Travel update: Where I’m off to this spring and summer

BY ONEIKA RAYMOND

I’m travelling a lot over the next few months. Read on to find out where!

Remember when I said that in 2017 I would travel less and stay home more?

Well, apparently I lied.

*welp*

I mean, it’s not like I didn’t try– March and April for were quiet for me travel-wise and I needed it.  With the exception of a short girls’ trip to St. Lucia and two trips home to Toronto for my new TV gig, I pottered around New York City, discovering new neighbourhoods and eating my face off at brunch spots in nearly every borough (those who watch my Instagram Stories can TOTALLY vouch for this, especially the eating part).

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At Corona Park in Queens, NY a few weeks ago

But, as much as I enjoyed getting to know my new home more intimately, the travel itch was always lurking beneath the surface, waiting to be scratched.  And who am I to defy the call of nature?!?

The result, of course, is an itinerary that will take me through a slew of destinations over the next few months, a good number of which I’ve never been to before.  I’m not gonna lie: even though I was feeling tired and jaded at the top of the year (blame it on having travelled to 27 countries in 2016),  I’m super excited for what’s to come! Here’s where I’m off to:

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

Some of you already know that I’ll be giving a keynote address here, at the Women In Travel Summit.  Milwaukee has never been on my radar, but this is the perfect excuse to explore the city while I’m there! Any tips? I head there tomorrow!

Toronto, Canada

I’ve already shared that I have a monthly travel segment on CTV’s news program Your Morning. The studio’s in Toronto, so I’ll continue to head up to my hometown to tape my segment every few weeks.  My next appearance is on May 3rd!

Belize

Liebling and I will be spending a few days in this nation, which, despite being located in Central America, is steeped in Caribbean/West Indian culture.  As someone of Jamaican heritage, I’m super interested to see what it’s like.

Venice, Italy

While I never need an excuse to visit Italy (I’ve been 6 times and my most recent stay was in October, when I hit up Bologna), the cancellation of an event I was scheduled to speak at in Portugal left me with a few days to explore before my next assignment (see below).  While I considered a few other options, I kept being drawn to the romance and beauty of Venice, a city I’ve never been to before.  I can already see myself in the gondola…

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In Rome, back in 2013

Germany

I’ll be in Germany on assignment with the German National Tourist Organization, producing a number of videos and articles showcasing the ties between Canadian and German culture.  Will anyone be in Bremerhaven, Stuttgart, Kassel, Frankfurt, or Berlin from May 14-24?  If so, message me! I’d love to meet you!

Azerbaijan. Georgia. Ukraine

After Germany, I’ll be gallivanting around a region that’s fascinated me for a long time.  With only a week to spare, it’ll be a really quick trip (you know I’m a fan of “fast travel”), but super fun.  I’ll be in Baku and Tbilisi for three days each before spending 36 hours in Kiev on my way back to New York City.

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Baku, Azerbaijan. Source

Orlando, Florida, USA

I haven’t been to Orlando since I was a kid living it up at Disney World.  This visit, however, will see me speak on a panel about travel at BlogHer, one of the biggest and best conferences for online content creators who are female.  Anybody else going?

Haiti

Expensive plane fares and inconvenient flight schedules from NYC have kept me from travelling to Haiti for long enough! Liebling and I are heading there for five days at the beginning of July.  The current plan is start in Port-au-Prince then hit up Jacmel and the surrounding area.  Intel appreciated!

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Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Source

Paris, France. Marrakech, Morocco.

My mom and I try to do a trip together every year and this July we’re going to Paris and Morocco for 10 days!  Y’all know about my love affair with the City of Lights (I’ve been over 10 times!) so it’ll be great to return with my mom in tow.  After a few days, we’ll hop a plane to Marrakech, where we’ll surely get lost in the medinas and drink mint tea until we burst.  While I’ve been to Morocco twice before, it was years ago (2004 and 2006!) and when I was a broke student. I’m thus excited to experience it differently this time around!

Barcelona, Spain. Andorra. Berlin, Germany.

When my mom heads back to Canada, I’ll hop on a plane to Barcelona, where I’ll hang out for a couple days before stepping foot in my 100th country: Andorra!  This petite principality is about a three hour bus ride from Barcelona, and constitutes a relatively easy day trip, so I figured why not go?! After that I’ll fly to Berlin for a wedding.

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At the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, back in 2012

Miami, Florida, USA

Liebling and I haven’t been to Miami for YEARS so we’re taking advantage of reasonably priced plane tickets and flying there for an extended weekend in August.  Some time in South Beach as well as in Wynwood (the area with all the great street art) is definitely on the agenda.

Brazil. Argentina. Paraguay.

Liebling and I will embark on a massive 2.5 week tour of South America this September! We’ll be going to Brazil and Argentina (favourite countries of mine– I spent a week in Rio and Salvador de Bahia in 2015 and two weeks in Buenos Aires back in 2008) and Paraguay, which neither one of us have been to before.

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Rio, in 2015

These next few months are going to be pretty hectic, but extremely fun.  If I’ve learned anything over the last little while, it’s that time waits for no one.  So I’m seizing the day and making some travel dreams happen while I have the finances and the freedom.  As Rihanna wisely sang, “Live ya life!”

Interested in coming along for the ride? Make sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram for real-time updates of my travels!

Read more:

How I afford to travel

Travel for less: How to find glitch fares

9 tips for solo travel if you’re a girl

How to meet people when you travel solo

Why I travel without my husband

The truth about travel blogging + advice for newbies

Are you travelling this spring and summer?  Where to?  And which of the destinations above are you interested in reading about?

SHARING IS CARING

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