Travel shame is real! People are really out here judging others based on the places they choose to travel.

For the first time in my life, I experienced travel guilt. I'm taking my fifth trip to Europe soon and I have yet to visit the Mother Land. What's worse is I have a few more trips planned this year and Africa is nowhere near the top of the list. Admittedly, I went through a moment of travel guilt for that.

Maybe it's the fact that I've recently been in contact with a group of travel snobs that had me feeling like I was being irresponsible and denying my "African roots" by not visiting Africa. People who know me know that I have the means to travel anywhere I want. They're beginning to question my loyalty to the Black race because I choose to spend my travel dollars on European and Asian continents.

People are taking this traveling thing way too seriously.

If a Black person chooses to go to Europe instead of Africa, that makes them less "Black"? That's ridiculous! What about all the White people in America who choose to travel to Africa? Does that make them less White? Of course not. Nobody would dare to question the reason why a White person would choose to travel to Africa instead of Europe. Sadly, the only people I see pointing the finger at Blacks for not traveling to Africa is, you guessed it, other Blacks.

But, I get it. It's Africa. Africa's the Mother Land. It's the Mecca, the place where all of humanity has its roots; and, the place where Black people were violently taken away from their original homes, countries, and culture. As soon as a Black person is financially enabled to return "home", they should, right? Sounds fabulous. Just one question: where exactly is "home" for Blacks? The majority of us don't know where we originated and assuming that traveling to some random country in Africa literally means going back "home" is just ignorant and self-deceptive.

The pressure from Africans on African Americans to tirelessly attempt to discover "where we're from" is unnecessary and damaging to our relationships.

Don't get me wrong, I have an interest in traveling to Africa. I'll go to the pyramids in Giza, I'll stroll the beautiful beaches of Cape Town and experience the vibrant culture in Johannesburg. But, what I will not do is travel to Africa and act like I had a huge epiphany and awakening about myself and my roots. That type of drama is only good for YouTube videos and Morgan Freeman movies.

Travel snobs, please spare me with the conscious, "I'm more Blacker and deeper than you because I travel to Africa" talk. Let's just agree to be our authentic selves. Travel and let travel.

And, to all the people out there who have traveled to Africa and are frowning down upon those of us who have not, get over yourselves. You're no Blacker (or better) than the sister who chooses to travel to Thailand to get a taste of Asian culture or the brother who likes to spend his birthdays partying with beautiful women in the Dominican Republic.

There's too  much division in Black communities already. Let's not further divide ourselves based on where and how we choose to travel.

And, as for me, I've come to the conclusion that I'll travel to Africa when I feel like it. But, for now, I'm going to keep travelling to everywhere else on my bucket list. Because, after all, that's what I work so damn hard for: to live my life the way I want to live it and go wherever I want to go. Pay attention, travel snobs. My travel destinations aren't about you. They're all about me.

With love,

Quan Lanae Green

P.S. I just started my new YouTube channel! I'll be sharing travel vlogs and interviews with interesting people around the world. It's going to be fabulous! Click on the link and subscribe!