5 Travel Tips to Help You Live a Color Full Life

I’ve teamed up with State Farm® to help spread the word about Color Full Lives, an initiative that promotes positivity and empowerment and celebrates all women in the African American community through experiential and digital engagements.

Summer ’16 was SO many things, but one thing it isn’t, is over (there’s one week left!). We still have some time to plan a beach weekend, coordinate a rooftop soiree or squeeze in a last minute getaway with loved ones. Just in time for end-of-summer festivities, digital mavens Angela Yee, Francheska Ramsey and Tatiana King-Jones are serving up helpful tips in episode 5, “Girls Run the World,” of the Color Full Lives podcast, sponsored by State Farm.

Ready to pack your bags, get away this weekend, and run the world, too? Check out five of their empowering travel tips:

• Want to book a trip but don’t think it’s in your budget? Create a savings plan just for vacations. Put aside $100-$200 per month and when it’s time to book your getaway, you’ll have the money to make it happen. In order to give your vacation fund an opportunity to grow and thrive on its own, you should consider opening a separate savings account. Choosing to keep your vacation fund separate from your other accounts lessens the chance of the money accidentally getting spent.
• Take advantage of frequent flyer miles: In the airline miles world, you can get points a couple different ways. Every airline has their own frequent flyer program usually billed as a loyalty program, and this tends to be the easiest. These programs are free, and you can accumulate miles by flying with specific airlines. You can also sign up for a frequent flyer account with three different airline alliances, where you’ll earn frequent flyer miles for most flights.
• Ditch the cookie-cutter hotel experience and try Airbnb: As I’m sure you already know, Airbnb is an online community that connects people looking to rent their homes with people who are looking for accommodations. You get to meet people who actually live in the place you’re visiting, and hopefully make new friends who can help you with loads of tips and ideas on where to eat, shop and experience the culture.
• Solo travel can be a beautiful thing: When you travel alone, your focus is undivided. You can be more engaged and more attentive to the destinations you’re visiting. It also can increase your chances of making new friends and enjoying new experiences during the trip. Plus, what’s better than waking up and deciding exactly what you want (or don’t want) to do, without having to consult with someone else?
• Learn a new language to enhance your international travel experience: If your first language is English (the second most common language in the world), and you’ve made the effort to learn another language, then you’re a rare breed indeed. This makes you interesting! People will approach you. They’ll want to talk to you. They’ll want to know what motivated you to learn another language. So, if there’s one culture that you’d like to understand better, or even one person in your life you’d like to know better, then one of the best ways you can start is by learning to speak their language if you don’t already.

I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to experience a couple of pretty cool work/play trips this summer to Trinidad and St. Thomas and I’m still savoring the moments:

Here’s to closing #summer16 out on a high note and living our best, Color Full Lives!

You can listen to the Color Full Lives Podcast on iTunes and on Soundcloud, and follow along with the #LiveColorFull conversation on social media.

This post was sponsored by State Farm.