Traveling is awesome!
 
Going places, meeting new people, trying new foods, swimming in oceans and hiking to mountaintops. Viewing cities from skyscrapers, drinking wine street side, and checking out street style are all experiences that can make traveling somewhat of an addiction. 
 
But sometimes, the actual journey to get there isn’t as glamorous. The long flights and layovers, smelly buses, taxis and the taxi driver that rips you off or drops you off at the wrong hotel, leaving you stranded and confused.
 
Ferries that bring on seasickness, tuk-tuks in hot dusty weather, the middle seat, looking for your hotel and hauling heavy bags along the street hungry, tired, and in desperate need of a shower!!

“Oh my God, I love your hair! It’s so cool, can I touch it?”
 
How many of you natural haired sistahs have gotten these comments while traveling? Or maybe I should ask if you’ve lost count of how many times you’ve heard this? And I’m guessing that by now, like me, you’re probably used to it, and know that it comes with the territory of world travel!

​Since the beginning of time, and I’m referring to BagLady Basics time, my friends and fellow designers have been advising and encouraging me to be the face of my brand. They suggested that I model my own clothes, and share more of my life, and myself in order to form a better connection with my followers and clients. 
 
Since the beginning of time, I’ve ignored most of their advice. Not because I didn’t agree with them or thought that their advice wasn’t valid, but just because I love being the “girl in the background”.  I absolutely enjoy working behind the scenes.

​“I love it here!” I exclaimed. And with a big grin on my face, I literally jumped in the air (I do that a lot).

I felt like a kid in a candy store. Saigon was my candy store, and there were endless surprises in this city; yummy, beautiful, artistic, and kindhearted surprises waited for me down every alley and around every corner. 

What made my experience in Saigon even more delightful was the fact that I didn’t have any expectations for the trip. Ho Chi Minh hadn’t been a city I’d wanted to visit and only booked a ticket there because it was cheap and sunny. It came as a great surprise how amazing of a city Ho Chi Minh is. 

That's the question I've been asking myself recently!

First of all, I have a confession; I don’t currently own a selfie-stick as I keep breaking them, but for the most part, I’m a “solo travel girl”, and being solo goes far beyond travel.
 
I generally do a lot by myself as I just enjoy my own company. However, over the past few years (with all this growth and all), I have been putting in effort into being more social and engaging in more group activities. Surprisingly being “Social Shanya” is also fun.