Travel Diaries
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For my honeymoon in Aruba, I knew that I wanted to feel bright and feminine, but most importantly, comfortable. After a 10-month sprint of wedding planning, the vacay was much needed. And while vacation Kindra has bands on bands to invest in this dream wardrobe of mine *insert money emoji*, real-life Kindra has bills. So I pulled some pieces out of my archive, bought a few new resort looks, and let Rent the Runway fill in the gaps.
From cliff diving and ATVing to candlelit beach dinners, keep reading for my Aruba honeymoon travel diary—including every look I wore along the way.
I’ve always wanted to see the city of Nashville, but I never imagined that it would happen in the midst of a nationwide pandemic and protests. When COVID-19 and layoffs put a dent in my summer plans, I settled into the idea that I would likely spend my birthday weekend in a virtual Zoom party like so many others. However, after spending over 2 months of quarantine and social distancing with my family in South Carolina — away from my Harlem community — my boyfriend Jamel and I decided enough was enough. We chose to meet in Nashville, Tennessee and make the best of it, and we were greeted with friendly faces, thrift shops worth visiting, and black owned vegan restaurants that I’m still raving about.
I’ve always wanted to go to Africa. For a while, it didn’t seem like a thing to prioritize, but the desire resurfaced as I was introduced to Afrobeats. I felt like the music was pushing me to go, and when 2019 happened to be The Year of Return, Afrochella, and Afronation — it seemed like the perfect time. Hearing other people’s stories and seeing their trips back to The Continent made me want to take my own journey to Ghana. The music might have created the spark, but something deeper was calling me home.
My itinerary at the beautiful all inclusive Royalton resort did include plenty of sunbathing, relaxation, and a spa day, but there were also several themed occasions by Collin Devon Events that I wanted to be outfitted appropriately for. Here is what I packed for my island getaway:
I always love to be around my people so a search for “black women wellness retreats” led me to an Essence article and the Whole Experience. And when Tuscany came up as a location option, it was an immediate resounding YES, and was booked less than 24 hours later.
Though her entire family hails from the Ivory Coast, Helena didn’t grow up knowing her homeland for herself. She’d only observed her culture from afar but now, for the first time, Helena would submerge herself in all that Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire had to offer, and more importantly, experience Ivorian pride for the first time. Here is Helena’s story:
It took a trip across the country for me to realize that I’ve been doing it all wrong. I’d been so incredibly busy that I felt like I was on-the-go constantly, but my productivity wasn’t reflecting my busybody ways. A just-because weekend in Los Angeles gave me a new outlook on the way that I use my time. Here is what I learned:
After 8 years, I said farewell to my beloved New York City (for now because temporary hiatus), spent 7.5 months in South Carolina with my mom and sisters and worked with my newest coach to prepare and transition for my new life abroad.
Fast forward to today, I’ve officially been living in Mexico City for one week.
I’m *loving* the cost of living, weather, food, practicing Spanish daily, and connecting with expats the most so far. And it’s beautiful, refreshing, and comforting to see a strong Black and Brown expat community thriving here, especially black women.