April 11, 2025 • 48 mins
The three talk about the power of culture & heritage travel, group travel, finding community and connection in the diaspora, wellness and relaxation, and experiential travel. This episode is sponsored by Holver Travel (www.holvertravel.com)
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This episode brought to you by Halvard Traveling.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Welcome to Raw and Refine, the Gentleman's Hour, where we're
going to have conversation with middle aged black men about
what's going on. We welcome you to listen, comment and like,
and hopefully encourage others to join for future conversations as well.
We always like to start off with a toast, and
(00:26):
with that toast, it's because we are gentlemen and we
do it raw and refine.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
So today's beverage choice is a beer. We're talking about
traveling leisure, so you know, it's always nice when you're
traveling or during some leisure time to have a nice
cold brew. So I chose for my beer sing Tao,
the imported premium lager. It's an Asian brew. I want
to say it's Chinese, but I don't know for sure.
(00:54):
But I've been drinking sing Tao for years. I like
sing Town and I like Supporo. I don't know if
you ever had that when that's a Japanese one. Yeah,
But so for me today, I'm having the same.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Tawn Okay, okay, well I'll go next and I'm rocking
the Corona extra smooth but light through from Mexico. I'll
say it's close to my heritage, being part Belizian. I
don't know if there's a Belizian beer. I gotta find out,
and it iss got a.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
Local beer, So got a local something.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
So I'm gonna have to check that out. As it
relates to raw and refined, I think Corona does explain
that as well.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
Awesome.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
Well, my beer drinking days have declined dramatically.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
I used to be mister I p a all.
Speaker 4 (01:41):
The time, the stronger the better, but I kind of
got off that little bit. But there is a really
good beer still, that Belgian beer that you know, still
gets the job done. And I think everybody knows Stellara,
and I find it to be rushing and yeah, when
(02:01):
I have a beer, have a stella.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
That's my usual out in the streets. You know, when
I'm from somewhere and I'm ordering a beer at a
bar or a restaurant, I'm usually asking if they got stella.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
Yeah, it's a good call, that's it. So you kind
of previewed it a little bit. But this episode is
going to be about travel and leisure, and you know,
we make the argument the travel and leisure really is
an antidote to some of life's challenges. Travel for me
personally really is incredibly important. And I don't care if
(02:36):
I'm traveling to you know, Indiana, but moving from from
current scenery to another scenery, even if it's for a
short period of time, I have found really improves, you know,
my state of mind, relaxing. It forces me to see
something different, and it really, you know, I think as
(02:57):
I've gotten older, really make me appreciate travel even more.
Just seeing how other people move and like other people,
other cultures interact with each other. For me, traveling is everything,
and you know, it relaxes me. But you know, just
moving from one place to another I have found. But
then coming back I have found has made me appreciate
(03:21):
what I'm coming back to that reflection piece, yep. So John,
and talk a little bit about you know, your own
experience for travel.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Yeah, I have to agree that traveling has become a
relaxation for me. It's not a it doesn't feel like
it's a job. I love to go now. I love
to go different places. And as you said, it doesn't
have to be that I'm going across the states or
into a new country or anything like that. It's just
seeing something different, feeling the difference of that new area,
(03:54):
be it the weather, be it the food, be it
at the atmosphere of people around, and the culture is well. Man,
I've just id like to go now, and I'm blessed that,
you know, I can. I think we all have that
ability that we can go, you know, and do things
as well, which makes it good. I'll admit that something
new for me, it's hopping on the train. So I've
(04:17):
actually taken a train trip up to the DC area
from where I am and it was fun. It was
it was relaxing, it was fun. Actually had some conversation
with people on there as well. But you know, something
more that I may want to explore as well, besides
just air travel. I'll say that driving in a car
(04:37):
not as enjoyable for me these days. You know, I
give you a good two and a half and my
max is definitely about five. But I slop on a
plane in a second.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Yeah, longer than a five hour drive is you know,
I'm trying to see us there an airport close by
that we could just fly to or something like that.
You know, the lot driving. But my first train ride
was my freshman year in college going up to Howard,
coming up there to see you for spring break. I
took that train ride from Chicago to d C. That
was my first long train ride. That was the fund.
(05:12):
That was a fun trip. I was by myself, you know,
so it was interesting. Some stories I could tell at
another time off the podcast about that one. But this
notion of cultural, cultural, and heritage travel, it's kind of
something I'd like to touch on a little bit. Is
this notion of you know, going places where you can
you know, see and connect with history and with culture
(05:34):
and seeing places historic places, understanding our own history, other
other people's history, and so having a chance to you know,
go in and eat other people's food, you know, and
things like that. I think food and culture are so connected.
So for me personally, you get to know people by
buy their food. So sitting with sitting with them, going
(05:56):
places and sitting with them and eating what they eat.
You know, I don't like going places. Isn't eating you know,
American food or chain food, right, you know, when when
when I go somewhere, I want to eat what their.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
You know, I agree with you there too, right, just
if you go on someplace, I ain't going there to
go get McDonald's. I'm see what the locals are having
and enjoy that aspect of their culture as well.
Speaker 4 (06:19):
I would make one I completely agree with you, but
for one small little caveat. I consider New Orleans like
one of those places you know, you know, my dad's
folks are from there, and it's my favorite place in
the US, one of my favorite places in the world,
in large part because of the food, right right, It's
(06:40):
kind of a seems sacrilegious to say, but the Popeyes.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
New Orleans, it's a different love. That's a different love.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
I mean, that's where pop Eyes came from, right, And
so they said, the Popeyes in New Orleans is making
New Orleans for chicken, not make Popeyes, you know, change right, right,
right right? Yeah, that's a notable exception.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
You know.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
So have either of you what in terms of cultural
and heritage travel?
Speaker 3 (07:13):
Where have you been?
Speaker 1 (07:14):
Tell me about someplace you've been where you know that
you were able to get that ancestral connection that you
know or something like that, that connection backwards in history
or in time.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
Yeah. For me, it's Ghana for sure.
Speaker 4 (07:27):
To Gana in twenty nineteen and was a life changing,
you know experience. I had been on the continent before,
but never the West Africa. I went to Morocco, which
was you know, which was fine, but there was something
about going to Ghana, the reception that we got, the
welcoming nature of everything, the familiarity of the food and
(07:48):
the people and the music. And then of course visiting
you know, some of the old slavery, you know, places
you know from the Slave River, something I had never
even heard of before, right to meeting actually at the
on the Atlantic where people were, you know, boarding ships
for the transatlantic straight slave trade.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
That was a life.
Speaker 4 (08:10):
Changing experience, going to God and that those reasons and
for so many more. And I haven't been the same
since that trip.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
That's our standard.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Yeah, you too probably have done more world traveling. I'll
say that I probably have, especially recent years. But to
say that is, you know, I definitely want to make
a trick to Western Africa. I want to make a
trip to Belize as well. But I've been to you know, Aruba,
which is a place that is always just wonderful for
(08:42):
me to see that culture there, to see the friendliness
of a space where there's not much there, you know
what I mean. The people are friendly, they're nice. They're cordial,
yet they don't have a lot, but yet they're happy
and I love that and I go back often with
family and everything. It's just a great, you know, relaxing experience.
(09:03):
But going to Charleston, South Carolina has been I would
say similar to that cultural experience though, to see where
our people have come in to this nation and to
feel the different culture and the food. Man, Charleston is
a wonderful food place too, but the walk the streets
(09:24):
of history, there's just you feel something different when you're
there as well. And I agree with you New Orleans man.
I love food in New Orleans. It's a lot of
history in New Orleans, man, and the people and all
that they went through, even through hurricanes and natural disasters
and things of that nature as well. Yet they still
(09:46):
try to be positive. They still Marty grass going on,
and they still try to make it fun. And here recently,
unfortunately that the death of those people from the guy
that was driving the truck, you know, here recently in
the world years, the tragedy is there as well, So
they're resilient people and I think it's that it's again
it's seeing the culture, seeing how people rebound from adversity
(10:10):
and these situations of life as well.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
Yeah, I think the most profound travel experience I've had
was our trip to South Africa, which was around twenty thirteen.
Blessed to be over there for about two weeks because
we were visiting friends who worked for the US government
at the time, and so they were over there and
had been living there for a few years. So we
(10:33):
were blessed to be there to stay with them in
the capital of Pretoria, and one of the friends was
not working, so she was able to plan our two weeks.
You know, we got to see so much of South Africa.
We went to Johannesburg, we spent time at Sun City,
we stayed in Pretoria, we went on Safari, you know,
did all of that kind of stuff, just ate a
(10:54):
lot of great food, had a wonderful experience. Really, I
even got to visit the Court in South Africa was
there Johannesburg, so as a as a lawyer, for me,
that was, you know, incredible to see and to hear
how they built their constitution and the things that they
did post apartheid to rebuild, to reconcile despite the current
(11:15):
challenges they're facing because of our current administration and all
of that. But you know, again you were talking resilience,
getting to know, to visit the cradle of humanity. I
mean we're literally crawling through caves and stuff like that
to see where some of the first you know, Homo
sapiens were found.
Speaker 3 (11:32):
That it was.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
It was really cool experience, so much to see, you know,
a place that was being run by black people. Of course,
there are challenges that always come with that too, but
for me too personally, the I think one of the
most profound parts of it was literally as soon as
we got off the plane in South Africa, all of
a sudden, and you guys have known me for my
whole life and have known that I've always had dry
(11:54):
skin issues. Right, Literally, as soon as we got off
the plane in South Africa, all of a sudden, I
had moisture in my face. Right my body was like, Hey,
this is where you're supposed to be. You're supposed to
be in the Motherland. Everything just started working better. Right
two weeks we were only sleeping about three four hours
a night because we were trying to kick it so hard,
(12:16):
drinking about a bottle of wine each night, never hung over,
never tired, you know, body was just like, this is
where you're supposed to be. It was like, you know,
when the motherland, when the ship gets there, settles down
an Independence day, and when the when that ship landed,
all these other systems started working. You know, everything just
connected to the mothership. You know, it started working better.
(12:36):
It just seemed like everything worked so much more effectively.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
You know, that's amazing. Man.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
Have you done any group travel besides us, the three
of us we came, we went to that concert in
North Carolina.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
But yeah for that.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
So yeah, man, this is something you know, I've talked
to you guys about a while that you know we
needed any more. But I've got what, you know, my
my Hu crew, my Howard crew, and we've been also
trying to make sure that we do something together at
least once a year, you know, and if it happens
a couple of times, the excellent. But man, that's that's needed, Brus.
(13:14):
That's that's why I'm trying to get that with you
guys as well, because when we go on those trips,
it's just out of the troubles or dress or wait
that I may be feeling up to that point. Once
we get to wherever our destination leads us. Man, everything's lifted.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
It's it's good.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
You know, we're there, we're having a great time, we're
having fun, we're talking, you know, having real conversations too.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
But then we're walking.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
We've been to Vegas and there's some hiking in the
in the desert out there. Man, it was hot as
I don't know what. Oh my gosh, that was a trip.
But we did it. We had great job. But group
travel to me has been excellent. We've gone on cruises
(14:04):
together to Caribbean islands and stuff, and it's a great time.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
Brothers. You know.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
I don't know if you guys have been doing some
of that with others as well, but I know when
we did it, we went to that music festival and Dura, Man,
that was that was That was absolutely great, man, And
it's refreshing. It's just it's just something that helps with
your soul, man, helps mentally physically when you're able to
go enjoy experiences together. You know, it's one thing traveling
(14:32):
by yourself. It's another thing when you're traveling with family,
and then so yet another thing when you're traveling with
just your friends. You know, again, family is family, but
friends of those that you choose to be around too.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Not to say you didn't choose.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Your family, but your family is chosen for you in
some aspects as well. But you know, and each one
brings its own kind of atmosphere or whatever to that
as well. But yeah, the group trips have always been wonderful.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
I had the chance to go on with a fairly
big group back in twenty twenty three. I think it was, Yeah,
we went to Paris. Our groups went to Paris to
watch a Bulls game. The Bulls were playing the Pistons
over there in Paris. So that was I want to
say February of twenty three or something like that, and
a friend of mine had put this group together. She called,
(15:20):
she reached out to me. She lives in the DC area,
but she was like, Hey, I'm putting together a group.
We're going there. She was like, did you know the
Bulls were playing in Paris in January? This was like October,
And I was like, you know, I guess as soon
as they put the schedules out the Paris game. So
she started working on a group. You know, hollered at
the message, Hey, if you want to go check out
the Bulls in Paris, of course.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
You know.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
And so it was probably a group of about twenty people.
I knew maybe six or seven of the people beforehand,
so there were a number of people we were meeting.
One of the people that was on the trip with
somebody I grew up a couple blocks away from, you know,
went to grammar school at high school with. Hadn't really
seen her much then, and then you know, we're in
the airport in Paris, and I'm like, oh wow, I'll
(16:03):
check you out, you know. So she was part of
that same group. You know, different people were connected from
different ways, and including some people from the West Coast.
So we had people flying in from Chicagoland and from
other parts of the US and we all met up
in Paris. And so that was a fun experience because
we basically brought the party with us. You know, if
you ever gone on a tray and it been like, man,
(16:24):
this would have been so much fun if we.
Speaker 3 (16:25):
Had you know, you know.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
So and so you know, we've got my wife and
I have a group of a pair of friends that
we've traveled with quite a bit, you know, going on
a lot of trips with them, and so you know,
they're you know, they're the first ones that come to
mind cause we're like, Okay, this will be fun with them.
You know, we kind of have them pre programmed then,
But this was really cool. We ended up taking over
a jazz club one night while we were in Paris
(16:49):
because we were so deep, you know, we just went
in there. Actually one of the people that in the
group was a singer and she was going to get
on the mic at one point. But you know, we
we just had a blast. I mean, the game was
almost secondary because we were there for about five days.
That one was super cool because we ran into some
family over there, hung out with Miles Morgan and Heather
(17:09):
you know when we were over there, So that was
that was so cool getting to see people you know,
from home over there that wasn't part of this. But
then taking back to that cultural travel piece, we learned
so much about black folks in Paris while we were there.
We took a Black Paris tour and this brother that
was local there took us to all these different spots,
(17:29):
all these different places that talked to us about black
culture and black history in Paris and how influential black
folks were to the development of France and France's culture
and all of that. So that was a real cool
like bonus that came out of this. But again, it
was group travel and it was a lot of people
we didn't already know and we had a blast.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
But yeah, I loved the story, man, because you know,
alls reminded me when we were on the cruise going
to the Caribbean. We did like a three day cruise
with a group. It was one of our friends fiftieth
birthday party or fifty had to be their fifty fifth
birthday party, and so we all like, yeah, let's go.
So we all, you know, couples went and everything, had
a great time. But like that, we took over the
(18:09):
bar area. We were karaoke and up in there dancing
and you know, all of that type deal. And then
we went to the private island. We kind of had
our own little section of that space there and just
you know, swam laughed, played our music, had house music
going on up in there and dancing and everything, and
just that experience meeting new folks you know as well.
(18:30):
It's just up something uplifting about.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
All of that. Man.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
So yeah, yeah, I think the friendships piece of the
group travel. There's two sides to it. It's traveling with
friends and then it's making new friends while traveling.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
You know.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
One of the you know, one of the fun things
about that Paris trip was some of the people that
we were hanging out and kicking it with, you know,
we we developed real connections with them, like these are
some cool people, you know. You know, sometimes you meet
people in a travel context and they're fun people while
you're on that trip, but others are just you know,
good people that you meet that you want to continue
(19:06):
that relationship with beyond the trip. So I know, like
my wife became really good friends with one of the
sisters that we all met and were hanging out with
on the trip. And that was two years ago and
they're still you know, in touching. They're on different sides
of the country. She's in California, you know, we're in
the Midwest, but they created a friendship out of that trip.
(19:28):
You know, we hung out for just a couple of
days and all of a sudden, now you know, they're
good friends. Because that energy, you know, you connect with
people doesn't take long for you to you know, to
find those people whose vibrations are similar, you know, and
you're like oh wow, okay, you know, and you want
to kind of push that and pursue that so you
can create those relationships, you know, just from a trip.
(19:51):
That's what I think was really cool.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
Yeah, that happened with Allison on this one because she
really had had an opportunity to really know some of
the folks and families and stuff, and that built some
new connections and friendships there as well.
Speaker 4 (20:06):
So I agree, Well, one of my favorite, well my
favorite group trip ever and unfortunately you all weren't able
to make it, but it was I got married in
Jamaica and we took a group of folks down and
that was a phenomenal experience in Park Park is We
were able to travel around the island, so you know,
(20:29):
we were obeyed with to rios with the grill.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
Shout out to Heather for.
Speaker 4 (20:35):
Record, but you know, we had a bunch of people
come from Chicago and then on top of it, I
heard you making family was around and came. So it
was a full experience. You know, you get to move
around the island and yeah, twenty five years ago now, but.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
My favorite, Yeah, that was dope.
Speaker 1 (20:57):
I wish I had made that trip.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
Yeah, it too.
Speaker 5 (21:02):
It was memorable now so great and keeping with the
stain of finding community and connection in the diaspora, I
just wanted to say that word talked about the role
of travel and breaking stereotypes and expanding perspectives.
Speaker 4 (21:18):
Well, for me, you know, traveling is as much as
anything else, a cultural experience, and so I've found that
it really has changed my life, and particularly as the
Black American. You know, going to places has really opened
up much too much of the world what really has
a perception of Black Americans That has done nothing that
(21:41):
made me even more proud.
Speaker 3 (21:43):
Despite you know the images cast about us.
Speaker 4 (21:46):
Very curious about what it means to be a Black
American and just weigh in with the culture's similar first
trip outside of the country was to Jamaica, and you know,
going to Jamaica was a life changing things. And then
I've been blessed to go to you know, Colombia and
you know, the blackest part of Colombia pro Colombians, and
(22:08):
just the curiosity and the commonalities really just was life
changing for me. But it was funny to make me
realize just the uniqueness of being Black American.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
I love how we speak on the diaspora. I needed
to say the word myself sance. All of y'all got
a chance to say it, so I wanted to say
it as well. So when it comes to travel, it's important,
and it's important for us because our bodies, our mind,
our spirit really needs to be able to have a
(22:42):
break from what I call the every day. We need
to be able to relax, We need to be able
to rest, We need to be able to rejuvenate so
that when we come back into our spaces we need
to be ready again. Sometimes we give so much of
ourselves and our day to day lives that it's just
it's expensive. Let me put it that way. It's expensive
(23:05):
to our bodies, our minds, our spirits. And if we
don't take moments where we just have to break away
from it and refill that energy with good positive energy,
we're going to just falter and we're going to fall.
We're going to fail. And I encourage us, I encourage
(23:27):
us all to take those moments away. Whenever I'm traveling
with family or with my friends, with the fellas, whatever
that looks like. At the end that I travel, it's
like I feel, you know, my heart is full again.
So now I'm ready. I'm ready to come back. I'm
ready to try to give all that energy that's needed
(23:48):
until the next time. But trust me, brothers, I'm still
looking for next time. So I love this. I love travel.
I love being able to explore as well. So I
again courage us all to make sure that we are
taking those moments. It doesn't have to be a week away,
it doesn't have to be a month away. It can
(24:09):
be a couple of days. It could be just a
trip to the beach or trip to the mountains, just
for a day, just to again rejuvenate.
Speaker 1 (24:18):
I like that. I like that. A couple of things
you said just really resonate with me. One is just
that the length of it, you know, is less important
as the quality of the time that you make it.
This this need to recharge, this need to rejuvenate oneself
and take an advantage of even small periods of time
(24:38):
you can, you know, it could be powerful in the way,
you know, recharge yourself. I'm going to talk a little
bit about the role of nature, beaches, like you said,
you mentioned beaches, john, peaceful destinations, relaxation and how important
that is to this notion of wellness and using travel
as a way to recharge our battery. There's something just
(24:59):
really powerful about being on the beach, being near the ocean.
We live in John's case, used to live in Chicago
and at Lake Michigan. It is so huge that, you know,
want I lived on the lakefront in South Shore. I
got up every morning. I was blessed to have a
condo that looked out over the water, and so I
got up every morning, and that's how I looked at
(25:21):
my day, how my day was going to go by
looking at I called it the ocean, you know, even
though it's not, but it's such a huge lake that
it feels like it. But getting up in the morning
when you're taking one of those vacations somewhere and you
get blessed to go to an island and there's a
beach there, and just to get up really early in
the morning. I love to get up early enough to
(25:41):
actually sit out there and watch the sunrise, just be
at peace with nature and watch the sunrise and listen
to the current, listen to the tide. I mean that
coming in and out, it's peaceful, it's melodic, and it
has that kind of meditative aspects to it because of
that rhythmic way that it's moving that back and forth,
(26:02):
love the tide, but taking advantage of moments to connect
with nature, to be quiet and be peaceful and feel
and see and hear the world around you. It can
have a lot of different benefits, you know, both spiritually, mentally,
emotionally and ultimately physically as well. When you can find
(26:23):
your way back to connecting with the earth, it can
be energizing, it can be very powerful. So take advantage
of those moments to really put the whole world out
for a moment, the whole world, meaning your electronics, your work,
your external relationships, all of that, and just take some
moments to really center yourself and sink into the to
the actual earth. The beach can do that for you,
(26:45):
but you got to get out there early before everybody
gets out there. So it's just really you know, you
can have you a small piece of the earth to yourself,
you know, and do that. It's really cool.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
And the other aspect about that rich is it's all free.
Nature is free. There's no charge for nature. Well, you
might have got on it. You might have got on
a plane, you know, to travel there, so you right
how you experience it might cost you something.
Speaker 6 (27:11):
But the world it sounds, you know, it is one
of the best things, Yes, sir, have you ever done?
Speaker 3 (27:23):
I got all that? Oh man.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
The beauty of being where we are and what I'll
call the Triad or Central North Carolina is that we
have the benefit of not just our greenery, but the
beaches we can go to, but yet the mountains that
we can go to as well. And man, I love it.
I love it. It affects my allergies to no end,
(27:51):
but I still love it as well. So I just
I just got a prep forward. And that's all nature
day or night beneficial. So it's again it's a place
where you can let your mind be at peace, but
but your body benefits from it as well. So take advantage,
(28:16):
you know, whenever you can take advantage, be by yourself
at times with it, or be with someone you care
about as well. But take advantage of what God has
given us and use that as the strength for your
continued growth as well.
Speaker 1 (28:30):
GK you ever do any spot stuff, man, wellness retreats
and whatnot?
Speaker 4 (28:34):
You know, shame to shave one and only to achieve
what I got, Man, really is the last time and
everyone says I need to go.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
If making it clear to me that I need to do.
Speaker 1 (28:46):
Man, every every you know, every time we go to
a resort or whatever. You know, that's pretty standard. The
missus and I, you know, we're gonna end up getting
a couples besides or something.
Speaker 3 (28:56):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
When we were in South Africa, we were at sun City, Yes,
the famous Sun City. We had a wonderful time while
we were there, and we we got couple of massages.
It was Regina and nine and two of our good friends. Man,
the masseuse that I had, it was incredible. I thought
I was gonna try and bring her home with me.
Regina knew. I was like, you know, you could come
(29:17):
home with us. You can come home with us, will
you know, We'll find a place for you, you know seriously,
Like you know, I've had issues with my shoulders and
some of those challenges along the way. It's like physical therapy.
You know, it's like physical therapy. You should take advantage
of that. GK if you know, I mean talk about
(29:38):
just like you know, adding to your overall well being,
physical ailments, you know, all of that kind of stuff. Yeah,
do that son you Yeah, I mean you're you're you're
still I mean, I'm surprised considering how much you run
that you not wanted, you know, ever to get massages
or anything like that. I told the masseuse, what, you know,
I had the broken bone in the hand, broken bone
(29:58):
and the wrist and this and that, and she was like, so, okay,
you want me to stay away from it. I was like, no,
I want you to you know, work that too, just
you know, work it appropriately. That And in the ocean,
just being in the ocean with mine with my wrist
in the water, just letting the current pull it back
and forth, you know, where I was sitting in the water.
It was getting in some nice physical therapy.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
It was.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
It was allowing me to use it, you know, but
not being it's a normal weight, you know, crossing the water,
buoyant and all of that. So just you know, more
ways to take advantage of using that trip in that travel.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
And I'll add to that, Rich that some massage, therapy,
aroma therapy, hydro therapy, all of that is wonderful and
can be done in ways that again not necessarily have
to be such an expense as well. So you mentioned
about getting into the water, allowing those waves to kind
(30:56):
of just relax the body too, can be soothing a therapeutic.
The air breeze, you know where it is if you're
in a floral area, or if you're in the ocean
air and at night, sometimes that can just be soothing
in and of itself as well and something that can
be therapeutic.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
For us there.
Speaker 2 (31:13):
So those are all different aspects of care that I
think we all need to be considering as relates to
our general wellness.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
And can be done food too, this therapy and travels context,
if you think about it really, right, especially once you've
been somewhere before and you fall in love with that
culture and with some of their food, and how you're
looking forward to going back there, right, And we attach
memories to smells as well as to taste and food
and all of that, and so you know that triggers
(31:43):
those good feelings and you want to go back to
those places again, you know.
Speaker 2 (31:48):
So that's leading us into the next topic, Rich, So
keep expanding a little bit of.
Speaker 1 (31:53):
Right, right, Okay, Yeah, the next topic experiential travel, stepping
outside the comfort zone. Okay, So the joy of learning
something new while traveling. I can talk about those like
you said, we were talking about food. You know, I've
always been a fan of the notion of eating is
one of the best ways to learn other people's learn
(32:13):
about other people, learning their cultures. You know, people open
up naturally. Yeah, eating and drinking definitely, and those two
are tied together, especially when you're eating and drinking the
local stuff. Right, you want to go there, you want
to eat their food, you want to drink their stuff. Now,
I will say when we were in South Africa and
we went to this I don't know how to describe it,
(32:33):
a shanty town. I drank some very traditional beer that
was disgusting. It was warm and disgusting. But you know
I made friends and so doing you know, so you know, right,
but you know learning. We went on a bike tour
(32:54):
through parts of this shanty town and some other areas
while we were there, and so, you know, we learned
so much. We went to the spot and learned about
Nelson Mandela actually met his grandson. We got to hang
out with his grandson, and you know, so it was
in it. You know, those kind of trips where you
get to not just lay on the beach, which is
(33:14):
dope in and of itself, but go places and learn
and meet people, learn about their cultures. You know, you
see the differences, but you also see how similar we
are in so many ways, right, you know, the differences
are subtle. Sometimes sometimes it's language based, sometimes it's cultural base.
But at the end of the day, we pretty much
all want to do the same things, you know, and
(33:36):
we're just experiencing it the way they like to do it,
which is always cool. Right when once you get in
and you start to hang out and meet people and
they open up a little bit of what their world
did is you're like, oh, this is cool, and then
you start automatically comparing it to your own life and
things that you naturally can see those connections, those similarities,
(33:58):
you know, unless you're just an asshole and we see
those people out there right right right, just can screw
up travel for everybody else.
Speaker 3 (34:05):
You know.
Speaker 1 (34:06):
That's why I like to you know, that's why I
tend to prefer when we go in and those getting
off of the plane and going to the hotel to
this or that.
Speaker 3 (34:12):
We want a private car.
Speaker 1 (34:13):
We're going to be on a small light. I don't
even want their energy to invade our trip, you know.
But yeah, the opportunities to learn, the opportunities to music,
you know, especially getting to experience people's music at their crib.
You know, you being essentially as a tourist or a traveler,
being a fly on the wall and just kicking it
(34:36):
their style.
Speaker 3 (34:37):
You know.
Speaker 1 (34:38):
One of the most fun things I did recently was
when we were in pum Takana, we were hanging out.
I met up with one of the I meet the drivers.
I meet those people because I want to get I
want to go places with the people that know the places.
Speaker 3 (34:50):
You know.
Speaker 1 (34:51):
So while we you know, we were like, okay, we
want to go get something to eat. Man, take us
to one of your favorite spots. He took us to this.
Speaker 5 (34:58):
Hole of the wall.
Speaker 1 (34:58):
You know, you're like, oh my god, where are we going?
Speaker 3 (35:01):
You know.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
But then but then before you know it, we sitting
up in the spot, hanging out, having drinks with some
of the locals while they're on their lunch breaks. Different
people come through.
Speaker 6 (35:10):
You know.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
It was just a great time, you know, So getting up,
you know, you only get to do that when you
leave home, when you get away from that that comfort zone.
Speaker 3 (35:20):
You know.
Speaker 1 (35:20):
And you know, we're from Chicago, so we're blessed. Everybody
is a little nervous around us, right when you say
you're from Chicago, people take a step back, right. I've
seen that happen in different parts of the world.
Speaker 3 (35:31):
Yeah, yeah, that's right, that's right.
Speaker 2 (35:36):
I appreciate that too. I would say just always be
safe as well to speak mindful, up your space and
where you are.
Speaker 1 (35:46):
As I've gotten older, I've become less adventurous, and spots
that I go to have become safer fault, you know,
because can.
Speaker 3 (35:55):
Go wrong right right right.
Speaker 4 (35:57):
Columbia is really close in terms of just the experience
of going there and going with someone from Colombia, you know,
Like the part I went to the first time was
the Northwest, getting there and experiencing the people, and I
guess the little town I was in, they got word
(36:17):
that I was and all these kids come and they
want to practice they want to see this American, right,
black American, and they want to practice English with me.
And so they would say words and I would say,
I mean English, and obvious they had an interpreting and
that was just one of the most fascinating.
Speaker 3 (36:35):
Experiences in the cold. It was that's that's grateful for it.
Speaker 4 (36:42):
That kind of experience that just really made me think
about Colombia and Colombians in a different way and like connected,
we are folks in the.
Speaker 2 (36:53):
You know, No, this just leads to you know, our
brains are sponges, so we take in any and everything
that's going on, and then how we process it can
be different depending on our experiences as well. So what
I'm hearing is that, you know, as we're traveling, as
we're going, as we're experiencing, try to keep that mind
(37:15):
open to what those experiences may be. So it may
be the food and maybe the culture, maybe the music,
maybe the adventure, maybe the beach and maybe the pool,
and maybe the interactions that we have, but we need
to maintain that openness as to what that is because
everything that comes in is really something that helps us
(37:36):
grow and develop as well. Some things we're going to
accept and we're going to continue to take from there
and go some things we're going to reject and not
let it be a part of who we are. And
all of that's okay. But if we go in there saying,
all right, I'm just going for XYZ and I miss
out on ABC THEEF, then we really are missing out
(37:57):
on a whole lot more the whole journey and experience
as well. So if anything, you know, whenever we're stepping
out there, just make sure to just be open to
the experience, absorb it, and then process. You know, what's
what's the good from that that I want to take,
What's what's the not so good that I want to
(38:18):
keep away from you as well?
Speaker 3 (38:19):
Because one of the things that have learned the most
in traveling places is is that we are very spoiled
as Americans.
Speaker 4 (38:30):
There's a way and with very spoiled hypermterialism is really
for our health. But have a sense of themselves and
their culture and family and all those things. And really
like Jamaican say, cool runnings like take your time.
Speaker 3 (38:47):
No need to run. Just found that to really be.
Speaker 4 (38:50):
Helpful to me and realize that the way that we
do things in the US is it about the entire
world operates and everything isn't about what you do, right,
It's like, it's what you do and how you, you know,
operate in the world.
Speaker 3 (39:07):
You need to deal with things.
Speaker 4 (39:09):
People were things so driven superficiality and materialism has brought.
Speaker 1 (39:15):
Yes, I need to notice that about Americans. Back when
we first started, you know, traveling back in college and
just the impatience was one of the things that I noticed,
you know so often, you know, and then like you
mentioned Jamaica, Greg, I've been there so many times. Just
love that island. And again, you know, I have a
connection there or feel like that. You know, that's where
my grandfather's from, even though I've never met any of
(39:37):
his family down there, but you know, just this notion
of it. You know, they always say soon come, man,
soon come. You know, it's kind of this slow down
a little bit.
Speaker 3 (39:46):
You know.
Speaker 1 (39:47):
We used to always joke and say, you don't you know,
you don't go to a Jamaican restaurant when you're hungry, right,
you got it before you're hungry, so that you have
time to hang out kick it and while you're and
you'll get hungry around the town. Food gets there. But
if you grow up in that spot hungary, you know,
(40:07):
with that American impatience, you know you're gonna be sitting
down stomach, grumbling what you know and and that, and
you're like, where's the food? They say soon come back,
soon come, you know.
Speaker 4 (40:18):
Right right right right right right, you know perspectives. But
I think again those are things that I feel like
as Black Americans that we sort of that's in our
DNA also like that's the culture, particularly those of us
who have connections to people in the south, but beyond
(40:41):
right the rest of the Caribbean. There's a way in
which our culture, by coming into urban areas and the cities,
have sort of adopted things that weren't really are sort
of I don't want to say natural, but like sort
of our historic orientation. And so I think, for I
think it's really important that we get.
Speaker 3 (40:59):
Back to that in a sense, because I.
Speaker 4 (41:02):
Think part of what our challenge is is being up
north in the cities, et cetera, and like the need
to be in a rush and like pushing the stress
of like all of that, and how do we deal
with It's just taught us the way, you.
Speaker 2 (41:16):
Know, well, and that brings up one other good point. No,
we're getting ready to probably wrap this up, but it
made me think about what vacation is to different people.
Speaker 3 (41:26):
You know.
Speaker 2 (41:26):
I think from us, we've come to appreciate vacation as
truly a moment to relax, reflect, rest and appreciate wherever
we are. But for others, they've got an agenda, you know,
They're like, we got to do ABCD while I'm here.
Rest is just something I'll do later on at home,
(41:49):
and it's like, well, wait a minute, then what's the
vacation for you? Just on a trip but not necessarily
a vacation. And I think there's a difference there that
people need to just recognize that, Hey, you can do
that if that's what you want to do. But then
you're coming back even more fatigued and tired from the
trip itself because you just did not get the opportunity
(42:12):
to rest reflect and justin George, exactly exactly, brother, that's
it exactly.
Speaker 1 (42:18):
You know, that's always a challenge, depending on especially when
it's some place you've not been before, and depending on
what it is what you want to see. You know,
I've only been to Paris once. We went for that
Bulls game. I mentioned that, And while we were there,
one of the things we did was a Black Paris
Tour is what it was called. It was a walking
tour of Paris and they highlighted all kinds of things
(42:40):
of note that were of importance, you know, how black
people had the role they played in building Paris and
building France. And it was so much that you know,
it's not taught in America. It was incredible. You know,
this experience. But over the course of that experience, you know,
it was about what four or five hours, we probably
walked about twelve thousand fifteen thousand steps over the course
(43:04):
of that tour. There were certain sections where we could
have taken public transportation. They had that built into the
whole process. We had the little they got us day
passes and everything, but we ended up walking through certain
of those sections because of the group that we were with,
you know, decide no, let's just keep going here, you know,
that kind of thing. So, you know, that was not
(43:24):
even expected. That changes, you know, for the next couple
of days. You know, my legs are going to be
kind of sore or tired from walking miles unexpectedly, you
know versus you know what I might otherwise have done
on a typical day. So so even then, you know, yeah,
it's kinda there's the potential to take away that relaxation piece.
You know, we we still in this case, had enough
(43:48):
time to do some of that, but that again wasn't
the purpose of that trip. It wasn't a relaxation trip.
It was, Hey, you want to go to Paris and
watch the Chicago Bulls play. Okay, that sounds like fun,
and then we ended up kicking it, taking over a
jazz club one night, you know, and doing some things
like that. So now it wasn't a relaxation trip. It
was more of that experiential type of travel. So to
(44:11):
your point, John, figuring out what we're going to do
for this trip. Like some people like h like Erica,
she travels to run marathons. Right, She's all over the place,
all over the world running marathons, you know.
Speaker 3 (44:23):
So she's got forty states or something.
Speaker 1 (44:26):
She's I think she's hit them all. I think she
pretty much hit them all.
Speaker 2 (44:30):
Now I've got a couple of friends that have done
that as well, and I think they hit about almost
every state for that yep, right.
Speaker 1 (44:36):
And that's energizing, that's rejuvenating to them because that's a
deep passion for them, you know, that running So there's
physical exertion, they're physically tired, but they're going to be
emotionally and spiritually retracted. So you know, fun, So you
got we gotta find all those ways to get it,
all of those pieces, you know.
Speaker 3 (44:57):
I think we said it, but it's important.
Speaker 4 (45:00):
Remember sometimes a trip going somewhere, flying somewhere, there's a
way to experience travel, right, Sometimes maybe it's just driving
getting in a car, right.
Speaker 3 (45:11):
The things I wish we had a rail system in
this country.
Speaker 4 (45:15):
Yeah, but times that I've taken the train, like even
there's there's something really cool about just being on a train,
yeah and watching things go by. So yeah, there's a
bunch of ways you can and then travel and get
that rejuvenation.
Speaker 3 (45:35):
And I think we are yeah, totally agree.
Speaker 1 (45:39):
That time I took the train to uh out to
d c oh I remember that to visit Yourn when
we were in college. One of the cool things was
they had one of those cars and an observation car
or something they called it, where it was just you know,
it had a bit you know, you could go up behind.
It had like a clear dome kind of thing. You
could really see out all of it. It was really cool.
Part of it.
Speaker 4 (46:00):
I have friends like in Northwest, like Oregon, in Washington,
they say, there's a train that will take you up
there that's like the most beautiful you'd ever see. I
can imagine, you know.
Speaker 2 (46:12):
That might be something to look at. Brothers, as part
of the next trip is how to incorporate maybe something
like that and what we you know, decide to do,
just to appreciate that experience of it too. So we
know we now have a travel agent in the family
that can help us coordinate something like that. So we
definitely can try to see what we could put together
(46:32):
as well.
Speaker 1 (46:33):
Oh definitely. You know, she's got access to all of that,
the rail packages. I saw her the other day putting
together a trip for a client. They're going to Greece,
they're going to other parts of Europe, and part of
the stuff that she's put together are some you know,
part of the trip is going to be by rail.
You know, they'll flying once into one city, they're going
to take a train to a couple other places. Even
(46:55):
a buddy of mine while we were in Paris, took
a train to Amsterdam for a day, you know, and
then it came back. You know, So that that that
rail pieces is really cool. It's really cool with you know,
It's one of those things. Depends on what side of
the train you end up sitting on sometimes determine the
quality of the view though.
Speaker 3 (47:13):
You know, that's true, that's true.
Speaker 1 (47:18):
You know, you got to pick the right seats sometimes.
Speaker 2 (47:22):
All right, family, Well, I think we are at the
at the end of our episode I think we've heard
some great takeaways as it relates to the importance of
getting away. So whatever that looks like, you know, again,
you've heard us say that it could be just getting outside,
going for a walk. It could be hopping in the car,
(47:43):
going for a drive, hopping on the rail, hopping on
a plane, hopping on a boat. However, it means that
you need to get to wherever you need to get
to to get a break from the everyday norms. That's
what we're talking about. For some it means that they
like to have an agenda. For others and means they
don't want an agenda, And either way is fine as
(48:04):
long as you're able to feel like you're able to relax, rest,
rejuvenate and remember, enjoy the experience, and enjoy all that's
going on around you, because there is truly something good
that I know you can take away from it as well.
What we want to ask is how has travel changed
(48:25):
your perspective? Where do you want to go next? We
appreciate you, we love you, and until next time, raw
and refine. The Gentleman's out
This episode brought to you by Halvard Traveling.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Welcome to Raw and Refine, the Gentleman's Hour, where we're
going to have conversation with middle aged black men about
what's going on. We welcome you to listen, comment and like,
and hopefully encourage others to join for future conversations as well.
We always like to start off with a toast, and
(00:26):
with that toast, it's because we are gentlemen and we
do it raw and refine.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
So today's beverage choice is a beer. We're talking about
traveling leisure, so you know, it's always nice when you're
traveling or during some leisure time to have a nice
cold brew. So I chose for my beer sing Tao,
the imported premium lager. It's an Asian brew. I want
to say it's Chinese, but I don't know for sure.
(00:54):
But I've been drinking sing Tao for years. I like
sing Town and I like Supporo. I don't know if
you ever had that when that's a Japanese one. Yeah,
But so for me today, I'm having the same.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Tawn Okay, okay, well I'll go next and I'm rocking
the Corona extra smooth but light through from Mexico. I'll
say it's close to my heritage, being part Belizian. I
don't know if there's a Belizian beer. I gotta find out,
and it iss got a.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
Local beer, So got a local something.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
So I'm gonna have to check that out. As it
relates to raw and refined, I think Corona does explain
that as well.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
Awesome.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
Well, my beer drinking days have declined dramatically.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
I used to be mister I p a all.
Speaker 4 (01:41):
The time, the stronger the better, but I kind of
got off that little bit. But there is a really
good beer still, that Belgian beer that you know, still
gets the job done. And I think everybody knows Stellara,
and I find it to be rushing and yeah, when
(02:01):
I have a beer, have a stella.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
That's my usual out in the streets. You know, when
I'm from somewhere and I'm ordering a beer at a
bar or a restaurant, I'm usually asking if they got stella.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
Yeah, it's a good call, that's it. So you kind
of previewed it a little bit. But this episode is
going to be about travel and leisure, and you know,
we make the argument the travel and leisure really is
an antidote to some of life's challenges. Travel for me
personally really is incredibly important. And I don't care if
(02:36):
I'm traveling to you know, Indiana, but moving from from
current scenery to another scenery, even if it's for a
short period of time, I have found really improves, you know,
my state of mind, relaxing. It forces me to see
something different, and it really, you know, I think as
(02:57):
I've gotten older, really make me appreciate travel even more.
Just seeing how other people move and like other people,
other cultures interact with each other. For me, traveling is everything,
and you know, it relaxes me. But you know, just
moving from one place to another I have found. But
then coming back I have found has made me appreciate
(03:21):
what I'm coming back to that reflection piece, yep. So John,
and talk a little bit about you know, your own
experience for travel.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Yeah, I have to agree that traveling has become a
relaxation for me. It's not a it doesn't feel like
it's a job. I love to go now. I love
to go different places. And as you said, it doesn't
have to be that I'm going across the states or
into a new country or anything like that. It's just
seeing something different, feeling the difference of that new area,
(03:54):
be it the weather, be it the food, be it
at the atmosphere of people around, and the culture is well. Man,
I've just id like to go now, and I'm blessed that,
you know, I can. I think we all have that
ability that we can go, you know, and do things
as well, which makes it good. I'll admit that something
new for me, it's hopping on the train. So I've
(04:17):
actually taken a train trip up to the DC area
from where I am and it was fun. It was
it was relaxing, it was fun. Actually had some conversation
with people on there as well. But you know, something
more that I may want to explore as well, besides
just air travel. I'll say that driving in a car
(04:37):
not as enjoyable for me these days. You know, I
give you a good two and a half and my
max is definitely about five. But I slop on a
plane in a second.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Yeah, longer than a five hour drive is you know,
I'm trying to see us there an airport close by
that we could just fly to or something like that.
You know, the lot driving. But my first train ride
was my freshman year in college going up to Howard,
coming up there to see you for spring break. I
took that train ride from Chicago to d C. That
was my first long train ride. That was the fund.
(05:12):
That was a fun trip. I was by myself, you know,
so it was interesting. Some stories I could tell at
another time off the podcast about that one. But this
notion of cultural, cultural, and heritage travel, it's kind of
something I'd like to touch on a little bit. Is
this notion of you know, going places where you can
you know, see and connect with history and with culture
(05:34):
and seeing places historic places, understanding our own history, other
other people's history, and so having a chance to you know,
go in and eat other people's food, you know, and
things like that. I think food and culture are so connected.
So for me personally, you get to know people by
buy their food. So sitting with sitting with them, going
(05:56):
places and sitting with them and eating what they eat.
You know, I don't like going places. Isn't eating you know,
American food or chain food, right, you know, when when
when I go somewhere, I want to eat what their.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
You know, I agree with you there too, right, just
if you go on someplace, I ain't going there to
go get McDonald's. I'm see what the locals are having
and enjoy that aspect of their culture as well.
Speaker 4 (06:19):
I would make one I completely agree with you, but
for one small little caveat. I consider New Orleans like
one of those places you know, you know, my dad's
folks are from there, and it's my favorite place in
the US, one of my favorite places in the world,
in large part because of the food, right right, It's
(06:40):
kind of a seems sacrilegious to say, but the Popeyes.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
New Orleans, it's a different love. That's a different love.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
I mean, that's where pop Eyes came from, right, And
so they said, the Popeyes in New Orleans is making
New Orleans for chicken, not make Popeyes, you know, change right, right,
right right? Yeah, that's a notable exception.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
You know.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
So have either of you what in terms of cultural
and heritage travel?
Speaker 3 (07:13):
Where have you been?
Speaker 1 (07:14):
Tell me about someplace you've been where you know that
you were able to get that ancestral connection that you
know or something like that, that connection backwards in history
or in time.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
Yeah. For me, it's Ghana for sure.
Speaker 4 (07:27):
To Gana in twenty nineteen and was a life changing,
you know experience. I had been on the continent before,
but never the West Africa. I went to Morocco, which
was you know, which was fine, but there was something
about going to Ghana, the reception that we got, the
welcoming nature of everything, the familiarity of the food and
(07:48):
the people and the music. And then of course visiting
you know, some of the old slavery, you know, places
you know from the Slave River, something I had never
even heard of before, right to meeting actually at the
on the Atlantic where people were, you know, boarding ships
for the transatlantic straight slave trade.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
That was a life.
Speaker 4 (08:10):
Changing experience, going to God and that those reasons and
for so many more. And I haven't been the same
since that trip.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
That's our standard.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Yeah, you too probably have done more world traveling. I'll
say that I probably have, especially recent years. But to
say that is, you know, I definitely want to make
a trick to Western Africa. I want to make a
trip to Belize as well. But I've been to you know, Aruba,
which is a place that is always just wonderful for
(08:42):
me to see that culture there, to see the friendliness
of a space where there's not much there, you know
what I mean. The people are friendly, they're nice. They're cordial,
yet they don't have a lot, but yet they're happy
and I love that and I go back often with
family and everything. It's just a great, you know, relaxing experience.
(09:03):
But going to Charleston, South Carolina has been I would
say similar to that cultural experience though, to see where
our people have come in to this nation and to
feel the different culture and the food. Man, Charleston is
a wonderful food place too, but the walk the streets
(09:24):
of history, there's just you feel something different when you're
there as well. And I agree with you New Orleans man.
I love food in New Orleans. It's a lot of
history in New Orleans, man, and the people and all
that they went through, even through hurricanes and natural disasters
and things of that nature as well. Yet they still
(09:46):
try to be positive. They still Marty grass going on,
and they still try to make it fun. And here recently,
unfortunately that the death of those people from the guy
that was driving the truck, you know, here recently in
the world years, the tragedy is there as well, So
they're resilient people and I think it's that it's again
it's seeing the culture, seeing how people rebound from adversity
(10:10):
and these situations of life as well.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
Yeah, I think the most profound travel experience I've had
was our trip to South Africa, which was around twenty thirteen.
Blessed to be over there for about two weeks because
we were visiting friends who worked for the US government
at the time, and so they were over there and
had been living there for a few years. So we
(10:33):
were blessed to be there to stay with them in
the capital of Pretoria, and one of the friends was
not working, so she was able to plan our two weeks.
You know, we got to see so much of South Africa.
We went to Johannesburg, we spent time at Sun City,
we stayed in Pretoria, we went on Safari, you know,
did all of that kind of stuff, just ate a
(10:54):
lot of great food, had a wonderful experience. Really, I
even got to visit the Court in South Africa was
there Johannesburg, so as a as a lawyer, for me,
that was, you know, incredible to see and to hear
how they built their constitution and the things that they
did post apartheid to rebuild, to reconcile despite the current
(11:15):
challenges they're facing because of our current administration and all
of that. But you know, again you were talking resilience,
getting to know, to visit the cradle of humanity. I
mean we're literally crawling through caves and stuff like that
to see where some of the first you know, Homo
sapiens were found.
Speaker 3 (11:32):
That it was.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
It was really cool experience, so much to see, you know,
a place that was being run by black people. Of course,
there are challenges that always come with that too, but
for me too personally, the I think one of the
most profound parts of it was literally as soon as
we got off the plane in South Africa, all of
a sudden, and you guys have known me for my
whole life and have known that I've always had dry
(11:54):
skin issues. Right, Literally, as soon as we got off
the plane in South Africa, all of a sudden, I
had moisture in my face. Right my body was like, Hey,
this is where you're supposed to be. You're supposed to
be in the Motherland. Everything just started working better. Right
two weeks we were only sleeping about three four hours
a night because we were trying to kick it so hard,
(12:16):
drinking about a bottle of wine each night, never hung over,
never tired, you know, body was just like, this is
where you're supposed to be. It was like, you know,
when the motherland, when the ship gets there, settles down
an Independence day, and when the when that ship landed,
all these other systems started working. You know, everything just
connected to the mothership. You know, it started working better.
(12:36):
It just seemed like everything worked so much more effectively.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
You know, that's amazing. Man.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
Have you done any group travel besides us, the three
of us we came, we went to that concert in
North Carolina.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
But yeah for that.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
So yeah, man, this is something you know, I've talked
to you guys about a while that you know we
needed any more. But I've got what, you know, my
my Hu crew, my Howard crew, and we've been also
trying to make sure that we do something together at
least once a year, you know, and if it happens
a couple of times, the excellent. But man, that's that's needed, Brus.
(13:14):
That's that's why I'm trying to get that with you
guys as well, because when we go on those trips,
it's just out of the troubles or dress or wait
that I may be feeling up to that point. Once
we get to wherever our destination leads us. Man, everything's lifted.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
It's it's good.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
You know, we're there, we're having a great time, we're
having fun, we're talking, you know, having real conversations too.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
But then we're walking.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
We've been to Vegas and there's some hiking in the
in the desert out there. Man, it was hot as
I don't know what. Oh my gosh, that was a trip.
But we did it. We had great job. But group
travel to me has been excellent. We've gone on cruises
(14:04):
together to Caribbean islands and stuff, and it's a great time.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
Brothers. You know.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
I don't know if you guys have been doing some
of that with others as well, but I know when
we did it, we went to that music festival and Dura, Man,
that was that was That was absolutely great, man, And
it's refreshing. It's just it's just something that helps with
your soul, man, helps mentally physically when you're able to
go enjoy experiences together. You know, it's one thing traveling
(14:32):
by yourself. It's another thing when you're traveling with family,
and then so yet another thing when you're traveling with
just your friends. You know, again, family is family, but
friends of those that you choose to be around too.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Not to say you didn't choose.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Your family, but your family is chosen for you in
some aspects as well. But you know, and each one
brings its own kind of atmosphere or whatever to that
as well. But yeah, the group trips have always been wonderful.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
I had the chance to go on with a fairly
big group back in twenty twenty three. I think it was, Yeah,
we went to Paris. Our groups went to Paris to
watch a Bulls game. The Bulls were playing the Pistons
over there in Paris. So that was I want to
say February of twenty three or something like that, and
a friend of mine had put this group together. She called,
(15:20):
she reached out to me. She lives in the DC area,
but she was like, Hey, I'm putting together a group.
We're going there. She was like, did you know the
Bulls were playing in Paris in January? This was like October,
And I was like, you know, I guess as soon
as they put the schedules out the Paris game. So
she started working on a group. You know, hollered at
the message, Hey, if you want to go check out
the Bulls in Paris, of course.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
You know.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
And so it was probably a group of about twenty people.
I knew maybe six or seven of the people beforehand,
so there were a number of people we were meeting.
One of the people that was on the trip with
somebody I grew up a couple blocks away from, you know,
went to grammar school at high school with. Hadn't really
seen her much then, and then you know, we're in
the airport in Paris, and I'm like, oh wow, I'll
(16:03):
check you out, you know. So she was part of
that same group. You know, different people were connected from
different ways, and including some people from the West Coast.
So we had people flying in from Chicagoland and from
other parts of the US and we all met up
in Paris. And so that was a fun experience because
we basically brought the party with us. You know, if
you ever gone on a tray and it been like, man,
(16:24):
this would have been so much fun if we.
Speaker 3 (16:25):
Had you know, you know.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
So and so you know, we've got my wife and
I have a group of a pair of friends that
we've traveled with quite a bit, you know, going on
a lot of trips with them, and so you know,
they're you know, they're the first ones that come to
mind cause we're like, Okay, this will be fun with them.
You know, we kind of have them pre programmed then,
But this was really cool. We ended up taking over
a jazz club one night while we were in Paris
(16:49):
because we were so deep, you know, we just went
in there. Actually one of the people that in the
group was a singer and she was going to get
on the mic at one point. But you know, we
we just had a blast. I mean, the game was
almost secondary because we were there for about five days.
That one was super cool because we ran into some
family over there, hung out with Miles Morgan and Heather
(17:09):
you know when we were over there, So that was
that was so cool getting to see people you know,
from home over there that wasn't part of this. But
then taking back to that cultural travel piece, we learned
so much about black folks in Paris while we were there.
We took a Black Paris tour and this brother that
was local there took us to all these different spots,
(17:29):
all these different places that talked to us about black
culture and black history in Paris and how influential black
folks were to the development of France and France's culture
and all of that. So that was a real cool
like bonus that came out of this. But again, it
was group travel and it was a lot of people
we didn't already know and we had a blast.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
But yeah, I loved the story, man, because you know,
alls reminded me when we were on the cruise going
to the Caribbean. We did like a three day cruise
with a group. It was one of our friends fiftieth
birthday party or fifty had to be their fifty fifth
birthday party, and so we all like, yeah, let's go.
So we all, you know, couples went and everything, had
a great time. But like that, we took over the
(18:09):
bar area. We were karaoke and up in there dancing
and you know, all of that type deal. And then
we went to the private island. We kind of had
our own little section of that space there and just
you know, swam laughed, played our music, had house music
going on up in there and dancing and everything, and
just that experience meeting new folks you know as well.
(18:30):
It's just up something uplifting about.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
All of that. Man.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
So yeah, yeah, I think the friendships piece of the
group travel. There's two sides to it. It's traveling with
friends and then it's making new friends while traveling.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
You know.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
One of the you know, one of the fun things
about that Paris trip was some of the people that
we were hanging out and kicking it with, you know,
we we developed real connections with them, like these are
some cool people, you know. You know, sometimes you meet
people in a travel context and they're fun people while
you're on that trip, but others are just you know,
good people that you meet that you want to continue
(19:06):
that relationship with beyond the trip. So I know, like
my wife became really good friends with one of the
sisters that we all met and were hanging out with
on the trip. And that was two years ago and
they're still you know, in touching. They're on different sides
of the country. She's in California, you know, we're in
the Midwest, but they created a friendship out of that trip.
(19:28):
You know, we hung out for just a couple of
days and all of a sudden, now you know, they're
good friends. Because that energy, you know, you connect with
people doesn't take long for you to you know, to
find those people whose vibrations are similar, you know, and
you're like oh wow, okay, you know, and you want
to kind of push that and pursue that so you
can create those relationships, you know, just from a trip.
(19:51):
That's what I think was really cool.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
Yeah, that happened with Allison on this one because she
really had had an opportunity to really know some of
the folks and families and stuff, and that built some
new connections and friendships there as well.
Speaker 4 (20:06):
So I agree, Well, one of my favorite, well my
favorite group trip ever and unfortunately you all weren't able
to make it, but it was I got married in
Jamaica and we took a group of folks down and
that was a phenomenal experience in Park Park is We
were able to travel around the island, so you know,
(20:29):
we were obeyed with to rios with the grill.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
Shout out to Heather for.
Speaker 4 (20:35):
Record, but you know, we had a bunch of people
come from Chicago and then on top of it, I
heard you making family was around and came. So it
was a full experience. You know, you get to move
around the island and yeah, twenty five years ago now, but.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
My favorite, Yeah, that was dope.
Speaker 1 (20:57):
I wish I had made that trip.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
Yeah, it too.
Speaker 5 (21:02):
It was memorable now so great and keeping with the
stain of finding community and connection in the diaspora, I
just wanted to say that word talked about the role
of travel and breaking stereotypes and expanding perspectives.
Speaker 4 (21:18):
Well, for me, you know, traveling is as much as
anything else, a cultural experience, and so I've found that
it really has changed my life, and particularly as the
Black American. You know, going to places has really opened
up much too much of the world what really has
a perception of Black Americans That has done nothing that
(21:41):
made me even more proud.
Speaker 3 (21:43):
Despite you know the images cast about us.
Speaker 4 (21:46):
Very curious about what it means to be a Black
American and just weigh in with the culture's similar first
trip outside of the country was to Jamaica, and you know,
going to Jamaica was a life changing things. And then
I've been blessed to go to you know, Colombia and
you know, the blackest part of Colombia pro Colombians, and
(22:08):
just the curiosity and the commonalities really just was life
changing for me. But it was funny to make me
realize just the uniqueness of being Black American.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
I love how we speak on the diaspora. I needed
to say the word myself sance. All of y'all got
a chance to say it, so I wanted to say
it as well. So when it comes to travel, it's important,
and it's important for us because our bodies, our mind,
our spirit really needs to be able to have a
(22:42):
break from what I call the every day. We need
to be able to relax, We need to be able
to rest, We need to be able to rejuvenate so
that when we come back into our spaces we need
to be ready again. Sometimes we give so much of
ourselves and our day to day lives that it's just
it's expensive. Let me put it that way. It's expensive
(23:05):
to our bodies, our minds, our spirits. And if we
don't take moments where we just have to break away
from it and refill that energy with good positive energy,
we're going to just falter and we're going to fall.
We're going to fail. And I encourage us, I encourage
(23:27):
us all to take those moments away. Whenever I'm traveling
with family or with my friends, with the fellas, whatever
that looks like. At the end that I travel, it's
like I feel, you know, my heart is full again.
So now I'm ready. I'm ready to come back. I'm
ready to try to give all that energy that's needed
(23:48):
until the next time. But trust me, brothers, I'm still
looking for next time. So I love this. I love travel.
I love being able to explore as well. So I
again courage us all to make sure that we are
taking those moments. It doesn't have to be a week away,
it doesn't have to be a month away. It can
(24:09):
be a couple of days. It could be just a
trip to the beach or trip to the mountains, just
for a day, just to again rejuvenate.
Speaker 1 (24:18):
I like that. I like that. A couple of things
you said just really resonate with me. One is just
that the length of it, you know, is less important
as the quality of the time that you make it.
This this need to recharge, this need to rejuvenate oneself
and take an advantage of even small periods of time
(24:38):
you can, you know, it could be powerful in the way,
you know, recharge yourself. I'm going to talk a little
bit about the role of nature, beaches, like you said,
you mentioned beaches, john, peaceful destinations, relaxation and how important
that is to this notion of wellness and using travel
as a way to recharge our battery. There's something just
(24:59):
really powerful about being on the beach, being near the ocean.
We live in John's case, used to live in Chicago
and at Lake Michigan. It is so huge that, you know,
want I lived on the lakefront in South Shore. I
got up every morning. I was blessed to have a
condo that looked out over the water, and so I
got up every morning, and that's how I looked at
(25:21):
my day, how my day was going to go by
looking at I called it the ocean, you know, even
though it's not, but it's such a huge lake that
it feels like it. But getting up in the morning
when you're taking one of those vacations somewhere and you
get blessed to go to an island and there's a
beach there, and just to get up really early in
the morning. I love to get up early enough to
(25:41):
actually sit out there and watch the sunrise, just be
at peace with nature and watch the sunrise and listen
to the current, listen to the tide. I mean that
coming in and out, it's peaceful, it's melodic, and it
has that kind of meditative aspects to it because of
that rhythmic way that it's moving that back and forth,
(26:02):
love the tide, but taking advantage of moments to connect
with nature, to be quiet and be peaceful and feel
and see and hear the world around you. It can
have a lot of different benefits, you know, both spiritually, mentally,
emotionally and ultimately physically as well. When you can find
(26:23):
your way back to connecting with the earth, it can
be energizing, it can be very powerful. So take advantage
of those moments to really put the whole world out
for a moment, the whole world, meaning your electronics, your work,
your external relationships, all of that, and just take some
moments to really center yourself and sink into the to
the actual earth. The beach can do that for you,
(26:45):
but you got to get out there early before everybody
gets out there. So it's just really you know, you
can have you a small piece of the earth to yourself,
you know, and do that. It's really cool.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
And the other aspect about that rich is it's all free.
Nature is free. There's no charge for nature. Well, you
might have got on it. You might have got on
a plane, you know, to travel there, so you right
how you experience it might cost you something.
Speaker 6 (27:11):
But the world it sounds, you know, it is one
of the best things, Yes, sir, have you ever done?
Speaker 3 (27:23):
I got all that? Oh man.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
The beauty of being where we are and what I'll
call the Triad or Central North Carolina is that we
have the benefit of not just our greenery, but the
beaches we can go to, but yet the mountains that
we can go to as well. And man, I love it.
I love it. It affects my allergies to no end,
(27:51):
but I still love it as well. So I just
I just got a prep forward. And that's all nature
day or night beneficial. So it's again it's a place
where you can let your mind be at peace, but
but your body benefits from it as well. So take advantage,
(28:16):
you know, whenever you can take advantage, be by yourself
at times with it, or be with someone you care
about as well. But take advantage of what God has
given us and use that as the strength for your
continued growth as well.
Speaker 1 (28:30):
GK you ever do any spot stuff, man, wellness retreats
and whatnot?
Speaker 4 (28:34):
You know, shame to shave one and only to achieve
what I got, Man, really is the last time and
everyone says I need to go.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
If making it clear to me that I need to do.
Speaker 1 (28:46):
Man, every every you know, every time we go to
a resort or whatever. You know, that's pretty standard. The
missus and I, you know, we're gonna end up getting
a couples besides or something.
Speaker 3 (28:56):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
When we were in South Africa, we were at sun City, Yes,
the famous Sun City. We had a wonderful time while
we were there, and we we got couple of massages.
It was Regina and nine and two of our good friends. Man,
the masseuse that I had, it was incredible. I thought
I was gonna try and bring her home with me.
Regina knew. I was like, you know, you could come
(29:17):
home with us. You can come home with us, will
you know, We'll find a place for you, you know seriously,
Like you know, I've had issues with my shoulders and
some of those challenges along the way. It's like physical therapy.
You know, it's like physical therapy. You should take advantage
of that. GK if you know, I mean talk about
(29:38):
just like you know, adding to your overall well being,
physical ailments, you know, all of that kind of stuff. Yeah,
do that son you Yeah, I mean you're you're you're
still I mean, I'm surprised considering how much you run
that you not wanted, you know, ever to get massages
or anything like that. I told the masseuse, what, you know,
I had the broken bone in the hand, broken bone
(29:58):
and the wrist and this and that, and she was like, so, okay,
you want me to stay away from it. I was like, no,
I want you to you know, work that too, just
you know, work it appropriately. That And in the ocean,
just being in the ocean with mine with my wrist
in the water, just letting the current pull it back
and forth, you know, where I was sitting in the water.
It was getting in some nice physical therapy.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
It was.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
It was allowing me to use it, you know, but
not being it's a normal weight, you know, crossing the water,
buoyant and all of that. So just you know, more
ways to take advantage of using that trip in that travel.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
And I'll add to that, Rich that some massage, therapy,
aroma therapy, hydro therapy, all of that is wonderful and
can be done in ways that again not necessarily have
to be such an expense as well. So you mentioned
about getting into the water, allowing those waves to kind
(30:56):
of just relax the body too, can be soothing a therapeutic.
The air breeze, you know where it is if you're
in a floral area, or if you're in the ocean
air and at night, sometimes that can just be soothing
in and of itself as well and something that can
be therapeutic.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
For us there.
Speaker 2 (31:13):
So those are all different aspects of care that I
think we all need to be considering as relates to
our general wellness.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
And can be done food too, this therapy and travels context,
if you think about it really, right, especially once you've
been somewhere before and you fall in love with that
culture and with some of their food, and how you're
looking forward to going back there, right, And we attach
memories to smells as well as to taste and food
and all of that, and so you know that triggers
(31:43):
those good feelings and you want to go back to
those places again, you know.
Speaker 2 (31:48):
So that's leading us into the next topic, Rich, So
keep expanding a little bit of.
Speaker 1 (31:53):
Right, right, Okay, Yeah, the next topic experiential travel, stepping
outside the comfort zone. Okay, So the joy of learning
something new while traveling. I can talk about those like
you said, we were talking about food. You know, I've
always been a fan of the notion of eating is
one of the best ways to learn other people's learn
(32:13):
about other people, learning their cultures. You know, people open
up naturally. Yeah, eating and drinking definitely, and those two
are tied together, especially when you're eating and drinking the
local stuff. Right, you want to go there, you want
to eat their food, you want to drink their stuff. Now,
I will say when we were in South Africa and
we went to this I don't know how to describe it,
(32:33):
a shanty town. I drank some very traditional beer that
was disgusting. It was warm and disgusting. But you know
I made friends and so doing you know, so you know, right,
but you know learning. We went on a bike tour
(32:54):
through parts of this shanty town and some other areas
while we were there, and so, you know, we learned
so much. We went to the spot and learned about
Nelson Mandela actually met his grandson. We got to hang
out with his grandson, and you know, so it was
in it. You know, those kind of trips where you
get to not just lay on the beach, which is
(33:14):
dope in and of itself, but go places and learn
and meet people, learn about their cultures. You know, you
see the differences, but you also see how similar we
are in so many ways, right, you know, the differences
are subtle. Sometimes sometimes it's language based, sometimes it's cultural base.
But at the end of the day, we pretty much
all want to do the same things, you know, and
(33:36):
we're just experiencing it the way they like to do it,
which is always cool. Right when once you get in
and you start to hang out and meet people and
they open up a little bit of what their world
did is you're like, oh, this is cool, and then
you start automatically comparing it to your own life and
things that you naturally can see those connections, those similarities,
(33:58):
you know, unless you're just an asshole and we see
those people out there right right right, just can screw
up travel for everybody else.
Speaker 3 (34:05):
You know.
Speaker 1 (34:06):
That's why I like to you know, that's why I
tend to prefer when we go in and those getting
off of the plane and going to the hotel to
this or that.
Speaker 3 (34:12):
We want a private car.
Speaker 1 (34:13):
We're going to be on a small light. I don't
even want their energy to invade our trip, you know.
But yeah, the opportunities to learn, the opportunities to music,
you know, especially getting to experience people's music at their crib.
You know, you being essentially as a tourist or a traveler,
being a fly on the wall and just kicking it
(34:36):
their style.
Speaker 3 (34:37):
You know.
Speaker 1 (34:38):
One of the most fun things I did recently was
when we were in pum Takana, we were hanging out.
I met up with one of the I meet the drivers.
I meet those people because I want to get I
want to go places with the people that know the places.
Speaker 3 (34:50):
You know.
Speaker 1 (34:51):
So while we you know, we were like, okay, we
want to go get something to eat. Man, take us
to one of your favorite spots. He took us to this.
Speaker 5 (34:58):
Hole of the wall.
Speaker 1 (34:58):
You know, you're like, oh my god, where are we going?
Speaker 3 (35:01):
You know.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
But then but then before you know it, we sitting
up in the spot, hanging out, having drinks with some
of the locals while they're on their lunch breaks. Different
people come through.
Speaker 6 (35:10):
You know.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
It was just a great time, you know, So getting up,
you know, you only get to do that when you
leave home, when you get away from that that comfort zone.
Speaker 3 (35:20):
You know.
Speaker 1 (35:20):
And you know, we're from Chicago, so we're blessed. Everybody
is a little nervous around us, right when you say
you're from Chicago, people take a step back, right. I've
seen that happen in different parts of the world.
Speaker 3 (35:31):
Yeah, yeah, that's right, that's right.
Speaker 2 (35:36):
I appreciate that too. I would say just always be
safe as well to speak mindful, up your space and
where you are.
Speaker 1 (35:46):
As I've gotten older, I've become less adventurous, and spots
that I go to have become safer fault, you know,
because can.
Speaker 3 (35:55):
Go wrong right right right.
Speaker 4 (35:57):
Columbia is really close in terms of just the experience
of going there and going with someone from Colombia, you know,
Like the part I went to the first time was
the Northwest, getting there and experiencing the people, and I
guess the little town I was in, they got word
(36:17):
that I was and all these kids come and they
want to practice they want to see this American, right,
black American, and they want to practice English with me.
And so they would say words and I would say,
I mean English, and obvious they had an interpreting and
that was just one of the most fascinating.
Speaker 3 (36:35):
Experiences in the cold. It was that's that's grateful for it.
Speaker 4 (36:42):
That kind of experience that just really made me think
about Colombia and Colombians in a different way and like connected,
we are folks in the.
Speaker 2 (36:53):
You know, No, this just leads to you know, our
brains are sponges, so we take in any and everything
that's going on, and then how we process it can
be different depending on our experiences as well. So what
I'm hearing is that, you know, as we're traveling, as
we're going, as we're experiencing, try to keep that mind
(37:15):
open to what those experiences may be. So it may
be the food and maybe the culture, maybe the music,
maybe the adventure, maybe the beach and maybe the pool,
and maybe the interactions that we have, but we need
to maintain that openness as to what that is because
everything that comes in is really something that helps us
(37:36):
grow and develop as well. Some things we're going to
accept and we're going to continue to take from there
and go some things we're going to reject and not
let it be a part of who we are. And
all of that's okay. But if we go in there saying,
all right, I'm just going for XYZ and I miss
out on ABC THEEF, then we really are missing out
(37:57):
on a whole lot more the whole journey and experience
as well. So if anything, you know, whenever we're stepping
out there, just make sure to just be open to
the experience, absorb it, and then process. You know, what's
what's the good from that that I want to take,
What's what's the not so good that I want to
(38:18):
keep away from you as well?
Speaker 3 (38:19):
Because one of the things that have learned the most
in traveling places is is that we are very spoiled
as Americans.
Speaker 4 (38:30):
There's a way and with very spoiled hypermterialism is really
for our health. But have a sense of themselves and
their culture and family and all those things. And really
like Jamaican say, cool runnings like take your time.
Speaker 3 (38:47):
No need to run. Just found that to really be.
Speaker 4 (38:50):
Helpful to me and realize that the way that we
do things in the US is it about the entire
world operates and everything isn't about what you do, right,
It's like, it's what you do and how you, you know,
operate in the world.
Speaker 3 (39:07):
You need to deal with things.
Speaker 4 (39:09):
People were things so driven superficiality and materialism has brought.
Speaker 1 (39:15):
Yes, I need to notice that about Americans. Back when
we first started, you know, traveling back in college and
just the impatience was one of the things that I noticed,
you know so often, you know, and then like you
mentioned Jamaica, Greg, I've been there so many times. Just
love that island. And again, you know, I have a
connection there or feel like that. You know, that's where
my grandfather's from, even though I've never met any of
(39:37):
his family down there, but you know, just this notion
of it. You know, they always say soon come, man,
soon come. You know, it's kind of this slow down
a little bit.
Speaker 3 (39:46):
You know.
Speaker 1 (39:47):
We used to always joke and say, you don't you know,
you don't go to a Jamaican restaurant when you're hungry, right,
you got it before you're hungry, so that you have
time to hang out kick it and while you're and
you'll get hungry around the town. Food gets there. But
if you grow up in that spot hungary, you know,
(40:07):
with that American impatience, you know you're gonna be sitting
down stomach, grumbling what you know and and that, and
you're like, where's the food? They say soon come back,
soon come, you know.
Speaker 4 (40:18):
Right right right right right right, you know perspectives. But
I think again those are things that I feel like
as Black Americans that we sort of that's in our
DNA also like that's the culture, particularly those of us
who have connections to people in the south, but beyond
(40:41):
right the rest of the Caribbean. There's a way in
which our culture, by coming into urban areas and the cities,
have sort of adopted things that weren't really are sort
of I don't want to say natural, but like sort
of our historic orientation. And so I think, for I
think it's really important that we get.
Speaker 3 (40:59):
Back to that in a sense, because I.
Speaker 4 (41:02):
Think part of what our challenge is is being up
north in the cities, et cetera, and like the need
to be in a rush and like pushing the stress
of like all of that, and how do we deal
with It's just taught us the way, you.
Speaker 2 (41:16):
Know, well, and that brings up one other good point. No,
we're getting ready to probably wrap this up, but it
made me think about what vacation is to different people.
Speaker 3 (41:26):
You know.
Speaker 2 (41:26):
I think from us, we've come to appreciate vacation as
truly a moment to relax, reflect, rest and appreciate wherever
we are. But for others, they've got an agenda, you know,
They're like, we got to do ABCD while I'm here.
Rest is just something I'll do later on at home,
(41:49):
and it's like, well, wait a minute, then what's the
vacation for you? Just on a trip but not necessarily
a vacation. And I think there's a difference there that
people need to just recognize that, Hey, you can do
that if that's what you want to do. But then
you're coming back even more fatigued and tired from the
trip itself because you just did not get the opportunity
(42:12):
to rest reflect and justin George, exactly exactly, brother, that's
it exactly.
Speaker 1 (42:18):
You know, that's always a challenge, depending on especially when
it's some place you've not been before, and depending on
what it is what you want to see. You know,
I've only been to Paris once. We went for that
Bulls game. I mentioned that, And while we were there,
one of the things we did was a Black Paris
Tour is what it was called. It was a walking
tour of Paris and they highlighted all kinds of things
(42:40):
of note that were of importance, you know, how black
people had the role they played in building Paris and
building France. And it was so much that you know,
it's not taught in America. It was incredible. You know,
this experience. But over the course of that experience, you know,
it was about what four or five hours, we probably
walked about twelve thousand fifteen thousand steps over the course
(43:04):
of that tour. There were certain sections where we could
have taken public transportation. They had that built into the
whole process. We had the little they got us day
passes and everything, but we ended up walking through certain
of those sections because of the group that we were with,
you know, decide no, let's just keep going here, you know,
that kind of thing. So, you know, that was not
(43:24):
even expected. That changes, you know, for the next couple
of days. You know, my legs are going to be
kind of sore or tired from walking miles unexpectedly, you
know versus you know what I might otherwise have done
on a typical day. So so even then, you know, yeah,
it's kinda there's the potential to take away that relaxation piece.
You know, we we still in this case, had enough
(43:48):
time to do some of that, but that again wasn't
the purpose of that trip. It wasn't a relaxation trip.
It was, Hey, you want to go to Paris and
watch the Chicago Bulls play. Okay, that sounds like fun,
and then we ended up kicking it, taking over a
jazz club one night, you know, and doing some things
like that. So now it wasn't a relaxation trip. It
was more of that experiential type of travel. So to
(44:11):
your point, John, figuring out what we're going to do
for this trip. Like some people like h like Erica,
she travels to run marathons. Right, She's all over the place,
all over the world running marathons, you know.
Speaker 3 (44:23):
So she's got forty states or something.
Speaker 1 (44:26):
She's I think she's hit them all. I think she
pretty much hit them all.
Speaker 2 (44:30):
Now I've got a couple of friends that have done
that as well, and I think they hit about almost
every state for that yep, right.
Speaker 1 (44:36):
And that's energizing, that's rejuvenating to them because that's a
deep passion for them, you know, that running So there's
physical exertion, they're physically tired, but they're going to be
emotionally and spiritually retracted. So you know, fun, So you
got we gotta find all those ways to get it,
all of those pieces, you know.
Speaker 3 (44:57):
I think we said it, but it's important.
Speaker 4 (45:00):
Remember sometimes a trip going somewhere, flying somewhere, there's a
way to experience travel, right, Sometimes maybe it's just driving
getting in a car, right.
Speaker 3 (45:11):
The things I wish we had a rail system in
this country.
Speaker 4 (45:15):
Yeah, but times that I've taken the train, like even
there's there's something really cool about just being on a train,
yeah and watching things go by. So yeah, there's a
bunch of ways you can and then travel and get
that rejuvenation.
Speaker 3 (45:35):
And I think we are yeah, totally agree.
Speaker 1 (45:39):
That time I took the train to uh out to
d c oh I remember that to visit Yourn when
we were in college. One of the cool things was
they had one of those cars and an observation car
or something they called it, where it was just you know,
it had a bit you know, you could go up behind.
It had like a clear dome kind of thing. You
could really see out all of it. It was really cool.
Part of it.
Speaker 4 (46:00):
I have friends like in Northwest, like Oregon, in Washington,
they say, there's a train that will take you up
there that's like the most beautiful you'd ever see. I
can imagine, you know.
Speaker 2 (46:12):
That might be something to look at. Brothers, as part
of the next trip is how to incorporate maybe something
like that and what we you know, decide to do,
just to appreciate that experience of it too. So we
know we now have a travel agent in the family
that can help us coordinate something like that. So we
definitely can try to see what we could put together
(46:32):
as well.
Speaker 1 (46:33):
Oh definitely. You know, she's got access to all of that,
the rail packages. I saw her the other day putting
together a trip for a client. They're going to Greece,
they're going to other parts of Europe, and part of
the stuff that she's put together are some you know,
part of the trip is going to be by rail.
You know, they'll flying once into one city, they're going
to take a train to a couple other places. Even
(46:55):
a buddy of mine while we were in Paris, took
a train to Amsterdam for a day, you know, and
then it came back. You know, So that that that
rail pieces is really cool. It's really cool with you know,
It's one of those things. Depends on what side of
the train you end up sitting on sometimes determine the
quality of the view though.
Speaker 3 (47:13):
You know, that's true, that's true.
Speaker 1 (47:18):
You know, you got to pick the right seats sometimes.
Speaker 2 (47:22):
All right, family, Well, I think we are at the
at the end of our episode I think we've heard
some great takeaways as it relates to the importance of
getting away. So whatever that looks like, you know, again,
you've heard us say that it could be just getting outside,
going for a walk. It could be hopping in the car,
(47:43):
going for a drive, hopping on the rail, hopping on
a plane, hopping on a boat. However, it means that
you need to get to wherever you need to get
to to get a break from the everyday norms. That's
what we're talking about. For some it means that they
like to have an agenda. For others and means they
don't want an agenda, And either way is fine as
(48:04):
long as you're able to feel like you're able to relax, rest,
rejuvenate and remember, enjoy the experience, and enjoy all that's
going on around you, because there is truly something good
that I know you can take away from it as well.
What we want to ask is how has travel changed
(48:25):
your perspective? Where do you want to go next? We
appreciate you, we love you, and until next time, raw
and refine. The Gentleman's out
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