November Member Spotlight: Ekua – Girl, Unstoppable

The travel world is a community. Everyone has a story to tell or experiences to share. Learning about fellow travelers will better your own travels and give fresh insight. That’s why, each month, we feature a different Tango Diva member.

About Ekua:
Sometimes I wonder when I’ll tire of travel, but I don’t think I will. I can’t get enough of discovering new corners of the world and getting to know places I hear about firsthand. This passion for travel feeds into writing and photography, two of the things I love to do the most. When I am not traveling, I work in education and always try to find ways to keep my traveling spirit alive at home.

How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Audacious, creative, observant

How do these words inspire your travels?
Getting the nerve to go somewhere is not always easy. When I have an opportunity to travel, I usually take it, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have a fear of the unknown, especially when I travel solo. But audacity begets audacity, and the more I’ve worked up the courage to go somewhere new, the more I am emboldened for future travel.

Being observant and creative go hand in hand for me. I feel that being present and aware when I travel enables me to write about and photograph the locations I visit more honestly and vividly.

What inspired you to travel originally?
Traveling has been a passion of mine since I was a kid. In my formative years, I had a few significant travel experiences and also moved a few times, so my eventual wanderlust was cultivated early. A couple years ago, I found something I wrote as an 8 or 9 year old that read, “I like to see new places and hope to travel the whole world someday.” I doubt I knew what that really meant at the time, but regardless, I have been making that a reality, one country at a time.

What is your favorite destination?
So far, my favorite destination is the state of Bahia in Northeastern Brazil. I am Ghanaian-American and I felt at home in the mix of West African and Euro-American influences I found in the Afro-Brazilian culture there. In addition to that, the climate was was wonderful, the food was spicy and there was music everywhere.

How do you deal with stress while traveling?
If I get stressed out when traveling, it probably means I am trying to do every possible thing there is to do in a certain destination. In those moments, I have to step back, realize I can’t do it all and take time to rest.

What are you favorite activities while traveling?
I enjoy walking around cities and seeing how people live their lives. You can learn a lot about a city just by riding public transportation or spending time in a plaza. If there’s a well known site wherever I’m going, I’ll typically make the time for it. I also love nature-filled places and being able to see animals in their natural habitats.

What is your future travel goal?
I’d like to live abroad at some point. Passing through a place is one thing, but I think taking the time to settle in and immerse myself in a culture for a longer period of time would be a rewarding challenge.

To follow Ekua’s adventures, check out her blog: Girl, Unstoppable and her Tango Diva profile.
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