"On the map now, they tell me sit in the throne/I tell ‘em I'm not concerned with the crown or the robe/Just wanted to meet the world, become a man on my own/And I did, now the name's household, Santiago" - "Samsonite Man", Fashawn ft. Blu

 

Traveling is in my blood. The first trip I ever got to take was with my parents, to Puerto Rico. I was three years old, and the faint recollections I do have consist of time playing on the beach as Mom sat on our blanket under a sky that wasn't totally blue, and eating at a Pizza Hut when they used to have those red & white checkered tablecloths to go with the amber-colored plastic glasses. From that point on, my childhood was dotted with various trips across the country and into Canada with family. It was usually a tandem effort between my Mom and my Grandma Smith to get Pops to go on the trips, since he worked long hours as an internist at the hopsital with his own private practice. Through them, my love of travel was nurtured heavily along with my love of reading. "The world is bigger than your block," Grandma Smith would say to me from time to time. Those words carried weight, with both sides of my family hailing from the proud nation of Jamaica in the West Indies. 

I used to jet in and out of New York City so much at certain periods once I started working after college. I can remember when Megabus first arrived in the U.S., and were offering roundtrip fares to Washington D.C. One of my closest friends had moved to the city, and I jumped on the chance to explore that town. If you remember when Megabus began, they advertised fares for a dollar. A DOLLAR. ROUNDTRIP. Once or twice I only paid fifty cents because I booked early. It was during that time when another close friend of mine called me "Samsonite Man" after the Hip-Hop track by the California MC Fashawn. That song sticks with me because it felt damn good to jhit the road and not worry. To just enjoy a different city and live. Considering that I was dealing with turblence on my freelance writing career then, that time was valuable for me to think.

These days, I find myself in that same space for different reasons. I lost my mother before 2022 closed. And I'm still dealing with all of that grief. The one thing that has been a restorative balm for me? Travel. I made my way to eleven cities the following year. As 2024 comes to a close, I'll have hit eight cities. It's been a mix of luck, careful research and good timing that's made it possible. I don't take it for granted being a Black man being able to travel like this, because there still are racist asshats that make it a point to question whethere or not I can afford to or why I would. Each trip is a middle finger to that crowd, and you'd better believe I relish that. Being a Samsonite Man is a pleasure, a privilege and a duty. The latter part mainly because my grandmother's words ring in my ears, imbuing in me that through travel I get to see and be a part of this world rightfully and righteously.