On episode 34 of the My American Meltingpot podcast we’re talking about travel, family and finding self. Yes, we’re in the middle of a global pandemic and travel is probably the last thing on anyone’s mind right now, but this episode isn’t about planning the perfect cruise or finding cheap flights. My guest on the show is Lisette Austin, and she shares how travel helped her find herself as a mixed-race Black woman who also happens to be adopted. And then we dive into this new trend in the travel world called DNA travel and how it connects with identity, family and finding self. Yes, these are our favorite things to talk about here on the Meltingpot.
Lisette Austin is an award-travel expert and is the host of the Globetrotter Lounge podcast where she interviews women who have found creative ways to travel more. She is also the creator of the online course: Jet Set 101 – Becoming a Travel Hacker. When Lisette is not talking travel, she is a web designer who also spent years working in university research. She lives in the Seattle area with her husband and teenage son.
Topics Discussed on the Show
- Multiracial Identity politics
- Traveling while Black and Brown
- Why DNA Travel is a great option for adoptees and Black Americans
- How to DIY your own DNA Travel experience
- How travel can help you find your authentic self
- Why Lisette fell in love with Brazil and subsequently became a “Brazil nut.”
Links from the Show
To follow Lisette’s travel adventures, sign up for her course and/or tune in to her amazing podcast, visit her website, JetSetLisette.com.
Follow Lisette on Instagram for beautiful inspiration.
Lisette is a big fan of Ancestry.com and she has used the site extensively to help find her birth family.
On the show we also talked about DNA companies that work exclusively with African Americans. The company I was speaking of but couldn’t remember the name is, AfricanAncestry.com. I am not endorsing the company, but you are welcome to check them out.
How AirBnB is getting in on the DNA Travel experience and selling it to you.
While I didn’t mention that I wrote a travel memoir on the show, Lisette and I did talk about how leaving the United States allowed us to see ourselves outside of the racist paradigm defining us in the United States. My memoir Kinky Gazpacho is all about the experience of traveling while Black and finding myself authentic self during my travels.
I hope you enjoy this episode. I loved it!
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Be well!
(Featured Photo credit: @vaycarious from nappy.co)
