My mood now and forever is to maximize my time and stop talking myself out of living my life. I've been blessed with opportunities to go out and see the world around me and that's exactly what I set out to do. I promised myself that I would make traveling more of a priority because it truly has its benefits on an emotional, creative, and wellness level. One of my travel goals is to explore every country in Europe. Yes, that's right, every single one. I traveled to London when I was much younger and I thought revisiting the country as an adult would be a great way to kick-off my mission to explore Europe.
Last month, when I turned 27, I decided this was going to be the start of it all. I only had four days off from work and I was not going to let that interfere with celebrating my day like a Queen and knocking a few things off my bucket list. I made a list of a few things I knew I wanted to do and did some research on how to do it. I'm not going to lie, four days didn't initially sound like a lot of time but when I put together my itinerary, I was able to do much more than what I expected.
I think I have nailed down how to make the most of these mini-vacations, so it's only right that I share it with you. Here's how you can make the most out a four-day trip in London.
See What’s Going On In The City
I think one key is trying to see what's going on in the city. Search Eventbrite, local event pages for that city, Facebook, Meetup, anything that posts events. You'd be surprised at what you can find there. Prior to getting to London, I looked at what events were going on and that's how I stumbled across the Carribean Carnival, also known as the Notting Hill Carnival. It's filled with Carribean pride, and let's just say Londoners really know how to turn things up. There was music, costumes, food, activities, and floats. I knew London had a Carribean community but I was also impressed by how large it was and how they showed out. Of course, with the Carnival, you can expect nightlife events to continue the celebration. Learning what's happening in the city ahead of time is an easy and fun way to get the most out of a short stay.
Find Deals On Tours In The City
If it's your first time in a city or country, there is nothing wrong with being a tourist. I personally think you should visit a place more than once so you can fully enjoy everything a place has to offer. However, tours are a quick and easy way to knock out all of your tourism interests in one go.
When I went to London, I signed up for a tour with River Thames Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Cruise. When I booked my sightseeing tour, we visited important and historical monuments and places to see in London. I even stopped at the London Eye and enjoyed the entire view the city had to offer from the Ferris wheel-inspired setup to take in the view of the city. Plus, you can have a drink or two if that's your thing.
You can choose from a variety of tour options, depending on what you want to see. The tour prices range from as little as $10-$68. And you get to see the city without breaking your pockets, which sounds like a deal to me.
Visit Cities (Or Countries) Close By
If you are visiting a place like London that has a train system that takes you to nearby cities, please go! From London, I took the train to Paris and went on another tour through Golden Tours. We toured the Eiffel Tower, took another boat cruise in Paris, and visited the Louvre Museum. In my opinion, it's the most inexpensive way to get the most out of your trip and the most bang for your buck. Each activity would have been way more if I booked each event individually. All together, everything came up to $260 including our roundtrip train tickets. You can check out how to get the most of your trip to London and Paris through another article on our site here.
Go Out And Explore
Some of the cutest gems tend to be right in front of us and in places we overlook. Take the train and explore places in the city or around your hotel. Whether you're shopping, going for a bite, visiting bars and lounges, just go out and enjoy the local scene as well. London has a very diverse selection of food, for every type of diet. If you're vegan/vegetarian/pescatarian, you still have a lot of options. Most restaurants are very friendly with dietary restriction and they offer a little bit of everything.
While London isn't known for a particular food, you can definitely find great places to eat. One of my favorite restaurants was an Indian cuisine name Mogul. This one isn't super vegan-friendly, but if you like Indian food, it's a great choice. If you're stuck on where to go, ask the employees at the hotel you're staying or ask any locals you may run into. You can also check pages like Airbnb that offer experiences and recommendations on things to do and see.
Get the most out of your mini-vacations, you can enjoy more than you think.
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Adrian Marcel On Purpose, Sacrifice, And The 'Signs Of Life'
In this week's episode of xoMAN, host Kiara Walker talked with R&B artist Adrian Marcel, who opened up, full of heart and authenticity, about his personal evolution. He discussed his days transitioning from a young Bay Area singer on the come-up to becoming a grounded husband and father of four.
With honesty and introspection, Marcel reflected on how life, love, and loss have shaped the man he is today.
On ‘Life’s Subtle Signals’
Much of the conversation centered around purpose, sacrifice, and listening to life’s subtle signals. “I think that you really have to pay attention to the signs of life,” Marcel said. “Because as much as we need to make money, we are not necessarily on this Earth for that sole purpose, you know what I mean?” While he acknowledged his ambitions, adding, “that is not me saying at all I’m not trying to ball out,” he emphasized that fulfillment goes deeper.
“We are here to be happy. We are here [to] fulfill a purpose that we are put on here for.”
On Passion vs. Survival
Adrian spoke candidly about the tension between passion and survival, describing how hardship can sometimes point us away from misaligned paths. “If you find it’s constantly hurting you… that’s telling you something. That’s telling you that you’re going outside of your purpose.”
Marcel’s path hasn’t been without detours. A promising athlete in his youth, he recalled, “Early on in my career, I was still doing sports… I was good… I had a scholarship.” An injury changed everything. “My femur broke. Hence why I always say, you know, I’m gonna keep you hip like a femur.” After the injury, he pivoted to explore other careers, including teaching and corporate jobs.
“It just did not get me—even with any success that happened in anything—those times, back then, I was so unhappy. And you know, to a different degree. Like not just like, ‘I really want to be a singer so that’s why I’m unhappy.’ Nah, it was like, it was not fulfilling me in any form or fashion.”
On Connection Between Pursuing Music & Fatherhood
He recalled performing old-school songs at age 12 to impress girls, then his father challenged him: “You can lie to these girls all you want, but you're really just lying to yourself. You ain't growing.” That push led him to the piano—and eventually, to his truth. “Music is my love,” Marcel affirmed. “I wouldn’t be a happy husband if I was here trying to do anything else just to appease her [his wife].”
Want more real talk from xoMAN? Catch the full audio episodes every Tuesday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and don’t miss the full video drops every Wednesday on YouTube. Hit follow, subscribe, and stay tapped in.
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Colman Domingo’s Career Advice Is A Reminder That Our Words Shape Our Reality
When it comes to life, we are always here for a good reminder to shift our mindsets, and Colman Domingo just gave us one we didn't know we needed.
In a resurfaced clip from an appearance at NewFest shared as a repost via Micheaux Film Festival, the Emmy award winner dropped a gem on how he has navigated his decades-spanning career in Hollywood. The gem in question? Well, Colman has never identified with "struggle" in his career. Let that sit.
Colman Domingo On Not Claiming Struggle
"I’ve never said that this career was tough. I’ve never said it was difficult. I’ve never said it was hard," Colman said. "Other people would say that—‘oh, you're in a very difficult industry. It's very hard to get work and book work.’ I’m like, I’ve never believed that."
Instead of allowing himself to be defined by other people's projections about their perceptions of what the industry is or was, Colman dared to believe differently even if his reality was playing catch up with his dreams:
"Like Maya Angelou said words are things. And if you believe that, then that's actually what it is. Actually I've just never believed it. Someone told me some years ago, they said, 'I remember you were, you're a struggling actor.' I'm like, 'I don't.'"
"I wasn't attached to a struggle. I was attached to living..."
He continued:
"Even when I was bartending and hustling and not having opportunities or anything, I never believed that I was struggling because I wasn't attached to a struggle. I was attached to living and creating and being curious."
Colman’s philosophy of attaching to living instead of struggle has blossomed into an enduring career. He first made his mark on stage in acclaimed Broadway productions before transitioning to the screen, where his star began to rise in the 2010s following his role as Victor Strand in Fear The Walking Dead. From there, his presence only grew, landing memorable supporting roles in If Beale Street Could Talk, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, and the hit series Euphoria.
In more recent years, Colman has stepped fully into the spotlight with standout leading performances in Rustin and Sing Sing, both of which earned him widespread critical acclaim and Academy Award nominations for Best Actor.
With all that said, Colman's advice is no doubt powerful, especially for those who are chasing their dreams, building something from the ground up, or have question marks about what's next in their careers. Words shape our realities, and how we speak about our journeys even in passing matters.
Words Create Our Reality & Colman Is Living Proof
"I tell young people that. To remember the words that you say about yourself and your career are true. So, I choose to make it full of light and love and it's interesting and every day I'm going to learn something new even if it looks like I don't have what I want but it's important to be in the moment... you really build on the moments moment to moment.
"And you're looking back at your career as I've been in it for what 33 years and you're like, 'Wow, that's what I've been doing.' And I've stayed strong to that so I think that is truly my advice."
Let this be your sign to give your path a reframe. When the path you're on feels uncertain, the journey is still unfolding. Like Colman said: "I wasn't attached to a struggle. I was attached to living."
That's a Black king right there.
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