Tips for traveling   

Traveling is a great way to explore the world and immerse yourself in a different experience than you are accustomed to. It allows you to see things you’ve never seen before, do things you’ve never done and get a break from your daily routine. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to hop on a plane to be on vacation. Going somewhere you’ve never been or revisiting a favorite place is a vacation. The point is to enjoy your time there and have fun with the company there. Below are my tips to traveling.

RESPECT THE CULTURE OF THE PLACE YOUR VISITING. FIRST AND FOREMOST. This isn't even part of the tips because this should already be the case.

1) Go solo or with some dope people! My friends are amazing! They all have different personalities and interests but when we get together, we have a lot of fun and share dope experiences.  Even if you have one friend who is willing, that’s all it takes to have a good time. Solo trips can teach you a lot about yourself and you can always start off small like visiting a neighboring town or city and then expand your travel time.  Solo trips can be intimidating but it can teach you something about yourself and the world around you. Some of my concerns for traveling solo is fear of being kidnapped, murdered, etc. May sound crazy but it’s not farfetched, especially for a woman. However, don’t let your fear dictate your moves. Take precautionary measures and enjoy yourself.

2) Don’t get caught slipping, like I did.  Do the catching. We always have those friends who want to play pranks on us while we’re sleeping or in the shower… EXACT VENGEANCE ON THEM UNTIL DEATH! 

3) Research local places or faraway places. New York State is very diverse. You can go to a beach and enjoy some water or you can do some hiking in the woods and enjoy some trees. There are many hidden treasures all over the US.

Hiking in NY's Christman Sanctuary with some dope folks this past June.https://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/newyork/places-preserves/eny-christman-sanctuary.xml?redirect=https-301 — Hiking in NY's Christman Sanctuary with some dope folks this past June.
https://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/newyork/places-preserves/eny-christman-sanctuary.xml?redirect=https-301

4) Don’t feel guilty for taking time off. So many times, we feel guilty for requesting time off from work, or getting sick, or using sick days. We're constantly in go mode with money as our motivation. While I respect people who do that, for those of us who are often conflicted with our desire to travel but don’t want to abandon our responsibilities, I encourage you to treat yourself. Sometimes getting away is exactly what you need to do to get back to your true self. The daily stresses of our lifestyles can be debilitating. Don’t be afraid to treat your whole self which includes mind, body and soul. A vacation is a great way to do that.

5) When going hiking in the Rain forest, WEAR SNEAKERS or the appropriate gear! I wore flip flops while hiking in El Yunque national Rain forest in Puerto Rico and broke my old trusty sandals. I had those cheap ass sandals for years and they peaced me goodbye there. *cues It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday by Boys 2 Men. However, when hiking back up the trail, I did come back leading the pack so ha! Shout out to my tough ass soles and Soul =)

*peep the broken flip flop in my hand though.

6)Do things you’ve never done before like eat a foreign dish or take salsa lessons from a man named Luke who still doesn’t know you’d have his grandkids.  New experiences are a wonderful way to connect to folks and to connect to yourself. Pushing yourself outside your comfort zones can prove to make you feel good about your abilities.

7) You don’t have to have to have mad money to take a vacation. Megabus, Greyhound, Bolt bus, and other local traveling buses are cheap ways to get from place to place. Greyhound has a rewards program that allows you to get discounts on your travels. Doing service trips within your schools, churches or other community organizations or organize your own. Some peoples place of work offer these opportunities too. The Student advantage card is a card that comes in handy for discounts as well. http://www.studentadvantage.com/discountcard/ Gofundme is a great website to raise money for your trips as well. You can also stay in hostels. Yes, we’ve all seen the movies but they’re nowhere near that bad. You can pick your accommodations and its very affordable. No, you don’t get the same privacy that you would at hotels (they do have private rooms for options though), it’s a safe, inexpensive and interesting alternative to hotels or Airbnb’s. Best believe, I don’t have funds like that or parents who give me money. I’ve earned under poverty line wages all my adult life due to being in school but the little money that I did make, I put towards experiences that I knew were priceless.  Remember, you don’t have to go far for a vacation, you just gotta go.

Hiking the Colorado trail was everything!

8) Jump on the hotel beds. Shit, you paid for it. *excuse the ashy knees, I just woke up.  

9) Do you! If you really want to do something and have no one to go with or are scared of going, just got for it. Enjoy this time in your life where you don’t have much responsibilities and even if you do, occasionally, you deserve a break. You don’t have to live a glamorous lifestyle to experience dope things. Plan, execute and have fun! *Cues “My name is Hov”. Peace and love.