After a subpar burger, and a shot of Maker’s in the only dive open on Christmas Eve in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood, it was nothing more than a pleasure to have a reason to check my phone and take my mind off my recovering taste buds. Lisa Marie sent a travel deal too amazing to not immediately investigate. Click.
I see prices and I see cities, and being the cheap wanderer I am, my eyes go to the lowest price; $187. But where? Scan across. Abu Dhabi. Good enough for me.
Moments later, quite about the purchase I want so badly to happen, I found myself with a dead phone, a frat brother to drop off a few miles away, and a deep fear the prices will rise before reaching my charger and my computer. My fingers jittered on the window button, and I uttered not one word. Anything at this point could jinx the opportunity. I pulled into the yard, jumped out, ran in, rand down to the basement, and opened the computer.
It’s still there, and it’s legit. It’s right there on Priceline, and a few folks around Black Twitter are talking about it, questioning if they should click “Buy Ticket Now.” Who doesn’t want a $187 ticket to Abu Dhabi? Especially if you’re like me, and you have an obsession with new foods, new people, and new stamps.
Who do I call? What do I do? What happens from here? Call the travelers! Within an hour I had eight confirmed travel mates to join me for my birthday in the UAE. People who will blend well, and appreciate one another. People I love dearly, and would give up my window seat for. We’re going, and we’re ready.
So how are we getting to JFK from LAX? Where are we staying? God knows, but we’re ready!
And 400 people in a travel group I’m in, Nomadness Travel Tribe, are confirmed passengers on many of these flights. Some to South Africa, some to parts of Asia. We’re out there making moves, and making things happen. Those are 400 people of color seeing the world, then returning to share their stories. There are thousands of us on Black Twitter excited the lid on the jar has been removed and we’re now free to move about.
When you leave America, you’re in the rest of the world. Let’s see the rest of the world.
What I learned yesterday: Always be ready when the opportunity comes. Passport, a few bucks, and a few amazing friends!
My friends who debated clicking “Buy” while the seats disappeared are now collecting tears in jars and rationalizing. Sick are those who woke up to texts, missed calls, and voicemails saying “cheap tickets. Wake up! Buy!”
Dear People Without Passports: “what will you do when I call you to tell you about a $5 ticket to a city you’ve always wanted to visit, and you can’t go because you have no passport?”
