Category: Travels

It’s time for Halloween and my volunteer trip!

It’s time for Halloween and my volunteer trip!

by Ranada ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

I have no costume for myself as of yet, but I hope you like my “spooky” look on my blog.

I hope to have an AWESOME time this Halloween weekend.  I’m going to New Orleans to volunteer, and I am too excited.  New Orleans is my fave fave fave city, so I’m happy to have the chance to pitch in and do my part.  I hope to do this again next year.

There’s alot on my mind in terms of politics, relationships, fashion, and much more, but it’s not in sharable format.  So until I can make some sense of all this hodgepodge in my head…

Here’s a video about Post-Katrina Lower 9th Ward, where I’ll be working Sunday morning.

And here’s one of my fave party songs, which is from New Orleans.  I’ve been dancing to this mug for YEARS.  Some songs are just classics. 🙂

Feature Friday: Asheville, NC

Feature Friday: Asheville, NC

by Ranada ♥ 1 Comment

I’m currently in Asheville, NC, to attend an economic development research conference.  It is absolutely beautiful here. Just what the doctor ordered. Getting to explore and experience various communities is one of my favorite parts of my job.  I get to see (and help guide) what communities are doing to make themselves better while keeping the culture that makes each community so special.

Yesterday, I went on a trolley tour of the city, and despite the wind aggravating my current throat ailment, I really enjoyed it.  Asheville is full of so much history and beautiful architecture.  Downtown reminded me of a little European city.  Our tour guide said this is a city for the wacky, wild, and whimsical.  Sounds like my kinda place, right? I ate at the snazzy Grove Park Inn, which had awesome views of the Asheville landscape.  In addition to great conversation with colleagues, the food was yummo.  I had a porkchop with “FROG” jam.  FROG = figs, raspberry, orange, and ginger and a delectable dulce de leche creme brulee.  (Can you say good sleep?)

Well, you know me–Ilove to share the wealth.  Here are some interesting facts about Asheville.

  • During the Great Depression, Asheville had the highest debt per capita of any city in the entire country.  On Nov 20, 1930, four banks closed their doors.  But instead of squiggling out of it, Asheville officials vowed to pay off every single dollar of debt.  They finally got out of debt in 1977.  As a result, they have a charming skyline–they weren’t able to build any buildings or tear any down.  So by ’77 they had a bunch of great historical buildings hat probably wouldn’t have been there otherwise. They took advantage and invested in the preservation of them, and now they’re reaping the benefits.
  • The French Broad River, the 3rd oldest river in the world, runs through Asheville.
  • Asheville’s Biltmore Estate is the country’s largest privately owned home.
  • Writer Thomas Wolfe was from Asheville. (And who knew the guy was 6’7″?)
  • F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda lived in Asheville.  Zelda was quite a character from what the tour guide told us.
  • Asheville has a history of being a health destination.  There’s lots of specialty and alternative medicine here.

If you need to get away, I highly recommend Asheville.  Bring your mom as I plan to do for a mother-daughter weekend, bring a boo for a romantic getaway, bring your artsy friends for an arts excursion, bring your outdoorsy friends for a mountain experience.  Lots to do here, and lots of stories to hear.  I’m sure I’ll be back soon.

So I’ll leave you with a song from an area native with a smooth, buttery voice. After “Closer I Get to You,” this is my fave of her songs.

Happy Friday, hunnies!

Feature Friday: Horseback Riding at Pipestem Resort

Feature Friday: Horseback Riding at Pipestem Resort

by Ranada ♥ 1 Comment

This morning, I went horseback riding at Pipestem Resort State Park in West Virginia. The adventure started with the drive from where I’m staying in Asbury, WV around mountain-like hills through a couple of pint-sized towns to unincorporated area of Pipestem. The drive reminded me a little of when I drove up Beech Mountain, North Carolina a few years back for a ski trip. Once we (my coworker and I) arrived at the park, I thought my nerves would kick in, but I was evermore excited.

We went into the stables (until the smell overwhelmed us) and watched as the horses of various colors (rich browns, black, white, a peculiar gray) were tended to. Finally, we met our horses. My coworker got a horse named Tom, and I got the lovely Molly, who was silky black with a black and auburn streaked mane. My yoga came in handy as I managed to get my leg high enough in the air to get my foot in the stirrup to hoist myself onto Molly’s back. Yep, I’m proud to have not needed a step stool!

As Molly and I started our journey on a path she’s travelled who knows how many times, I wondered to myself if she cares about carrying folks on her back every day. I also noticed that while Molly was pretty easy to “steer,” pulling her left, right, and telling her to slow down or stop for a second, she definitely did things on her own terms, stopping to eat flowers when she pleased, but never veering off path or causing us to be left behind. I rode Molly through wooded areas and through meadow like areas, noticing how Molly took care in her steps when the trail was on a decline or when it was rocky.

As I enjoyed the view, the peace, and the quiet, I took some time to be one with my own thoughts. I remembered when my granddaddy P.H. had horses, a time when he was a strong man with authority and leadership oozing through his pores. I remembered when my cousin Billequa and I rode camels at the Jackson Zoo as kids. I daydreamed about the possibility of ever owning a horse like Molly. I thought about my relationship and where it’s going. I thought about my parents and how they’ve been everpresent in my life. It was definitely a thoughtful morning.

The only gross part was when the horse in front of me pooped… Wasn’t really ready for that, but it’s a part of life, yes, I know. Also, the whiff of poop every time we went through or around piles of it was a drag.

Overall, though, it was a delightful, relaxing, awesome experience. If there’s a stable near you (or if you ever happen to find yourself in southern W. Va.), try horseback riding if you never have. Happy Friday, folks!

P.S. I will add pictures when I get to a computer!

Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.

When patience goes wrong

When patience goes wrong

by Ranada ♥ 2 Comments

So, I’m in a small city in Texas for work and in a good mood, ready to conquer the world.  I arrived at the airport, which is smaller than the one in my hometown, in the middle of what looked like nowhere, and gleefully call the hotel to request a shuttle and the person on the other end said, “No problem! I’ll get him out right away!”  Right after I made that call, my phone randomly went dead, although it was fully charged this morning and I’ve barely used it all day.  Time passed, still no shuttle.  But I’ve been working on my patience, so I thought to myself, “Self, they’re probably on one of those every 30 minute schedules, so you’ll just have to wait till the next go round.  Besides, I can’t track the time, so I could just be tripping.”  Well, the last traveler got picked up, leaving me outside by myself.  So I went inside, and lo and behold, it had been damn near an HOUR.  So I called using the airport phone that only calls hotels, and the lady said, “He’s still not there? Ok, we’ll get him out right now.”

Uh… that’s what she said before.  So this time I stayed close by the entrance so I could see the clock.  Another 20 minutes passed.  So I went on back and asked the rental car company if I could use their phone to call a cab.  The cab said it’d be there in 10 minutes.  Well, 8 minutes later, finally arrives the damn shuttle I had been waiting an hour and a half for.  I had to battle with myself about whether or not to get on, but because I actually care about spending client money unnecessarily and because I was tired of sitting in randomness, I went on and got on, although I felt bad for calling the cab.  Well, I felt bad for calling the cab so late.  I should have called him after that first effin hour.  I roll my stuff outside, and the guy is like, “Are you the only one?”  I thought, “HELL YES, MOFO, EVERYONE ELSE IS AT HOME EATING OR AT THEIR HOTEL CHILLING!!!” But I responded, “Yeah.”  I guess the expression on my face wasn’t too pleasant so he looked at me through the rearview mirror and then avoided me until we arrived at the hotel.

So two hours after I landed, I’m finally sitting in my hotel room, wondering what to eat.  And wishing I had gotten here sooner so I could eat without missing my mickeyfickey Monday shows.  But whatever.  Happy Monday.

The Big Day!

The Big Day!

by tanjalap ♥ 2 Comments

So today was the big day – my first talk at an international research conference. I was excited, nervous, and sleepy all wrapped up into one! I’m thankful that my niece stayed up until after 12:30am (US time) to make sure that I was up by 6:30am (Berlin time) because I was having trouble getting out of the bed this morning! 🙂

The session began at 8am and my talk was scheduled for 9:30am. By the time the presenter right before me was up, I was giving myself my usual “you’re the expert…you’re the greatest….don’t panic….it’ll be over soon… you can do it….” speech. Lol. Then, the moment of truth – I heard them call my name followed by “Tanjala was awarded The Transplant Society Young Investigator Award/Travel Grant…” And then it was showtime.

Before I knew it I was up talking….things were going well – no fumbles, talking at an ok pace, no problems, halfway done…then my mouth got super dry!! Like super super dry! Lol. Part of my brain said “drink the water on the podium” but the OCD-part of my brain said “no you can’t drink the water…what if that is somebody else’s water…what if the lady forgot to change the glass!!?!?” So, I didn’t drink the water. But I finished up the talk with no fumbles, in spite of the dry mouth problem. Lol. Afterwards, people were congratulating me on the award and said that I did a great job. So yay! 🙂

I then attended another session where I recognized one of the experts from Harvard as a keynote speaker. I was sitting there listening and all of a sudden I heard the Harvard expert say “….these findings were similar to those presented in this morning’s 8am session by the Johns Hopkins study……” and I was thinking “dang I thought I was the only one presenting a study from Hopkins this morning…oh wait, THAT’S ME…HE’S QUOTING OUR STUDY…an Associate Professor at Harvard is quoting the talk I just gave 30 minutes ago!!!” After the session, I introduced myself to him and he responded “Oh, I know who you are…I enjoyed your talk this morning….you guys are doing some great work…..”

In my best Derwin Davis voice “Oh yeah, that’s what’s up!!” 🙂

Needless to say, my morning turned out to be a great one, and I’m glad the “business” part of my trip is over! Now I can relax and enjoy the remainder of my trip.

Tanjala’s First International Trip — Berlin!

Tanjala’s First International Trip — Berlin!

by tanjalap ♥ 1 Comment

In honor of my first international trip to Berlin, I am writing my first real blog post!  Anyone who knows me knows that this is a huge accomplishment. 🙂 So here is a recap of Days 1-3 of my trip!

I left for Berlin on Saturday at 5:30pm EST and arrived here on Sunday around 5:30pm (Berlin time). Initially, I was slightly nervous about flying over the ocean for such an extended period of time but all of my flights (leaving Baltimore, Atlanta, and Paris) went smoothly. Of course I slept the ENTIRE TIME on ALL THREE FLIGHTS! I woke up on the flight from Atl to Paris in time for breakfast (egg-cheese-biscuit-thing, juice, banana) and went right back to sleep, and I didn’t wake up at all on the first and third flights.

My layover in Paris was interesting – the Charles de Gaulle airport has a weird layout but just knowing that I was in Paris was definitely cool. I also got a stamp in my passport book! While in Paris, I also had a couple of “interesting” conversations with people who thought I spoke French and some other stuff. Lol. I eventually learned to speak back to people in MY LANGUAGE when others greeted me in their languages in order to avoid any confusion (i.e. to avoid having to say “I don’t understand” once they got too deep into the convo).  After my final flight, a French guy started having a convo with me in French. He eventually translated into English (after realizing I didn’t understand a word of what he said) “Oh, I said that I am jealous of you. You looked like you were getting some really good sleep.” Me: (slightly embarrassed) “Oh yeah, I was tired…” Lol.

Random thought: the people in Berlin are TALL. Lol, of course everybody is taller than I am but still..they are tall.

Back to the story – My luggage didn’t arrive in Berlin with me. Oh no! 😦 Surprisingly, I didn’t panic. Filled out the lost luggage info card and headed to my hotel on the Tegel Express Bus. My trip to the hotel was also a nice experience – and I’m glad I chose this instead of a taxi. My hotel is also nice, and I have internet access so I’m good.

Today was the first day of the conference, and I needed to register and take a copy of the powerpoint for my speech tomorrow morning. Did I mention that my luggage did NOT arrive?!?! Lol. So, what’s a girl to do? I not-so-proudly walked over to the conference center and registered/took my presentation wearing jeans/tshirt!! It seemed that nobody really even noticed, or maybe they just didn’t react to it. Lol. I was trying to hurry up and leave when I was stopped by a man attending the conference. I thought he was about to kick me out or something but he just wanted to have a convo with me. He thought I was someone he met in North Carolina, and he continued talking even after he figured out that I wasn’t the right person…

I was eventually able to get outta there and I located some local shops/clothing stores to avoid wearing these same funky jeans for my speech tomorrow. BUT my luggage finally arrived this afternoon! So, now (at 7:41pm) I just need to focus on preparing for my speech, etc.

In summary: a)I arrived safely in Berlin, b) I won’t be presenting in funky clothes tomorrow, and c) hopefully, the talk will be excellent! So, wish me luck!!

I’ll be back later to let you know how things go with the talk and to update you after I really start my sightseeing adventures!

Introducing International Traveler, tanjalap!

Introducing International Traveler, tanjalap!

by Ranada ♥ 1 Comment

Well, Tanjala, who has been like a little sister to me since she realized that I was just Ranada and not <insert my full name here> that she expected to meet when we met her at Starbucks way back when to discuss a website, is currently in Germany!!! This is her first international trip, and she was chosen to make a research presentation over there for a conference.  I’m super happy for and proud of her, and I can’t wait to read about her experiences as a guest blogger! 🙂

Highlights from the Highway

Highlights from the Highway

by Ranada ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Ok ok ok… I’m off the highway now and have been since Sunday night, but I liked that title. 🙂

I had a BLAST this weekend.  I saw so many people I haven’t seen in so long, and it was a good time just like the old days!  Friday night, we caught up in my high school’s cafeteria during our mix and mingle.  The highlight of the event was seeing Chad Royston, who was one of my fave people in the ACCENT (gifted) program in elementary.  We were also in orchestra and most of my accelerated classes together.  He still remembered being my 50s dance partner in 6th grade as we learned dances like swing.  And he showed me the Lindy Hop that he’s been learning recently in Texas, where he lives now!

Then, I bar hopped like the old days (but the old days for me was in college–I had never gone from place to place with them since I left early!).  We went to a Mexican restaurant for margaritas, a regular bar to meet up with other folks, and then to another lil place where one of us was hosting a party.  I got in at like 3, so I was beat!

Saturday… I slept in!!  And woke up to text messages about meeting up at Shoney’s that morning.  Oops!  That night, Rick escorted me to our class party, and there were even more people there.  We had over 400 people in our class.  So of course, because I hadn’t seen or talked to so many in so long, I forgot how many friends I had!  Mostly everyone still look the same and are doing very well!  Yay, class of ’99!  After that, Rick and I went to the 930 Blues Cafe and kept the good times rolling.  The okra was to die for, and of course the drinks and music were worth the while.

Overall, we had a really good turnout, and we definitely reconnected.  I’ll probably see my classmates way more often now.  We’re already thinking of doing something around Christmas.  🙂  Go Arrows!

Introducing…

Introducing…

by Ranada ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

…another guest blogger!  Well, my last guest blogger has now started her own blog!  Yay!  Welcome to the blogging addiction, Quail!

Y’all know how much I love traveling.  Well, a friend of mine will be studying abroad for about 3 weeks in South Africa.  Ivey, who I’ve known for almost 5 years now, is working on a Professional MBA at Georgia State, and this study abroad program will enhance her international business exposure.  They have a fun and really involved itinerary, so I’m definitely going to enjoy living through her vicariously!  And I hope you will too!

Back to Black

Back to Black

by Ranada ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Ok, so I disappeared.  I know, I know.  I used to be an avid blogger until I realized that my “friends” were relinquishing their friend duties and just attempting to keep up with me via my blog.  Then I realized people I discarded from my life were still in a semblance of the know because of my blog.  So I slapped a password on it and eventually stopped writing.  So I’m trying to start anew, keeping as many of my intimate thoughts within as possible.  But when I get to typing…

🙂  So much has happened since I got back from Europe.  And I know I still have stories to tell about that experience, so I plan to do flashbacks. 🙂  I just got back from a week-long trip to one of my fave cities in the States, D.C. I went for the coveted Centennial National Conference of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.  If I ever thought I had seen a sea of pink and green before last week, I was sorely mistaken!  At regional conferences and my first Leadership Conference, I had only seen lakes.  We absolutely took over the District of Columbia last week.  At about 23,000 ladies, you couldn’t turn your head without seeing some shade of pink or green or more likely, a combination.  I am so happy to be a member of the first greek-lettered organization for black women.  Celebrating 100 years, I was able to see sisters from my past and present, and I was able to meet really sweet sisters that hopefully I will bump into again.  My only personal regret was not getting to meet my pen pal of 4 years!!  In the same city, and we still haven’t seen each other.  She lives in Delaware, and except for 2 emails, we’ve never corresponded outside of good ole-fashioned snail mail. 🙂

Of course, as conferences go and as groups of more than 2 go, there were points of contention.  But overall, I enjoyed myself, and I can’t wait to attend another national conference.

To maximize my time in D.C. and to maximize the worth of my airline costs, I also represented Atlanta as I attended Mississippi on the Potomac, an annual fundraiser hosted by the Washington Metro chapter of Tougaloo Alumni.  As I did last year, I thoroughly enjoyed myself, fellowshipping with other alumni and friends of my beloved alma mater and helping out where I could.  It also gave me a burst of enthusiasm for my own chapter.  The new fiscal year has begun, and I have my eyes on making this, my second term as president, a memorable and successful one.  We will put Atlanta on the map this year!!

Well, I have much work to do.  Between my new job, school (yes, I’m in a class solely because I was interested in learning, not because I need the class to graduate, never thinking about the fact that I was adding to my already loaded plate), AKA, Tougaloo, and my upcoming housewarming party for which I’ve not begun preparing, I’m swamped.  But I’m going to try to share my thoughts and opinions and stories more often. 🙂  Oh, and if anyone is giving away cutesie pie puppies, your girl is in need of a companion.  Until next time…