More Than A Travel Blogger: The Real Reason I Wasn't Posting Consistently

Giggling to myself right now at the quality, this post was written. YIKES! But can we have a moment of silence for these eyebrows? 'Rona got me out here like who did it and why with the stache to match! But that’s not why we’re here. I have a confession. I’m not just a travel blogger. But don't go! Let me explain!

BLOG MILE MARK:

I've reached just past the year mark with my blog, which was launched in March 2019. And while I started this blog to mainly talk about travel and a few skincare tips, I found myself being boxed in and feeling suffocated. Now, after a year, I'm finally finding clarity and direction for my vision.

What the hell was I wearing? Someone call the fashion police, because this combination ain't it sis!

HOW IT ALL STARTED:

My travel journey began as a spiritual journey, but with the nature of my job, I felt pressured to post travel content. At first, I tried to find the perfect Insta-bae to flaunt in hopes to prove that I was happy and flewed out. I felt I had to keep up with the Joneses and stunt on the gram in a new country every week. But it took away from the sacredness of why I started my travel journey and quickly turned my enthusiasm into anxiety.

Now, this may sound dramatic for some, or maybe you can relate, but I felt I was losing myself in the travel blogging rat race. There was this overwhelming pressure to focus on content and traveling, on top of working super busy summers, while maintaining my sanity (which consisted of mental breakdowns on the reg). So I'd often not post for weeks at a time, of which were a random pic and a caption that wasn't engaging.

Don't get me wrong, I thought it was what I wanted. The travel blogger lifestyle seemed so glorious (I'd fallen into the trap!). I put a lot of energy into labeling myself as a travel blogger, even enrolled in Glo Atanmo's Blog Like A Boss course, which I highly recommend (this woman has changed my life). I learned to pitch companies, get paid gigs, and all of that good stuff, which was great. I met some remarkable people and lifetime friendships, but what I was missing, was a healthy (and sustainable) self-care regime that would balance out this roller coaster of a life.

TRAVEL JOURNEY- A TIMELINE:

So let's go back...

2016: Struggling to get my footing after college, converting to Islam, surviving a divorce (a story for another day), and detaching from a challenging (but rewarding) experience as a live-in nanny, I knew something had to give (that was a mouthful, I could've just said it was a hard year, but being dramatic is fun).

2017: I ran off, like a 50-year-old woman suffering a midlife crisis and became a flight attendant. 6 and 1/2 weeks later I was on my way to my new life in Denver. It was the freedom I so desperately needed. After flying for 8 months, I attempted at my first solo trip to Cabo, which was ruined by a lingering situation-ship, I quickly realized I was going about it the wrong way.

2018: Just a few days after meditating my intentions into the New Year with crystals and candles like auntie Erykah, I finally booked my first solo trip to Japan to learn a healing practice called Reiki. After living for everyone else, it was time I'd finally do something for myself.

SOLO DOLO IN TOKYO:

January 9th, 2018: So here I am in my Polaris lay flat seat with the Saks Fifth bedding (slight stunt, perks of the job) 30 minutes from landing, realizing there was no turning back from my 10 hr flight from San Francisco- Haneda and sh*t was getting real.

As I'm finishing up my croissant, cooked to perfection (for plane food anyway), the Captain makes his initial decent announcement. You know that one where they go...

”Ladies and gentlemen, seatbelt sign will be on shortly. We're about 50 miles out from Haneda International Airport. We should be on the ground in the next 20-25 minutes. The weather down there, winds outa the southeast about 5 miles an hr and clear skies. Temperature is 50-degrees Fahrenheit. We'd like to thank you again for flying United. We appreciate your business and hope to see you soon."

Yadda yadda yadda. Yeah, that one...

"Ding." The seatbelt sign comes back on, the jitters immediately start rolling in, and part of me is nervous to see what's on the other side of that aircraft door and wondering if I‘d made a mistake.

My palms start to sweat and my armpits desperate for deodorant, I had never traveled to another city alone, and I found myself in a whole different continent.

The wheels hit the ground smoothly, something I wasn't used to being Denver based. It was all domestic flying which came with many hard, neck-breaking landings. No, not crashing, the pilots just suck.

My heart starts racing, I take a deep breath and nod to myself, "I'm ready." After all, I came to learn to heal, right?

As I stepped foot off of that Boeing Dreamliner 787 with all of her glory (that's a beautiful plane), I waved to the flight crew, and ready for whatever adventures lie ahead.

---

I had a friend who told me about Reiki and how they'd booked a session. Reiki is a type of healing practice using your hands. It actually began in Japan, so I wanted to go to the source of this newly discovered practice for my first solo trip. So I booked a one-on-one with a Reiki Master Teacher and was "blessed" as a level one Reiki Healer (there are levels to the schooling in a way that you grow closer to your life force/power). That experience was, incredible. Not only the learning but being in a Japanese home was pretty freakin' cool.

In an attempt to not make this blog drag on for 5 years, let's just say the trip was EPIC, even though I pretty much got lost everywhere, I went #tragic. I met some interesting people from all over the world. I had the biggest crepe of my life (Japanese sure know how to crepe). I witnessed people driving through the streets dressed up as Mario Bros, had the best veggie ramen of my life, and went to an owl cafe! (I know what it sounds like, but there were no owls consumed during the visit).

Oh, I can't forget to mention it was my first time using a bidet. I thought someone had just sat on the toilet when I used the bathroom (extremely disgusted), then realized the seat was heated!! Ha!

That trip opened my eyes. I didn't have a bunch of money, my hostel was about $20/day and pretty far from the city (but later found out, other countries were FAR more expensive and offered less), and I couldn't speak a lick of Japanese. But it was unforgettable.

Japan was my Genesis. The beginning of a life that I'd dedicated to self-discovery and improvement. Ever since then, each country was an opportunity to learn and become a better version of myself. I started to take note of what I learned by country to implement into the framework of my life.

LESSONS I'VE LEARNED BY COUNTRY:

1. Italy taught me the beauty of art. How people are their best when they're free to create what truly speaks to them, whether food, fashion, architecture. And I had some of the best pasta and pizza in life!

2. Spain taught me how interconnected we all are. How culture and traditions are often a blend of many. I see that in the similarities found in Caribbean and Spanish cuisine.

3. Colombia taught me to be frugal. I'd run down to my last dollar, but I found ways to make the best of the experience.

4. Germany taught me how much I love a good sandwich. Lawd, those German sure know how to make magic happen with little ingredients.

5. Japan taught me the most. It reminded me of my Blackness (which actually applies to everywhere I travel), and that there are literally countries that people they look like me are only seen on tv and not every country welcomes it. It taught me how to navigate through public transportation (never had to, growing up in Texas) and most importantly, it taught me the power of healing. The healer I was seeking to find at the beginning of my journey, I soon found out was already within me.

Travel has allowed me to take a chance on myself and learn new ways to create happiness in my life. I've taken many trips since Japan 2018, covering over 20 countries to date. I grew an open heart and mind, which are far more valuable than validation on social media.

Now, I'm not saying all of this to say, social media and running a blog doesn't have a place, because we all know that having a platform to share our gifts is the benefit of living in the tech-era. We need those who help us learn about new places to travel, flight deals, and recommended places to eat.

However, I genuinely believe if you choose to travel as a vehicle for your self-discovery and evolution and not get caught up in the hype, you'll awaken in more ways than you can imagine.

So while I hope you didn't come just for the travel posts, my journey doesn't stop at travel (especially with 'Rona bringing everyone's travel plans to a screeching halt). Every season is an opportunity to level up personally and professionally. I'm letting go of the expectations I subconsciously placed on myself to solely be a travel blogger, but don't fret! Flight attendant posts and travel stories will still be weaved in as they're still a part of me. I just want to unapologetically pivot into a freer space. We’re going to talk about everything health and wellness, and how I plan to serve anyone who’s ready to level up their life with more abundance and peace!

I'm grateful and honored to continue to take you all along for the ride. Please be sure to sign up for email notifications so you don't miss a post, and follow me on social! @ayblack (pretty much everywhere lol) Andddddd before you go, do ya girl a favor and share with a friend!!!

Til next time,

Alexis