Meet Travelista, Nakeidra Devereaux! May 7, 2019 Briana Gregory Nakeidra is an alumna of Tuskegee University and a full time Travelista. Her career as a flight attendant has afforded her the opportunity to see the world. We had the pleasure of sitting down with her for our May Travelista Tuesday feature, check out her story below!
Lake Tahoe, NV
Sizije: Hi Nakeidra! Thank you so much for joining us as this month’s Travelista Tuesday feature. To start off, we want to know about your travel philosophy. Do you travel to see the world? Escape? Connect with those not like you?
Nakeidra: I enjoy the aspect of travel that forces you to live in the moment. I like to experience the local scene. There’s a freedom that travel gives that I really appreciate.
Sizije: That is a dope philosophy. What would you describe as the most insightful / life altering travel experience for you? Nakeidra: Working on the plane as a flight attendant has changed my mindset a lot. I used to take things so personal, for example if someone directed their anger toward me, but now I realize that you really never know what people are going through.
Bali, Indonesia Sizije: That is such a profound realization to accept. What do you usually look for in a new destination? In a travel companion? Where are you off to next? Nakeidra: I like to go where there’s good food/restaurants. I also appreciate opportunities for cultural immersion and seeing little kids and how they interact. In a travel companion, I like to go with people who are adventurous and free; people who can have an agenda, but not be super strict, and of course it’s just not fun to travel with anal/complaining/selfish people. I’m off to Dubai next, in June! Sizije: Good food and cultural immersion always make for a nice trip, and you summed up our travel companion description! What lessons have you learned from your travels that you have applied to your daily life? Nakeidra: Apart from becoming more empathetic and being more patient with people because you never know what they’re going through, I’ve also made it a point to always be aware of my surroundings especially when traveling somewhere I’ve never been.
Bali, Indonesia
Sizije: Those are both huge lessons. What’s been your most challenging trip and why?
Nakeidra: Tokyo was pretty challenging because I traveled with a person I wasn’t compatible with (the person was a little on the selfish side), and on top of that, my phone didn’t work. Tokyo also had the most language barriers because we stayed in the local area. The train was in Japanese, no one spoke English, and I didn’t have my phone to help translate.
Sizije: That trip sounds like a challenge indeed! What’s the best travel advice / tips that you have to offer?
Nakeidra: You see who a person really is when you travel with them. Make sure your passport does not expire in 6 months when you’re traveling internationally. Always travel with a pen, when traveling internationally, to fill out your customs information earlier. Be careful of other cultures and courtesy of their customs. Make sure you have a GPS on your phone, and an international plan.
Tokyo, Japan Sizije: Thank you so much for sharing that advice. Here at Sizije, we’re merging food and travel so we have to ask: what’s the best thing you’ve eaten during your travels? Nakeidra: In Tokyo, I had a dish called hot pot. You add meat and veggies, and the chef cooks in front of you. Sizije: Sounds delicious!! What has been your weirdest / most out of comfort zone travel experience? Nakeidra: I don’t recall a particularly weird of out of comfort zone experience, but again it’s so important to ALWAYS be aware of surroundings, both people, and places around you.
Paris, France Sizije: That’s so true. What’s been your favorite trip so far and why? Nakeidra: My favorite trip was Bali. It was a wonderful, relaxing experience. I completed every single thing that I wanted to do, I traveled with someone I was compatible with, I immersed myself in the culture and I went to a temple and had to dress in traditional attire. It was amazing. Sizije: Wow, that seems so incredible! Have you met many people on your travels that you keep in touch with? Nakeidra: Not really. I asked one lady to take a picture of me and we traveled together the whole day. I wish we would’ve stayed in touch, but unfortunately, we haven’t.
Bali, Indonesia Sizije: Well we have enjoyed reliving your travel experiences during this interview! Thank you so much for your time, advice, and for sharing with us.
Little French Key, Honduras
IG : __Keidraa
experiences during this interview! Thank you so much for your time, advice, and for sharing with us.