Black travel is symbolic to me. Not just new experiences, enjoying a different place, symbolic. Symbolic because travel can mean for black folks of any generation evolution.
Figuring out how to travel off of your budget expands your perspective to help you see the possibilities for your life. It’s the next phase of “tryna to make a dollar out of fifteen cents,” which is making the most out of what you have, into intentionally creating the experiences you want in your life. And knowing that you have the power to do so.
Travel helps you to understand down to your bone marrow that you’re more than your parent’s household, more than your block, your town, your state. More than a degree, a good job with health benefits, and an employer matching contribution. Travel makes you see your bigness. That you could be somewhere else interacting with people completely different than you and it be lit. That you can be more of who you are and not constrained by American societal constructs, which are sometimes a self-fulfilling prophecy. You can spend less time trying to define and defy stereotypes and otherwise living by unseen pressures. You can get freer from microagressions and being war ready and on the defense. You don’t have to figure out as much how to feel about day to day situations and interactions. Instead you can get busy living. Being a Black American is a truly unique experience. People of color in other parts of the world haven’t been subjected to the same history that Black Americans have. So you get to live in your skin differently in other countries.
Travel breaks down those barriers that some black people hard core identify with and perceive as their truth. Breaking that trance of thought and existence liberates you to know that you can do more than just figure out how to travel. Those skills translate to launching your business, better grasping your talents and monetizing them. You have the bandwidth to figure out other pieces in your life. You can get from under the identity handed to you and create/craft/define yourself; independent of people who meant well for you/handed you their shame, fear, regrets, pain . . . You get to see yourself clearly, stripped down, ready to figure out what fits you the best.
You get to be a hero by being yourself. Black people who are healing from institutionalized biases are better equipped to see how to create lasting change in their own lives and the lives of others by way of example. Individualism isn’t generally celebrated in the Black community. You get dragged for dressing, speaking, acting differently. It’s a lonely place. That isolation perpetuates more hurt and feelings of not belonging. Travel can be a means to give you space and perspective needed to evolve. To make a radical decision to chose and love yourself. Travel helps you to know who that is.
Travel is not a magic pill. You have a new place and different things to do to distract you from self work. You could very well go somewhere new, drink, dance, and sleep your vacation away. And traveling with a companion can be just as distracting. Sometimes privacy is needed to truly fall apart so that you can see all of your tender and strong pieces laid out in front of you plainly. Another set of eyes on your process can skew the results. You could very well take your same old self to a new place and not change a thing. Knowing how to get to the heart of yourself is soul work some people avoid their whole lives. Either because they’ve never seen anyone do it, don’t know how to start, or are afraid to see the ugly that generally comes with it.
Are you interested in doing soul work? Interested in how travel can change your life? Get in touch! As of May 2017 I’m one year and four months into living my authentic life and I’ve decided to be of service in the world by helping others live authentically too. I’m genuinely interested in your journey, so please, get in touch!
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