Jay Travels
1. What message do have for students who want to travel?
[Jay] Use this opportunity to explore the world and gain new/different perspectives – it will be of great importance in your business career and possibly personal lives.
2. What are your childhood memories of travel ?
[Jay] I didn’t travel much as a child, which is probably why I do so much now. Of the few trips we were able to take, my fondest memories wee of spending time with my mother.
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| Mexico |
3. Where did you dream of traveling when you were a child?
[Jay] I hadn’t really thought about raveling beyond the city limits of Chicago. I had no idea that most of the country didn’t look like my hometown – I was shocked when I first saw cows in Illinois during a road trip to Carbondale. This is the mindset I’m working to change – not just with children but with adults as well.
4. Did you travel as a child?
[Jay] See above
5. What did you learn as a child about the expectation for black people to travel?
[Jay] NA
6. Did you admire or know of any Black people that traveled when you were a child?
[Jay] No one I knew really traveled.
7. Why should Black people travel?
[Jay] The world is a beautiful, ugly, exciting, relaxing, sensual, dangerous and wonderful place! By experiencing other environments, cultures and customs – you will likely enhance your own life in some way; whether that be the memories of visiting an amazing location, learning a new language, becoming a better conversationalist – the list is endless.
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| Jetski |
8. What was your first trip?
[Jay] My first trip outside of the state of Illinois was to Disneyland in California with my mother. My first trip out of the country was to the Bahamas (I’m ignoring my 2 min stay in Windsor, Canada)
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| Hollywood |
9. How did you plan for it?
[Jay] I didn’t plan for Disneyland, I was a child. The Bahamas trip was a cruise I won from my job, so very little planning there as well.
10. What was your experience there?
a) positive experience -[Jay] First time out of the country – so it was an exciting experience.
b) negative experience-[Jay] I learned I don’t care much for cruises. Being trapped on-board a ship for hours on end where someone nickels & dimes you for everything isn’t my idea of fun.
11. Was your travel experience what you expected?
[Jay] Overall, it was a good experience.
12. How is your travel experience as a Black traveler different from what you perceive as a White traveler?[Jay] I’ve never been a white traveler.
[Jay] My motto has become “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness”.
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| Skydive |
14. Where do you dream of traveling now? Why?
[Jay] My remaining Bucket List is Vietnam (I’d like to see both Hanoi & Saigon 40 years after the war) and Antarctica (because it’s the only continent I haven’t visited).
