Bringing Melanin to the Beach!

I interviewed Marsha, a beautiful Black woman traveler from Philly who enjoys international travel and meeting locals on her trips. As an unapologetic curvy Black woman. Marsha describes her travel journey and gives suggestions on where to travel to for Black History Month.

Sara: What inspired you to start exploring the world?

Marsha: So a friend of mine invited me on a trip to Guatemala in December 2020. While on this group trip, I befriended one of the girls in the group who’s a flight attendant. We clicked and started traveling together. Two weeks after visiting Guatemala, we went to Curacao and I’ve been traveling every month since.

Sara: What type of traveler are you? Would you consider yourself as Explore[Her] or Resort[Her]?

Marsha: I'm a mix of both. The resort is cool depending on what type of vibe we're getting. But you know, every trip that I've been on, we didn't stay on the resort. We actually went out, we explored, we took excursions. So I would say I'm a mix of both. I don't really like to stay on the resort all the time. I definitely like to get out, explore, meet the locals, talk to them, go to restaurants, things like that.

Sara: So what are some of your traveling rituals? What's one thing you must do?

Marsha: Before every trip, I have to clean my house. December of 2021, I went to Jamaica for two weeks and I had to clean my house from top to bottom. I washed all of my clothes - I had to make sure I went into the new year with no dirty laundry or dirty anything. For me, it's really important to come back to a clean home, especially after traveling.

Sara: What has been your best place to explore and why?

Marsha: Jamaica. I actually have friends who live there so my experience in Jamaica is totally different from everybody else's; I actually get to experience Jamaica in a authentic manner. I went to two real Jamaican parties and went an upscale one.

Sara: That’s Amazing. You are a beautiful, thick, dark-skinned woman. What are some must have in your suitcase when you're traveling?

Marsha: I need lotion and a speaker. I love to play music, especially when I'm getting ready. If I'm going to an island, I like to bring like bronzer like things to make my skin pop. Those are some must-haves. I am the type of person that will literally bring everything on the trip. If you need a charger, flat iron, or lotion, I got it.

 Sara: What would you tell other black women about traveling and exploring the world?

Marsha: Don't be afraid. Yes, places can be dangerous; but be respectful and typically people will do the same. A lot of these places that we go to, especially Spanish-speaking countries like Guatemala and Mexico, the people are really friendly. I'm also really big on tipping. When I travel, I bring money just to tip because this is their livelihood.

Sara: As a confident, curvy dark-skinned Black woman, how do you believe other people in other countries perceive you?

Marsha: When I went to Columbia, I had people taking pictures with me in the club. I got that a lot in most of the Spanish-speaking countries that I visited, like Dominican Republic. I had people from Europe wanting to take pictures with me as well. It was different for me. They were like,” Oh my God, like, you're so beautiful.” The countries I’ve been to, they love Black women.

Sara: February is Black History Month. What are some places you would recommend to explore to celebrate Black History?

Marsha: Guatemala because they don't see Black people often and they embrace melanin and Black culture. Jamaica, of course. I love Jamaica. Jamaica is beautiful and the people are proud of their Blackness.

Black women are celebrated for their melanin and confidence in other countries. Marsha embraces her melanin while traveling, and believes every Black woman should put her fear aside and travel internationally.