This week's travel crush is here to show us how a single trip has the power to dramatically alter someone's life. Read her story of how traveling has impacted her life.
Photo Source: Bea and Instagram
You can count countries and continents or cities and states. You can enjoy the fascinating scenery in your backyard or amass passport stamps. When it comes to travel, there is no right or wrong approach. Meet Bea; she loves to travel both domestically and abroad and blogs about her experiences.
1. Tell us about yourself! Who are you? Where are you from? What do you do? What inspires you to travel?
My name is Bea, and I'm from Chicago. I work 9-5 by day in the finance industry. I love exploring my city and traveling when I'm not working. I got the travel bug when I visited China the summer before my senior year of college. I fell in love with Beijing's different culture, language, people, and traditions. I wanted to experience that feeling of not knowing and discovering other countries after I traveled to China. Every day I dream about my next trip, wherever that may be. Having the drive to save money so I have something to look forward to during a quarterly trip, inspires me to travel.
2. What are your favorite aspects of domestic vs. international travel?
Domestic travel is something we can all do, even if it's in our own city. You don't need a passport for domestic travel, and there's a lot to explore. I love the fact you can do a road trip a lot of times with domestic travel. I want to take more road trips. I feel like I've traveled more internationally than I have domestically, funny enough. I am making an effort to try to discover more places in the US. Internationally, I love to try authentic dishes custom to people in the country I'm traveling to. Chinese food in the US does not compare to that of the food made in China. The variety alone is not the same. I can't easily find my favorite, unique dishes I once ate in China, so I have to go back for that food. It's so interesting to hear the languages spoken in another country. It intrigues me, and I feel happy to be in an unfamiliar place. The people in other countries are fun to meet, and it's cool to watch and see how they interact with you because they are just as curious about you as you are about them.
I prefer international travel. I love to travel outside of the US. I like to see how other people live, learn about their traditions, experience their food, and take in their nature. I enjoy learning about different cultures. I was an International Studies major after all!
4. What did you miss most about international travel after taking a COVID-induced hiatus?
I missed planning trips! I am a huge planner and love to organize trips for myself and my friends. Having no clear direction on when we could travel again and where we could go was a tough time for me. We didn't know when the end of COVID would be, and I was feeling lost without travel. Thankfully, I felt motivated to create an outlet for myself and reminisce about my international trips. I also found comfort in exploring my city more, which is why I finally started Busy Bea Travels.
5. What are you looking forward to most on your next trip?
I'm looking forward to doing something outside my comfort zone that I wouldn't typically do. Something like zip line, parasailing, or just traveling solo. I'm always looking for my next adventure. One of my goals is to travel to all 7 continents. I'm excited I'm on my way to completing that goal, hopefully within the next 5 years.
Where else can folks find you?
People can find me on Tiktok, Facebook, and Youtube at Busy Bea Travels! Follow me for recommendations on places to go in Chicago and beyond!
Here are some more of our favorite travelers and their gorgeous shots.
Photo Source: Ella and Instagram
Wondering where to go next? No worries, Ella has you covered.
1. Tell us about yourself! Who are you? Where are you from? What do you do? What inspires you to travel?
Hello! My name is Ella. I’m a therapist on weekdays and a travel content creator 24/7. That’s not even a joke. You will notice a pattern of curiosity from my career choice to my content-creating niche. I have a curious mind. I’m always thinking of the next destination, adventure, or food hence the name wherenextella.
2. When did you catch the travel bug and what was the catalyst.
Growing up, I looked forward to traveling because I got to spend time with my dad without any work interruptions. That selfish dream soon blossomed into curiosity. As an adult, whenever I shared my travel adventure, I realized that people would pass comments insinuating that I had an unfair advantage or was extremely wealthy. I started sharing my travel to debunk the myth that travel was a luxury. I miss the version of me that got to travel for free with my dad. Still, I’m in love with this version that gets to remind people through my travel visual stories and experiences that travel is not a luxury. Even if it is, everyone deserves an experience that leaves their heart with deep throbbing joy.
I’ve always been a storyteller. Thanks to my brother and my dad. My dad is an avid reader, so to get my brother and I to develop the habit of reading, we would spend our Saturdays at a library. As part of our Saturday library ritual, my brother and I were required to check out a book, read it throughout the week, and narrate the story to our dad during our next Saturday ride to the library. My brother hated reading and was also a slow reader, but as the older sister, I still got the heat when my brother failed to complete his reading. To save my brother and I, I began choosing his books and doing his readings. I would read the books and summarize the story, making it as short as possible yet providing him with as much detail as possible to create the illusion that he had read the book since my dad sometimes asked random questions to double-check if we read the book. Unfortunately, my brother never developed an interest in reading, but he did gain a profound curiosity from hearing my rendition of books I read. He started picking his own books at the library because he wanted to listen to my summary and the little twist I would add to make him remember important plots. Fast forward to 2022, I still use the same approach to tell my travel stories and make people interested in places and adventures that they would have never considered.
4. Who is your travel role model and why?
My dad and Jessica Ufuoma. They both have proven without a reasonable doubt that having a full-time job while traveling is very much achievable, and it’s beautiful to have people who have succeeded in things you intend to do to learn from.
5. What restaurant should everyone visit and why?
There is this Indian restaurant in Ottawa that I would recommend to anyone who visits because I love everything about this restaurant. Indian, African, or any food that is different from the generic burger, steak, wings, mashed potatoes, etc., isn’t usually presented as a “fine dining” experience. As someone who loves food from different cultures but also luxury, I love that Thali serves amazing Indian dishes and is very intentional about their service, ambiance, and aesthetics of the restaurant. It’s a 10/10 experience.
6. Where can folks find you other than Instagram?
You can find me on Instagram and Tik Tok as WherenextElla or on my blog, wherenextella.comHere are some more of our favorite travelers and their gorgeous shots.
Need some inspiration and tips on capturing the best photos on your next trip? Let this week's travel crush Angelica aka @readyfor_jelly show you how! This international tax planner is anything but boring. After deciding to be her own boss she's doubled down on her travel content creation and isn't shy about it either. Read to more to hear how she takes the awkwardness out of travel selfies and snag her #1 tip for creating the perfect photo.
Baecations are sexy, but friendcations are dope. Meet Gabby and Trina, the traveling besties. This week they're showing us just how to turn up with our girlfriends.
Photo Source: Melissa and Instagram
Few of us can or even want to quit our jobs to travel the world. This is why we love hearing from those who manage a 9-5 while prioritizing travel. Meet Melissa, who works in healthcare communications by day and is a travel blogger and photographer every other time.
1. Tell us about yourself! Who are you? Where are you from? What do you do? What inspires you to travel?
Thanks for having me! I’m Melissa, a travel and lifestyle blogger based in the Greater Philadelphia/South Jersey area who is always looking for my next adventure. I’m a busy 9-5er by day, working in Healthcare Communications. I love exploring new places on the weekends, especially local hidden gems. I’m of Ghanaian descent, and I was raised in New Jersey. I’m also a photographer (you can check out my work at capturedbymel.com), and I love going to concerts, reading, cooking, baking, and spending time with my family. Travel has been a huge part of my life since my childhood. My parents always made sure to expose us to new places, whether a new town or a new state. We took many weekend trips and day trips. This instilled a love of travel that continued into my young adult years. Growing up, our favorite destinations were Washington D.C., Orlando, Baltimore, New York City, and Philadelphia. When I was in college, we went on our first family trip to Ghana, which was an incredible experience. During my junior year of college, I studied abroad in Thailand over the summer. This was my first solo trip and my first time traveling abroad. I was extremely nervous but also really excited to experience this new adventure. I’m so happy that I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and was able to experience the beauty of Thai culture. Thailand will always have a special place in my heart, and I hope to revisit it soon. To date, I’ve visited 26 states and 8 countries. My love of culture, food, nature, architecture, and meeting new people inspires me to travel.
2. What does it mean to live vibrantly, and why is it important to do so?
To me, living vibrantly means living your life in a way that is fulfilling to you. It means creating beautiful moments and incorporating joy into your life - no matter how small or large those moments are. Whether through new travel experiences, wearing bold prints and colors, trying new cuisines, experimenting with hobbies, enjoying nature, freshening up your decor, or meeting new people, your life is your own. You deserve to make it as magical as you want.
I love this question! As a full-time employee, making time for travel can often be challenging. However, I’ve found creative ways to make it possible. And ultimately, I created my blog to help busy young professionals do the same. I believe that there’s more to life than the 9 to 5, and that adventure can be found anywhere – in your backyard or across the globe. A few ways I balance travel with my 9-5 are by becoming a tourist in my hometown, working remotely, booking trips around holidays, extending my weekends (taking off on a Friday or Monday - or both), and planning out my trips in advance. I talk about this a lot on my blog and social channels, so be sure to check those out for tips on how you can travel while working full-time.
4. What is your advice to those that would like to implement more travel in their lives?
Make it a priority. Start by exploring your local area. Visit parts of your home state that you haven’t yet visited. Follow your state/city’s tourism board to stay current on events. For example, I stay up-to-date on my local happenings by following Visit NJ and Visit Philly. Every state (and major city) in the U.S. has a tourism board, so it’s easy to find them with a quick Google search. Begin taking weekend trips or day trips. You’ll be surprised by how much you’ll discover (and re-discover). Look for travel deals and sign up for Google flight alerts. Stay updated on what’s happening in the travel industry by subscribing to travel newsletters, such as Travel + Leisure, Tripsavvy, Travel Noire, and C.N. Traveler. If travel is something that really interests you, don’t wait. Don’t wait until you retire or for your friends to join you. Make a plan, save, research, and book the trip!
5. What is your favorite aspect of exploring locally? Why should others start taking on this practice?
My favorite aspect of exploring locally is trying new restaurants and visiting new attractions and events/festivals. When the pandemic hit, I put my international travel plans on hold. I had planned to take 2 trips abroad in 2020; however, that didn’t happen, so I was forced to adjust. As a result, I decided to make an effort to focus on local travel around the tri-state area and the northeast USA. I wanted to share cool spots with my audience and expand my knowledge of the Greater Philly area to provide great recommendations to those who asked. It’s been so much fun discovering new towns and cities that I overlooked in the past! I must say, it’s given me a greater appreciation for the region I live in. Everyone should explore locally because it exposes you to new things, experiences, and people. It also helps you become a travel “expert,” so to speak. You’ll be able to share recommendations with people who visit from out of state or abroad. I’ve lived in New Jersey for almost 3 decades and still have so much to discover. I’m always surprised to learn how many interesting things there are to do, whether it’s a festival, museum, walking trail, or restaurant.
Where else can folks find you?
You can find me at theglobalghanagirl.com. I’m also on all social media platforms as ‘theglobalghanagirl.’ If you’d like to book my photography services, visit capturedbymel.com. If there’s a topic or place you’d like me to cover on my travel blog, please don’t hesitate to reach out via D.M. or email.
Here are some more of our favorite travelers and their gorgeous shots.
Bree and Chantell must be mentioned whenever the topic of baecations comes up. They are not only our baecation inspiration since they combine love and adventure, but they are also this week's travel crush. Find out how they keep the baecation fire lit all around the globe...
