Name, location and what do you do?
Evita Robinson. ‘Home Base’ is Bronx, New York. I am the creator and host of Nomad•ness Travel Series.
Why are you a global nomad?
I view my citizenship as being of the world, and have a fat passport to prove it. Yet, I think it’s also my mentality. I have a worldly view in everything I do, from showcasing my travels in the series, to my memoir writing, to even beginning the DRT•BG travel bag line this past summer. My travels have completely seeped into every aspect of my life: creatively, spiritually, professionally, even socially with the friends I keep around, and launching the Facebook Group, Nomad•ness Travel Tribe.
What made you start this venture? Why are you doing this?
For a very long time I have felt that there are a few demographics missing representation on the larger travel platform. Women who travel alone is a huge market that is still gaining steam. A Black woman traveling alone is a market completely untapped to a large scale. Also, the fact that I am exploring countries with an urban point of view, and seeing how that culture translates around the world, is something fresh and relevant in today’s society.
What do you hope to achieve?
More diversity in travel. I want a kid living in my neighborhood in the Bronx to have someone that they can turn on the television and relate to in a positive way, in regards to travel. The youth around me everyday don’t even fathom being able to leave the city, let alone the country. I want to show them, as much as a kid in Japan, or a woman in any crevice of the world, that they can do it, even if it means doing it alone. It is feasible, and it is necessary for growth.
How long have you been working on this?
Nomad•ness TV since February 2010.
What is the most interesting discovery you have made since starting this project?
That as world as I believe I am, I had prejudices too. Ironically, this self-discovery of mine had been the brainchild behind a diversity workshop I am developing to bring to colleges and universities. But yea, my most interesting discoveries have also been facing demons that I found within myself, and growing from within.
Where do you see this project in 10 years?
In ten years Nomad•ness TV will be the number one top rated travel series in the 18-35 age demographic, around the world, as it will be online as well. It will be the force that binds all other projects that blossom underneath it, from memoirs, philanthropy and scholarship programs, to world-wide Tribe-like community of like minded individuals who see the artistry and beauty in travel.
When did you start traveling?
I would go yearly to see my Step-Father’s family in Montego Bay, Jamaica as a child. I didn’t ‘get it’ then though. It wasn’t until I went to Paris, France, alone, six weeks after college graduation, instead of looking for a job, that the traveling bug latched on.
How and why did you travel for the first time?
In focusing on Paris, I took a 4 week Digital Filmmaking course with the New York Film Academy, at La Femis Film School in Paris. I funded the trip through a fat loan I got while still being a student, and what would soon be a maxed out credit card. I made it work.
In what places have you lived and what languages do you speak?
I speak English. I’ve traveled to a number of countries, but lived in France, Thailand, Japan, and the US.
What’s your favorite city so far?
Paris.
If you could only take one item with you to travel the world (other than your passport), what would it be?
Journal with attached pen, so that’s kind of one thing.
Give us your global nomad profile:
window or aisle? Definitely aisle
boat or plane? Plane
train or bus? Train
walk or bike? Walk
metro or trolley? Metro
tropical, temperate, polar? Temperate
hotel, hostel or local’s apartment? Hostel
must have fashion piece when traveling? I never take off my mother’s high school graduation ring.
explore/map or tour guide? Explore/Map
