Today we’d like to introduce you to Destiny Mojica-Taylor.
Hi Destiny, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
My journey starts on Waters Ave at the bus stop in front of Stillwell Towers. I took my first bus ride with my Papi, where we rode around and I got to see new parts of the city that I had never seen before. My first adventure. That bus ride and the stories my grandfather told me showed me there is beauty in new experiences, no matter how small.
My mother came from Canovanas, Puerto Rico when she was nine years old, (by way of the military), and had lived in Savannah since. She went away to Texas for a while but a bundle of joy (me) brought her back home to family. My family isn’t rich and have always worked hard for everything we have, but I don’t have a sad story to share. My childhood was filled with love, laughter, and life. We shared good times, hard times, and all the stories in between. Everyone that surrounded me were storytellers, that spoke life into their experiences and dreams that gave life to my love for travel.
What broke my heart was when I stepped outside my house and seeing the number of people that felt they couldn’t travel or afford to go on adventures. In enters my new life goal. The goal is to share with everyone that we all deserve to experience something new and everything that life has to offer. Easier said than done for a nineteen-year-old college student who was broke as a joke. Nevertheless, I decided money would not be my excuse for not living, so I decided to take a trip and create a budget to get there. The plan worked! I documented my trip from what I did to how I did it on my first blog The Young and Richless. Six years later, the strategy is still the same just under a new name. The Nomadic Southerner blog is still home to trips and travels around the country and world, but also captures the adventure that can be explored right here in the 912. The pandemic, like everyone else, grounded me in more ways than one but didn’t hamper my need to explore. During the pandemic, I was reminded of that first bus ride. My first adventure happened right here in Savannah. Now, I plan to not only become a tourist in my own city and be the homegirl that can give you local insight but also share the stories of our local and creative community. It’s really only just begun.
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?
“Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair. It’s had tacks in it, and splinters, and boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor—Bare. But all the time I’ve been a-climbin’ on, and reachin’ Landin’s, and turnin’ corners….”- Mother to Son by Langston Hughes.
As long as I have breath in my lungs, obstacles and challenges are bound to arise. Not to be a Debbie Downer, but we all will/have experience them. My biggest challenge right now is fear and how do I help my community overcome it. I don’t have an answer for you yet, but I’m working on it.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
The Nomadic Southerner blog is on a mission to share trips, travel, and tips from around the city, country, and world. I specialize in budget travel because I am a coin pincher by nature and I know many others are too. We work too hard to waste money. I am honestly proud of every trip I take because my goal is always to experience the most a place has to offer while staying on budget. If I had to choose, the trips to Spain and Paris are my crowning jewels not because of the location but everything I was able to accomplish on a tight budget. What sets my how-to’s, reviews, and ideas apart is that they are created for the BIPOC community from the BIPOC community. This isn’t to single any one group out because everyone is welcomed on the journey, but travel is experienced differently by BIPOC depending on where we go. The goal is to share that anything and everything is possible, however, I write with full transparency and truth. I weave in culture, community, and compassion into every post to not just be read, but felt.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
By day, I work in Business Development with the locally woman and veteran-owned company, scDataCom. Being able to work with Savannah businesses and surrounding organizations helps me foster relationships with amazing clients day in and day out that also see the growth that is happening in our area. I am also a Rotarian with the Rotary Club of Metropolitan Savannah.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.thenomadicsoutherner.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamdestinymojica/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenomadicsoutherner
Image Credits
Jaleisa Gilbert
Destiny Mojica-Taylor
