Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine October 2019 | Page 278

We really want to take trips
to places where there are
beautiful beaches, wonderful
people, and delicious food,
but we have no idea where
to start or how to start. The
whole idea of planning just
one trip can be overwhelming
and sometimes we give up
without having typed a word
into our keyboard to begin
that crucial vacation search.
And, the thought of being a
travelling girl or guy, always
seeking out new places to
go and actually going there,
although very pleasant, can
cause some trepidation – can
I really do this?
Many people have felt this
way, not knowing where to
go, where to stay, what to
eat, and a million questions
accompany those misgivings.
Is it safe? Do the locals in
the area like tourists? What
activities are there to do?
How much are the flights
going to cost? Well, luckily
for you, we came across the
perfect person to answer
these questions as it relates
to travel in the Caribbean
islands.
Riselle found herself in a
similar situation and decided
to do something about it.
Her blog, The Traveling
Island Girl, goes through
her many adventures in
the Caribbean, giving you
insights into all the amazing
things she continues to
experience, and provides
handy tips for travelers taking
the same journey. Like
many people today, as they
scroll through Instagram
and Facebook, seeing all
the places their friends are
jetting off to, Riselle felt like
she had not seen or done
many of the things she’d
wanted to do. She didn’t feel
accomplished and fulfilled
when it came to her travel
ambitions. So, at the age of
forty she took a leap of faith
and changed that. She didn’t
know exactly where she was
going to go or what she was
going to do, but what she did
know was that the Caribbean
islands and all its beautiful
beaches, amazing food, and
friendly people were on her
itinerary. And, armed with
that essential travel bug, her
adventures through the many
gorgeous islands began.
As she discusses in her blog,
travel can be expensive, so
she documents her process
of selecting her time of
travel, her departure airport,
and usually let the chips fall
where they may. In her blog,
you’ll find reviews of every
island she’s been to, the
activities you can do there,
and of course, pictures of her
entire journey. She even has
helpful articles about some of
the safest Caribbean places
to travel as a solo female
traveler. This specific article
can be a game changer
for women who would
otherwise put off traveling to
a Caribbean island until they
have someone to go with
them, which sometimes may
just be never!
As the travel-hesitant browse
Riselle’s blog while sitting on
that out-of-date office chair
in that grey cubicle, cursing
the fact that some people just
seem to have all the travel
fun, remember, sometimes
you’ve just got to throw
caution to the winds and live
your dream.
Here’s what Riselle shared
with Mélange:
M: What attracted you to
blogging and why a travel-
blog?
R: I was going through a
sort of life change when I
turned 40. I felt like I hadn’t
achieved much or traveled
to places I’ve always wanted
to visit. They say blogging is
a cheaper form of therapy
and they are absolutely right.
So, I started jotting down my
feelings, hopes and wishes
and it grew from there.
M: How do you decide on
your next destination?
R: Flying within the Caribbean
or from St. Maarten is
expensive. So, I search
sites like Google flights for
affordable flights leaving
from here. I decide on
the month or week I want
to travel, then I enter my
departure airport and I
leave the destination blank.
It’s like a game of roulette.
Whichever destination pops
up at a great price is what
I book. Of course, it has to
be somewhere I’ve always
wanted to visit or have never
visited before. As a Caribbean
blogger, my preference lies
with other Caribbean islands.
M: What would you say has
been your most memorable
travel experience to date?
R: I truly enjoy all my trips.
Even those where I saw or
experienced things that were
not that appealing. But I
must say that my visit to the
mountains of Puerto Rico has
been my most memorable
trip to date. So many people
visit the capital San Juan and
say they have visited Puerto
Rico but this Latin island is
so much more than just San
Juan. It truly is enchanted
if you ask me, and I am
irrevocably in love with this
island.
M: If you had a choice to
revisit one destination
repeatedly, which will it be
and why?
R: Again, hard to pick just
one. Puerto Rico for its
diversity, music, people, food
and rum but mainly for its
natural beauty. You can be
cascading down a waterfall
one moment and lying on
a beach the next. I yet have
to experience it all so I’ll
be returning time and time
again.
M: What would you
say provides the most
satisfaction to you on your
travels?
R: Whenever I travel by
myself, I consider it an
accomplishment. “Look Ma,
I just took the train into
Paris all by myself”. I guess
when you grow up with
very protective parents and
a mother who always told
you to be careful, it gives
me a sense of complete
accomplishment whenever
I do something out of my
comfort zone. Right now,
I am planning a two-week
solo trip to the US’ Pacific
Northwest, where I will be
visiting places like Portland,
Seattle and the Olympic
National Park by myself. My
family is losing their mind
with worry but I just cannot
wait to start this adventure.
M: What is your favorite
thing to do on St. Maarten?
On Curacao?
R: On St. Maarten, it would
be chilling on Grand Case
Beach or spending time with
my husband and 13 paw-
children. On Curaçao, I enjoy
spending time with my family
and exploring places I have
never been to before. I love
Curaçao’s nature. You can
hike, swim in caves, jump in
natural pools or snorkel with
turtles. There is so much to
see and do there and not to
mention that Curaçao is a
very Instagram-worthy island.
Riselle is originally from the
island of Curaçao, but now
lives on St. Maarten.
Alhough she tends to share
a lot of the Caribbean, she
loves travel in general and
go at least once a year to
somewhere outside of the
Caribbean.
Riselle,
The Traveling Island Girl
www.thetravelingislandgirl.com