Have you ever had that moment in the midst of your 9-to-5 grind – dealing with a long day of phone calls, difficult personalities, and never-ending emails – that you stopped, looked around, and said:
"I need to get out of here."
You didn't necessarily know where you were going but you knew you were going somewhere?
Last December, after working a Saturday and several late nights, I was tiredt. I felt strangely claustrophobic in my own city and felt an indescribable need to get out of New York. As I was scrolling down my Instagram feed, I came across several photos of Oxford Circus and Buckingham Palace and was swept away in this fantasy of sipping tea with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. Before I knew it, I had impulsively booked a 4-day trip to London, England. Before you judge me, let me mention that my ticket was only $380 round trip. Yes, you heard me.
When I first told my friends, most were confused but not totally surprised. 2018 was my year of spontaneous trips – Switzerland, France, Mexico, Vegas – all further feeding into my growing travel obsession. However, many of my friends complained that I would not be able to fully enjoy my London trip given the short time frame. Such a short trip abroad surely had to be a waste of money.
Wrong.
This mini-trip, just 4 days, was everything I needed and more to recharge and get a change of scenery. The week of my trip, I flew out of New York City Thursday night (US time) and arrived in London Friday morning (UK time). After taking a nap through the afternoon, I was rested enough to go out and explore all of Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday, before flying out later Monday afternoon. By the time I arrived back in NYC, it was the early evening (US time) and I was able to sleep through the night, allowing me to be refreshed for work the next day.
Oxford Circus, London, UK
While I have been to London several times, like New York City, there is always something new to discover and entirely new things to try every time you return. On this particular trip, rather than fighting the touristy crowds swarming Big Ben and the London Eye, I met friends for brunch in Shoreditch, went to a *dope* late night rollerskating party, and took a hot tub boat cruise down the Thames River. It was incredible.
Although this London getaway was my shortest international trip to date, it certainly made my Top 3. Let's just say there are a lot more international weekend trips in my future.
Here are a few tips to help you plan your own international weekend trip.
Book Cheap Flights When You First See Them
Have you ever seen a ridiculously cheap flight, be it domestic or international, and you put off booking the flight just for it to double in price the next day? In my experience, I have a "book now, figure out the details later" approach to travel. With my London trip, I booked the flight in mid-November and didn't nail down my itinerary until a week before my trip. It's not an entirely foolproof method to travel, but 75% of the travel bargains I've secured have come from booking cheap flights before the tickets sold out or increased in price. Sites like Skiplagged, Skycanner, and Hopper can also be great resources for finding cheap and "hidden flights".
Don't Cram Too Much Into Your Itinerary
This just might be the key to short trips period: Do less. It can be so tempting to cram a million and one adventures into your 3- or 4-day trip, especially if you haven't been to a particular city before, but try to resist. As queen of doing the most, I acknowledge my own hypocrisy and admit that I have often tried to see everything in one trip and ended up biting off more than I could chew. More often than not, cramming too many activities in a mini-trip will cause you to crash, meaning you will either lose a day or two on your trip sleeping, or you will have a hard time readjusting to work/school upon your return.
I can honestly say that I had more fun and was a lot more present in each one of the activities I engaged in this time around by making the decision to do less. Less was truly more.
Pack Light, Pack Smart
On a similar note, don't cram too much in your suitcase – travel light. I flew Low-Fare Economy via Norwegian Airlines, which is like the equivalent of flying Spirit Airlines of London. No drinks, no snacks, no leg room. I never said I traveled like the Kardashians, okurrrr.
One catch with taking cheap flights is that you are often limited in weight and often suitcase size. My combined luggage had a weight maximum of 10 kg (22 lbs), which is totally feasible if you pack smart and pick outfit pieces that can be worn multiple ways. But, always read the fine print. I misunderstood that for Norwegian, combined luggage also includes your purse/ tote bag, leading me to pay $100 in overweight fees at the time of check in. Talk about heartbreak. Cheap flights can add up in different ways, so be aware.
Maximize Friends & Family
There is nothing I love more than traveling to locations where I have friends or family. Why? Free room and board. I'm like the Maxine Shaw (Living Single) of international and domestic travel. Circumventing hotel costs when able is a major game changer since you can reallocate those funds towards entertainment or even additional flight costs. When crashing with friends is not a reliable option, do your research! I have found great success in finding cheap (nice!) places on Airbnb and know several friends who recommend European hostels.
Plan Your Next Trip
Feel tired? Feel inspired? Book your next international weekend trip today!
Featured image by Getty Images, photos provided by Writer Lydia Lee.
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The seeds for these entrepreneurs were planted during their time as students at schools like Spelman, North Carolina A&T, and more, which is why xoNecole caught up with Look Good Live Well’s Ariane Turner, HBCU Buzz’s Luke Lawal and Morehouse Senior Director of Marketing and Comms and Press Secretary Jasmine Gurley to highlight the role their HBCU roots play in their work as entrepreneurs, the legacy they aim to leave behind through the work that they do, and more as a part of Hyundai’s Best In Class initiative.
On Honoring HBCU Roots To Create Something That Is For Us, By Us
Ariane Turner
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When Ariane Turner launched Look Good, Live Well, she created it with Black and brown people in mind, especially those with sensitive skin more prone to dryness and skin conditions like acne and eczema.
The Florida A&M University graduate launched her business to create something that addressed topical skin care needs and was intentional about its approach without negative terminology.
Turner shared that it is important to steer clear of language often adopted by more prominent brands, such as “banishing breakouts” or “correcting the skin,” because, in reality, Turner says there is nothing wrong with the way that our skin and bodies react to various life changes.
“I think what I have taken with me regarding my HBCU experience and translated to my entrepreneurial experience is the importance of not just networking,” Turner, the founder and CEO of Look Good, Live Well, tellls xoNecole.
“We hear that in business all the time, your network is your net worth, but family, there’s a thing at FAMU that we call FAMU-lee instead of family, and it’s very much a thing. What that taught me is the importance of not just making relationships and not just making that connection, but truly working on deepening them, and so being intentional about connecting with people initially, but staying connected and building and deepening those relationships, and that has served me tremendously in business, whether it’s being able to reach back to other classmates who I went to school with, or just networking in general.”
She adds, “I don’t come from a business background. As soon as I finished school, I continued with my entrepreneurial journey, and so there’s a lot of that traditional business act and the networking, those soft skills that I just don’t have, but I will say that just understanding how to leverage and network community and to build intentional relationships is something that has taken me far and I definitely got those roots while attending FAMU.”
On Solving A Very Specific Need For The Community
Luke Lawal Jr.
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When Luke Lawal Jr. launched HBCU Buzz, his main focus was to represent his community, using the platform to lift as they climbed by creating an outlet dedicated to celebrating the achievements and positive news affecting the 107 historically HBCUs nationwide.
By spotlighting the wonderful things that come from the HBCU community and coupling it with what he learned during his time at Bowie State University, Lawal used that knowledge to propel himself as an entrepreneur while also providing his people with accurate representation across the internet.
“The specific problem in 2011 when I started HBCU Buzz was more so around the fact that mainstream media always depict HBCUs as negative,” Lawal says. “You would only see HBCUs in the mainstream media when someone died, or the university president or someone was stepping down. It was always bad news, but they never shed light on all the wonderful things from our community."
So, I started HBCU Buzz to ensure the world saw the good things that come from our space. And they knew that HBCUs grew some of the brightest people in the world, and just trying to figure out ways to make sure our platform was a pedestal for all the students that come through our institutions.”
“The biggest goal is to continue to solve problems, continue to create brands that solve the problems of our communities, and make sure that our products, our brands, our companies, and institutions are of value and they’re helping our community,” he continues. “That they’re solving problems that propel our space forward.”
On How Being An HBCU Alum Impacts The Way One Shows Up In The World
Jasmine Gurley
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Jasmine Gurley is a proud North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University alum. She is even more delighted with her current role, which enables her to give back to current HBCU students as the Senior Director of Brand Marketing and Communications and official press secretary at Morehouse College.
“It was a formative experience where I really was able to come into my own and say yes to all the opportunities that were presented to me, and because of that, it’s been able to open the doors later in life too,” says Gurley of her experience at North Carolina A&T. “One thing I love about many HBCUs is that we are required to learn way more about African American history than you do in your typical K through 12 or even at the higher ed level."
She adds, “It allowed us to have a better understanding of where we came from, and so for me, because I’m a storyteller, I’m a history person, I’m very sensitive to life in general, being able to listen to the stories and the trials that our ancestors overcame, put the battery pack in my back to say, ‘Oh nothing can stop me. Absolutely nothing can stop me. I know where I came from, so I can overcome something and try anything. And I have an obligation to be my ancestors’ wildest dreams. Simultaneously, I also have a responsibility to help others realize that greatness.
Gurley does not take her position at an HBCU, now as a leader, lightly.
“People think I’m joking when I say I’m living the dream, but I really am,” she notes. “So I wake up every day and know that the work that I do matters, no matter how hard it might be, how frustrating it may be, and challenging it. I know the ripple effect of my work, my team, and what this institution does also matter. The trajectory of Black male experiences, community, history, and then just American advancement just in general.”
On the other hand, through her business, Sankofa Public Relations, Gurley is also on a mission to uplift brands in their quest to help their respective communities. Since its inception in 2017, Sankofa PR has been on a mission to “reach back and reclaim local, national, and global communities by helping those actively working to move” various areas of the world, focusing on pushing things forward for the better.
“Through Sankofa, we’ve worked with all different types of organizational brands and individuals in several different industries, but I would think of them as mission-based,” says Gurley.
“So with that, it’s an opportunity to help people who are trying to do good in the world, and they are passionate about what they’re doing. They just need help with marketing issues, storytelling, and branding, and that’s when my expertise can come into play. Help them get to that moment where they can tell their story through me or another platform, and that’s been super fulfilling.”
Join us in celebrating HBCU excellence! Check out our Best In Class hub for inspiring stories, empowering resources, and everything you need to embrace the HBCU experience.
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Both women showcase Black women's impact on the world through their platforms. As a mega influencer, Davis takes pride in curating a brand representing brown-skinned Black women in spaces that don’t always cater to them. From partnerships with Nike to sharing affordable fashion finds on Amazon, she’s on a mission to empower people who look like her.
No stranger to the same ideation, McCaskiel launched Black Girls in Media to prevent the erasure of women like herself as they climb the ranks within the media landscape. It all started at their respective HBCUs.
“I would say homecoming as someone who went to an HBCU is really just a big moment of reflection,” McCaskiel tells xoNecole.
“You’re able to go on campus and think about where you were when you attended that university, and then to go back and just sit in your growth as a person, career-wise, and then to reconnect with all these people you went through that journey on,” she continues.
“It’s just a really good feeling. It’s so nostalgic. It’s fun and reassuring, comforting, all those things. It’s the best time, and just makes you love being Black and makes you proud of where you come from.”
Tasha McCaskiel
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“An HBCU homecoming to me essentially means family reunion, having a good time, creating new memories, seeing people you haven’t seen in years, looking at your old stomping ground where you used to take classes, where you used to stay, and just having a good time with the people you love,” Davis adds.
“Celebrating the number one HBCU, Florida A&M University, as someone whose business essentially started on campus was basically a liaison from FAMU that spoke to multiple HBCUs through clothing is everything.”
Homecoming is also a chance to represent your school to the fullest, argue about who is the best, or even crash the yard for another homecoming. It’s an annual holiday, but the HBCU homecoming is also about shining a light on the place where it all started.
“Every chance I get, I advocate for HBCUs, and I strongly believe, when it comes to HBCUs, it’s all about exposure,” Davis says. “A lot of kids are not exposed to HBCUs even though through recent advocacy that brands are doing now to shine a light on HBCUs, I still feel like it’s really important for content creators and anybody to advocate for HBCUs.”
As the person behind the design of Nike’s Florida A&M University Nike Dunk Lows, Davis has an affinity to all historically Black colleges and universities. Still, her love for her alma mater runs deep, especially since it is the very place that fostered her knack for creating content and learning to be self-sufficient in her work as a self-made businesswoman.
Launched in 2020, the Nike Yardrunners is an annual campaign celebrating HBCUs and their impact on culture and style. In 2022, Davis, alongside women from Tennessee State, Clark Atlanta, and North Carolina University, would design shoes that transform the popular Nike dunks into those representing their respective schools.
McCaskiel echoed the sentiment of ensuring that HBCUs are at the forefront when it comes to exposure, noting that her love for her community inspired her to launch Black Girls in Media, a platform committed to ensuring that women in the industry are exposed to the opportunities, resources, and skills needed to thrive in the space.
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When she launched Black Girls in Media in 2018, McCaskiel was on a mission to empower the women in the industry. Working in the space, she noticed the lack of people who looked like her and realized that the stories and experiences of Black women weren't adequately represented. What began as a group chat has now grown into a platform providing thousands of opportunities to a network of over 90,000 people worldwide.
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Both women understand the microscope they are often under in the real world as Black women. They also reflect how attending HBCUs instilled in them a confidence that's only possible to achieve by being in an environment where students, faculty, staff, and even leaders look like them.
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“When I think of legacy, I just think of impact,” says McCaskiel. “When we’re no longer here, the people who have left legacies, whatever they do continues long after they’re gone, and that’s what I aim to do on a personal and a career level.”
“I just want to inspire people to lead by being yourself and following things you truly enjoy. I will always advocate for HBCUs, and that’s me. That’s who I am, but just living in your truth and being that girl from the inside out,” Davis adds.
As part of xoNecole’s Best in Class series for 2024, Caitlyn “Cait the Great” Davis and Tasha McCaskiel are perfect examples of using their platforms to uplift and inform the culture around HBCUs.
Join us in celebrating HBCU excellence! Check out our Best In Class hub for inspiring stories, empowering resources, and everything you need to embrace the HBCU experience.
Feature images courtesy