#JACultureTrav: Lasting Impressions
- 25754 Views
- May 4, 2012
- 6
Shaping Cultural Experiences
Travel has been an integral part of my life since I was a young child. I grew up in a multicultural, bilingual home in the Netherlands with a Polish mother and a Dutch father. My
- 16559 Views
- May 10, 2012
- 7
Update & BBC News Link
A brief update: One interview video will be uploaded tomorrow evening. I believe the BBC News One-Minute World News provides well-balanced reporting of news, hence why I wanted to share it. Top stories on May
- 22174 Views
- May 11, 2012
- 5
From Nigeria to Boston
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VNkCazT_T4&feature=youtu.be
When you first meet Oluwagbeminiyi Osidipe, you encounter a very vibrant, friendly, and unique personality. Oluwagbeminiyi or Niyi – as she shortened her name for simplicity – was named by her mother, who had a “very personal experience” when she had her, Niyi explained. Niyi is a Yoruba Nigerian transplant who arrived in the U.S. in 2006. As one of the most densely populated (West) African countries, Nigeria derives its name from the river that spans its land. To the South, it borders the Gulf of Guinea to the Atlantic Ocean. Originally colonized by the British, Nigeria gained independence in 1960. Its main ethnic groups are the Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, who speak English and their own respective languages, while major religions include Islam, Christianity and indigenous beliefs. Niyi shares her story, her views on politics, cultural differences she’s embraced with humor, and what we can learn from each other by expressing curiosity. Her message is simple: travel enriches us through its exposure to new cultures, and enables us to grow.
- 12148 Views
- May 16, 2012
- 6
Mark Twain on Travel
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” (American author Mark Twain, Innocents Abroad).
Have you had the opportunity to travel (extensively, within your country, or even once abroad)? Can you relate to Twain’s sentiments? How does travel enrich us?
- 12363 Views
- May 19, 2012
- 19
Pleasing The Taste Palate
Food has the wonderful quality of uniting us no matter where we are. There is nothing partisan or narrow-minded about food. It simply invites us to indulge, create recipes, and share with others. Two of my favorite Polish dishes (included in collage) are pierogies and barszcz czerwony – a beetroot soup – served on Christmas Eve in Poland. How does food bring us together? What are some of your favorite dishes and why? Can food trigger memories?
- 12484 Views
- May 23, 2012
- 2
Stereotypes: Truth or Fiction?
DEFINING STEREOTYPES: “An idea or statement about all of the members of a group or all the instances of a situation.” (Merriam-Webster). Stereotypes enable bias and preconceived notions to perpetuate, but can also reveal valid
- 11459 Views
- May 29, 2012
- 4
Annual Human Rights Report
“The world changed immeasurably over the course of 2011. Across the Middle East, North Africa, and far beyond, citizens stood up to demand respect for human dignity, more promising economic opportunities, greater political liberties, and
- 9815 Views
- May 31, 2012
- 4
Euro Crisis & Emerging Stereotypes
Brief Crisis Breakdown Since the onset of the global financial crisis, or Great Recession, in 2007, the Eurozone has feared impending growing global debt levels, as well as sovereign debt within European countries themselves. In
- 10397 Views
- June 4, 2012
- 2
Remembering Tiananmen
Today marks the 23rd anniversary of Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests in Beijing, China. Inflation, a lack of career prospects, the fall of Eastern European communism, and political corruption, are all said to have fueled anger
- 12105 Views
- June 7, 2012
- 18
Coffee's Uniting Power
A cup of coffee can bridge cultural gaps. At least, that’s what Gizem Salgicil White, founder of Turkayfe.org, believes. Her organization aims to create awareness of Turkish culture, particularly within America. Gizem is a Turkish native,
- 5380 Views
- Nicolette
- December 6, 2015
- 5
- Local Culture

Travel and social media inspiration go hand in hand for me. I love seeing beautiful come by, and reading posts about travels – whether people are on the road, planning their next trip, or reflecting on past travels. But, beyond social media, I love connecting people. On December 3, there was an exciting way to do that online and offline: #JACultureTrav.
December 3, 2015 was very special as it marked the day of the #JACultureTrav event, where our #CultureTrav team joined forces with #JAchat for a joint #JACultureTrav extravaganza. What exactly does that entail? Well, not only did travelers exchange tips, stories and perspectives with us on the shared Twitter chat (hosted by us + the #JAchat team) on the topic of Travel Inspiration, but we were also able to finally meet some of our online friends in person. Read the #JACultureTrav Travel Inspiration chat recap via Storify!
When I think about last Thursday’s events, a sense of happiness instantly comes over me. Whenever I meet a member of the #CultureTrav community, I feel as though we can connect on so many levels – through a mutual understanding of how wonderful it is to experience new cultures, to grasp the fun of learning a new language or trying a new cuisine, and to feel compelled to explore the world. While I admittedly don’t travel as much as I’d love to, I enjoy every single trip I take, and am lucky to travel at all. The #CultureTrav community allows me to interact with people who lead interesting lives full of adventure and a common passion for travel.
After a successful earlier Twitter chat, I hosted the first-ever CUlture with Travel in-person meetup in New York City. Friends joined me from near and far and around NYC, and it was simply an amazing evening filled with stories, laughs, and delicious food and drinks at a great venue, The Den at The Hyatt Herald Square.

The Hyatt’s management and service from Jordan and his team could not have been any more accommodating and welcoming after dealing with a last-minute cancellation from the other venue, but that’s a long story for another time. I’d highly recommend requesting the Hyatt’s cozy dining space for a private dinner party or business dinner.

I’d like to personally thank all for chatting with us during our regular #CultureTrav chats but also during #JACultureTrav, and for coming out to NYC, Amsterdam and Chicago to meet us. It meant so much that people joined us online and offline, and I could easily chat to the New York meetup crew for hours on end. Let’s do it again soon, all!
Thank you for an inspiring night of great conversation and lasting impressions. Last but not least, I’d like to thank my lovely co-host, Jessica (@JLipowski), and the awesome Pola Henderson (@jettingaround) and her fun #JAchat team, for collaborating on a great event!
Amsterdam
My co-host and aspiring author, Jessica Lipowski, arranged a live tweet meetup in Amsterdam at the Hoxton Hotel. It looked like a wonderful time with fellow travelers who joined the chat and then were able to continue exchanging stories offline, and you can read about Jess’s fun impressions on her site.
Chicago
Our friend Pola, who founded the #JAchat and JettingAround blog, hosted her own meetup that same night in Chicago and celebrated the chat’s second anniversary! I loved connecting with her face-to-face and chatting with/waving at her Chicago meetup group on a Skype video call, and hope that we’ll get to meet each other one day soon!
I’m already excited to plan the next meetup in January! Stay tuned for details through the NYC Culture With Travel meetup group!
Related
- digitallessburn on Learning to Cook Uzbek Food in Brooklyn with The League of Kitchens
- How to Immerse Yourself in Local Culture While Traveling on How to Meaningfully Immerse Yourself
- Plan Your Dream Italian Summer: Hidden Gems and Must-See Spots – Scoop Trends on Savoring the Earthy Flavors of Umbria
- exoticindiatours on Four Tips for Building a Cross-Cultural Family
- 8 Tips for Crafting the Ultimate Surprise Getaway for Your Beloved - Senior Cruise Planning and Tips on Travel Preferences: What’s Your Style?
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Comments (5)
The JACultureTrav Extravaganza and Amsterdam Meet-Up Was a Huge Success
13 Apr 2017[…] day. Nicolette hosted a meet-up in New York City at the Hyatt Herald Square (read her impressions here), while Pola held JAcafe in Chicago. The Amsterdam meet-up was a huge success! The Hoxton […]
londonkirsty
14 Dec 2015I took part in this on Twitter and it was fab! I love how Twitter can connect you with like-minded travellers
Nicolette
14 Dec 2015Loved that you were a part of it, Kirsty!!
So glad to have met you via the chats! One day in person!
londonkirsty
15 Dec 2015Yes, would be lovely to meet you in person one day Nicolette!
The #JACultureTrav Extravaganza and Amsterdam Meet-Up Was a Huge Success - Jessica Lipowski
07 Dec 2015[…] day. Nicolette hosted a meet-up in New York City at the Hyatt Herald Square (read her impressions here), while Pola held JAcafe in Chicago. The Amsterdam meet-up was a huge success! The Hoxton […]