Travel

They say ‘Travel makes one modest, as you see what a tiny place you occupy in the world’, how would you say travelling has shaped your view of the world?

I’m still learning who I am, every journey helps me to unlock a different part of myself but what I am realising is that we are all connected. I remember travelling to the trenches in Mexico city where all the deportees go. Over there, they can’t get jobs and it’s one of the worst parts of Mexico. People actually tell you not to go there because you see just how bad the poverty is there. You see children that haven’t been fed, begging for money. It was very humbling and it made me realise as humans we need to do better and I have to do my part. Even if you’re in Asia or you’re in South America, we’re all human, we all have blood and the ability to love, so we’re all the same.

How many countries have you travelled to in total?
71.

If you had to choose, where would you describe as your most ideal location to live and why?

That’s the hardest question because I fall in love with every place I go. For example, I might want to live in Jamaica just for the food and the parties or I might live in Bali just for the relaxation or London, just for a vibe. Ideally, if I had it my way, I would have a house in every country and when I feel like getting a certain vibe, I could jump on a plane and go there.

What has been your most memorable moment yet while on an adventure?
This year I went to Honduras and I actually got to swim with a jaguar. I love cats and their energy and you know Jaguars are just big kittens, for me, it was overcoming that fear and I really enjoyed playing and swimming with them.

What activities do you indulge in the most when you have downtime?
I’m very simple, I like to sleep and eat! That’s like the best thing in the world, if someone could wrap that and give it as a birthday gift or Christmas gift, I’ll be so happy.

It would be me laying on the beach underneath a palm tree, feeling the island breeze but the weather is still hot with some coconut water, freshly cooked lobster and butter.

When creating, how do you decide your travel destinations?
Sometimes it’s the job that takes me but sometimes, I actually dream about a place and I wake up and do a quick internet search and then I find it. It’s almost like I get spiritually led to certain places sometimes.

Some people collect souvenirs along their travels, do you have any items or souvenirs you collect on every trip?
Sometimes I do, but the energy that I experience when I am there is more of a souvenir, the people that I meet, the connections I make; I’ve encountered some amazing, dope individuals from all over the world.

Beach

Describe your perfect day at the beach…
It would be me laying on the beach underneath a palm tree, feeling the island breeze but the weather is still hot with some coconut water, freshly cooked lobster and butter. Also definitely some eye candy coming out of the water and walking towards me!

When was the last time you went to the beach?
That was two weeks ago in Brazil.

Which beach would you say is the best of your travels and why?
Each one is different, I went to a beach in Seychelles where they say some of the bible stories were based, they call it Paradise. Then you have terrific beaches in Thailand also, I just like beaches where the water is so blue and clear, you can see the bottom of the ocean and you can see and swim with the fish.

Describe the craziest moment you’ve had while beaching…
I swam with sharks – they were nurse sharks, which are like the puppies of sharks but just like puppies they can bite although it’s not a hard bite. But they came up to me and let me play with them. I kept thinking oh my goodness, I’m on a beach with sharks!

If you had to choose, would you collect pebbles or seashells?
Seashells.

A one piece or a bikini?
One piece.

What’s your favourite cocktail on the beach?
Mojito for sure.

What’s your favourite water sport?
Jet Skiing.

If you were stuck on an island, which male celebrity would you like to be stuck with?
If I was stuck on an island, honestly it wouldn’t be a male celebrity I’d want to be stuck with because he wouldn’t do anything for me, I’ll need a sexy doctor in case we’re dying so he can save our lives.

Career

As an independent travel blogger, how would you describe your role today?
Well, I created this role on my own, as there isn’t a real job description but what I do is, I produce travel content and content for tourism boards, for other influencers or for location scouting and creative directing.

How did you get into travel blogging?
It’s all about the journey, it started off as me finding myself. I was going through a lot of self-discovery so I decided to take a trip to southeast Asia. I backpacked by myself and it was on that trip that I found myself and what actually makes me happy. While I was doing that, I was documenting everything and then I started building a following on social media, then companies eventually started to reach out to me to create content and they were paying me so I figured, ‘hey if they’re going to pay me, let me actually put together proposals and start pitching’, and that’s how I ended up here.I have to fight for my happiness and knowing that I am powerful and I think that’s my biggest achievement.

What inspired the change of direction?
Self-discovery. It was about five years ago, I was working in media at different magazines and I wasn’t happy. I felt like I couldn’t be and I wasn’t working at my full potential, and I needed to find myself and empowered myself.

Which top three attributes would you say have been most vital to your success?
Being authentically myself, expressing myself through an aesthetic and being transparent and being vulnerable.

You are on the quest to become the first black woman to travel the world, which is quite the achievement in itself, what would you say has been your most significant achievement so far?
Believing in myself. I feel like there are so many things in this world that make us not believe, we’re told everyday not to believe in ourselves, were told everyday we’re not good enough, not beautiful enough; whatever it is, that we are lacking and I have to fight that. I have to fight for my happiness and knowing that I am powerful and I think that’s my biggest achievement. Going on these trips by myself, pitching myself and believing in myself and my vision.

What is the most difficult part of travel blogging?
I make 75-80% of my income from social media, and with social media, it can be hard because you’re on there, looking through other people pictures and sometimes you do find yourself comparing or straying away from what your brand is or trying to fit into an expectation. And I think that’s difficult sometimes, I actually keep little notes around my house that stay true to myself to remind me that I’m great in my own way.

What has been the most challenging experience?
The last five years have been a journey of evolution, unlearning and reprogramming, I’ve experienced a lot of growing pains. When you continuously do the same thing over and over, it makes you comfortable, so I think growth has been my challenge. As humans, a lot of times, we don’t want to change but growing and knowing that it’s ok to be vulnerable and have moments where you feel uncomfortable or confused, it’s ok and all part of the journey – just realising that that’s the beauty of it is the journey but I think that’s the hardest part.

What would you say is the best piece of business advice you have ever received?
Best advice was to listen to yourself. I have mentors I would usually go to for advice and one of my mentors said to me. ‘I can tell you what I’ve been through but I can’t give you advice because I’m not the one walking your journey and what you’re doing hasn’t been done by anyone, so how can you get advice from someone that hasn’t done what you’re doing?’ So I pray, I meditate and tap into the universe to get my direction, instead of getting my guidance from other people.

What advice can you give to someone wanting to build a career along the same path?
Fear is not real. Whatever it is you want to do, if it’s the same as I’m doing or something else, you just have to do it. I believe a lot of times, we create these blocks that are not real blocks. It’s kind of like ‘How bad do you want it? How bad are you willing to overcome these situations that you mentally put yourself into?’ I remember when I wanted to travel to Asia by myself, I was so scared. Being a black female in Asia I thought, with the language barrier, I might experience racism or worse, and they were all these blocks that I made up in my head. When I got there, it was just like going from New York to London; it was so easy and empowering. So for me, there are really no blocks, just do it and follow yourself, create your own journey, you can’t get that from anyone else, you are only you, so no one can tell you how to be you.

Fear is not real. Whatever it is you want to do, if it’s the same as I’m doing or something else, you just have to do it.

How do you stay motivated?
It’s hard because I feel like society doesn’t want you to be motivated, so I listen to affirmations, I keep people around me that are positive, I put sticky notes all over my house and keep friends around me who motivate me and speak positivity. I also follow love and my happiness, that’s the secret to staying motivated, it just makes life so much easier.

Health & Lifestyle

What’s your daily routine like?
I try to do at least 30 minutes of exercise a day which can be walking or running. I like hiking and I’m also very competitive so when I’m travelling I like to play different games like volleyball on the beach if I don’t feel like working out.

Constant travelling can sometimes have the opposite effect on a person’s health, how do you stay healthy while on the go?
My secret is two tablespoonfuls of apple cider vinegar a day. I eat very healthily and drink lots of water to stay hydrated. Travelling dehydrates you so for me, water is the secret to life. Also mentally, travelling can be very stressful so I always say find a way to release, whether it’s through meditation, just be healthy and release the stress.

What is a typical day like in the life of Tanyka?
No two days are the same. Sometimes I wake up at 5 am, sometimes I don’t sleep till morning. Whenever I do wake up though, I make sure I don’t jump on my phone. I meditate, pray, drink my water, shower and then I check my emails and start my day.

Future

Do you have any other goals or aspirations?
I want to give back to the community, and when I say community, I mean the world because I see myself as a global citizen so my goal is to find ways to give back to the world. Social media seems to be creating this narcissism and I feel like we should be using our platforms for something more significant, inspiring and powerful to help those that need.

Who would you say is your biggest inspiration?
My grandmother, she’s a pious woman, she’s humble, sweet; she has all the qualities I want to possess so I’m working on that.