In this edition of Celebrity Travel Addicts, we speak with Jewels Rhode, a world traveler from New York who documents her adventures on her blog travelJewels. We chat with Jewels about how the media misrepresentation of a country played a role in sparking her love of travel, why traveling equals wellness for her, the things she recommends people do in her favorite destinations around the world, and much more! Check out the items she never travels without and find out where she’s headed next!
My passion for travel started when I studied abroad my junior year of college in Durban, South Africa. It was actually my first international flight. Prior to studying in South Africa, a lot of people advised me against it because they felt it was dangerous. Despite the advice of others, I went and I loved it! Most importantly, I saw the stark difference between how African countries were being portrayed in media versus my experience in real life. South Africa is a beautiful dynamic country with a rich history. Not to say that poverty and violence don’t happen there, but the country doesn’t need to be defined by that narrative. That trip sparked a desire for me to go see the world for myself and challenge misrepresentations.
I travel at least 6 weeks out of the year. I love to travel both domestically within the United States and abroad. I’m open to visiting all places, but I tend to gravitate towards visiting countries with interesting ancient history and architecture or picturesque landscapes.
travelJewels is a play on my name, Jewels, but also represents the purpose of my blog: to provide gems of knowledge to help people live their fullest lives through travel and wellness. travelJewels stands out from a lot of other travel content out there because it’s authentic. I’m not overly filtering my photos to distort its essence. A lot of travel accounts feel fantastical and unachievable, my account is more realistic.
On a normal day, I’m typically juggling a lot of tasks and thinking about my next move. As much as I try to be mindful and be in the moment, I’m not able to do it as much as I would like in my day-to-day. However, when I travel, I’m away from my day-to-day hustle and it allows me to be more mindful and enjoy the moment. The people I meet and the experiences I have while traveling all fuel my body and my spirit.
NYC is a great travel destination because there is something for every kind of person. It’s hard to prescribe things to do in NYC without knowing what the person is interested in. But at minimum, everyone who visits NYC should do the following:
I want people to know that you don’t have to quit your job to travel the world. You can make travel work for you right where you are. When people read my blog I want them to be inspired to see more of the world, try new things, and feel confident in using their newly gained insight to plan their own adventures. I also want people to walk away from my blog and social media knowing how to incorporate more wellness into their life—whether that’s trying a yoga class for the first time, meditating, or seeking therapy.
1) South Africa 2) Peru 3) Morocco
Cape Town, South Africa
Peru
Morocco
32 countries and counting!
Italian, Moroccan, Brazilian
Senses in Warsaw! It was my favorite dining experience. All of the courses appeal to your five senses.
Eat, Pray, Love
Singapore Changi Airport. It’s beautiful, feels very futuristic, and there’s a lot to do in the airport.
It’s a tie between Bali, Peru, & Uzbekistan.
This is a trick question haha. I’m fortunate enough to have a solid group of friends who share my love for travel whom I travel with often. I would say my friend Fiona is my favorite travel companion because she’s my “let’s book it” friend. She’s always down for an adventure, will book a flight on short notice, and we have similar travel styles.
Journaling is one of my favorite hobbies, but also a great way to kill time while traveling. It’s a good way to process my experiences and it is always fun to read later on.
Uzbekistan for the World Influencers Congress
My advice for someone who wants to embark on a life of travel is to avoid over-planning. Having a loose itinerary is fine, but leave room for spontaneity. Some of my most memorable travel moments were unplanned. Also, try at least one new thing in each destination!
1) Packing Cubes – The secret to me being a light packer
2) A Pen- It’s usually always needed to fill out custom forms
3) My Epi-Pen – Life-saving medication
4) Cross-body Satchel- the most convenient and safest way to protect myself from pickpockets and thieves.
Japan for Cherry Blossom season!
“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.” – Anthony Bourdain
I’m going to Ghana in December.
Jewels Rhode is the founder and content creator of travelJewels, a blog dedicated to helping people live full and intentional lives through travel and wellness. travelJewels equips people with the tools to travel deeper, smarter, and healthier. Since 2010, Jewels has traveled to 32 countries while either working full time or being a student. With a Master of Public Health in Health Behavior and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, she navigates the world with curiosity to learn more about people and countries’ truth.
Learn more about Jewels Rhode and her travels by checking out her website and by following her on Instagram and Facebook!
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101 Countries • 1432 Cities
