Meet Ayah
Born in the USA
She’s been traveling since 2005 and has visited 14 countries across 5 continents
Travel Style: Content Creator, Family, and self-described “No-sleep, Full Schedule” type of traveler
Interview
What inspired you to become a travel writer?
Answer: I’ve always enjoyed writing. As a child, I wrote stories, poems, songs, even a book about my pet hermit crab that died ðŸ˜. Whenever anyone asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I’d say a writer. Writing about travel was just a natural merging of my two favorite things.
With travel being such a broad topic, how do you decide what to write about?
Answer: I write about anything I think people would benefit from reading, whether it’s an article that might inspire them to visit a particular place, a piece providing information on the logistics of traveling, or purely entertaining. My favorite types of stories to write are those that share the stories of other travelers, such as pieces from the Black Expat series, and articles highlighting Black businesses around the world.
As a travel content creator, is there a particular niche(s) that you belong to?
Answer: I’d say I fit into the niches of Black travel, Muslim travel, and family travel.
Could you talk about some of the challenges that content creators face? What advice can you provide on how to overcome them?
Answer: I think a lot of us have a hard time managing our time spent creating vs. living our normal lives. It can be difficult to strike the right balance when one of the ways you’re trying to earn an income literally requires you to capture life moments worth sharing. But for me, I can’t let my travels be all work. I still need time that is spent just living in the moment and enjoying the destination with my family. So it’s important for creators to find that balance that works for them.
Describe your dream destination. Are there any places, you’ve been that fit the description?
Answer: Zanzibar is one my favorite destinations. It has amazing food and weather, friendly people, and a melting pot of cultures. You can go from Stonetown, with its deep history and blend of architectural styles, to the gorgeous beaches that truly feel like a paradise. It’s a place I definitely want to visit again one day and one I always recommend to others.
Your photographs are stunning! What advice can you give fellow adventurers who want to capture and transform those perfect moments into eye-catching photos on social media?
Answer: Thank you! I love to plan my outfits to match the background. That’s so much fun for me and helps level up my pics. I know it’s not for everyone though, so a more general tip would be to resist the urge to over-edit. I use the mobile version of Lightroom and I find it to be a very convenient option for editing on the go. I encourage people to avoid doing too much, such as increasing the saturation by a lot or removing too many of the shadows. It’s good to preserve the natural essence of the image.
Name three items that you can’t travel without.
Answer: The first is my luggage scale. I love to shop and bring back souvenirs for everyone, so I need to make sure I don’t go beyond the weight limits. The other two are a compact travel stroller and a baby carrier. Switching between the two allows me to adapt to any situation while traveling with my baby.
What’s next on your travel bucket list?
Answer: I’m looking forward to visiting Southeast Asia in April. I’ll be spending most of my time in Singapore but will visit Kuala Lumpur and Bali while in the region. Also, I’m very excited for Jordan in September. I’ll start in Amman and then head to the Dead Sea, Wadi Rum, Petra, and Aqaba.
Where can we learn more about Ayah’s adventures?
Answer: You can follow me on Instagram: @ayahadventurer
