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Oprah’s Girls’ Getaway Cruise on Holland America: An Epic Recap.

by Nadeen
September 18, 2019
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Beautiful views with girls who just want to have fun :-)

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Introduction to Oprah’s Girls’ Getaway Cruise on Holland America:

On January 30th I set sail on Oprah’s Girls’ Getaway Cruise with Holland America. I have always been a big fan of Oprah Winfrey. Like many others I watched her show year after year. I tried several times to see it live and even applied to be on The Sound of Music episode. A few years ago, I was able to attend an event at Oprah’s The Life You Want Tour in Atlanta. But sadly, I missed the main event.

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My girlfriends and I on Day#1 of the cruise. They booked it as soon as I sent the info!

Therefore, when I saw Oprah & Gayle’s announcement about the Girls’ Getaway Cruise on Holland America, I booked it immediately. O, The Oprah Magazine has partnered with Holland America for themed cruises. The cruises have activities and events based on the magazine content. My girlfriends and I set sail on a 3-night cruise from Fort Lauderdale to the Bahamas on Holland America’s new ship-Nieuw Statendam. I know my readers and followers have been wondering what it is like to cruise with Oprah. So, here is my epic recap.

Day #1: All Aboard, Sail O-Way Party:

After being excited for 6 months about Oprah’s Girls’ Getaway Cruise it was finally here. After we boarded the ship we headed to the buffet. As mentioned in my blog post “20 Awesome Cruise Tips for First-Timer’s”, the rooms are usually not ready until late afternoon. Once I arrived at my cabin, I was pleased. The cabins on Nieuw Statendam are spacious and modern. We arrived to find a copy of O Magazine and a welcome packet. The gifts continued throughout the cruise. I was excited to get back to my cabin each night to see the latest gift. We received a T-shirt while boarding the ship, inspirational cards with quotes from Oprah, a branded O, The Oprah Magazine and Holland America beach bag and letters for a year of gratitude (my favorite).

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An interior cabin on Nieuw Statendam

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A girls’ getaway can’t happen without your girlfriends. I am fortunate to have friends who love to travel as much as I do. Once I heard about Oprah’s Girls’ Getaway Cruise, I sent messages to my closest girlfriends and posted it in my travel groups. Over 10 people booked it immediately. I was excited for everyone to connect so I arranged a fun meet & greet on the ship. We wore blog branded T-shirts designed specifically for this cruise. We were not the only ones. I was impressed by the creativity of the Oprah & Gayle T-shirts on the ship.

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My cruise squad

One of my favorite parts of cruising is the sail away party. But in this case, it was the “Sail O-Way Party”. Get it?  🙂 Gayle King and O, The Oprah Magazine editors attended the Sail O-Way party. Teams competed in a trivia game. The theme was “who knows Oprah best?” Oprah gave the answers by video which was pretty cool. There was so much excitement in the air. Food and drinks were being passed around and strangers were soon becoming friends.

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Gayle King at the Sail O-Way Party
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What do you think the answer is to this question? Head to The Sophisticated Life Facebook page to find out

Holland America’s Nieuw Statendam had multiple stores including the “O Shop”. There were Holland America, O, The Oprah Magazine and Girls’ Getaway branded items. Since a pajama party was happening on the last night of the cruise, the Oprah pajamas were a popular item. It was mayhem initially. (lol) You could also shop for things from the O List, the Favorite Things list and see a preview of O, The Oprah Magazine new collection at Talbots. After dinner we headed over to a dance performance called Humanity. On the way we passed by the open-aired B.B. King’s nightclub. I knew we would be spending a lot of time there.

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Items in the O Shop
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A table full off Oprah pajama tops and bottoms after the initial rush to the O Shop

Day #1 O, The Oprah Magazine & Nieuw Statendem ship events included:

Open House in The Greenhouse Spa & Salon, Art Reception with sparkling wine, Sail O-Way Party, Meet the Editors in the O Shop, Singles & Solo Travelers Meetup, The StepONE Dance Company’s HUMANITY. Every night there was live entertainment along the “Music Walk”. The music walk included the Lincoln Center Stage, Billboard Onboard, B.B. King’s Blues Club and Rolling Stone Rock Room. Around 12.30am the party continued every night with Dance Hits from DJ Reggie. You could also try your luck in the Casino.

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B.B. King’s Blues Club. This band was amazing.

Day #2: Half Moon Cay, A Conversation with Oprah:

We had an early start on Day #2 of Oprah’s Girls’ Getaway Cruise on Holland America. We docked in the Bahamas for a fun filled day on Half Moon Cay. It is a beautiful island. Imagine sunny skies, soft white sand and the clear blue Caribbean Sea. I was in heaven. Several of my friends enjoyed the early morning meditation and yoga by Tracee Stanley. This was followed by a high-energy workout by international fitness evangelist Angela Davis.

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One of the travel groups I posted to is for female physicians of color. Several of them also booked the cruise. It was great to finally meet them on this trip.
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Meditation & Yoga on the beach in Half Moon Cay
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On the tram tour having a blast.

A group of us took the tram tour around the island. We made stops at the Stingray Adventure and a beach with horse stables. “Horseback Riding by Land & Sea” was one of the many excursions offered on Half Moon Cay. Other excursions included the Eco Lagoon Kayak Adventure and Snorkel by Boat.

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After our tour, we attended “Meet the Editors on the Island”. I waited in line to meet O, The Oprah Magazine Editor in Chief Lucy Kaylin and Editor at Large Gayle King.  They were both welcoming and friendly. Gayle King spoke to me by name to ask my opinion on why this trip was so amazing. Fan girl moment!

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With Gayle King and Lucy Kaylin. I was so excited to meet them.

A full tropical island BBQ buffet was available on the island. But I treated myself to grilled lobster for only $20 and it was well worth it. Look out for the “Lobster Shack” if you visit Half Moon Cay. We spent the rest of the day relaxing on the beach (and trying to take Instagram worthy photos lol)

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Grilled lobster with rice and beans and salsa from The Lobster Shack. It was so good.
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We met fellow Jamaicans on Half Moon Cay and my friend just happened to have her Jamaican flag 🙂

Oprah’s Girls Getaway Cruise on Holland America included “O’s Reading Room”. Last year I picked the novel “Educated” by Tara Westover as a book club read after seeing it on President Obama’s 2018 reading list. Therefore, I was very excited when I saw this event on the itinerary. It is a suspenseful, interesting and disturbing memoir. Oprah surprised the audience by moderating the discussion with Tara Westover. It was filmed as one of “Oprah’s Supersoul Conversations” so be on the lookout for it on OWN.

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O’s Reading Room with author Tara Westover of Educated.
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Oprah with Tara Westover. It was a fascinating discussion.
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Educated was available in the O Shop and the author Tara Westover did a book signing on the ship.

After a brief intermission, it was the moment we had all been waiting for “A Conversation with Oprah”. There were several sessions during the cruise giving everyone an opportunity to attend. Oprah spoke to us for almost 2 hours. She discussed everything from her childhood and family to her role in The Color Purple to her phenomenal TV show. She shared so much wisdom and advice that it deserves its own blog post-stay tuned. I loved when Gayle joined her on stage, and they discussed their friendship. Oprah said, “Everyone needs a friend like Gayle”. Do you have a “Gayle”? I am so blessed because I have a few.

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Can you see how excited I am?
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Oprah Winfrey takes the stage.
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Besties Oprah and Gayle. Have you watched “The OG Chronicles”?

My friends and I decided to do an all-white night for Day #2. A lot of cruise lines have an all-white party so it’s a good idea to bring an all-white outfit. After dinner we hung out in Billboard on Board. The dueling pianists were excellent. We then took the party to B.B. King’s nightclub. The band was one of the best I have ever heard. We partied and danced into the early morning.

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I love my girlfriends. 🙂
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Partying later that night in B.B. King’s wth the President of Holland America Mr. Orlando Ashford

Day #2 O, The Oprah Magazine & Nieuw Statendem ship events included:

Just Breathe with Tracee Stanley and Angela Davis, Meet the Editors on the Island, O’s Reading Room with Tara Westover, A Conversation with Oprah, Netflix Comedy Star Anjelah Johnson, Dance to the Hits with DJ Reggie. The Greenhouse Spa & Salon had a bamboo massage special and fitness classes. Classes included indoor cycling, Pilates, TRX and total body conditioning. There was also Afternoon Tea. I am sad I missed this, but I was sunbathing on Half Moon Cay 🙂

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Such a beautiful day in Half Moon Cay. You can see our ship Nieuw Statendam in the distance.

Day #3: Day at Sea, Cocktail Party, Pajama Party

Day #3 of Oprah’s Girls’ Getaway Cruise on Holland America was spent sailing the Caribbean Sea. I love days at sea on a cruise ship. You are able to relax and spend time exploring the ship. Other options include going to the gym, the spa, shopping and browsing the art gallery.

After a very delicious and plentiful breakfast buffet, a friend and I attended “On Deck for a Cause”. Have you ever done a 5K on a ship? We really enjoyed taking laps around Nieuw Statendam to raise money for cancer research. Holland America Line has raised over 6 million dollars with proceeds distributed to several global cancer societies.

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The main pool on Nieuw Statendam. It has a retractable roof so you can enjoy the pool even in rainy weather.
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Exploring the ship. I loved the views from the top deck.

After our 5K we spent the day lounging around both pools and doing a self-guided tour of this beautiful ship. We enjoyed burgers from “Dive In” and sweet treats from the gelato shop onboard. Several of my friends attended O, The Oprah Magazine Events including a Collection for Talbots fashion show and a beauty talk with O’s Beauty Director Brian Underwood.

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The lines were long but I was told these gourmet burgers from Dive In were worth the wait.

That evening we dressed up in our cocktail attire. After drinks in the Ocean Bar, we headed to the dining room for our steak and lobster dinner (yum).

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Enjoying a French Martini in the Ocean Bar.

One of my favorite events on Oprah’s Girls’ Getaway Cruise on Holland America was O’s Pajama Party. It was so much fun. Oprah made an appearance at the pajama party and gave out tequila shots, but sadly I missed it. You can watch the video on her Instagram page. Once again, my friends and I danced into the early morning to the band and DJ Reggie in B.B. King’s Blues Club. This time in our pajamas lol

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With my female physician friends ready to party in our PJs!

Day #3 O, The Oprah Magazine & Nieuw Statendam ship events included:

Just Breathe with Tracee Stanley, O’s Reading Room with Tara Westover, A Conversation with Oprah, On Deck for a Cause, Love That style presentation featuring Talbots, Shop with Adam Glassman, Beauty Talk & Shop with Brian Underwood, O’s Pajama Party, Poolside Movie-A Wrinkle in Time, Dance to the Hits with DJ Reggie. In addition, the ArtLink Galleries had an art walk, a watercolor workshop and an art enrichment series-The Influence of Women in Art.

About our ship: Holland America’s Nieuw Statendam:

This was my first cruise on Holland America, and I loved the ship. It is the second ship of the Pinnacle class on Holland America. Oprah Winfrey is actually the Godmother of this new ship. Nieuw Statendam has 12 decks and holds 2,650 passengers. It has standard interior, ocean view and balcony cabins as well as suites. A friend stayed in a “Neptune Suite” and raved about it.

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The beautiful and sophisticated decor on Nieuw Statendam

After being on megaships last year, I enjoyed the size of Nieuw Statendam. It was easy to navigate. The décor was sleek, modern and sophisticated. I found the cabins to be very spacious. The bathrooms were well stocked and had Elemis products.

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A friend’s roomy balcony cabin
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Specialty restaurant “Rudi’s Sel De Mer”

The ship offered a lot of dining options with several specialty restaurants and fine dining. You could choose between Italian, French, Asian and sushi. I found the food at the buffets and in the main dining rooms to be plentiful and delicious. The bartenders were not skimpy with the cocktails which I have found to be the case on other cruise lines. The artwork around the ship was interesting and really added a nice touch to the overall décor. I wish I had had more time to spend on the top deck. The cabanas with a private hot tub and butler service looked heavenly.

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Next time you can find me up here!
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Very cool artwork on the ship.
Oprah's Girls Getaway Cruise on Holland America
The Beatles

In conclusion:

As you can tell from this recap, Oprah’s Girls’ Getaway Cruise on Holland America was an epic trip. O, The Oprah Magazine packed a lot of great events and activities into a 3-day cruise itinerary. I not only enjoyed spending quality time with my girlfriends, but I met wonderful women from all over the world. Everyone was there to have a good time. The positive energy was palpable.

Although I did not get to have my “Oprah moment”, I am happy that others did. I was not expecting Oprah or Gayle to be around the ship. However, to my surprise they attended all the major events, socialized with cruisers in the gym, the restaurants and even partied with the crowd in B.B. King’s Blues Club.

Oprah's Girls Getaway Cruise on Holland America
On Half Moon Cay

It was an unforgettable experience. I can only hope that Oprah decides to do this again. O, The Oprah Magazine has a partnership with Holland America and there is a current giveaway for a Caribbean cruise. Enter the “Sail O-Way” sweepstakes. But, be aware Oprah will not be on the ship. 

Head over to my Instagram page to check out my highlight reel from Oprah’s Girls’ Getaway Cruise on Holland America. It includes fun video clips from the cruise.

Are you a fan of O, The Oprah Magazine and O, The Oprah Magazine? Have you been on a girls’ getaway or cruised on Holland America? If so, share your thoughts with us below.

Here is a great Pin!

Oprah winfrey, oprah's girls' getaway cruise on holland america to the bahamas, nieuw statendam cruise ship, holland america, half moon cay

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Nadeen

Nadeen

Dr. Nadeen White is a "Blogger by Day, Physician by Night". She is an award-winning travel blogger, Amazon bestselling author and speaker. The Sophisticated Life Blog covers affordable luxury travel, culinary travel and wine. Her domestic and international travel guides gets people to the destinations of their dreams. So, if you are living the sophisticated life or desire to do so, this is the blog for you!

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Comments 7

  1. Terri says:
    2 years ago

    I had been seeing you post about the cruise during the days leading up to it on social media and have been waiting patiently for the recap. It did not disappoint. Everything looks amazing. I can’t believe that Oprah and Gayle attended the major events! And the pajama party is such a cute idea!

    I really hope I get they do this again so I can attend.

  2. Jeanine Byers says:
    2 years ago

    I love how you all dressed alike (so cool!) Sounds like you had a wonderful time, too. I’m glad you did.

  3. Kim Henrichs says:
    2 years ago

    Beautiful pics!! What a fabulous experience! I’m going on that ship in March and I cannot WAIT!!

  4. Kemkem says:
    2 years ago

    Love the dress you have on by the piano. Absolutely beautiful on you. I had a lovely time reading about your epic trip and felt like l was there with you :-). To answer your question, I was not a big fan of the show (perhaps because it was during my work hours and saw maybe 5 episodes total) but l did like the magazine a lot. I definitely admire her tenacity and etiquette. Something for us all to aspire to. So glad you enjoyed the trip, it’s obvious that you loved it, along with all your “Gayles” 🙂

  5. robincharmagne says:
    2 years ago

    This was an epic event for you and your friends. A blessing to have a strong, supportive tribe. You all did a lot in just 3 days and you looked so cute in the dress with the piano. Thank you for sharing this post.

  6. lily says:
    2 years ago

    Wow. Why didnt i hear about that??
    I am Cuban but I would have loved to go!

  7. Janene says:
    2 years ago

    This looked like such an amazing time!! I’m so happy you got to enjoy some days in paradise with girlfriends and O! is there anything better?! Loved all the pics and details of each day!

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Happy Monday Everyone! I’m trying to go into the week, the last week of Black History, with this mood and attitude! 👏🏽

You may have seen my post on National Women’s Physician Day that only 2% of all Physicians are Black women. We are truly unicorns and I stand proud to represent this profession and to make my ancestors proud 🩺 

So let me tell you what breaks my heart 💔. That after 25 years of being a M.D.-medical doctor and actually practicing medicine and seeing patients for 25 years!!!, I’m still constantly questioned by people who aren’t even in the science or medical field 🤔🤔
Could it be because I’m female? Black? Both? 😡🤬

Ever since this pandemic started I have been on top of it. My first blog post on COVID19 went viral and I appeared on @cnn I did countless webinars and podcasts informing and educating the public including the travel community. This year I published an article on the COVID19 vaccines 💉 and shared my experience receiving the vaccine on social media. But STILL when I simply comment on a thread on social media as a medical expert to correct misinformation I face backlash and MEAN comments! Even in predominantly Black travel groups. It’s exhausting. I had to take a break. I tried again today and the person deleted the thread. I’m at a loss. People do not want to be informed. I don’t get it. 

But I will hold my head up high. I went into this profession to serve. For those who are still having doubts about the vaccines 💉 please read my article-“7 Compelling Reasons to take a COVID19 Vaccine” which includes summaries of the vaccines & research studies. The link is in my profile. Happy to answer any questions. Stay safe everyone! 

📸 @parrishu70 

#blackdoctorsmatter #whitecoatsforblacklives #blackfemaledoctors #blackdoctorswhitecoats #covid19vacccine #pandemiclife #wokedoctors #covıd19 #covidvaccineadvocate #covid19usa #physicians #blackcontentcreator #blackcontentcreators #socialmediadoctor #whatadoctorlookslike #blackhistorymonth2021
  • It’s going to be an exciting weekend of wine!!! 🍷🍷🍷
I’m celebrating Black winemakers this weekend by attending the first annual International Winemakers Summit being held by @urban_connoisseurs and @uncorkedandcultured 
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

When I first started my blog over 6 years ago I always had a WINE section. I have also always supported and blogged about Black-owned wines and winemakers from @mcbridesisters @houseofmandela early on to 5 1/2 years ago when I had the pleasure of visiting the first Black-owned winery in Napa Valley @brownestate during my Bachelorette weekend 
A year later I stopped by @rideauvineyard in Santa Ynez Valley, had a blog post on a Black History month Black-owned wine tasting go viral, met Andre Hueston Mack of @maisonnoirwines here in Atlanta then did a road trip a few years ago to the PNW and stopped by @frichettewinery and @abbeycreekwine the first “hip hop winery” in the PNW. 

All of this inspired me to curate a list last year of over 45 Black-owned wineries, wine businesses, even podcasters..!! I also pursued & received my first wine certification last fall. WSET 2 with distinction 👏🏽👏🏽🍾🍾

It will be a pleasure to listen & learn from these trailblazers this weekend and be able to show continued support. Head to the link in my profile to read my blog post and to @urban_connoisseurs to register for the conference this weekend! 

#buyblackwine #sipconsciously #blackownedbusiness #blackownedbusinesses #blackhistorymonth2021 #wineblogger #wineandtravel #travelbloggerlife #winenot #travelfly #winetourism #luxurytravel #womeninwine #blackwomeninwine #winewriter #winelover #oenophile #blacksinwine #winewithfriends #winewithfriends🍷
  • Since it’s #nationaldrinkwineday I thought I would share a few pics of one of my favorite wine 🍷 tours and wine areas that I visited in 2019. That was such an amazing year of travel!!! 

PORTO in Portugal 🇵🇹 was amazing! It’s the home of Port wine and even if you are not a fan or don’t think you are a fan of fortified  or sweeter wines you have to try them if you visit the area. They have all different styles including white port. 

We did a tour @taylorsportwine which has a self-guided walking tour of the history of port wine making, Porto, the Douro Valley and port wine trading. It was very interesting. And swipe to see the pic of my forever POTUS President Obama! 
Taylor’s port is available in the US so you may have tried it. 

Have you been to Porto or tried port wine? 

#nationaldrinkwineday🍷 #wineblogger #wineandtravel #travelbloggerlife #winenot #travelfly #blackgirlstraveltoo #winetourism #womeninwine #blackwomeninwine #winewriter #winelover #visitportugal🇵🇹 #portugaltravel #portugallovers #portuguesewine #lisbonportugal #portoportugal #dourovalley #portwinelover #portowine #visitlisbon #visitporto
  • #traveltuesday✈️ (rant) 
There is this constant rumor that goes around that Black Travel Bloggers are hard to find. NOT TRUE!!!! Travel brands and DMOs are heard saying that they can’t find any to work with. 🤔 
How hard are they looking?!! 

If you simply Google “Black Travel Bloggers” my blog post on “50+ Amazing Black Travel Bloggers You Should Follow” has been sitting at #1 for years and only recently at #2 due to another great post by @travelandleisure on Black Influencers. There are tons of blog posts on this topics on the web. 
PLUS...

Travel groups that have been around for years filled with talented travel content creators like @nomadnesstribe that has held several @audacityfest conferences with seminars & lectures featuring these content creators. Not to mention platforms like this one & Facebook & LinkedIn 
PLUS...

@theblacktravelalliance was formed last June that features Black travel content creators from all over the globe 🌎 in all different niches. Black travelers do everything-luxury, adventure, couples travel, budget travel, culinary travel..we are here to change the narrative and prove that Black Travel Content Creators are available to do anything and everything in this industry from writing & editing to TV hosting to photography to videography. 

So stop asking where are we. WE ARE RIGHT HERE AND HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HERE! (rant over). 

Head to my profile to read my blog post and PLEASE drop the handle of your favorite Black travel content creators in the comments! 

 #travelbloggerlife  #travelfly #blackgirlstraveltoo #hardlyhome 
#travelcontent #blackcontentcreator #blacktravelmovement #travelcontentcreator #blackbloggers #blacktravelalliance #travelisthenewclub #nomadness #travelnoire #essencetravels #travelfly #blacktravelhackers #blacktravelfeed
  • Can someone put me back on the beach in January and wake me up when COVID19 🦠 is gone and the world 🌎 has opened back up and we can travel 🧳 again?!!!! 
#overit #thisisnotfun #iwishiwasalwaysonvacation #alwaysonvacay #takemeonvacation 
#vacationnowplease #whereismyvacation 
#covidgoaway #covidgtfo #nomorecovid19 #nomorecovidplease #gtfohcoronavirus #gtfohcovid19 #moretravelplease #ineedavacation #ineedtotravel #traveladdicts #travelnownotlater #beachbumlife #miamibeachlifestyle #takemeawayfromhere #takemeanywhere

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