The Travel Seven: Trina Stewart

Name: 
Trina L. Stewart

Home City/Country: New Orleans, Louisiana | USA

Occupation: Clinician

Website/Links:
 Instagram, @travelingttrina

Passport Stamps Include: France, Italy, South Africa, Mexico, Canada, Bahamas, Bermuda, Trinidad, and counting....

1. My best travel memory so far is… Hearing the waters from the Trevi Fountain in Rome for the first time. I had always wanted to travel more or learn a new language. After months watching the Travel Channel and planning my trip to Italy, it had finally came to fruition and the Trevi Fountain was high on the list of sights to see. As we navigated through the streets of Rome with our guide books and maps in hand, I remember hearing the sounds of water bubbling before we saw it and I knew we had found it!! This very event set the tone for all my future travel experiences, I learned that with a good plan properly executed you can go places you have never been before.

2. My favorite hotel & why…In Cape Town, the Three Cities Mandela Rhodes Place Hotel & Spa (formerly Mandela RhodesPlace). It's a wonderfully appointed, fully equipped apartment style hotel that leaves its guest wanting for nothing. The hotel was a tribute to Nelson Mandela's life and work and the lobby is filled with many of his famous quotes on the walls. I learned that a portion of hotel profits went to the Mandela Rhodes Foundation. Aside from the marvelous view of Table Top Mountain, convenient location and exceptional amenities, knowing that I was giving to a great cause made this hotel my favorite.

3. My must-haves on any flight are… An audiobook, bottled water and my travel blanket and pillow set.

4. When I’m on the road, I absolutely hate… Flight delays and rude guest service agents.

5. My dream destination or vacation is… Any place I where I can bring my friends and family with me. It calls to mind the saying "there is more happiness in giving than receiving." Whether I am traveling to the islands of the Caribbean or Victoria Falls in southern Africa sharing, that experience with someone I care for and can appreciate it would make any destination a dream to me.

6. The three things I can’t travel without are… My iPhone, my cross body saddle bag and a balanced sense of adventure

7. The top lesson I’ve learned while traveling is… Maya Angelou once said " be present in all things and thankful in all things." Traveling has taught me this lesson well. After the flights are booked, the hotels have been selected and plans have been made, there's nothing more important than taking it all in and being thankful for the opportunity to travel. Thankful for the opportunity to see and appreciate a part of the earth that many may not ever have a chance to see. So stop and breathe and take it all in. Make that very moment count because in an instant it can all be taken away from you. Stop wanting, wishing and waiting. You have this very moment ...seize it!

#travelfly

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