I still daydream about being in Greece and 🏊🏾♀️ swimming in the Mediterranean Sea, eating authentic gyros, and seeing history. I feel blessed to have had these experiences and want to share some travel tips. ***FYI- Some of these tips were applicable before the 2020 pandemic.
Santorini, Greece Summer 2016
Have an open mind and be open to trying new foods and experiences. • Ask, research, and Google various legitimate travel groups and payment plan programs where you can pay 💰 for your trip in installments.
For concerts sign up to your favorite artists fan club website or use certain entertainment credit cards because they usually offer presale codes or preferred seating.
If you travel within the U.S. frequently invest in TSA pre-check, so you can skip and don’t have to stand in the lines as long as others. It’s $85, but last five years. • Get a passport from your local post office at least 3 months before your trip. If you already have one make sure it’s not close to expiring because you may need to renew it. • Understand the culture and customs and laws of the place you’re traveling to. What you can do in the USA you may not be able to do in whatever country and what’s considered “normal” in the USA may be “abnormal” overseas and vice-versa. • Get a visa depending on what country you’re traveling to. • Know where the U.S. Embassy is and sign up for their alerts etc. • Google or watch YouTube videos of common phrases, courtesy, and sayings in the country. • If you’re in college go to your foreign language department or ask about study abroad programs and scholarship requirements. • Have an up to date shot/vaccination record. • For safety purposes do NOT post your exact location on social media until AFTER you get back. • Travel off season. If somewhere is crowded or more expensive in the summer try going during another part of the year. • Call your bank and credit card provider to let them know you’ll be out of the country. • Call your cell phone company to establish an international phone plan.
For more information click here to listen to “The As-I-Amber Podcast” on Spotify and Apple Podcasts by clicking here.
January 15th was my 30th Birthday! I feel blessed to share a birthday with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated’s Founders’ Day. I’m grateful to God for another year of life and for the lessons I’ve learned and am continuing to learn.
Check out www.anchor.fm/asiamber and other platforms to listen to the “As-I-Amber” podcast “30 on 30” episode and follow me on Instagram TV @asiamber, where I go more in depth about the life lessons I’ve learned so far. I never would’ve imagined turning 30, a milestone birthday, amid a global pandemic.
I want to be on an exotic beach chillin’ with my toes in the sand listening to the ocean waves crash. Instead of being on an island for my 30th Birthday, I was home chillin’ with a nice adult beverage, seafood, and a good book, and a movie counting my blessings.
The pandemic, being in quarantine, and life, in general, have taught me that things don’t always go our way and that sometimes we make plans, but God laughs.
It seems like yesterday I was a 16-year-old who just got her driver’s license and was on MySpace listening to the girl group, Danity Kane. Now, I’m an official adult that pays bills, has to wear contact/glasses in order to see far away clearly, yet still watches Disney Plus, needs a snack, and a nap to function. The young people on Tik-Tok would call me “old” and older adults call me “young.” I feel in between.
In my twenties, I had lots of adventures as well as ups and downs. I gained weight, lost friends, gained friends, and lost weight. I studied abroad and graduated from college, moved back home with my parents, then moved out of state to a city where I knew no one. I worked in photography, applied for numerous jobs, and now work in Corporate America. I traveled the world visiting New York City, Italy, Greece, London, Paris, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. I’ve also gone to numerous concerts seeing Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Ariana Grande, Kendrick Lamar, Janet Jackson, Solange, Jazmine Sullivan, Drake, Future, Migos, OutKast, Monica, Erykah Badu, and JoJo perform. I guess you can say I like music and live my life to the fullest.
My travels to Paris, Greece, London, & Italy.At Beyoncé & Jay Z’s #OnTheRunII Concert in 2018.
I know it is 2021 and this is not an episode of Netflix’s “Bridgerton” set in the 1800s. Yet, depending on your culture or environment in some places when a woman hits her 20’s and early 30’s the majority of her peers in her age bracket have children and are getting married and if you’re not a mommy, fiancé, or wife by a certain age you’re looked at differently.
Currently as an unmarried thirty-year-old woman with no children I enjoy my freedom to pick up and go without having to consider anyone else, yet sometimes some people peculiarly look at me because of that. There is an unspoken, yet loud sound of the tick-tock of an accomplishment timer and biological clock. We are bombarded with various messages about getting older and what that means regarding fertility or relationship status.
Society tells us what we “should” be doing or accomplishing by a certain time frame. Then in this digital age, it is so easy to compare our lives to what others choose to display on social media and we think that we “should” have accomplished certain milestones by a certain age, and if not you’re somehow “behind” or a failure in life.
But, I’m here to remind you all and myself that God made you a unique individual. Everyone is displaying their highlight reel on social media, but you don’t always know their behind the scenes. Everyone’s life path is different and it does not make you better than or less than if you have achieved or experienced certain things more or less quickly on this journey of life.
Remember you are fearfully and wonderfully made. According to Galatians 6:4-5 (MSG) “Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.”
I feel like a butterfly that has gone through metamorphosis during my 20s and is now breaking from the cocoon to take flight. I’m continuing to live my life like it’s golden and am excited for all the things that God has in store for me. Cheers to this new chapter of life!
Listen on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts.
Cassette Tapes, CD Players, VHS, Floppy Disks, Flip Phones, are now “useless”.
Jamiroquai’s song “Virtual Insanity” randomly came on shuffle on my playlist and I started thinking of all the technology and gadgets that have appeared within my millennial lifetime. Coming of age in the 90’s and early 2000’s technology advanced and we adapted it into our everyday life. Today we have so many forms of communication and are able to have constant access to people and information, but are we really putting forth an effort to communicate and pay attention? I was on a busy intersection one day and the person in the next lane was driving and taking pictures of themselves on the phone and almost caused an accident!
Sharing is great, but sometimes it’s information overload! However, way too many compare themselves, seek attention and validation through followers, likes, photos, and statuses that they just can’t be! Every now and then log off and take your eyes off of a screen please.
Now, I’m not knocking technology because I really enjoy social media, and when it’s used properly it’s great from making business or career connections or keeping in touch with family and friends it’s a wonderful tool. Maybe reality television and social media have some in my generation in an alternate universe, but sometimes social media can be kind of shallow.
There’s a fine line between sharing things online and turning social media into your personal diary.
It’s interesting how some people make assumptions solely based off of strategically selected pictures or videos and assume people don’t have problems or go through things.
Just because people “look” cute in a picture does NOT mean they have a “good”relationship or are free of problems. You do not see or know all the hard work or obstacles someone may face even though they smile in every picture or seem to be happy in every status. Dig deeper and make sure your online persona and offline life actually match up and that you are not idolizing or envying or comparing your unique life to other people based off of pictures. It’s okay to disconnect sometimes and engage in eye contact with people or limit your screen time.
Everyone is displaying their “highlight reel”, but you don’t know their behind the scenes.
Get your Jersey Dresses, Air Force Ones, Razor flip phones, and T-Mobile sidekicks out. Your MySpace Playlist is going on another #MillenniumTour soon. Here is a Millennial Millenium Mix playlist taking you back to homeroom and MySpace Top 8 and 106 & Park days. 🎶 Also, available on #AppleMusic under “asiamberjamz.” Click here for Apple Music.
Queen of Hip-Hop and R&B Soul, Mary J. Blige, chronicles her 30 year career in the Amazon Prime Documentary “My Life.” Additionally, she goes in depth about her sophomore album “My Life.” Below are some of my favorite Mary J. Songs. Click here for the playlist on Apple Music and Click here for the playlist on Tidal.
Today marks 12 years since Michael Jackson passed away. I’ll never forget when I heard the news on the radio as I was picking up my brother from baseball practice and all the pop and r&b stations started playing Michael Jackson’s 🎶 catalog. I had a chance to write about Michael’s song “Stranger in Moscow” from the HIStory album. Click here to read it. What are some of your favorite Michael Jackson songs or albums?
Check out my Michael Jackson playlist available below on Spotify and click here for Apple Music.
The As-I-Amber Podcast & Blog 