My Ideal Destination: Well what hasn’t been done? I’m kind of a geek in the sense that I’m just as obsessed with following the rules (so to speak) as I am with breaking them. I hate religiously following the crowd when it comes to '"which country to go to next?", yet I appreciate the 411 on destinations, activities or locations to get the best food. I appreciate the regular pedicure however on many occasions I've lived without hot or cold water and consequently forgotten what my naked body looks like. I scrub up well but I'm still a bit rough around the edges; I’m a bit messed up. And thus my ideal travel destination would be somewhere that gives me a little bit of everything with a side of great shopping. When it comes to weather, I appreciate the golden brown tan however I loved my pilgrimages to work along the streets of Manhatten, New York in the January snow storms just as much as I liked sweating my braids off in the mists of the Beijing humidity. So whether I’m sporting two coats, a woolly hat and riding boots or a 2 piece: I want to learn something, I want to live something, I want to buy something but most importantly I want to change something. Having said that, my ideal destination would be Latin America, specifically Brazil; Rio De Janeiro and Manaus. I want to learn the Latin American culture, through the people’s attitude to life, lifestyle and natural surroundings. I want to experience the great weather and learn the arts, ecology/wildlife and the history of Brazilian fashion. I want to live the life of a Brazilian, even for just a day; whether that be by volunteering in a local school to organize a sporting tournament, or assisting in the clean up after yet another flood, sampling the local food or listening to the popular music. I love to shop, so my ideal destination will be overflowing with local markets, stalls, artists selling their works on the streets, family run retailers and locally sourced manufacturers. Finally I want to change something; I feel that there is no point leaving a place without leaving your own positive mark. If I’ve helped a young student improve their English or I’ve invested in the local community by buying a locally manufactured garment then I’ve got something to talk about to people back home. Brazil, specifically Rio and Manaus are my ideal travel destinations as I can accomplish all of those things and still get on to the beach for at least an hour every day.
