It's been often said that the the magic happens when one is out of their comfort zone.  And there's no other time that one can experience this as to when they are faced with a job loss.  Jillian Gomes not only experienced one, but two layoffs within the past decade, and during the last one she had an epiphany.  Never again!! So after her layoff in December 2015, she created her own consulting firm amply entitled 1215 Consulting, and decided to travel the world extensively.  In the last 6 months alone she has been to various cities in Croatia, Italy, and Switzerland. Travelling and entrepreneurship has totally taken Jillian out of her comfort zone, and that's exactly where she needs to be.

Where do you need to be for the "magic to happen"?

Sometimes during either a hectic workday between jobs or even during our travels, we find ourselves eating on the run.  In the past it meant eating a high priced meal at the airport or a stop-over at a fast-food hub for an order of fries (or a veggie or black-bean burger if it's on the menu).  We've gotten a lot more efficient during these times by having a few snack items on hand that can give you a "pow" to get you through the day.  Here are a few of our favorite "power foods"  that are our go to's:

1) Veggie chips- no sodium, low in calories, and edges your appetite. We can't just eat one....bag.  Between the two of us, we can complete an entire bag in less than 15 minutes.

2) Rice cakes- often snacked together with veggie chips. Similar benefits as veggie chips with sea salt for taste.

3) Nuts- almonds are our favorites.  It's a great source for protein and essential vitamins such as Vitamin E, B2, and iron. And how about this... it's been known to lower people's risk of heart disease.

4) Sardines- new to our list, it's actually quite nutritious once you get past the smell. High source of calcium, protein, iron, and most of the essential B vitamins. 

5) Water- we carry a filtered water bottle with us everywhere we go. It flushes out toxins, and makes our skin glisten. :-)

What are your favorite snack go to's when you travel or on the run?

                                              It's Not a Vacation, It's a Lifestyle

​That is the theme Chief Wanderlist Libryia Jones has on her website for My Wander Year. Ms. Jones began the program when she was unable to find a program that enables you to travel around with world with your child(ren). Since the program was launched on December 1, 2015 she and 30 other wanderlists, as they are called, set out to travel the world for one year.

The 30+ strangers left New York City on August 1, 2016. They will stay 3 months in four continents.

Prague, Czech Republic (August 1 - October 27);  
Chiang Mai, Thailand (October 28 - January 24)
Cape Town, South Africa (January 25 - April 24)
Medellin, Colombia (April 25  - July 24)

By staying three months it will enable the wanderlists to stay in one location. Instead of viewing this experience as a vacation, it will be their new lifestyle: going to the grocery store, movies, concerts, walks in local neighborhood, and working their remote jobs and/or business. The children and teens are homeschooled by a variety of options that the parent(s) choose from, as they travel around the world.

You can read the wanderlust profiles and individual blogs on the My Wander Year website. Stay tune to their website as they will announce the next openings for next year's group of wanderlists to travel the world for a year (2017-2018).

                            Above image of Prague from the My Wander Year Website.

Will you consider traveling around the world for a year? Please comment below.

Last week we had a post about participating in a wine tour in both Italy and S. Africa.  It was definitely on my mind when the new Costco opened nearby, and with a new membership in hand, I decided to peruse through the aisle.  There was so much fresh fruit, vegetables, pasta, and seafood on display that I was happily skipping to each food sample station to see what I could eat for "lunch".  Then I laid eyes on the salmon with basil butter that was on sale, and of course you must have wine with it, so a master feast was in order.  The meal was prepared alongside green beans and a seafood pasta.  It's one of the best meals we've cooked all year to date, and we were thankful for a friend that helped us in the kitchen.  A discussion arose about which wine to pair with the salmon. My friend said white, and I said red (we're so opposite).  I insisted on the red based on all my travels, and the decision was made (I can be stubborn you know).  It wasn't until the next day that I "googled" the pairing, and found out I was right....salmon and red wine are a match made in heaven.  Can't wait to try similar dishes during our upcoming Mediterranean cruise in September and just recently booked Amalfi Coast, Italy in April 2017.

Do you have a Mediterranean inspired dish?

Sharee W.

Our first visit of a winery was in the Tuscany region of Italy.  Neither of us were big on wine before, but after that first initial visit in 2009, we have found ourselves official "winoes".  We often enjoy a red wine with a fish dish, yet white wine and zinfandel are also close favorites.  During a recent visit to South Africa we had another winery tour in the Stellenbosch region. It was so much fun touring with newfound friends.  We were so into the "spirit" that we even "photo bomb" a wedding party, followed by a nice little nap back to Cape Town. Ha!! A future tour we are considering is in the Napa Valley region in California.  We had initially looked at the Napa Valley Wine Tour but after a recent scandal, decided a tour of a minority-owned winery would be nice.  We are strongly considering touring the Brown Estate in the Napa Valley region.  We spoke to one of the owners, and they are looking forward to our future visit..

We featured Oneika Raymond of Oneika the Traveller a few years ago on a former blog. This Canadian-born Black woman works full-time as a teacher, and has taught in multiple continents, including the United States, where she is currently based out of New York City with her husband. Her travel blog and videos have been featured in numerous publications including the most recent, Huffington Post. She also starred in a travel-inspired nationwide commercial with Toyota in 2015. She has traveled to over 90 countries, and has more destinations in sight. This summer she secured an all-inclusive blog assignment with Marriott Hotel and Star Alliance Airlines as sponsors that allows her to travel around the world to 8 cities in 7 countries on 4 continents in less than 24 days. Super excited for this young lady and wish her safe travels!! Follow her on instagram @oneikatraveller 


Have you considered a Round-The-World (RTW) adventure?

We came up with the concept of Take A Leap when we traveled internationally and met with people who made the decision to live abroad extensively because of education, career, love, or even adventure. We continue to keep in touch with our past interviewees. Below you'll find our interview and recap of our very first Take A Leap interviewee, Andrea Adams, and her “Where Are They Now” moment.
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Andrea Adams Photo Credit From Twitter

Andrea Adams was our very first Take A Leap interviewee. We met her in Florence, Italy when she was nine months pregnant (a daughter was born less than a week later). She was such a gracious host, and talked very candidly about her travel series, Travelista TV, and in finding love in Italy. This FAMU graduate continues to live in Italy with her husband and child, and spends up to 6 months of the year traveling internationally and visiting home in Florida. She currently teaches digital marketing at a university in Italy, and runs a global marketing business.

Would you move abroad for love?   

When we travel domestically we don't often eat the airplane food. It can be cost prohibitive (ie...$3 for a candy bar), and with the average flight less than 3 hours, there is often not a need. However, airplane food is included in international travel. There is a lot to be said about the airline food from its taste to its odor to its appearance. Nevertheless, we haven't had any complaints, and found it quite nutritious. In fact, many of the airlines have included a nutrition label on the foods so that you can check out the sodium, sugar, and calorie intake, as well as view the ingredients. We have requested vegetarian options during our most recent international travels. And while a few times it didn't get relayed to the airline timely, they have been quite accommodating by granting our request. What's cool is that we are often served first. Ha!! Here are a few pictures from our travels to Europe and South Africa. As you can see the foods are quite varied from Italian pasta to Indian fare to French cuisine. The cultures of the world right on your lips. Yum.....

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