You may be wondering why did I choose the name Bajan chocolat unycorn for my blog? Well it’s because I’m weird as F, awkward, bougie, and quirky 🤗 🤗 🤗 It’s my mother’s fault she gave me two first names – Cheryl-Ann I couldn’t help but be different, extra and special 😉😉😉 LMAO

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Being Bajan or Barbadian is the core of who I am and represents the things I love the most. My immediate family is my everything, they support and love me and they don’t criticize my choices (or at least not to my face…lol 😉😉😉)

Chocolat… well I absolutely love chocolate, it is my favorite food group and I really love this word (corny I know)

Unycorn because I am a series of weirdness, contradictions, an unexpected combination of values and opinions, awkwardness. I live life at my own schedule, pace, terms despite what others do and think.  I am often late to catch onto new stuff  and I can be sitting in a room of people totally checked out into my own thoughts.  I often hear random songs in my head in response to things people say  (see my post title) and you can catch me swaying to it unconsciously sometimes lol 😝😝😝 and I have embraced all of it

So I’m finally starting a blog.

For the past 4 years my friends have been asking me to write a blog about my experiences living abroad and traveling. I am now getting around to it…story of my life, late to the party but 😝😝😝 that’s me. Marching to my own beat, discovering things after everyone has, doing things at my own pace – often all late- in other words being my version of a unycorn.

If I had to describe myself I would say that I am a most unlikely introvert who works as a School Counselor (imagine that) and I talk to students for a living which is difficult at times but enjoyable mostly.

Most people who don’t know me well are surprised to find out that I am an introvert because I like to talk, I enjoying socializing with friends and I travel a lot.  I love my “true” friends of which they are few because I don’t have to pretend to be interested in something or make small talk.  They know I’m quirky, and corny, and weird and opinionated and they accept it and even love me for it.

What most people don’t know is that it takes a lot of energy for me to make new friends and to socialize. It takes a lot of mental energy to syke myself up for an event.  It is easier in international schools to make friends because you typically come in with a cohort of people which leads to an easy friend group (yeah!!!) but not necessarily for me. This can be great because I don’t have to try as hard to meet new people but it can be a burden for me because as an introvert I would often rather go home and watch netflix, or read or listen to music instead of going out drinking even though I love a good mojito😉😉 .  I want to be invited to events but I also want the freedom to decline and still get invited next time.  Often I will change my mind last minute about attending an event because I don’t have the energy for small talk. More than likely I will leave an event without saying goodbye because I don’t want to deal with having to explain why I am leaving or people trying to convince me to stay.  And the biggest thing is that although I may hang out with my co-workers, very few of them really get to know me personally outside of the big group thus another obstacle for developing new close friendships.

Since August 2010, I have been working internationally and I can count on one hand the amount of close friendships I have made. It’s not that I don’t like the people I have met, it’s just hard to get past the initial friendship phase for me where I share my deep thoughts.  It requires work that most people are unwilling to put in plus I move around a lot.

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My quirks can be a deterrent for some, I HAVE SO MANY!!!! 🙄 but I am worth the energy 😉

There’s music I won’t listen to, artists I won’t support (insert current day tomfoolery and #MeToo violations)

Reality shows I don’t like to watch – I don’t do the fighting and loud talking

Things I have no interest in trying and I am not willing to be convinced to try (bunjie jumping. Sky diving, camping, swimming with sharks…yikes) at my core I am a not an adventure seeker

I am kind and generous, I believe in seeing the good in people but I’m blunt and unwilling to pretend when I disagree with you

I don’t friend people on facebook that I currently work with (my political views are not for everyone) and I have a low tolerance for mean or selfish people. I will break up with you if necessary.

Things that make me happy 😚😚😚 

The beach aka “my happy place” 😍😍😍 (being born in Barbados I love the ocean, it calms me)

Anything related to Barbados and soca music 😍😍😍😍😍  (ya dun know #socajunkie, Bajan to de bone)

Colorful clothing (reds, yellows, orange, purple, green, blue but red is my favorite)

Coconut, mango and ginger ice-cream are my favorites

Chocolate (but with nuts not a creamy center)

Red velvet cake or german chocolate cake (I don’t like white/yellow cake)

Live music and concerts (still trying to see Tarrus Riley in concert, never got to see Prince 😭😭😭)

Traveling (I love seeing new places, going to museums, eating in new restaurants and taking photos)

New earrings (I have an addiction and typically buy a new pair every time I travel)

Food (I love to eat but not cook😐  since I only eat chicken, and fish,  my diet is limited but I will try any dish with these things)

Sunsets, beautiful art/things

I can be adventurous but I struggle with anxiety too, I just work really hard not to let it stop me from traveling and living in new places and exploring my wanderlust. #BlackExpat #travelismytherapy #mytraveljourney #blackandabroad #blacktravelculture #wanderlust #Blackwomenwhotravel #blackwomenwhoblog

Next post…my journey into international education and the unexpected