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April 3, 2012 

Traveling Dreams: Suitcases + Sunglasses = Sayonara!

The traveling bug has been nipping at me for a while now, but these days, I’m feeling the bite. I don’t know about y’all, but I suffer from a certain kind of cabin fever that is only cured by a passport stamp and a plane trip to a far-off, usually warm, but always beautiful place.

The other day, I was on a bus from my hometown back to Toronto. Driving down the 401 on a grey, rainy day had me daydreaming about the days gone by when I left the raindrops, snowflakes, loonies and toonies behind for more exotic temperatures and currency. Now I’m sitting here, trying to count my loonies and toonies and save up for another trip away from home…

Having parents from another country helped to spark my love of traveling early in life. Visiting family, whether in the U.S. or Caribbean, was always a great excuse to get away. As I grew older, I found friends and partners who shared that love of travel, which made it easy to plan amazing and memorable excursions. Traveling on my own also taught me a lot of lessons in common sense, and forced me to be comfortable with my own company in unfamiliar surroundings. Regardless, each trip I’ve been on has been an experience I won’t soon forget. Dancing to Waka Flocka in a bathrobe at the Four Seasons in Vegas while eating a $7 bag of gummy bears? I did that. Getting over my fear of heights by traveling on a ropeline over Japan’s Seito Sea? I did that. Eating Patsy’s bake and shark while kicking up sand at Maracas Beach in Trinidad? I did that. Traveling has opened my mind to things that I never would have thought possible – and it’s an experience I think that everyone needs to embrace.

Real Bee, fake background - Orlando, FL

Lunch @ Senor Frog's - Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas

Where everybody knows your name - Boston, MA

On the bus - Kyoto, Japan

Mama Bee and I livin' it up - Beverly Hills, CA

Heading for that bake and shark - Maracas Beach, Trinidad

I’ve had pricier trips (Japan), cheaper trips (Boston, Miami), and damn-near-free trips (Vegas – thanks to my old company), but my love of traveling forces me to find a way regardless. Expedia and iTravel2000 have given me access to CRAZY deals on flights and hotels. Having extended family in other cities and countries helps with a place to stay or a seasoned travel guide to take me around. Saving my pennies for a trip I really wanted to take is hard work, but pays off as soon as that plane lands safely in my travel destination…there’s nothing like that feeling.

There’s absolutely nothing like getting out of the familiar and jumping into a brand new space. My favourite thing about traveling is that it ignites my senses. Different tastes, smells, sounds, sights, and textures (literal – the feel of velvety black sand between my toes; figurative – the overwhelming feeling of history while visiting a Japanese shrine) give me gifts that I can’t get any other way.

Looking for motivation or other like-minded travelers? Check out Nomadness TV, a dope travel and life blog that has me ready to hop on a plane back to Asia. Oneika The Traveler is another travel goddess (and fellow Canuck!) whose love of teaching helped to get her all around the world. Want to make a HUGE life change? Read “Quit Your Job, Travel The World” on Clutch Magazine for some inspiration.

As for me, I’m currently saving my loonies and toonies for a weekend getaway to Philadelphia for the Blogging While Brown conference in June. After that, who knows. You might just catch me on a beach in Bali…a girl can dream!

Do you travel for work or pleasure? What has been your favourite trip to date? Where is your dream destination? Is anything holding you back from traveling? Let a sista know!

 

 

November 9, 2011 

Honeymoon Hair: Straight to Kinky & Everything In Between

Do you remember the post I wrote recently on vacation hair? I had my St. Lucia trip in mind, but had no clue how drastically different this vacation would be compared to those in the past. Where on previous trips, I was able to maintain one or two different styles for the duration of the trip, this trip had me in a different style almost every day!

When we arrived in St. Lucia, I still had my hair pressed from my visit to Urban Textures. The air conditioning on the shuttle from the airport to resort keep me cool and intact…

…but a short time in the humid island weather had me poufing out like nobody’s business! For dinner on the first night, I slicked back the front and pulled my hair into a low side ponytail/pouf situation – it worked though!

I was able to enjoy a day at the pool the following day….since I figured my hair would get wet at some point then, I just pulled those poufy tresses up into a high bun, and held down my flyaways with a black headband made from the leg of some old pantyhose (Goody ain’t got nothin’ on me!):

After splish-splashing in the pool and the Caribbean Sea, I ended up co-washing and twisting with some gel and shea butter, then pinned them up for the night, and the next day…

Later that day, it was time to let those twists loose…the humidity was SO much kinder to my curls!

After spending another day on and in the water (speedboating, snorkeling, bathing in mud and doing photo shoots under waterfalls), needless to say, a redo was necessary:

I loved this snakeskin/50′s roll + headwrap combo….I twisted my hair into what I call “loose” Bantu knots – I coiled the twists flat against my head and bobbypinned them instead of twisting into the regular knots that hold themselves together. I had two twists in the front that I had no clue what to do with, and since my hair was still wet, I got a couple more bobbypins out…coiled the two twists around each other, then tied on a headwrap leaving the front out. Black winged liner, my fave specs, and a red lip and I was good to go!

The next day, I undid the twists, but as usually happens with anything Bantu-related, my hair was not fully dry. I let my hair down, pinned back the sides to force fullness in the back (and cover the frizzy damp parts), and hit the road. Not the greatest pic, but here ya go:

I ended up back in the water after our morning at the school, but preferred taking a nap over staying up to twist my hair again…so for dinner that night, I pulled out a few clips and bobbypins and got to work on a quick updo:

French-rolled in the back and held in place with clips, I took the front piece and twisted it back and to the side, then pinned it in place. Do you recognize that peek of blue I’m wearing? It’s the same Henkaa dress I wore here, but I tried a sweetheart style:

Did I mention I LOVE these dresses? I need another one ASAP because y’all are going to be tired of seeing this one!

By this point, our trip was almost over. My hair either stayed pinned up or thrown into a messy bun. For our last night, we headed off the resort and to a nearby street party that pops off every Friday night. I was feeling hella lazy at this point, so it was all about jeans, a tank top, and lipgloss. That’s it. I had my hair in a bun, but hadn’t slicked the front down to my liking, so I threw on a silk scarf:

The next day, it was time to call it a week, and hop on that plane home.

So, what tools did I bring with me?

  • Herbal Essences Hello Hydration conditioner
  • Ampro gel
  • Shea butter
  • Elastics
  • Pantyhose headband
  • Bobbypins
  • Banana clips
  • 2 Headscarves

And that’s it! For me, it was minimal work with maximum style…just the way I likes it! I ensured that I loaded up with conditioner before I headed out for the day, in order to keep my hair moist under the hot sun, and protected from chlorine and salt in the water. As soon as we got back to the room, I would rinse or just spritz my hair with water and add more conditioner. I would *try* to sleep with my silk headscarf, but that didn’t always happen ;) Other than that, I didn’t worry about my hair too much…I was too busy having fun!

There you have it – my honeymoon week hair! Do you have any vacation plans coming up? Are you already setting your hair plans in motion, or do you just go with the flow?

November 7, 2011 

St. Lucia Was Too Good To Me…But I’m Back!

Hey y’all! So, my week of unlimited sun, fun, food and drinks is over, and I’m back to the harsh reality of Toronto life.

If you didn’t know, I went away to St. Lucia for my honeymoon! Let me just tell you – being on my honeymoon, I would make sure to have a good time no matter where I went, but St. Lucia was the most gorgeous background for a week of love.

We stayed at the Sandals La Toc (also called the Regency) in Castries, but were able to “stay at one, play at three”, as there is also the Sandals Halcyon and Sandals Grande resorts on the island. It was our first Sandals trip, but after meeting so many couples at check-in who were back for their 2nd, 3rd, 10th visit, we were looking forward to what awaited us over the week. I’ll just say, we were not disappointed! The hotel was incredible (I’ll be linking to my Trip Advisor review of the resort later this week), the island was breathtakingly beautiful, and the people of St. Lucia were ridiculously friendly and genuinely nice!

I’ll get down to the nitty gritty of the trip in the days to come, but for now I need to do some laundry and look for my day planner and my watch…two things I haven’t looked at in a week! What everyone wants to see are pictures, so I’ll share some here to hold you over :)

In front of the fountain at the Sandals Grande

Trying to overcome my aquaphobia by snorkeling in Marigot Bay

Covered in mud at the Soufrière sulphur springs

Frolicking (love that word!) in the Toraille waterfall

On the edge of the speedboat with the Pitons in the background

After reading 'Where the Wild Things Are' to the 1st graders at Balata Gov't School, we acted like wild things for the camera

Street partying in Gros Islet

So there you have it – a taste of what the past week was like for me. I’ll update you guys on the details of the trip (well, not ALL the details), tell you about a new personal mission that was revealed to me, and for all my hair fiends, let you know how I landed in St. Lucia with flat ironed tresses and left with a messy kinky/curly/nappy bun! Stay tuned!

October 27, 2011 

Beaches & Braid-Outs: Planning For Vacation Hair

If you didn’t know, I’ll be going on a trip next week. Not just any ole trip, but a very special trip, with a very special friend, to do some very special things! A week away is JUST what the doctor ordered, so while I’ll miss regularly posting on here, I’m sure I’ll get over it ;)

Hair is always an issue for me when I go on vacay. When I had my hair relaxed, my go-to style was always to throw in some cute cornrows and call it a day. I just needed my scalp spray and my silk scarf, and I was good to go. Since going natural, vacation hair has gotten more fun – cornrows aren’t needed when I’m not concerned about getting my hair wet at the pool, and humidity is no longer my worst hair enemy. No telling what I’ll end up doing with my hair on this upcoming trip since I currently have it flat ironed, but I’ll be prepared…

Here are some of my previous vacay looks:

Wash n' Go in Boston (April 2010)

A fresh, pinned up twist-out in Las Vegas (April 2011)

Wash n' Go w/ Kinky Curly Curling Custard in the Bahamas (January 2009)

Side cornrow/twist combo in Maryland (September 2008)

Humidity-ravaged bouffant in Miami (May 2009)

Braid-out in St. Vincent (July 2011)

As you can see, I like to travel :) I’ve learned to plan for the most low-key vacation regimens so that I’m not weighing my luggage down, or spending too much time in the bathroom mirror. Here’s what I usually do:

  • Prior to leaving, I usually deep condition, wash, and twist or braid my hair. About 15 twists/braids will do, and I will pull them up into a bun or pin them up. This helps to stretch the hair in advance of any hair-shrinking humidity, and gives me minimal issues going through airport security checks. I used to wear a crochet hat over my twists, but having to take them off and ruin the whole boho traveler vibe wasn’t fun.
  • Once I’ve settled into my destination, I undo the twists/braids and get ready for fun! As my hair gets wet, or if humidity creates too much fro action, I’ll either a) go with the fro, b) wash and retwist, or c) do a wash n’ go. C is my least favourite option, as my wash n’ gos get supremely tangled after a day or two. B is my go-to, simply because for a day I can rock bunned or pinned twists, and then the next day I’ll unravel.

What products/tools do I bring? These days, I try to bring as little as possible:

  • A cheap conditioner – Herbal Essences or Suave is great. I it use to wash, and as a leave-in during my trip.
  • ONE styling product. Usually shea butter, since it solidifies – no leaking out in my luggage!
  • Lots and lots of bobby pins, elastic bands, scarves, headbands, and clips. These help me to section and twist my hair mid-vacation, and also give me some accessorizing options if my hair starts to lose its sexiness.

Things I don’t bring: No heat appliances – blow dryers are always in the hotel, or if staying with fam, I can dig one up somewhere. But drying my hair in the tropical sun is even better! No goopy product – saves me time and damage from in-flight explosions. I love products and tools that have multiple uses, which helps to make styling more efficient, and leaves more room in my luggage for items from Duty Free…

That’s pretty much it! No muss, no fuss, just cute, sexy, easy hair! Maybe next time I’ll try a more permanent style like cornrows, Senegalese twists, or braids – but as for this trip? It’ll be me and my curls :)

What are your favourite vacation styles? Do you prefer to do a permanent style to last you your whole trip (and beyond), or do you have your own vacation regimen? Do share!

September 25, 2011 

Road Trippin’ to the Maury Show

Ever had an opportunity present itself that was SO GOOD, you knew you couldn’t pass it up, no matter what the cost was? One such opportunity presented itself to me last week, and now I’m here to tell you – I went to The Maury Povich Show yesterday. I’ll let you take these 28 seconds to bask in your envy of me:

YouTube Preview Image

Anyways. A friend of mine sent away for Maury tickets back in March, and was finally contacted by the studio that her tickets were ready – it didn’t take much to convince me that this was a road trip I needed to take, so I packed a bag, gassed up the Pacer, and got ready to roll…

After a 9 hour drive, the Maury Massive reached Manhattan, where we would be picked up by shuttle and taken to the studio where the show is taped. We made our way through the labyrinth of one-way streets until we finally found a parking lot, and had our first encounter with the new stacking method of parking in NYC:

Cars on top of cars

Safe to say, we didn’t trust it. I’m always wary of leaving car keys with parking attendants, but we were getting closer and closer to our pick up time, so we said a prayer and handed over the keys.

We walked over near Madison Square Garden and after a short wait, the shuttle arrived and we were on our way to Stamford, Connecticut! Before we knew it (mainly because we all fell asleep on the ride), we were pulling up to the NBC Universal studio and got ready for the ratchet-ness that is The Maury Povich Show.

Just a note: both Jerry Springer and The Steve Wilkos Show are taped in the same studio…so you know that building is a den of boolshyt.

We were searched and went through a metal detector, then carted into a holding area where multiple flat screen TVs played Maury episodes while we waited…and waited…and waited…and waited some more. Three  episodes later, we wondered a) where was our free lunch, and b) where was damn Maury?? It was at this time that I finally got to observe the other folks who were waiting with us. There was one man, about 7ft tall, 700 lbs who kept snoring like a chain saw. Then there was the dude who ran for a front row seat when the episode showed a male stripper gyrating on stage. Then there was the girl who screamed at each and every person who took pictures in the waiting room. Then there were the scores of people who openly talked about coming to see Maury on the regular…I guess this was the new bingo hall/casino for some folks.

Finally, lunch was served:

Maury knows he's dead wrong for this...

 
That was it. One frowsy slice of cheese pizza. Want a drink? Buy one from the vending machine. The best I could do was go up for a second slice and hope no one said anything. I mean, come on. I’m sure there’s a catering company that would JUMP at the chance to have a contract with Maury. But what do I know…
 
So, another short wait after our lunch and we were directed to the lobby, where we would be seated for the show. Finally! Everyone’s mood lifted – we forgot about all the weirdos around us and the thin-ass pizza we just ate, and got ready to enter the holy ground of paternity tests and lie detector results:
 

The Maury studio - smaller than it seems on TV

Lights! Camera! Action!

 

The show was about to start.

One of Maury’s producers came out to give us the rundown. We were going to be on an “updates” show (insert groans from people who wanted the real deal paternity test episode). Maury would introduce the segments by playing clips of the guests’ previous time on the show – whatever the audience did in the clip, we were to do 10x louder. We practiced booing, cheering, gasping in surprise, groaning in disgust, and the standing ovation we were to give Maury when he took his seat at his throne as the king of television debauchery. We were promised tons of camera exposure, so I had hubby check my hair and teeth, and got ready to act a fool for Maury.

The show was HILARIOUS. I won’t give away all the details (watch Maury during the 2nd week in October to see your girl wild out in the audience), but we saw a ton of foolishness. A  16-year-old boy who lied to his mother about breaking up with his 32-year-old girlfriend; a woman who found out her man was cheating on her with her 19-year-old sister; and a grandmother who denied her grandson because the baby looked Norwegian (her son was Black), among other things. But even when it was a boring segment, just the sheer fact that we were asked to be ridiculously animated made it fun.

The man himself

Plus, Maury himself was a G. A chick screamed out “MAURY!!!” and he responded with “Yo!” He told us Connie was chillin’ and he’d tell her we said hi. At the end of the show, he told us we ended his week on such a good note that he was going to go and enjoy a 40 ounce. And let me tell you…I believed that man.

I left there hoarse, dying of laughter, and loving the fact that I got to see this nonsense up close. It’ll be interesting t0 see how everything gets edited, but I made sure that the cameraman found me doing my best boos and cheers, so hopefully you catch a sista’s TV debut in October!

Ever gone to a live taping of a TV show? Do you really think the nonsense on Maury is real? And please, if you happen to catch me on Maury, let a sista know!!

August 28, 2011 

Weekend Staycations…

On the way back from a beautiful day at Webster’s Falls…and now I’m determined to explore my own backyard and see what else Ontario has to offer…

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