Are you craving travel? Let’s feed your restless soul with stories from around the globe. Women from different ages, races and backgrounds share their adventures and their focus on making travel a more inclusive and sustainable option for everyone. We get their favorite destinations and unforgettable mishaps. Not everything goes according to plan and you can guess that’s often where things get interesting. What drives them to travel so much? And how are they able to make it happen? These women aren’t wealthy or well connected. They get creative and they get gusty. Hosted by Jennifer John, a journalist and the founder of eco-friendly travelwear brand Pang Wangle. Our clothes repel insects so you can go far, bite-free. In each episode, we add cultural and historical context to bring the interviews and destinations to life. Plus, you’ll get real-world travel hacks you can use right away. Subscribe now and catch a new adventure the first Wednesday of every month. Wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and Amazon. Scratch that Travel Itch, because the more you explore, the more you find.
"Travel Saved Me" - Inspiration, Hacks and Funny Mishaps in the Making of a Travel Expert: Ashley Company
Tue, 01 Nov 2022 07:00:00 -0500
“I think the universe has a way of responding and if your intentions are ‘I want to explore. I want to connect to more of humanity,’ then I think the reward outweighs the risk.” -Ashley Company
Once upon a time Ashley Company was an inexperienced solo traveler exploring Latin America, where she bungee jumped on accident in Costa Rica, found herself with nowhere to stay one night in Nicaragua, and discovered an authentic African town in Colombia. Eventually Ashley made her way to Africa, where she now leads wildly popular travel excursions full of authentic interactions and purpose-driven fun. Listen in for laughs, inspiration and so many useful travel hacks.
Ashley Company is a social entrepreneur who's traveled more than half the world to 100+ countries. As an inspirational author and storyteller, she is known for delivering impactful talks about Black identity, Africa tourism, cultural competence, and women in leadership. Ashley is the founder of Jelani Travel and the non-profit Jelani gives, which curate life changing experiences for Black women and girls, and impact thousands of people across the globe through purpose driven travel.
Today on Travel Itch
[00:00] - Intro
[01:16] - ‘Travel saved me,” breaking a family cycle
[04:06] - Ashley finds out that to travel, she must first go alone
[09:48] - Ashley gets stuck in the rain at night in Nicaragua with no where to stay
[13:00] - Ashley bungee jumps on accident
[16:33] - Traveling Africa can be difficult, Ashley’s sets out to make it accessible
[19:32] - A Kenyan restaurant in North Carolina is her launch point to a new career
[23:14] - Ashley’s ideal Africa travel itinerary
[27:46] - Ashley’ shares 3 of her favorite travel hacks
[30:53] - Bringing to live her travel companies, Jelani Travel and Jelani Gives
[33:39] - What’s next for Ashley Company and her travel companies?
Ashley’s Quotable Moments
“I believe that when we change the way that we see Africa, we can change the way that we see ourselves.”
“I knew that there was more. Once you show somebody that there's something more out there, they have something more to fight for and to be motivated and inspired by. That is why I say travel changed me.”
“I was like, well, if I'm going to go do this by myself then I want to pick the friendliest place in the world. I literally Googled it and it said Costa Rica.”
“I found Afro Mexicans, Afro Peruvians, Afro Ecuadorians. Even though Black people were in all these places, Black Americans were not. I didn’t see one other person like me in all that time I traveled.”
“There are so many things you can do in order to travel without being rich because I've been to over half the world's countries and I'm not rich.”
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Episode Resources:
- Ashley Company | Shop travel books and merchandise
- Ashley Company | Jelani Travel
- Ashley Company | Jelani Gives
- Ashley Company | Instagram
- Ashley Company | Youtube
Pang Wangle Links
- Pang Wangle | Shop eco-friendly travel wear
- Pang Wangle | Instagram
- Pang Wangle | TikTok
Ashley + Pang Wangle in Africa!
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Trailer - Travel Itch, a Pang Wangle Podcast
Wed, 05 Oct 2022 02:15:00 -0500
One-minute Travel Itch podcast trailer from host Jennifer John. It's more than just interviews about travel. It's about discovery, because the more you explore, the more you find. Produced by outdoor travelwear brand Pang Wangle.