2019:Beyond Stamps & Flights

It’s time for a recap!! The third one I’ve done since 2017. I was inspired to write that first post while I was stuck in the airport in Frankfurt due to a cancelled flight. This time, I’m writing at the airport as my flight to Dallas was delayed. Your girl woke up at 4am for nothing, NADA! We might as well get something out of this 2-hour wait, right?

Where My Heels Went In 2019

I rang in 2019 drinking Sorrel juice, eating rum cake, and rafting down the Rio Grande in Jamaica. I went to 4 new countries this year but went on 7 international trips in total. Compared to 11 in 2018 and 25(!!) in 2017, I’ve slowed down a tad bit. You can say my travels are now more ‘normal.’

In London, I attended the Hillsong Colour Conference and got to hang out with old friends and my niece. In Scotland, it was about revisiting the place I’d most recently called home and having drinks with my old team. I went back to London in November for a short 4-day visit!

The Seychelles was a ‘pinch me’ destination! What a stunner! I’ve shared my one week seychelles itinerary, highlights from Seychelles, and what to do in Mahe.  I still have 2 blog posts to write on Seychelles!

Belize was a great getaway from the US. My favourite parts were San Ignacio (adventure activities) and Hopkins (Garifuna culture). San Pedro was slightly overpriced in my opinion but it was fun!

Nigeria was such a joy-filled time. Clearly YOU loved it too. I was primarily home to celebrate my girl’s wedding and I shared quite a bit of that with you. I also got to be home, celebrate my parent’s 40^th anniversary, and explore Lagos with my niece for a day, it was her first time in Nigeria. Aside from 6 hours of traffic that we got stuck in, it was a great day!

Going to Tanzania in September was not in the plan, but I had the opportunity to attend the 2-day AWEC Summit and I made it! I prayed to work on the African continent and this accomplished that in an unexpected way, but it also got me the chance to see Zanzibar, the first place I ever wanted to visit. Cue the tears!

You bet that will be ushering in the New Year 2020 somewhere new. The Newsletter gang already knows where that is.

Blog Posts You Loved

There were a number of posts that you LOVED and SHARED, thank you. My most popular blog post of the year came as a surprise to me, but I’m definitely paying attention and will infuse more career bits into the blog throughout the year. You also loved the Travfessionals series, one I started in January 2019 to feature people from all over the world that thrive in full time careers and still travel. I plan to double the number of features in 2020. If you’re new around here, what better time to play catch up than now when things are slower:

 

 

1. Lessons from 10 years in a Global Career
2. One Week In The Seychelles (An Itinerary that can be followed and tweaked)
3. How To Plan An African Safari
4. Sao Vicente Cape Verde Travel Guide
5. How To Travel With A Full-time Career
6. The Travfessionals Series: (Amarachi Ekekwe; Gabe & Birdy, Kachi & Tola)
7. Seychelles Highlights (all 3 from 2019)
8. 50 Countries Later: What I’ve Learned (a post from 2018 that continues to be popular!)

Collaborations

The goal was to collaborate a bit more this year by contributing to blog posts or guest posting on other blogs or in publications. While I didn’t end up guest posting or writing in publications, I contributed to 2 posts this year and I’m thankful for the opportunity to share on those two platforms.

First, I contributed to this article about the best airports for layovers.

Then, I was featured in a  post on traveling solo as a black woman.

I will step up in this area next year and branch out beyond written collaborations and into podcast features and/or video/IG lives. Do you have any suggestions or would you like me to share on your platform? I still want to write for a favorite travel magazine and the reason I continue to say it here year after year is so that I can look back when it finally happens. I continue to have bigger dreams for this platform.

Speaking Engagements

I wrote down travel and career related speaking engagements on my vision board for the first time this year. As a primary member of the impostor syndrome club, I didn’t how it would happen or if I was qualified. I don’t have huge numbers or following or connections.

However, I kept my eyes and ears peeled more than ever before and I applied to opportunities that I found. I stepped into opportunities to speak on campus at least four times this year in smaller and larger crowds. On the travel front, I got to speak on the expat life panel at Audacity fest. The Audacity fest opportunity was one I applied to at 2am in the morning after getting in from work at midnight. I will share the full story later but this was a miracle, a total God thing but I had to step out first and get some skin in the game.

If this year has taught me anything, it is that there is there’s something powerful about written plans, and in following up by taking small steps that boost you with the courage to take the next step. It also taught me that I am qualified and I do have experiences that are valuable to others.

Truth is, I’m not a person that’s naturally confident. I’ve never woken up thinking I’m the sh*t, I wonder what that’s like but I know that I was specifically crafted this way purposefully. Some people have told me that I sound confident and, what a joke! So how do I cope? I’ve just committed to showing up as I am, and do the things that are placed on my heart while knowing that being available and being willing to do the work is enough.

There’s no substitute for practice and the actual work itself. I’m unable talking a good game if there’s no substance behind it. Are you doing the work regardless of who is watching or do you simply crave the attention that comes with a platform. I feel most ‘confident’ when I share and draw from the combination of lots of practice, mistakes, and life experiences. So I’m committing to doing the work, and remembering that for every room I find myself, there’s a purpose.

 

Career

I hit the ten-year mark at the firm in September, and it prompted some reflection. These reflections led to the most read post on my blog EVER! See above if you haven’t caught up and read again if you need a reminder as we head into the New Year! I know I’ll be reading.

Blog Topics For Next Year

I did a poll on Instagram a few weeks ago and some of the ideas that came up are: sustainable travel and packing for trip. I’ve added those topics to my content calendar. If there are other topics you’d like me to cover in the coming year, let me know in the comments.

Relationships Taken Offline

I’m a firm believer that social media is what you make of it. I’ve met a good number of people in person this year and that’s just made this even more real and personal. The connections with fellow readers and bloggers in London, Lagos, and Philly connections were so good. There are also others that I haven’t met but if we ever do, I know it will be a blast! These truly make my heart happy. There’s so much good in the world and it is wonderful to be a part of that. So THANK YOU to everyone that’s made the time to connect this year.

Giveaways

At the beginning of the year I shared in my newsletter that I was going to invest in myself in a few ways and invest in you in those categories as well. The categories are: travel, faith, career, shoes, and in getting things together financially. I’m on track to have 5 giveaways by the end of the year.

 

The first giveaway was a paid registration to the Hillsong Colour conference (faith) in London! The second was a DSW gift card because who doesn’t love a good pair of shoes? The third giveaway was a one-year subscription to Scott’s Cheap Flight for my Audacity family! 

There’s one giveaway to a US based reader in the ‘finances’ category as well as the biggest giveaway to be announced on Boxing Day (December 26^th). Come back  to this post for details on how to enter!

Each giveaway item is not an afterthought, I think about: what problem can I solve for someone I may never meet? What is something I would have loved to receive myself?

There’s one giveaway to a US based reader in the ‘finances’ category as well as the biggest giveaway to be announced on Boxing Day (December 26^th). Scroll to the bottom for details on how to enter!

Here We Go 2020

If you’ve had a great 2019, congratulations! If you’ve had some form of turmoil, a loss, or are feeling left out of all the ‘happy times’ know that you are not alone I’ve had my share this year. If you’re feeling left out of a ‘tribe,’ know that you can create your own, and find people that really SEE you just as you are. Know that I’ve said a prayer for you today. I pray the passage of time and the turning of a new year brings you healing, the right people, and encouragement.

I want to THANK YOU for the gift of your time and attention this year. For every read, every like, every comment, every share. Thank you for ‘seeing’ my content. I hope continue to show you that it is possible to travel and thrive in your career. I hope to continue to be of service, information, and inspiration to you in 2020.

 

P.S. Don’t forget to come back on the 26^th for the giveaway!

Win A Trip to Kenya & Seychelles – CLOSED

Life can be hard, travel can still be a luxury so a break is just what you need sometimes. 

I’d love for travel to be more accessible in my life time and  I see that improvement in the past decade. Making travel accessible is one of the reasons I share my travels on this platform. Taking it one step further, I’m personally travelling less but I’m investing in one person traveling more in the new year!  You have a chance to win a spot on the Naija Nomads trip to Kenya & Seychelles in April 2020!

If you’ve been following for a while, you’ll know that I’ve visited both of these destinations in the past two years and I loved each one. I visited Seychelles in May 2019 and I just wanted to pinch myself the whole time.  Kenya was country #50 but more than that, it was the fulfillment of a promise more than 15 years in the making. Now, I can’t wait for one person to have his/her own stories of adventure from these destinations.

How To Enter:

1. You must be available for the trip dates (April 8 – April 15 2020)

2.  You must be subscribed to the blog  

3. Read up on what the win includes and excludes  

4. You should receive a confirmation email once you subscribe! Welcome!!

5. Not a strict requirement to win, but you SHOULD really be following Naija Nomads on Instagram! 

 

Till next time, 

Ms. Heels