Stephanie was born in Haiti and moved to the US at the age 16. She's passionate about Women’s maternal health, self-care, travel and photography. Make sure to follow Stephanie on Instagram to get more of her adventures.
Why I Travel
To properly answer this question, I have to explain what first inspired me to travel. I started traveling with family when I was 12 years old but traveling helped reshape my life in 2016. The latter was a tough year, I was struggling to move on from an emotionally abusive relationship and traveling helped me overcome my depression. Thus, travel has become a major part of my self-care routine.
Other female travelers inspired me to travel solo such as Ciara (@hey_ciara) and Glo Antanmo (@glographics) to name a few. I only recently started taking solo trips, I had to cancel 3 solo trips this year because of the pandemic. But next year, I am looking forward to doing more solo trips because it’s transformative, a real life changing experience.
I am a part-time student and work full-time so I travel 4 to 5 times a year. I have an adventurous heart so when I travel, I have to explore to the fullest. I love to go on cultural tours, take cooking classes or dance classes and of course do something extremely adventurous (like hike a mountain, paragliding and so forth).
How I Choose Where To Travel Next
I always say that everywhere is on my list but I prefer to visit places that are on my bucket list. Duration varies depending on the country; for instance, I spent 6 days in Saint Thomas but 12 days in Switzerland. If the location is very far, I will most likely make it a 10-15 day trip.
To prepare for my trips, I do lots of research about the country by reading blogs and articles, watching youtube videos and so forth.
How I Pack For My Trips
My carry-on is my best friend, and to properly pack I use packing cubes and roll my clothes army style. Must-haves for me are my Nikon D5500 DSLR, my tripod, my pod red from Pivo, my phone & chargers, travel adapter and all necessary other electronics, comfortable shoes, compression socks for long flights, a fanny pack to carry (passport + copy and other forms of ID, money and so forth), regular body and disinfecting wipes, tiny toiletries containers, an umbrella or raincoat, a small blanket, an airplane pillow and gum.
Safety Precautions I Take While I Solo Travel
I recently took a solo trip to Saint-Thomas US virgin island and to be safe, I posted on IG hours or a day later. I never revealed my hotel location on social media not until my trip was over. I also made sure to get back to my hotel before it was too dark out.
