The Nubian Drifter

Convos on the Road

Recently I had the good fortune of being able to visit Malaysia. It was my first trip to the country, and it gave me a chance to meet up with some friends who I hadn’t seen in a few years. I was more than impressed during my time there, and I can definitely see myself back in Malaysia.

Thankfully I arrived pre-dawn. The temperature was comfortable (for a moment), but the fauna was a constant reminder that I was in the tropics. I navigated the airport and found economical transport to the city centre. Unfortunately, I misplaced my ticket, but I was able to verbally muscle my way out of paying 2x. For my first 36 hours I experienced mild exhaustion, indulged in gastronomic gluttony, and felt bewilderment as I noticed the swelling in my hands. However, I was eventually able to attain a balance of diet, rest, and adventure.

Why Black Youth Must Travel (Article taken from Ebony Magazine)

Approximately a third of the U.S. population holds a valid U.S. passport, a ticket to see the world. But as many Black American families view travel as a luxury instead of a necessity, it’s rare to see Black youth trekking across the world compared to their White counterparts. Travel is a rite of passage; it challenges the traveler’s attachment to national identity and introduces the option of being a global citizen. Black youth can create lives outside of the United States, and see the world beyond just simple vacations. But it’s going to take a shift in consciousness to get Black youth to make world traveling a top priority instead of just an option for retirement.

“I think there is a misconstrued, automatic assumption that traveling is expensive and something that isn’t accessible to Black communities,” says Evita Robinson, the founder of Nomad•ness TV, a youth-focused travel reality show.

Money is often cited as the main reason that Black youth are not capable of backpacking across the world like their White counterparts. But truthfully, the savviest young Black travelers will tell you that it’s all about prioritizing and choosing where to spend the little money you may have. The real question is whether or not Black youth are inspired enough to make travel a top investment […]

[…] Visit Ebony.com to read the rest.

Arielle Loren is a writer and filmmaker that offers real-life commentary on women’s issues, sexuality, health, and travel. She is the Editor-in-Chief of Corset Magazine, the “go-to magazine for all things sexuality.” Check her out on Facebook, follow her on Twitter @ArielleLoren, and visit her personal site.

Photographer Talks Travel, Culture & Recent Move to South Africa

Stephanie O’Conner — the Johannesburg-based mastermind behind Conner Varin Photography— is the type of person who, upon meeting, you never forget. The sort of individual who becomes a kindred spirit after the utterance of just a few sentences. She’s an inspired, free-thinking urban gypsy; her photography reflects this ethos. Meeting initially through a mutual affiliation with the popular Facebook community, Nomad•ness Travel Tribe, Stephanie, because of her tenacity and humility, quickly became someone I admire. To that end, check out what she had to say when I asked her about her travels, how she regards the idea of culture and her newfound life in South Africa.

ND: You recently decided to take up permanent residence in Johannesburg [South Africa]. What brought upon this decision?

SO: After my first visit to South Africa, the decision wasn’t hard at all. I fell in love the moment my foot stepped off the plane. I had been contemplating moving [outside the US] for a while, but I just wasn’t sure where I wanted to go or what it was that I was even looking for. I had only traveled a few places in Europe, the Caribbean and Asia. My love for travel and learning cultures had me in love with each of the countries/cities I had visited, but never in a way that made me want to live there. It was different in Johannesburg— the energy ignited me. It was the unique similarities but obvious differences [to the world I came from] that made me realize this was exactly where I wanted to be.

Hang the World in Your Closet: Nubian Drifter’s Guide to Buying Unique ‘Pieces’ Abroad

The world is a runway, and I’m lucky enough to have been given a front row seat.

One of the most interesting things about travel is the ability to watch people from various cultures exist in their natural surroundings. Personally, I love to observe the many different quirks and idiosyncrasies that are, perhaps, culture-specific. I take pleasure in seeing what local people are wearing, specifically how they go about combining color, print and texture. This inspires me on a number of different levels: not only do I walk away with a clearer understanding of a culture that was previously foreign, but I am also endowed with new ideas, and fresh and innovative ways to bring life to dated ones. I’m able to take bits and pieces from here and there and incorporate them into my everyday existence, wearing my experiences quite literally on my sleeve.

Backyard Travel: Hanging Out in the Bourbon Capital

“Travel isn’t about the distance traversed, but about the memories created.” I tweeted this a couple months ago, and thinking about it today, it couldn’t be a truer statement. One of my longterm goals is to see more of America. As a traveler, sometimes I get caught up in those long-haul, ocean-hopping flights— so much so that I neglect to see what’s in my own backyard. That age-old saying, “The grass is always greener […],” becomes my reality. But there is so much splendor here in America to which I have not bared witness. So instead of booking a trip abroad, I set my sights on somewhere domestic, and ultimately chose the horse-loving, bourbon-distilling, beautifully widespread American state of Kentucky.

One of my philosophies [in life] is that reality is perspectival. Anyone who knows me will tell you I like to experience culture for myself and draw my own conclusions, rather than listen to someone else’s opinion. For instance, my dad had nothing but negative things to say about Paris and the French, but each time I’d gone, I experienced the exact opposite of his sentiments. Kentucky was no different. Prior to my departure, I heard every reason under the sun as to why I shouldn’t go— spanning from stodginess to racism— which only fueled my desire to get there and check things out for myself.