Farewell 2015, Hello 2016

thetravelsista — Thu, 31 Dec 2015 23:52:41 +0000

As 2015 draws to a close, I find myself reminiscing on my year in travel and recounting my progress on my bucket list. I once had a goal to take one big international trip per year. This year I visited seven countries and 21 cities on three continents – my biggest travel year yet. I also finally took that DNA test to determine my ancestral lineage and I’m anxiously anticipating the results. I’m sure I’ll be adding some new countries to the bucket list based on the findings. Until then, here’s a recap of my travels in 2015:

I started off the year with a road trip to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. I hung out with family, ate plenty of shrimp, beignets and gumbo, collected lots of beads, and even snagged a coveted coconut at the Zulu parade.

Me collecting beads at Mardi Gras

Thanks to a $178 glitch fare on Etihad Airlines, I touched down on the Asian continent for the first time with visits to Dubai and Abu Dhabi. I rode to the top of the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest skyscraper, wore an abaya for the first time, and toured the magnificent Grand Mosque. This was my first foray into the Middle East and it surprisingly had me yearning to see more.

Burj Khalifa

Me at the top of the Burj Khalifa

Me in an abaya at the Grand Mosque

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

I also returned to the Motherland thanks to the Etihad glitch, with visits to four countries in southern Africa. I attended the Cape Town Jazz Festival, hung out on Durban’s Golden Mile, visited Nelson Mandela’s childhood home and final resting place, drove the Panorama Route, and delighted in the animals at Kruger National Park in South Africa. I rode the infamous Sani Pass, went pony trekking, and stayed in a village in the mountains of Lesotho. I saw the Fish River Canyon, went sand boarding for the first time, and climbed a 260-foot sand dune in Namibia. And I trekked to Mantenga Falls and Ezulwini Valley in Swaziland. It all made me love Africa even more.

Table Mountain views, South Africa

Mantenga Nature Reserve, Swaziland

Fish River Canyon, Namibia

The highest pub in Africa, Lesotho

I stayed stateside over the summer, with visits to Navajo country and the Big Apple. I shot plenty of pictures at Antelope Canyon and Lake Powell in Arizona, but photographs just don’t do them justice. The entire area is nothing short of beautiful and amazing. If you haven’t yet been, you ought to. I also made a quick run to Brooklyn and was able to take in the Atlantic Antic Festival. As always, I marveled in the frenetic pace and the diversity of New York.

Upper Antelope Canyon

Lake Powell

Mountain views in Page, AZ

I ended the year with a visit to Cuba – the one place I’ve wanted to see for years, but never thought I’d be able to due to the US embargo. As a lover of Afro-Cuban music and salsa dancing, Cuba was everything I hoped for and more. I pray that the thawing of US-Cuba relations will lead to increased prosperity and opportunity for the Cuban people, who are some of the nicest folks on the planet.

El Morro, Santiago de Cuba

Rumba at Callejon de Hammel, Havana

Me and a 1953 Chevy

I haven’t yet finalized my travel plans for 2016, but Machu Picchu, Thailand and East Africa are all on my radar. I’ll also be writing more and sharing more travel deals and trip planning tips. Here’s to wishing you a Happy New Year and more passport stamps in 2016.

Happy New Year

thetravelsista — Thu, 01 Jan 2015 22:22:12 +0000

Happy New Year!! As I reflect back on 2014, I’m happy I was blessed to have another year of amazing travel adventures. In April, I journeyed to the island of Culebra in Puerto Rico. In June, I made my first road trip to Savannah, Georgia and visited the historic First African Baptist Church (one of the first black congregations in North America). In late summer, I trekked to my first Eastern European country – Croatia – and spent my first time on a yacht during The Yacht Week. Also, I finally toured Italy (one of my long desires), seeing all the historical sites of Rome and beautiful panoramic views of the Amalfi Coast. I ended the year enjoying desert mountain vistas and spectacular sunsets in Phoenix, Arizona and Palm Springs, California. It was a wonderful year of fun, good times, and exploration.

Already, 2015 is looking to be another great year. On Christmas I snagged two amazingly cheap airfares on Etihad Airlines, which will allow me to strike off some biggies on my bucket list. In February, I’ll be visiting Dubai with friends (my first foray into Asia and my 5th continent). In March, I’m headed back to South Africa, where I will volunteer for one month (while also taking in the country’s beautiful sights and the Cape Town Jazz Festival). Hopefully, while I’m there I’ll also go white water rafting for the first time. I don’t know yet what the rest of 2015 holds, but I plan to make the best of it. I hope you too have another year of beautiful moments, treasured memories, and all the blessings your heart desires. Cheers!

Where did you go in 2014 and what do you have planned for 2015? Share your comments below.

dubai - The Travel Sista

Farewell 2015, Hello 2016

Happy New Year