Meet Debbie from The Off Beat Life
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
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
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.
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?
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?
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
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
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
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
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,
Today’s Culture with Travel interview is with Debbie Arcangeles, creator of the Off Beat Life
What inspired you to create the Off Beat Life, and launch your podcast?
Like many of your readers, travel has always been a passion of mine. As I traveled more for leisure and work, it became a lot of fun to post photos on Instagram – especially sharing images of beautiful hiking destinations.
As my following started to grow on social media, there were requests for me to create a blog to share more information. I did start a blog and created content for a few months, but knew it was not the medium I wanted to pursue.
First, because I was less interested in sharing “what to see and do,” – there are enough incredible bloggers who do that.
Second, what really stood out to me as a traveler were the people I’ve met and the incredible stories they shared.
Third, I was more interested in how people who traveled long term were able to financially sustain their offbeat life and how others can as well.
Lastly, I wanted to allow my audience to hear the excitement from my guests when they talk about their accomplishments, the determination when they overcame obstacles and the inspiring journey they have gone through.
My boyfriend is an avid podcast listener and he encouraged me to listen to a few business podcasts and it really intrigued me.
This is when the idea of The Offbeat Life podcast came to life. I did not know anything about editing, didn’t know what equipments to get, who to reach out to, but I’ve had these obstacles before and knew that I could learn.
So, armed with my laptop, Skype, and headphones, I did my first interviews with people who were in my network, and have since gotten an actual mic, recorded over 40 interviews with the most inspiring people, been listened to in over 65 countries and featured in Refinery29.
It’s been a learning experience and every day there are always struggles. I juggle my day job with the podcast and it’s not always easy, but it is definitely rewarding.
Through the podcast, I have made close friends with the people I have interviewed and they have taught me so much about life.
What advice would you give others who either aspire to work in travel, or who wonder how to make a living from travel based on interviews you’ve had?
Don’t quit your day job until you realize what the industry is really like, and learn how you can create income from your chosen medium.
I know it can be really sexy to say, “I quit my 9-5,” but it won’t be glamorous when you have no income coming in, and you have to go back to your day job. Don’t be afraid to tap into the skills you already have to start creating income, then reach out to the people in your network to see if they need help, or know anyone who will. Making money will not be your first priority when you are first starting out, gaining experience and building your portfolio will help you create credibility. Which is why having a day job and a stable income will be very beneficial.
Once you’ve created a portfolio and have some reviews, you can start offering different packages and make more money!
Where and when was your favorite (work) experience abroad? Why?
As I am now traveling for both leisure and work, it has become really important to travel more slowly and to really enjoy the destination. So, for me any place that I can take my time to appreciate the location while I can also work at leisure is the perfect place.
A few destinations that are my favorites to work and travel in are Sardinia (Italy), Menorca (Balearic Islands-Spain), and Tel Aviv (Israel).
Why do you personally love to travel? Share a story (or two) about trips that have made a big impact on you.
For the older generation in my family, traveling was never for leisure – it was to find better opportunities and to give their children a better life. Being given the opportunity to travel for “work” because it is what I choose, rather than what I have to do is an opportunity that I will not take for granted.
As an immigrant myself from the Philippines, traveling has given me so many opportunities to see the world not just for the beautiful destinations but for the culture and the people who create such incredible places memorable.
This is why The Offbeat Life podcast, has been such a wonderful medium for me to share stories from people who have traveled all over the world and how they have been able to take advantages of the opportunities given to them, while making an impact in the world.
As a travel entrepreneur, what mark are you hoping to leave in the world?
I want to create connections between people and to give others the opportunity to see what they are capable of by sharing stories from others who have faced similar or bigger obstacles and have risen through to create meaningful lives for themselves.
Read about the Off Beat Life, listen to the Off Beat Life podcast, and check out the Off Beat Life on Instagram, and on Facebook.
Hi! I'm the founder of Culture With Travel and #CultureTrav. Please chat with us on social media and contribute in the comments! Follow @Nicolette_O
