As a little black girl growing up in Canada, I never dreamed that I would have this life. My family is Jamaican and most trips I took were to the island or to Florida, where much of my extended family live. Travel wasn’t a big thing in our family, and it wasn’t until I did a year-long study abroad in France during university that I realized I loved to travel.

Now traveling is second nature. I’ve lived and worked in Europe, Latin America, and Asia, and have travelled everywhere in between. I met my rainbeau in a club in Hong Kong, climbed a volcano in Guatemala, and in a little over a month, will go dune bashing in Dubai. I am living my best life. Overseas.

But I’ll let you in on a secret: whenever I travel I consciously count the amount of black faces I see. I just can’t help it.

And here’s another secret: sometimes, sadly, the amount of black folks I see doesn’t even fill the fingers of one hand. Even after a week-long trip.

Ladies, we need to travel more!

Some of you will deny the virtues of travel, and that’s fine. If travel’s not your thing, no worries. But I’m all about travel and the opportunities that it can afford us women of colour: broadened horizons, a variety of educational and vocational benefits, and an abundance of dating possibilities (cuz you know foreign rainbeaus love us sistas, right)?!

And this is where I come in. Because ladies, I want to help you travel more.

I already write about my travel adventures on my blog Oneika the Traveller but I’ll be coming to you here with practical posts on how *you* can live out your travel dreams abroad. I hope to offer info and insight on how to budget and plan for your trips, what to do/ where to stay/ how much to spend once you get there, how to move there when you decide that you’re ready to make the leap abroad, and how to find a job once you’ve made that leap. And yes, maybe even a post or two about the dating game on international soil, because it’s a jungle out there. *wink*

I also want to answer your questions about travel, so feel free to drop me an email at [email protected], or if you’re feeling shy, send me a request anonymously at my brand spanking new Formspring account. I’ll be doing a Q&A here based on the questions I get sent.

I’ll be honest: I have had some of the best moments of my life while abroad and have learned to make travel a lifestyle. Travel changed my life.

So let’s get the ball rolling and rock this travel thing in 2012. Where are you off to this year? Do you have any trips planned or any ideas of where you want to go?

And why do you think that black women don’t seem to travel as much as their white female counterparts? I am interested in hearing your take on the matter.