From Broadway to Blaxit: How Desiree Parkman Is Redefining Wellness Travel for Women Through Route & Align

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER_01]: Welcome to Black Expat Stories, the show where we dive deep into the experiences of Black people across the diaspora

[00:00:05] [SPEAKER_01]: who have boldly decided to immigrate abroad in search of a better life.

[00:00:09] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm your host Courtney Bowden and I'm a Black American writer who also took the leap of faith and moved overseas.

[00:00:15] [SPEAKER_01]: Coming to you from my home in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, I'm taking you on a virtual voyage

[00:00:20] [SPEAKER_01]: to meet an extraordinary woman who's redefining wellness and travel.

[00:00:24] [SPEAKER_01]: My guest is Desiree Parkman, a former Radio City rockhead and Broadway performer

[00:00:28] [SPEAKER_01]: who traded the spotlight for a nomadic life of travel, movement and culture.

[00:00:33] [SPEAKER_01]: As the founder of Route in Align, Desiree is on a mission to prove that self-care can be a powerful,

[00:00:39] [SPEAKER_01]: purposeful journey. In this episode, we'll explore Desiree's fascinating journey from the stage

[00:00:44] [SPEAKER_01]: to the world stage. We'll talk about what inspired her to start Route in Align

[00:00:48] [SPEAKER_01]: and discover how she's building a community through curated travel experiences that blend

[00:00:53] [SPEAKER_01]: movement, self-care and personal growth. Whether you're curious about nomadic

[00:00:57] [SPEAKER_01]: living, seeking inspiration for your next chapter or simply love stories of bold

[00:01:02] [SPEAKER_01]: reinvention, this expats journey will captivate you. Here's my conversation with Desiree.

[00:01:14] [SPEAKER_01]: Hey Desiree, welcome to the show. How you doing?

[00:01:16] [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you. I'm great. Hey Courtney, I'm doing well. How about yourself?

[00:01:20] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm doing very well and I've been anticipating this conversation for a while now.

[00:01:24] [SPEAKER_01]: I know that we've had to sort of reschedule a couple of times but I'm so happy

[00:01:29] [SPEAKER_01]: that we're able to connect. I often like to start off these conversations by asking my guests where

[00:01:35] [SPEAKER_01]: they come from and what life was like in the States before you made the decision to move abroad.

[00:01:43] [SPEAKER_00]: Sure. Thanks for having me. I also have been looking forward to this.

[00:01:48] [SPEAKER_00]: So, hey everyone. I'm originally from a small town outside of Boston called Randolph, Massachusetts.

[00:01:54] [SPEAKER_00]: That's where I pretty much grew up in the States. I've moved around a lot. I trained as

[00:01:58] [SPEAKER_00]: a dancer. So, as I got older, I moved to New York, spent about a decade and a half there

[00:02:05] [SPEAKER_00]: dancing on Broadway. I also was a Radio City Rockette. And then I moved to LA, rinse and repeat.

[00:02:11] [SPEAKER_00]: Anyone that's an artist knows that you kind of just follow that route of where the art is

[00:02:16] [SPEAKER_00]: and where you want to work. I started transitioning to doing management,

[00:02:21] [SPEAKER_00]: agent like working for an agency. I didn't love that. I think if I was going to do

[00:02:25] [SPEAKER_00]: anything like that, it would be more management-based because I really like to be more part of the

[00:02:29] [SPEAKER_00]: development. And agents just want you to book jobs. That's it. So, I just wanted to be a little

[00:02:34] [SPEAKER_00]: bit more hands-on. I guess right before I moved out of the country, I was in Miami. So, before

[00:02:40] [SPEAKER_00]: I left, I had moved into doing event management. So, I feel like everything that I've always

[00:02:46] [SPEAKER_00]: done is still in movement and production. So, I was doing events for nightclubs,

[00:02:54] [SPEAKER_00]: restaurants, like booking large parties, dining, booking bands, creating poetry nights. We would do

[00:03:00] [SPEAKER_00]: like soul sessions, Motown reviews. Like, you know, I'm a show girl. So, I'm always trying to put on a

[00:03:05] [SPEAKER_00]: show somewhere. I'm like, don't you want to do this show? Whatever. So, and that was great.

[00:03:09] [SPEAKER_00]: I actually really loved being in Florida and being in Miami. I think that I didn't

[00:03:14] [SPEAKER_00]: really have any particular like beef with the United States. Like it's always been fine for me.

[00:03:20] [SPEAKER_00]: I was able to do the things that I wanted to do there, which was be a performer and kind of just

[00:03:26] [SPEAKER_00]: live out my dreams. You know, I wasn't really like stuck in a job that I hated or anything like that.

[00:03:31] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm free and I don't have kids. I'm not married. So, it's pretty easy for me to move around.

[00:03:37] [SPEAKER_00]: I think that I always wanted to live abroad. I've done a few tours that took me out of the

[00:03:44] [SPEAKER_00]: country and gave me a glimpse of what it looked like to be in Europe, to go to Asia and things

[00:03:50] [SPEAKER_00]: like that. And I think I just always felt that it's borderless, you know, and that we should

[00:03:56] [SPEAKER_00]: experience life outside of our own country, you know? And I think also as a mover, as a dancer

[00:04:04] [SPEAKER_00]: and really like historian that it was part of my duty to let go and see like how other people

[00:04:10] [SPEAKER_01]: move, you know? Yeah. That's really interesting that you talk about, you know, how you were able to just

[00:04:17] [SPEAKER_01]: realize your dreams but at the same time recognize that the world was so much bigger than the United

[00:04:23] [SPEAKER_01]: States. And sometimes when I talk to people they talk about how they've always kind of wanted

[00:04:31] [SPEAKER_01]: to explore what it was like, what it's like outside the US and traveling is just that's

[00:04:38] [SPEAKER_01]: one reason why I'm such a proponent of traveling because it really exposes you to so much more.

[00:04:47] [SPEAKER_01]: So, when you decided to leave the US what really motivated that? You were, you know, like you said,

[00:04:52] [SPEAKER_01]: you realized your dreams and you wanted to see the rest of the world. What motivated that and

[00:04:59] [SPEAKER_00]: where did you go first? The motivation, I think, okay, so it was 2020. So, if we go back,

[00:05:06] [SPEAKER_00]: we know 2020 was the year that COVID came into our lives, but I already had on my vision board

[00:05:12] [SPEAKER_00]: that I was going to leave that year just picked it like I was just going to travel. So, I think

[00:05:17] [SPEAKER_00]: I had it for like October and I had four places. I think it was like Costa Rica, Panama

[00:05:23] [SPEAKER_00]: and Guatemala maybe just those three. COVID hit like in March, like right around my birthday

[00:05:28] [SPEAKER_00]: and everything was shut down and I just kind of did a remix because those places you were

[00:05:35] [SPEAKER_00]: able to actually get into. So, I picked Mexico because I had been to Mexico quite a lot. I worked

[00:05:42] [SPEAKER_00]: on a cruise ship before as a dancer so we went to Playa del Carmen a lot, Cozumel, all of that.

[00:05:48] [SPEAKER_00]: And although I didn't, I wasn't like living there, I was there like every other week and

[00:05:53] [SPEAKER_00]: I thought it would be a soft landing. There was a lot of movement going on there like online.

[00:05:59] [SPEAKER_00]: You could see a lot of people were moving there and I just figured like why not let's just do it.

[00:06:04] [SPEAKER_00]: So, for me there wasn't the motivation was like I decided I was going to do it and I just did it.

[00:06:09] [SPEAKER_00]: It was already a plan of mine. I didn't really like have any, I didn't really have a plan other

[00:06:15] [SPEAKER_00]: than that I knew I wanted to leave you know in the meantime I had done my yoga certification

[00:06:22] [SPEAKER_00]: and I started my business route in a line. So, in between March and October I was building

[00:06:29] [SPEAKER_00]: that business and I was doing all kinds of like online yoga classes and like you know really building

[00:06:34] [SPEAKER_00]: a community around movement. So, I just like took that and left you know so that's the first thing.

[00:06:41] [SPEAKER_00]: I ended up in Playa del Carmen so I did like a month there just checking it out to see if I wanted

[00:06:47] [SPEAKER_00]: to be there and I went to Tulum. I think like after a few days in Tulum I already knew that

[00:06:52] [SPEAKER_00]: that wasn't where I was going to move and that Playa was going to be the place. And

[00:06:57] [SPEAKER_00]: mostly because Tulum is so far out like you can't really walk all around there you know like you're

[00:07:03] [SPEAKER_00]: kind of just either going to be on the beach or in the central area. What I love about Playa is that

[00:07:08] [SPEAKER_00]: you can do both like you can be walking all around and you can go to the beach and you

[00:07:12] [SPEAKER_00]: can hit all the things that you need to hit pretty much it's a little bit more contained

[00:07:16] [SPEAKER_00]: you know and I think I felt a little bit more community in Playa as well. So, that's it

[00:07:23] [SPEAKER_01]: like you know no big thing I just jumped and did it. Yeah, yeah and so when you start off in Playa

[00:07:34] [SPEAKER_01]: what were some of your first impressions of this place and what made you say okay I think that

[00:07:42] [SPEAKER_01]: I can make this home? I know you mentioned the community what what were some of the other

[00:07:46] [SPEAKER_00]: things that drew you here? There was a little familiarity but when I first came in I think

[00:07:53] [SPEAKER_00]: I went to Isla Mujeres which is like a little like right off of Cancun and immediately like when I

[00:08:01] [SPEAKER_00]: took the ferry I think I laid my phone down and I left it there and when I got off the ferry

[00:08:06] [SPEAKER_00]: somebody tapped me and they said hey you left your phone. So like that was one thing because

[00:08:11] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm like yo like I just kind of like moved to a new country and I could have just been without

[00:08:16] [SPEAKER_00]: my phone and that would have just been like horrible right like that would have been a

[00:08:19] [SPEAKER_00]: really bad first impression of you know just an experience. So that just was like wow like

[00:08:25] [SPEAKER_00]: there's an angel watching over me and like you know fine and then I think that weekend it was a

[00:08:30] [SPEAKER_00]: hurricane it was October so there was a hurricane that weekend and the hotel that I stayed at

[00:08:36] [SPEAKER_00]: they were just so dope like every it wasn't it didn't hit that bad but it was raining

[00:08:41] [SPEAKER_00]: and it was windy and we were like right on the beach but they fed us they served up drinks

[00:08:46] [SPEAKER_00]: I was hanging out like just with the workers and stuff and you know like there wasn't really

[00:08:52] [SPEAKER_00]: anything to do except for just be there and I think I just felt like okay this is really cool

[00:08:59] [SPEAKER_00]: like I felt really taken care of and so that was kind of like the first moment and then when I got

[00:09:04] [SPEAKER_00]: over to Playa I feel like there was like another hurricane that came like a couple of weeks after

[00:09:09] [SPEAKER_00]: that and I was staying at I was at Selena hotel same thing but everything was really cool like

[00:09:17] [SPEAKER_00]: they had a generator like it just didn't feel like I didn't feel unsafe so I think that those first

[00:09:23] [SPEAKER_00]: impressions it's kind of like the worst things that could happen happen like those first couple

[00:09:27] [SPEAKER_00]: of weeks I think very early on I met like a couple of women that I really got into flow with

[00:09:34] [SPEAKER_00]: and I'm still friends with them to that to this day so that made it really easy yeah I mean I think

[00:09:40] [SPEAKER_00]: it's just for me it's just really kind of like a feeling about a place the things that were happening

[00:09:45] [SPEAKER_00]: you know things came they seem to come and flow pretty easily like finding a place to stay

[00:09:51] [SPEAKER_00]: you know like I found a really cool realtor that found like a really great apartment and coming

[00:09:57] [SPEAKER_00]: from Miami you know I had like a really small studio that was downtown but it was super expensive and so

[00:10:04] [SPEAKER_00]: I got this really beautiful like huge one-bedroom apartment that was just full of light it was the

[00:10:10] [SPEAKER_00]: perfect place to be starting an online fitness wellness business you know so I started to do

[00:10:16] [SPEAKER_00]: all my work in the house able to create like really good videos there have people come over

[00:10:22] [SPEAKER_00]: to the house like it was great you know and I mean that was still in the early days you know when

[00:10:27] [SPEAKER_00]: COVID was going on so there wasn't like a lot of things that we could just be out doing so having

[00:10:32] [SPEAKER_00]: this really beautiful space to I guess you know land it was great you know and I just kept on

[00:10:39] [SPEAKER_00]: pushing from there and I stayed I'm pretty much I stayed in that apartment for like six months

[00:10:44] [SPEAKER_01]: that's amazing so you mentioned throughout the course of your career you traveled

[00:10:50] [SPEAKER_01]: and I'm wondering how did your friends and family respond to your decision to ultimately

[00:10:57] [SPEAKER_01]: move abroad were they surprised were no or did they kind of see this coming

[00:11:02] [SPEAKER_00]: yeah I think I mean I didn't really like always announce like oh yeah I'm gonna move abroad

[00:11:07] [SPEAKER_00]: you know it was just something that I knew eventually would happen but at this point

[00:11:12] [SPEAKER_00]: my family and friends this has always been me I mean I've been dancing my whole life and I

[00:11:17] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm actually 51 years old so like for the most part of my life people have always known me dancing

[00:11:22] [SPEAKER_00]: and going away somewhere so it wasn't like you know they don't know where I am most of the time

[00:11:27] [SPEAKER_00]: so it wasn't like a big deal I think most people just want to make sure that I'm safe

[00:11:31] [SPEAKER_00]: you know where am I going what am I doing you know but again if you have any artist friends

[00:11:37] [SPEAKER_00]: they don't always know what they're doing or like what's going on you know like they're

[00:11:42] [SPEAKER_00]: just making it up as they go along because their main thing is their art so like if they're not

[00:11:48] [SPEAKER_00]: getting booked as a dancer singer or whatever it is they're doing they're probably just doing some

[00:11:52] [SPEAKER_00]: other thing to make money like reception or virtual assistant or something like that you know so

[00:11:57] [SPEAKER_00]: yeah so I didn't really get any pushback at all because this is just what I've always been doing

[00:12:02] [SPEAKER_01]: it's just in another country so yeah yeah this was a part of essentially your personality anyway

[00:12:08] [SPEAKER_00]: Playa Del Carmen just felt like a good place to start you know everything was there that I needed

[00:12:13] [SPEAKER_00]: I was close to everything close to the beach I had a really beautiful apartment that allowed

[00:12:20] [SPEAKER_00]: me to start my business and that's really all you need I mean at the time we were still heavy

[00:12:25] [SPEAKER_00]: into COVID so I think everybody was just looking for a place that felt safe and but at the same

[00:12:31] [SPEAKER_00]: time even though we were in the midst of a crisis you know you can still build and try to

[00:12:38] [SPEAKER_00]: create something a different life for yourself at any moment you know whether there's a crisis

[00:12:42] [SPEAKER_00]: going on or not so I just kind of leaned into that I'm really glad you leaned into it because you

[00:12:48] [SPEAKER_01]: mentioned your travel and wellness company route in a line and I want to get into that because

[00:12:54] [SPEAKER_01]: this season we are talking about spaces the spaces that black x-pads and immigrants create

[00:13:01] [SPEAKER_01]: wherever we land and you curate incredible travel experiences that integrate wellness and so before

[00:13:10] [SPEAKER_01]: we get into route in a line I want to understand how has leaving the US and living abroad influenced

[00:13:17] [SPEAKER_01]: your wellness journey and influence ultimately how you decided to run your company route in a line

[00:13:25] [SPEAKER_00]: I've thought about this a lot as I started to transition from really where my whole life was

[00:13:32] [SPEAKER_00]: involved in like entertainment to a certain extent I think that there's always clues that you leave

[00:13:39] [SPEAKER_00]: yourself on maybe where you're going to go in the future so when I was in LA which was in the

[00:13:46] [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know 2010 11 or something like that I went to massage school I really wanted to go

[00:13:52] [SPEAKER_00]: to massage school like it was something that I just felt like I wanted to do it also still is

[00:13:57] [SPEAKER_00]: movement you know you're moving energy around and I remember at the time I was dating a guy

[00:14:03] [SPEAKER_00]: and he did not want me to go to massage school because you know he had this like weird ideological

[00:14:10] [SPEAKER_00]: about it and I'm like okay so like right off the bat I'm just you know gonna be out here

[00:14:15] [SPEAKER_00]: giving crazy massages no and you know what I'm talking about so I was like you know what

[00:14:21] [SPEAKER_00]: about I'm just trying to help people you know be more you know in their bodies and stuff so

[00:14:25] [SPEAKER_00]: needless to say he didn't stay around for a long time but um I went to massage school and it was

[00:14:31] [SPEAKER_00]: like eight months every day of learning about the way the body is moving and how to push energy

[00:14:37] [SPEAKER_00]: through um Swedish massage Thai massage shiatsu and it was one of the best things that I ever

[00:14:45] [SPEAKER_00]: did for myself and then from there I started practicing massage that was my like hustle

[00:14:50] [SPEAKER_00]: that I did in between you know working in my craft as an artist I remember I always was like oh you

[00:14:56] [SPEAKER_00]: know I just want to do sports massage and stuff I don't want to like do any kind of spa stuff but

[00:15:00] [SPEAKER_00]: you know when you say stuff like that it always bites you back right because in the end

[00:15:05] [SPEAKER_00]: that's what I really enjoyed doing like spa stuff sugar scrubs and like you know just all of that

[00:15:11] [SPEAKER_00]: so ironically enough right yeah I think internally I just really was always drawn

[00:15:18] [SPEAKER_00]: to like healing arts when I left LA I kind of didn't do any body work for a while but when I came to

[00:15:25] [SPEAKER_00]: Miami I was doing events and I would do like these I had an event called flesh memory that I started

[00:15:31] [SPEAKER_00]: and the idea of flesh memory was all about like how we're all connected through you know this

[00:15:38] [SPEAKER_00]: tapestry of DNA and just being transported from place to place right as people of color

[00:15:44] [SPEAKER_00]: and so that at any time you know you have this remembrance in your body and so I was just like

[00:15:50] [SPEAKER_00]: doing different things like we would have poetry nights we would have like live painting and all

[00:15:55] [SPEAKER_00]: of that and then one time I just was like let's do flesh memory like the self-care addition

[00:16:00] [SPEAKER_00]: so I rented this really beautiful house and we had like aerobics in the water we had African

[00:16:06] [SPEAKER_00]: dance we had like a little crystal thing we had somebody talking about financial wellness and

[00:16:11] [SPEAKER_00]: I think that was really the picture of like the future of like what I wanted to do but I think you

[00:16:18] [SPEAKER_00]: know whenever you're trying to change directions people are like oh what are you trying to do you

[00:16:21] [SPEAKER_00]: know this is what you're doing in for myself too you know to kind of step out and be like

[00:16:26] [SPEAKER_00]: it's fine you did all this stuff before it's okay to move into a different direction it's okay

[00:16:32] [SPEAKER_00]: to want to do something different and I think I always have been a person that wanted to

[00:16:36] [SPEAKER_00]: connect people and help people and that's kind of how it started you know like really

[00:16:44] [SPEAKER_00]: it was already there and I think when I got to Mexico I think people have more time I think

[00:16:53] [SPEAKER_00]: there's a different mindset around wellness and self-care I mean even in Mexico like families

[00:16:59] [SPEAKER_00]: take their they take their whole families to do cacao ceremonies and even to Moscow which

[00:17:05] [SPEAKER_00]: is the sweat lodge when you kind of sweat all it out and they have like different plants to

[00:17:09] [SPEAKER_00]: inhale like eucalyptus peppermint rosemary and I think it's a beautiful thing because they're

[00:17:14] [SPEAKER_00]: really showing that you do need to take time to rest and to recalibrate your nervous system and

[00:17:21] [SPEAKER_00]: all that and so it's almost like it's embedded in the society to take this time and so I just

[00:17:28] [SPEAKER_00]: felt really like yeah this is what I'm going to do and then I started to meet different people

[00:17:35] [SPEAKER_00]: that were doing it you know like some of my Mexican friends that were there they just like

[00:17:39] [SPEAKER_00]: you know I think that the universe spirit always gives you what you need when you put yourself

[00:17:43] [SPEAKER_00]: out there and so I'm a really wonderful group they're there now it's called Avalon Riviera

[00:17:50] [SPEAKER_00]: Maya it's Avalon experiences and they do a lot of sound healing meditation this type of thing

[00:17:56] [SPEAKER_00]: and so I connected with them together we started to do these drum circles for full moon

[00:18:02] [SPEAKER_00]: and that came from a lot of times when you're creating space you're not sure what that's going

[00:18:08] [SPEAKER_00]: to look like until somebody asked for it and I remember in one of the Facebook groups somebody

[00:18:13] [SPEAKER_00]: was like hey is there any drum circles and I'm just like yeah that'd be great if we had a drum

[00:18:17] [SPEAKER_00]: circle but like where are the drums so I was at like Lido Beach or something and I just remember

[00:18:22] [SPEAKER_00]: saying like you know I wish I could find somebody that like was playing some jimbe drums some

[00:18:27] [SPEAKER_00]: junjuns or whatever and then I started hearing some drums and they was sounding good too so I started

[00:18:32] [SPEAKER_00]: walking down the beach and there they were it was like four or five of them and wow they became the

[00:18:38] [SPEAKER_00]: first part of our full moon circles that we did and we ran those full moon circles for

[00:18:45] [SPEAKER_00]: like a year and a half every full moon it started out we did new moon and full moon but

[00:18:50] [SPEAKER_00]: I felt more connected to the full moon and what that represents and I wanted to bring people

[00:18:55] [SPEAKER_00]: around that and so that was the beautiful thing we would do we started out down by doing it like

[00:19:02] [SPEAKER_00]: by the pier like where the mermaid is down there and then it moved up to Colosseo because it got

[00:19:08] [SPEAKER_00]: really crowded and we just needed more space and a little bit more privacy but we would do that

[00:19:13] [SPEAKER_00]: every full moon and start out with like movement and then just some freestyle like with the

[00:19:18] [SPEAKER_00]: drums just be free open up and then we would wind down with like I would make like an herbal

[00:19:22] [SPEAKER_00]: tea you know to represent like whatever moon it was and then the other part of the group would do

[00:19:29] [SPEAKER_00]: the sound so they would have all kinds of sound and just instrument bells and whistles and didgeridoos

[00:19:35] [SPEAKER_00]: and it was just really magic you know so that was the beginning and I think it really showed

[00:19:41] [SPEAKER_00]: like what I could do and what I could create just ran with it you know that was the beginning

[00:19:47] [SPEAKER_00]: of creating some experiences there in Playa we started off doing that and then I'm an herbalist

[00:19:57] [SPEAKER_00]: as well but I never was trying to do herbalism for like necessarily like women like I just was

[00:20:02] [SPEAKER_00]: kind of like maybe like pain management or something and I remember there was a another thread

[00:20:08] [SPEAKER_00]: that was asking if anybody had like yoni herbs and stuff you know like to do yoni steams or

[00:20:13] [SPEAKER_00]: whatever and I had all the herbs but I wasn't doing that you know so I just said yeah I have them

[00:20:20] [SPEAKER_00]: you know meet me here and I'm gonna sell them so I just put them together had a nice little bag

[00:20:25] [SPEAKER_00]: and um and then that became like oh you should do this you should do that so someone else kind

[00:20:32] [SPEAKER_00]: of helped to bring it out of me like this is what's needed you should do this and I'm

[00:20:38] [SPEAKER_00]: gonna call her out you might know her obitalia she was in Playa for quite some time yeah so shout

[00:20:44] [SPEAKER_00]: out to the homie um she really encouraged me to like you know you should be doing this work

[00:20:50] [SPEAKER_00]: and we created uh we did like a community night of women at my apartment uh we talked about

[00:20:58] [SPEAKER_00]: why yoni steam is important for your womb and your uterus and just connecting with

[00:21:02] [SPEAKER_00]: yourself and your body we moved around you know got the flow going and then we all were in child's

[00:21:09] [SPEAKER_00]: pose and just doing the steam and I'm telling you it was a beautiful night it was probably like 15

[00:21:15] [SPEAKER_00]: women there and uh we had food and just conversation and it was really really beautiful

[00:21:21] [SPEAKER_00]: like it was just really beautiful you know and I think a lot of these things true space just

[00:21:27] [SPEAKER_00]: happens like organically in a sense and it's because of what's needed you're filling

[00:21:33] [SPEAKER_00]: you're filling a hole you know you're filling something that wasn't there that needed to be

[00:21:37] [SPEAKER_00]: filled and that's kind of how I flow you know like I really try to tap into maybe what's missing

[00:21:45] [SPEAKER_00]: and if I can be a part of but filling that then I want to that's a beautiful thing about

[00:21:53] [SPEAKER_01]: using our gifts for the uplift of our collective right and I'm so happy that we're having this

[00:22:02] [SPEAKER_01]: conversation because um you just said so many things about playa and this of course is where

[00:22:09] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm based as well and I believe this place is a portal people come here and who stay here say

[00:22:17] [SPEAKER_01]: the same thing and when you talked about how you wished there were some drums and all of a

[00:22:23] [SPEAKER_01]: sudden you started hearing drums it it literally happens this way here it is that way it's like

[00:22:29] [SPEAKER_01]: a vortex it gives you what you need absolutely what you need and one of the things that I have

[00:22:38] [SPEAKER_01]: come to appreciate about this international living experience specifically here in the

[00:22:44] [SPEAKER_01]: Riviera Maya is how much somatic healing I have done and how much I didn't I underestimated it right

[00:22:54] [SPEAKER_01]: before I would get the occasional massage or you know what have you but now I get to experience

[00:23:02] [SPEAKER_01]: things like drum circles and sound healing with the sound bowls and you know all of these

[00:23:10] [SPEAKER_01]: chakra cleansings and all of these various things that's one of the reasons why I say

[00:23:15] [SPEAKER_01]: that this expat immigrant experience this unique experience for us really fosters feelings of

[00:23:24] [SPEAKER_01]: freedom healing and belonging and healing is it means more than just you know getting off of

[00:23:30] [SPEAKER_01]: your medications or healing certain physical ailments oftentimes that healing is soul healing

[00:23:39] [SPEAKER_01]: right yeah and so when you talk about movement and the importance of that I want those who are

[00:23:48] [SPEAKER_01]: listening and watching to consider that it is more than some yoga poses you know more than the

[00:23:54] [SPEAKER_01]: downward dog more than stretching like we have to live in this body and moving it sure using

[00:24:03] [SPEAKER_01]: it and really moving our energy is important and integral to not just our healing but our

[00:24:10] [SPEAKER_00]: liberation would you agree yes that is so exactly and this is why I do the work that I do because

[00:24:17] [SPEAKER_00]: I think that just as a society we've been disconnected from our body it's like yes we

[00:24:24] [SPEAKER_00]: know that this is the body that we're in but you don't really pay attention to it

[00:24:28] [SPEAKER_00]: you know there's no real reverence around it there's no honoring of the work that it's done

[00:24:33] [SPEAKER_00]: and continues to do for you and especially as a woman you know you grow up you're not really

[00:24:40] [SPEAKER_00]: sure what's going on you know you get to a certain age and you start your cycle and it's

[00:24:45] [SPEAKER_00]: like you know here's these pads good luck don't get pregnant but there's no reverence around that

[00:24:51] [SPEAKER_00]: like kind of rite of passage you know there's really no education about like really what goes

[00:24:56] [SPEAKER_00]: onto your body and how and how beautiful it is you know we're taught that it's our temple but not

[00:25:02] [SPEAKER_00]: to try to treat it like a temple like in so many ways and movement is such a part of that you

[00:25:07] [SPEAKER_00]: know a celebration of yourself and of your body and you don't need anything else to do it right

[00:25:14] [SPEAKER_00]: other than your own body I think that you know life can be hard and you hold a lot of these

[00:25:21] [SPEAKER_00]: emotions in your body and if you don't have a way to release them then they stay in there and so you

[00:25:28] [SPEAKER_00]: think you might be depressed or you have some other issue and then you go and get meds and then

[00:25:33] [SPEAKER_00]: that kind of keeps you down a little bit more in your body instead of like letting it go

[00:25:37] [SPEAKER_00]: and not saying that maybe you know maybe you do need meds but you also need to move

[00:25:41] [SPEAKER_00]: and I think that once you once you start to move you understand how much is trapped in your

[00:25:49] [SPEAKER_00]: body and what it feels like to release that is freedom and that is liberation and once you

[00:25:55] [SPEAKER_00]: feel the freedom in your own body it then translates to your mind and like what else can I do

[00:26:01] [SPEAKER_00]: you know and so that's kind of the path that I've chosen as my life's work is really showing

[00:26:08] [SPEAKER_00]: most I work with women but you know some men too but mostly women because I'm a woman

[00:26:12] [SPEAKER_00]: and I really want them to to feel the magic of their own body and you know a lot of times we

[00:26:20] [SPEAKER_00]: just are not like it's like there's a disconnect you know we're working we're doing all the things

[00:26:25] [SPEAKER_00]: for everybody else but we don't take time to be inside of ourselves and to really be like this

[00:26:30] [SPEAKER_00]: is how my body moves how it flows is what it can do and really own it and appreciate it and

[00:26:35] [SPEAKER_00]: really show ritual and reverence around it so it's not just about yoga because I mean yoga

[00:26:41] [SPEAKER_00]: is a lifestyle so it's not the sanas the poses are really like the least of the things it's just

[00:26:47] [SPEAKER_00]: the honoring of it you know the intention of the things that you do you know absolutely absolutely

[00:26:53] [SPEAKER_01]: and I think that as a people there is a segment of us who are awakening or returning back to the

[00:27:01] [SPEAKER_01]: ways of our ancestors all of this is ancestral and unfortunately it was stripped from a lot of us

[00:27:10] [SPEAKER_01]: who lived under you know colonial rule wherever that may be not just limited to the United States

[00:27:16] [SPEAKER_01]: and so I truly believe that liberation begins in the body it begins in the body because for so long

[00:27:24] [SPEAKER_01]: so many of us and our you know those who came before us did not even have agency over their

[00:27:30] [SPEAKER_00]: own bodies right right and that's also stored you know like that's something that comes down

[00:27:37] [SPEAKER_00]: you know like when you think about it like your grandparents great grandparents you know did

[00:27:43] [SPEAKER_00]: they go get massages did you see them out doing stretching and yoga not really but did they move

[00:27:49] [SPEAKER_00]: yeah because they worked hard you know my grandmother used to go fishing I think that was her way

[00:27:53] [SPEAKER_00]: of self-care you know so there are signs of some type of wanting to care for self

[00:28:03] [SPEAKER_00]: but in the midst of all the other things that were going on it's not something that was very like

[00:28:08] [SPEAKER_00]: thought about and intentional and now we have the opportunity to do that because we are free yeah

[00:28:17] [SPEAKER_01]: hey friends I want to take a quick moment to let you know that if you want to dive deeper and

[00:28:21] [SPEAKER_01]: unlock more advice and insights on expat life then I encourage you to become a friend of the

[00:28:25] [SPEAKER_01]: show you'll also access other behind the scenes and bonus content you won't see anywhere else

[00:28:30] [SPEAKER_01]: just head over to black expat stories dot com slash support to upgrade your access now back to the show

[00:28:37] [SPEAKER_01]: absolutely absolutely and Desiree I don't know if you've come across this recently there was a

[00:28:43] [SPEAKER_01]: study or an article written that talked about how so much is trapped in our bodies especially

[00:28:51] [SPEAKER_01]: as black women and we experienced so many different illnesses and ailments immune

[00:28:57] [SPEAKER_01]: compromises right because we tend to repress and hold hold on to things and you know we feel like

[00:29:06] [SPEAKER_01]: often we can't express ourselves and we can't live our truth and we can't be authentic and we

[00:29:11] [SPEAKER_01]: can't move our bodies and be in our bodies um in the ways that we need to be so what are

[00:29:17] [SPEAKER_01]: thoughts about that like how do you believe movement allows us to express ourselves yeah um I don't

[00:29:25] [SPEAKER_00]: know about that article but just I mean I've always been a mover so in even my own studies like

[00:29:30] [SPEAKER_00]: I know the connection between movement and in your body it's just when you feel tension

[00:29:36] [SPEAKER_00]: and then somebody starts to you get a massage you feel a little bit looser you can do that for

[00:29:42] [SPEAKER_00]: yourself through movement um how do I feel about it I think you just have to move I think I

[00:29:47] [SPEAKER_00]: think that the evidence is in your own body your body tells you what it needs we just

[00:29:52] [SPEAKER_00]: have not been trained to listen to our own bodies you know other people don't listen to it you know

[00:29:58] [SPEAKER_00]: so we are it's like you're in a battle so unless you've been like exposed and in a way where

[00:30:07] [SPEAKER_00]: it's okay to move in this way so all I can say about that is like you know when people come into

[00:30:13] [SPEAKER_00]: my space it's about giving you the comfort to feel safe to move even in a subtle way like even if

[00:30:22] [SPEAKER_00]: it's just moving your shoulders or doing head rolls and putting on some music and like you know

[00:30:27] [SPEAKER_00]: seeing what does your how does your body move you know like I think it just starts with like a

[00:30:32] [SPEAKER_00]: reeducation of like what it is like assessing yourself and it is true like there's a book

[00:30:39] [SPEAKER_00]: called the body keeps score and it talks about this it talks about how we internalize things

[00:30:44] [SPEAKER_00]: sometimes you just got to let it go you know and you could act out in a lot of ways that could be

[00:30:51] [SPEAKER_00]: detrimental to you or you could just have a dance party you know and you would feel much better

[00:30:56] [SPEAKER_00]: so I think that it's something that um is not from I can't say it you have to feel it you

[00:31:03] [SPEAKER_00]: just have to feel it to know you know I think any part of what I do like we're gonna move our hips and

[00:31:10] [SPEAKER_00]: do hip circles even the guys and I'm like I'm like you guys need to move your hips too right can't

[00:31:16] [SPEAKER_00]: just be us like we all need to move our hips more because everybody holds strength that's one of the

[00:31:20] [SPEAKER_00]: main areas and when you're talking about like the hips and your stomach your gut like

[00:31:26] [SPEAKER_00]: all of that is connected so if you're tight and your gut and your groin area

[00:31:29] [SPEAKER_00]: it affects the rest of your body too it affects your mental state and how you feel you feel nervous

[00:31:34] [SPEAKER_00]: and close you know but when you feel open you're open to possibilities you're open to seeing things

[00:31:41] [SPEAKER_00]: differently because you're not closed in you know like you can feel it in your own body

[00:31:44] [SPEAKER_00]: and as much as I move I still know when I'm feeling tense and tight too because I'm overthinking

[00:31:49] [SPEAKER_00]: something and it's in my body so I have to just shake it out like sometimes you just get out

[00:31:54] [SPEAKER_00]: just shake it out just shake it out you know and um and you can see I mean it's evident people

[00:32:00] [SPEAKER_00]: just need to move more even I'm home with my parents my dad is 80 he's gonna be 85 my mom is 70

[00:32:08] [SPEAKER_00]: 76 I think anyway they get out and walk every day they do stretches my dad does yoga like you

[00:32:14] [SPEAKER_00]: know he knows that he needs to continue to move to stay young you know and thank goodness

[00:32:20] [SPEAKER_00]: he's totally healthy so like you got to get up and move you know and you feel so much better

[00:32:26] [SPEAKER_01]: absolutely absolutely and thank you for talking about that um the importance of that mind body

[00:32:33] [SPEAKER_01]: connection because I it is it is so important now with your company Root and Align um your

[00:32:41] [SPEAKER_01]: mission is to integrate movement and travel and exploration and so I want to talk more about

[00:32:49] [SPEAKER_01]: how you do that you offer both solo and group trips and I'm curious to know what sets your

[00:32:57] [SPEAKER_01]: travel experiences apart and how do you make sure that every journey fosters a deep sense of connection

[00:33:03] [SPEAKER_01]: personal growth and wellness for those who attend oh that's a whole bunch of stuff okay so

[00:33:11] [SPEAKER_00]: Root and Align um I think like anything it's an expansion of my own journey and movement

[00:33:18] [SPEAKER_00]: I started off as a fierce technician like I'm gonna dance you down you know like we're talking

[00:33:24] [SPEAKER_00]: like Ailey we're doing all the professional things as I got older and started transition

[00:33:31] [SPEAKER_00]: movement and dance became something different to me like I wasn't out just trying to like see if

[00:33:36] [SPEAKER_00]: my leg goes the highest it was about how it made me feel movement always has been like church for me

[00:33:41] [SPEAKER_00]: I look around and I would notice that maybe a woman wasn't comfortable moving or didn't feel

[00:33:48] [SPEAKER_00]: comfortable in her own body and it just really made me want to create a space for that I think

[00:33:55] [SPEAKER_00]: that what makes me different is I really do feel like I can meet you where you're at like people

[00:34:00] [SPEAKER_00]: are always like you know I'm not a dancer I don't have a yoga body whatever whatever all the excuses

[00:34:04] [SPEAKER_00]: but I'm like listen I don't care I don't care we're gonna start right here I can start from

[00:34:09] [SPEAKER_00]: zero and take you where you need to go and give you the encouragement and the hand holding that you

[00:34:14] [SPEAKER_00]: need so that when we're done you know you can shake it down you know whatever you want to do and

[00:34:19] [SPEAKER_00]: you have like just like a newfound confidence that always was there I'm not doing anything

[00:34:24] [SPEAKER_00]: that wasn't there it's always inside of you but it's buried up on under like life stuff when I

[00:34:30] [SPEAKER_00]: started implementing like programming around it like doing the solo the solo retreats came

[00:34:35] [SPEAKER_00]: last first I was doing like um just you know wellness retreats and that was like you know we come

[00:34:42] [SPEAKER_00]: together really the experience it's not just a yoga retreat it was like oh we have to get up sun sunrise

[00:34:47] [SPEAKER_00]: yoga whatever because you've already been working every day like getting up early so why are you

[00:34:52] [SPEAKER_00]: coming on vacation and still getting up early we're gonna discuss and see like what works best

[00:34:57] [SPEAKER_00]: for the group and and and like ease into our day because that's what we're trying to create

[00:35:01] [SPEAKER_00]: is more freedom like I don't need unless I love sunrise I don't need to do that right to say that

[00:35:07] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm doing yoga right we can do whatever I think that my personality and just being down to earth

[00:35:13] [SPEAKER_00]: also just my background like I've done this and I've lived this you know and you can trust that

[00:35:18] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm not gonna hurt you that's the one thing because I'm still a practitioner of movement

[00:35:24] [SPEAKER_00]: and I know how the body moves I know how it works I know how to look at your body

[00:35:30] [SPEAKER_00]: and really see how it can move in a safe way so that's the one thing I think I just make things

[00:35:37] [SPEAKER_00]: really comfortable for people that they're able to open up you know like immediately like we're

[00:35:43] [SPEAKER_00]: gonna work together and then you're gonna tell me you know how you feel about it you know

[00:35:47] [SPEAKER_00]: and then the next thing you know like they're like oh no I can't do that I can't do that the

[00:35:50] [SPEAKER_00]: next thing you know they're they're in there they're moving around I'm like but what or like

[00:35:54] [SPEAKER_00]: even um I'm always good like when we do trips I do like an impromptu photo shoot so recently

[00:36:02] [SPEAKER_00]: when we were in Cuba we went to the beach and I was like okay you guys so like I'm casting for this

[00:36:07] [SPEAKER_00]: new issue of sports illustrated-ish type thing and so I need everybody to show up at this time

[00:36:12] [SPEAKER_00]: like I just made it like it was a total like shoot and they were like what like what's going on

[00:36:16] [SPEAKER_00]: and I had them individually doing like just poses like all up in the sand and they were like

[00:36:21] [SPEAKER_00]: desert have sand everywhere but they were working it out and like even the ones that's like you know

[00:36:25] [SPEAKER_00]: I don't really like pictures and I'm like okay but now you want your picture taken all the time

[00:36:28] [SPEAKER_00]: like after that shoot she was like what about this does this look good should I do it like this

[00:36:33] [SPEAKER_00]: so I just you know I just want you to be yourself you know like there's no pretension

[00:36:37] [SPEAKER_00]: there's no because I feel like it's really it's about the access that you had and the opportunity

[00:36:43] [SPEAKER_00]: so if you never had the access to move your body or opportunity to be in a space where you

[00:36:47] [SPEAKER_00]: felt comfortable to do so well now you do my trips are really small and intimate I'm not trying to have

[00:36:53] [SPEAKER_00]: these big groups like 25 30 people no mostly we were like 10 people so I can have one on one time

[00:37:00] [SPEAKER_00]: with everyone I want to get to know you I want to get to know like what your struggles were like

[00:37:04] [SPEAKER_00]: what's the first thing that you thought about your body like when did somebody say something

[00:37:08] [SPEAKER_00]: that made you feel a certain way or what's your deepest thing like what do you see yourself

[00:37:14] [SPEAKER_00]: you want to be a burlesque girl you want to be a rock hit like what's your thing that you want to be

[00:37:17] [SPEAKER_00]: you want to be like you know a background dancer or Beyonce let's do it you know like any of that

[00:37:22] [SPEAKER_00]: stuff like whatever it is that you're thinking about and your imagination as far as how we move

[00:37:27] [SPEAKER_00]: we can totally do it you know because I have access I know how to make those things happen

[00:37:32] [SPEAKER_00]: so I think that's what it is I think every group is different so I'm able to adjust

[00:37:37] [SPEAKER_00]: like very quickly the energy of the group I think that's one of the things that really sets me

[00:37:42] [SPEAKER_00]: apart because I feel like I mean it's a business but but with sisters too like I really want the

[00:37:48] [SPEAKER_00]: best for you and it doesn't just end with this trip like usually there's like a pre before we get

[00:37:54] [SPEAKER_00]: together like online and create community online so everybody gets to know each other

[00:37:58] [SPEAKER_00]: and then we go on the trip and then afterwards there's like a little bit of integration time

[00:38:03] [SPEAKER_00]: there and then I'm checking in like if you said you wanted to do x y and z I'm like yo did

[00:38:07] [SPEAKER_00]: you what you do today did you go walk in or how are you feeling let me send you this meditation

[00:38:11] [SPEAKER_00]: or whatever like that's what I'm building I'm building this you want to be free you want to

[00:38:15] [SPEAKER_00]: expand in your body and use it and I say movement like I'm a movement specialist because I'm moving

[00:38:21] [SPEAKER_00]: your body your mind and and we're going somewhere we're doing it all I love that does array I'm so

[00:38:28] [SPEAKER_01]: happy to I'm so happy that you mentioned the community aspect of it because I know some

[00:38:35] [SPEAKER_01]: people who might be watching and listening may say oh you know I've been thinking about

[00:38:39] [SPEAKER_01]: possibly going on a group trip but I don't know the people on on the trip and how does that work

[00:38:47] [SPEAKER_01]: and to know that you put these various things in place so that people can feel confident and

[00:38:53] [SPEAKER_01]: comfortable moving forward and traveling that seems like that's another thing that you do that

[00:39:00] [SPEAKER_01]: sets you apart so yeah what are some of your favorite yeah absolutely so what are some of

[00:39:06] [SPEAKER_01]: favorite locations to curate trips around I know that you mentioned Cuba

[00:39:11] [SPEAKER_01]: what are some other places other destinations well so far I will say I really loved Playa del

[00:39:18] [SPEAKER_00]: Carmen that was because it was my first and I love the location that we were at because we

[00:39:22] [SPEAKER_00]: were right on the beach in these like cabins and stuff and we did the Timas call I always try to

[00:39:27] [SPEAKER_00]: do like a local like my and ceremony type of thing so we did the Timas call which is basically

[00:39:33] [SPEAKER_00]: like you're in like it's supposed to be like you're returning to the womb so it's kind of like a

[00:39:36] [SPEAKER_00]: igloo type of thing and it gets really hot in there and you're steaming and you're just kind of

[00:39:41] [SPEAKER_00]: like breathing in and then the the shaman takes you through different scenarios like four doors open

[00:39:47] [SPEAKER_00]: and it kind of takes you back to your childhood talking about the future and your own plans and

[00:39:53] [SPEAKER_00]: things like that I don't really have a favorite because I love them all but East La Mujeres is

[00:39:57] [SPEAKER_00]: another place that we went which is the island of women and I love I feel like I love that one because

[00:40:04] [SPEAKER_00]: it's whenever it's like you know when your vision comes together and you really see it

[00:40:07] [SPEAKER_00]: like laid out that was when it really it was like the second one that I did so that felt

[00:40:12] [SPEAKER_00]: really good I don't have a favorite one because it's always changing because I just um I'm

[00:40:17] [SPEAKER_00]: trying to connect to the spirituality of the place the people so like in Guatemala that was a

[00:40:24] [SPEAKER_00]: different experience because all the other ones were like beach ones we right on the beach in Guatemala

[00:40:29] [SPEAKER_00]: it's like more of a ground in nature because even though the lake is there it's more about hiking

[00:40:34] [SPEAKER_00]: and it's just like a different little vibe there I really like that too and I think it depends on

[00:40:39] [SPEAKER_00]: the people too because not everybody wants to be hiking and kind of be in that type of environment

[00:40:44] [SPEAKER_00]: but some people really love it like if you like bird watching and being out on the kayaks and

[00:40:49] [SPEAKER_00]: all that then maybe that would be for you a lot of the solo retreats were in Guatemala

[00:40:53] [SPEAKER_00]: which was perfect because they were just kind of like in their own little bird's nest nobody

[00:40:57] [SPEAKER_00]: bothered them and we just worked together one on one really intense you know um but still have time

[00:41:02] [SPEAKER_00]: to have fun I'm about balance too so I will say this even though we're you know we're doing wellness

[00:41:07] [SPEAKER_00]: and everything but like we're gonna you know cheers we're gonna it's about balance right so yes

[00:41:12] [SPEAKER_00]: we're gonna have fun you know it's not just like yoga 24 seven and all that like because

[00:41:17] [SPEAKER_00]: you're a person you know like these things are meant to be sustainable so like

[00:41:22] [SPEAKER_00]: we're just incorporating some best practices so that you can like calm down and sit down for a minute

[00:41:28] [SPEAKER_00]: but you know we're having a welcome drink we're gonna eat some really good food you know like we're

[00:41:33] [SPEAKER_00]: gonna it's gonna be fine you know um like fair place I don't have a fair place I like them all

[00:41:38] [SPEAKER_00]: and there's gonna be more like we so far usually the retreats happen because of where I am so when

[00:41:44] [SPEAKER_00]: I was in Mexico everything kind of happened there so Playa del Carmen, Isla Mujeres,

[00:41:48] [SPEAKER_00]: I went to Guatemala so everything was over there and then I just did I branched out for the Cuba

[00:41:54] [SPEAKER_00]: trip because I always loved Cuba I had already been there before I wanted to start doing more

[00:42:01] [SPEAKER_00]: and infusing more of the culture part of my business because that's also part of my background

[00:42:07] [SPEAKER_00]: and that was just amazing and blew my mind away at what was possible and then just the

[00:42:13] [SPEAKER_00]: connection to the people more dancing you know and yeah and Brazil so I'm just like we're

[00:42:20] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm loving I love all of it like all of it all the places now do you I know that you mentioned

[00:42:27] [SPEAKER_01]: you choose the locations based on where you are in your life are there any other locations

[00:42:34] [SPEAKER_01]: on your radar because I know you mentioned like Brazil and I know that there's there's Samba

[00:42:40] [SPEAKER_01]: there's just so many different forms of movement what are the locations are are you eyeing

[00:42:47] [SPEAKER_01]: for to sort of bring about another kind of movement or expose folks to another kind of movement

[00:42:55] [SPEAKER_00]: oh girl don't get me started okay so yes so for example when we're in Cuba

[00:43:02] [SPEAKER_00]: Cuba is known for like Roomba that's their big dance they are the Roomba and of course Salsa

[00:43:07] [SPEAKER_00]: but they also have the Orisha dances which is the folkloric afro-cuban dances so you're

[00:43:12] [SPEAKER_00]: learning the dances of the Orishas like Oshun, Yemaya, Oya, etc etc so that's excellent great

[00:43:21] [SPEAKER_00]: Brazil we're going to Bahia Salvador de Bahia so there you could study like Papuaera

[00:43:28] [SPEAKER_00]: they also have their own style of folklore dance now yes Samba and Rio you would do that

[00:43:35] [SPEAKER_00]: you could do that there too I think for me we always will do those like social dances

[00:43:41] [SPEAKER_00]: but the undercurrent of like the folkloric dance is what I'm trying to tap into so that's why we're

[00:43:48] [SPEAKER_00]: going to be going to Bahia as our base and then just like do a day trip or something to Rio to kind

[00:43:53] [SPEAKER_00]: of like see that same thing with Belize so Belize has the Garapuna people that are there in

[00:43:59] [SPEAKER_00]: the Hopkins area those are the people that came over from like Haiti and St. Vincent back in the 1700s

[00:44:07] [SPEAKER_00]: they settled there and in Honduras and in Guatemala and Livingston so they have their own folklore

[00:44:13] [SPEAKER_00]: dance so everywhere we go we have our own kind of movement you know like that is the beginning

[00:44:18] [SPEAKER_00]: of culture is like how we spoke to each other through music and through movement

[00:44:24] [SPEAKER_00]: um and I like to think that I'm continuing the work of my um dance ancestors Pearl Primus Catherine

[00:44:31] [SPEAKER_00]: Dunham both of them were like dance anthropologists that studied in when Catherine's work was in Haiti

[00:44:37] [SPEAKER_00]: Pearl was more like in Senegal Ghana and instead in bringing that work back and sharing and

[00:44:43] [SPEAKER_00]: creating like you know works around that I'm not sure like where mine goes but right now

[00:44:49] [SPEAKER_00]: it's really just about exposing people to this and using that as a way to connect so in Cuba for

[00:44:57] [SPEAKER_00]: example even though we were dance we learned a lot of the uh Orisha dances and stuff like that and

[00:45:02] [SPEAKER_00]: we had a workshop where we did like Roomba and Salsa but then when we had our community dinner

[00:45:07] [SPEAKER_00]: which is the way I end up end all my um trips is that we have a community dinner with like

[00:45:12] [SPEAKER_00]: all the vendors and everybody comes over so we were doing like the electric slide and like

[00:45:16] [SPEAKER_00]: cha cha slide all that kind of stuff and teaching them and you know so that's just the way that I

[00:45:22] [SPEAKER_00]: communicate you know I feel like that's the way that's just the way that I communicate so but on

[00:45:27] [SPEAKER_00]: the flip side of that because you know I'm doing like afro diaspora travel and that's all great

[00:45:33] [SPEAKER_00]: but that doesn't mean that I wouldn't take you to Ireland and we study like some river dance type

[00:45:37] [SPEAKER_00]: music like and do some clogging and stuff it doesn't mean that one day I would have like uh

[00:45:42] [SPEAKER_00]: you want to be on Broadway trip where we just be somewhere and I teach you like you know

[00:45:46] [SPEAKER_00]: rockette stuff and you get to perform or something like that like it's whatever like we can do anything

[00:45:51] [SPEAKER_01]: you know and that's the beauty of of dance and movement right it's universal yeah it's universal

[00:45:59] [SPEAKER_00]: but for now I think in the this future part um my big trip next year for 2025 is Brazil

[00:46:08] [SPEAKER_00]: and then we'll do Cuba a couple of times I'm going to Trinidad for my first carnival I've never done

[00:46:14] [SPEAKER_00]: carnival before and so I'm gonna go and have my own little baby fed you know and kind of see like if

[00:46:21] [SPEAKER_00]: that's something that I would like to organize like people that maybe you don't want to be all up in

[00:46:26] [SPEAKER_00]: it but just around it like do a couple of pets and you know like that so I'm gonna see but uh yeah

[00:46:33] [SPEAKER_01]: please keep me updated because I've always wanted to go to Trinidad for carnival

[00:46:37] [SPEAKER_00]: really always want to play that we'll talk about it because I am like it's kind of like I'm if anybody

[00:46:42] [SPEAKER_00]: want to meet me there they could but I'm not like advertising it as a group trip yet because

[00:46:47] [SPEAKER_00]: I want to kind of see it but um yeah like I just um I kind of just see like what feels good

[00:46:54] [SPEAKER_00]: you know I really want to do Egypt again I did it as by myself but I want to do like a return

[00:47:00] [SPEAKER_00]: to Nubia type of vibe and we like really be all in our goddess with like belly dancing and all that

[00:47:07] [SPEAKER_00]: so yeah you know like anything like and again all of this is really fun for me because at the end

[00:47:12] [SPEAKER_00]: of the day it's still production I still am producing like this experience and you know one of my other

[00:47:19] [SPEAKER_00]: the girls that came to Cuba she was like oh I love it because you're you know you're always

[00:47:22] [SPEAKER_00]: about the shenanigans because yeah we're gonna dress up and I'm gonna have us making a video

[00:47:26] [SPEAKER_00]: or doing something like that like come on like get it let's do it you know and uh they were just

[00:47:31] [SPEAKER_00]: laughing I was like yep call time is five o'clock please meet me on the roof you know

[00:47:37] [SPEAKER_01]: and you know I'm sure that that allows so many people to tap into their inner child

[00:47:42] [SPEAKER_01]: because how many of us grew up dancing in front of the tv or you know watching Soul Train and just

[00:47:48] [SPEAKER_01]: like moving or going to the skating rink or yeah all of that with our cousins and all

[00:47:54] [SPEAKER_00]: of that and it definitely was some kind of a dog I mean I feel like I feel like you know when

[00:47:58] [SPEAKER_00]: you're young people are always like oh you can be anything you want to be until you say you want

[00:48:02] [SPEAKER_00]: to do something different you know I mean like then it's like oh really that's what you want to do

[00:48:07] [SPEAKER_00]: because you know when they say oh you can be anything you want they think you're going to

[00:48:10] [SPEAKER_00]: be like oh just you know traditional lawyer doctor and that's all fine but like what if you just

[00:48:16] [SPEAKER_00]: want if you want to be an artist or if you want to be a photographer or it usually has

[00:48:19] [SPEAKER_00]: something to do with art type of thing but as you can see art saves lives man it's really

[00:48:26] [SPEAKER_00]: it's the great equalizer you know it connects so many people and like you said I mean most people

[00:48:34] [SPEAKER_00]: in their childhood have some recollection of you know they were in some play or a theater

[00:48:38] [SPEAKER_00]: or whatever but you know it's healing I mean now I mean it's it's grown I mean now you

[00:48:43] [SPEAKER_00]: actually can get a prescription to go take dance class or something like that like that's

[00:48:47] [SPEAKER_00]: the next thing now is like rx you know where you can get descriptions for these things

[00:48:51] [SPEAKER_00]: and it's always been that way you know dance therapy drama therapy they mean they're gonna

[00:48:56] [SPEAKER_00]: put names on it and a sticker price but at the end of the day it's movement

[00:49:02] [SPEAKER_01]: and it has always been integral to our well-being and thank you for reminding us of that

[00:49:08] [SPEAKER_01]: so Desiree we know that health is often considered the greatest wealth for those who

[00:49:14] [SPEAKER_01]: might feel like an international getaway is beyond their current means or they're not able

[00:49:19] [SPEAKER_01]: to swing it right now what kinds of strategies and advice can you offer to help them incorporate

[00:49:25] [SPEAKER_01]: movement as a wellness practice into their daily lives no matter where they are sure yeah so um I

[00:49:33] [SPEAKER_00]: do before I have some individual clients that I work with online and we talk about you know

[00:49:39] [SPEAKER_00]: getting back to the basics so I just try to tap into like what are the things that you used to

[00:49:45] [SPEAKER_00]: love doing like did you like playing tennis or basketball or what was it and then they'll say oh

[00:49:50] [SPEAKER_00]: yeah I used to do this well then you should do that that's what you should do now you should

[00:49:54] [SPEAKER_00]: go find somewhere to do that or what's something that you always wanted to do so one of my clients

[00:49:58] [SPEAKER_00]: she always want to take ballet class and she's she's a lawyer and she lives in Boston and I said

[00:50:04] [SPEAKER_00]: okay so we're gonna go and get you signed up for some adult ballet classes at Boston Ballet they

[00:50:09] [SPEAKER_00]: have like a really great adult division there and so she signed up and she was all geeked and so the

[00:50:15] [SPEAKER_00]: rest of us were like okay so you know you got to get a ballet sweater you got to get the leg

[00:50:19] [SPEAKER_00]: warmers like we had her all dressed up because you know if you're going to go go all the way

[00:50:22] [SPEAKER_00]: in so I was like I had the whole thing I put like a little pen interest board of all the things

[00:50:27] [SPEAKER_00]: that she can have like a ballet skirt and she had the best time and it was really great

[00:50:31] [SPEAKER_00]: because her job is really stressful and so she started going like once a week and it was beautiful

[00:50:36] [SPEAKER_00]: so I just I really try to keep people it's not that hard you know we make things a lot harder

[00:50:42] [SPEAKER_00]: and we overthink it thinking that it has to be this way it doesn't you can go outside and do

[00:50:47] [SPEAKER_00]: like a 10 minute walk you know um you can jump rope you can go take a line dancing class you

[00:50:53] [SPEAKER_00]: can watch something on YouTube and follow along with that but it just needs to be enjoyable if

[00:50:57] [SPEAKER_00]: it's going to be sustainable you know like what are you like doing like Courtney what do you

[00:51:02] [SPEAKER_01]: like doing with something that you love doing I love salsa I love salsa dancing and so I know

[00:51:10] [SPEAKER_00]: that they have salsa at the auditor at the gymnasium like once or twice a week you know for

[00:51:15] [SPEAKER_00]: like two dollars so you know you make a commitment to yourself and you show up and you do that

[00:51:20] [SPEAKER_00]: you know and then I check on you you know so I say hey did you go and do that and if you

[00:51:24] [SPEAKER_00]: didn't no that's fine that's cool let's do it next week you know like we're not going to beat

[00:51:28] [SPEAKER_00]: ourselves up because we didn't go and do something that we said you know but just knowing that this

[00:51:34] [SPEAKER_00]: is good for you and it's something that's going to make you feel better and then sometimes

[00:51:37] [SPEAKER_00]: as far as like just having a time for yourself I call it like a five for five like getting up

[00:51:44] [SPEAKER_00]: in the morning and take like five minutes to like write something down five minutes to just

[00:51:49] [SPEAKER_00]: breathe you know five minutes to just meditate whatever stretch and then go on about your day

[00:51:55] [SPEAKER_00]: you know you can do it in the morning or at night that can be really helpful and then

[00:52:00] [SPEAKER_00]: to top it off there's nothing wrong with like going in if you can book like a hotel

[00:52:05] [SPEAKER_00]: somewhere nearby book a spa day get a massage you know or even just at home giving yourself

[00:52:11] [SPEAKER_00]: a bath putting all your little flowers in there putting some essential oils the bubble bath

[00:52:15] [SPEAKER_00]: get some nice music you know like it can be basic but still very beneficial you know and

[00:52:22] [SPEAKER_00]: very transformative you know it doesn't have to be a flight and a whole trip like yeah great

[00:52:27] [SPEAKER_00]: you should also do that too because you deserve it but you can also recreate a lot of that stuff

[00:52:32] [SPEAKER_00]: on your own and it really does mean a lot and it shows that you're creating ritual around yourself

[00:52:39] [SPEAKER_01]: yes which is so important and it's it's healing it's transformative

[00:52:46] [SPEAKER_01]: yes yeah so i want to switch gears and get your thoughts about this emerging migration movement

[00:52:57] [SPEAKER_01]: which has now been called the black sit movement what are your thoughts on it especially during

[00:53:04] [SPEAKER_01]: this crucial election season and year especially for those who are in the united states

[00:53:11] [SPEAKER_00]: i think people have always moved around i just think that it's happening at a faster speed

[00:53:19] [SPEAKER_00]: and more people are moving abroad you know i mean people my parents migrated from the south

[00:53:24] [SPEAKER_00]: up to the north other people went west out to california some people went to chicago

[00:53:29] [SPEAKER_00]: you know but mostly you meet somebody in chicago or in michigan where you're from

[00:53:33] [SPEAKER_00]: they're probably from alabama miss b just like how you said your mom was right yep so i think that for

[00:53:38] [SPEAKER_00]: us our migration is happening outside of america it's just inevitable i feel like as people of

[00:53:48] [SPEAKER_00]: color we're global citizens and really we can go anywhere and be anywhere i think that there's

[00:53:55] [SPEAKER_00]: something like a longing or return to home wherever that is like seeking searching for something

[00:54:01] [SPEAKER_00]: else um and why is this the it and be it of everything you know i mean we're taught like

[00:54:08] [SPEAKER_00]: yeah it's so great okay well there's other places that are great too not just your place you know like

[00:54:14] [SPEAKER_00]: we can be other places you know we can all of these things can be true you know it's just that

[00:54:20] [SPEAKER_00]: when you break away you're breaking away from everything you've ever been taught about what

[00:54:25] [SPEAKER_00]: you got to do and who you're supposed to be but people have always been nomadic

[00:54:30] [SPEAKER_00]: i learned that word in like fourth grade and i already knew that that's what i was going to be

[00:54:33] [SPEAKER_00]: is that a job i want to be a nomad because i'm like that sounds so cool like i love that

[00:54:38] [SPEAKER_00]: and how how they were you know they would move from season to season from place to place and i'm

[00:54:43] [SPEAKER_00]: like yo this sounds really good okay and i can you mean i can take all my stuff and just move

[00:54:49] [SPEAKER_00]: over here right and then you know you'd be there for a little while things change and then

[00:54:54] [SPEAKER_00]: you go over here to follow more buffalo or where the fish are like doesn't that seem like a

[00:54:58] [SPEAKER_00]: the natural way of things so i just feel like this is a return to like you said earlier like our

[00:55:06] [SPEAKER_00]: ancestral roots you know and i don't know where it's going to lead and go but i like it i like

[00:55:12] [SPEAKER_00]: what's happening i mean aren't we um fulfilling maybe the dreams of marcus garvey or some of the

[00:55:18] [SPEAKER_00]: you know i mean like these are seeds that also were laid out for us that may have not come

[00:55:22] [SPEAKER_00]: into fruition but here we are you know so it's welcome you know and i think that if you don't

[00:55:29] [SPEAKER_00]: like where you are then leave and if you don't like it there you can leave and go somewhere else

[00:55:35] [SPEAKER_01]: you're not a tree you can just go you can move yeah so i get DMs all the time from folks who

[00:55:46] [SPEAKER_01]: have moving on their mind they're considering it and moving abroad specifically so i always like

[00:55:54] [SPEAKER_01]: asking my guests especially those who are well traveled like you are what are some of the first

[00:55:59] [SPEAKER_01]: steps some someone should take if they're considering a move abroad and how do you

[00:56:04] [SPEAKER_01]: believe they can best prepare themselves for that transition yeah that's a question i see a lot

[00:56:10] [SPEAKER_00]: and then i always think to myself like wow i don't know because i am a you need to just go ahead and do

[00:56:16] [SPEAKER_00]: it okay but i also don't have a lot of stuff i don't have kids to think about i it's just me

[00:56:23] [SPEAKER_00]: okay so i guess i can just speak to that i i think if you're thinking about leaving you just

[00:56:29] [SPEAKER_00]: really need to have a plan of how you're gonna support yourself one that's the main thing like

[00:56:34] [SPEAKER_00]: how you're gonna make money and once you know that then you just pick the place and maybe go and

[00:56:42] [SPEAKER_00]: check it out for like a month or something find an airbnb you know and you go yeah yeah you know

[00:56:50] [SPEAKER_00]: i'm saying i don't have any real philosophical like you know first you need to save up a million

[00:56:53] [SPEAKER_00]: dollars no you don't really need to because i feel like whatever you were doing to survive

[00:56:59] [SPEAKER_00]: here in the states like you could do half of that and be okay somewhere else you know like it depends

[00:57:04] [SPEAKER_00]: on where you move to but i think that you got to work on your mindset because your your mind is

[00:57:10] [SPEAKER_00]: really what's going to take you there if your mind is set to go then you're gonna go and you're

[00:57:14] [SPEAKER_00]: gonna figure it out so yes i started off like you know you want yoga you want who wants

[00:57:19] [SPEAKER_00]: yoga packages you want yoga who wants to do yoga drum circle like you know you do a few things

[00:57:24] [SPEAKER_00]: you have to think about what your gifts are and then monetize them you know i mean that's basically

[00:57:30] [SPEAKER_00]: what if you're not a person that has a job job that's digital that you can work from anywhere

[00:57:34] [SPEAKER_00]: then you're probably entrepreneurial so if you're entrepreneurial then like what does that look like

[00:57:39] [SPEAKER_00]: you know and what do you means i am a minimalist in the sense of like i yes i'm a pack rat and i

[00:57:47] [SPEAKER_00]: have a lot of stuff in that like i carry around books so i'm trying to get a kindle so that

[00:57:51] [SPEAKER_00]: i don't have to be a library anymore but like i don't need a lot to be happy living you know like

[00:57:57] [SPEAKER_00]: i'm cool just making if i'm near the beach i got a fruit stand over here i'm good like some local

[00:58:03] [SPEAKER_00]: food i'm straight you know i'm not trying to live the way like i'm not trying to live like i'm in

[00:58:08] [SPEAKER_00]: miami or anything like that because i didn't want that if i wanted that i'd still be in miami so i

[00:58:14] [SPEAKER_00]: think that the first thing is to really check in with your mindset and be sure and and really

[00:58:19] [SPEAKER_00]: be confident that you can make it happen and also it's like the saying like in you know if you can

[00:58:24] [SPEAKER_00]: make it in new york you can make it anywhere that's just in general in life you know like if you're

[00:58:28] [SPEAKER_00]: life in you can life anywhere you know what you have to do you need to find a way to make money

[00:58:33] [SPEAKER_00]: get a place to stay feed yourself that's really the basic needs and then from there your life

[00:58:39] [SPEAKER_00]: will get exponentially better anyway because you're not gonna feel you won't have all the

[00:58:44] [SPEAKER_00]: stress of having to probably work two three jobs and all this other stuff you know so right

[00:58:50] [SPEAKER_00]: that's really i just think that if you want to do it you should just make the way to do it

[00:58:56] [SPEAKER_00]: bet on yourself know that you have the skills and that you're going to be taken care of like when

[00:59:01] [SPEAKER_00]: you take that push out then you will be supported you know but you need to figure out how you're

[00:59:06] [SPEAKER_01]: going to make money that's great perspective thank you does araya i appreciate that welcome

[00:59:11] [SPEAKER_01]: and i'm sure that so many who are watching and listening and will watch and listen

[00:59:16] [SPEAKER_01]: will appreciate that perspective as well and this has been an amazing conversation i've thoroughly

[00:59:23] [SPEAKER_01]: enjoyed learning about your journey abroad and how you've been able to use those gifts that

[00:59:30] [SPEAKER_01]: you're talking about for healing and for helping people transform the way that they see themselves

[00:59:39] [SPEAKER_01]: and the way that they live in their bodies so how can our audience stay connected with you

[00:59:44] [SPEAKER_01]: and learn more about root and align and maybe join one of your curated trips yes i'm actually

[00:59:51] [SPEAKER_00]: booking for cuba in january for the jazz festival that's going to be really hot so if you really

[00:59:56] [SPEAKER_00]: like jazz music along with all the other stuff that i mentioned you'll want to hop on so i'm

[01:00:00] [SPEAKER_00]: in the middle of like a rebrand with my website so everything is on instagram so my instagram

[01:00:05] [SPEAKER_00]: is at root and align and in the bio that's where all the links are for all the trips and how to

[01:00:11] [SPEAKER_00]: you know get on my mailing list and you know book a call if you want to talk about moving or

[01:00:16] [SPEAKER_00]: anything like that so instagram is kind of like my place right now so root and align great well

[01:00:22] [SPEAKER_01]: i encourage anybody who feels like they need a getaway where they can move be free in their

[01:00:32] [SPEAKER_01]: body learn how to be more free in their body with the help of desiree and your expertise

[01:00:40] [SPEAKER_01]: to definitely check out root and align again desiree thank you so much for taking the time

[01:00:46] [SPEAKER_01]: to come on the show for black expat stories i look forward to keeping in touch and to

[01:00:52] [SPEAKER_00]: joining one of those curated trips yes ma'am you got to get on out here so you can see

[01:00:56] [SPEAKER_00]: what it's all about in person and um thanks again for having me and it's so good to

[01:01:00] [SPEAKER_00]: connect with you after like all these years of kind of floating around internet space

[01:01:06] [SPEAKER_01]: absolutely i always love connecting with folks that um i come in contact with and that's one of

[01:01:13] [SPEAKER_01]: the gifts of this expat lifestyle is yeah ability to to make all of these connections and so

[01:01:20] [SPEAKER_01]: for sure desiree please keep up this amazing work it is so necessary and um thank you again

[01:01:29] [SPEAKER_01]: thank you thanks for listening and watching as we continue exploring the journeys of black expats

[01:01:35] [SPEAKER_01]: finding freedom healing and belonging across the globe are you feeling inspired to embark on your

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