Insights

In honor of our veterans, World Footprints shares an intimate conversation with Dr. Betty Moseley Brown — one of the first women of color to join the U.S. Marine Corps. She reflects on breaking barriers, lessons in leadership, and how travel remains her path to transformation. 🎖️✈️

Welcome to South Africa, the country with too many names! The list is long, but some of the most notable options include the Republic of South Africa, my absolute favourite country, Mzansi, and the rainbow nation.

I’m a frequent traveler—it’s unusual if a month goes by without an overnight trip. Trial and error have taught me what things are essential and what overpacking looks like: I’m thinking of you, that Caribbean cruise I took for my tenth wedding anniversary. FYI, you do NOT need two large suitcases for a 7-day cruise. Next time, I’ll pack a carry-on, wash some things in the sink, hang them to dry on the convenient line in my cabin, and wear them again, content in knowing I won’t be dragging too much luggage through the airport and cruise terminal.

I never expected to become the adventurous traveler I am today. My comfort zone has done a complete 180 over recent years, and I have the unbeaten path to thank for it.

When I was a kid, I thought everyone popped into quirky little antique shops when they traveled. After all, my family did. We built entire day trips around it. We’d spend hours drifting from shop to shop in Cadiz and Paducah, Kentucky, or Watertown, Pigeon Forge, and Lebanon, Tennessee. Those shops can be as informative as museum visits, especially with a knowledgeable companion. They can help you get to know the area in a distinct way. I still make it a habit to visit antique shops when I travel, and I think you should, too. Here’s why.

If you’ve never been to the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival (MVAAFF), here’s your invitation to something truly special. This isn’t just a film festival. It’s a celebration of Black creativity, legacy, and community — all set against the stunning backdrop of Martha’s Vineyard. Every August, Oak Bluffs transforms into a vibrant hub of storytelling and connection. It’s where filmmakers, activists, artists, and audiences gather to experience a week of screenings, panels, parties, celebrity sightings and cultural exchange. If you’re joining for the first time, here’s everything you need to know to make the most of it.

To some people, a passport is a piece of paper gathering dust in the bottom kitchen drawer. For others, it opens doors, opportunities, and experiences. Several years ago, van life was the epitome of packing up the family and hitting the road. They went wherever the map led them. The excitement of waking up in a different place was hard to quench.

Award-winning artist and sculptor Tyree Guyton started The Heidelberg Project in 1986 as a political protest after he returned to his old Detroit neighborhood, the Heidelberg area in the McDougall-Hunt Neighborhood, and found dereliction and debris. Drugs and crime made the neighborhood unsafe to walk even in the daytime. He began cleaning up vacant lots with the help of his grandfather, Sam Mackey. Then he took the first step in what became known as the Heidelberg Project; he painted his mother's house with brightly colored polka dots as a statement that we are all different but should all be treated equally. It became known as the Dotty Wotty House, sometimes called the People's House.

In my broken Thai, I pointed toward the water and looked at the boatman. “Bua?” I asked. "Bua" means lotus in Thai. I tried to mimic the local accent and used a hand gesture, hoping he would understand and take me to see the flowers. He nodded and smiled, mumbled a string of words that I could not understand, and steered the boat into the open water, still shrouded in morning fog. The boat slowly pierced through the dissipating mist, eerily silent, like something out of a sci-fi movie. Before us, a sea of pink lotuses started to unfold, bit by bit, like a watercolor painting coming to life with each brushstroke. It was surreal, almost like a dream, yet it was real. My jaw dropped in awe when the scene finally unfolded in its entirety.

When you hear the term astrotourism, you might think about famous figures like William Shatner taking a Blue Origin New Shepard rocket to the edge of space. But astrotourism isn't about going to outer space; it’s about enjoying outer space from good old planet Earth. It's a type of ecotourism centered around dark skies and celestial events such as eclipses, meteor showers, comets, and auroras.

In this special commemorative episode of World Footprints, we reflect on the courage, grief, and resilience that define the American spirit—from the families of fallen soldiers to the enduring legacy of President John F. Kennedy, and the heroism of World War II veterans. This evergreen tribute episode honors those who served and those who continue to carry their memories forward.

Viewing a solar eclipse had been a goal since childhood, but after experiencing one, I knew that one would never be enough. I had joined the ranks of the umbraphiles—eclipse-chasers, literally, “shadow lovers.”