It\u2019s my birthday today and as always a time of reflection.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>As I look back on the past year, it was mostly good (outside of the passing of my favorite musical artist Prince) and I was able to knock off a few items on my bucket list. Not surprisingly, <\/span>I spent a lot of time doing two of my favorite pastimes \u2013 traveling and eating.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

I started the year off at Mardi Gras in New Orleans, spending time with family and friends and adding more beads to my already large collection. Every time I go to New Orleans, I always over indulge and this time was no exception. Between the po-boys, beignets and red beans and rice, I got my fill of\u00a0N’awlins cuisine and gained a pound or two in the process.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

$\"Mardi$ <\/a>

Mardi Gras fun<\/p><\/div>\n

$\"Mardi$ <\/a>

Mardi Gras Indians<\/p><\/div>\n

$\"Beignets\"$ <\/a>

Beignets<\/p><\/div>\n

Next up was Turks and Caicos islands. I spent five days in Providenciales, where I laid eyes on some of the beautiful turquoise water I\u2019ve ever seen. I was lucky enough to encounter JoJo, Grace Bay\u2019s famous dolphin who\u2019s known for approaching humans. He swam up to our boat as if to say hi, then playfully swam away. While there, I also ate some of my favorite Caribbean food \u2013 jerk chicken with rice and peas and grilled snapper.<\/span><\/p>\n

$\"Jojo$ <\/a>

Jojo the dolphin on Grace Bay, Providenciales<\/p><\/div>\n

$\"Jerk$ <\/a>

Jerk chicken with rice and peas<\/p><\/div>\n

$\"Grilled$ <\/a>

Grilled snapper with rice and peas<\/p><\/div>\n

I ended the year on a whirlwind, with jaunts to London, Barcelona, South Africa, Morocco, Senegal and Ghana. I wasn\u2019t a fan of the food in the UK, but Barcelona made up for it. I had an amazing seafood paella which I watched the chef prepare from beginning to end.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

$\"Me$ <\/a>

Me at Harrod’s of London<\/p><\/div>\n

$\"Paella$ <\/a>

Paella fixins<\/p><\/div>\n

$\"Seafood$ <\/a>

Seafood paella, Barcelona<\/p><\/div>\n

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I visited\u00a0Durban, South Africa for the first Essence Music Festival in Africa and spent time on the Golden Mile. Reminiscent of Miami’s South Beach,\u00a0the Golden Mile is lined with hotels, restaurants, a casino,\u00a0and a coastline as far as the eye can see.\u00a0Durban has the largest Indian population outside of India and is the perfect place to indulge in Indian cuisine. I had my fill of bunny chow (a hollowed-out loaf of bread filled with curry) and biriyani. <\/span><\/div>\n

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I also\u00a0returned to Ghana for the second time and explored more of the country, going as far north as the Burkina Faso border. I was there for the festive holiday season and ate lots of traditional Ghanaian cuisine, including banku, fufu, groundnut soup and my favorite, jollof rice.<\/span><\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n

$\"Local$ <\/a>

Local performers at Essence Festival<\/p><\/div>\n

$\"The$ <\/a>

The Golden Mile –\u00a0Durban, South Africa<\/p><\/div>\n

$\"Black$ <\/a>

Black Star Square in Accra<\/p><\/div>\n

$\"Groundnut$ <\/a>

Groundnut soup with banku<\/p><\/div>\n

But my\u00a0favorite culinary delights came from Senegal. On my first day, my hosts treated me to Senegal\u2019s national dish, Thieboudienne (aka thebu jenn), a flavorful dish with fish, rice and vegetables. We washed it down with\u00a0bissap, a drink made from dried hibiscus leaves. During my time in Senegal, I had other delicious meals like Thebu Yapp (a lamb and rice dish) and Yassa Poulet (chicken with onion sauce). Desserts were also heavenly. As a former French colony, one of the vestiges is great boulangeries and patisseries with croissants and pastries that rival those in Paris. Let\u2019s just say that I had more than my fair share.<\/span><\/p>\n

$\"Theboudienne,$ <\/a>

Theboudienne, Senegal’s national dish<\/p><\/div>\n

$\"Goree$ <\/a>

Goree Island<\/p><\/div>\n

$\"Dakar$ <\/a>

Me at the Dakar corniche<\/p><\/div>\n

Looking back on the past year, I’m amazed at the remarkable experiences I’ve had.\u00a0I met a lot of new people, made a lot of new friends, and today I received birthday messages from all over the globe. It’s a testament to the power of travel and\u00a0the\u00a0gifts you receive if you step outside of your\u00a0comfort zone. Although these gifts aren’t tangible, I cherish them all the same. I look forward to another year of traveling to far off places, eating new foods, and meeting new friends.\u00a0My big\u00a0goal this year is to finally tackle Machu Picchu. Wish me luck.<\/p>\n

What do you enjoy most about traveling abroad? Share your comments below.<\/p>\n

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