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Welcome to Cheryl's Travel Blueprint! Iâm a former Spanish teacher turned travel advisor, passionate about curating unforgettable experiences. My expertise lies in European adventures (with a special love for Spain), cruising, and all-inclusive Caribbean getaways. I specialize in creating tailored trips for families, multi-generational groups, and teachersâwhether theyâre traveling solo, with colleagues, or leading student groups.
In this podcast, we celebrate the joy of travel, uncover hidden gems, share practical tips and tricks, and embrace the spirit of adventure. Each episode features inspiring conversations with fascinating guests from all walks of life as they share their unique travel stories, lessons, and favorite destinations. Whether you're planning your next getaway or simply love to dream about the possibilities, this is your place to explore the world from wherever you are.
Letâs embark on this journey together! đâď¸
We talk a lot about how travel is changing, with new rules, new systems, and new requirements. But there was a time, not that long ago, when the question wasn't, do I need a travel authorization? It was, is it safe for me to stop here? And as I've been thinking about how travel is evolving, I keep coming back to this conversation, a conversation with my family about what travel used to look like. Because before there were apps, before there were reviews, before there were curated experiences, there was something called the Green Book. And for millions of black travelers, it wasn't about convenience. It was about survival. And if you've been thinking about travel a little differently lately, this episode is going to give you a perspective you won't forget. So make sure you're subscribed because we're having more of these conversations about how to travel with intention, awareness, and meaning. The Green Book was a guide. It was a lifeline that told Black travelers where they could safely eat, sleep, and stop. Because in many places, being in the wrong town at the wrong time could cost you everything. And one of the things that shaped travel the most was something called sundown towns. These were towns where black travelers were not safe after dark. Sometimes there were signs and sometimes there weren't. But the message was understood. You needed to be gone before the sun went down. So travel wasn't just about distance. It was about timing. You had to calculate how far you could go before night, where you could safely stop, what roads to avoid entirely. And travel just wasn't spontaneous. It was strategic. It just makes me wonder and make me think about today. At the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D . C. , visitors can experience the not -so -long -gone era of the Green Book. I remember as a little child going down south from Detroit, and my parents had to be strategic as to where they stopped. In 58, I had gone for a job interview in Meridian, Mississippi, and I had to come back through Philadelphia, Mississippi, And I was on the Greyhound bus, and it was really sort of scary because I was the only black person on the bus. And as we approached Philadelphia, there were two white ladies who were complaining that I was sitting too close to the front of the bus. So she told the bus driver to tell me that I had to move. And since I was near Philadelphia, I did not want to suffer the same thing that happened to Anne Matteal. And my family didn't know where I was, so I could never have been heard from again. So those were some of the things we had to deal with in the late 50s. Just sit with that for a second. Being the only Black person on a bus, being told to move, and knowing that something as small as where you sit could put your life at risk. And what struck me most about that story was this. Her family didn't even know where she was. Travel wasn't just uncertain, it was dangerous. We didn't live there. We were close to a little town called Ethel. And we would get somebody's car. It was like one cousin had a car. We would chip in 15 or 20 cent. He would buy gas. And we would all jump in the car and go to Casiasco to watch a movie. So on this particular day, we were coming back. And it was a patrolman, but apparently he was off duty. And he had one arm. And he started, he, we started racing with him. Yeah. Wow. It wasn't intention, but he just, you know, he passed us and passed him again, you know, and we didn't know he was a cop. So he, he, he, our car was right after they had automatic transmission and the car was geared such that going down the hill, He couldn't keep up with us because the gear, it wasn't strong enough to run him on a flat level, but going downhill, it still had some power left. So going downhill, we ran off and left him and he started shooting at us. Oh my. But he was, I think his left arm was damaged. was off before his wrist and apparently he was trying to shoot out the window. He couldn't shoot straight. That's a good thing he didn't have to. You might not be here. But I bring that up to just accent the point that my mom was talking about. You don't realize what your parents or grandparents actually had to deal with. And when you hear that, you realize something quickly. These weren't isolated moments. They were part of everything. life. Being followed, being threatened, even being shot at for something as simple as driving. And it changes the way you think about travel because today we talk about inconvenience. Back then it was survival. These stories illustrate why it was important for Black travelers to really be careful, especially in the South, you know? Yes, because you could not just go to the hotel, the local hotel. So you you had to have some other place that you could stay. Or you better have your tent pitch in the woods and sleep. But that couldn't have been that couldn't have been any safer having to go into the woods. Well, it depends. You wanted to make sure you didn't go into the woods where somebody had their whiskey still. Yeah. I hadn't even thought of that. Wow. Okay, so lots of lots of um, landmines to have to navigate with that situation. So when you when you went on trips, what did you do? Well, you had to make sure that you you you packed your lunch. And it depends on how far you were going. But you you needed to have food to last you. Because if you did get to a restaurant where they would serve you, you would have to go stand at the back door. and wait. But most people just made sure that they had their own food. And you would have to plan ahead as to where you're going to stay. Most people would probably have family who lived someplace else. would try to get to the place where your family lived, so you would have someplace to sleep. And so slowly this changed over time. Do you think the Civil Rights Act of 1964, did you notice a difference at that point, or was it still, in the South, was it still the same? Things started to gradually change. Martin Luther King and all of the civil rights leaders had a lot to do with that. Because it used to be that even with entertainers, they weren't allowed to just go in. They were okay to go and perform for white audiences, but they had to choose where they were going to live too. Sometimes they would end up sleeping in their cars or buses or whatever transportation they had. And they were just like us as far as being able to find places to eat. So it was not an easy time. Absolutely not. That part always gets me. Packing your own food because you might not be served. Planning exactly where you would sleep because hotels weren't an option. Even having to think about whether the woods were safe. Every single part of the journey had to be thought through. So why talk about this now? Because travel has never just been about going somewhere. It's about access, safety, and awareness. And while things have changed, the way we approach travel still matters. Because today we have choices. We can choose to support local businesses, stay in locally owned hotels, eat at neighborhood restaurants, and shop from local artisans. We can choose locally guided experiences, and those choices matter. Because travel isn't just about what you take from a place, it's what you give back to it. And if you're looking for ways to travel more intentionally, I've linked some curated experiences below through Get Your Guide. These are locally guided tours, cultural experiences, and small group activities that help you connect more deeply with the places you visit. When you hear stories like this, it shifts something. Because the ability to move freely, to explore, to experience the world without fear, that hasn't always been guaranteed. And even today, travel continues to evolve. But what the Green Book teaches us is about the resilience and the courage of what Black people were able to do and accomplish in spite of the circumstances and everything that happened. But maybe that's not something to resist. Maybe it's something to understand. Because travel at its best isn't just about where you go. It's about awareness. It's about respect. It's about understanding the stories that came before you. So if this episode moved you, share it with someone. Have a conversation about it. And if you're ready to plan a trip in a way that's thoughtful, intentional, and meaningful, I'd love to help you do that.