Being a Black world traveler is certainly an interesting experience.Â
My very first time traveling abroad was in 2018 [when] I came to Japan on a school trip with EF. I'll never forget when my mom made sure to remind me before I left the country that I am, in fact, a Black girl and people will stare.Â
Surely enough, I did get stared at—quite a few times. I even had someone come up and touch my hair; at times I felt like a spectacle, and often I would forget that Black people are a minority. When you grow up in a city, you're surrounded by people who look and act like you—you don't have a constant reminder that you're different. But once you take a step out of that shell, wow does that realization come fast.
I still really enjoyed my time out of the country—so much so that two years later I decided to leave college and travel again with EF, this time with EF Gap Year on a Semester program. I was with a cohort of students from all around the country and I was one of the very few Black people. It's interesting because the Black American experience is already so different from the “regular” American experience that I felt as if I needed to adjust to a new culture before I had even left my home country. Because of that, I learned that being Black and traveling internationally means not only being an ambassador for America, but for the Black community too. I often found myself having to explain the nuances of my culture or defend certain aspects, but honestly, I didn't mind: I have no problem with talking about my culture if I can provide insight and understanding.Â
I’m currently studying abroad in Japan and I’ve been here for a little over five months. Every day I catch someone staring, or an old lady comes up to touch my hair; sometimes people don't sit next to me on the train. I notice these things every day, but I also notice the good: people are still kind and curious. Â
Celebrating my Blackness through traveling means being myself unapologetically. It means allowing people to stare and knowing it's not a reflection on me as a person; it means letting people ask questions, because I know they are curious and don't mean any harm. Being a Black international traveler is a very unique experience that I wouldn't trade for the world. I love learning about new cultures in exchange for teaching a bit of my own.
I’ll bet you didn’t know that in some places in Italy, the bus will not stop at your bus stop unless you tell the driver…
Every day during an EF Gap program is different; join Foster P. as he takes us through a day in the life during cultural immersion…