Fleace Weaver, founder of BlackGirlTravel.com, recently sponsored a 17-year-old Georgia teenager’s trip to Rome, Italy for the first “Look Back, Give Back” competition. The goal is to facilitate travel and empower young girls to become world citizens. I got an opportunity to interview Na’Isah and Fleace while on her trip via Skype. Take a look. There’s a few giggles to be had within.

Black Girl Travel Sponsors Teen Trip to Italy from Christelyn Karazin on Vimeo.

Read Na’Isah’s daily entries of her travels here.

After the interview, Fleace gave some more thought to one of the questions I’d asked…

I would like to re-answer your interview question about my most memorable moment with her. It happen today. As mentioned in the interview, Na’Iash decided she want to travel with an airline escort. Yesterday she seem very confident about the decision but during the taxi ride to the airport, I sensed a little doubt in her as she start asking more questions about the process. I did my best to assure that she would be okay. After her check-in, I walked her to security and watch as she advanced in line. Then came her defining moment (and mine) and point of no-return as walk thought the metal detector alone, I started to cry. My heart was full of joy and pride, as she walked confidently to passport control but not before looking back for me and giving a big wave good-bye. I may not be her mother, but a that moment I felt like I was part of her rebirth from a “girl” that have never taken bus, train or even flew on an airplane before into a young women, ready to take on the world, tears started rolling down my face. While on the train riding back to the city, she called me. I could her the stress in her voice. She was at the assigned gate and no one else was there and she felt lost. I asked her to take a deep breath and walk over to an information board and look to see if there had been a gate change. Because of her lesson the day before on reading departure information boards in the train station for our trip from Rome to Florence, she was able to read the airport board and tell me her new gate number. She walked to the new Gate and looked for her flight number at the gate and said “It is my number and it says New York”. I replied “Brava” you did it. I was so proud that once again tears started rolling down my face as I started to smile. International travel is not always about the big things, sometimes the greatest joy can be in watching a child walking alone though passport control, knowing she is walking into a brighter future and you feeling blessed to have play a small part in her journey. This were my most memorable moments with her, ones that I will cherish for a lifetime.” Thank YOU Na’Isah!