The Journey That Found Me
- Toronda Daniels
- Apr 9
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 22
It was in the beauty of the Bahamas that I was bitten by the travel bug.
At 33 years old, I was invited on a cruise to the Bahamas. I had never been outside of the States, and while the idea intrigued me, the timing wasn’t right. The $100 deposit was due in just a few days—and I simply didn’t have the money.
Reluctantly, I decided to wait for a better time. I told myself I’d save, plan, and prepare for a trip like that in the future. But it seems the universe had other plans. A friend offered to pay my deposit, with the agreement that I’d cover the remaining balance. I quickly agreed—and it turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life.
With only $100 in my pocket, I boarded that ship like I had all the money in the world. And so began the adventure that changed everything.
I enjoyed that first cruise so much that, as soon as I got home, I began planning the next one. And then the next. After every trip, I’d start mapping out another. Travel had taken hold of me—in the most wonderful way.
Since that first cruise in 2003, I’ve returned to the Bahamas many times. Most were cruise stopovers, but on two occasions I vacationed in Freeport. I fell in love with the place—and its people. The Bahamas was just the beginning.
From there, I ventured through the turquoise waters of the Caribbean—Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos. I made my high school dream of visiting Paris come true, and quenched a lifelong thirst by returning to the Motherland.
Travel has become interwoven with the very fabric of my life. It has been the soundtrack to so many pivotal moments:
In the wake of Michael Jackson’s death, I sat gazing at the waters of Turks and Caicos.
I watched Whitney Houston’s funeral service during a layover on my way back from Jamaica.
I tasted Brazilian food for the first time in Aruba.
I mourned my grandmother’s passing while snorkeling in the Cayman Islands.
I started a new chapter of life—my honeymoon—in Cancun.
These aren’t just trips. They’re memories, milestones, and moments that have shaped who I am.
I’ve savored the sweetness of Antiguan black pineapples, eaten ice cream beneath the Eiffel Tower, met Barack Obama’s beloved grandmother Sarah, chatted with the King of the Wangu people, and stood in awe at the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi.
Saying "yes" to that cruise in 2003 was like turning a key and unlocking a hidden passage—one that led me back to myself. Travel didn’t just awaken an insatiable thirst for exploration; it opened doors for others, too.
It inspired me to create A'Lur-En Mystique Travel, a business born from the desire to share the world with as many people as possible.
Today, I can’t imagine life without travel. It has given me stories, purpose, and a path I never expected. And I wouldn’t trade that for anything.
Join me and the Soulful Escapes Travel Community—where we don’t just travel, we transform.📩
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