I remember the feelings of excitement over my body as a little girl when my parents packed my sister and me up to go visit my family in North Carolina. I was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, but all of my family resided in rural North Carolina, so to me, the countryside was a paradise.

I longed to be so close to my family as I often felt alone in the big city with just my mom, dad, and little sister. Being in the country where I could walk out of my grandmother’s house and then right next door to my great aunt’s house, felt like a luxury. I used to even beg my mom to let me live with my family, but I did not realize then her reasoning for not allowing it. My parents moved and built a foundation in Atlanta because of the opportunities there and the disparities in their rural hometown, Princeville, North Carolina.

Now I bet you’re wondering, what does this have to do with me traveling? Well, everything:

“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” ~Andre Gide

When my mother decided to permanently leave her hometown and relocate to Atlanta, Georgia, not only did she discover her new ocean, but she changed the projection of what the shore looked like for my sister and me years later. The chance she took in starting over, gave us a chance at not only receiving a good inner-city education, but also exposing us to a different lifestyle. A life of exploration.

Opportunities for travel began opening for me in my elementary school years. At Centennial Place Elementary, extravagant field trips were a part of the culture. For $450, I was able to go to Disney World & Busch Gardens in 3rd and 4th grade. For $500 I was able to go to Washington D.C. for a week. My mom had me selling World’s Finest Chocolate boxes by the two and she was making financial miracles happen to send me off to get these embedding experiences.

My friends and I about to head to Washington, DC for our 5th-grade trip.

(Left to right: Autumn, Me, Jordyn)

These experiences offset a deeper passion in me. A passion for travel and adventure. It was meeting different types of people, eating different food, and learning different histories that shaped the drive I have for seeing different parts of the world. When I think of traveling, there’s a joy that fills my heart, a joy that I want to share.

Traveling, as well as the many opportunities I have been blessed with from my city, has given me so many stories of elevation. At the age of 18, I visited multiple states in the United States, St. Thomas & St. John U.S. Virgin Islands, the Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos, and Mexico 3 times.

In every state or country I have visited, I’ve left with wisdom that staying on my shore could not have taught me alone. I can dream bigger goals for myself than I could before the trip. Traveling has elevated me from ages earlier than I can remember. It has taught me that opportunity can be found in the same place where there is disparity. It has led me into humble, motivating people. It has shaped me to be a dream chaser and an achiever.

As of now, I have goals to study abroad in Costa Rica and become fluent in Spanish. These goals are achievable and within close reach because on my journeys, I have met multiple people who embody this dream. It has been the kind locals in Los Cabos, Mexico learning English and complementing my Spanish. It has been the historians in Washington, DC teaching me about my African American heritage. It has been my family members in rural North Carolina whom I inspire through travel and entrepreneurship. The list of realities to my vision goes on, but needless to say, I will travel the world and share it along the way. I plan to continue to spark inspiration to travel among my supporters and beyond, because traveling is key to elevation.

How traveling elevated me

Cameron

Zakeia