Flight hacks, monetization and overtourism were some of the buzz words used at Nomadness Fest, an annual event for BIPOC travelers. But the word that stuck out to me the most after this year’s event in Louisville, KY was “family.”

A quick rewind, my first experience with Nomadness Fest was after my cousin hit me up, randomly, and asked if I wanted to go to Newark for a festival for travelers of color. I’d just quit my job, had tons of Delta SkyMiles and a lofty dream of becoming a travel blogger so to Jersey we went. The event was truly life-changing. I knew what I wanted to do, but didn’t really know that it was an option for a woman that looked like me. Yet, there I was, surrounded by BIPOC (Black, Indigeonous, people of color) creators, writers and business owners that were willing to share tips and information for newcomers instead of gatekeeping what worked for them. Case in point, I was sitting next to a young woman and inquisitive as I am, I leaned over and asked a few questions, to which she pleasantly answered each one. A few moments later, they called up the next round of speakers and my friendly informant, Gabby of Packs Light excused herself and walked to the stage to speak.

Being in Bourbon Country, the spirits were aplenty and may have enhanced the warm vibes but authenticity can’t be faked and the collaborative energy flowed into 2023.

Nomadness’s queen mutha, Evita Turquoise Robinson, curated a great location for the event, offering an outdoor space to soak up the sun and a second indoor stage to cool off in the Muhammad Ali Center. Topics covered  included how to make travel dollars stretch, wellness travel, branding for content creators and the status of diversity and inclusion in the industry. While all these topics are important, what stood out to me was the focus on conscious travel and leaving destinations better than they were upon arrival.

My favorite part of the weekend was the opportunity to network and mingle with like-minded wanderers. Truth be told, my ADHD gives me the attention span of a kitten in a yarn factory so I recorded a lot of the sessions to digest later. But, during the VIP mixer and Tribe BBQ I had the opportunity to chop it up with some really dope people. Some conversations were strictly business and incredibly insightful and some were just plain fun.

Circling back to feeling of family, Nomadness weekend felt like a family reunion. Everyone from the speakers to attendees was in a pleasant mood, the DJ kept the energy up and the connections made were soul-filling. I even gained a new niece (Hey Riri gyal!) and we coincidentally were at the same festival the week before. Nomadness Fest is BY FAR my favorite event that isn’t centered around musical performances and I can’t wait to see where we go in 2024.

THE VENUE: This year there was an outdoor main stage and a second stage located inside the Muhammad Ali Center which was great at the heat of the day.

HIGHLIGHT: The Tribe BBQ on Sunday

LOWLIGHT: Nothing, really.