personal style, musings and inspiration
Earlier this month, I took a birthday trip to Mexico City. It was my first trip to Mexico City meaning that I had to learn the way of the land, but it certainly won’t be my last! If you click here you will find a list of just a couple of etiquette’s I had to learn just to try and fit in with locals. I fell in love with the city for the couple of days I was there. More details on how to plan a trip to Mexico City will follow in a separate post, but read on to see highlights from my trip.
Podcasts remain my go-to way to while away my commute time. Every few months I’m adding and sometimes subtracting defunct podcasts from my list. In case you are looking for some interesting podcasts to add to your queue, see my current must-listen list below.
Thirst Aid Kit – This podcast is like the best of the exhaustive convos you’d have with your single friends (when you actually have the time) about your crushes. I love the fact that they write a piece of fan fic for each episode that listeners can weigh in on to choose their favorites. I’m not even gonna admit how long I spent scrolling through the podcast’s Tumblr…Must-Listen Episode: Can’t Choose One…Listen to the entire first season!
On She Goes – It’ not so easy to find travel and lifestyle content that revolves specifically around women of color and that’s why I enjoy this podcast. The short vignettes of travel tips from a women of color perspective and and interviews of women of color have definitely inspired me to add a few destinations to my travel bucket list. Must-Listen Episode: Season 2 Episode I Can’t Get My Hair Wet
Hey Girl Podcast – Self-care, inspiring and sometimes poignant stories on loss, love and everything in between from interviewees, encompass this podcast. I’ve been following Alex Elle on IG for a while and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoy her thoughtfully done podcast. Must-Listen Episode: Episode 16: Dana on Self-Awareness Through Yoga
The Naked Beauty Podcast Hosted by Brooke Devard – Beauty, Fashion, Skincare are some of my favorite content topics so of course I’d enjoy this podcast that revolves around those topics! Brooke, the host of this podcast has really interesting guests. Must-Listen Episode: Moving Beyond #BlackGirlMagic Ft. Lindsey Day (Founder of CRWN Magazine)
The Nod – This podcast ells the stories of Black life that don’t get told anywhere else.These podcast episodes are well produced and I usually end up learning some little known fact about notable figures in history. Must-Listen Episode: Ready, Set Buy Black
I always have a running list of places I want to travel to at any given time of the year. But it’s fun to reflect on where I’d love to travel to at the beginning of a year if only to see if I can manifest some of these trips into reality by next December… Traveling the world is expensive as we all know, which is why we all look to finance these trips in any way possible. One option that you may like to explore as you get older is equity release which would certainly raise the amount of money available for vacations!
The summer travel season is upon us! But it can be challenging to maintain healthy practices while traveling. But no matter the duration, it’s important to not let healthy habits go out of the window. Here are tips to maintain some healthy travel practices for travel to nearby locales or far flung destinations.
Drink Water (As Much as Possible) – Particularly if you are traveling by plane, pack an empty water bottle and make it a practice to refill and drink it throughout the day. Note: If you are traveling to a locale where you can’t drink the tap water, just drink bottled water instead.
When Possible, Bring Snacks – Some of my favorite snacks to pack include Lara Bars, Trail Mix, Herbal Tea Bags, and Fruit that travels well (like oranges and bananas). Other packable snacks that work well include oats (just add water and you have breakfast) boiled eggs, sweet potato chips, and plantain chips.
Stick to Your Supplement Routines – When I travel on longer vacations, I also usually pack tables like Ashwagandha, where you can find this product on Amazon. You can also have it in powder form, which you can add to beverages and Matcha packets.
Take a Probiotic or Digestive Bitters to Avoid Tummy Trouble – Taking a probiotic is a good practice when not traveling, but since travel can sometimes upset people’s digestive systems (upon the advise of your health practitioner), take your probiotic and digestive bitters. Having an upset stomach while traveling is no fun.
Be Mindful of Food Intolerances + Allergies…Order Your Food Accordingly – If you have food intolerances or allergies, it’s best to avoid foods that give you issues just in case. Be sure to speak with your nutritionist, doctor, or health coach before deviating from your normal diet. In other countries because of the differences in food cultivation and production, it may be possible that you can tolerate foods abroad that normally avoid while at home. But is best to first speak to the professional you go to for nutrition/food advisement.
Try to Add Fitness Activities into Your Itinerary – Walking Tours, Bike Tours, Jogging to Enjoy the Local Scenery, or Trying a Fun Fitness Class are just a few ways you can add activities into your travel itinerary. Making time for fitness while on vacation doesn’t have to be a chore. It can be a fun, memorable way to enjoy your trip. If adding fitness into your itinerary isn’t an option, there are thousands of fitness routines or various types on YouTube that you can try such as Yoga, HIIT, or Pilates.
Don’t Beat Yourself Up if You Indulge – Indulging in treats is a fun way to experience a new place. If you are in Italy don’t deprive yourself of that Gelato! But try to aim for one indulgent meal/treat a day rather than indulging all day long. Make trying delectable treats a part of your routine by walking to the destination at least part of the way which makes your efforts a reward.
Image: Unsplash
In late March/early April I took (what I hope) was my first trip to South Africa! Here are a few pictures of Cape Town from my travelogue.