About Me

In 2009, I became a citizen of the United States; I took an oath to bear arms if/when needed, to uphold the constitution, and to well, be a good citizen.  At the time, I knew that obtaining US citizenship was important but I hadn't realized how important until I applied for a job teaching overseas.  A job I couldn't qualify for without my U.S passport. With a U.S passport, I have access.  With it, I can travel to many countries I wouldn't otherwise be able to travel to.  With it, I can obtain a work visa to work abroad in any one of the seven continents.

I am an American and with it, I have the privilege.

As a proud Trinidadian, I have a great deal of affection for my home and native land.  I've come to appreciate my unique culture and heritage and even the long struggle for equality and freedom from our oppressors.  I gladly show my students the dot that is Trinidad is located eight miles east, off the coast of Venezuela…a dot on a global map; Trinidad and sister island, Tobago.

Born in poverty in the early 1980s, life was hard.  The details surrounding my upbringing were simply put, difficult.  And as I look back on those years, I realize that the poverty I see in third-world countries is one that I can identify with.  It's one that I can appreciate.  I can appreciate the idea that where one starts in life doesn't negate one's end.  And so, I travel.

I travel because it's an opportunity to experience the life and rhythm of people and cultures completely different from the ones I've known.  It's an opportunity to experience kindness and generosity (from perfect strangers) I never knew existed.  It's an opportunity to witness how some people reduce the effects of global warming in Tokyo, Japan and the organic foods grown every which way in Clara Valley, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and the simplicity of catching a fish and cooking it within minutes over an open fire in Tobago.  It's an opportunity to climb the highest mountain in Jeju, Island South Korea, and view the second largest city in the world from Namsan Tower in Seoul, South Korea.

I travel because it's an opportunity many people won't have and so whether I'm traveling alone or in the company of friends or perfect strangers (who later become friends), I know that this heart of mine was made to see the world.

A Beginner's Guide to World Travel

Wat Pho Temple, Bangkok, Thailand

I took my very first solo travel trip ever, late in 2012 and even then, at 31, the very idea of solo travel was completely new to me.  And backpacking, that was something teenagers --born with silver spoons-- did with graduation money.  Until very recently, I had no idea that it was in fact absolutely possible to travel the world, venturing across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, to see and do as much as I could, all the while paying off huge chunks of debt I had accumulated as an undergraduate at Rutgers University.

Tokyo, Japan

On my way out of Korea, I decided that Tokyo was close enough to pay a visit and expensive enough to stay only a few days.  Three days and two nights would be enough for me to get a feel of life there, enjoy some touring and contribute to Japan's booming economy.  I'm at Khaosan Tokyo Original hostel which is a short distance from Asakusa Station.  From Narita Airport, it took about an hour to get here and about 1,400 yen which is about $14. I'd always wondered about life on the other side of the world, namely Asia and after a year in South Korea, I could add Tokyo to the list of places I'd visited.

Cars drive on the lefts-side of the street and steering wheels are on the right side in cars.  So, everything is pretty much backwards when compared to Korea and the United States.  Although, this is the same for my home and native Trinidad and Tobago.  I didn't expect to find that here.  I'm finding that Tokyo is definitely a bicycle friendly city.  From old folks to working men and women in office attire, I see lot's of people on bicycle.  I even saw an apartment that had a stacked bicycle rack; it's very innovative and yea, well, a very healthy way to live.