My name is Jo (OH) A to the Na! Hola friends! It’s Joana, your favorite Spanglish speaking travel blogger! Whats up, mi gente? Hope you all are doing well. I’ve been over here living that quarantine life, grasping for all the silver linings I can… you know how it is. While I’ve been trying to make lemonade outta all these lemons, it occurred to me that I’ve been writing this blog for close to 7 months now and I still haven’t officially introduced myself to you. No lo puedo creer! I’m sorry I’ve robbed you of that opportunity, friends, cuz I’m legit DOPE! Jajaja. Nah, I’m just foolin’. But seriously though, I don’t think we can move any further in our travel relationship until you get to know me un poco mas. So, what I’m gunna do is hit you with the bare necessities of Joana so that you can get to know my essence, and see travel through my eyes.

“She’s too much for you, yet she’s enough for herself.”
-Alfaaz-E-Hayat

Posing in front of my favorite bit of street art, “Dos Alas” in Spanish Harlem.

Soy Yo

Primero, con lo primero: I’m a Latina. Boricua+Cubana to be exact. A Bronx- born, Light-skinned Afro-Latina if you wanna dig a little deeper. I’d say I’m a mix of isla and hood; a little bit Marc Anthony and a little bit Biggie. I fall somewhere in the spectrum between Salsa and Hip Hop. Mi Cultura is everything to me, it informs my world view 100%. So yea, I’m super proud of my heritage, my people, and my language ( hence the reason I chose Spanglish for this blog).

Having that said, Joana as an individual is ALOT! At least that’s what I’ve heard all my life. It’s a title I now wear with pride. I’m ALL the things! Sparkly, fun, loud, a bit of a control freak, energetic, authentic, outspoken, a planner, emotional, overly cautious, a realist (El Marido would say pessimist), fiery… basically ALOT and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Pero espera, that’s just my personality. I think my interests also fall under the “alot” category. You see, I’m what one might call “multi-passionate”. I am super interested in muchas cosas and (not to brag) but I do them all well, thank you very much. :). Right now, I’m a Tampa based travel blog writer as well as owner of a party planning business, Fiesta Fairy. I’m also a Hip Hop dance fitness instructor…. and those are just my side gigs! Jill of all trades, I tell you. Feel like you know me yet?

“Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.”
-W.B. Yeats

Homeschool

Homeschool mom. Teacher. Facilitator. World-Schooler. Those are a few more of the titles I carry. Yep, I homeschool the niños, you read that correctly. I’ve been doing it for almost 8 years now. You see, yo soy una maestra, I’m actually a teacher by profession. I got my degree in Early Childhood Education but decided against teaching in public schools because I just wasn’t sure it was a right fit at the time. As luck would have it, mi primer niño turned out to be highly gifted (reading at 4) and I started investing time into educating him in fun ways. Before I knew it, he was too far ahead of his peers to perform well in Kindergarten, and I didn’t want to accelerate him. So, I started homeschooling, thinking that it was to be temporary fix that I could provide due to my training. No lo era. It wasn’t temporary at all, mi bebe flourished and then when La Niña came along, she did too.

The thing is that homeschool is no longer what I thought it was when I was growing up. It now comes with community, and networks of other families doing the same thing, and online resources, and “cooperatives” where families can take classes as a supplement to their at-home learning. Amigos, It’s been a wonderful ride! Not without it’s hiccups, of course. I mean, homeschooling can be truly difficult, y a veces I wanna strangle these kids, but the benefits far outweigh the hardships. One being that we get to travel all the time and learn on the go. My kids have la oportunidad to have their learning come to life in a way that most other kids don’t, and we take full advantage of that. Also, we’re all very close, and that’s another benefit of homeschool. We may not do this forever (we actually reevaluate our decision to homeschool every yr) but for now it works for us. I wear the title of Maestra proudly.

“We dream in colors borrowed from the sea.”
– Author unknown

Los Colores

I live my life in screaming technicolor. The brighter the better, to be honest. But the color that brings me the most joy is turquoise. Me encanta ese color! It’s the color that you see on a peacock’s feathers, or a mariposa’s wing, or a robin’s egg. I love everything about it, but mostly that it is the color of the waters of the Caribbean. And a color that the indigenous people of the Americas used in a lot of their jewelry. It’s like the color is tied to my ancestry in some cool way, plus it’s damn pretty. Verdad que si? There is something both vibrant and calming about turquoise. I just love it. Further proof that I’m just naturally partial to it, is that my heart gets happy whenever I see it while traveling. I find myself immediately grabbing for my camera when I see cool turquoise things. Like this super rad door at St. Munda’s Church in Glencoe, Scotland or these bomb ass couches at the W Hotel in Buckhead, Atlanta. Cute, right? “Whats your favorite color?” seems to be one of those run-of-the-mill “get to know you” questions that everyone asks, but I truly think my favorite color does in fact speak to my vibe so I had to include it in my list!

“Be the woman who fixes another woman’s crown without telling the world it was crooked.”
-Vaishnavi Khelkar

Empowered Women, Empower Women

“If I’m shining, everybody gunna shine.” Lizzo knows her shit, y’all! Listen to her! I am a firm believer in the fact that real queens adjust each other’s crowns. I have NEVER been that chick that needs to push others down to feel seen. Why? When we can all shine brighter if we share our light? Too many times, las mujeres pensamos that if someone else is prettier, smarter, or more accomplished than we are, they’re either better than us or standing in the way of our success. No es asi! They are just living their lives the best they can, and they have their own issues to deal with tbh. If I focus on being MY best self and helping the gals around me do the same, then I’m happier and I get the bonus of a tribe that can compliment me as well as help me grow. And the cherry on top, el mundo entero starts to see that women are stronger and more powerful than the stupid “catty” stereotypes that society throws upon us. This might just be my life goal, y’all. I work really hard at being a beacon of support to other women. I do this by celebrating their wins, and also by celebrating my own. Confidence in one’s self is also a way to help other women grow. YOU set the example, entiendes? In my tribe, my friends know, “If I’m shining, everybody gunna shine!” Can I ask in advance to make that my epitaph? 🙂

“She had a cocktail in her hand and confetti in her hair.”
-Kate Spade

Cocktail Girl

Cocktail girl here! The fancier, the better. Make it fruity, make it smooth, make it pretty, and I’ll gladly drink it. Keep your beer! Que asco! Hold on to your champagne! No me gusta! When I go out, I want a fancy cocktail in my hand. Call me bougie if you want, I’m cool with that. I spent most of my 20’s living in a dry county (one of those strange places where they don’t sell alcohol), and now that I’m in my 30’s… I’m ready to indulge. For reals! Notice that I said “indulge” and not “abuse”. I know the difference, friends. I practice moderation. It’s just que me encanta el sabor; I love the taste of a well-made cocktail. I love that they require effort and expertise to make. I love that they are a form of “drink art” too, created to be aesthetically pleasing as well as delicious. I’m also down for the fact that cocktails come with preposterous and memorable names. How can you not dig a drink named: “Old fashioned”, or “Side Car”, or “Between the Sheets”. Amiright? The word “ale” just doesn’t compare, even though beer is cheaper. Truth is, cocktails go down smooth and are good to the last drop. They feel like a treat at the end of a hard day or a magic elixir at the beginning of a crazy night. Yea. All love for the cocktail. Matter of fact, might make me one right now…

How pretty is this Old Fashioned from Craft Street?

“Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.”
– John Muir

Take a Hike

I’m a city girl. Periodt. Not fond of the woods, or wild animals, or creepy crawlies. Mi familia will tell you, Joana and nature don’t always get along. It’s true… unless you are talking about hiking. Hiking has become one of my favorite things to do while traveling to a new place. I don’t know why my brain separates the two things, but I think it has something to do with the lack of peligro or perceived *danger on a hike vs the nightmare that is an animal- infested wood. Most hiking trails are worn, well-traveled paths, and wonderfully animal-free on most occasions. Also, they offer unas vistas that are beautiful enough to melt a city girl’s cold, dead heart. HA! Like the one I saw at Valley of Fire National Park, or the one I saw at Catbells Mountain in the Lake District of England. Vistas that you have to work hard to take in; they don’t come for free and that’s honestly a reason why they are so breathtaking in the first place. I am finding that as I age, I need that quiet time to commune with the outdoors more and more. I need to get away, to feel unplugged and free. Feel me? And you guys, esa sensación of feeling small in a vast, beautiful world… that shit is addicting. Now more than ever, I can’t wait for my next hike. Being trapped indoors for months is making the itch to climb a friggin mountain hella strong!

” A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin, and culture is like a tree without roots.”
– Marcus Garvey

Nerd Alert

I’m a history nerd. There I said it, lo admito! I’m a total dork when it comes to anything related to history. I’m that girl that likes to thoroughly research a place I’m going to, to understand all of it’s stories before I even step foot on the plane. En mi mente, it enriches my travel experiences when I know what I’m looking at and why that particular thing is significant. I’m the girl that reads every single travel marker while exploring a new place. I get down-right giddy when I find a new one, in fact. Yea, you can laugh. I’ve been known to come across a new bit of information about an important historical figure and proceed to spend hours down an internet rabbit hole about said human. I’m talking articles, movies, videos, books, commentary…. all of it. That happened to me with Mary Queen of Scots, while touring Edinburgh Castle. It happened to me with Alexander Hamilton, seeing Hamilton on Broadway. And it happened to me with the ancient Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, after seeing the Assyrian Gates in the British Museum. Mi amor para la historia doesn’t stop with people either, architectural accomplishments and structural marvels like the Roman Baths (above) blow my mind too. I like to think my fascination with the stories of the past is adorable, like totally cute, but even if it’s not, soy yo… and I’m alright with that. At the very least, I’ll be that bitch that walks around with a knowing grin while others just stroll right past cool shit, completely oblivious to it’s significance.

“Just because it is not in a museum does not mean it is not art.”

Street Art Lover

Imagina, you’re quickly walking down a dreary street in the sketchy part of town, trying to quickly leave behind the shady ambiance around you for a more picturesque area when BOOM: you see a big and colorful mural painted on to the side of a building. If you’re anything like me, that piece of graffiti changes your whole outlook on the entire neighborhood. De la nada, it morphs into a vibrant area, rich with culture and life… all because of that bold street art. Street art brings me an immense amount of joy. Because it’s beautiful and because it pops with color, yes. But mostly because it is a representation of the people! Real people with real ideas, real talent, and real things to say. Street art is, and has always been, a visual portrayl of the community; it’s pulse. It tells a story about who makes up that community, and the things they are living through or struggling with. Es una cosa bella para mi; I find it inspiring to no end. Street art is one of the things that I can’t help but take pictures of in every single city I travel to. If you were to scroll thru my camera roll, you’d find it’s about 40% street art. What can I say? I’m sucker for the art form. If it’s the art of the disenfranchised people of a community, even better. If it’s “for the culture” , then even better than that!

“Some girls are just born with glitter in their veins.”
-Paris Hilton

36 birthday glam at The Crystal Dining Room in Tampa.

I’m So Fancy

Listen up y’all, I’m a fancy bitch. I jump at the chance to morph in my most “chula” self. It wasn’t always this way; I used to hide behind clothing and let them swallow me. Yet, ever since I found my confidence and started feeling comfortable in my own skin, I’ve been like, “The fancier the better!” Bring me sparkles! Bring me a backless dress! Bring me that thick, shiny choker necklace! I’m here for it all! Si te digo la verdad, I don’t dress up everyday… not even most days. But I LOVE to, and that’s the point. I create opportunities to go full-on glam! Like the night that I made my friends put on formal dresses for drinks at the Chandelier Lounge in Vegas’ Cosmopolitan Hotel. Or the time that I encouraged my tribe to join me for a Fancy night of cocktail bar hopping for my 36th birthday! See, dressing up is a form of self care for me. It’s about the very act of indulging IN ME. Taking the time to get dolled up, FOR JOANA. When I put on that bright red lip, I’m doing it to celebrate her… not her mami/wifey alter ego. That’s invaluable for me. Plus, I love fashion and makeup so I enjoy the whole process. I aint gunna lie, adoro the feeling of walking out into the world, knowing I look bomb, too. That doesn’t suck.

“I’m patiently waiting. I’m passionately smashing every expectation, every action is an act of creation.”
– Hamilton

“All The World’s a Stage…”

Una ultima cosa. The last thing you must know about me to get my general essence is that I’m a theater kid, through and through. I did musical theater all throughout my youth and it is in my blood now. Any opportunity to dance out and burst into song, and I’m THERE! Por primero, those are my people! It’s a well known fact that the theater community (whether on Broadway or in high school) is one of the most inclusive and accepting people groups out there. Theater kids are colorful, and loud, and zany. I think my theater-loving friends also happen to be las personas mas interesantes that I know, if not the most talented. The people are reason enough to love Broadway tbh, but the music and the stories are also super RAD. I mean who doesn’t love Hamilton? Who isn’t completely broken when they listen to the score of Dear Evan Hansen? Who doesn’t choke on their gum laughing while watching Freestyle Love Supreme? Who isn’t empowered when they watch Wicked? I know! There’s a reason tickets to those shows are astronomical. It’s because te cambian la vida; they are life-changing. I may or may not belt out show tunes in the shower, and I may or may not have a running count of all the shows I’ve seen on Broadway. Maybe one day, I’ll even add actress to my list of side gigs!:)

“She has the mindset of a queen and the heart of a warrior. She is everything all at once and too much for anyone who doesn’t deserve her. She is you.”
-R. H. Sin

Alright friends, you made it! This long ass list is over! I hope that you learned some fun and interesting things about yours truly, and that the ride was enjoyable! I created this post in the name of fun and transparency. I want you to understand my world view, so that when we get back to traveling together you can see the world thru my eyes in a real way. Muchos besos to you and lots of quarantine air hugs!

Con much carino,

Joana

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