Wind Down Wednesday: Alexa Prepetit

Wine Down Wednesday: Alexa Prepetit

Aired: December 8th, 2021

Audio and Photo Source: Alexa Prepetit and Instagram

Episode Summary

"If you're lost, are you gonna stand there and worry about it? Or are you going to make a decision and  find your way?" In this Wine Down Wednesday we got the sermon on adulting. From external exploration to self realization, travel has a way of making you grow. Tune in to see how our special guest Alexa, made the most of her solo adventures and the person those adventures have made her today.

 

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Episode Transcript

Wine Down Wednesday: Alexa Prepetit

 

Orion Brown (00:00:10):

It's Wednesday. It's Wednesday. It's Wednesday a, it is Wednesday. Y'all didn't come here to hear me saying, but you did come here to have a glass of wine with me and wine down.

Orion Brown (00:00:27):

I'm so here for it, look at y'all look at y'all look at y'all come. How about I've been sipping before I started, let me <laugh> it's a little Chardonnay, just a little Chardonnay. It's been a long week. Hey, We made it yeah. To the middle of the week.

Alexa Prepetit (00:00:45):

We did! Wine Down Wednesday

Orion Brown (00:00:47):

And we made it online and we're here. We're here and we are doing it. I love it. I love it. Thank you. I love the twist out too. I just noticed

Alexa Prepetit (00:00:54):

I thank you. Thank you. I I'm trying decided to do something new for work and for me, protective styles.

Orion Brown (00:01:02):

Look see now. And I'm I feel like this is that season for a lot of people that it's like, like I was like, should I just go like big chop and do a little blonde and do something different? And then I'm like, I'm a punk. I'll just put in a bun. Uh, yeah,

Alexa Prepetit (00:01:17):

I definitely did think about I, well, first of all, I did do the big chop. I don't know if you see my Instagram, but I had way bigger hair, but now this is my, my mini fro mini style going on.

Orion Brown (00:01:29):

I mean, don't minimize that. That's a midi, that's not a mini. A mini's like a little, little T TWA. You gotta, you gotta, you got some hair girl.

Alexa Prepetit (00:01:38):

Probably medium size, probably medium size.

Orion Brown (00:01:39):

Shmedium, shmedium. We gonna call it shmedium. I love, oh my gosh. Look at all the people coming through. Hey, y'all Courtney, Bella. I, I know Jenique's in here. Hey Jenique. Hey, y'all for those of you who don't know me, my name's Orion Brown. I am the founder and CEO of BlackTraveBox. We're personal care products company for travelers of color. And this is Wine Down Wednesday, which is just a great excuse for me to drink wine and talk people

Alexa Prepetit (00:02:05):

Period.

Orion Brown (00:02:05):

Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. PEY up. Y'all mm. So you can grab whatever you have. I don't care if it's wine, it could be Pepsi, Coke, diet Coke products. We don't, we don't discriminate here. If it's tea, if it's cherry juice, whatever gets your, your, your boat going. You do that, but join us and oh, and for the Kool-Aid fans out there, I see you. Um, <laugh> so Wine Down is all about kicking it. We kick it every week or every week that we can. I think I've done, like at least maybe 60 of these now you guys it's crazy. It's crazy. Like, I don't, I don't even know how we got here, but I love that you come back every week and I love that you kick it with us. We are gonna talk all the fun things, everything, travel, everything, Black, everything, all, everything. Um, so, um, we, our tradition is to start out with like a quick lightning round of questions. So tell everybody, introduce yourself to the group. Tell everybody who you are. I'm over here, waving at everybody. Like y'all can see I'm an old lady, cuz I do this. Let me get, let me, let me, lemme just write that. Yeah, let me hit. Um, but I'm just trying to say hi, y'all um, introduce yourself, your name, where you live, where you're from, if they're two different places and how many stamps you have on your passport.

Alexa Prepetit (00:03:26):

Right? Well, my name is Alexa. I'm born and raised in Florida, but my parents are from Haiti and I have about 15 to 17 stamps in my passport so far

Orion Brown (00:03:41):

She said it's like a two. It's a little bit of a, who knows.

Alexa Prepetit (00:03:45):

I wiggle room, we've got some wiggle room here and there can't keep count. Always traveling, always gotta keeo going.

Orion Brown (00:03:49):

I love that. And when did you start traveling?

Alexa Prepetit (00:03:53):

Uh, I started traveling at a very young age. My mom had the travel bug when she was uh, 22. She always likes to tell us the story I got outta college. I traveled with my best friend in Europe and we packed and now I'm going to instill the love of travel in you. And that's what she did

Orion Brown (00:04:11):

Hold up. So let's take a step back because now I'm almost 40. So I feel I'm finding excuses to feeland be old all the time where I'm like back in my day. I didn't know backpacking was a thing until after I left college. So your mom was like ack back, black packing, black packing through Europe. She was black packing through Europe. She was

Alexa Prepetit (00:04:32):

Black packing. Yeah. With her best friend. Her best friend from Haiti. They both went to college, like two get races and they're like, you know what? We're like 24, 26 or something like that. And then I think I was just born and then they were saying, let's just go. She left me with my dad. She

Orion Brown (00:04:52):

Juices dads are not babysitters. They are parents. And they can take care of the children while you go do what you need to do. I love that, right?

Alexa Prepetit (00:05:01):

Oh my gosh. She went to yearbook. She went to France. She travels some museum. She's more of a museum gal, um, scenery art. That's her vibe. And that's what she did for most of that summer.

Orion Brown (00:05:17):

And then she, and did you, do you find that you travel similar to her or do you, you kind of digress in your own style of travel, whether it be like art museums and things like that?

Alexa Prepetit (00:05:27):

Uh, no. I think I'm pretty much similar. I might be a little bit more adventurous, maybe a little bit more risk taking than she is. Um, cuz I did follow in her footsteps that like age of 20, I did my first back pack, but that time alone, I did it on my own.

Orion Brown (00:05:46):

You did a so, so your first backpacking trip, you did solos.

Alexa Prepetit (00:05:49):

mm-hmm <affirmative> yeah. First-

Orion Brown (00:05:50):

And where did you go and how did you not get snatched up?

Alexa Prepetit (00:05:55):

<laugh> well, I went to first, I started in Paris. I had to, it was a whole big thing. Got Haitian parents, very strict. I had to lay out the plan, how to PowerPoint, all prepared it's

Orion Brown (00:06:08):

I'm not mad at the powerpoint.

Alexa Prepetit (00:06:09):

Mm-hmm <affirmative> PowerPoint. Every time I try to get my parents to do something PowerPoint. And then I had my money on save up and then I said, listen, this is the plan a week. They said you could do a week alone. And I said, here's a plan two days in Paris. Then I did, um, a couple of days in Belgium and then I ended it in London and then back in Paris and then, you know, the train system are all connected. Yeah. So I just got the, the Euro train and then just did that was the trail. And then I had every day stand up and planned to the tea. That way she knows exactly where I am from the time of day. Sometimes I had explore this region and then she's like right, good to know. And uh, my, that was my second plan. My first plan was to go to Venice and then Milan from Milan, the Venice. But she was like, no, Italy's too far. So this was better for her.

Orion Brown (00:07:04):

Yeah. That would've been an, a backpacking through Italy trip. Like you could just stayed in the Medditeranean <laugh> yeah. I'm just like putting the mom hat on and I'm like, mm, no baby. You gonna be in transit too long. <laugh> so on the train no more than a couple hours.

Alexa Prepetit (00:07:18):

Yeah, that, that was, that was the plan. I don't, I don't even know how I did it, but I managed this summer. I took a backpack, put a couple of clothes in there, some tennis shoes. And then I just got on that train and I said, make new friends hope for the best stay safe. And that's what I did.

Orion Brown (00:07:33):

I love that. That is a good, let me get out in the world by myself, prayer, make good friends, stay safe, have a good time. Like that's, that's the core of it. So, so tell me, cause I'm, I'm a punk. Like when I was in college I was like, eh, I ain't trying to go nowhere. I really did not get my y'all y'all can take my travel card if you want to, but I didn't get my, um, passport until I was 25. I feel like I was so late in the game. I was like, oh, it's a whole new world. Like princess Jasmine or no Ariel, whoever Disney. Um,

Alexa Prepetit (00:08:07):

<laugh> it's I believe it's Ariel whole new world. I think so. Yeah.

Orion Brown (00:08:14):

I don't know. It was the magic Carpetright. No, it was princess Jasmine, her and anyway, y'all seriously. I just need another sip. Cause my Disney isn't right. And it's okay. Um, but for me that is, that seems like a really intimidating thing to do as a young person. Who's never gone backpacking before. Like I could see if you were like, oh yeah, I always go backpacking like every summer or whatever with my friends. And then I decided to go on my own. What was the impetus for you or what did you hope to get out of going on a trip by yourself?

Alexa Prepetit (00:08:50):

Well, at the time I was maybe like a junior in college, my junior summer of college. And then I was trying to get a sense of my independence. You know, I wanted to make sure, like I paid for this whole thing, you know, first number one mm-hmm <affirmative> I took care of myself. Of course my mom was like, here's a little something, but I was like, no, no, don't worry. Everything's good. I got it. No worries. And I just wanted to see how I would just do on my own without like any support and just would I grow? Would I be nervous? Would I, you know, cuz I did hostels. I did not stay at hotel. I did hostels, community hostels. I made sure I this day in the girl hostels, cuz they do have that option as well. And uh, I wanted to like meet you women, see what's going on in their lives. Put myself in like situations where I could see how well I do just making decisions go left or go, right. If you're lost, are you gonna stand there and worry about it? Or are you going to just make a decision and then you're gonna find your way. And then that's what I did. Ooh.

Orion Brown (00:09:59):

That is, that is a whole sermon on adulthood and that transition. That's the whole sermon. Are you gonna stand there and look crazy? Are you gonna figure this out and keep it moving and, and have a really good attitude about it? I will love that, man. I wish I would been too back then. Woo.

Alexa Prepetit (00:10:17):

Yeah.

Orion Brown (00:10:17):

So, so, so was that trip an adventure or was that trip a little bit more? Like what are some of the highlights for you that you're like when you have kids or if you have kids or, or there's any young whipper snapper around you in the next 20 years? And you're like, so I went backpacking by myself. Do we have any tea from this trip? Or was this like a self discovery? What happens in Venice stays in Venice. <laugh>

Alexa Prepetit (00:10:44):

Uh, definitely I could share any moment. I, I didn't want to shy away. So, um, but this trip was definitely just like, you know, my toe, it wasn't too crazy. I did have a lost moment in Belgium because I don't know if you've ever been to Belgium, but the signs are in French and in German. So I could read the top part of it. I can't read the second part of it. So when I was looking for the hosts and they said, turn this tree, I'm like, I understand half of the song. And I thought it was continuation of the sign, but really it was just a translation. So then,

Orion Brown (00:11:23):

Oh, you thought you were reading like a full, oh, got you. That suck. I was like,

Alexa Prepetit (00:11:27):

And I was like this, I know French. I know the first part. What is the second part? And I am like, have I have my phone? Like, you know, when you're on Google map and like it beep beep beep beep I left and right. That was definitely my first time in Belgium. I didn't wanna look lost. I didn't wanna look stupid, but there I was just going left and right. Thank God. This nice gentleman was like you looking for the youth host. I'm like, yeah, like straight down to the left. I was like,

Orion Brown (00:11:58):

Young people lost are probably like looking for the youth host and I'm not mad at

Alexa Prepetit (00:12:02):

Yes I'm. I was like, thank you. You <laugh>. And Belgium was just a time where I met so many different women. It was just so much fun. Like women that just finished their master's program in different countries. And they were just hopping around to the next place, women that were, I met two girls from Wales and they actually were on like their best friend trip and they just go and travel together on, on the weekends every day. Like every weekend they just go some play different. They happened to be in Belgium when I was there. And then that was like a nice like, oh wow, what a nice surprise of a part of your like wow, with a story. And we follow each other on Instagram still. And I, it, everything was so weird that day. I also went to Belgium was the day of their two year flower festival. I, every two years they have a flower festival carpet that they pay homage to like a country that they do, uh, trades with that day was Mexico. And um, that night they had like fireworks, the carpet was beautiful. And then they had like, uh, a mariachi band and everybody was singing and dancing and singing the, the music of the countries. And I was just like, this is like one of the luckiest days I could have ever been here. And

Orion Brown (00:13:23):

It just like all aligned. Yeah.

Alexa Prepetit (00:13:26):

All aligned. I, and I celebrated with the girls from Wales because they were like, let's go. And I, there are

Orion Brown (00:13:32):

Some about girls from the people from the UK and from like, like great Britain, that whole island area, they know how to party. They know how to enjoy themselves. They're like very rah.

Alexa Prepetit (00:13:44):

Yeah. The girls are definitely fun. I did not have a boring moment then. Uh, what else happened in Belgium? I think those are pretty much the two big ones. I do regret not going to a music festival. That was also happening that same day. I do. I wanted to look at the, their museums. They had like a bunch of other museums and I'm like, I'm just gonna miss out on the museums. And I'm like

Orion Brown (00:14:10):

A hashtag nerd problems. I'm just gonna skip the cool concert and go to the museum. Yeah. They got air Condit. I'm mad at you.

Alexa Prepetit (00:14:18):

What it was. I love that. I, yeah, definitely crazy. London. The train was great. Went to the hostel. That's when I met another interesting group of women, one girl graduated. She's like, you know, I've always wanted to live on a French island and just you practice my French. That's what she did. She was there for like a couple of days. She just came for like a little thing. And then she was gonna go to France and live there for two years. She rented a house, all paid, all she's doing is just living, speaking French. That was her thing. Mm-hmm <affirmative> another girl was there. She just like, I don't know what happened, but she just broke up with her, uh, fiance or something like that. And then she was gonna go on the honeymoon and enjoy it herself. And she's like, yeah, I'm enjoying my life. And I was like, Mm-hmm, <affirmative>,

Orion Brown (00:15:09):

That's a story for, so women it's like sex in the city. He's like, oh, which is gonna go on honeymoon anyway. Forget it. We

Alexa Prepetit (00:15:15):

Going, yeah. She, she, she was like, Nope, not gonna care. I'm gonna enjoy myself in the sun. It is my summertime. It's my vacation. I was like more power TV girl. Like, I'm just glad, I'm just glad you're doing something. And then yes. Oh, it was like, I, I heard, I was like, you wanna feel bad? But you're like, no, she looks good though. Everything's okay with her. And then the big thing in London was every time in the hustle they offer like a tour or, you know, um, like trips or something different to do. Like after I did the bar crawl in, uh, and another in the Cambridge or something where to see it was really good. I had lots of fun and I did a lot of drinking with the locals. And that was a good time. I can't, I can't lie. They, they were like, come party cuz we're so you're so nice and cool. And I was like, yeah, I'm nice. Am

Orion Brown (00:16:12):

I am

Alexa Prepetit (00:16:14):

I can do this? And it was a good time. The, the locals were very nice. Everybody was really interested in like America and everybody was asking so many questions and I was just like, yeah, I could tell you this, this and this and this, but you always have to just be there. And it was lots of fun. I can't,

Orion Brown (00:16:34):

I love that. I love that. And so, so you point out two things that I actually really love to do when I travel and it's, well, actually I guess it's one thing it's drink with great people, right? Like it's sad to like travel and just drink alone unless you're like having a really nice wine. And you're trying to be like in real fruit fruit, which I don't, I have no saltiness about. I, I will sit and drink glass of wine and watch people. But like

Alexa Prepetit (00:17:01):

That's half of France, that's half of France. They're just sitting there at like three o'clock, uh, I at days they're just like smoke and drink around four o'clock and they're just chilling. And I would like, this is the other side. Good to know, right?

Orion Brown (00:17:17):

This is, this is what life could look like if we weren't in the rat race in the states, as we are. Although I think there's places here, you know, there's definitely places here, but it's not common to, to everyday life, which is why we travel. It's exactly why we travel.

Alexa Prepetit (00:17:31):

I know. And I was, so we recently, my biggest trip was that I was teaching abroad in, uh, France for a year. And cuz I'm a education major. I'm a teacher. I love to teach. I love children. And I saw that opportunity or education as an opportunity to stretch into like other countries and to help me with my travel bug. And I found a job in, uh, class book, France, which is, I think it's on the east side of France kind of right next to Germany,

Orion Brown (00:18:04):

You know, it's the east side path. McDonald's I'm just messing with you. <laugh> yeah, it, it was on the east side of town. I love that.

Alexa Prepetit (00:18:10):

Yeah. It was next to right next to Germany. I could take a train and go like right at the border, a tram boom, Germany done. And Switzerland was like right around the corner too. And I was the English

Orion Brown (00:18:25):

Switzerland. It's right up the block. What you doing?

Alexa Prepetit (00:18:28):

I, I did go to Switzerland. I don't don't do not. I went to Switzerland and I did snowboarding. So

Orion Brown (00:18:36):

Look at you. Okay. We're gonna have to hear about that. But so you're on, you're on the border. You're right by Germany. You're out here teaching the childrens.

Alexa Prepetit (00:18:44):

Mm-hmm <affirmative> teaching the children, teaching the children, English. You know's hi. Hello. How are you? What are you doing? You know, how do you say your home address? I taught, I teach them skills that if they were on the streets of America, their, their information could be said that they could find their parents. You know, if they're ever lost, I told them the basic necessities numbers, you know, say your mom number, mom and dad. Mm-hmm <affirmative> you know what that is? You know, you know where you're from? From France. We practiced this already. I'm from France. Hi. Hello. You know what a police officer looks like. I had a picture of this. I was like, you know, that's looks

Orion Brown (00:19:25):

Like don't go to him. No, I'm just kidding. <laugh>

Alexa Prepetit (00:19:30):

I was like, we go here if we have questions and uh, they always wanted to learn about, um, traditions or you know, a holidays or like food, food, surprisingly food was something they always wanted to talk about. I was very shocked, but yes, because people hungry,

Orion Brown (00:19:50):

We stay hungry.

Alexa Prepetit (00:19:53):

One thing they didn't know what peanut butter jelly sandwich was. Oh,

Orion Brown (00:19:56):

That's a shame.

Alexa Prepetit (00:19:57):

They, I think one person, one person you, because they're from America. And then they came here to like tea, to like be a student. But one person was just, the kids were like, oh, like you guys never have burn jelly. They're like, no, I'm like, it's a sandwich. Okay. It took explaining peanut butter and jelly in another language is the funniest thing in, in my life. I was like, okay, cha Japan. Okay. Peanut butter on one piece of breath, layer it on then jelly. Any kind of jelly in a SMU together as a sandwich, one goes like, you know what? Yeah. I have seen that. I'm like, I do that at home. Turns out peanut. Butter's not, not really a big thing over there. <laugh>

Orion Brown (00:20:37):

No, it's a very American yeah. Economy thing. Uh, thanks to, to our forefathers who got into peanuts and all of that good stuff. But yeah. Yeah.

Alexa Prepetit (00:20:49):

It's not big. Peanut butter is not big. I try to find peanut butter. Uh, the only peanut butter they had was not Jiff. It was the peanut pan. No.

Orion Brown (00:21:00):

Oh yeah. It was the love peanut

Alexa Prepetit (00:21:02):

Pan. It was like the blue one. Yes. So weird looking one. I was just like, that's not G I don't know. Yeah.

Orion Brown (00:21:09):

It's the European version. So they'll take a brand and then they'll translate it over in a different company on ain't the same thing. But it's probably healthier though. Did I say

Alexa Prepetit (00:21:19):

That a hundred percent? He Europe

Orion Brown (00:21:21):

Don't play. Europe does not play. Don't even breathe on the food wrong

Alexa Prepetit (00:21:25):

A year there. I've learned that everything that I eat in America is just different. I'm not healthy here. I just, I just feel it like, it's just different. Like I don't, I don't wanna get into specifics too much cuz I don't want

Orion Brown (00:21:41):

The system is set up. It's

Alexa Prepetit (00:21:42):

Different. Yeah. The science cuz I'm a science teacher here and I'm like looking at it with like the science eye, the culture eye, and a carrot over there lasted for a week in my fridge. A carrot here like two months. Yeah. Instead I'm just like, no.

Orion Brown (00:22:02):

Yeah. Which those are little things. It's like, oh, well that's more convenient. But then when you start doing a science on it, you're like, uh, that's probably not good. It's convenient, but it's not good. I, you know what, and I love that you mentioned food one because it's one of the best ways I find to bond with people from like another country. Especially if we don't like speak same language cuz we can, it's like, what's good. And they're like, get that. And I'm like, yes. So like tell us a little bit and oh wait somebody. So Janique asked the question. What was it like living in Strassburg? Is there a strong German influence with it being so close to German border?

Alexa Prepetit (00:22:41):

Uh, yes. There is a strong German influence. The kids at the school learn German, French and English. And some of the signs are in German. Uh, some of the restaurants are definitely serving German dishes. They're Christmas, very serious. They have a Christmas market. Unfortunately I did not see the Christmas market cuz I was there during the global pandemic. Okay. Fair, fair, fair. Laugh was a different experience all together. Just experience the pandemic in America and in France at the same time and being the teacher, I was just like, well very definitely. And living this glass book was so nice. I, they queen it's kind of like a city, but still in the country. So it had nice quiet vibes. It had a nice parks and you know, you, you were like, I was in the town and if I took a little tram further, I'd be in the city. And then they had a very beautiful cathedral right in the middle of the city. And you could walk around it, hear like live music play and you know, it was very nice all the time. Very quaint. And how long

Orion Brown (00:23:55):

Were you there

Alexa Prepetit (00:23:56):

For about a year.

Orion Brown (00:23:58):

Oh wow. Is that so have you done a lot of like living abroad or is this like your, your first foray?

Alexa Prepetit (00:24:08):

That was my first living abroad experience. I was, was I nervous? Yeah. I was a little nervous. I had to pack everything up. I had two suitcases. I, and I just moved into like a small little apartment, you know, one bed, one little pants and then like cook food and one closet, one bathroom. And I just was like, make sure to talk to people. Don't stay inside even though it's COVID you could stay safe

Orion Brown (00:24:37):

That yeah.

Alexa Prepetit (00:24:39):

Put your mask up, you know, it's wash your hands. I was very careful at all times. And uh, they were very strict. They had a curfew. Uh, it was definitely one of those times where you experienced way too many things at the same time, but I had good friends. We were nice.

Orion Brown (00:25:00):

That's amazing. And how did you make friends there? Like how were you able to connect with a community? <affirmative>

Alexa Prepetit (00:25:06):

So my program, I made a lot of friends through the program. I reached out on Facebook. I let them know I installed the city and some people were close to me in the area and they talked to me and that's how I made friends with people that joined the program. Now people in France, like in gods book, that's a little different. They, that was a little tough. Um, but I did the American thing. I knocked on everybody's door in my neighbor. I was like, excuse me, I'm your new neighbor? My name is Alexa in French. I was like, how are you? I'm from America. Cuz surprisingly, nobody says eyes to your neighbors. And I'm just like, mm, hello. I'm look,

Orion Brown (00:25:48):

I I'm like that's that's nervewracking for me. I'm like, Ooh, you you talk. I still don't know the people living my building. And I've been here for a minute. So you just knocked on the doors and introduced

Alexa Prepetit (00:25:58):

Yourself, knocked on the doors, introduced myself. I may do friends from that. Uh, I met a girl from work and she was also were very nice and she was also teaching and I was just like, Hey, why don't we just talk? And, and we became friends and we also traveled around class book together. Like cuz it's a it's um, it's in a region in France called um, AAS. And there are little cities all around and we went to a couple of cities around there on train, like a day trip. And that was nice.

Orion Brown (00:26:32):

That is what's beautiful about Europe. You can just explore and go to very different places that have like different rich pieces of history and interest. Um, on a, on a whim. I, I love it. Somebody said, somebody asked you if you went to Switzerland, you said you had gone to Switzerland. What was it like? Like did you just kick it in Switzerland for a weekend? Like what's it like just hitting Switzerland? Just cause you felt like it, like Switzerland's like up

Alexa Prepetit (00:26:58):

The street. I had an opportunity. Someone's like, would you like to come to Switzerland? A ski resort? Andro was like, yes, packed up, packed two pants, two shirts, you know, some socks, you know, I was zipped up, everything, took it up, went there and I had no regrets. They took me to the ski resort. I was amazed by how beautiful on the snow was. Cause we went to the top of them mountain. It was AZA. It was a very nice place. Right? Like really high mountains. I, I did like, uh, the junior snowboarding lessons. Um, cuz there were no, um, adults, I always lessons. I was surrounded by children and you had to do everything better than me. And um, I saw four year olds or ski down a slope with ease and that was, yeah. They're

Orion Brown (00:27:49):

Just like we, and I'm like where my bones set up. Yep.

Alexa Prepetit (00:27:53):

<laugh> I was very intimidated and I was very nervous because in Switzerland the lessons were in Germany and oh Lord. I was just like, oh my God, this is gonna be terrible.

Orion Brown (00:28:07):

Did they just, did they do well, I guess you were on a snowboard. I was gonna say like for skiing, you know, they tell you like French fries, pizza. I mean, that's probably a very American thing, but like how to put your feet <laugh> did they have

Alexa Prepetit (00:28:18):

Anything like that? How to put your feet together was definitely one of the things. But I went the snowboarding. Luckily there was one instructor that spoke English. I was like, yeah, I'm here one English speaker. Thank you. And then he explained how to do it. I fell constantly, but I've managed to master the key things about snowboarding in the span of three days.

Orion Brown (00:28:40):

That is amazing. That's awesome. Kudos.

Alexa Prepetit (00:28:44):

Oh my, I have one of my friends actually from uh, the, from the French experience that she's watching too. So, which is so funny

Orion Brown (00:28:53):

<laugh> I love that. So, so you went skiing, you got to go to a top of a mountain. Like how do you talk that? Like do you kind of look for trips that you're like, oh, let me make big, bigger, better than the last one? Or are you looking for like specific types of experiences and different experiences?

Alexa Prepetit (00:29:15):

Um, I always not try to go, um, higher than my last trip. I always just say what's something new I can experience. It's not always bigger, the better, but just always something different. I mean, I don't know if I'll ever have another chance to ski down the, a nice, beautiful mountain in Switzerland and another place, but I will always, probably have, I will always try to make the opportunity to travel this a new place experience and new occasion and like seize those like random opportunities to get mm-hmm <affirmative> those big opportunities in other places. I, that that's my, that's my plan. That is, that's definitely my plan

Orion Brown (00:29:58):

For those. I love that's especially the opportunities out there. Like we can just get it. So it was a question like what was the, tell us a little bit about the program that you were in and how'd you get into it? Cause it's some folks that wanna learn how to snowboards ski in Switzerland. They're like, eh, we got the Rockies, but ah, the Alps are different. It's a different vibe.

Alexa Prepetit (00:30:20):

Yeah. It was different vibe. I won't lie. It was beautiful. I took a photo. I took panoramic view of the mountains. I was just like, <laugh>

Orion Brown (00:30:31):

Fresh air.

Alexa Prepetit (00:30:33):

Oh God. Yes. Um, the program I did was tope and it was like teaching assistant in Europe or in, um, you have to, you know, apply, you have to pay a little bit of money. You have to make sure your French is, um, graded by a French professor in your university or a French school that they have in the area. Wow. You have to call and then you have to have a conversation with them and then they grade you. And I've been like practicing French and speaking French ever since I was like a little kid, so I won't toot my own horn, but my French is uh,

Orion Brown (00:31:12):

Okay. You it's on point y'all don't even it's

Alexa Prepetit (00:31:15):

On point it's. Okay. And when I, they placed me in the middle, in the elementary school, cause all the other students went to the middle, so they speak a little bit more English. But I was placed in the elementary school where they speak a little bit of English and I was just like, all right, I can do, I could teach a class in French and English. Don't worry. I could do this. And I, I did. And the kids were great. I can't complain about them. They were so cute.

Orion Brown (00:31:41):

Oh my gosh. And I, I, and it's kids are so interesting because one, they just pick up on stuff so quickly. Um, but also they don't really know nothing. So like it's like, is your French better than theirs? Probably <laugh> let's be honest. I love that. I love

Alexa Prepetit (00:31:59):

That. Oh, I not, their, their French was way better than mine. I mean, I was just like, you know, when you're talking and all of a sudden they say a new word that you never heard of before and you're like, mm-hmm <affirmative> I know exactly what that means. I go back, look at the dictionary, like, mm that's exactly what she meant. Right?

Orion Brown (00:32:16):

Context, clues, context clues. Well, and see, I don't trust kids, like even in English, I'm like, did you make that up? <laugh> come. Sometimes they just do

Alexa Prepetit (00:32:26):

<laugh> well, it's, it's not that bad. I do know words from made up words. Definitely. But there was just one girl. She was just high in the vocabulary and it was the professors that were really like making me really question my French cuz I was in the teacher's lounge and they talked so fast and I, I understood every single word. It was just when's the right time to insert my joke. <laugh>

Orion Brown (00:32:49):

Ah, Ooh, that's a good, that's a good piece right there. Hey Michelle. I said Michelle destroyed us. I so even when you have, have a solid, conversational understanding of a language and you're fairly fluent, figuring that double Dutch out, like how do I jump in? Cuz that's a social cue, which nobody ever teaches you in, in a classroom. Like, you know, they ask you a question, you answer the question. It's like ping pong, but real life isn't like that. How did you figure that part out? How did you get into the

Alexa Prepetit (00:33:20):

Rhythm? Well, first it was, you know, quiet. I listened, I shook my head sometime and they asked me a question. And then when they had like conversations, conversations, and then I could, you know, maybe go in there with an opinion or two that's when I would come in with an opinion or with like a fun fact. And then I was like, oh, you know, like I knew this, this and this. And then they were talking about movies one time. I was like, have you ever heard of like a, you know, like the black Panther? Like that was like a great movie that like, oh yeah. Black Panther, like the Marvel movie. Yeah. I was like, yeah, it was like really good. And all black cast and everybody was like, oh yeah. Like, and I was just like, I wonder if like you guys get at any of the, the movies that are, you know, an all black cast and American movies. Cuz I was always curious and they don't get a lot of American movies. Like as I thought they would, they get like the big screen ones, but like the big black favorite one like think like a man too, or think like a man one. Nope. Never heard of it.

Orion Brown (00:34:22):

<laugh> they're not watching mades family reunion. Huh? They're not,

Alexa Prepetit (00:34:27):

Definitely not.

Orion Brown (00:34:29):

I don't even know how they would have that. Like translated, like who would do the voiceover? No,

Alexa Prepetit (00:34:35):

To be nobody could do me's voice a kid. And

Orion Brown (00:34:40):

As said we, we, I

Alexa Prepetit (00:34:41):

Don't know. And they have like so many movies too. Like I was, I went there and I saw, of course you couldn't go to a theater because of Coke. Mm-hmm <affirmative> I went, I saw the posters and there were just so many movies that I was like watching. And I was just like, wow, like I've never heard of this movie. And it sounded so interesting. And yeah, I was like, oh, maybe actually like maybe focus in on like international movies a little bit more. I love it. Just to focus on their stuff instead of, you know, American things so much

Orion Brown (00:35:12):

Netflix does not play when it comes to like international stuff. I feel like they have a really good lineup. I was watching like a sci-fi movie. It was dubbed, but it was, I think it was from the Netherlands. And I was just like, even to see some of the subtext in how the film was written, you could tell they ain't from here, but it was really nice to like, it was almost a breath of fresh air because it, it gives you like a very different sense of how people interact. And, and then there was tons of stuff that was, you know, very, I don't wanna say pedantic, but stuff that you could relate to as well. So I love foreign film and they just, and it, especially like places like France, but they're just so romantic by definition. People just get up in each other's face, they be close. They may hate each other, but they close

Alexa Prepetit (00:36:02):

<laugh>. Yes, definitely. If it was I I do, I do wish I went to the theater, but it was close when I got there and it was close when I left. Well

Orion Brown (00:36:13):

You just have to, you gotta go back then you just gotta go back. You gotta go back

Alexa Prepetit (00:36:16):

To go to a movie. Yeah.

Orion Brown (00:36:18):

Well, but you, you have like your bucket list of COVID stuff that you couldn't experience while we were there. It's like, we're gonna go to the Chris Kindle market. We're gonna go the movies. We're gonna see like a dozen movies moves to puke, all the popcorn. Do they even do popcorn at the theaters there? I have no idea. Um,

Alexa Prepetit (00:36:34):

Probably I, I that's one of the bucket little I'll let you know when I completed. Let you know.

Orion Brown (00:36:40):

So you mentioned like your apartment was small, like you just had basically like a small area to like, like kitchenette, it sounded like, did you primarily eat at home or did you go out and like get things or like, what was that like in a place that the food is known to be so rich?

Alexa Prepetit (00:36:56):

Well, of course I went out to eat. Of course I saved a bunch of money and I went to little restaurants everywhere. I had my own little place. They knew me by my name. They wait, honestly, they knew me by my voice because I called in every like Thursday. And I said, can I have, um, this order? And they're like the same month from last time, I was like, yes,

Orion Brown (00:37:19):

The usual.

Alexa Prepetit (00:37:20):

And they're like, okay, 20 I'm like, I didn't even say my name come in. They're like, here's your order. I was like, that's when you know that they know you <laugh>.

Orion Brown (00:37:30):

I mean, but that's connection though. That's community. I love that. I love that. I don't wanna have to tell you. I want you to be like, yeah, I know how you like it. You want the ketchup on the don't put the ketchup on the top. Cuz if it takes

Alexa Prepetit (00:37:42):

It's Augie, they put extra sauce from, because they know I ask for extra sauce all the time.

Orion Brown (00:37:45):

A cause she likes

Alexa Prepetit (00:37:46):

Flavor mm-hmm <affirmative> but the cooking it, you have to cook every day there cuz the food is fresh. I cook myself dinner all the time because the groceries to, or clothes around like mm. They clothes pretty like early mm-hmm <affirmative> and around six o'clock everybody's at the grocery store getting ingredients to cook dinner like that same night, like everybody's cooking like fresh stuff every single day. And I definitely cook for myself like more than ever, like more than I I ever did back in college. Like I did that so much now cuz they even had like farmers market every Tuesday and Thursday, a long farmer's market, just on the long street, food farmers, clothes, like little stalls of different restaurants. And it was so like beautiful. And I was just like always buying something and I'm like, well I have to cook

Orion Brown (00:38:44):

Out. So good.

Alexa Prepetit (00:38:46):

Yeah. And I Def and I cook more than ever in my tiny little kitchen, but I was, it was very organized. I always miss something different. I mastered a couple of new recipes and I went to the butcher shop because that's where you're supposed to go to get me the butcher shop and wait in line. And I had to call my dad to ex tell him, can you explain me the cuts of meat in French? That way I could explain to the butcher exactly what I need that way I don't hold up the line. Cuz these people don't play. They're just like comes boom, boom. After you at next I'm here. Can I have to in French, like chess, apple, you know, easy to cook and something that's easier for one pan person, you know, nothing too hard. And they gave me advice. They were very nice and I was always very like, huh, thank God. Butcher shop was one of those like big moments. I think for me I was like big moment.

Orion Brown (00:39:52):

Well, and that's one of those complex again, like no matter how long you study often, do you even have a discussion about food outside of ordering a meal? Right? Like how much does it cost and chicken and pork and beef, but you can't, but there isn't a discussion around like, so is that a Ru roast or is that a short rib? Like that's very specific and

Alexa Prepetit (00:40:14):

It's very tasty. Mm-hmm <affirmative> and I'm always like a cake. Can I have a thinly sliced or thick size? And you know, I almost like can have one to two. Very nice, very clean. They're very respectful. And I mean, they, they knew definitely was not from here. They were like, no, don't worry. We can, we got this. And then they helped me really. And I was just so happy and yeah, I mean, I, there was no I'd never been to butcher up in Florida either. Like I just go to my local publics and then I just pick up some meat and I have a good day. And there, there, there wasn't anything lined out there. You had to go to a butcher shop for meat. Um, definitely more wine and more wine cheese in ham than I ever thought I could eat. I,

Orion Brown (00:40:56):

You can never much of any of those

Alexa Prepetit (00:40:58):

Things. Yeah. I was just always just like, wow. So much cheese that I never knew imagined and varieties of cheese, some variety, so much variety. Every day I tried to, I tried, I tried to get a little ch different cheese, but I did find one that I liked the most and I did consecutively buy it sometimes. And

Orion Brown (00:41:18):

Ain't not wrong. We, if I don't cheese, you like, you know, mm-hmm

Alexa Prepetit (00:41:21):

<affirmative> and my one thing I also did for food was baker. I had to go to the, uh, a bake store and get my bread pastry or bread, baguette chocolate. I had to make sure I had my local baker that I go to. Of course I found the mom and pop shop close to my, like the story had to find my little mom and pop shop. And it was like a son of his mother. And I was like, okay, family own male. One, two go every day, say hi, introduce yourself. My goal was that they've known me so well that they're gonna gimme one free quant. Cause they're, I'm just that person. I, I practice every day. I'm

Orion Brown (00:42:08):

About to be your best friend.

Alexa Prepetit (00:42:09):

Mm-hmm <affirmative> oh, I say, I, oh you want some help with it? Just so happens. American, what? Let me help you. Every 5:00 AM in the morning. Hi, can I get a que and a croissant? You know me? They're my favorite. They're so good. Around the end of my trip. They're like, Hey, I have one freak Croat. And I call my parents. I was like, mission accomplished. I could go back home right now. Then

Orion Brown (00:42:37):

I did it. That boy song was in that belly and it was pre, um, <laugh> I love croissant so much. It's really an untenable habit that, and it is hard to find good ones in the states. So I feel like I would maybe die if I went to France, I, my, I actually died just like in the street where they would just find me. And it'd just be like, Presant crumbs everywhere. Just little crispy crumbs.

Alexa Prepetit (00:43:01):

I so much bread so

Orion Brown (00:43:05):

Much, but it's good. And it's fresh, right? Mm-hmm <affirmative> yes. Oh, and so is Isabelle. I think it says Isabel shes asked what's the best cheese. Like I what's the down on the cheese.

Alexa Prepetit (00:43:17):

Um, I like, um, CHV. It was like goat cheese and it's actually pretty soft and aged goat cheese is actually pretty good. I, I did not know that until I tried it. The okay. They have like, you know, a week old goat cheese, they had a two, we go cheese. Yeah. Like the

Orion Brown (00:43:36):

Fresher ones are creamy and they had

Alexa Prepetit (00:43:38):

A two month old go cheese. They had a one month old Gochi okay. I wasn't that adventurous to take the four month go cheese. I was adventurous enough to take the one month go cheese. That was really good. Yeah. It was a little bit bitter, but it was really good. And the soft kind in the grocery store was the one I liked. They had a little bit of basil and onion inside too. And I was just like,

Orion Brown (00:44:05):

Yes, the ch is that the ch with the, the, the, the seasoning, they seasoned it

Alexa Prepetit (00:44:10):

Real night long. Yeah. They seasoned it inside and I was good. I was very happy with that one.

Orion Brown (00:44:14):

Look, everything is better with, with season I've I've, I've been on the whole foods kick of like the whole foods always has like a basket of, I don't wanna say throwaway, but like odds and ends cheese where it's like, we cut it, we cut it, we cut it. And then there was just one little piece that was like this, cuz you know, when you're getting those cheeses, especially in the states, they're very expensive. And so I'll just get like the little Bri the little Brits and, and sample them. So I've made my way through a lot of, uh, lactose, even though I'm supposed to be intolerant, but I've made my way through a lot of it. <laugh> I don't know what I would do in a country. That's known for cheese,

Alexa Prepetit (00:44:53):

God, the cheese I, I, I spent a whole year. You would think I ate like a good chunk of it. Mm-hmm no. And I was lucky enough that, um, I was also friends with, uh, another woman that lived in France and she invited me to her home to have dinner. And every time I put dinner, she would show me like four new cheeses that I would've never tried before. And that's a good friend. And I was always like so happy. I tried four new cheeses. Every time I went to dinner and it was, it was definitely a worthwhile experience. She even sent me a photo. She's took a picture of me and the cheeses, like next to me. And then she, she like wrote down on the picture. Exactly. Which cheeses, which that way I knew exactly which cheese is the best. That way I could like remember like from,

Orion Brown (00:45:36):

Oh my that is a very good friend. That's a perfect life. I dunno

Alexa Prepetit (00:45:39):

How she did it. She excelled that she did something. She did some Photoshop, but in the picture, just like little full word cheeses in there and she,

Orion Brown (00:45:46):

Oh, the cheeses are on there. Oh my gosh. Yeah. You know, I love when people are willing to take you on like a food exploration and understand that you're just like a novice and try this and eat that. I, um, my first time to Jamaica was I don't, I've never eaten so many pieces of food from the ground. Like here's a carrot here, eat that, you know, here's some sorrow pop that in your mouth. Here's this, here's a banana. Here's a mango here. Telemetry. You see that right there. Just knock it down. That one's good. Um, there is something very interesting when people will take you sort of on, on that trip where you can, like, you can explore things and you know, it's safe cuz they ain't gonna try to kill you. They're not gonna be like, this is my, my country's food is great. Here's the one that will give you salmonella. Like they won't do that to you, which is great.

Alexa Prepetit (00:46:38):

No, I, I have actually been to Jamaica and I can honestly agree with you. Definitely everything's from the ground. You know, everything is safe. I went with my family and we did like a river. We did like a tour on a river. I forgot it was a very famous black river. Yeah. I can't remember exactly with the

Orion Brown (00:46:57):

Crocodiles.

Alexa Prepetit (00:46:59):

Oh maybe it's not. Maybe it was a waterfall then

Orion Brown (00:47:03):

DUNS river calls.

Alexa Prepetit (00:47:05):

Probably that one. We did a nice tour. We had the lights, little shoes we walked around and they said, we rub the dirt on you cuz it's nice. And he's clean. And we did that and we were just feeling like, wow, our skin is so soft and different. Like Jamaica, you know? Right. It's

Orion Brown (00:47:22):

Clean dirt, clean dirt you've ever been on <laugh>

Alexa Prepetit (00:47:27):

But yeah, Jamaica was a nice family trip. I, I definitely enjoyed it with the team. Oh my gosh. And the food, relaxing food, you know, waterfalls. I get a good plan.

Orion Brown (00:47:40):

I love that. I love that. And you said, so you're back in the stage and you're teaching science. Do you imagine that you're gonna do any more like education related trips or are you all vacation from here on out?

Alexa Prepetit (00:47:54):

Um, I, I am working, working towards a, trying to apply to a higher position to actually teach in another country. The big goal is to teach in, you know, maybe Japan or, or um, North Korea, but somewhere different that actually pays a little bit more and I have to get, I wanna get my master's program before I do that. Cuz I have to apply with the defense department or the United States. That way I could go under the military and I could teach the children of, of uh, the people of the military and they put me in a base and then I ever teach their, their kids. So

Orion Brown (00:48:36):

That's that sounds like fun. That actually really sounds like fun. And to be with kids who are exploring the world, just like you are, um, and their little experiences with that I'm sure is absolutely fascinating.

Alexa Prepetit (00:48:51):

Yeah. I definitely can't wait to actually put my plans in motion. I know it's definitely gonna happen once it's in my mind. It's all set. I'm definitely gonna go and um, have a good time with that one. I look forward to those jobs openings and meeting new people and enjoying new experiences. Japan was like one of my, my second, my definitely my second choice. I applied to Japan. I applied to Greece and I applied to France, but I got into France and I was like, yep. France. It is

Orion Brown (00:49:23):

Love it.

Alexa Prepetit (00:49:25):

Yeah. That was the, the good decision. Do

Orion Brown (00:49:28):

You, do you think as you're, cause you said 15 to 17 countries, we're just gonna say 17. Cause we always round up and we love our countries. We go to, we go to so many places. Um, are there places that you look back on your travel and you go, Ooh, I would like to live there. I would like to take a or a long sabbatical there.

Alexa Prepetit (00:49:49):

Hmm. Well I've traveled or a lot in, uh, Europe. I did travel to a couple of islands, Mexico. You know, I, since I'm from Haiti, I go to Haiti, Santa mingle, but mm. Maybe I would like to see the life is like in one or the UK, cuz I did do the life in France and that was like really nice, but I've never really experienced a, a big city feel in another country. Cuz slash book was a little bit off to the side. It wasn't very much in the city or Switzerland. I did go to Switzerland. I did go to Brussels, the capital and that was also very beautiful. And they had like the city aspect, but also the, the nature aspect you could have take one train. And then all of a sudden you're high in the mountains, like on a, the most beautiful hike you could have ever thought you could have been like we did a tour and the bus driver took us around.

Alexa Prepetit (00:51:02):

Then he said, go on this little like escalating elevator up a mountain to in hu let up a beautiful trail of the mountain I ever seen. And Switzerland now I'm thinking about Switzerland was definitely a place I would've. I would like to see and probably live in more cuz it was cleed it was beautiful. Uh, the nature aspect was like breathtaking. I, I honestly felt like, wow, I could take like a beautiful, like nice like walk here every other day. Mm. The food looked nice. It was, I, I couldn't, that was definitely a place I wish I stayed in longer. Cuz I went there for a trip and I also went to like their French side <affirmative> because we, I also did like a day trip in Switzerland with a couple of my friends. And there was like a Switzerland that was a little bit French, you know, a little bit German. Depends where the area is. Yeah. And I think it's called Baia and then Bazel I can't REM I think which two. And then that side of Switzerland was also very beautiful. And you know,

Orion Brown (00:52:15):

I've never heard a complaint about Switzer. I've never been, I've never heard somebody be like, well it was right. Like I've never heard that <laugh>

Alexa Prepetit (00:52:25):

I can, I can't even imagine someone making a complain about it. Cause it was just so beautiful. Everything was just so nice. The life so nice. The nightlife you could see was active regardless of COVID. Cuz we did COVID you know like COVID and you know, the use, everybody was outside. Everybody was having a good time. Like there was just nothing boring happening. Everything you could see life just all around. And that was the only place I found one dunking donut

Orion Brown (00:52:54):

<laugh> she said it was only one donut. It wasn't even <laugh> it wasn't even a old store of them. They had one dunking donut. Huh?

Alexa Prepetit (00:53:02):

I that's that's I seen like last book. I think that's a KFC

Orion Brown (00:53:10):

C is everywhere. I have not been to a country that did not have KFC.

Alexa Prepetit (00:53:13):

I'm pretty sure it's crazy. I saw a KFC. I saw a McDonald's and a five guys and five.

Orion Brown (00:53:26):

They really coming up. Look at them. I'm proud of them. <laugh>

Alexa Prepetit (00:53:29):

It was so funny. I got there when they were building it and then they finished building it while I was still there. And then they opened up like a grand opening and I was like a five guy here, his glass blue, like that's so random,

Orion Brown (00:53:46):

Super random, super. I mean, but that, that tells you something for a brand. You build a brand, you can go international with that sucker. I can't imagine that people in Europe would wanna eat a sandwich that heavy, but I guess it must be like a novelty.

Alexa Prepetit (00:53:59):

It mm-hmm <affirmative> packed every day. Everybody wants to eat there. I was just like, really? They're really on the up and up.

Orion Brown (00:54:08):

It's like the shake shack, you know, I love a good shake shack. I, I don't think I've been to a shake shack, but didn't have a line and I'm like, mm it's good.

Alexa Prepetit (00:54:15):

Was that good? Good. But switch was definitely the place I would love to actually stay longer. Maybe live, maybe teach. It was very beautiful in my imagine is even more beautiful when it's snowing. Cuz it was cold, but not, not that cold. Cause it, uh, the snow started a little bit later, but

Orion Brown (00:54:35):

That sounds lovely. And I hope you put that on your, you know, your, your vision board going into 22, cuz I want that for you. That sounds so cool. And then I can be like, I got a friend in do and I need to go because they got a dunking donuts. I heard they had a dunking donut, so I need to go. Um <laugh> so before we wrap up, cause we've been on, I mean we, we, that hour just went by so quick. Oh my goodness. But tell us, so one, do you have any travel plans coming? Like what's your next trip coming up?

Alexa Prepetit (00:55:08):

Well, I think I have, I've been thinking about it a lot recently cuz I just started teaching again and back in the states and I was trying to re acclimate with back, just coming back in general, I was like, maybe I just should go back. You know, just a one time you know, just to see all my friends. Cause I, I left a couple of people behind there, but

Orion Brown (00:55:32):

Just be, I they'd be, I, they be, I,

Alexa Prepetit (00:55:34):

Um, but I'm probably thinking about spring break, trying to align it with my school calendar and trying to plan it out. Maybe somewhere like hot. I've been definitely only thinking about going to Iceland. That's been on. She said

Orion Brown (00:55:51):

I was thinking about somewhere hot and I'm definitely going to

Alexa Prepetit (00:55:54):

Iceland, but I've always been thinking about Iceland. I, I know I was thinking about somewhere hot, my brave two different ways. I'm thinking about somewhere hot going someplace. Cool with my friends. I've heard Croatia was a very beautiful and I go to Croatia. You

Orion Brown (00:56:08):

Everybody's saying

Alexa Prepetit (00:56:09):

Go to Croatia and I'm just, I can go to Croatia. But my other side of the brain saying Iceland, Iceland, the lights. Well, just

Orion Brown (00:56:17):

Do them all. Cuz you've got the world is in your, the Palm of your hand and you can do them all whenever you want. I love that black girl, you got all the magic. I am so here for it. I love hearing these stories. And one of the things that I noticed is you have nothing but positivity and joy and fondness to the memories in these places that are, let me be honest, very, very Caucasian. And, and I love that though, right? Because to me that tells me and whether stuff happened or didn't or whatever, that you had a certain amount of freedom to just express and be yourself in the places and spaces that you were. And you did it by yourself and you still like, it's dope. And I'm gonna go back and I'm gonna learn how to ski and I'm gonna learn how to smoke board. I'm just gonna do it with the kids. And I love that spirit. I love

Alexa Prepetit (00:57:06):

That. I have to say being, being a black girl, you know, traveling alone and doing it by thing as I don't think's ever brought me down, it's only like just bring, brought me up, like just taking me higher at the end of the day. I'm always just like knowing my self that I'm like on my own inspiration, as well as multiple other women that I watch on Instagram traveling, doing their own thing at whatever age they decide to do. And I'm just like, I'm just a, a part of that wave of, you know, independent, strong women that are just doing their thing. And you, you know, bringing awareness and knowledge and you know, a little bit of beauty wherever they go. Cause I, I definitely was loads of fun trying to explain to my students like anything going on in America at that time

Orion Brown (00:57:59):

We can't, we can't even try. Let's just be honest. Like there's no,

Alexa Prepetit (00:58:03):

And I, I definitely only went full fro in the classroom don't Hey, the kids were just like, wow. I was like, yeah, that's the fro there mm-hmm <affirmative> and

Orion Brown (00:58:14):

That's the magic right there. That's the, you know, when we, when we talk about like people trying to touch our hair and things like that, and there's a frustration point here, it comes from a very D different place. But from the place of admiration, not fetishizing, the place of ignorance, lowercase like Miriam Webster. I've just never seen this before. And I'm, I'm amazed that God made it like that. That look, baby, that will, that will put you all right? Like that will ground you so quick to know that there is so much so magical about you. Um, and so, and so cool that these little and these little tiny people, tiny people are the best. Cuz they're honest, they don't BS and they don't have no kind of luggage. They'll just be like, that's different. Why they

Alexa Prepetit (00:59:03):

Do that? Yeah. They, they were very first at first say we were like, whoa, what's that? That's different. Like I've never <laugh>. And then I also had a couple, you know, there's still a couple, many people of color in the schools as well, boys and girls and the girls also were just like, your hair is like the best thing ever. Like I don't even know how you did it, but it looks so cool. And they always complimented me on my hair. I told them that was the summer. I said, listen, guys, I love my hair too. But this is the big chop summer. And they're like, no <laugh> we were like, don't do it. And I sent them a full of my new haircut. The teacher said they loved it. Cause I was, it was nice. And I was just like, listen, girls, I love it too.

Alexa Prepetit (00:59:50):

But it, it it's a lot. We all know it is. And they all supported my hair journey over there. I, I can't, I love the black, the black, the black girl community is the definitely like it's underground, but it's there. Like, but all the girls had, you know, the hair done for school. All nice. I was like, mm-hmm okay. And I think to myself, maybe I could braid my hair in France, you know, on my own, there was no hair store there. I had to ask like the students like, Hey, where you get your hair? And she's like, I don't know about like she know she came back to school. She was like, listen, it doesn't have an address. But if you tell my mom what type of hair color you need and the length I'll get it for you. But so I was like, what? Boy doesn't have an address. She's like, it's by the station. I was like, where? I don't know

Orion Brown (01:00:36):

Is somebody's trunk. Don't even, don't ask questions now you, you know, somebody drunk a car. I don't care.

Alexa Prepetit (01:00:42):

I love that. I, I felt like that was so funny. I was like, no, you know what? I think I'll just like, just, just braid it on my own. Thank you. Thank you for telling me about it. I felt like I, I felt like I was a part of the community. Like, but let my mom know. She'll do it. I

Orion Brown (01:00:57):

Promise. See, meanwhile, I'm like note to self, find little black girl. I have their hair done. Right. And ask them to ask their mama where I can get my hair done. That is my that's gonna be my Mo now I'm totally gonna do

Alexa Prepetit (01:01:10):

That. That was, that was definitely a question. I was like, always wondering. I was like, you know, maybe she just, she just gets it done somewhere. Cause I have no idea. And they said, and you know, I, the, my neighbors, really, a lot of women of come, I did see one girl. And she said, yeah, I do get it done somewhere. But she, she did. She just said I do it myself sometimes too. But she said, there's, there's people out there. You have to find their Instagram in France. And then they just

Orion Brown (01:01:36):

Have to meet each other. It's word of mouth. It's word of mouth.

Alexa Prepetit (01:01:39):

It's definitely word about the hair, community word of mouth. But it's there. It's, it's there. It's strong in there. Sometimes that's

Orion Brown (01:01:45):

A whole gym right there because I'd be like, I guess we're doing washing goes for the rest of the year. Like that would just, I love that. I love that. Where tell everybody where they can find you. Where do you post your adventures? Where do you, um, can we find you on these? Innerwebs because we wanna make sure that we know that you went to Iceland and we wanna see when you go back to Strassburg. So where can we find

Alexa Prepetit (01:02:12):

You? Um, well you can find me on Instagram, my Instagram or my tag or username is like boo, B O U B O U underscore Supreme. S U P R E M E. And I always,

Orion Brown (01:02:27):

But y'all heard the little glot stop there. It was likely, I like, I like <laugh>

Alexa Prepetit (01:02:34):

Sometime when I'm talking to the kids and like the schools now a little French comes out me. I'm like, I let stop, stop,

Orion Brown (01:02:40):

Go sit. You are an international phenomenon, honey. Sometimes you gotta slip in and out the code switching. It happens to all of us. Yes, boo.

Alexa Prepetit (01:02:52):

Yeah. I'm always like, just like, first of all, I have to change my name. I gotta keep it. Gotta keep it low key.

Orion Brown (01:03:02):

That's so you can't find me unless, you know?

Alexa Prepetit (01:03:05):

Yeah, yeah. You have to know. And I definitely post my adventures. I always like try to say every day's different. I always try to make sure I have a couple of scenery shots and then I'm I always keep, uh, like there's still many things I do for my adventures. I, I buy, um, uh, postcards everywhere I go. I buy a postcard that way I remember. And then everywhere I go, I always write in my journal one day in a different place. And I just explain like my journey, my thought process, like every time I go, I have to have my backpack trip. I love that journal France journal. Even when I travel my parents, I journal. And then I have, I buy one postcard to like, make sure, like, I remember exactly where I am at all times. So

Orion Brown (01:03:54):

I love that those, those are remarkable gems that we should all take as advice. Cuz so often we travel and we are there in the experience, which is great. But being able to jot down the feelings, the thoughts, the expressions, the things that come to mind. That's invaluable. Boo boo discipline. <laugh> I can't say it right. I,

Alexa Prepetit (01:04:19):

I heard, I

Orion Brown (01:04:20):

Heard it's in there. It's in there. Yeah. Some of that might be my sizes. I'm not even gonna lie, girl. It was so good having you for all of us that like, you know, had a long week ma that would be ma I definitely had a long week. It was so nice to get the lightness, the air, the joy that you brought us and these stories of living a broad. And now I wish I was maybe 15, 20 years young and with a backpack, I, you know, when my back set up, I can't be careful. You

Alexa Prepetit (01:04:48):

Could always do it now. It's never too late. I

Orion Brown (01:04:50):

Promise. Oh no, no. I need like roller luggage. I can't be putting it on my and

Alexa Prepetit (01:04:54):

Do luggage.

Orion Brown (01:04:55):

You could be. And then I need like a luxurious hotel room with a bed. That's you know, cuz it's ergonomically. <laugh>

Alexa Prepetit (01:05:04):

You're different. Now you could do all that. That that's

Orion Brown (01:05:05):

That's true. That's true. You could, but thank you so much for giving us this escape. This was so, so much fun. I love it. Now I'm hungry. I want croissants. I want all the cheese. I'm gonna gimme some chevra from, I totally didn't say that right from whole foods. I'm gonna get all their little, it's not gonna be the same, but I'm gonna pretend and I'm gonna drink myself silly to this wind down because it was so much fun. No thank you. After time. Cheers. Yay. And for all y'all that joined us. Thanks for holding it day. We appreciate you. We love you. We hope that this was in a high point on your hump day and it's all downhill from here. Y'all breathe. You got a couple more days and we have the weekend. We'll see you next weekend. Woo. Thank you all. Bye. Thanks for coming. Awesome. Okay.

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