I was intrigued by travel the moment I realized what power a “buddy pass” had. My curiosity for traveling probably started long before I even realized it, as I first traveled across the U.S. from LA to DC at 3 months old! Now that I think about it I’m sure the travel bug is neatly ingrained in my DNA! Mama Lucy, my great-grandmother was said to always have a bag packed by her bed ready to go on an adventure at a moment’s notice.
And although I did not seriously start travel until I was an adult, I was lucky enough to always be surrounded by people from all over the world this helped peak my curiosity of this big ol’ world even more. I learned how to make Goat, and Shrimp Rotis from a native of Trinidad, spoke my first Spanish words from a grandfather type friend of the family from the Dominican Republic. I danced to Cuban and Nigerian rhythms since before I could even remember, and always, always ate any new item I could try including Ethiopian and Japanese cuisines, which were some of my early favorites as a child.
My mom traveled throughout my childhood dancing, and acting in plays, being around four when someone would ask “where is your mother in this world”, I would answer “herami” for Miami, or “hergeria” for Nigeria. It was through my mom that my real love of Reggae began. When she returned from living in Jamaica for a couple of months she came back with a bag full of classic hits from legends like Peter Tosh and Bob Marley. The rhythms of the music along with the stories she brought back with her have been with me till this day.
Two of my aunts were flight attendants in what I consider the hay day of flying. As a child I would revel in the idea of one day being able to be a flight attendant. For me I thought “what was not to like”. I thought the perks were amazing, being able to travel the world for nada and received money doing it too. The biggest bonus I considered was the fact that they were able to share the wealth with their immediate families. Here is where I learned the true power of a buddy pass. My great-aunt, to whom I affectionately called “grandma”, took full advantage of her daughters buddy pass privileges traveling the globe to visit family and an occasional vacation too. Grandma Toots once said: “If you don’t believe in God, go to Hawaii and stand on top of a mountain and speak with me then”. The imageries that those words provoked are still vivid in my head today. Can you imagine that mountain?
My brother has a serious passion for seeing the world as well. He loved to travel so much that he became a jet and helicopter pilot in the Navy, and has since lived in 4 continents including South America, Europe, Asia, and North America. I loved when he came back from living in Italy and brought me my first bottle of Limón cello and a saying that translated to mean the son of a pig a funny joke between him and his new Italian buddies. He taught me about the drink of choice in Russia, Vodka and till this day Stolichnaya is my go-to brand. Ronaldo, as we affectionately call him, has sent me pictures and post cards from Australia, Singapore, Brazil, and many, many beautiful locations from around the world. I just kept thinking “I can’t wait until it’s my turn; I’m going to travel the world”. Well now it is definitely my turn! As my grandpa would say to me “you got it honest” and there Sherpa Girl was born.
Follow me and my friends (the Destination Aficionados) around the world as we soak up all the adventure, all the good, the not so great, and the truly amazing. We like to help you on your journeys, and will share our tips and tricks to ensure a successful experience during your travels. Don’t be shy… tell us about your travel journeys too!
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