

This Travel Blogger Has Visited Over 40 Countries & These Are Her Favorite Destinations
Black Girl Wanderer is a series spotlighting the travels and explorations of Black women journeying the world. Black women in all their magic and all their glory wander the earth, sprinkling the earth with their brown and their gold.
Romie Robertson, 26, is a travel blogger and a former English teacher who currently helps manage a nonprofit that supports professionals in becoming certified classroom teachers. She is also skilled in the EdTech and education policy space. Her travel content goes beyond the fluff and Instagram trends. Instead, it shows an in-depth view of what a place is like while sharing the history, culture, and traditions of destinations worldwide.
As a Black Girl Wanderer, she has visited over 40 countries and is based in Atlanta with her husband, who she met at Harvard University. She was first bit by the travel bug during childhood when she visited Frankfurt, Germany with family. From there and throughout her adolescence, she traveled throughout Europe. As a travel blogger, Romie bridges educational and inspirational travel content on her platforms to inspire viewers to travel deeply and with meaning. One of her most memorable trips was the two weeks she spent roaming Hawaii with her husband.
"I'm sad about the over-tourism situation in Hawaii because it's truly one of the best places on Earth, and people should experience it. However, I hope the state and local governments successfully implement policies to preserve Hawaii and prevent the inundation of tourists," she tells xoNecole.
Her best travel advice is not to compare yourself and your travels to the flashy content Instagram portrays because there are beautiful places to explore in one's backyard! If you don't have many resources to travel, start where you are.
Read more about Robertson's adventures and travel tips below.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Romie roaming the Batu Caves of Malaysia.
Courtesy of Romie Robertson
August 2022
"Kuala Lumpur (lovingly called KL) is so underrated. This city has something for everyone, and the best part about KL is its affordability! Amazing food, museums, attractions, cultural landmarks, and shopping exists. I truly was blown away by how much of a metro KL is. I learned that you don't have to spend much money to have a great experience. This was the second stop in a multi-city/multi-country Asia trip that my husband and I did. I decided to stop here because I saw amazing KL content from other creators online, especially when it came to places of worship and the KL skyline.
"A few must things to experience include Batu Caves (don't leave Malaysia without seeing it). Hungry Tapir (phenomenal vegan/vegetarian restaurant). Sri Maha Mariamman Temple. Petronas Towers. Masjid Jamek Jalan Alor (famous for street food). Jalan Petaling (Chinatown market)."
Pro Tip: "There are plenty of affordable Airbnbs and hotels with beautiful infinity pools overlooking KL's gorgeous skyline — book one! And schedule at least four days in KL, if you can. There's so much to do."
Jamaica
Courtesy of Romie Robertson
October 2022
"There is truly no place on Earth like Jamaica. The natural splendor, the famous culture, the people. My husband is Jamaican, so I've gotten the pleasure of forming a close relationship with this island. Every time I visit Jamaica, I learn more about appreciating — and paying attention to — the beauty of Earth. My most recent trip to Jamaica was in October-November 2022. I visited to support some business my husband was doing and then gallivanted around the island having fun with friends.
"There are infinite things to do in Jamaica. Here are some things off of the top of my head: Boston Jerk Center, partying in Kingston, Bob Marley Museum, 7 Mile Beach in Negril, bamboo rafting in Ocho Rios."
Pro Tip: "Try to see only some things during one trip. Plan to visit the island at least 3-4 times and explore a different region during each trip. I've been to Jamaica over six times, and there's still so much that I have yet to see."
South Korea
September 2022
"South Korea is definitely a bucket list destination because of its distinct culture and global impact. South Korea has something for literally everyone – outdoor/natural spaces, foodie culture, museums/cultural activities, shopping, and nightlife. The list goes on. One memory (out of many) is the last night we spent in Seoul. We sang our hearts out in a private karaoke room. I remember lots of Beyoncé songs. Then we walked outside to do a group photoshoot in our neon outfits, and rain started pouring down. We decided to do the shoot anyway, making for a cool photographic effect. Then we showered, stayed out all night partying in Hongdae, and ate some of the best take-out pizza at 3 a.m. It was a great night. "
"A few must-visit places in Seoul are Gyeongbokgung Palace, party in Hongdae and Itaewon, shop in Gangnam, Gwangjang Market, and Korean Karaoke. In Busan, check out Gamcheon Cultural Village, Haeundae Beach, Igdae Coastal Trail, and SpaLand Centum City."
Pro Tip: "Visit a traditional Korean spa. Talk about self-care! South Korea has an awesome spa culture that everyone who visits should experience. Once you leave, you'll feel like a brand new person."
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Featured image courtesy of Romie Robertson
Smile, Sis! These Five Improvements Can Upgrade Your Oral Hygiene Instantly
This article is in partnership with Sensodyne.
Our teeth are connected to so many things - our nutrition, our confidence, and our overall mood. We often take for granted how important healthy teeth are, until issues like tooth sensitivity or gum recession come to remind us. Like most things related to our bodies, prevention is the best medicine. Here are five things you can do immediately to improve your oral hygiene, prevent tooth sensitivity, and avoid dental issues down the road.
1) Go Easy On the Rough Brushing: Brushing your teeth is and always will be priority number one in the oral hygiene department. No surprises there! However, there is such a thing as applying too much pressure when brushing…and that can lead to problems over time. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and brush in smooth, circular motions. It may seem counterintuitive, but a gentle approach to brushing is the most effective way to clean those pearly whites without wearing away enamel and exposing sensitive areas of the teeth.
2) Use A Desensitizing Toothpaste: As everyone knows, mouth pain can be highly uncomfortable; but tooth sensitivity is a whole different beast. Hot weather favorites like ice cream and popsicles have the ability to trigger tooth sensitivity, which might make you want to stay away from icy foods altogether. But as always, prevention is the best medicine here. Switching to a toothpaste like Sensodyne’s Sensitivity & Gum toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth will help build a protective layer over sensitive areas of the tooth. Over time, those sharp sensations that occur with extremely cold foods will subside, and you’ll be back to treating yourself to your icy faves like this one!
3) Floss, Rinse, Brush. (And In That Order!): Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it”? Well, the same thing applies to taking care of your teeth. Even if you are flossing and brushing religiously, you could be missing out on some of the benefits simply because you aren’t doing so in the right order. Flossing is best to do before brushing because it removes food particles and plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach. After a proper flossing sesh, it is important to rinse out your mouth with water after. Finally, you can whip out your toothbrush and get to brushing. Though many of us commonly rinse with water after brushing to remove excess toothpaste, it may not be the best thing for our teeth. That’s because fluoride, the active ingredient in toothpaste that protects your enamel, works best when it gets to sit on the teeth and continue working its magic. Rinsing with water after brushing doesn’t let the toothpaste go to work like it really can. Changing up your order may take some getting used to, but over time, you’ll see the difference.
4) Stay Hydrated: Upping your water supply is a no-fail way to level up your health overall, and your teeth are no exception to this rule. Drinking water not only helps maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth, but it also washes away residue and acids that can cause enamel erosion. It also helps you steer clear of dry mouth, which is a gateway to bad breath. And who needs that?
5) Show Your Gums Some Love: When it comes to improving your smile, you may be laser-focused on getting your teeth whiter, straighter, and overall healthier. Rightfully so, as these are all attributes of a megawatt smile; but you certainly don’t want to leave gum health out of the equation. If you neglect your gums, you’ll start to notice the effects of plaque buildup, which can irritate the gums and cause gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Seeing blood while brushing and flossing is a tell-tale sign that your gums are suffering. You may also experience gum recession — a condition where the gum tissue surrounding your teeth pulls back, exposing more of your tooth. Brushing at least twice a day with a gum-protecting toothpaste like Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum, coupled with regular dentist visits, will keep your gums shining as bright as those pearly whites.
Why Do Millennials & Gen-Zers Still Feel Like Teenagers? The Pandemic Might Be The Reason.
There’s nothing quite as humbling as navigating adulthood with no instruction manual. Since the turn of the decade, it seems like everything in our society that could go wrong has, inevitably, gone wrong. From the global pandemic, our crippling student debt problem, the loneliness crisis, layoffs, global warming, recession, and not to mention figuring out what to eat for dinner every night. This constant state of uncertainty has many of us wondering, when are the grown-ups coming to fix all of this?
But the catch is, we are the new grown-ups.
As if it happened without our permission, we became the new adults. We are the members of society who are paying taxes, having children, getting married, and keeping our communities afloat, one iced latte at a time. Still, there’s something about doing all these grown-up duties that feel unnaturally grown-up. Enter the #teenagegirlinher20s.
If there’s one hashtag to give you the state of the next cohort of adults, it’s this one. Of the videos that have garnered over 3.9M views, you’ll find a collection of users who are overwhelmed by life’s pressing existential responsibilities, clung to nostalgia, and reminiscent of the days when their mom and dad took care of their insurance plans.
@charlies444ngel no like i cant explain to her why i had to buy multiple tank air dupes from aritzia #teenagegirlinher20s #fyp
The concept of being a 20-something or 30-something teenager is linked to the sentiment of not feeling “grown up enough” to do grown-up things while feeling underprepared and even nihilistic about whether that preparation even matters.
It’s our generation’s version of when we ask our grandmothers how old they are and they simply reply with, “I still feel 45,” all while being every bit of 76 years old. In this, we share a warped concept of time while clinging to a desire for infantilization.
Granted, the pandemic did a number on our concept of time. Many of us who started the pandemic in our early or mid-20s missed out on three fundamental years of socialization, career development, and personal milestones that traditionally help to mark our growth.
Our time to figure out and plan our next steps through fumbling yet active participation was put on pause indefinitely and then resumed provisionally. This in turn has left many of us hanging in the balance of uncertainty as we try to make sense of the disconnect between our minds and bodies in this missing gap of time.
Because we’re all still figuring out what the ramifications of being locked away and frozen in time by a global pandemic will have on us as a society, there really is no “right” way of making up for lost time. Feeling unprepared for any new chapter of life is a natural rite of passage, pandemic or not. However, it’s important to not stay stuck in the last age or period of life that made sense to us because self-growth is the truest evidence of personal progress.
So whether you’re leaning on your inner child, teenager, or 20-something for guidance as you fill the gap between your real age and pandemic age, know that it’s okay to grieve the person you thought you would be and the milestones you thought you’d hit before you ever knew what a pandemic was. If there’s anything that the pandemic taught us, it’s that we have the power to reimagine a better world and life for ourselves. And if we tap into our inner teenager as a compass, we can piece together our next chapter with a fresh outlook.
Sure, we’ve lost a couple of years, but there are still some really amazing ones ahead.
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Featured image by Stephen Zeigler/Getty Images