Episode 18:  15 Things You Should Do Before You Travel

Episode 18: 15 Things You Should Do Before You Travel

Podcast
  So, you’ve decided you want to travel. You’re almost certain nothing will go wrong - after all, you’ve never had a problem travelling before. You get to the check-in gate at the airport, and you can’t find your passport, or you get to your holiday resort only to find that it definitely isn’t that 5-star luxury and comfort you saw in the photos. Avoid the stress, uncertainty, and possible disappointments by having a to-do list. Don’t know what to put on that list? In this episode, you’ll learn the 15 things that you should be doing before you even leave your house to go on that vacation. Here are the things that should be on everyone’s list: [02:43] Get a folder for all your travel documentsThis is the first…
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Episode 15:  Travel Talk with Ray Blakney

Episode 15: Travel Talk with Ray Blakney

Podcast
  In episode 15 of the Erica James Travel Show, I am sitting down with Ray Blakney to talk about his travel life and journey. Ray was born in Cebu City, Philippines. He was raised in Instanbul, Turkey until he was 15 years old and then moved to the United States to finish high school and attend college. He later joined the Peace Corp, where he met his wife and now lives in Mexico. With living in a few countries throughout his life plus his travel journey, Ray definitely has some interesting travel stories to tell. [4:21] Ray discusses why he joined the Peace Corp and what is the Peace Corp. [6:34] With so many family members living around the globe, Ray shares the locations of his well rounded family.…
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Episode 14:  Why Visit Jamaica

Episode 14: Why Visit Jamaica

Podcast
  Looking for a destination that has great beaches, amazing food and low-key vibe? How about Jamaica? That’s right, the beautiful Caribbean island is a whole vibe that you are sure to find yourself having one love for. This episode is all about Jamaica- an ultimate guide from a trusted source of information about traveling to Jamaica. Tamara Christie - Johnson is with the Jamaica Tourist Board. Tamara is a Business Development Manager with the Jamaica Tourist Board where they promote Jamaica and work with individuals who are within the travel industry, media, festivals, and more. They spread information about traveling to Jamaica for weddings, vacations, honeymoons, and so much more. Here’s a snippet of the information on COVID-19 pandemic travel guidelines that you’ll find at visitjamaica.com: Jamaica is paradise…
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Episode 13:  Travel Talk with Joey Held

Episode 13: Travel Talk with Joey Held

Podcast
  In this episode of the Erica James Travel Show, I am talking to Joey Held. Joey is a writer and podcast host based in Austin, TX. He is the host of two podcast---the Good People, Cool Things and Parks n Wrecked podcasts. Joey Held also runs the food blog Phat Phoodies, and is the creator of Crisp Bounce Pass, a newsletter exploring the intersection of basketball and pop culture. When he’s not working on a story or podcasting, Joey enjoys playing with his band Burning Years, traveling to new cities, and spending time with his two pups. They truly do give the best cuddles.   Today's episode, I am diving into Joey's travel journey, his past vacations, and some of his current travel goals. Instagram: https://instagram.com/phat_phoodies Twitter: https://twitter.com/josephcurrency LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/joeyheld/…
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Episode 12:  Travel Tips I Learned from Watching Seinfeld

Episode 12: Travel Tips I Learned from Watching Seinfeld

Podcast
  Still a shock to me how I went from one to twelve episodes without mentioning the sitcom Seinfeld. I am so excited about Episode #12 of The Erica James Travel Show, as I reveal 19 tips I learned from watching Seinfeld. So let's have some fun going over the 19 best travel tips that I learned from watching my FAVORITE show of all time, Seinfeld. Tip 1: Trips are relationship killers! Be careful how soon you travel with someone who you are dating. It could change the dynamics of your relationship. It can be good or bad. Jerry’s girlfriend didn’t like the resort. It was raining and they ran out of things to talk. She even thought he was being cheap. “Trips can be relationship killers”. Have a listen…
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Episode 11:  Travel Talk with SARAH Greaves-Gabbadon

Episode 11: Travel Talk with SARAH Greaves-Gabbadon

Podcast
  In this episode 11, I am talking to the self-described "Carivangelist" Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon, better known as JetSetSarah. Sarah will share just how much the Caribbean Islands have to offer and why she loves it so much. Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon has been featured on Forbes as one of the 15 Black Travel Writers To Read Now. She has a background in travel and tourism and is a self-described Carivangelist meaning she wants to spread the gospel and diversity of the Caribbean.  Her travels were only family-related as a child going back and forth between Jamaica, Barbados, and England which is why she’s passionate about the Caribbean. JetSetSarah has all the wealth of information that you need for your future travel plans to the Caribbean while keeping safe from COVID-19. Here’s just…
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Episode 9:  Travel Talk with Leonard Bean

Episode 9: Travel Talk with Leonard Bean

Podcast
  Are you friends, on social media, with people who are always traveling, they never seem to be home, they are out living their best life and exploring the world? You know those kind of people, right? We all follow, at least, one person like that! I don't know about you, but I love following people like that! I love hearing about people's travels and being inspired by them to travel to new places. In today's episode, we're going to talk to Leonard Bean who has a love and a passion for travel. He will share how his passion for travel was sparked, the many places he has been and how he is pivoting during this pandemic to feed his travel needs. Instagram: @leonard_bean Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple…
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IS FEAR HOLDING YOU BACK?

IS FEAR HOLDING YOU BACK?

Blog, EJtheTravelDiva Blog, Travel Learning Lessons
Just recently, in March 2020, I took a weekend trip to New York City to attend a conference called the Women’s Travel Fest. Leading up to this weekend were reports of the first confirmed Coronavirus cases in the United States. I had several reasons not to attend – Coronavirus was just beginning to spread, I had never attended this conference before, I didn’t know anyone else attending, and I had no one in my inner circle that would be interested in this event.  I kept going back and forth on whether I would go or not.  Finally, I told myself if I can use my travel points for a free weekend in New York, then I should attend.  https://www.instagram.com/p/B9ewWvAlU3f/ Everything worked out well with redeeming my travel points, and I…
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Benefits of Using a Travel Agency

Benefits of Using a Travel Agency

Blog, EJtheTravelDiva Blog, Travel Tips
There are so many benefits of using a travel agency. Have you ever heard of "net lag" or "scroll fatigue"? Perhaps you have experienced this many times while spending countless hours searching the internet looking for information to assist you when planning your upcoming vacation. Hotels.com recently did some research and discovered that travelers are spending countless hours researching their vacation and they find this process to be extremely stressful. So why stress yourself out and spend countless hours planning your vacation when you can have a travel agent do it for you?  Don't risk having net lag or scroll fatigue when you can quickly and easily reach out to a travel agent.  Here are 6 benefits of using a travel agent for your next trip: More bang for your…
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