Traveler of the Month
Ingrid Hawkins has been chosen as the Pink Sky Featured Traveler for the month of September. I connected with Ingrid as she is a member of my Facebook group, Pink Skies Dream Travel. She is an avid traveler!! She's traveled to some great destinations and her pictures are always so beautiful! She is a travel agent and will be launching her new agency, Passport and Wine Bottles very soon as well as her Facebook group (going by the same name) and Instagram account @passportandwinebottles, so be on the lookout for that! She will specialize in wine vacations and will provide information and education about traveling and wine tasting. I am excited for Ingrid and her new venture and I'm excited to have her as my first featured traveler for my blog!
Pink Sky Dreams: To date, what’s been your favorite travel destination? What about this destination make it your favorite?
Ingrid: This is a hard question to answer because every destination that I think is my favorite is a favorite for very different reasons. I LOVE Greece for the beaches, food and the people, I LOVE South Africa for the people, the mountains, beaches, wine and the history, I LOVE Cuba for the rawness, the humbleness of the people and how they really make you feel like family and of course the beaches. I love Jamaica well because Jamaica loves me….if any black woman has self-confidence or self-esteem issues I definitely recommend a trip to Jamaica….they LOVE black women and will definitely cater to you. But honestly, Jamaica was my very first international country so it will always have a special place in my heart. That’s why I’ve been NINE times!
Pink Sky Dreams: What do you love most about travel? What is your favorite thing about traveling?
Ingrid: My absolute favorite thing about traveling is relating to the locals. Just having casual conversations with them and getting to know them and hearing their perspectives on current events and philosophies. My second favorite thing about traveling is the cuisine and wine. I always ask a local where they go to eat so that I can get some authentic food. I find that there are things I can no longer eat as I’ve gotten older but when I travel and try those foods in other countries, I have absolutely no adverse reactions. And if I travel to place that has a wine region, you can believe I’m headed there! Wine Tasting while traveling has become a necessary activity.
Pink Sky Dreams: Name something positive you that you took away from your last travel adventure.
Ingrid: My last travel adventure was a sailing around Antigua on a 45ft catamaran for 7 days in July. I enjoy the reaction of local people when you tell them you are staying on a yacht! The locals are so amazed because they typically only see the Europeans come in on the chartered yachts. I like that I’m an inspiration to people who aren’t used to seeing black people doing what I do. Also, what I love about a sailing adventure is that there are no solid plans. This is huge for me because I’m a big planner and organizer but when I’m out on a sailboat in a foreign country, I am truly able to let things just happen without any solid planning. Anything can happen out there on the water and I’ve learned to just go with it.
Pink Sky Dreams: Tell me about your favorite vacation picture and why it’s your favorite.
Ingrid: First of all, I don’t know if I can pick just ONE favorite vacation picture!! I like the pictures of me being totally free and happy in my element. And when my friends are able to come along, those pictures are true classics. I go through my vacation pictures almost daily. I love the memories and it gets me through my day when stress levels elevate. My pictures keep me focused on my passion and drive me to create my own brand as an authority on travel and wine.
Pink Sky Dreams: Which destination is currently at the top of your travel bucket list? What intrigues you about this destination?
Ingrid: The top of my bucket list keeps changing the more I research or look at other people’s photos or vacation recaps online. I’m intrigued by Cartagena/Medellin, Colombia, Kenya and Ghana, Japan, Thailand and Alaska. These places trade off first place regularly. This week I think Japan is at the top. I’m intrigued by the rituals and culture and I’d love to see first hand how technologically advanced they are versus the US. Kenya and Ghana have been on my list for years!
Here are a few pictures of Ingrid's travels!
Zanzibar
Key West
Bahamas
Trinidad Carnival
Cuba
Thank you, Ingrid for allowing me to feature you in my blog! I hope you have much success in your new business venture!
Thank you all for your continued support!
Keep up with me on social media!
FaceBook business page: Pink Sky Dreams
FaceBook group: Pink Skies Dream Travel
Instagram: @pinkskiesdreamtravel
Amy Hill- Travel Enthusiast and owner of Pink Sky Dreams, LLC
