“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.”
~Unknown
Our Goals
To curate a memorable travel experiences for educators and friends of educators.
To visit as many “diaspora destinations” as possible and learn about the African influence around to world.
To learn from our travels and create a memory bank of experiences and cultures.
To create a vehicle for cultural exchanges.
To change how you see the world and the cultures that contribute to our global family.
There are two types of tired: one that requires rest, and one that requires peace.
~Author unknown
Our Story
Rest. Reflect. Restructure.
At the beginning of 2016 I made a promise to myself to slow down and enjoy the life that I was blessed to live. I had an amazing family, friends who feel like family all over the United States and a career that I was passionate about. So why did I need a break? Because I was TIRED!!! The kind of tired that you can’t shake with a quick weekend trip or sleeping in on a Saturday. I am talking about the type of tired that slowly picks at you until you become an unrecognizable version of yourself. Not willing to let THAT happen, I had to start prioritizing me!! 2016 was the year I set a goal to visit 6 different countries in 12 months. That was a new country every other month average. I generally made it a point to visit at least one international travel destination a year, but in 2016 I was going all out! That year I visited Canada, United Arab Emirates, Puerto Rico (2nd visit), Panama, Colombia, and South Africa.
I was different after that year. The way I now choose to travel and what to prioritize when traveling is different. I was inspired by the stories of locals sharing their lived experiences with me. The purpose of travel is no longer to escape from my life, but take in the cultural experiences of others and enhance my own understanding of this world.
That’s It!
That’s how the seed for Outdoor Recess was planted. It took me 3 years and a global pandemic to step out to create this platform and I’m so excited to share travel experiences with you all. My goal is to get educators traveling and learning about the world and the people in it! I see too many social media posts with administrators saying things like, “Vacation, what vacation? I’m counting down to retirement. That’s when I get to vacation.” Teachers commenting, “I can’t afford a vacation.”
Prioritize yourself. Take a break. See the world.