As a little girl, I had the privilege of living overseas with my family and it honestly shaped my love for travel.

I remember that year like yesterday. My Father had received a letter to work initially at Oman but my Mum was expecting my baby sister and so we had to wait a few months for the delivery and the baby getting stronger before we travelled.

By the time the letter came, the location was different. We were now heading to Southeast Asia…Brunei Darussalam.

In October 1989, we bid our family and friends goodbye as we set out on this trip of a lifetime.

I had just turned 11years old and this was the first time I would be getting on a plane. It was so exciting but that was about to be altered by a strange experience.

I LOST MY DIARY!

One of the saddest parts of this journey was losing my diary filled with all the contacts from my friends at school. I was just wrapping up Primary/Grade school and getting set for Secondary/High School when we left. I imagined I left it on the KLM Flight from Amsterdam to Singapore and all efforts to find it proved abortive as the airline reported that it wasn’t seen on the flight. It was so devastating, and I remember feeling so sad for weeks as this was a time where there were no mobile phones and we were going away for 4years, any hope of knowing their whereabouts was gone with the wind.

Settling in came with its own rude shock as I found myself in the midst of other Expatriates. It was tough at the beginning trying to understand the different cultures, people, and accents but that experience shaped my life in so many obvious ways and the work I now do across the Globe.

With Islam being the main religion in Brunei- Christmas holidays were my favorite as Dad ensured we were away to other parts of Asia where we could celebrate Christmas in the most beautiful way.

From Singapore, Bangkok, Malaysia, the Philippines and back again…each year was better than the last and we created so many memories as a family. Memories I cherish till this day.

Although we returned home to Nigeria in 1993, my love for travel remains till this day.

Travel means FREEDOM to me. It makes my heart sing, and I am truly happy every time I get to experience a new City.

It’s a LEARNING experience as it gives me the freedom to see the World and all it’s fascinating features, people, food, culture and more.

It’s ENRICHING as it adds spice to my life.

Travel grounds me and opens me up to a world of Possibilities. It allows my dreams to come alive.

Travel means growth for me as each trip forces me to expand my horizon and believe bigger.

Travel is an Adventure for me. The journey to where I have never been before and discovering new trails is exhilarating.

Travel makes me a Lifelong learner as I never return home as the same person.

“I am not the same, having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.”

Mary Anne Radmacher

As a Global Speaker today, my travel experience is often tied to speaking engagements across the World. In the last 5years, I have spoken on stages across 4 Continents, and I have enjoyed every moment.

As a wife and Mum of 4, while I love the family trips- my solo trips allow me go through what I call a refueling season as I fill up with lots of Self-care.

I truly believe you can’t give what you don’t have and serving from emptiness has never benefitted anyone.

Self-care is in the little things for me…

• Reading some of my favorite books
• Visiting Starbucks in every city for me was a treat I absolutely enjoyed and soon it became a tradition for me.
• Having a Spa Day and getting that much deserved body massage.
• Going on sight seeing tours remains an absolute blast and each sight opens you up to the beauty of our World.
• Sleeping in longer in the mornings…this is bliss!

As a Mum to 2 little ones aged 7 and 4…On some days that the sleep kicks in and you have to wake up to serve them- Believe me when I say, I treasure the mornings I get to wake up and just take care of ME! (Don’t judge me…lol)

SELF-CARE is not selfish.

You are so deserving of all the moments you can commit to intentionally taking care of YOU!

Now, it’s your turn.

What’s your experience with travel? I would love to know what travel means to you.

Are there any self-care tips you cherish and would like to share with me?

Let me know in the comments (I am reading each one personally).

Finally, if you found this inspiring, don’t forget to share.

GO! SPARKLE YOUR WORLD.