“DON’T LET THE IMAGES IN THE MEDIA, OR LACK OF, FOOL YOU. DON’T BE AFRAID TO BE BLACK, DON’T BE AFRAID TO BE WOMAN.”
I’VE BECOME SO USED TO BEING THE ONE ASKING THE QUESTIONS BUT THIS WEEK I HAD THE PLEASURE OF ANSWERING THEM. I HAVE ALWAYS FOUND INTERVIEWS TO BE AWKWARD (I KNOW, ISN’T THAT A BIT HYPOCRITICAL?). TELLING OTHER PEOPLE’S STORIES ALWAYS SEEMED TO COME TO ME WITH EASE. BUT WHEN KAMARIN CHAMBERS, A VERY TALENTED WRITER AND THE FOUNDER OF WHERE’S SHE GOING?, ASKED ME TO BE FEATURED FOR HER KEEP SHINING SERIES, HOW COULD I SAY NO?
GOING THROUGH THE INTERVIEW HAD ME DOING A LOT OF REMINISCING AND REFLECTING. SO MUCH HAS CHANGED SINCE MY FIRST SOLO TRIP ABROAD FIVE YEARS AGO. I LIKE TO THINK THAT I HAVE GROWN, THAT I AM A BETTER VERSION OF MY PAST SELF. I HAVE LEARNT SO MUCH ABOUT MYSELF AND THE WORLD AROUND ME, YET STILL HAVE SO MUCH MORE TO LEARN. I HAVE GONE THROUGH FRIENDS AND BOYFRIENDS, SELF-HATE AND SELF-LOVE, HAD CHANCES AND LOST OPPORTUNITIES. AND I WOULDN’T HAVE CHANGED ANYTHING FOR THE WORLD.
HERE ARE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE INTERVIEW. YOU CAN READ THE REST OF THE INTERVIEW ON WHERE’S SHE GOING HERE.
WHO IS ALEXXA WALKER?
GOOD QUESTION, I ASK MYSELF THAT EVERYDAY! I’D SAY ALEXXA WALKER IS FLUID, SHE IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING – HER MIND, HER LOCATION, HER IDEAS, HER LIFESTYLE – AMONG MANY OTHER THINGS. SHE CONTRADICTS HERSELF, BUT DON’T WE ALL? SHE IS A LOVER OF LEARNING NEW THINGS, OF SILENCE AND SOLITUDE, OF ART AND TRAVEL, AND CURRENTLY WORKING ON MASTERING THE ART OF TRAVEL.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME A TRAVEL BLOGGER?
I’VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT BLOGGING OR WRITING FOR YEARS. I BLOGGED FOR A COUPLE YEARS PRIOR TO THIS FOR A MONTREAL BASED BLOG, SO IT WASN’T ALL THAT NEW TO ME. I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED JOURNALISM. I HAD ACTUALLY APPLIED FOR MY UNIVERSITY’S JOURNALISM PROGRAM TWICE, AND BOTH TIMES GOT REJECTED. IT IS QUITE COMPETITIVE (I SWEAR, I’M NOT JUST A BAD WRITER). SO THAT’S ACTUALLY HOW I GOT INTO COMMUNICATION STUDIES AND WAS INTRODUCED TO VIDEOGRAPHY AND PHOTOGRAPHY.
SINCE MY FIRST REAL TRIP ABROAD FIVE YEARS AGO, I HAVE BEEN HAVING TRAVEL. IT HAS BEEN A GREAT FORM OF SELF-EXPLORATION, MEDITATION, DISCOVERY AND OF COURSE, INDULGENCE. IN ESSENCE, RAW TRVL WAS CONCEIVED BY COMBINING TWO THINGS THAT I WAS REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT: WRITING AND TRAVEL.
I REALLY JUST WANTED TO SHARE DIFFERENT VIEWS AND REALITIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT YOURSELF AS AN EXPAT LIVING IN ZANZIBAR?
I HAVE LEARNT TO BE MORE OPEN AND PATIENT. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN BOTH BUT I THINK WHILE LIVING HERE I’VE GROWN IN BOTH WAYS TO A DIFFERENT EXTENT. THE CULTURE HERE HAS MANY CONTRASTS TO THAT FROM MONTREAL, BUT ONCE YOU STAY AROUND AND LOOK A BIT DEEPER, YOU START SEEING THE SIMILARITIES.
ONE OF THE LARGER DIFFERENCES THOUGH IS TIME. IN MONTREAL, WE ARE VERY TIME ORIENTED. YOU HAVE CLASS AT EIGHT, HAVE A FIFTEEN MINUTE BREAK AT QUARTER TO TEN, HAVE A MEETING AT ONE, A CONFERENCE AT TWO… BEING ORGANIZED AND SCHEDULING HAS BECOME SO ENGRAINED IN OUR SOCIETY. ON THE OTHER HAND, HERE IN ZANZIBAR, YOU CAN PLAN A MEETING FOR TUESDAY AND ONLY HAVE IT ON FRIDAY. FOOD CAN BE SERVED BETWEEN HALF AN HOUR TO TWO HOURS AFTER ORDERING. SOMEONE CAN SHOW UP TO WORK TWO HOURS LATE, OR JUST NOT AT ALL, WITHOUT SAYING A WORD. IT HAS TAKEN TIME FOR ME TO ADJUST, AND I’M STILL ADJUSTING, BUT I’M LEARNING TO TAKE MY TIME, TO ENJOY MOMENTS WITHOUT RUNNING BY THE CLOCK, TO LET THINGS HAPPEN.
IF YOU COULD GIVE ADVICE TO YOUR YOUNGER SELF, WHAT WOULD IT BE AND WHY?
DON’T LET THE IMAGES IN THE MEDIA, OR LACK OF, FOOL YOU. DON’T BE AFRAID TO BE BLACK, DON’T BE AFRAID TO BE WOMAN. READ BOOKS WITH BLACK HEROINES, READ BLACK AUTHORS.
GROWING UP, I SAW ABSOLUTELY NONE OF THIS. MY MOM WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT I KNEW THAT READ NOVELS WITH MINORITIES AT THEIR CENTER, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, THE ONLY PERSON OF COLOUR THAT I SAW IN THE MEDIA WAS JASMINE FROM ALADDIN. THAT WAS THE ONLY PRINCESS I COULD BE, THE ONLY VISUAL CHARACTER I COULD RELATE TO (AND I’M NOT EVEN INDIAN). ONLY IN RECENT YEARS, AFTER STUDYING MEDIA, GENDER AND FEMINIST STUDIES, HAVE I REALLY UNDERSTOOD THE HARM IN NOT SEEING YOURSELF IN WHAT YOU READ OR WATCH, IN THE ABSENCE OF SEEING YOURSELF IN MEDIA. I ALWAYS FELT SUCH A DISCONNECT FROM THESE CHARACTERS AND STORIES, BUT THIS WAS SOMETHING I THOUGHT TO BE NORMAL. IT IS ONLY RECENTLY THAT I HAVE REALLY GROWN TO ACCEPT AND LOVE MYSELF WHOLLY, WHICH I ALSO DISCUSSED IN ONE OF MY POSTS. TRAVEL HAS ALSO HELPED ME WITH THAT. THIS IS ALSO WHY I TRY FEATURING ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF WOMEN IN MY WORK BECAUSE GIRLS OF ANY COLOUR SHOULD KNOW THAT THEY CAN TRAVEL, THEY CAN BE HEROINES, THEY CAN BE BOSSES. THAT THEY DON’T HAVE TO BE DAMSELS, BUT CAN BE QUEENS.
WHAT DOES THE PHRASE “KEEP SHINING” MEAN TO YOU?
TO ME, “KEEP SHINING” MEANS KEEP DOING YOU. KEEP LEARNING, KEEP MAKING MISTAKES. KEEP GROWING AND DANCING AND LOSING YOURSELF AND THEN FINDING IT. I MEAN IF YOU’RE ALREADY SHINING, WHY DO DIFFERENTLY?
CHECK OUT THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE.
ALL PHOTOS CREDITED TO RAW TRVL UNLESS OTHER WISE INDICATED. COVER PHOTO SHOT BY MEGAN SCHMIDT.
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1 Comment on "ALEXXA WALKER: WHAT I’VE LEARNT FROM TRAVELING"
Love this interview, and you look so beautiful and powerful in the photos! I think it’s fantastic the way you are setting an example for other girls, especially girls of color who traditionally have been lacking that representation as you said. Thank you for being a queen and championing other women and sharing your story!