Hello, readers! As we launch Detroit’s Travel Passport to the world, I wanted to let you in on Why Travel and Why Now.
My name is Hadiatu Dumbuya, and I was born into a Sierra Leonean household in Maryland 35 years ago. I used to be ashamed of my heritage, but as I matured, I realized that it has shaped and molded me in a way that no book or class could ever do. At a very early age, I learned experiences were much more beneficial than material items. Because my parents were busy working multiple jobs to provide us with a lifestyle while we watched others do family vacations, I often wondered what it would be like to go to Disney, Hawaii, or even back to Sierra Leone.
That being said I was never saddened that we didn’t have those experiences, I never allowed myself to get sad because I always believed to go places like that you had to be rich and my parents were far from that. It’s amazing to look back as an adult and fully realize that it was not that my family needed to be rich, but that travel had to be a priority, and it would then become affordable.
This column will be written to dispel myths about travel, and it’s cost, as well as the need for it. As I matured, I made travel a priority remembering the times I traveled for soccer tournaments and the friendships and memories that were created. Because I made it a priority in life I have been to over 20 countries and almost every state in the United States. The person that I have grown into through my travels is who I believe He put me here to be. My goal is to help you grow and develop into who you are supposed to be by showing you how to enhance your life with experiences.
They say if you aren’t growing, you are dying. So let’s grow together.
