Your Odyssey Awaits

Today we hear stories from Ody and Desirae about their experience in Amsterdam together.  Desirae discusses some of her favorite memories from eating the BEST brunch ever to butt-dialing her EX!! Listen out for some travel tips along the way.

Key Takeaways To Tune In For

• [00:01:00] Introduction to the episode and guest speaker Desirae!
• [00:01:36] Desirae’s background and how Ody and her met.
• [00:04:55] What made Desirae try EF Ultimate Break?
• [00:06:00] What is Desirae’s escape plan? What about zombie escape plan?
• [00:09:27] Sneak-peak on Amsterdam’s sex-positive and weed friendly vibes!
• [00:12:24] Desirae talks about her memorable moments in Amsterdam
• [00:21:35] THE BEST Chicken & Waffles of Desirae’s life.
• [00:25:55] Traveling during on-seasons and off-seasons? Especially the weather!
• [00:29:27] Desirae butt-dials her Ex 11 times in a row.
• [00:30:48] Facts  & Stats: Amsterdam, Netherlands.
• [00:34:55] Continued… talking to her ex! And WORST memory in Florence.
• [00:37:20] What Desirae really thinks of hostels.
• [00:40:42] Red Light District and cafes in Amsterdam.
• [00:48:31] Traveling to Europe as a Person of Color and experiencing racism. 

Resources From this Episode:

 EF Ultimate Break!

Cat Museum

Red Light District

Van Gogh Museum

StayOkay Amsterdam Oost

PANCAKES Amsterdam Westermarkt

Royal Palace Amsterdam

Anne Frank House

Amsterdam Museum

In this episode, Ody interviews a special guest, Alexis, about their EF Tour adventure in Florence, Italy. Alexis shares her stories on how Florence stole her heart and the handsome men along the way. Don’t let ill-fitting walking shoes, phone issues, and lack of A/C disrupt you from having a good time! Listen in for some Facts & Stats about Florence to learn a bit of history too!

Key Takeaways To Tune In For

[00:00:57] Introduction to the episode.
[00:02:04] What is Alexis’ escape plan? What about zombie escape plan?
[00:04:29] Alexis shares more about her background and how they met.
[00:06:40] How Florence stole Alexis’ heart.
[00:10:25] Alexis’ lists her favorite sites/attractions in Florence.
[00:19:09] Facts  & Stats: Florence, Italy
[00:23:27] Continued…Alexis’ lists her three favorite sites/attractions in Florence.
[00:24:52] Make sure you invest in the right walking shoes.
[00:26:32] Biking through Rome.
[00:27:38] The best place to take a picture of the Duomo and the whole city!
[00:29:44] The not-so best parts about Alexis’ experience in Florence.
[00:31:30] Learning local languages will help you a lot!
[00:31:54] What Alexis gained from her experience with EF and her trip.
[00:35:19]  Alexis’ next adventures with travel and graduate school.

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Resources From This Episode:

Tour: https://www.efultimatebreak.com/

Lodging: https://plushostels.com/

Landmarks mentioned: Duomo

Ponte Vecchio

Piazza della Signoria

Basilica di Santa Croce

LIbrary

Mercato Centrale

Ponte Vecchio

Piazza della Repubblica

San Lorenzo

http://vivoli.it/en/home-2/

For the very first bonus-ode of Your Odyssey Awaits, we have a guest calling in all the way from Singapore! Your host gets to ask her friend Wilson about how his country has been handling the COVID-19 pandemic and she also rants to the poor guy about her frustrations. Not the reunion they were expecting, but it's still a welcomed event.

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Using the power of the interwebs, this episode’s guest of Your Odyssey Awaits was found on Facebook group because we wanted a WOC solo traveler who supports Ody’s lifestyle. Tiffany Heard is a fellow traveler and a blogger. 

The ladies also get real about common issues and discomforts they have faced while solo traveling as black women.

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Find Tiffany Heard
Blog
Youtube channel
IG @sweettiffys
Twitter: @sweettiffys
Facebook

Find So-Called Oreos
Twitter: @socalledoreos
Instagram: @socalledoreos
Facebook

Additional Resources
Solo Travel for Black Women: 5 Travel Bloggers Share Their Best Tips
Pros and Cons of Solo Travel

So your parents are worried about you traveling? In this episode, Ody talks about her experience with “worried parents” and what type of conversations to have with them. Ody goes over what to share with your parents before and during your trip and how a little communication goes a long way.

Key Takeaways To Tune In For

• [00:00:55] Introduction to the episode and a message to my parents!
• [00:03:00] Your parents care and want to see you safe and happy.
• [00:03:54] It’s 2020, we have resources/technology that can help us stay safe.
• [00:04:35] How to have “that” conversation about traveling with your loved ones.
• [00:05:00] Before You Go: LET THEM KNOW!
• [00:05:34] Before You Go: Have every answer ready to go/ create an itinerary.
• [00:07:05] Before You Go: Tell your loved ones about your travel buddies.
• [00:07:32] Before You Go: Talk it up about how affordable your trip is!
• [00:10:11] During Your Trip: COMMUNICATION!
• [00:11:55] During Your Trip: Send a postcard.
• [00:12:35] During Your Trip: Social media check-ins.
• [00:13:17] During Your Trip: Send little reminder texts at least once a day.
• [00:14:00] During Your Trip: Call them before you board your flight or cruise.
• [00:14:24] Remember to be courteous to your loved ones because they care ♥️

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You know that makes traveling so much faster and more bearable in the most recent years? You can lock down your flights, accommodations, tours, and ride-shares in the palm of your hand! On this episode of Your Odyssey Awaits, you host Ody will be going over the most frequently used apps that she makes sure to download on her Android phone. Apple users can listen in too! This is a judgement free zone.

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Resources

Lodging

Booking.com
Airbnb
Vrbo
Hostelworld

Rideshare

Uber

Lyft

Grab (Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Vietnam only)

Maps (on and offline)

Google Maps

Ulmon

Currency

XE Converter

Language

Google Translate

Duolingo

Flights

Skyscanner

Hopper

Google Flights

Kiwi

Airwander

Communication

WhatsApp

Skyroam

Weather

Accuweather

Packing and Itinerary

Pack Point

TripIt

Medical Information

Medical ID

Forget about those negative stereotypes about cruise ships! Or at least don't knock it until you try it! When you think about it, a cruise is just a floating resort that can take you to other destinations. And considering the amenities and services that are included in the price, it usually comes out to be a steal! This week our guest Vynese will be covering Norwegian Cruise Line as well as helping (barely) to recount our time in Miami. This is one of three episodes that I plan to do where I cover the most popular AND cost-friendliest cruise lines that can be a godsend to young adults.  

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Resources
Norwegian
Townhouse Miami Beach
Mignonette Downtown
Ella's Oyster Bar
Fireman Derek's Bake Shop

So you figured out where you wanna go, but don't have a clue about where you wanna stay. We are blessed that there are more lodging options popping up but it's note that not every place is made equally. On this episode of Your Odyssey Awaits, your host Ody will take the time to go over the pros and cons of hotels, hostels, and home rentals and will also give some insight on how the city's layout and geography can act as determining factors that could limit your choices.

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Resources
Booking.com
Airbnb
Vrbo
Hostelworld

Every wondered what it would be like to travel with your significant other? Now how about imagining that your main squeeze decided to propose to you in a foreign country! On this episode of Your Odyssey Awaits, our guests Alex and Melissa will tell us the story of their proposal that took place on top of an old lighthouse at the Italian Riviera during their EF tour. #highhusbandstandards. They will also talk about what it is like traveling internationally as a couple, especially while in the company of 30+ people in their 20s in a tour group. 

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Resources
EF Ultimate Break
EF Commercial
Cinque Terre

When you hear "Italy", what cities generally come to mind? Of course people will mention Rome, Venice, Milan, Pisa, and Florence. But have y'all ever heard of Sorrento? Well on this episode of Your Odyssey Awaits, we're gonna show some love to this cozy little oasis located in Southern Italy. And it's also close to famous sites such as Pompeii, Mt.Vesuvius, and the Island of Capri. Our guest Nico will go into detail  about how he enjoyed his time in Sorrento and even decided to venture off alone. Just goes to show that even if you are with a travel group, you still have the freedom to decide when you want to go off on your own, even if that includes the need to recover from the night before! 

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Resources
EF Ultimate Break
EF Commercial
Hotel spicy
Kona Restaurant (on Mt.Vesuvius)