Travel Crush Tuesday: Erica
Photo Source: Instagram and Erica
Welcome to Travel Crush Tuesday!
We pride ourselves on shining a light on real people; on people that inspire and lift up their community. It is for this reason we couldn't be happier than to introduce you to our latest Travel Crush, Erica. She is as real as it gets. Get to know the traveler overcoming chronic illness while living her best life and inspiring us all to do the same!
Tell us about yourself! Who are you? Where are you from? What do you do? What inspires you to travel?
My name is Erica Christine and I’m from Houston, but New Orleans is home. I’m a full-time event and travel planner and a new travel content creator. I’ve been to 17 countries and 4 Continents so far!
It’s extremely important for me to use my platform to bring awareness to mental health and those living with chronic illnesses or cancer and empowering them to stay in the game called life! I want to empower people to see me and know they can do it too! I want people to see that I’m a very real person dealing with issues just like them whether it’s body image issues, depression, or chronic illnesses like Crohn’s disease and endometriosis. I want people to know just because you deal with these things it doesn’t mean you do not deserve happiness or to see the world. It’s also great because I can share with people how healing travel can be for so many things.
In short, I’m inspired to travel from being in the travel content creator space and seeing so many beautiful black and brown faces explore this beautiful earth, exposing me virtually to so many cultures!
My travel is also inspired by my bucket list. It’s typed up as a note in my phone so I ensure I do everything and not forget. My bucket list was created because I’ve lived so many years in fear and through other people. I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and one day I woke up saying no more! No more will I live in fear and simply exist. I’m about to write down all the things I’ve ever wanted to do and all the places I’ve wanted to go and start checking them off! And honey, I’ve been living life ever since!!!!
What was your favorite travel experience? What made it so special?
I went to Bali solo for my birthday one year and it was such a liberating experience! I had just found out that I was no longer in remission a few days before the trip and everyone told me to cancel it to be safe but I went anyway! I booked a “healing massage” and my stomach was so calm afterwards, for 3 months!!!! During the massage I was thinking this man is crazy and about to have my stomach so agitated the rest of the trip but nope! It was so calm the next day and the rest of the trip. I was able to be fully present without getting sick or wondering where the closest restroom was. I loved it truly!
What is the number one thing you're doing on vacation no matter where you are?
Whew this is so hard! I guess the number one thing I’m doing on every vacation is taking all the pictures and videos! Even if I have to ask strangers imma take my photo! I just really cherish the photos because they are memories. When I was sick in the hospital all I had was the photos in my phone to reflect on brighter times. So it’s a priority for me now to capture everything!!!
What is your best-kept travel tip for planning the ultimate trip?
My best tip for planning a trip is do your research and map out your locations and activities accordingly to geography and your physical ability so you don’t waste time researching what to do. And so you don’t waste time driving from one side of the country to another and then back again the next day. It’s easier to do things in clumps based off of the location and you save time allowing you more time for more activities even if those activities are simply resting on the beach!
If you had to stay in one place forever, which destination would you choose and why?
Well I haven’t been everywhere and Seychelles is on my list for this year so I’d dream of there, but based off of the places I’ve been it would be Bali. Bali would be my forever home because it’s affordable. I didn’t experience any racism while i was there. I felt safe, minus those mopeds. The healing masseuse is there. Their food didn’t agitate my stomach and they have some of the best fried chicken I’ve ever tasted in my life!! Seriously!
Where else can folks find you?
My linktree has my user tags for clubhouse, ig, Amazon, TikTok and Like it 2Know it, website, blog, upcoming group trips, and email subscription! @EricaChristineTravels is a safe search on most platforms though!
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