Today we’d like to introduce you to Kika Claude.
Hi Kika, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m Kika, and I like to refer to myself as a part-time traveler. While I admire people who are able to quit everything and travel the world, I have found that this particular lifestyle is not for me. I have managed to visit 51 countries since 2009, and I do not plan on stopping! I flew before I could walk, and I have a really cute baby passport photo. Though I was raised in Haiti, I have been flying a few times a year since my first trip. As a child, my parents would ship me off to their various siblings scattered along the East Coast of the U.S. during school vacations, and I learned to speak English while speaking to my cousins, attending summer camp, and watching way too much PBS Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon. I am passionate about languages. I am quintilingual, fluent in French, Haitian Creole, English and Spanish. I can also hold a conversation in Italian, retaining the skills from my study abroad experience in Rome. I took an Intro to Mandarin course a few years ago but I only vaguely remember some phrases.
I am currently learning Arabic through an app (Duolingo), and I plan to learn Zulu next. I grew up thinking I wanted to be an attorney, then I had the most miserable time in law school and upon graduating, I decided lawyer life was not for me. I had some great work experiences, but ultimately the stress was too much to bear. I’m also one of the few people you’ll meet who genuinely love airports. People think I’m crazy when I say that, but it’s true. I love airports! I think it has to do with my brain associating airports with so many great travel memories. I even got a job at one of New York’s area airports after leaving the law field. I have moved on to the Hospitality and Tourism sector and obtained a Master’s Degree from FIU to better understand that field. I am much happier now than I was when I worked in law. I ended up quitting my airport job to travel while simultaneously completing my Master’s. I had never planned to travel full-time, I only needed a change of scenery, and I had saved enough to afford not working while I traveled. My journey only lasted about five months.
Those five months taught me a lot about myself, and I sometimes wish I could get a five-month sabbatical every year. After returning stateside, I worked in a prestigious spa, then for one of the world’s top multinational hotel chains (my dream company, if I’m being honest) in various management roles. The pandemic really affected my industry badly but I have high hopes for recovery very soon. I post tidbits about my travels on my blog and on Instagram as a way to keep my travel memories alive. I also aim to make travel more relatable. If I can manage to visit all these places while living a normal life, it shows other ambitious young women with similar passport privileges that the world really can be at their fingertips.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Being a part-time travel blogger with a full-time job has certainly not been a smooth road! I am fortunate that I was able to save enough for my travels and that my various bosses have mostly been very accommodating with my schedule. I work hard at my regular job, and I use every single hour of PTO I earn. I don’t have any sponsors, so everything is out of pocket. I have been very diligent with budgeting. In terms of writing, there is so much I want to share on my blog, and I really have started putting myself on a schedule and giving myself deadlines.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I do not aspire to be an influencer with millions of followers. I think that is probably what sets me apart from a lot of people. I started my blog because my family and friends encouraged me to. I used to post dozens of albums per trip on my personal Facebook page. I would have these long captions and travel tips. I still give travel advice freely to anyone who hits me up. I also resisted joining Instagram for a long time because I didn’t like the idea of not being able to upload dozens of photos at once. So my blog comes more from a personal place. I’m still just having fun without the pressure to perform and have a perfect feed.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
The hospitality industry is poised to change drastically once the world reopens. I am anticipating a lot more slow travel and a lot of focus on sustainability, cleanliness and health. A lot of brands have already started pivoting their products towards catering to people’s concerns. The pandemic destroyed business and jobs, and I think it will probably take five years or longer for those jobs to return; some will never return due to businesses going under. I like to stay optimistic, though; travel will be different but hopefully, it’s better for the planet.
Contact Info:
- Email: kika@sometimeskikatravels.com
- Website: https://www.sometimeskikatravels.com/
- Instagram: @sometimeskikatravels
Image Credits
Main photo (in Morocco) by Arica Sharma.
