All posts filed under: Wanderlust Diaries

6 Real Life Lessons from Adult Summer Camp

Published by Khadijat Oseni

A few weeks ago, I was invited by uber-cool blogger, Kelley Louise of The Culture Collective, to be participate in the inaugural weekend of Camp Shock Top, an adult summer camp in partnership with Camp No Counselors and California brewery, Shock Top, with the simple motto of “living life unfiltered” while retreating back to childhood shenanigans with a host of strangers in the heart of The Adirondack Mountains. Here are notes from this nostalgic, pop-culture laden trip w/ a boozy twist… Summer’s here and the official adult in me envies every kid that easily yelled, “School’s out!” and cast all responsibilities aside until the fall. Instead, with 100+ emails sitting in my inbox queue, I’m contemplating the meaning of life while trying to devise an ultimate life hack that will bring back the glory days of being a kid with the added benefits of not being told what to do. Luckily, in comes Camp Shock Top, the latest adult summer camp collaboration with Camp No Counselors that’s aimed at bringing back that old loving feeling of …

The Road Home: Marching from Selma to Montgomery

Published by Khadijat Oseni

One plane. Two feet. Three breaths. Four different thoughts flickering back and forth like a light bulb spiraling out of energy. Step after step after step definitions of purpose circle my brain as I move from point A to B, trepidation to resolve. I had been tapped by the State of Alabama and the National Park Service to partake in their 50th Anniversary Walking Classroom where 300 people from across all U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico, would congregate and reenact the historic Selma to Montgomery March for voting rights – 54 miles for five days straight. We would learn and document firsthand experiences from some of the original foot soldiers, like Dr. Bernard Lafayette and Dr. Frederick D. Reese who walked alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1965, and I was afraid of debasing a legacy that made relatively cold, still gravel appear like shiny rose petals beneath my feet. This was holy ground, and I was sullied in this matrimony of thought as freedom of choice is something that I’ve tasted all my …

24 Hours: Luxembourg City

Published by Khadijat Oseni

“Where are you headed next?” “Luxembourg!” “Oh cool…silly question, where is that again? Switzerland?” “No, but close, there’s a “Little Switzerland” in Luxembourg!” “Wait, I thought Luxembourg was a capital city in another country?” “Yeah, Luxembourg City IS the capital of Luxembourg!” “Oh jeez, get out of here before you drive me nuts!” “Haha, love ya!” Typical conversations that surrounded my recent trip to Luxembourg always seemed to either begin and end in a cloud of confusion as to where Luxembourg is, or garner disbelief as to how I spent an entire weekend there without electing to hop over to popular neighboring cities like Brussels, Paris and Cologne. However, during my summer in London, I decided to zip over and find out what the local sensibility of this city full of drifters is, with 60% of its population being expats and having 170,000 people commute back and forth each day. Outside of having well-paid jobs particularly in the EU and financial sectors, what is the draw to life in Luxembourg City? Upon arrival, I quickly …

Mid-life crisis 100 day project

Mid-Life Crisis Averted!

Published by Khadijat Oseni

The journey from 25 to 50 days of confessions was a spirited test of endurance. The continuous momentum I was able to gather at the beginning of my challenge with lining up subject after subject, who readily respected deadlines and the collaborative creative process, vanquished and I was left stuck and muddled in a path that only seemed to lead to frustration. I agonized about whether my questions were engaging enough…I wondered if I was too passive or assertive with follow-ups…I pondered about whether I was crazy for taking this task on in the first place… Yet, every time I questioned whether my project was effective with my initial intent of connecting, inspiring and redefining cultural norms through shared travel experiences, I was reminded of its significance via little nudges in the form of a kind note of appreciation from one of my subjects, inbox inquiries from strangers wanting to be part of the project and general enthusiasm over the idea popping up in water-cooler conversations. It became apparent that I didn’t have a choice …

Star Hopping: A Cross Cosmos Trip with NASA

Published by Khadijat Oseni

As a travel blogger from Bed Stuy, Brooklyn with a forte for pop culture, being invited to attend NASA’s ”State of NASA” at the Goddard Space Flight Center doesn’t immediately strike one as a union made in the cosmos. However, keeping up with the state of affairs at NASA unveils similar core reasons why I choose to travel so much and why I’m enthralled with cultural preservation for everyday consumption—a deep care and fascination for humanity, nature, and the Earth as we currently know it and how we imagine these aspects will further evolve. As a result, these central philosophies make NASA the perfect travel companion to keep on hand and here are some reasons why I’d choose to ride shotgun with NASA on any given day… Weather Forecasts of Epic Proportions Forget about your standard, daily weather forecast apps to determine if you should pack an umbrella or a light jacket. Following the state of climate change via NASA’s five slated earth science missions this year under their Earth Right Now initiative will provide …

Life As Travel

Published by Khadijat Oseni

What is Life? Is it living infinity free of expectations? Or is it roll in, roll out of bed, day in and day out, a repetition split between reluctant deadlines and enthusiastic snooze buttons with the occasional party mixed in to remind you of your existence? If this certainty were guaranteed, would you opt to have a case of the mundane everyday? Or would you gamble against the odds and dare to be different? It’s easy to ask the questions, but more difficult to provide answers, because we all desire a degree of control in some form or another. What would life be if we couldn’t create the memories we desired to collect and retell at a later time to display our glory? The problem is that with all this desire for control, there is little room left for interpretation in our stories, because for the sake of comfort, we’re willing to give up our maps to the guides of family, friends, lovers, school, and career to determine where we end up. How about picking …

24 Hours: Savannah, GA

Published by Khadijat Oseni

The haunting beauty and charm of Savannah, Georgia is not meant to be reduced to a day. From its sweeping oaks adorned with garland-like Spanish moss to its immaculately squared off patches of history and legends scattered about as points of reflection throughout the city, the air of Savannah is one that thickly lingers long after you’ve departed. With only 24 hours to explore due to a spur of the moment road trip from Atlanta, I attempted to ingest Savannah’s allure in one hardy sitting and was pleasantly surprised at how much there is to do in this small town and how deeply I long to return for more. Come take a nostalgic stroll through some of the many highlights during my 24 hours as a first-time drifter in Savannah… Exploring Savannah Streets & Architecture The streets of Savannah are pristine and picturesque with rich architecture and amazing landscaping that it’s hard not to go around make-believe house hunting and fantasizing what décor may lie behind each door. I highly recommend staying at one of …

The Perfect Staycation For A Francophile

Published by Khadijat Oseni

As the famous words often attributed to Audrey Hepburn go, “Paris is always a good idea.” Being the self-professed Francophile that I am, I constantly have a daily dose of wanderlust for Paris, which is one of my absolute favorite cities in the world. However, the luxury of time or budget isn’t always on my side to plot a getaway. It’s in these instances that I become creative and have mini escapes throughout my day that fondly remind me of Paris. Come join me on une journée Parisienne à New York (a Parisian Day in New York). Le Petit Déjeuner Chez Ladurée (Breakfast at Ladurée) Ladurée, one of the most popular bakeries and tea salons in Paris established since 1862, has two locations in Manhattan – a storefront on Madison Avenue in the Upper East Side and a full tea salon in SoHo and their macarons are my kryptonite! For this reason, I skip the typical breakfast fare and head straight to dessert. My favorite flavor is pétale de rose (rose petal), but you can’t …

More Than A Single Story…

Published by Khadijat Oseni

“Stories matter, many stories matter. Stories have been used to dispossess and malign. But stories can also be used to empower and to humanize. Stories can break the dignity of a people but can also repair that broken dignity.” ~ Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, The Danger of a Single Story I had the honor of meeting a lovely little girl named Fatima and her beautiful family during my travels through the Middle Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Their grace and generosity despite whatever life circumstances they faced was the very first time I truly understood the danger of a single story as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie brilliantly discussed in her moving TED Talk. I began to see the world and the value of travel differently after this encounter and am forever blessed for it. I find it very important to experience and portray the balanced dynamics of life – both luxury and struggle; joy and pain; laughter and depth; love and loss and any other manifestations of emotion one can think of. As a result, I try my …

Time Travel: 1920s & The Jazz Age Lawn Party

Published by Khadijat Oseni

A week ago, I had the opportunity to travel back in time to the 1920s via the annual Jazz Age Lawn Party on Governor’s Island in New York City. It’s always a fun affair that perfectly captures the decadence, elegance and vivacious energy surrounding this era. New York fashionistas show up in droves and dress to the nines to escape to an alternate steamy world filled with big band sounds, high-stepping foxtrotting dancers, and fancy St. Germain cocktails outside of the sweltering heat of the summer. When nostalgically reflecting on this delightfully chic summer activity that has now become a bit of a tradition for me, I also particularly love looking back at old photographs of New York City for vintage style inspiration. So, I’ve decided to integrate some of my favorite atmospheric shots of New York during this decade with images from my past weekend playing dress-up on the lawn. Enjoy! xo Khadijat