The Lived Travel Experience_Make the plan, take the trip!
Subscribe!
Email Dr. Donna!
Being a black traveler

Being a black traveler

by | Nov 17, 2021 | 6 comments

It’s 2021, and it still amazes me to see the reactions of people I assume think I don’t belong in a particular space.  Stereotypes are well established, and I still get the microaggressive questions like, where are you from? What do you do? What does your husband do?  Sometimes I also get blunt questions like What brings you here?  I remember the famous Oprah Winfrey shopping experience quite well, and I realize that no matter the status, being a black traveler comes with some unique experiences.  Here are a few recollections from my experiences.

First-class

I’m a luxury traveler, and whenever possible, I indulge myself with that experience.  I can’t count the number of times I have queued for the first /business class travel lane and had fellow passengers step around me like I was invisible.  I often also get the automatic direction to the right from a flight attendant when boarding a plane.  It amuses me to go left, and then I get asked again for my boarding pass for a second verification as if somehow there was a mistake.

Travel lounges

Entering a travel lounge is no different.  I often see people flash their boarding passes and walk into the lounge.  However, I am frequently asked not only for my boarding pass but for identification.  When in the lounge, I see other passengers being asked if they would like a refill or a request if service is needed.  Frequently I am overlooked and must request service.

Customs and immigration

Customs and immigration are no different. I realize that some questions are valid, but I sometimes feel a sense of invasiveness when asked, what brings you here? Where are you staying? How long are you staying?  Although these might be valid questions, I’ve stood in line long enough to see that not everyone is questioned in the same way.  My history of microaggressive behavior makes me question the questioner.

Hotels

As a frequent traveler, I often stay at the same hotel chain for loyalty points.  As a loyal customer and quite knowledgeable about hotel services, I am rarely recognized as a loyal customer.  I know my wants are documented in the system, yet my room is often not as requested.  Again, this may be just assuming the worst, but historical experience tells me I’m not off the mark.

This article is by no means meant to be a  complaint.  It is simply a sharing of my lived experiences.  Have you noticed or experienced similar experiences?  If you haven’t, I invite you to take notice and claim your validity of space.  It’s incredible that even now, in 2021, the spaces I enter question my presence simply because of my hue.

Vulnerability and the lived experience

Vulnerability and the lived experience

by | Nov 10, 2021 | 0 comments

I focus on the lived experience because I don’t think people, things, and places become relatable until you genuinely experience them in real-time.  We currently live in a very picturesque world, and I see so many people trying to get the perfect picture to prove to the world that they have experienced something.  However, nothing trumps the experience, and it often cannot be relayed in the ideal image.  In the lived experience, you must be vulnerable, and a perfect picture does not show that experience.

Being a flight attendant exposed me to so many different people and experiences.  I remember people questioning my choice to be a flight attendant.  How could I spend four years in college to earn a bachelor’s degree and become a “waitress in the sky?”  The 23 years I spent traveling the world gave me more experiences than college ever could in hindsight.

I grew up in an immigrant family, and many of my early experiences came from being an immigrant.  As a child immigrant to the US, I remember not wanting to be different and accepting the vulnerability of being different.  As a young adult, I knew that my experiences were viewed differently and were unlike those of my peers, and it took me several years to learn to lean into my uniqueness.

When I first became a flight attendant, it was a time of genuine customer service and being “something special in the air.”  Flight service included champagne and caviar service, and it would take almost two hours to complete a dinner service with cooked-toorder onboard chateaubriand.

Vulnerability is admitting that the first time I had chateaubriand was on an airplane.  It was also the first time I had caviar, and I had been serving caviar for almost two years before I had the nerve to try it myself.  My regret is not having tried it on day one! However, I did not want to be vulnerable and try it in front of my coworkers.

But that was my vulnerability, and I learned through my lived experience that holding on to the vulnerability of not admitting my naivety was only to my detriment.  As airline services reduced year by year, I longed for the days of caviar and champagne service.  It’s an experience few will ever get to experience, and I had the opportunity to experience it daily and didn’t for many years.

What are you giving up by holding on to your vulnerability?  I promise you that the lived experience is much better than the picture opportunity.  Live and be proud of your firsts, because they will not be your lasts.  Have you been in vulnerable situations and learned from them? I’d like to know.

The long trip home to Singapore

The long trip home to Singapore

by | Oct 20, 2021 | 0 comments

I finally made it back to Singapore and my ex-pat life.  I left Singapore for one of my routine trips back to the US.  However, Covid and the many different guidelines set up by Singapore complicated my return. I hadn’t seen my husband or dog for over a year, and I finally made the long trip home.

Getting there

As an ex-pat, I am not a Singapore citizen or permanent resident. The first process for getting into Singapore is to get approval from the government for entry.  Planning the trip home took several attempts as my arrival had to coincide with the dates given by the Singapore government, the availability of flights into Singapore, and the availability of designated stay-at-home quarantine hotels.  Once all the pieces aligned, I could finally schedule my long trip home.

Travel options

As a former flight attendant and living in SE Asia for over ten years, I am accustomed to traveling long distances.  My first attempt at getting to Singapore had me transiting through Germany.  That route was ideal as an established travel lane between Singapore and Germany was established, and travel connections were perfect.  As I could not coordinate all the pieces for my travel, I transited through Istanbul, Turkey.   This route meant an 11+ flight from Dallas to Turkey, a 9-hour layover, and another 10+ hour flight from Turkey to Singapore.

Travel choice

With 30+ hours of travel ahead and my experience as a traveler, business class on Turkish Airlines was my preferred way to travel.  The benefits far outweighed the costs for me. I was particular in this choice because it meant having access to the airline lounge where showers, private suites, meals, and luggage lockers were available.  My preference is always to have a stopover as I do not have a tolerance for 18-hour flights.  I can only say that a hot shower between trips can make a difference between a good or great travel experience.

For me, travel is more than getting from one destination to another; it is about the travel experience.  If you ever must travel long distances, try to make it as pleasant an experience as possible.  Investing in your travel experience will make a tremendous difference in long-distance travel.  Have you taken long-distance trips? How was your experience? Comment and let me know.

p.s. I made preparations to spend my two weeks of mandatory quarantine at a designated stay-at-home hotel before being allowed to go to my home in Singapore.  However, I was permitted to spend my quarantine at home.  I will not be able to leave home for seven days and must wear a tracking bracelet.  In Sunday’s blog post, I’ll discuss more on the arrival process of getting into Singapore.

 

Covid Restrictions and Holiday Travel

Covid Restrictions and Holiday Travel

by | Oct 10, 2021 | 0 comments

Recently a friend traveled from Washington DC to Egypt. She discussed with me the harrowing experience of trying to get a required Covid test for travel. With recent federal guidelines, the need for Covid testing has increased, and availability has decreased. As the holidays are a busy travel season, it stands to reason travelers needing testing during the holidays will also surge.  Here are a few things to think about regarding Covid testing and the holidays.

A surge in Covid testing

Many of the issues involved with the current availability of Covid testing affect the recent executive order requiring Covid vaccination for federal employees. Companies with over 100 employees will be required to comply with the order or face significant fines. As expected, there are many questions regarding the order and implementation that need an answer.  However, the demand for Covid testing has risen, and so travelers need to prepare.

Thanksgiving travel

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and it’s usually one of the busiest times for people to travel.  In 2020, many suggested curtailing travel during the Thanksgiving holiday, and many ignored that suggestion.  In preparation for the upcoming busy Thanksgiving travel season, the U.S. Air Travel Public Safety Act may require all passengers on domestic airlines to either be fully vaccinated, tested negative, or fully recovered from Covid.

The World and Covid

Preparing for holiday travel

In essence, travelers should be aware of travel restrictions and Covid guidelines. They should know where their Covid testing sites are. Find out if they need to have Covid symptoms or can test as a precaution. Research the timing of their test before seeing friends and family as exposure varies. It’s also good to know the different Covid test options, PCR or antigen.

As with any travel experience, preparation is critical.  Stay safe this holiday season and if you choose to travel, do it safely.

Why choose a bespoke holiday?

Why choose a bespoke holiday?

by | Sep 1, 2021 | 0 comments

A bespoke holiday is one crafted to your needs. In most cases, it is synonymous with luxury travel and excellent service. Because I have traveled for many years, I believe some things or experiences can differentiate between a good trip and a fantastic trip. My recent African safari was one from the Elewana Collection, and here are a few reasons I chose this bespoke holiday.

The Elewana Collection is known for its unique and iconic locations. One of my recent blog posts discussed my stay at the Elewana Treetops, but each place I stayed was equally impressive. My bespoke trip to Tanzania included:

The itinerary of my safari was custom designed and well thought out. Its primary focus was to provide unique experiences in the places visited. Although the itinerary was tailored for me, I could change it at any time. All activities were well organized and timely, and options for bespoke experiences were limitless, including sunset dinners on safari, beach, and other ideal locations.

The trip included all accommodations. Because the trip covered all Elewana properties, the only check-in was on the first day. Every stay after that, we were escorted to the room by our butler. All requests went through the butler, who handled our requests efficiently and timely. It was like having a personal concierge service.

Drinks and meals were all-inclusive. Premium drinks were available for a charge, but the drink selection offered was more than adequate. In addition, the trip included all transportation to and from the lodges and camps, Kilimanjaro airport, and Zanzibar airport. All the scheduled game drives had a personal English-speaking guide for the duration of each destination.

There was no need to overpack as laundry services were available at every destination. The package also included emergency evacuation insurance. However, it did not have travel insurance. Other items not included were gratuities and tips, visas for Tanzania, and flights into Tanzania and from Zanzibar. The resort in Zanzibar provided a driver and guide, but trips to the city were at an additional cost.

If you’ve never had a bespoke travel experience, I would highly suggest one. Not having to worry about different accommodations, making travel arrangements within the country, and sorting out guides and transportation was priceless. It is so worth the expense and can be a most memorable time.

Are you interested in a bespoke travel experience? Check out my trip on Levantr and create your own bespoke travel experience. Let me know.

Travel planning with Levantr.

Travel planning with Levantr.

by | Aug 22, 2021 | 0 comments

Hot air balloon ride in Tanzania

I’ve written much about group travel. I love to travel and sharing it with people I also love is a passion.  Part of what prevents a lot of group travel is coordination.  I recently found a new way to plan and share my trip with Levantr. Check out my Tanzania itinerary and explore my trip and travel planning benefits with Levantr.  You can even download my itinerary and customize it to your trip later.  Here are a few reasons why you should try the tool.

There are many moving parts to planning a trip. Designing it with a group that may have different ideas and visions of the trip can be stressful.  Having an itinerary helps you outline how you envision a trip.  You can summarize places, things you’d like to visit, and any other trip ideas in one place on Levantr. This pre-planning gives the group a better and more visual way of organizing your plans and a more collaborative way to brainstorm for more effective group decisions. Levantr also has sample itineraries if you aren’t sure where you want to travel next.

I like group travel, but I’m not a fan of group texts. I’m also not too fond of the constant notifications that often come in at the most inconvenient times or provide no information or context.  With Levantr, group texts are no longer necessary. Participants can go onto the site and plan with surveys that can show what’s preferred or not preferred. You can ask questions and summarize the responses to make the group travel planning easier. Best of all, you only see information when you choose to go online to view the itinerary instead of whenever someone decides to respond.

I’m an organizer, and I like organizing trips. However, I wouldn’t say I like the minutia of travel planning.  I want to create a trip that I would enjoy.  I then invite others to the trip.  If they are willing to go along with my plans, then fine, we go.  My trip is exactly that, mine. With Levantr, you can share your trip with others.  They can see the trip plans and itinerary in one place.  If they decide to go along, they can.  If they choose to modify the trip to their needs, that’s also an option.  The group can all go on the trip but have or create their itinerary to suit their needs.

My trip to Tanzania had many moving parts.  It was a safari, and I stayed at five different locations during the trip.  The trip included many game drives, walking safari’s, dinners, and sightseeing opportunities.  Much of this entailed early morning times, such as my 4 am departure for my hot air balloon ride.  It also included late evening/night events such as sundowner drinks and a Boma dinner with Massai dancers.  While I prepared mentally for the trip, I realized that many would not be. Therefore, choosing a travel companion was important.

While Levantr will not help you choose your travel companion, it may help prevent some unexpected issues with differences of opinion before the trip.  I invite you to check this option out for your next travel plans.  Let me know what you think.