With the world at a standstill due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Shuntelle Paynter, a Bermudian travel enthusiast, has shared some tips on keeping the travel spirit alive while staying at home.
Ms. Paynter said, “Growing up, I frequently traveled with family and friends, mainly to the United States. New York is less than two hours from Bermuda, so a weekend shopping trip was ideal.
“However, my travels have evolved into much more than traveling to shop. In 2014, after graduating with my Bachelor’s degree, I treated myself to a trip to Dubai. Since then, I’ve been jet setting all over the world and have experienced more than 30 countries.
“Two of my most memorable experiences abroad was teaching English in China in 2015 and backpacking southeast Asia for two months in 2019. These two experiences have taught me that the only barriers that stop me from living a full life are the ones I create for myself.
“My love for travel has evolved immensely and I want others to experience the joy, knowledge, and freedom travel has awarded me. Initially, I shared my passion for travel on Facebook and Instagram to show others that traveling beyond their comfort zone was possible.
“For example, when I was teaching English in China, I was the only black teacher in my cohort and the entire school. To say the least, that was a challenging situation. But it was situations like that that have equipped me with the drive to encourage others to challenge their comfort zones through travel as well. Travel will not only challenge you, but sharpen your strengths as well.
“On my social media platforms, I inspire millennial women to challenge their comfort zones through budget travel. I share tips, destination recommendations, trivia, and most importantly my travel experiences. I collaborate with other travelers to give my community a look into diverse travel experiences.
“I’ve made it known to my community that I share my authentic experiences and do not filter them for social media. I am a budget traveler, so I encourage others who may see money as a barrier to consider cutting costs when necessary. Also, I believe that cutting costs doesn’t mean that you’re minimizing your experiences rather using the resources that you have.
“In January of this year, I decided to make my content more intentional for my community and create a brand. Unfortunately, by March, the coronavirus was starting to take a toll on the western world. I was forced to pivot my brand to ensure I was still providing meaningful content even though the world was heading toward a standstill.
“Therefore, I created a free guide titled ‘The Ultimate Tips To Keep Your Travel Spirit Alive,’ with 11 tips to help travelers explore from home. The drive to create this guide was to focus on the solution rather than the problem.
“As I operate from a solution-focused standpoint, I want to acknowledge the problem and focus on what we can do now until we’re able to travel again. This guide has been very successful with my online community and I’m excited to share it with Bermuda.
“Although this pandemic has put our travels on pause, I still look forward to achieving my goal of exploring the seven continents and seven world wonders by the end of 2022. To date, I have explored five continents and five world wonders. Although travel is very uncertain, I encourage others to keep their travel dreams alive.”
“Below I have included the top tips I think travelers can use at this time:
- “Reminisce. Look through old photographs, passport stamps, and souvenirs and reminisce about your experiences. Consider making a memorabilia board [or scrapbook] and display it in an area you frequent.
- “Chef up your culinary favorites. With the contents in your refrigerator, replicate some of your favorite dishes from around the world or places you yearn to visit.
- “Learn a few local phrases. Do you have a desire to visit a country but fear the language barrier? Take some time to learn a few phrases to feel more comfortable communicating with the locals. Use the application Duolingo.
- “Read a travel book. Consider purchasing Immersed in West Africa: My Solo Journey Across Senegal, Mauritania, The Gambia, Guinea, and Guinea Bissau, written by Terry Lister, or a great children’s book is The Traveling Child Goes To Rio de Janeiro, written by Monet Hambrick.”
For more information on Ms. Paynter’s work and travels, visit her Facebook page or Instagram page.
