what it would mean to be able to see the world on a budget, your time is now. Couchsurfing allows you to stay with, connect, and experience genuinely amazing places and individuals who love to travel, not cheaply, but absolutely for free. 

Have you ever couchsurfed? What was your experience like? Would you ever consider couchsurfing? Let me know in the comments below!

Dear Customs Officer: I LIED!

Dear Customs Officer,

I lied. I promise it wasn't intentional, I just really had to get these dates back to the States for Ramadan. I know it's not allowed, but we need them. Sure they have them in America, but they just don't taste the same. I was nervous the whole time too, looking into those shy eyes of yours as you beat me down with questions. "Where were you?" "What was the purpose of your visit?" "What are you bringing back?" I did tell you everything I was bringing back, I just left out the fact that I had dates. ....and the dried hibiscus. ........ok, there's a ton of spices too. I guess that means it was intentional, I lied intentionally.

I'm sorry. It's just that, after you asked me if I was carrying "an excess of $10,000", and I said "I wish" and laughed, I expected my laugh to be reciprocated. I know you probably hear that line from at least every student you ask, but I don't care. Your cold smirk was not enough for me. That was a great joke I made there. I deserved some recognition. You didn't provide me with it, and so I decided to betray you, just as you betrayed me.  

Dramatic? I'm well aware. I just have some serious issues with customs officials. Some seem to be kind, courteous and very respectful while simultaneously tactfully conducting their jobs. Others...others seem to have this superiority complex mixed with a nasty attitude that reeks of "I'm here to make you miserable."

Kind sir/madam, I don't need to be senselessly pounded with questions of my travels. I don't need you staring me down. If I hesitate when answering a question, it's not because I'm lying to you. I've just been traveling for about 15 hours...give me a break. When I tell you I'm carrying no cash with me, it's not because I'm smuggling thousands of dollars from my part-time cocaine trade, it's because I'm broke. You work in an airport, for goodness sakes, you should know where Sudan is. Also, I'm backpacking, so I didn't bring any presents back for anyone, thats regular. Why does it bother you that I went and came back with nothing except a couple keychains? Why do you need to know I bought these keychains? Would you like one? Should I bring you one next time? Shit.

I hear the arguments already forming, "it's their job". My response? No, no their job is not to harass me senselessly and have me palpitating at the thought of them . Their job is to ensure that no contraband of any kind crosses the border. I'm not completely unreasonable, I understand that you need to ask me questions, but do you really have to ask me the same questions that I just answered on the piece of paper I handed to you? I filled it out two seconds before stepping into your line, I promise my answers haven't changed.

Also, would you mind smiling a little bit more? I mean we don't need to be full fledged friends or anything, but maybe you wouldn't piss me off so much if you tried to participate in more of a conversation instead of treating me like I've just entered some concentration camp. I guess I am entering the United States of America, so same-difference huh? 

 And while we're at it, you should know where every country on the planet is, it's kind of your "job". Stop asking stupid questions.   

I appreciate you customs officers who are rightfully doing your job properly. To you, I will never exert my petty. To you I will stay true. To you I will never lie...ok I might (but just about dates, and hibiscus, and possibly spices). 

Sincerely,

                    WanderlustWad

Have you ever had any issues with customs? Let me know in the comments below!

Happy Wandering...

You're Not Trini Until You've Had These

It's been mentioned to me that I speak about food as most would speak of sex. I take great pride in this compliment. I love food, and especially good food. My specialty is sweets, but literally anything savory to stuff into the gaping hole in my face will suffice. As a traveler, my favorite part of any visit is the cuisine.

The two islands located off the coast of northeastern Venezuela boast a rich and vibrant culture and have encased me in a whirlwind of spices, vibrant colors, upbeat music and "wining". The one thing I've heard time and time again about Trini's is that "if nothing else, they will feed you". This sounds like my sort of place.

This "essential foods to try in Trinidad and Tobago" list I've compiled has been curated by my wonderful tastebuds in collaboration with some authentic Trini's. If you've never tried these foods, you can't truly consider yourself a Trinidadian (I don't judge, this is according to my natives). If you're visiting the islands and want a real experience, make sure to knock these items off your list. 

 

Bake and Shark

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This delicacy is most famously found at Maracas Beach. It consists of a homemade bread, the "Bake" which is ironically usually softly fried. The Bake is folded, almost like a pita and stuffed with fried Shark. There are other options like "Bake and Shrimp" and an assortment of different "Bake and Fish" for those not interested in eating shark. My recommendation is to eat the damn shark. When you choose which Bake you'd like, you'll notice that it's dry. The best part of this sandwich is being able to make it your own. There is a salad bar of sorts that allows you to top your Bake with anything from ketchup and salad to mango salsa and green sauce. Each vendor has different options, but staples are: mango salsa, garlic sauce, green sauce, salad, hot sauce. Take caution with the hot sauce, this is no Texas Pete, your mouth will literally be on fire. My toppings included a lot of mango salsa, ketchup, salad, a hint of garlic sauce, and a smidgen of hot sauce, A SMIDGEN.

There are about 5 vendors are selling Bake and Shark, and each vendor has a line out the door. "Richard's" is the most famous stall, but I recommend walking past all of these vendors and making a sharp right when you get to the end. On your right hand side you'll see this no-name vendor, go there. I've indulged on Bake and Shark plenty of times, and this is by far one of the tastiest, most flavorful I've had. 

 

Doubles

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HOOOOOMMAAAGAAAHHHDDD. I love doubles. Vendors sell these on the streets for about 4TTD from small carts. These consist of a fried piece of flat bread topped with chickpeas, chutney, and sometimes even mango salsa, then topped with another piece of flatbread. Eating this is an art, and extremely messy. You take the top piece of bread and pick up as many toppings as you can and stuff it in your mouth. Almost like picking up an upside down taco. Whatever falls over, you use the bottom piece of bread to collect the remains and enjoy. 

The bread is soft, the chickpeas seasoned especially well, and the mango salsa adds the perfect ting (should you choose to add it). They always ask you if you want "peppa", also known as hot as hell peppers. I love spicy food so I always add a bit, but as I've said before, this is not Texas Pete people. Be careful. I've clearly had a traumatic experience. As far as where to go for Doubles, my favorite guy is located on Ariapita Avenue connected to the "Amigo's Mexican Food" stand. My man constantly has a line, but it's so worth it.

 

PASTELLES

Pastelles are basically "Tamales 2.0", which is no surprise seen as Spanish influence has been in the country for years. Above you can watch me make the pastelles. Initially you start off with a banana leaf. You lay it out on a press, lay some oil onto it and then add your cornmeal ball. You use the press to create a perfect little circle. You would have already prepared some minced meat and lots of spices beforehand. You then take the minced meat, add it to the center of the cornmeal and fold it ever so beautifully. These can now be frozen for later use, or steamed and eaten within minutes!

I've never had pastelles from a shop, so I don't have recommendations for a place to go. I recommend you make these at home, as I hear every family makes them a little different to their liking. These are made on special holidays, like Christmas. I obviously got to make them because I'm a holiday all on my own. #SudaneseWadMagic

 

Roti

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Roti wasn't my favorite, but it was still good. It is basically a flatbread that resembles a tortilla, except a little softer, and filled with a protein of sorts. You can have it with goat curry, shrimp, chicken, and beef. I personally had a curry chicken roti. The only surprise was that the bones were still in the chicken. Only Americans expect boneless chickens everywhere. That shit is not natural.  I got mine "to-go", and it was packaged neatly like a burrito. I tried to eat it like a burrito, but that didn't go over so well. The curry chicken juices were flying everywhere, and it was falling apart, and yeah.. I don't recommend eating it this way. Use your hands and get jiggy with it. 

These are sold literally everywhere. On stalls, in corner stores, in restaurants, next to the Doubles man, behind the Mexican restaurant. Roti is everywhere. Try them all and take your pick.  

 

OX TAILS

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Oxtails are the G.O.A.T. , ironically enough. I have never had meat so tender and juicy. It literally falls off the bone. My mouth is watering thinking about it alone. So Oxtails are the tail of a cattle skinned and cut into short lengths for sale. I first had it as a stew, but it can be made as a soup, broth or sauce. I don't know what sort of magic is used to season this delicacy, but as someone who doesn't particularly like red meat, I was sucking the bones trying to get the meat in every crevices.

There is no proper way to eat oxtails. You need to pick it up with your hands and sink your teeth into it, sorry. Leave your forks behind. I had mine with some rice and vegetables, but seriously who cares about anything other than the oxtails themselves?  Go to Kaiso Blues Cafe, one block away from Queen's Park Savannah West, to get my favorite oxtails in Port of Spain. My favorite of all time? HOMEMADE. 

 

Pelau

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It must be something about Caribbean food where the meat just seamlessly falls off the bones. Pelau is no different. This rice-based dish is combined with spices sent down from the GAWDS themselves, beans, protein, vegetables and garnishes. I was told that it was originally made with pork or beef, but chicken is becoming more popular. Once again, what a "shock" that the bones were still in the chicken when I bit into it. This can be an entree on it's own, or it can be paired with a mango chutney (deliciousness at its best). 

Best place to get it? Yet again, HOMEMADE. Margaret, a lovely friend I made, hooked me up day after day. 

KFC

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I'm sure you're just as appalled as I was, but it's true. Every true Trinidadian has eaten KFC at least once in their life. I personally hate fried chicken of the Kentucky sorts, but the ones in Trinidad taste different. Make sure you ask for your chicken to be crispy and spicy, as a true Trini. The KFC in Independence Square yielded the largest profit margin of all KFC's in the world until just last year when Tiananmen Square took over in China. This small island loves fried chicken. 

My favorite KFC has been the one at Piarco International Airport (they don't all taste the same). Ask anyone in Trinidad where their favorite KFC is, and believe me they'll have a preference. I've made it compulsory to have a Big Meal Deal every time I land and take-off from Piarco. If you're from the States, take caution that their large drink is an equivalent to our small. Ohh the land of the brave and the fat...I mean free. 

As you can see, you need to visit Trinidad, if for nothing other than the food. The food is so spectacular because of its heavy Indian, Spanish and African influence. Trini's have such a beautiful culture because it is a mesh of cultures from all around the world. It is a true melting pot, and damn that thing smells good!

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE TRINIDADIAN FOOD? LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!

Happy Wandering...

Layla: The Smartest Eight-Year Old You'll Probably Never Meet (Part 2)

After my last post about Layla, I dreamt about her. She was exactly how I described her before: big brown eyes and just as feisty as ever! She seemed happy at a time where happiness didn't seem to belong. I woke up that morning thinking of where she was, how she was doing and which tourists took the time to look past her ripped clothes and bare feet to fall in love with her fierce intellect and warm heart. Not many, I presumed. 

If you haven't read the first part of this Layla series, then click here to get caught up!

I had no way of getting in contact with her. Our initial departure was brief but left a lasting impression, and I couldn't stop thinking about her. Around every turn of a corner, there was a memory or a road that led me back to Layla. A beggar, a child with her devilish smile, a hipster with some ripped jeans, it honestly didn't matter, she was everywhere and in everyone I saw some of her. When Layla's face and voice appeared in my Facebook inbox, I couldn't believe it. There she was, healthy, warm and seemingly happy. 

You might remember the lovely man shown above, by the name of Fuat, from previous posts. He was the most amazing friend I could have made while in Istanbul. By some stroke of God, he went on a mission to find Layla after reading my article. Lo and behold, he found her. Fuat expressed that he understood my relationship with Layla a little more clearly after meeting her. He took care of her when I couldn't, and for that I am forever grateful. 

In a time when tensions are running high in a place like Turkey, and the economy is dipping into a low, it is nice to know that there are some who think of others. Fuat didn't have to go out of his way for Layla or I, but he did. It goes to show you that people are kinder than you would imagine In a war zone, I find relief in knowing that Layla has someone watching her back . 

The internet is a funny thing. It connects people in ways we never imagined possible. We are all connected to each other in one way or another. In this moment I feel beyond blessed to have met someone like Fuat. If it weren't for my Turkey adventure, I would have never met him nor Layla. Explore my loves, meet people of all walks of life and build connections with them. You have no clue what a lovely conversation can do for your soul, especially when it's with an unexpected stranger.

Happy Wandering...

This Eight Year Old is Probably Smarter Than You

I met Layla on the first night I ventured alone in Istanbul. I've thought about her almost every day since. Something about the juxtaposition of her big, bewildered eyes, small frame and constantly slick mouth (although, sometimes too slick) drew me to her. She knew too much for her age and too little of her childhood. We connected.

Walking through Istiklal Street is a maze. I wasn't necessarily going anywhere, just wandering. I wanted to take in my surroundings, and my was there much to absorb. Lights streaming from one end of the street to the next, people rushing in all different directions, trolleys ringing their bells, vocal acts, food carts, hookah bars, and random men yelling out, "OOHHH CHOCOLATE, WHAT BEAUTIFUL CHOCOLATE" in the deepest Eastern accent imaginable. After some time, I came to see that I was the chocolate they were referring to. Corny? Yes. Flattering? Umm..have you seen Turkish men? Yeah....go Google! No, I was being serious. Open another tab. Don't be lazy! Fine, click here. You guys make me do everything!

Now that your eyes have been blessed, I can continue...

Walking down Istiklal, the food carts were endless. Corn stands and grilled hazelnut stands, ones that sold simit (don't know what that is? click here), others that sold pretzels, some that sold both, and even oyster stands. It was amazing. I decided to stop at the closest corn stand on my way home. The elderly man working reminded me of a grandfather (I’ve never had the opportunity to meet either of my grandfathers, so I tend to gravitate towards these types of figures). Eyes droopy and filled with experience, a warm smile and welcoming gaze, he warmed my heart. We chatted for a bit and even though I was on the other side of the world, he made me feel at home.

His gaze slowly lowered right before I felt a tug at my skirt. Peering down, I saw a little girl with dark features and a bright pink shirt, she held her hand out and spoke in Turkish. I stared back and told her I didn’t speak Turkish. Her intentions were clear, she was a beggar. Before I knew it, this little girl started to speak Arabic! She pursed her lips and said “ارجوك ساعد ني ” or “please, help me”. I was taken aback, but impressed. I stared back and said “I don’t speak Arabic”. I’m not sure why I lied, I understand Arabic just fine, and her dialect was perfect. The words almost flew out of my mouth before I realized what I had said. She knew though, this eight year old girl knew that I was lying. She looked me up and down, put her hand on her hips and said “well, do you have any money or not?” in English. I was floored. I wanted to know this mystery genius. How can such an intellectual being need to beg for money? She’s like freaking Einstein!

This is how I met Layla. This is the day Layla changed my life. This is why I will never forget Layla. As I walked through the streets of Istiklal with Layla, the hum of the crowds subdued as I listened to her life. She spoke of her past, of her uncertain future, of the streets that have become her new home. Layla is an eight year old Syrian refugee. The war displaced her and her family. Her father died in Syria, and she came to Turkey with her mother and siblings. She wouldn’t tell me where her siblings were (probably somewhere begging) and she told me very little of her mother other than she was ill and in the hospital. When I asked where she slept, she said anywhere. When I questioned where she lived, she said everywhere. I loved her immediately. Amidst the core of the storm, her positivity found a way to still shine.

We talked about her attitude, and she continued to claim she didn’t have one. I laughed and moved on. I asked about her dreams, she looked puzzled almost then looked at me with those brown eyes of hers and slowly turned away. I wanted to take her and run. Run with her to safety and shelter and to a home. I knew that wasn’t possible, but my heart wouldn’t stop hoping, wishing, yearning that I could. During our time together, Layla became quiet when I asked about certain things, I understood that she didn’t want to talk about them. Maybe the memory was too painful to relive, maybe the question too personal. We talked and we laughed and we made the most of our time regardless. What I remember most about our interaction is her smile. Although mature for her age, Layla is jaded, and it seemed that smiles came few and far between. When it came time to say goodbye, we hugged for a while, her unbathed skin holding on tightly to mine. I couldn’t help but feel tears swelling in my eyes as the reality that keeping contact was not an option slowly settled in. That sour truth brought about an overwhelming feeling of sorrow.

As we parted ways, I knew that I would never forget Layla, the eight year old girl genius. Her story changed my life, her attitude keeps me inspired and her smile still haunts my dreams at times. I believe that God places people in your life for a reason, and I feel that Layla was brought to me to teach me the lesson of positivity. Through a time in her young life, darker than any time I have ever been through, she managed to smile, laugh and remain positive about her situation. What right do I have to complain, when there are children living without homes, clean clothes, and sometimes even healthy or living parents? I don’t. I don’t have any right to complain, and neither do you. Everything happens for a reason, and I’m so blessed in all that I have and all that I don’t. Learn from Layla. Let her story be a lesson to you. If there is positivity in a displaced refugee, borderline orphan, there is definitely positivity in whatever situation you’re in.  Stay blessed my loves, and as aways…

Happy Wandering…

 

WHAT KEEPS YOU POSITIVE? LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!

The Easiest Way to Find the Cheapest Flight

You can save hundreds, and cumulatively thousands of dollars with a couple simple steps. Your flight could quite possibly be the most expensive aspect of your whole trip. While it can get annoying to search, search and continually search for a cheap flight, it's usually worth it. Initially, you must conclude whether staring at a computer screen for hours is worth hundreds of dollars. I figure I'm staring at a computer screen all day at work or on my cell phone at any other point in time, so I might as well make these machines work in my favor, right?. Also, I'm broke as shit, so I need all the savings I can get. I don't mind spending a couple hours clicking back and forth between tabs to find the best deal.

So while I know it gets annoying, I've created a little guide to help you find the cheapest flight in the least amount of time. If I'm looking to go somewhere and I'm over the whole "patience" thing I continually preach about, these steps are how I go on purchasing a ticket and still feel comfortable about the overall price. All it will take you is three tabs. Each very important. There will be some time spent within each tab though so don't throw all your patience out of the window, you'll still need some. Since I'm amazing, I've even screenshot what it should look like for you, so you don't get lost while on your hunt! Get ready to save big money on even bigger adventures...

TIPS TO KEEP IN MIND

• Websites jack up prices if you're using a Mac, so try to stick to a PC when searching

• The time of day you search for a flight just might matter! Supposedly searching in the early morning gives you the best (and cheapest) options.

• Also, the time of your flight might make a difference. Not many want to catch a red-eye (overnight or late night) flight, which means you should probably board one to save some coins

• The cheapest days to fly are usually Tuesdays and Thursdays

 

THE BASICS

• Know the difference between a one-way flight, a roundtrip flight, and a multi-city flight
  • One-Way: flying from your departure city with no intentions of coming back. Going to your intended destination and never turning around to go home. Basically the flight you wish you would have booked once you get to a tropical island or what you do when your boyfriend cheats on you, whatever example suits you best.
  • Roundtrip: flying from your departure city with a set return time and date. Going to your intended destination understanding you have a job and bills and a car note waiting at home for you, so you gotta return. Basically the flight you book when responsibilities are knocking on your door and you just left to escape them for a while.
  • Multi-City: flying from your departure city to another city and then another, and possibly many more. Going to your intended destination and realizing that you have more than one intended destination. Basically the flight you book when you're about to go on a hell of an adventure. Forewarning, this multi-city flight might mean that you realize your constant desire for travel and never return for those responsibilities you left behind.

 

THE PROCESS

Start off by scrolling quickly through @theflightdeal, @suzzstravels and @airfarewatchdog on Twitter to make sure there aren't any crazy deals you're missing out on. (If you're not hip, read-up on this article.)

Quickly scroll through @theflightdeal and @suzzstravels and possibly @airfarewatchdog on Twitter to make sure there aren't any crazy deals you're missing out on. Remember that if you find a deal to your intended destination, but the departure airport is far that sometimes it's worth it to travel to the further departure airport and leave from there. Sometimes flights are so cheap that you still end up saving a shitload of money after traveling to the further airport.

For example, on my last personal trip, I found an amazing flight leaving from PHL (Philadelphia) to DPS (Bali) for approximately $500. The only issue is I live in Richmond, Virginia, not Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After a little research I found a MegaBus ticket for $15 to Philadelphia. This meant that my whole trip to Bali cost $515, a STEAL! I was over the roof knowing that regular tickets to anywhere in Southeast Asia cost about $1,000! Now you see the importance in extra research, so put your patience caps on and start scrolling through those previously mentioned Twitter handles.

If you've scrolled and haven't found any deals heading towards your intended destination then move on. If you have, you know your next step is to figure out how cheap you can reach that destination for. Is it worth it? If so, book that sucker. If it's not, move on to the following steps.

 

Step one: Google flights

Before delving into Google Flights, understand that this site is my favorite of all the three I'll be showing you today. Just informing you of my bias. Also I can be pretty lazy (especially when it's not beneficial to me) and this site makes that laziness a whole bunch easier. It could quite possibly be a one-stop shop.

Your first step would obviously be deciding what type of flight you're looking for (one-way, roundtrip, or multi-city). As you can see from above, in terms of a destination the world is your oyster! If you don't have a particular place in mind then typing in anything from as broad as 'South America' will give you the opportunity to explore pricing to different cities via the provided map assuming you've input your dates. Another cool aspect of Google Flights is that you can enter more than one departure airport to try to find the cheapest flight (remember it's sometimes cheaper to not fly from your local airport). Once you've chosen a destination and input all the airports you're interested in flying from, you can narrow down your search by other factors that are important to you. Some people refuse to get on more than one flight, so you can choose to filter through direct flights only. Others will only fly through certain airlines, also a filter-able option. According to my bank account, the only thing I am and ever will be concerned about is price. 

This brings me to Google Flight's most important feature (in my eyes, and in the eyes of my dear Mr. Wells Fargo), the ability to see how prices change based on the day you travel. I like to call this feature "sorcery", no Harry Potter though. 

As you can see, if you have flexible dates, this feature can change your life. If I were to book a flight on the 8th of February, my flight would be $995 versus flying on March 1st with a $395 flight. Thats a difference of $636! TALK ABOUT SAVINGS! Not only did Mr. Wells Fargo approve, but this "sorcery" has continued to allow for Netflix in my budget for the next five years or so. My binging habits are ever so thankful. Amen! If you find a flight on here that fits your budget and you aren't interested in doing any more research, then by all means go ahead and book. My conscious and coin allocation force me to look through at least three sites before booking, so I continue on. If you got it like that, be about that life sweetheart!

step two: Skyscanner

Another favorite site is SkyScanner because of a couple different features. When you get to the site, make sure you choose whether you want a roundtrip or one-way flight. There are no options for multi-city on this site, unfortunately.

Some favorite feature include the "Add nearby airports" feature and its "Everywhere" feature. Clicking the "Add nearby airports" allows for the system to find neighboring or nearby airports to showcase the lowest prices for that date in time. It's like the Google Flights feature except you don't have to manually input the airports, it literally finds them for you. Lazy hack? I think so. The "Everywhere" feature allows for you to see where the cheapest place to fly to in the world  based on your selected dates. Once you click search, you'll see the same image as below and you can choose where you'd like to go depending on price. We all know that's most important to me, and should be to most of you if you're on a budget!

If your dates are flexible, you're able to open up the calendar and instead of choosing a specific date, select "Cheapest Month" or "Whole Month". These will allow you to find the cheapest flight month for your intended destination throughout the whole year or search the cheapest days throughout the month you're already searching in.

SkyScanner usually has good deals and I love the way they organize the trips in "Everywhere" based on price. They also compare prices with a bunch of other sites (or so they say) to try to help you find the best deal. I have found amazing prices through this site, like $800 flights to select cities in Africa and $80 flights to Atlanta. If you find an amazing deal on here then as I've stated before, go ahead and book. As you know, I still have one more site to search so that my conscious will allow me to sleep peacefully post-purchase.

 

step three: Cheap-o-air

Cheap-O-Air is my least favorite site of the three I've exposed you to. So why do I even bother? Well, sometimes their deals are so remarkable that they just might be worth the hassle. The features they offer are pretty basic, but a little patience can save a good amount if it's worth it to you. Again, it might not be worth it for you to go through all of this research, but Mr. Wells Fargo doesn't like when I act out of line, so I just abide by what I can afford here. As you can tell, unlike SkyScanner, you can choose multi-city flights through this search engine. Rejoice my fellow wanderlust spirits.

One of the most amazing features, and probably the only if I'm being honest, is the fact that the price calendar pops up for you as soon as you have your locations selected. You don't need to click "Search Now" to render results. They literally pop up in seconds. Searching through the dates, you can see that if I can save $322 on my flight if I book it late February to early March versus the early February date I have selected. This tool allows you to look ahead up to 9 months to plan (you know, just in case you're trying to go somewhere before you pop out that kid).

The worst aspect of this site, and the one that will take you the most amount of time, is their lack of a "nearby airports" button or capability. If you want to find prices from different airports, you must either open numerous tabs for each airport or go through and jot down prices for prices from each airport. This can be a huge pain, but not worthless. Think about the hundreds you'll save. You know you're broke, and what else are you doing with your time besides scrolling through someone's feed? Not a damn thing. Take the time and look through. Other than that, the format is pretty basic once you decide to hit the "Search Now" button. You have numerous options to choose from in terms of filtering and they offer you select dates that might give you a better chance for a cheap flight. Don't sleep on this site. Although it's super basic, I have found deals on here that have beat any deal I've seen on Google Flights and SkyScanner. 

you got this

So I know this can be a grueling process, but breathe and remember patience. I know I preach it all the time, but there is nothing in this world that is more necessary. If you want something bad (like I want cheap flights) then you gotta work for those cheap flights, they don't come easy. This is the easiest way that I know of to find the cheapest flight. Some people get lucky and find a deal through the Twitter handles mentioned above. Others see a price on Google Flights that sits well with them. Then you have those crazed budgeting freaks who must visit a minimum of three sites to ensure that the deal they are getting is really a deal, and not just some mumbo-jumbo crap advertised to trick me into spending my coin. As you all know, coin doesn't come easy in this world, so spend it wisely and honestly what better way to spend your coin than on an experience?!

HAVE ANY TIPS/TRICKS OR IDEAS ON FINDING THE CHEAPEST FLIGHT? LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW! MAKE SURE TO SHARE AND SUBSCRIBE MY LOVES!

Happy Wandering...

How I Almost Died on a Plane and Why I Still Fly Anyways

As you can probably guess by the title, I almost died on a plane once. It's surprising really as there are more people that die in a car than on a plane. I've definitely heard the argument, "Well, there are more cars on the road than planes in the sky". My response: there are also more people on an airplane than in any car I know, so shut it! All of this to say that planes are relatively safe. You should feel comforted in that huge metal contraption. I've always felt safe on a plane, like I was being guided by the hands of God, because what human can really hold up hundreds of people as they fly seamlessly through the sky like that? Planes are really just God's work, I'm telling you. And if you don't believe that, then read on to how He still guided me on that infamous day I almost died while doing what I love most, flying.

On the Infamous Day:

It's officially my second time back to Sudan on an Ethiopian Airlines flight. At the time, I was infatuated with everyone thinking I was Habesha (a word referring to Ethiopians and Eritrians or Semitic speaking indigenous). I loved whipping my little thirteen year old braids back and forth like "Sudanese habiba (Arabic word for dear), not Habesha". What a feisty little kid, am I right? Needless to say, I was living it up. Adopting identities for an 8 hour flight and assisting the flight-attendants with the beverage cart (You can read up on that story here) were seriously the least of my mother's worries...we almost died remember?

As I boarded the plane, everything was playing out as it should be. The greeter checked our tickets at the gate, the stewardess helped us find our seats, the captain came on the intercom to introduce himself. It was a regular flight. Passengers fought for overhead luggage space, small kids were crying because it was a packed flight, and all I could worry about was when they would turn the in-flight entertainment system on. Shortly after, the flight attendants began their safety instructions. This was before all of those new in-flight safety videos were a "thing". (Watch my favorite one here) As the most mundane aspect of the flight experience, I'm glad these airlines switched things up.

What can't the airlines change? The whole takeoff and landing drill. I guess it's kind of important. Gearing up for takeoff, my mother promptly adjusted her seat and clenched my hand. You would think the lady was dying already. She hates takeoffs, and it was always a big scene when the plane was either ascending or descending. There were always multiple prayers read, eyes shut tightly with my poor hand clenched within hers. She's so adorable in that way. I bore the pain and released what was left of my hand as soon as we were at a cruising altitude.

Freeing up my limb, I was able to begin my binge-watching. Any and all movies I had missed or   were deemed "inappropriate" by my mother were now fare game. I remember staring at that small airplane screen for hours. Trying to hold back sleep to get to the ending of one of the "Bad Boys" films was the ultimate struggle. I guess you could say I was "hip" to binge watching before it became a thing. *Brushes shoulders off * I don't remember much about my dream while aboard that plane because well...I was living the dream, I was flying. The next thing I remember is hearing a voice over the intercom instructing everyone to stay calm and sit back down in their seats. As I cleared the crusties from my eyes, I saw a man with a video camera pointing towards the window. Looking for comfort in my mothers eyes, I saw nothing but fear. Actually, her eyes were closed, and she was holding on to us for dear life. Still, fear. That poor woman.

Not even five minutes later, I heard a loud pop and saw a black figurine dash past the window. A tire had just popped off the plane. Sort of an important feature for takeoff and landing. The ground seemed much closer than before, people were out of their seats, flight attendants were attempting to create order from the chaos, but failing terribly. The woman in the row in front of us held on to her baby, and I'm pretty sure almost everyone on that plane believed it was our time. I remember thinking that if I'm going to die, I sure am glad I'm on this plane, surrounded by my family and in the process of doing what I love most. Thinking back, I can't help but glow about my optimism. Seriously, what thirteen year old thinks like that? Feisty and optimistic? Little me was the best!

Bracing for the landing, my brothers and I held on tight to my mom. "I love you", I thought to myself. After bumps, turbulence and undoubtedly some screams along with the multiple memorized prayers, I slowly opened my eyes. Bewildered, I looked outside to find that although we had lived, we were only feet away from the main entrance hall to the airport in Sudan. We completely missed the tarmac. Stepping out into that hot Sudan sun gave me an unimaginable feeling. I felt...alive, and I was! I was in God's hands and he knew my time wasn't up yet. Our time wasn't up yet. I still had a lot more flying to do...

Why I Still Fly:

Most people look at me like I'm crazy after they hear this story. I'm constantly bombarded with questions like "How do you still get on planes?" "And so frequently?" "You must not have learned from that first time, huh?" The thing is my fellow wanderers, I love planes. I love flying. I love travel and adventure and experiences...ohhhh how I love experiences. While I was scared out of my mind, I found solace in knowing that what was going to happen to me was meant for me, and what missed me was never for me in the first place. Just because I had a bad experience on a plane once, I refused to allow that experience to determine my flight experiences for the rest of my life. Albeit, flying for the first time after I almost died, I was a bit apprehensive, this fear eased over time, as all wounds do. But wounds, they heal, and fear, it can be subdued. All it takes is time, patience and a little bit of courage. So while I might be "crazy" for hopping back on plane after plane, this type of crazy is the type I will wholeheartedly embody, because it allots room for growth and room for healing. You can't heal if you focus solely on the wound. Wear your battle scars proudly loves!

 

I want to hear about YOUR travel experiences! What's your favorite in-flight safety video? Have you ever almost died? What's your craziest plane experience?  Let me know in the comments below!

Happy Wandering...

Best App for Cheapest Travel

When I travel, my number one concern is always money. I believe in the philosophy of making my dollars stretch. What do I mean by that? I mean that I am a cheapskate. I don't like to spend money on things that I can buy for a cheaper price somewhere else. Clothes? 7 times out of 10, I'm thrifting. Food? I'm skipping Chipotle for now. Ok, I'm lying. I love food, so I try to refrain from Chipotle as much as I can (every girl has got a weakness, right?). Gas? You better believe I'm checking for the cheapest price at all times. You get the point. So when it comes to traveling, I am no different. I love a good deal of any kind! One of the things I try to save the most money on when I travel? The flight ticket.

Your ticket might be one of the most expensive parts of your trip. You're paying hundreds, and maybe even thousands, just to reach your destination. This doesn't even include your stay, food, experiences, and local travel. "Finding cheap flights is hard", I hear you all wailing right now. Well, here I am, WanderlustWad, to your rescue. Let me introduce you to the app I utilize the most when I want to find a cheap flight. You may have heard of it, it's called Twitter. *GASP*  

So you already have Twitter? Great! Let me show you how to use it to your advantage. Wait, do you not have Twitter? Please make your way over to their website (just click here) and create an account. 

Twitter has been my favorite travel app by far, and the best part is that it isn't intended for travel necessarily. It's moreso for stalking your significant other, giving unsolicited relationship advice, and posting pictures that never made it to Instagram for a couple of "fav's" and "retweets". Well ladies and gentlemen, the game is about to change, because you're about to use Twitter in a whole new way.

See on my Twitter, I follow two specific handles that allow me to travel for a price unlike any other. Get out your handy dandy notebooks and write down @theflightdeal and @suzzstravels. Head to their page and turn on their notifications. This way, any time they send out a tweet, you get an instant notification sent to your phone about amazing deals!

Listen to me, your phone is dry AF anyways, add some variety to your life with these notifications. Not only are they great motivation to travel non-stop, they hip you to the hottest deals! Most flights are leaving from major airports (i.e. JFK, LAX, ATL, PHL, IAD, MIA) but there is always a sprinkle of flights from Arizona, New Mexico, and other places nobody lives. Just find the closest airport to you and GO! 

 

utilize these notifications

The best part of twitter is that everything is happening in real time. Once the tweet is sent, it is being directly sent to your phone, which works out in your favor since you're working against time here. Working against time? Yes, working against time. Deals don't usually last for long, these airlines are profit-driven, just like any other business. So while you contemplate whether or not you're going to fly to South Africa for $500, the tickets have probably already skyrocketed back to their regular price. A good rule of thumb is that if the deal is past two days old, it's pretty safe to say that you'll have a harder time finding it than finding your uncharged phone after a drunken night. I know, difficult.

Deals are sometimes gone within the hour, so you have to always act fast. This means pull out that credit card and buy, buy, buy! If you're a money-conscious individual, then you're all, "oh hell no, she not about to mess up my credit". Give me a second to explain. In case you were unaware, if you book airfare in the United States, there are regulations in place for you to be able to cancel your flight within 24 hours of booking. See a flight you're interested in? Pull out your credit card and book it! You can now have a smooth 24 hour gap to think about when and if you can accommodate for the oncoming experience. If you can, great! If you cant, just call and cancel. Penalty free, for almost all tickets. Mind...BLOWN! (unless you already knew this fun fact in which case please skip right over and move along).

The notifications make these the easiest ways to stay up to date with the newest deals or glitches so that you can buy them, and possibly cancel later, before the deal disappears. Twitter has made it possible for me to fly from JFK, in New York, all the way to  DPS, in Bali, Indonesia for $500 USD which is unheard of. Remember when I went to South Africa? Thank you @suzzstravels and @theflightdeal for getting me there under $550. And they're not just for international travel! Domestic flights are always included, which give the term "getaways" a whole new meaning. 

Twitter notifications were the best thing for my 2015 journeys. That being said, I believe strongly in saving and financial responsibility. So although I joked about pulling out the credit cards and swiping away, I want to make it clear that you should be responsible. You think you'll forget to cancel the ticket? Don't buy it in the first place, and inherit a financial burden. Financial literacy is extremely important, and your credit doesn't need to be ruined so that you can see the world. Everything takes time, and things come to you when they're supposed to. Don't rush into it, save a bit at a time, and you can make it anywhere!

Note: A savings plan would be an intelligent decision at this point in time. 

 

MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER FOR CONSTANT UPDATES ABOUT...LIFE, LOVE, AND TRAVEL! @WANDERLUSTWAD 

Happy Wandering...

Wanderlust Love

What do I love more than travel? What am I absolutely infatuated with? The concept of love. We have all experienced love, whether from our parents or a significant other. I am a true believe that love is the one thing that connects us all. 

I find it so interesting that no matter where I venture off to, the one constant is love. Everyone has a love story to share, and I am constantly enthralled to be the person these stories are shared with. Whether on a cruise hearing how a broken-heart fueled a start-up or in South Africa listening to a beautiful man speak of his "crazy girlfriend", love has no boundaries. It is international. Everyone has a story, and love always plays a role in these narratives. 

After going through heartbreak, and attempting to cope with the aftermath, I became more and more intrigued with the idea. I wanted to understand love, so that I never had to go through the harshness of its seasons, and so I set out on an adventure. On my little personal "love journey" I started by asking questions. Everything from "have you been heartbroken before" to "why aren't you still with your first love", there were no barriers. Astonishment and sometimes joy were exuded from the individuals I would ask. These people would speak fondly of love. They gladly shared their experiences and what they'd learned on their love journey. Others would speak to me with sadness evident in their eyes. These were the people that brought me to tears. Stories of unrequited love, forbidden romances, and longing touched a special place in my own heart.

People are passionate about love. If nothing else, love ignites a fire deep in your soul. Whether the love has fizzled out, ended badly or is still burning strong, memories of those feelings catalyze an emotion. Love, hate, longing, sadness, delight. Whenever speaking of love, true love, life-changing, life-altering love, I've noticed that it always riles up an emotion in the individual.

A woman in Turkey spoke of her ex-husband, how she couldn't stand him or anything he did. I let her vent for an hour about how he spoke too much, watched their children too little, loved only himself, and was as manipulative as they come. When she lifted her head to look at me, I saw tears in her eyes. Embarrassed she looked away and whispered softly, "but I loved him, that dick". How is that? They had been divorced for over 5 years, and he was still able to elicit a response from this grown woman. I know no other word for such a thing, except love. I guess it could also be hate, but that's not what she said it was. She later told me that she can't believe she still feels anything for him. She's ashamed of the amount of love she has for that man. No one said love was easy, or right. Unfortunately, "the heart wants what it wants". Selena Gomez hit that nail on the head didn't she?. Can you relate? I'm sure we all can.

During another instance, I met a guy in Mexico who shared his own crazy love story. He met the love of his life in Cancun. He went for Spring Break one year, and loved it so much he decided to stay. He told stories of partying with Snoop Dogg and smoking weed with one of the Marley's. According to him, it was at one of these parties that he saw her. They hit it off right away. Her smile ignited something in him and his confidence pulled her closer. They partied every night together, lived together, loved each other, and eventually married. After she had their first child, he felt that it was time to settle down. She didn't. She wanted to continue her rockstar lifestyle, and that didn't fit into his views of parenting. He ended up leaving her in Cancun to come to a more suburban area to raise their daughter. She let him go, she let their daughter go, and she's still living the dream in a condo in Cancun. He's now a tour guide, making decent money trying to raise his daughter. When I asked him what advice he has on love, he said "love is possible in a mater of hours, connections are built, and lives are transformed. Never close yourself off to love. It's magical" I was shocked that he could still feel this way after all that he had been through. He taught me one of the many powers of love, endless hope. 

All of this to say what? No matter how different we are culturally, physically, religiously, we are all still connected by the power of love. Heartbreak happens in Malaysia, Brazil, Australia, and even Sudan. Connections are occurring everyday in Egypt, Kenya, Austria, and even North Korea. Everyone has their own love story, their own love journey. I will be posting pics on Instagram of these brave souls who shared their stories with me, and some inspiring advice they have for us. 

What have you learned about love while on your journey? Let me know in the comments below!

*Check out all things on love on the WanderlustLove tab*

Happy Wandering... 

The Beauty of Being Lost

At seven years old I concluded that my brother was dead. Mortified, I watched as my father came crashing to the ground with tears in his eyes. We had lost my brother at Virginia Beach. None of us had any idea where he disappeared to. After frantically searching the strip and having lifeguards check all throughout the ocean, after filing a report with the police and watching my mother losing her mind, I had no doubts that he was somewhere lifeless.

Meanwhile, the little twerp, Lofy, was in some ice cream shop happily licking the last bits of his cone. After having spent a good hour and a half walking the beach, he decided it might be a good idea to find a police officer. What always got me about Lofy's escapade was the fact that he wandered aimlessly for such a long time before he asked for help. It wasn't until an hour and a half later that he felt like he needed some direction.  It didn't even affect him that he had no idea where anyone was or in which direction he was headed. See, even at a young age my brother knew the beauty of being lost. While most kids would cry at the thought of separation from their family, this kid just kept going. And although he gave us all a heart attack and just about ruined our family trip, his insight was inspirational. 

Most of us freak out at the thought of being lost or not having any direction. Whether that be manifested in our daily life or as we're on a road trip, the unknown is scary, and we don't like it! So why is that? What about the unknown makes it so scary? And why do we make it so hard to enjoy? I can't answer all of these questions, but I do know why I am scared of the unknown, and how I was able to overcome my fear to see how eye-opening an experience it can really be.  

I've always been scared of the dark which I think is symbolic of what being lost is; moving aimlessly with your hands out trying to stop yourself from running into something or someone, and making sure you don't get hurt. Our human instinct is to keep ourself safe, and the easiest way to do that is when we can SEE where we are going. Not having that insight into which direction we are headed, or what our final destination is, makes it difficult to make sound decisions.

This is part of the reason that being in your early 20's is horrific as hell. You're looking for some sort of direction, possibly frantically searching for it, and always coming up short. Always feeling like this might not be the way and choosing a different path. You're continuously searching for the police officer to let you know where to go until you realize that you have to be your own sheriff. You have to be the captain of your ship and the driver of your car and boy is it frightening. Being boldly thrusted into adulthood is draining and leaves you frazzled. 

I like to think of myself as an adult. Ok, total lie, I really would like to think of myself as a kid so that I could get rid of my responsibilities, but I'm unfortunately an adult now. As such, I enjoy plans. I can't do the whole "see you around 8" ordeal. What does that mean? 8:15? 8:45? 8:01? Am I really supposed to wait around for an hour to possibly see you? Give me a time!

For me, everything needs a plan. Driving to D.C.? How am I getting there? Where am I staying? What am I going to do there? I just like to be prepared. And more than anything, I like to be in the know. Although I am able to go with the flow, I much prefer to have things worked out. That doesn't mean these plans are scheduled way in advance, just that my affairs are in order. I have no problem jumping on the next flight out, as long as I have a place to lay my head. Even if merely hours before the trip, a plan is still a plan. Getting lost is never in the plan, and that used to be an issue for me. 

How did I make it a non-issue? I traveled. I went out and I saw the world and all that it offered. It was out in the world that I discovered that life has no structure. Things happen at their own time and move at their own pace. I came to realize that the cliché "everything happens for a reason" is remarkably true. All of my time being lost has had some sort of divine consequence that I may not even be aware of yet. Bear with me as I try to explain.

I believe that when you ask for something, life is not one to just give it to you, but to put you in circumstances in which you can gain what you've asked for. It is then your duty to take the proper steps into making your wishes come true. It's like when you ask for patience and you're given a long line at the bank. Welcome to "patience". Sometimes, the opportunities we ask for aren't presented to us in the way we want them, but that doesn't mean they're not presented. I've asked multiple times for patience myself, as well as cultural awareness, and aide in being continuously grateful. Each time I get lost, I believe that it's another opportunity life is giving me so that I may receive one of these things, if not another, that I've asked for. I try to take it as a learning experience. What better way to learn to be grateful than to suddenly find yourself in the slums of Istanbul? Sure, I was headed to a café to meet a friend, and I was undoubtedly going to be late, but that hour I spent walking around trying to find my way, I saw indescribable appearances and situations. Once I finally reached my destination, I drank my coffee voluptuously, knowing how sweet my "misfortune" was in comparison to so many. Gratitude.

I know what I do about the world because of the millions of times I've been lost. In the millions of places that it's happened. I've learned a lot. Because of the hundreds of times I didn't know where I was going or who was going with me. I didn't know who would meet me on the other side, or what events would present themselves. I was scared and I was lonely, but all of those fears manifested themselves into opportunities. Opportunities for growth and for self-knowledge. I've gotten to know myself more, and really discover what I'm made of. Who I am, and what I can and wont do. 

So get lost. Literally, walk out and roam. Turn off your GPS, and know that it's ok. You'll be fine. Trust in yourself and believe in your instincts my lovely wanderer, for you were born to be wild. Life is scary, but there is no cheat code, and your plans will all go awry....because life! Prepare for the unexpected, and learn to roll with the punches. Understand how beautiful it can be to live in the dark, if even for a short period of time. That's why I admired Lofy so much that day at the beach, because even though he was merely seven, he came to understand what it took me twenty-two years to figure out. The beauty of being lost. And you never know, while you're busy being lost, you might end up finding yourself.

Happy Wandering...