Hello Renrenspeakers! Happy Saturday! The month of October is flyingggg by can you believe it? Welcome to the THIRD interview of the Travelers Abroad Speak mini blog series! Another one of my favorite travel influencers and a good friend of mine is going to be sharing her experiences living abroad. My fav, Kailluhhhhhh! I promise you every time I hear from her, she is in a different country living it UPPP. First, let me gas her up before we delve into her interview!

Maikailuh is the definition of travel GOALS, I am telling yall right now. She is a sweet, hilarious, and entertaining soul who has so much love and joy to give. We have had such deep, hours-long conversations about all kinds of topics whether that was abroad or on our chaotic Zoom calls, and have shared many great laughs. Kailuh lived across campus from me and was way too far, but we always made it a point to meet and eat the bomb Ghanaian cuisines at the Bush Canteen or The Bistro or even at the night market. One quality that I admire so much about Maikailuh is that she is a go-getter and is not afraid to take a leap of faith in all that she does. She has such a huge heart for the various community spaces she occupies, and does not relent when things are tough. She is bold, brave, and is truly one of my study abroad sisters for life. I am so very excited to feature my beautiful travel sistah, Kailuh on the blog today!

Irene: What is your name/pronouns?

Maikailuh: Maikailuh, she/her

Irene: Give us a quick synopsis of who YOU ARE! 

Maikailuh: I am a fairly recent graduate with my MSc in International Public Policy and a BA in Psychology. I am currently working in education, but also spend time working with community think tanks. I am driven by my ability to educate, support travel among youth in the global African diaspora, and community. To that end, I am also a brand new business owner! Liberated Travels is all about curating meaningful and intentional trips for groups, individuals, and organizations. We are offering group tours, with an upcoming trip to Ghana in 2024! I love what I do and feel so grateful to have the opportunity to see so many places and meet so many amazing people!

Irene: What country/countries have you been to?

Maikailuh: Although there are many more countries I hope to visit soon, thus far I have been to Ghana (with Irene), Togo (with Irene!), Mexico (with Irene too!), South Africa, Botswana, Namiba, Zimbabwe, Ireland, the United Kingdom, France, and Belgium. Of these countries, I have lived in Ghana and the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland).

Irene: What is your favorite country visited thus far, and why?

Maikailuh: It would be difficult to select a single favorite country, especially because of the varying lengths of time I spent in each one, but I will say that Ghana has become a second home for me, and I miss it — and the fruit — every time I leave for even a few months.

Irene: Let’s throw it back down memory lane for a second! How did we meet?

Maikailuh: Renie and I met while studying abroad in Ghana! We were actually in the same host program, which afforded us the opportunity to take a couple of trips together, both with and without our program. My personal favorite Ghana trip we took together landed us on a 16 hour bus ride to the Northern Region. A group of our friends decided we wanted to go on a safari, so we trekked north and stayed at an orphanage near the national park we went to visit. We met so many amazing young people and community leaders, saw wild elephants, and got to sleep outdoors under the cool northern sky! The time spent there was amazing, although I ended up stranded on the side of the road for six hours on my way back!

Irene: What is a salient memory that you hold of me and you?

Maikailuh: Another salient travel memory I have of us is the time we went to Los Cabos with a couple of our girlfriends that, *surprise*, we also met in Ghana. That whole trip was amazing, from whale watching, tequila tasting, and ocean-front massages to visiting a tiny art village, and taking the city bus to explore the mall and watch the Charlie’s Angels remake in Spanish, which none of us spoke fluently. One of the best parts of that trip was becoming close with the owners of a local taqueria and eating those shrimp tacos every single day! I also loved getting lost in town and stumbling upon the best sweet corn tamales ever!

Irene: Can you speak to one of your most memorable experiences for a particular country that you’ve visited?

Maikailuh: One of my most memorable travel experiences was studying abroad for the first time. At 19, a junior in college, this was the first time I had traveled internationally on my own. I spent ten months at the University of Ghana, Legon. I lived on campus, took classes with students from all across the continent, and traveled the country in my spare time. This experience was so profound for many reasons. 

First, it was my first visit to the African continent, which meant so much to me culturally. While there, I connected with my West African roots, and got to witness firsthand the foundation of so much of my own Black American heritage. From the language, food, hospitality, and communal values, to the cultural norms and expectations, I felt right at home in many ways. There were definitely some new social and cultural dynamics I had to adjust to, but overall, I knew I was where I needed to be.

Second, I was a part of an amazing program run by the most divinely-curated group of aunties and uncles any student could ask for! Our program coordinators gave us a fabulous course on culture shock, adjusting to a new style of learning, and so much more. They went out of their way to plan so many meaningful trips and supported us on our individual journeys as young travelers. Today, each of those coordinators remains like family to me, and my experience would not have been so immersive and raw without their support.

Finally, perhaps the most life-altering part of my study abroad experience was the connections I made. As mentioned, I spent most of my spare time traveling throughout Ghana. By the end of my initial stay, I had been able to see all but one region of the country. This amazing experience would not have been possible without the help of my wonderful friends, both from Ghana and elsewhere! Additionally, today one of my closest friends and I met because he just happened to be in a class with someone from my program and she brought them by to meet me and Irene during their study break! Our lifelong bond is just one of so many I made. Over five years later, my current amazing roommates are women I met in my program, and have become family to me. Perhaps one of the most profound experiences I had was meeting my very best friend while abroad. Betty (also featured in this series) has brought so much color and genuine joy to my life, and I owe it all to Ghana & the universe. There is so much I could say about friendship and finding community abroad, but I think the most important thing is to remain open to meeting new people and experiencing the world in a new way. 

Irene: What are some cultural barriers and cultural highlights that you have experienced during your time abroad?

Maikailuh: A place where I faced the most cultural barriers was Northern Ireland. The foremost challenge for me was the fact that Belfast, the city I lived in, was partially segregated by religious affiliation (see this link to learn about the Troubles in Northern Ireland). While I did not live in this part of the city, the daily implications of being constantly hyperaware of discussing something such as family history with newfound friends brought about many feelings, but most of all just reminded me how fragile ideals such as identity truly are. This experience also feuled my own efforts to decolonize my thoughts, actions, and the way I show up in the world because the impacts of colonialism are far-flung and ever-expanding in many ways.

Another key challenge was adapting to a new system of learning. Although I had spent a year studying in Ghana which uses the same British Imperial schooling system as Northern Ireland, settling into a Master’s program under this barely familiar system was so challenging for me. As an American, I was used to a more practical approach to research and studying, where I felt that both Ghana and Northern Ireland had much more theory-heavy educational systems. 

The final challenge here: living in a country with a 0.2 percent Black population as a Black woman, was also a huge positive for me. Unfortunately, on a few occasions, I did face blatant racism, though much of the discomfort came in the form of microaggressions. The biggest issue for me, however, was the lack of cultural necessities. During my year there, the only beauty supply I could find was a Sally’s! There were a few braiders, but they were hard to reach and the quality was not what I was used to. While a little frustrating, once this challenge became clear, it empowered me to form a more intimate relationship with my own hair and diet, as I was typically the only one tending to my haircare needs and cultural cravings. Overall, I feel grateful for this experience!

Irene: What have you learned about yourself through traveling abroad?

Maikailuh: Through travel I have learned so much about who I am, who I want to be, and what gifts and talents I can offer to the world. The biggest and most profound thing travel has taught me is that community is key. Community is key to embarking on new journeys, on being embraced and held in new places, and in finding meaning in your travels. Whether it be friends, strangers, family, or partners, there has always been someone there to point me in the right direction. There have been days, or weeks even, where I enjoyed solitude and spent time alone in nature, but even then, just the ability to reflect on my loved ones, and give thanks to them has made each day more meaningful.

Irene: Any advice, gems, or words of encouragement for someone who is new to traveling or is looking to broaden their travel experience?

Maikailuh: A piece of advice I would give is to plan the trip, book the ticket, and go alone if you have to. Once you’re there, listen to your mind & body. There will be days when you have a packed itinerary, but what you really need is to lay in bed, take that walk, or read that book. There will probably be another opportunity.

Irene: Can folks connect with you to learn more about you/support you? If so, please drop your social media info down below!

Maikailuh: You can find me on Instagram @_kailuh_ or @kailuhtravels if you have questions or are interested in joining our group trip to Ghana in 2024!

Sincerely, 

Maikailuh, MSc, Liberated Travels LLC

TRAVEL SNAPSHOTS

Below are some travel highlights that Maikailuh has documented during her time abroad!

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My gosh. Well first, PLEASE sign me up for this group trip to Ghana 2024 because I want to see all of my chales again!!! Kailuh, your passion for travel shines through this interview. I am continuously inspired by you and I am SO proud of you because I feel that we often get so bogged down with the automaticity of productivity that we don’t treat ourselves with the opportunity to expand our cultural knowledge and travel around the world. I love that you also emphasize that traveling alone if you have to is totally acceptable and encouraged! I totally want to do a solo trip one day. I believe that it will be a beautiful learning experience. Lastly, I LOVE your emphasis on community. When traveling, there is a special bond none like the one you curate with the people you meet and cross paths with. I still feel so much love and an unexplainable connection to this day with everyone that I was blessed to have encountered during my time abroad.

Once again, thank yall so much for stopping by the blog today and reading this amazing interview, Renrenspeakers! Continue to monitor your email notifications and stay plugged in on the Renrenspeaks Instagram page for the next post dropping next Saturday, October 21st for Part 4 of my Travelers Abroad Speak mini blog series! Definitely check out Maikailuh’s Instagram pages to become a part of the group Ghana trip happening in 2024! Shoot, I might have to do a Renrenspeaks meet-and-greet in Ghana, now! 😉

Peace and love,

Irene