Paradise Perspectives
Welcome to "Paradise Perspectives," where island vibes meet personal transformation! 🌴
I’m Riselle, the Traveling Island Girl, and I’m thrilled to have you here. This podcast is all about helping you live your best life—whether that means traveling the Caribbean. starting a new business, shifting your mindset, embracing change, or simply finding the courage to chase your dreams.
Drawing from the beauty and inspiration of my Caribbean home, St. Maarten, I bring you real stories, practical tips, and a whole lot of motivation to help you step into your power. Every episode is designed to empower you to create the life you truly want, with a little bit of island sunshine and a lot of heart.
We’ll dive into topics like career pivots, entrepreneurship, personal growth, and travel—all from the perspective of an island girl who believes that every day is a chance to start something amazing.
Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a stay-at-home mom, or someone who’s just feeling stuck, this podcast is for you.
Join me on this incredible journey as we explore how to make bold moves, live authentically, and enjoy the ride. Let’s turn those dreams into reality, one sunny day at a time.
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Paradise Perspectives
Global Gyal Alyssa's Art of Travel - How to immerse yourself in the Destination
Global Girl, Alyssa, takes us on an amazing journey of embracing fear and discovering purpose as she shares her story of solo travel across continents. Living her dream of immersing herself in a new culture and a new country every year, Alyssa is not just another solo female traveler.
From the lush landscapes of New Zealand to the bustling streets of Bali, she brings her unique perspective on the joys and challenges of a nomadic lifestyle. Tune in to hear how Alyssa's supportive family and inspiring co-workers have helped her make the decision to just go and explore and how they continue to cheer her on as she continues to live life on her own terms.
Follow Global Gyal's journey on Instagram and YouTube, and visit her website for more information, including her guide to her home island of Antigua and Barbuda.
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Get over your fears and start creating the life you want with Riselle's Fearless Transformation 1:1 Coaching Program.
Visit the website for travel and life stories that will inspire, empower, and motivate you to step into your greatness.
Follow Riselle on Instagram and watch her YouTube channel for more travel and transformation tips.
Get in touch with Riselle at hello@thetravelingislandgirl.com. Send in your questions and topics, and be featured on the show.
For those looking to visit Saint Martin, get your copy of the Ultimate Local's Guide to Saint Martin here.
I think for me, the first fear was just can I do this, can I do this? Is this? Is this I want to say? Is it safe, is it smart to do, or is this crazy mentality? I guess, of fear of this is okay, this is normal. You're not breaking any rules, you're just changing what you thought things would have looked like.
Speaker 2:Welcome to Paradise Perspectives. I'm Rizal the Traveling Island Girl, and I'm here to help you start living your best life, no matter where you're at, whether you're dreaming of traveling to exotic destinations, starting a business or even making big life changes, this is the place for you. From the beaches of the caribbean to your own backyard, we'll explore how to shift your mindset, find your purpose and take bold steps towards the life you deserve. So grab your favorite drink and let's dive into some real talk about living your best life, one sunny day at a time. Well, good morning, good afternoon, good evening. Wherever you are in the world, as you listen to this new episode of the Paradise Perspectives podcast, and whatever it is that you are doing while you listen to it, I am so very happy you could make the time to join today's conversation. I'm your host, rizal the Traveling Island Girl, and this is the podcast for you, and it's all about getting over your fears, personal growth, shifting your mindset, and we sprinkle a healthy dose of travel in there too, because, well, travel is life, or at least it is according to me. I may be sounding a bit under the weather today and a little nasal, and that is because I am definitely under the weather. Some germs rudely decided to hop into my suitcase when I was traveling back from Portland to St Martin and now I have a nasty cold, so I hope you can bear with me.
Speaker 2:In the hot seat today is travel influencer, content creator, group trip host and now my friend Alyssa from the brand Global Girl. She is an islander hailing from the beautiful Antigua and Bermuda and she spends her time moving from place to place all over the globe. Now, this chick is definitely very interesting. She differs from most of the travel influencers out there, and that is because she doesn't just visit a destination oh, no, no, no, no, not Alyssa. She stays for about a year to get that authentically local experience that one can only get if you spend considerable time somewhere. You know what I mean. You know how you and I might travel and then go oh, I wish I could stay longer. Well, alyssa didn't want to ask herself that question anymore. So she just stays for about a year in most places that she visits, and she has lived in several places all around the world, and currently she is calling Bali her home.
Speaker 2:You know what? This is not my story to tell, so why don't you just sit back, take that first sip of coffee or wine or rum, whatever is your pleasure, and take a listen to my conversation with global girl Alyssa. Alyssa, I am so, so happy that you could make the time to be here again. I should say again, because, for the listener, alyssa and I already did a recording a while back, a few couple of months actually and we had such a wonderful chat. It was an amazing conversation, only to realize afterwards that part of the conversation did not record. So goes to show that no matter how well you prepare for things, things can always still go wrong. But we made it work, despite the time difference between us, because there's, I think I'm in the past, you're in the future.
Speaker 1:Yes, it's good morning to you so good morning. Alyssa, good morning, good evening to you and good good night to whoever's listening. Wherever, we're covering all the time zones oh yes, we're covering everything today.
Speaker 2:So for just for reference, I'm in Portland, oregon, and Alyssa is in Bali, indonesia, enjoying herself.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, that's exactly where I am, Okay so you are known as Global Girl.
Speaker 2:Now what I really want to ask you first is if you could introduce who the girl behind the brand Global Girl really is.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's a good one. Wow, I was ready to give you the global girl spiel, but now you're asking who alissa?
Speaker 2:yeah, yeah, I turned it around. I gotta surprise you, I gotta keep you on your toes wow, definitely okay.
Speaker 1:So alissa is a Antiguan and Barbudan I come from, a tiny island, 100,000 people. She is a quiet person until you get to know her and then she can be loud and, you know, kind of argumentative, but also not. She's a fun, loving person. She's a person who loves family, friends. Um, the simple things in life. I should say I, I love the simple things in life and the simple things being like just good times, good people, positive vibes, going to the beach with your friends. Um, good food. I love my belly.
Speaker 2:I love my belly and um, I can't say.
Speaker 1:I cook the good food for my belly. But if I can find people who cook the good food you know, just find good food I love that. I love soca music. Absolutely, absolutely love soca music. Soca music is one of the few things that just really lifts my spirits. It's like no matter how I'm feeling whenever I hear soca, it's like, uh, you just go into this, this new world, and, um, I love learning, I love learning about, I just love learning. I love being surprised and just adding to my knowledge and, uh, in that, I find that travel is one of the great ways to learn. It pushes you out of your comfort zone so much it teaches you outside of what you view and your norm is. So I love, love travel. I have revolved my life around traveling over the past couple of years and so, yeah, that's a bit about Alyssa, that's a bit about the girl behind Global Girl.
Speaker 2:All right, so you have been traveling solo for how long now? Has it been six years or a little longer?
Speaker 1:It's been about six years, six, going on, seven years. This year, the end of this year, I will be seven years it's crazy.
Speaker 2:I've been, I know it goes so fast. Seven years. Yes, yes, yes, yes so but really, if you look at it, you have taken this whole solo travel thing to a complete new level, because you're not only traveling constantly, but you're actually your. Your goal in life, as it looks to me, is that you want to live in different continents or different parts of the world for a year. So every year you move to a different place before you were? Where were you before Bali?
Speaker 1:I was in. I was in Colombia. So, yes, so I. Every year since 2018, I told myself that I'm going to move to a new country every year, and ideally in a different continent each time. Um, starting in 2018, I started in New Zealand, then in 2019, I moved to Australia, and actually, australia is where I really got the idea. I arrived on a continent in the world that I never imagined that I would be in and live in, and I said why don't I tackle all the continents and work myself home to the Caribbean? So I did Australia for almost two years, because of COVID. Then I moved to Ghana, in West Africa. So I did the African continent for a year.
Speaker 1:Then I moved to South America, specifically Colombia, did that for almost a year, and just when I was about to contemplating not giving up, but switching paths because I wasn't where I expected to be, I had told myself it would be for five years it was already longer than that, because of COVID. Um, I told myself I was going to start by a certain age. I'd already passed that age. What am I doing with my life? Um, but then I agreed I have to accomplish the goal that I set in 2018, 2019 and the last stop was Asia, and so, after hopping around a bit in the region for the first half of this year, I landed in Bali, indonesia, and immediately I was like this is where I'm going to be for the next year okay, and do you think it's going to be a year or things can change.
Speaker 1:I think it's going to be a year. In all honesty, it was just supposed to be six months because I was, I convinced myself to cut it short in terms of, okay, I will, I don't know what country. All the other times I was very dead set on what country I would live in and I just moved to the country and figured it out. This time around I said, oh, let me go to one country, but then all this other country is there. Let me see what this country is like. So I was kind of testing them out and so I said I would do that for the first couple of months of the year, did that for about five, five months, and then, um, and then for the rest of the year I would stay in one country and that would be my year in Asia.
Speaker 1:But after coming to Bali I was like I can't do six months because I'm already. I already have travel plans to go here and there. I wouldn't ever feel truly settled. I wouldn't ever feel like I actually lived in the country, and there's a big difference between visiting and living oh gosh yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:It's going passing the honeymoon phase and pushing through that and you're not going to truly know what it feels like to live like a local, but you know just the everyday, just having your everyday, and the mundane that everybody else's experiences, but just in another part of the world. And so I realized I wouldn't be able to experience that enough in six months, so I extended it for actually staying put in one place in in Bali for one year. So I don't think it will extend. Things do change but as of right now, I don't think it's gonna extend.
Speaker 2:I was actually thinking you might love it so much it might extend more than a year. That's what I'm thinking. I'm putting my money on that I do.
Speaker 1:I do love it. I do enjoy it, but I do know that this is very tempting. It's very for lack of a better word addictive travel. Solo travel listen people, if you've never solo traveled before yeah, it can be very, very addictive exactly, exactly. And so next thing a year turn into two and three, and I can't have that. I have to be very, yeah, very disciplined but why are you keeping yourself?
Speaker 2:why are you restraining yourself from actually not doing it longer, like you keep telling yourself you just don't want to do it for that long, is it? Are there what is actually what would actually keep you back from doing it, from staying longer?
Speaker 1:I don't know. I feel like I've always imagined and envisioned myself putting on roots back home in the Caribbean and it's, it's very easy to get comfortable. Um, and I had originally set out a goal. You know the goal was five countries in this amount of time, and so I want to kind of stick with that and if I'm going gonna get comfortable somewhere, let me get comfortable back home and again.
Speaker 1:Let me sit on the roots back home and then you know I can, I can pack up and I can take a vacation here, or I can then, you know, spend time somewhere else for a little bit. But if I'm gonna settle down and set roots, ideally I would not like for it to be 12 hours ahead of everywhere else in the world. I can do that for, uh, for a period of time, but I don't. I don't think at this point that's what I want my, my entire life to look like. Maybe I do. I think I do have my blinders on just because I did have that goal. So it's interesting that you put that towards me. What if I let myself step out of that? So I have to think about that.
Speaker 2:I will, yeah so since you brought up, you know, wanting to one day put in your you know, putting your roots in Antigua or being back in the Caribbean, I wanted to ask you who was the person in your life that actually kind of like inspired you to start living this way or to start traveling by yourself? I know that your dad is very, very special to you. When you and him have a very tight bond, I mean, like I enjoy every single time you post videos and you have this video of you and him enjoying carnival together and it's like so fun to see a father daughter team up like that, you know so was he the one to inspire you to, uh, to start traveling by yourself?
Speaker 1:I think it's a combination. He's definitely one of the people but, um, I would say, yeah, it's a combination of people. He's an important part, he plays an important role, for instance, for him. I was doing I wanted to do a study abroad, and he encouraged me to pick. Or he told me I asked him if you had the opportunity to do a study abroad, where would you pick? He said the furthest, most exotic place in the world. He's like I wouldn't have that opportunity. In my head I was thinking, oh, what's closest to home or what's close to the culture I know, and he's like I would pick just the most random, furthest place, and so that kind of planted that seed in my head.
Speaker 1:Um, my mom very, very supportive as well. We traveled with her a lot as kids and so we got to see a bit. You know, I got accustomed to travel. I got accustomed to being on a plane and just experiencing new cultures and new places helped to help for me to be like, hey, I'm curious, I want to learn more, I'm meeting new people, that kind of stuff. Other aunts and uncles who, in sharing that I wanted to travel, shared their travel experiences. One of my aunts said that after school. You know she backpacked through europe for a bit and I was like I had no idea you did that. What?
Speaker 1:yeah, yeah yeah or another, and is she from the caribbean?
Speaker 2:this and yeah, yeah, yeah, she's from the caribbean, yeah, yeah you see, I asked that because it's so many times we hear, you know, stories of people that backpack through asia, through europe, but it's not. It's only now that it has become a thing for caribbean women. Um, for a long time it was very few of us that actually dared to even travel solo.
Speaker 1:That's quite interesting. It was before the internet. I think my aunt. She's in her late 50s, if not 60. She would have done it in a time after she went to university. The you're using the books. You're doing the thing you know. You're doing your research.
Speaker 2:You're using maps exactly yeah no internet, no google yes.
Speaker 1:So hearing that my family members, my, my female family members, have done and had these experiences or have gone to these far-off places, it helped me to think and know, oh, I can, I can do this. If they can do it, I can do it. Or another person, um, I worked at doing an internship and just a story she told me about, you know, every opportunity she had from school she came back home and if she, if she really thought about it, looking back, she would have used that opportunity to to go visit other countries, see other things. Um, and just just meeting other people in my travels who you know share these types of stories. Little little, I just absorbed it all and I said yeah.
Speaker 1:I realized there are certain points in your life and if you really want to do something, you have to do it now. You have to do it now, before life happens, you know life does happen and so, yeah, I agree.
Speaker 1:All of those things combined, plus a bunch of other stuff, I'm sure, helped to get me to make the decision of I'm going to do this, I'm going to move and live in this new country. My co-workers once I graduated university they were very influential because I didn't get to do the study abroad and I had this tinkling idea I still want to go to South Africa. That's why I, that's why I had settled to go, and so I told um, it was like an internship after summer thing told my other student co-worker. She was like you should definitely do it. And then she told our supervisor and the two of them were crucial in they were like, yep, have you done your research? Have you looked at ticket costs, you know? Whereas I I thought it was just a dream, they pulled it and made it into a reality and they helped to get me. They helped mentally encourage me to get me to South Africa, which that experience made me fall in love with, solo travel, and where I decided I'm going to move to New Zealand.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, it's just a combination. It's not just one person. It's not just one person. I am I constantly say this, I constantly think it. I am the product of being raised by a village 1,000% over and over, and this is what it looks like A village that pours into a person, pours love, pours positivity, pours support, you know. And so my mind was like I can do this and I, I'm right, I'm doing it, yeah yeah, and they all must be so, so proud of you too, or bad?
Speaker 1:they are, they are. And I never, I never, imagined this life for myself. I thought I would have been come home and work in a bank, or come home and work in a hotel. You know, I'm a rule follower.
Speaker 2:If you think about that now, oh no, I cannot see you working in a bank or in an office.
Speaker 1:The girl behind Global Girl, complete rule follower. So, you know, I'm like this is what she's supposed to do, this is what life is. But but again, other people were like, if I had your opportunity, I would have done this, I would do this. So I was like, yes, but I never imagined these aunts, who, these aunts and uncles, would be like, yeah, go, that's amazing that you're doing this. I thought, you know, maybe they would have said, oh, why aren't you work? Why aren't you in a nine to five? Why don't you? When are you gonna stop? You know, and so just kept getting just this yes, do it. You're following your, your path. You're doing what you love to do.
Speaker 2:That's amazing, you know, yeah, yeah it just helps to keep me, which is also very yeah, yeah, but it's also so, so very different from perhaps it is from where.
Speaker 2:How I grew up and the people around me that was very those were my. The people around me were people like you were thinking they were going to react that every time I was studying in the Netherlands, and he was the only one that was like you have a chance on a vacation, on exploring Europe, why the hell are you coming back to the Caribbean for? Go explore, don't come back here until you're done and you're ready to settle in. You know, but yeah, but growing up in the Caribbean there was a lot of naysayers, a lot of people that were too afraid for their own to do it, so they will put, instill those fears on you, project that on you.
Speaker 1:Yes, and for the longest time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, for the longest time I did not want to travel. It's only until I reached the age of 40 that I actually started doing it.
Speaker 2:So yeah, I had a little bit of a late start in the whole solo travel thing, but kudos to you, man. I have to ask you, dua Lisa, what were you know? We spoke about the fears that people instill in us and project on us, and all of that it's like did you have? What kind of fears did you have to overcome to actually make that first step? Because you know, here I was the first time I solo traveled. I think I went to a place that I already been to before, so it was a place close by, but no, not you boy. You decided let's go South Africa, yeah, For your first solo trip. So what kind of fears did you have to overcome to get there?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think for me the first fear was just can I do this, can I do this? Is this I want to say is it safe, is it smart to do, or is this crazy? So getting over that mentality, I guess, of fear of this is okay. This, this is normal. You're not breaking any rules, you're just changing what you thought things would have looked like. I originally I hadn't thought about if it's a dangerous country at all.
Speaker 1:I, when I go to places and I don't know if this is good or not so good, I don't do the digging of what's this like, what's this currency, what's this, what's that, what's that, what's that. I find I'll get very overwhelmed. So I I do minimal. I like to speak to people who have visited there, speak to people who are from there who can tell me what it is or isn't like. My dad did some research for me by speaking to people and actually he said it is. The people who he spoke to were like it's an extremely dangerous place, especially for a girl to go solo, solo travel like I would not. This is a South African saying that I would not recommend it. I would not recommend it at all. But my dad was like he's just saying that you know, like, don't worry with him, everybody has their own thing. You know you go. If you want to go, you should go, type of thing. So there was.
Speaker 1:There was at one point, that fear trying to creep in however, again, just speaking to people who family members spoke to, an aunt told her this idea. She shared with me that through the church, where she was living somewhere else, she met a South African family. They're still in very good contact and actually that family was willing to host me and so once I had that yeah, so I had that and so that made me feel a bit better, that you know somebody's going to come to pick me from the airport, so I'm not going to be stranded. Somebody. I have a roof over my head, breakfast is going to be there, I'm not going to have to worry about where I'm going to get food and nothing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, pretty much the essentials were already taken care of, to ease, I think, a lot of what could have been fears planted in my head. Um, so I don't know, I feel like, and I don't know if, if it's yeah, I don't think there were the typical fears at the end of it. I think, not just with South Africa, but in me choosing this life, the fear of is this the right decision that I'm making? Am I going to get a job after this, after you know, maybe not working the typical job, maybe not doing what my degree was? You know, not having that experience on my resume, will somebody hire me? Will I be able to? You know, what will my life look after this?
Speaker 1:But I had to tell myself don't worry about that right now. Just focus on what you're trying to accomplish and what you're trying to achieve. And I knew in my heart of hearts that this is what I wanted. I wanted to see this and I have. I'm going to take advantage of the time that I have and, whether it works out or not, I'm going to do it.
Speaker 1:At least you tried, at least I tried Exactly, and if it didn't work out, then I don't have to wonder if you know. So, yeah, that, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's, that's, that's the fairs.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly. So I want to run something past you because I'm going back to what you said when we started this conversation. You said that you wanted to stay beyond just the few days, few weeks to a month vacation. You wanted to actually integrate into the culture and live in a country. And I'm asking you this because I myself am trying to figure out why I'm doing what I am doing now, which is, I decided I didn't decide to do it for a year because you know responsibilities. Like you know, I'm still married. I have my dogs and my cats to go to. So, yeah, I didn't want to do it immediately for a year, but I'm testing the waters with two months in Portland, oregon, which is something that I always wanted to do. Now I'm just trying to figure out why we have that, why you and I have that drive to just stay beyond the time that usually it take you to be on a vacation somewhere. What is it that we want to actually accomplish? What do you think it is through in your perspective?
Speaker 1:in my when I first started out. To be honest, it wasn't quite like that. I knew my goal was that I wanted to go to New Zealand. I wanted to see New Zealand, but I knew that first of all, if you're getting vacation from anywhere, you're getting two weeks. I knew that wasn't enough time to see this country. New Zealand is far. It takes you almost a week just to get there and come back. So I didn't want to just do that.
Speaker 1:So I told myself, if I'm going to explore this whole country because that's what a lot of people do you can drive around New Zealand in two weeks. You know You're going to give yourself the time to do it. So I guess I just wanted to give myself the time to really see and explore and learn and absorb everything. But I knew I couldn't just do that in two weeks. And then after that I just thought, okay, if I'm there for an extended period of time, then maybe I could do it slowly. I can explore. I don't have to go, go, go, go go, which is also something I've learned about myself in that I thoroughly enjoy slow travel. Travel in and of itself is a lot of planning. It's money, you know it's a lot of it's overwhelming it's overwhelming and I easily get overwhelmed.
Speaker 1:So I think giving or allowing myself and giving myself that time of a year made it more realistic or enjoyable for me. And in that, in wanting to give myself the time and the space to truly enjoy and embrace this country, I learned, um, I get to, you know, meet different people or see different things or get learn the underground way of things here, not just the surface, you know.
Speaker 2:And then I fell in love with that I fell in love with that and experience things that you otherwise wouldn't experience if you were staying just for a couple of weeks.
Speaker 1:Yes, it's like I have to say thanks.
Speaker 2:I got to thank you for this because I've been trying to put it into words myself, but you're right, because it is that overwhelm, that is, that I get easily overwhelmed as well, and so I think you hit the nail right on the head, because for me as well, it is just it's a lot when you're trying to plan a solo trip At least it is for me. It's putting all of this stuff together, it is making sure that you're staying in a safe place, it's learning about a little bit about the culture from what you can gather, you know, listening to podcasts, going to YouTube and finding out about a country, anything that I can do for research, just so I have a little bit of uh, forehand knowledge before I get there and then to then do all of that work and only stay in the country for like two weeks, I think it's just not worth it. And then, what did you see? You saw maybe for like 80. Most of most of the time you see like the touristic spots you don't see. You know what it really is like.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yes, yes. You don't get to build those relationships as well with people there. You might be there during the summer, but people are like, oh, autumn time here is amazing, or this particular festival happens during this period of the year, and that would be awesome. I don't gotta worry about that, because I will be here.
Speaker 2:I'll be here you will be right, there I'm already with my two months, when my two months I'm already like, um, I'm already like maybe I should extend it a little bit, because there's things happening. I know I'm thinking about it, but let me tell you something the cold boy. I didn't think the cold was gonna hit me this hard. I mean, like I've lived in the netherlands before, I was good with the cold. I love the fall season, I love all of that, but listen, girl, the cold coming for you.
Speaker 2:I was like no I think I'm going back. Yes I don't envy you at all at rca in my short sleeve and my window yeah, look at you in your shorts and your little and your little global girl t-shirt, and I'm here like trying to keep my, my fingers from numb not going numb from the cold, you know I don't envy you at all so, listen, bali, you have now started your experience, a lot of life experience in bali.
Speaker 2:So bali is such an how should I put this such a craved destination. Right now. It's like everywhere you turn and because there's a lot of travel influencers out there, a lot of travel content creators, everybody is creating content about Bali. So what I want to ask you, as somebody who has now done the you know you have now started the steps to actually live there. You're actually living there. What are some of the things that you would tell a newcomer to bali? What would you tell them that social media has not, cannot tell you?
Speaker 1:oh, that's a good question.
Speaker 2:I think, um, I don't know if this is on social media, but one of the best things about bali is the people genuinely, um, just like are you talking about the locals, because the majority of people that actually you know put out content there about bali is always about other digital nomads and other travel influencers. They're not. I've rarely seen actual content about the people of bali itself yeah, so I am talking about the locals and it's funny.
Speaker 1:It's all the algorithm, because, because I'm over here, my algorithm is showing me local people, local social media and they're exploring their country just as much as we are, but we're not the.
Speaker 1:Our worlds aren't crossing, you know, online right so it's there, it's 1000% there and if you can follow Balinese and Indonesian locals, I highly encourage you to because, again, they know the local spots. But in terms of what you don't see from these digital media, from the western world digital media and content creators is just the people here are extremely nice, and I don't just mean because it's a tourist destination.
Speaker 2:You know, they know how to smile, they know be nice to the tourists you can just not not exactly not the nice that caribbean people kind of like most of the time have to be because we're so dependent on tourism. Let's be honest we all learn from a very early age to smile and say yes to the foreigners. Be nice, how can we help you accommodate?
Speaker 1:yeah, yeah, it is here, but in general, I think there's just a genuine niceness about the people, and I say that from right now. I live in in quite a local area and just walking on the street and you know, I'm I'm trying to smile and say hello at people who are sitting on the side of the road and everybody is like hi, you know, um, when I'm going to buy something at the little shops, just you could just feel an energy and it's, it's a nice, it's a calm, it's a, it's a just a genuinely nice energy and I think that's what makes bali bali, and I don't know if it's just like this in Bali. I haven't explored outside to other countries in Indonesia, but I've heard, once you're outside of the city, just the people. They're just genuinely nice people and I think that's what attracts people to Bali. That's one of the things that attracts people to Bali.
Speaker 1:Bali is also you see a lot online a lot of beach clubs and you know it's, yeah, these wonderful pool settings and the ocean is right there and that kind of stuff, or it's just lush and green rice fields and coconut trees and stuff like that. Um, that is, too, just another aspect of it. So, yes, you do see online, but there's so much more that you don't even see online. That truly makes you feel like I am in nature. I'm in nature, it's really, really peaceful and it brings you this calm. So I think that's another thing that you you see a snippet of it, but that you don't see the underbelly of.
Speaker 1:Just okay, there's so much this vast nature on this, on this island. Um, yeah, I think too. What else don't you see? I don't know if you see as much, but there's traffic. There's definitely traffic in bali. Don't make if you see as much, but there's traffic, there's definitely traffic in Bali. Don't make anybody tell you any difference. So make sure like I don't even like traveling during the daytime outside of my house because I hate traffic. I hate traffic.
Speaker 1:Or just use a scooter, get on the bike of a scooter. Don't take a car. If you have to, that will make your trips way shorter, um and less stressful it's good and less stressful. Yeah, the local food tastes good. I know online you hear lots about barley belly and stuff like that. Knock on wood just barley belly tablets.
Speaker 1:Yeah, bring some charcoal tablets buy some charcoal tablets and do what you gotta do. I mean, okay, if you have a sensitive stomach, please be careful, but I'm, I be eating from the local places and the food tastes good, the food I don't like spicy food. But I be eating some of the spicy food. I don't know what it is. Yeah, it tastes good.
Speaker 2:Yeah well, I as a lover of food as well, and indonesian food has always been kind of like on my top list. As you know, indonesia is conquered at one point or another by the netherlands and since, you know, living on the dutch island, we always had that influence from indonesia. So I've never been, but the food has always been part of my diet, that's for sure. But um nice. So so you're now in Bali. For how? How long have since you moved um to Bali?
Speaker 1:how long?
Speaker 2:have you been there already?
Speaker 1:about four months total, but I would have left for five weeks.
Speaker 2:So it came in may, left in july, came back in august and the reason why you left was, of course, because you couldn't miss carnival I'm not gonna say that that's the reason.
Speaker 1:I let's say I have to go back to work, I had to go back to work. I had to go back to work during Carnival, that's why it just happened to be around Carnival time. Yeah, I did go home for five weeks, and I think that, too, helped me decide that I would stay here for a year, because if I hadn't left and I stayed for a year, I would have been away from home for like a year and a half.
Speaker 2:And yeah, I find once it comes.
Speaker 1:That was a nice little break exactly when it comes to the year mark, I'm I'm itching to go home, I'm itching for that familiarity. So that helps to break it up a bit for me. And so now I'm like, okay, I can sleep for a full year, but yeah, so I did that five, six weeks back in Antigua, came home August, so it's October. So another two months, um, and I'm leaving in November for my first official group trip, group tour to Thailand.
Speaker 1:I saw that you have Thailandailand coming up I have thailand coming up, so I'll be traveling a bit around the region, and but then I'm also prepping for my group tour to bali, so I have I saw that august 2025 is bali you're organizing a group trip.
Speaker 2:How long is that group?
Speaker 1:trip. It's for six nights, seven days, and it includes your accommodation, a private tour guide for the group, all of your activities, most of your meals, like all of your breakfasts, some of your lunches and some of your dinners, but there's so many restaurants and stuff around it's not hard to figure that out. But, yeah, we take care of everything your inner city transportation going to and from the different places that we're going. So, yeah, so I've been prepping for that, but yes, so I'm about four months, in, which means I have eight months left, roughly give or take.
Speaker 1:I might fall short by like one month, but I'll still bound it up to say it'll be a year. So by next June is how long I intend to stay right, and then you have the August.
Speaker 2:Yeah, are you gonna? Are you planning on going home first before your August trip?
Speaker 1:yes, so I have a few personal things, like a wedding, um, I have in spain, and then I was like, okay, maybe I can tip home for a few. Then people from the caribbean, because this time around I'm already here, so I just have to fly to thailand.
Speaker 2:But if I go back home, then people who are coming from the caribbean, you know, I'll be able to travel, potentially with people coming over to bal Bali that is actually very cool because I I feel like a lot of times and I have hosted, you know, um group trips before to St Martin and I think that that is like the biggest hurdle is to actually get them on a flight by themselves, since there's still a lot of especially girls, women, who are just so petrified to get onto that plane by themselves, and I don't think it's just the flight and going through airports, and especially when you have layovers and stuff. I don't think it's that. That's the scariest.
Speaker 2:The scariest part I've um realized is when they arrive at the destination and they don't really know how things work so that is so, so cool that you could actually potentially travel with some uh members of the group trip you're hosting in august and then kind of like guide them from the caribbean to bali. But it's not only open to caribbean people, right?
Speaker 1:no, no, it's open to everybody anywhere in the world. Um, just once, you are somebody who I guess like-minded people. I'd love for like-minded people to come on the tour where it's be open-minded, be open to learning, be open to exploring, be open to learning about new cultures and truly exploring and seeing Bali. You know we are rolling with the flow, as Caribbean people do. So, yeah, I mean, I absolutely hope everything will be perfect, but we're making the best of it either which way, but yeah, it's definitely yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:So just like-minded, open-minded people who adventurous, maybe a little bit adventurous want a little bit of relaxation because we're doing stuff like cooking classes and waterfall visits and then we're also just chilling on the beach, you know that kind of stuff. So it's best at both worlds. But yeah, open to everybody. Open to everybody. If you're coming from the caribbean you know we can, I mean, meet up in new york to fly over wherever the hub is to fly over, type of thing. But yeah yeah, yes bali 2025, all right.
Speaker 2:So if anybody wants to participate in any of your group trips because I'm sure you're not only going to keep it at bali in 2025 and thailand this coming month well, at the time of recording, we're in october. By the time of recording, we're in October. By the time this airs, we're going to be in November and you're probably already on your Thailand trip. Yes, do you already have kind of like an idea what you're going to do after the Bali trip, where you're going to host your next group trip after that?
Speaker 1:Where I'm going to host my next group trip. I have some ideas, so I have done a survey where I've given it out to people and asked what are your top destinations, what are your top times for travel? And number one was bali, number two was italy and number three was was really so okay, and I?
Speaker 2:and are you getting any anybody? Uh-huh, yes, I saw that in your videos. That was that was very entertaining, I have to say yes, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:So I've been to Japan, but I would definitely go back. I'd want to go back and I never really thought of Italy, but I've heard Italian food is amazing so I was like, all right, I could go to Italy. I've also wanted to take a group to Ghana, so I have options. There are options of places. I just haven't decided where next.
Speaker 2:But yeah, of course. Have you gotten any interest in people that actually want you to host something in Antigua and Barbuda, to kind of like have you as their host there?
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, not necessarily, but I, I see you doing it, I see you doing something. To that extent, yeah, my my retreats are usually.
Speaker 2:It's not in saint martin, then at least in a surrounding, one of the surrounding islands, but you gotta also you got to also see it from. You know my I think I get my. My audience is mostly from the US and Canada, so I think it depends on where your audience is from. If they're from home in the Caribbean, then maybe they're not that interested in in Antigua, but I would definitely sign up If you have something for Antigua. I'm dying to go back Really.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I never dying to go back Really. Yeah, I never really thought about it.
Speaker 2:I loved it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Seeing seeing how you're doing yourself. I also follow Book of Sins, Cindy, and she does.
Speaker 2:Yes, she's doing a lot in the Caribbean. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so it would.
Speaker 2:I never really thought about it but it would be a good idea. It would be.
Speaker 1:I think it would be so interesting if you host something in antigua, I think yeah antigua through your eyes would be like super interesting yes, yes, yeah, and but I have thought about if I was to do a tour to other caribbean islands, but make it my own, you know. So it's new to me, everybody on the tour, but we're going, but it's stuff that I would like and I feel like other people would like. You know where, you know we're gonna do a little bit of adventure. We're also gonna go to a place where it's like this is not on the map, normally you're not going to see content on this. But also, you know, a little like bougie, you know, I like to touch all the combining everything yes, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:So I have thought about that and actually now you're giving me ideas for when I, when I'm, when I'm back home, setting up my roots.
Speaker 2:Maybe there's something that I can, yeah, yeah, I'm telling you, I'm thinking, I'm thinking you should, once you're back in antigua, if it so happens, that you will go back to Antigua. Because, let's be completely honest, once you start traveling solo, it never ends. You're always going to have those itchy feet, not in a medical way, but those itchy feet that are going to be like I need to get out of here. I need to go and explore something new.
Speaker 1:Yes, which I think will be my balance of these group tours. It's not going to be the only thing that I do, but the group tours will allow me to do what I enjoy and do what I love, but also help to maintain my travels, you know, in the Caribbean and beyond. So there's always going to be some country that I'm going to want to go to and going to want to see. And how cool would it be if it was with people who follow my journey and have created opportunity for them to see it as well with me. That'd be so cool.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that would be amazing. Before I let you go, alyssa, I have this one question that I really want. I'm really like so curious to see what you're going to answer. It's like if there is a woman to the woman that is listening right now that is also thinking, oh my gosh, I so wish I could do that. But you know, let's be honest, whenever you have fear in your life, you come up with a thousand excuses why you shouldn't do it. What would be like the number one advice you will give to somebody to get them over that initial fear of just trying it out, going for it?
Speaker 2:Just get over that fear and just go for it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I would say start small, start small, start small, start small. I'm the type of person who, nine times out of ten, if the seawater is cold, I'm not just jumping in, I'm going to dip my toe and then my ankle and then my knee and work my way. It might take me a long time, but I will get there. I feel like there's a lot of pressure for me.
Speaker 2:There's a lot of baby steps, exactly, there's a lot of pressure just diving in.
Speaker 1:Exactly so baby steps start small. You're not comfortable with going on a plane to I don't know 16 hours away. Maybe you're comfortable with going on a plane that's 20 minutes to your nearest island, or taking a road trip if you're in a larger country and going to the nearest town that's that's like an hour two's drive or taking a train if you're in the mainland and just trying out.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it doesn't have to be, yeah and it doesn't have to be anywhere, far anywhere thing. You let people who you're comfortable with know where you're going, what you're doing. You set all these things up, but it gets the ball rolling in terms of you in your brain thinking, okay, I'm going to do this by myself. And if it's not even that, start even smaller. Start smaller by doing something different, switching up your everyday routine. What route do you take to work? You take the same one every single day.
Speaker 2:Take a different route one day take a side street that you've always driven past and seen and you always wonder, oh, what's down there?
Speaker 1:but oh, that might take too much time. Oh, I don't know, take the time, just make that left and go down the street and see, and I feel like that's going to just like exercise. It's going to exercise a muscle, it's going to satisfy your curiosity. You're going to learn that maybe this was an actual shorter route, or maybe it was a longer route, or oh, they have this plant here or this house looks different, but it's going to feed into those things and so maybe you take a different route to work each time or just once, but then that will help to encourage you to do something else and then to do something else which will?
Speaker 1:eventually lead you to feeling uncomfortable and taking a flight or taking this trip by themselves. But just start small. It doesn't have to be something big, but just start small, something that you feel like is manageable, because, at the end of the day, you want to build a habit. You want to build a habit and you want to build your confidence, and if that's the way to go, about it, then that's the way to go about it. So, yeah, that would be my advice.
Speaker 2:That is such a good advice. I love that. Start small and move that limit. Every time you achieve one, you go a step further.
Speaker 1:I love that that is such a help you such a good advice.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely so. If anybody wants to get in contact or follow your content, your global girl content, where can they find you and how?
Speaker 1:can they?
Speaker 2:get in contact with you if in case they want, either, because we haven't even talked about that, because you know, so you can see how fast time goes right when you're having fun. Uh, we haven't even talked about your Antigua guide, because you got an Antigua guide as well, I do. Yeah, we didn't even talk about that.
Speaker 1:I have a travel guide. If you are ever going to Antigua and let's say I am not there, but you want some advice on what to do, where to go, go on wwwglobalgyalcom and you can buy my travel guide to Antigua. I have one for generally for Antigua and one for if you're going to Antigua's carnival. But it's recommendations that I would say okay, this is where you should stay or this is where you could go get something to eat. I have a local place where you can get local meals. I have places where you can get regular meals, places that are open late at night. Antigua very small, so there's not many places, places to go where you could get that type of stuff.
Speaker 1:Um, activities to do tours that I've taken or I've had people take and they're like yes, this is a really good tour. Just, I've curated an excellent experience that consists of touristy things but also local things to do in antigua, and so you can purchase that on my website for sure, for sure, for sure. And my goal, too, is that I'm going to have one for each of the places that I've lived in, because I've spent enough time here where I've done the touristy things, but then I also know the other things, like kind of the local side of things, so you can get a little taste of what a global girl experience in that country would be, until you join me on my tours and then we can do that actually in person. But yeah, I have a travel guide to antigua. Thank you so much for reminding me of that. That's one of my goals. I need to start promoting I had to mention it.
Speaker 2:I had to mention it because you were one of the biggest inspirations for me to do one on C-Martin.
Speaker 2:So yes, girl, I'm telling you you have inspired me to do, to make my own, and I have now my guide to C-Martin on my website as well, and I learned a lot from yours, so all right. So if anybody wants to get their hands on the Antigua guide made by Alyssa from Global Gear that's just a local insider. Somebody that was born, raised, lived in Antigua knows what she's talking about. If you want information on Antigua, go get yourself that guide. And if you want to go with her and join her on one of her trips, well, we're already late for Thailand, one of our trips. Well, we're already late for Thailand, but if you want to join the Bali trip in August 2025, then I guess they can also find that information on your website too, or how does that work?
Speaker 1:Funnily enough. No, they can't. I need to update that you can find. But just Google Global Gyal, global Gyal. Put it on Google Instagram, facebook, tiktok. Google instagram, facebook, tiktok. Um, where else am I? My email is globalgal at gmailcom. But send me a message also just google global gal bali, and something will pop up with my tour as well. But yeah, definitely, follow me on all my social platforms. Youtube, I'm also on youtube.
Speaker 2:Yes, revive, that don't forget. Youtube Like seriously, I have to tell the listener listen. If you have never seen one of Alyssa's videos you have, you are missing out. They are so entertaining and yet so much valuable information is shared in them as well, and I just love how you're keeping it bite size, but you're giving all of that information in just one short video. I love how you do it. Love, love, love it. Thank you so much and have yourself a really great day.
Speaker 1:I think I'm gonna call it a night yeah, oh my gosh, thank you, thank you very, very much. It was an absolute pleasure being on this podcast. I've seen it and I was like I wonder if I'll get on there one day. So this is like another goal. I guess the day is here. The day is here, so thank you so much for having me and I wish you the best of luck in Portland. Thank you for being here and with everywhere else that you're going to go.
Speaker 2:Same to you. Yes, we will. Yes, oh my gosh, isn't she just a peach? Or perhaps I should call her a little mango, since both of us are from the caribbean. Let's keep things island, all right. Alissa is just a darling, and I absolutely love how she makes tiny steps and gets over tiny fears so that you can get over that big fear later. You know, it is something that I preach myself. I could not stand more behind this advice. I think it's such a great advice that she just shared with us here.
Speaker 2:If you are now curious about her content, or you want to join her in Bali next year, or perhaps you are heading to Antigua and Bermuda and you need some local tips and recommendations, well, our girl, alyssa, is your go-to. So why don't you head on over to the show notes after you finish listening to this episode? Because I have left, of course, all the links there to Alyssa's Instagram and to her website, just to make it easier for you. You know I like to make things easier. Have I mentioned lately how grateful I am for you listening to the podcast today? Well, I am. I truly am. I am so grateful for you. Thank you, my friend, for tuning in today. It was a pleasure to bring you another interesting chat with another fearless woman out there, and I hope it inspires you to do that brave thing you have been putting off for a while. You know that thing that I'm talking about, that brave thing that you're just too afraid to do. I think I hope this inspires you to start putting in those tiny, fearless steps to get to that big thing.
Speaker 2:Okay, now I want to remind you to tune in next week for some more juicy conversations and, if you don't mind, I would love to get your feedback about this podcast. So if you have the time and you are listening on Apple Podcasts right now, please go ahead and leave a review. Listening on Apple Podcasts right now, please go ahead and leave a review. Reviews are not only great for the growth of the podcast, but they also help me because they tell me how I'm doing as the host and the creator behind it All right. So I thank you. Meanwhile, I need to fetch another tissue. Gosh, this cold is just awful, awful, but, in the words of Jerry Springer, take care of yourself and each other. Hasta luego, tot later, sayonara, arrivederci, and see you later. Alligator, I'm your host, rizal, and this has been another great episode of the Paradise Perspectives podcast. Thank you so much for listening.
