Hello Renrenspeakers! Happy Saturday, the last day of the month, and the FIRST of the five interviews in the Travelers Abroad Speak mini blog series officially launched TODAY! Are yall as excited as I am to delve into the world of travel these next few weeks? I hope so! The first person kicking us off with this exciting new series is my good sis, Vayunamu. As per usual, I must give a quick snapshot of our relationship before continuing to read about her travel journey.
Vayunamu is one of the coolest souls that you will ever meet, seriously. She is a model, a fashion icon, and a girl never hesitant to take a risk. I distinctly remember meeting her at a Noname concert, as my friend group and her friend group were the last two groups sticking around to see if we could meet Noname. I think Vayunamu ended up leaving right before Noname came out (which fun fact, I actually did get to meet her). But I remember as we waited in the dark grassy area somewhere in Downtown San Diego at the back of where the concert was held, we bonded about being a part of the African Student Association (ASA), fashion, and other things. Since then, we have made many memories such as discovering various aesthetically pleasing parts of San Diego and joining forces in social events for ASA. She is a woman who is well-traveled, so I am very thrilled for yall to learn more about the places she has discovered on this earth.
Irene: What is your name/pronouns?
Vayunamu: Vayunamu Bawa, she/her
Irene: Give us a quick synopsis of who YOU ARE!
Vayunamu: My name is Vayunamu, meaning “gift of God”, and I’m 25. I’m from Abuja so I’m a Nigerian girl with a Nigerian passport (that needs to be said) and I like to travel and see things in new and different ways. I’m a Christian, I love my personal spiritual relationship with God, and I love people. My favorite color is yellow, I love everything creative, and I’ve managed to turn my passions for writing and photography into income sources. For the past 2 years I’ve been a digital nomad + slow traveler = slowmad. I’m just a girl.
Irene: What country/countries have you been to?
Vayunamu: UK, US, Mexico, Gambia, UAE
Irene: What is your favorite country visited thus far, and why?
Vayunamu: This is kind of hard to answer but I’ve lived in both the US and Mexico so those win because being able to spend an extended amount of time in those countries allowed me to get to know them deeply.
Irene: Let’s throw it back down memory lane for a second! How did we meet?
Vayunamu: We met in San Diego while we were both in university! I can’t remember when exactly but it was either:
- Through university collaboration: We went to different schools but were both on the boards of our respective African student organizations, so we connected to plan some activities to get our groups to meet and network.
- At a Noname concert: Some of the Black people that went to the show started talking after because we were waiting to get a photo with her and I think that’s when Irene and I got to talk.
Irene: What is a salient memory that you hold of me and you in the U.S.?
Vayunamu: Very sad to say that we have not traveled abroad together (yet!) so my memory is from the US. When I used to live there, we hung out a lot and did a lot of fun things so it’s hard to pick one. I’d say it’s us treating ourselves to nice brunches whenever we can just to chat about what’s going on in our lives and live in the moment.
Irene: Can you speak to one of your most memorable experiences for a particular country that you’ve visited?
Vayunamu: I once met someone in Mexico City who immediately invited me to join them at a nice resort in Baja California Sur because they had a +1 for a work trip. It was a great weekend at an all-inclusive place and I only brought my backpack (no laptop!) so I could read and enjoy the serenity. I was weirdly lucky because I had just come back from a solo vacation less than a month ago in Playa del Carmen.
Irene: What are some cultural barriers and cultural highlights that you have experienced during your time abroad?
Vayunamu: On cultural barriers, I’ll say a difference in values. Traveling and meeting people and trying to get things done means basically being at the mercy of whatever the value system is in that place. All societies have their way of relating to time, commitments, relationships, efficiency, etc., so wherever I am, whether I like it or not, I just have to get used to it and change my expectations. This has an additional challenge of not always fitting in and trying to maintain my own personal compass.
The main cultural highlight that I’ve experienced in every single place, probably every city I’ve gone to, is that there is so much goodness out there. Solo traveling, especially as a Black woman, requires hyper-awareness when it comes to my surroundings, but I’ve honestly learned to lean into the good I’ve experienced and trust that there’ll never be a shortage of it. Just the day before I wrote this, I was stranded in a new city, no cash or card, no phone service, and I needed to pay a taxi driver and some guy in a grocery store helped me. From time to time, something odd like that will happen to me or someone else and there’s always a kind of trust and willingness to help. There are endless bad stories and narratives, especially online, but in real life I think most people are just trying to take care of themselves and do whatever they need to do to get through the day, so they generally operate from a good or at least neutral position.
I also think that being a person transcends every type of category that we place ourselves in and that makes it easier to feel at home wherever you are. Despite nationality, ethnicity, social class, etc. we all have so much in common and it just takes one serious conversation to uncover that and bond with a person.
Irene: What have you learned about yourself through traveling abroad?
Vayunamu: I’ve always seen myself as a strong person but I’ve learned that I’m capable of even more than I think and I can deal with anything that life throws at me. Traveling puts you in all kinds of situations and literally pushes you to the wall so many times that you learn to push the wall itself. And when you get to that point, you uncover a whole new layer of yourself. So I just keep peeling my back layers.
I’ve also learned that nothing is ever that serious. Things aren’t that complicated to me anymore—life is what it is and every single second is a gift.
Irene: Any advice, gems, or words of encouragement for someone who is new to traveling or is looking to broaden their travel experience?
Vayunamu: The first would be to slow down! I’ve been doing the slow-mad thing mainly because it is a logistical nightmare to have to apply for visas for every single place I want to visit, but it’s been such a gift. It’s so nice to be able to go beyond the surface and experience a destination deeply—I think it’s better than breezing through a place and leaving before you’re able to really take something from the experience.
The second would be to start small if you’re scared or unsure. No one needs to cross an ocean before they say they’re a traveler. All it takes to start exploring is going to the next neighborhood, town, city, state, etc., and doing your best to see it with curious, unassuming eyes.
Irene: Can folks connect with you to learn more about you/support you? If so, please drop your social media info down below!
Vayunamu:
- https://www.instagram.com/vaybawa/
- https://instagram.com/vaysplace
- Irene said I could drop a payment link too so here: https://paypal.me/vaybawa
TRAVEL SNAPSHOTS
Below are some travel highlights that Vayunamu has documented during her time abroad!
—
Oh my goodness, what a FUN post to read, am I right Renrenspeakers? First, can we just take a moment to recognize that Vayunamu is a gorgeous gift of God and an exemplary writer?? Also, these photos totally belong in a travel magazine. Riding on a hot air balloon is definitely something I would love to try one day. Vay, your memory of us meeting was close, but mine was slightly better. 😉 The fact that we have not traveled abroad together is kind of ridiculous because we would totally be a dynamic travel duo. I am almost done with school, so let’s make it happen soon. 🙂 And, I LOVE the term you coined, a slowmad. I have never heard of that before, but it is definitely a term to add to my repertoire.
Thanks for tuning into the blog today, Renrenspeakers! Keep watch of your email notifications and stay plugged in on the Renrenspeaks Instagram page for the next post dropping next Saturday, October 7th for Part 2 of my Travelers Abroad Speak mini blog series! Keep your notes memo open for another location to jot down on your destination travel bucket list!
Peace and love,
Irene
Renrenspeaks 