Savannah’s historic city hall

I’m channeling my inner Anthony Bourdain and doing my version of “The Layover.” If you’re not hip to the show, the premis is Bourdain spends 48-hours or less in one city and tries to experience it to the fullest.

Well, today I’m bringing you my layover in Savannah, Georgia.

A few weeks ago, I participated in a press trip with Harley-Davidson to caravan with a group of riders from Atlanta, Georgia to Daytona Beach, Florida.

Despite not being on a bike since I learned to ride last summer, I happily accepted the challenge to ride a hog over 600 miles to one of the biggest motorcycling events of the year–Daytona Bike Week.

When I started out in Atlanta, I was nervous but excited. Despite the 30-degree temps (and my complete lack of riding experience), I was insanely hopeful that I’d be able to safely navigate my bike (a beautiful 2013 midnight blue Softail Slim) to Savannah safely.

The controls of my borrowed Harley Softailslim.

And I did…

….for an hour.

Then the gravity of the situation kicked in, and I decided to do the prudent thing and ride in the van to Savannah.

Luckily, my decision to ride in the vehicle instead of on the bike meant I had a little more time to poke around Savannah than my compadres who rode into the city a few hours later. #Winning

While I could have stayed in the hotel (the magnificent Bohemian Hotel on the Savannah Riverfront) to catch up on a little sleep, I headed outside to explore.

Downtown Savannah is filled with old school charm: cobblestone streets, lush trees, and tons of sculptures marking the city’s storied history.

Savannah’s tree-lined streets

And because of the Bohemian Hotel’s awesome location (right on the river), I was steps away from all of it.

My first stop was to check out the World War II memorial on the river walk.

After taking in the view of the river, I headed over to one of the best known candy shops in the South and had THE most delicious pralines–ever–from River Street Sweets.

High off of sugar, I decided to explore Downtown Savannah and take in the artwork which is scattered throughout the neighborhood.

Revolutionary War memorial in Savannah honoring Haitian soldiers who fought for America’s freedom.

While we were stopping through, the city was gearing up for its annual St. Patrick’s Day Festival, in which nearly 1 million people flood into the city to have a funky good time.

After our whole group surfaced, we headed over to Aligator Soul for a late dinner. While we weren’t too sure of the adventurous menu which consisted of rabbit, squab, turtle, fried green tomatoes, and of course, aligator, dinner turned out to be WONDERFUL. My sausage-stuffed squab was delicious, and the aligator appetizers were a surprising hit!

Unfortunately, my trip to Savannah was super short. While I got a glimpse of the city that boasts so much Southern charm, it wasn’t nearly enough.

Early the next morning we headed back to the river walk so filmmaker F. Gary Gray could shoot his Harley-Davidson spot (and sport the famed Freedom Jacket), and we could continue our journey to Daytona.

F. Gary Gray rocking the Harley-Davidson Freedom Jacket

Although I’d never thought of visiting Savannah, Georgia before, it’s definitely a place I’d love to return to again (and especially the Bohemian Hotel–too cute).

Have you ever been to Savannah, Georgia? Leave me a comment and let me know your  favorite part of the city! 

Taken at the Redondo Beach Pier..

I know I’m blessed to enjoy summer-like temps year-round. But some of you are still suffering through snow and freezing rain.

Fear not…summer is coming. I promise.

My passport has been feeling very neglected lately. It’s been 5 months since I pulled it out and got another stamp in the Bahamas, and since then I’ve been itching to hit the road again.

After my epic trip to London and Paris last December, I made a list of places I wanted to go this year, and unfortunately that hasn’t quite materialized yet. Instead of traveling, I’ve been steadily racking up bylines (which, will hopefully lead to more travel), but come 2013 I definitely MUST add more stamps to my passport.

So where would I like to go?

Costa Rica

I’m not sure why, but I’ve been wanting to go to Costa Rica for years. Perhaps it’s the potential to travel through the rain forest, or maybe it’s just because all of the picture I’ve seen look downright beautiful, but I really, really want to go to Costa Rica.

Paris

Sure, I’ve already been to Paris, but it was for a mere 12 hours. After reading ‘Passing Love,’ I realized that my magical day trip to the City of Lights didn’t even begin to scratch the surface. I want to wander the city for days, or weeks, eating pastries and working on my French.

Africa

I know Africa is not one, big ol’ country, but I haven’t quite decided which of Africa’s 50+ nations I want to visit first. South Africa is all the rage these days. Tanzania is a draw for its beaches and safaris. Ghana with its history and “Door of No Return.” I want to see the Africa other folks merely dream of and never knew existed.

That’s it for now, although my ideal list is a whole lot longer.

How about you? What’s on your 2013 travel wish list?

Sacré-Coeur, Paris – Taken during my trip last December.

After starting out with a bang and aiming to document all of my adventures in and around Los Angeles, I haven’t written in this space in quite some time. It’s not because I’ve been holed up in the house, slaving away on that unfinished book (I wish that was it), and it’s not because I haven’t gone anywhere around the city all summer. So what gives?

While I’ve been hanging out in and around L.A. for the past three months, my lack of travel travel, you know the kind where you board a plane and go somewhere AMAZING, has been giving me the blues.

After going on some very life changing trips (*whispers* London, I miss you) within the last year, my traveling has stalled, and I have yet to go…anywhere…all summer. I’m thoroughly annoyed and going through massive withdrawals.

Recently, I stumbled on Jacqueline Luckett’s latest novel, Passing Love, and it has once again stoked the travel bug.

The novel follows Nicole-Marie Handy, a 57-year-old woman whose life is a list of “dittos.” Despite wanting more, Nicole is unmarried, a dutiful daughter to aging parents, a worker bee, and is involved in a long-time affair with one of her bosses who dangles a hasty marriage proposal in front of her to keep her stuck in a rut. After the death of her closes friend, she decides to cash in her vacation days and head to Paris for a month.

I’m not quite halfway through the book, but I love it already. The way Luckett describes Paris make me soooooooo very jealous. I wish I had scribbled more details in my journal about the streets and the people during my brief, but wondrous, trip to the City of Lights instead of just wandering aimlessly down les boulevards.

Reading Passing Love not only makes me miss Paris, but traveling in general. I miss that indescribable feeling when you first step off of the plane and you are so full of emotions you don’t know whether to laugh or burst into tears. I miss not knowing where to go first, but knowing that I have to go…somewhere. I miss it all. And I need to hit the road again.

Before this year is over, I’m going somewhere, anywhere. I’m desperate to make it happen.

How do you deal with wanderlust and travel withdrawals? 

I must have lost my mind, or had a serious lapse in judgement, because I recently signed up for a Facebook group challenging its participants to make 30 Videos in 30 Days.

Although I love the video medium and would really, really like to make a documentary film one day, I’ve been making all sorts of excuses to not get started. Now, I have an excuse!

This week was the first of the challenge, and I’ve stayed faithful making a video every, single day. So far I made a commercial offering my services as a writing coach, and I shared a little advice on how to overcome the blahs and break out of a funk.

Today, I was fresh out of ideas and decided to put together a quick 90 second tour of Paris (like I did for London) using some of the pics from my trip.

Check it out!

Oh…and to keep tabs on my 30 Videos in 30 Days challenge, subscribe to my YouTube channel!

Abiento!

The view from my hotel at the Sheraton Nassau Beach

Is it really “better in the Bahamas”? Read on to find out!

I recently got back from a press trip to the Bahamas*, and let’s just say I had a magnificent time! Unlike many of you, this was my first time in the Caribbean and I went in without many preconceived notions about what I’d find.

Because I was traveling with the Ministry of Tourism, I figured my trip would be very “touristy” because their goal was to show off the best parts of the islands in order to get glowing reviews and get y’all to book a trip. I was prepared to be wooed by excursions and endless glasses of rum punch and the beaches, and more rum punch. But what I found–once we ventured off the beaten path–was something even more magical.

If you really want to know what’s “better in the Bahamas…” get out and mix it up with the people. Everywhere I go, I try to “fit in” with the locals. When I was London, I made a point to go to Brixton, and when I was in Paris, I wandered the streets and made it a point to not speak too much English as to be found out. I just like being treated like I belong. While it was difficult to pull off on this trip because we were chauffeured from place to place, I did manage to meet a few amazing Bahamians and it totally made the trip.

So, what were some of the things I LOVED About the Bahamas?

Most people in the country look like me: This may sound weird, but that I grew up in America and most places I’ve traveled to have been in the States and Europe, so I wasn’t used to visiting a country with so many black folks. It was evident as soon as we got off the plane. The customs agents, airport workers, the construction workers at the airport, our driver, the hotel staff. nearly EVERYBODY was black. While there are non-black Bahamians (a lot of the biz owners, British and American ex-pats, etc.), I can’t begin to explain how I felt to moving around in a country in which nearly everybody I met looked like they could be my kin. Visiting the Bahamas made me want to visit Africa. Weird, I know, but true.

The BEST burger ever! From the Sip Sip

The Food: I think I gained about 10lbs. in the 5 days I was in the Bahamas. Along with way too many glasses of rum punch, Bahama Mamas, and daiquiris, I ate…a lot. Although I don’t eat fish, I ate a ridiculous amount of conch and shrimp. The best fried shrimp I’ve ever had in my entire LIFE came from Indigo Cafe in Nassau, and even though I’d never had conch (a shell fish) before going to the Bahamas, I’m glad I did. I ate lots conch fritters (a must), conch chowder, grilled conch, and conch salad. Additionally, the best (and I do mean the best) mac & cheese I’ve ever tasted in my life came at the home of a Bahamian family we met during a people-to-people visit. OMG. It was the PERFECT mix of creamy cheese, pasta, and a little added spice. And I know I sound like one of those crazy infomercials, but THE best burger I’ve ever had in my life also came on this trip. All I can say is, if you love burgers and blue cheese as much as I do, go to the Sip Sip on Harbour Island. Delish!

When you go to the Bahamas, don’t try to stick to your diet…just go and eat and eat and eat (then swim, swim, swim…it evens out, I promise).

Trying on a hat from Junkanoo. It was the heaviest hat I’ve EVER worn in my life!

The People: Most people go to the Bahamas to relax, lay on the beach, and just enjoy the tropical scenery. That’s cool. But after you’ve had your fill of sun bathing and banana-boating, get out and meet the people. During our visit we had the opportunity to learn about Junkanoo, a cultural festival that takes place on December 26 and Jan. 1 of each year, from Mrs. Arlene Nash Ferguson and her husband. The Fergusons run the Educulture center in Nassau and had SO much energy and love for their country and its Junkanoo festival that it was absolutely infectious.

During the trip we also had the opportunity to visit with local Bahamians on a people-to-people visit. People-to-People is a program sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism and allows tourists (yes, anyone can set up a visit) to hang out with Bahamians to learn more about the country and its people. Aside from the home-cooked food (which was down right amazing), I met so many cool people who were not only welcoming, but funny, friendly, and eager to share. If you ever visit the Bahamas…leave your resort and hang with the people!

Have you ever been to the Bahamas? What did you love the most? 

From pieces of the Berlin Wall in Los Angeles, to graffiti on the walls leading up to the Paris’ Gare du Nord train station, I’ve seen some pretty dope open air art pieces, and since I haven’t written a travel specific post in some time, I thought I’d share some of the pics I’ve snapped of my travels.

Enjoy!

Chicago, IL

Mural in Hermosa Beach, CA

Art in Milwaukee, WI

Pieces of the Berlin Wall

Piece of the Berlin Wall

and…Paris!

Are you a fan of Street Art? What city has the best outdoor art?

I want this, badly!

How do you prepare for a trip, folks? Are you a last-minute packer? Do you plan every, single, thing out? Or do you go with the flow?

In about three weeks, I’ll be headed to the Bahamas for the first time. The Bahamas, y’all!! As a relative newbie to international travel (I only have 4 countries under my belt), I’m super excited for my first trip to the Caribbean. Even doper? I’m going for free! I’ll be headed to the Bahamas on a working press trip, and judging from my last jaunt to Milwaukee, I’m gonna have a funky good time (*cue James Brown*).

In preparation for my trip, I’m searching for the perfect swimsuit. I mean, you can’t go to the Bahamas with all of that turquoise water, and pristine sand, and NOT feel compelled to hit the beach, right? So, while I have what one might call a bathing suit stuffed in the back my dresser drawer, I think it’s only fitting to find a fly swimsuit for my inaugural trip to “the Islands.”

But here’s the thing: ‘m not the perfect size 6…or 8…or 12, for that matter. I’m what one might call a “curvy girl,” who fluctuates somewhere around a 16 (*gasp*, I just wrote that for real for real.). An while I carry my weight well (I’m tall & everything is proportionate), and I’ve had some serious swimsuit envy of the thick chicks who throw caution to the wind to rock a bikini, but I haven’t been able to bring myself to do it just yet. But as this Bahamas trip approaches, I’ve been eyeing the two pieces more and more and I think I just might cop one.

And yet….I still have doubts. What am I waiting for?

Yes, I could always wait until I shake this extra weight (the hiking is helping a lot) to rock a bikini, but even when I get down to my goal will I suddenly find the confidence to bare more skin? Or is my issue mental and am I not throwing on a dope bathing suit, sans coverup or shorts, because I’m afraid of what others will think of me?

Despite my brash exterior…I’m afraid it’s the later, rather than the former. But as Deepak Chopra said on Lifeclass (yes, I know I’m getting annoying quoting Lifeclass):

“What other people think of you is not your business. If you start to make it your business, you’ll be offended for the rest of your life”– Deepak Chopra

So while I’m still working on my body confidence, I think this trip will be just the thing I need to truly appreciate where I am at THIS moment of my journey and celebrate the progress I’ve made thus far.

How do you prepare for a trip? In your preparation have you ever had an ‘aha’ moment about your life? 

I own so many books, that I have them stacked up, spilling over, and damn-near positioned on every table, bookshelf, floor, and nightstand. A mess, for sure, but my standom of words is quite apparent.

Although I love books, most of my collection consists of fiction. James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Colin Channer, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernesto Quinonez, Junot Diaz, Tayari Jones–I could literally go on for days. But lately, I’ve been looking to add a little self-help/spiritually-focused material to my stash.

As many of you know I’ve been a SERIOUS fan of Oprah’s Lifeclass. And as a decidedly non-new-agey type, the weekly discussions on Lifeclass have been extremely helpful and eye-opening for me. Surprisingly, Tony Robbins and Deepak Chopra have been two of my favorites thus far because they’ve been focusing on changing your “story”–or your thoughts, and creating the life that you want.

Much of what I do here, and will do on BritniDanielle.com (don’t forget to signup) centers on living your most awesome life. Traveling, doing what you love, helping others, and not being bogged down by the burdens of your past is what I’m most interested in these days.

Call it maturing or call it not being interested in negativity anymore, whatever the case may be, I’ve realized that life is too short, too precious, and too full of potentially dope experiences to constantly look back regretting what you could have done.

On the strength of yesterday’s Lifeclass I went out and bought Deepak Chopra’s The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success. From the opening pages, it had me, and I’m hoping this will be yet another resource that will continue to guide me in the right direction.

I’ll leave you with this:

You are what your deep, driving desire is.

As your desire is, so is your will.

As your will is, so is your deed.

As your deed is, so is your destiny.

–Brihadaranyaka Upanishad IV. 4.5

What’s on your bookshelf these days?

Hiking in RPV

I don’t know about you, but I hate the gym. It’s not that I’m lazy (ok, sometimes I am), but I just don’t like the repetition of doing the exact same thing day in and day out, no matter how many new fangled machines there are. My beef with the gym boils down to one thing–I get bored. Quickly. So, with a birthday looming, I’ve been looking for ways to get healthier without stepping foot in the YMCA.

While I own (and shhhh, have downloaded) a plethora of workout DVDs, they also bore the hell out of me. Last year I managed to make it through Level 1 of Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred, but I haven’t been consistant or finished the program since then. No matter how much motivation I have starting out, I can’t get over the fact that by the end of the week, I can quote each “joke,” motivational tip, and command. Which, again, leaves me feeling completely bored and uninspired to do it again.

So….what do you do when you hate the gym and workout DVDs get annoying very easily? You head outdoors!

A few weeks ago Le Kid and I took an impromptu trip to Griffith Park to hike and have a picnic. Despite grabbing onto me for dear life for the first half of the trip because he thought he was going to fall off the side of the mountain (he wasn’t even close), we ended up having a really good time. We had an “adventure” and although it was tough, when we got home I I found myself Googling other local spots for hikes. I found one near me in Rancho Palos Verdes and have been back several times to get it in.

Although I’m not the “outdoorsy” type (no camping, fishing, etc.) I really enjoy going out for hikes. Yes, I feel like I’m going to die when I’m (slowly) making my way up a hill, but at the end, I feel accomplished and the view is just so damn pretty I can barely take it.

These hikes have also given me some time to connect with God, organize my thoughts, and just be generally thankful for how my life is shaping up.

How could I NOT appreciate this view of the Pacific?

Last week was a mentally difficult one. I was waiting to be paid for several articles I’d written, I was beginning to doubt my choices (again), and I was wondering how I’ll reach my ideal life if I’m so drained from working so hard for others (yes, even as a freelancer). Instead of completely throwing in the towel, my hikes gave me an opportunity to remember all of the things that were going right and that I had to be thankful for. I mean, it’s hard to be depressed when you’re out on a brilliantly clear day with the ocean staring you in the face.

But what I also realized is that while my body is getting healthier and stronger, these hikes serve to strengthen my mental resolve as well, and for a freelancer or anyone working toward a really big, seemingly impossible goal, this is key.

Reaching your goals takes an unlimited amount of mental fortitude. It’s not easy to strike out and dedicate your whole self to your goals. The what-if-I-fail thoughts will kick in. Negativity from those you hoped would have your back happens. And you begin to question what the hell you’re actually doing. You ask yourself what makes you so special that you think that you will make it when many others have tried and failed.

I get it. I’ve been there. Hell, I am there. But what I know to be true is just as much time and effort we put into reaching our goals, we need to also put as much time and effort into taking care of our mental and physical selves while we’re trying to reach them. In the end, there’s no use of making it to the top and being too depressed, disgruntled, or too unhealthy to enjoy it.

How do you make sure you’re taking care of your mental & physical help while you work toward your goals? 

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