Why are we Yachting?
If you have spent 11-15 seconds in my company, you know that I prioritize black businesses to counteract the systematic obstruction of black wealth-building in this country. It may come as a surprise to you to learn that I have not always extended this cooperative economics mindset into my travel life.
Until a few years ago, my list of priority travel destinations included mostly European destinations. I revised the list after thinking about the amount of money I spend when I travel and the gaps in my public school education related to black and brown countries. (I realize, as I type this, that the indigenous residents of this continent are people of color and that people of color are numerically becoming a majority, but you know what I mean. J)
My next two international trips were Guatemala and Ghana. In both cases, I spent my time learning about the indigenous culture and spent my money in places that were owned by locals. Most recently, I went to Seychelles for a 10-day yachting trip (with a black-owned travel company) to celebrate the birthday of a dear friend.
In the days leading up to the trip, I was very excited – excited for a new adventure, excited for my second Mother Land passport stamp, and excited to go yachting. Well, it’s probably more accurate to say that I was excited to tell people that I was going yachting. I didn’t realize this at first but, it’s true, I felt there was something fancy about yachting. And I am not alone in this – people were impressed. It was as if I had arrived or something.
Since returning from Seychelles, I have spent many hours thinking about this. Why does yachting, as an activity, signify status? Is it for the same reason that, to the American ear, the British accent connotes wealth and prestige? And if so, what do we do about it? How do we debias our list of current and aspirational activities? And, how do we move beyond a Eurocentric view of recreation and what it means to be successful? I don’t have any recommendations or solutions, just putting the questions out there for consideration and discussion.
For the record, it turns out I don’t love yachting. Seychelles was beautiful, but I got tired of being on the water. I’m thrilled to have had the experience so that I can articulate an informed opinion on the subject - this is why I will always run toward new adventures. I just think we owe it to ourselves to think about why we value the things we do. Everything and everyone around us is trying, often with the best of intentions, to sell us their point of view. We must examine everything with a critical lens, including how we spend our free time.
Genia Wright, Free Time Aficionado
www.geniawright.com
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