013. Solo Travel: winning the lottery

Episode 013 - Solo Travel - winning the lottery: where I discuss the latest rumor about my life.

 The first weekend in October 2021, saw me, my BFF (best friend forever), and a good portion of my high school classmates together for our 40+1 reunion in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. It was a wonderful weekend and I won a prize (a neck pillow!) for traveling the furthest. I was surprised to learn that some of my classmates decided that I had won the lottery and that’s how I was able to travel to all those exotic and faraway places.

 I thought it was a joke when I heard it the first time.  However, this month, it was re-iterated by a high school friend that my life was actually discussed/debated several times throughout the last few years. I don’t know who took part in those debates – I didn’t ask – but it certainly wasn’t anyone who truly knew me.

 If they had known me, or had asked my close friends, or had asked classmates who actually knew my family; they would’ve known the truth. #1: hard work, #2: no children (the day-to-day costs are astronomical), and #3: some early investments that paid off in the long run. Simple as that. 

 Why do we have to be reductionists about our successful friends? Why couldn’t I have just learned to do better financially, despite my upbringing? Nope. Either I found a rich man who set me up for life or money dropped out of the sky, or something else… anything else, except for the fact that I thought about the future as a 21 year-old young black woman and planned ahead. Seriously? My Mom, who would probably never leave “the Hill District” in Pittsburgh, but I definitely would’ve set her up in a nicer apartment, have her groceries delivered at least, and have her driven to the casino instead of her catching the bus in the snow and ice. Right? I guess not.

 I’m not mad at my classmates, not at all. They are a small part of the whole reason why I wanted to get away. But I am disappointed. A lot of my classmates are successful – thank God – but while their dreams differed from mine, some of them assumed that I could not have traveled the world by myself for myself at my own expense.

Anyway… No lottery, no sugar daddies, or other ridiculous theories about my worth and worthiness should ever need to be discussed or spoken about again.


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Episode Transcript

Danielle (00:14):
Hey, this is Danny Lou coming at you with this low
traveling soul.
Since the podcast travel,nourishes the soul and broadens
the mind.
But solo, dry.
We use our imagination and buildour confidence.
Hashtag go see do B in thisepisode, I discuss winning the

(00:40):
lottery.

(01:25):
The first weekend in October,2020, saw me my BFF best friend
forever, and a good portion ofmy high school classmates
together for our 40 plus.
Reunion in Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania.
It was a wonderful weekend.
And I won a prize, a neckpillow, my Jew for traveling the

(01:48):
furthest.
I was surprised to learn thatsome of my classmates decided
that I had won the lottery andthat's how I was able to travel
to all those exotic and far awayplaces.
I thought it was a joke when Ifirst heard it.
However, this past.
It was reiterated by a highschool friend that my life was

(02:11):
actually discussed and debatedseveral times throughout the
last few years.
I don't know who took part inthese debates.
I didn't ask, but it certainlywasn't anyone who truly knew me.
If they had known me or hadasked my close friends or had
even asked some classmates whoactually knew my family, they

(02:33):
would've known the truth.
How did that.
Number one hard work.
Number two, no children.
And number three, some earlyinvestments that paid off in the
long run.
Simple as that.
Why do we have to bereductionist about our

(02:54):
successful friends?
Why couldn't I have just learnedto do better financially?
Despite my upbringing?
Nope.
Either I found a rich man whosent me up for.
Or money dropped out of the skyor something else.
Anything else?
Except for the fact that Ithought about the future as a 21
year old black woman and plan tohate seriously, my mom, who

(03:19):
would probably never leave thehill district in Pittsburgh, but
I definitely would have set herup in a nicer apartment, have
her groceries delivered atleast, and have her driven to
the casino instead of catchingthe bus in the snow and the ice.
I guess not true enough.
I grew up with the lesson thatmoney was made to be spent, not

(03:40):
saved, saved for what nobody inmy family had retirement and
their future plans.
We all expect it to work untilwe could live off our social
security checks.
However, when I went out intothe world, I formed some
different thoughts and idealsand sure.
Yes, I've made some financialmistakes throughout the years

(04:01):
and I'm still making.
But I learned with each andevery failure and pick myself
back up again.
I'll say again and again, ourpast should not define our
future.
I grew up in the hood, theghetto or whatever you want to
call it, lower incomecommunities, but I was
determined to leave by any meansnecessary and do better for

(04:26):
myself.
Perhaps it was because I was anonly child and instead of a
noisy household with brothersand sisters running around being
a distraction instead, I hadmore time to be thoughtful and
reflective.
Yes.
Even as a child, I've said itoften enough in this podcast
that I loved some of the TVshows, movies, books, and

(04:48):
magazines about travel andadventure.
And they had a major influenceon my life.
And my.
And nothing was going to stop mefrom achieving my dreams except
myself.
I'm not mad at my classmates.
Not at all.
There were a small part of thewhole reason why I wanted to get
away, but I am disappointed.

(05:09):
A lot of my classmates aresuccessful.
Thank God.
But while their dreams differentfrom mine, some of them assumed
that I could not have traveledthe world by myself for myself
at my own pace.
I wonder if those sameclassmates would be surprised to
learn that I don't have acollege degree.

(05:31):
Yup.
That's right.
I dropped out of college twiceagain because of finances and I
suppose a decided lack ofconviction.
That's a whole nother story.
We'll get to that someday, but Ipressed on it.
And after I started working inWashington, DC, I took college

(05:51):
courses and receivecertifications and systems
analysis and project management.
But really those certificationswere just to prove to myself
that I could do it.
And of course, to flash thecredentials when needed for a
new job or an increase insalary, despite not having a
college degree, I was ambitiousand driven.

(06:14):
No, I don't know where thatgame.
And whenever I applied for ajob, I basically dared the
interviewer to explain to me whymy years of experience was not
equal to or better than acollege degree.
I was highly successful ingetting the jobs that I wanted

(06:34):
even turned down a few that wereawkward without an interview and
proving to all the doubters thatI was more than qualified in the
end.
That's not the bragger.
Because I always chose verycarefully, the jobs that I
applied for, I knew that I had agreat argument and awesome work
ethic and an excellent chance ofwinning.

(06:57):
So I went for it anyway, what Iwill brag about, however, is
that I retired early age 55 andhave traveled the world.
Mostly solo, no lottery, nosugar down.
Or other ridiculous theoriesabout my worth and worthiness
should ever need to be discussedor spoken about.

(07:20):
Again, you can not call yourselfa queen if you've never ruled.
And that means ignore the hatersand doubters.
And do you spending your timewatching the idiot box for
entertainment and stat ofeducational purposes and
different perspectives?
Gossiping with.

(07:41):
And trying to keep up with theJoneses, whoever they are gets
you.
Absolutely nowhere.
I'm a single black woman who wasalmost 60 years old and have not
regretted much in my life.
I knew that I did not want tohave children, so I ignored the
pressure from family and friendsto have them.
I knew that I wasn't the Mariancon.

(08:02):
So again, I ignored the pressurefrom family and friends to
settle down.
I know what makes me feel.
I've had almost 60 years todefine it and refine it and
being selfish is what I do best.
It's always, always, always beenabout me.

(08:26):
I do me very well.
And I'm content be the queen whorecognizes that others, even
family and close friends do notalways understand your dreams.
Why should they, those dreamsbelong to you and you alone.
So be that queen who putsherself and her dreams first and

(08:50):
foremost,