‍Vivacious Voyager: An Exclusive Q&A With The Vivacious Voyager Who's Been To 18 Countries In Counting…‍

"You really don’t know anything if you’ve never been anywhere."

Meet Aushali!

Q: Where did the name “Vivacious Voyager” come from?
A: I feel like I am vivacious and I go on voyages, so it just worked for me. I’m lively, animated, high spirit. I’m bubbly, energetic. I have a zest for life. I feel like I’m enthusiastic. I just have a spark. It’s just… all of those things.

Q: Is there a lesson you’ve learned from traveling that you could only learn by actually going?
A: Honestly, probably everything. You really don’t know anything if you’ve never been anywhere. And you can’t tell somebody about something you’ve never experienced.

A lot of the stereotypes or biases people have come from TV or what they grew up seeing. Like those commercials about Africa talking about “50 cents a day”—I’m not saying there aren’t places that look like that, but that’s not the whole continent. That’s not the whole country. That’s not the full picture.

You’ve got to go see for yourself. I don’t care if you heard French people are like this or UK people are like that—if you’ve never been, you can’t take someone else’s word for it. You’ll miss out on some of the best experiences of your life listening to people who have never even been. Some of them are trying to fear monger you into places they wouldn’t go themselves—and they don’t even have a passport.

Q: So when people warn you about places being dangerous, you don’t really take that in?
A: Not if they’ve never been. I’m not listening to somebody telling me a place is dangerous when they don’t even get out of Texas. My ears are closed.

People will say, “Why would you go there?” and they haven’t even been to the next city. I’m not taking that seriously. You don’t even have a passport. You don’t have anything to base that on.

Q: You document your travels a lot. Are you always thinking about content, or are you able to be present?
A: I think of it as a video diary because everything is so digital now. If I was getting paid, I would always have my camera out. But I’m not getting paid to do this. I do it because it’s fun.

It’s really for me. If something ever happens to my memory, at least I’ll have something to look back on and see who I used to be.

Q: People are watching you, though, and living through your content. What do you want them to take from it?
A: I don’t want people to live through me. I want people to live in real life.

I’m not watching other people’s TikToks just to live through them. I save videos because I’m going to go see it for myself. I’m not putting things on vision boards just to manifest without doing anything. That doesn’t work.

If I save something, it’s because I’m going to do it. Before I die, I’m going. That’s how I think. I don’t want people saving my videos like “maybe one day.” No—go.

Q: How many countries have you been to so far, and what’s next?
A: I’ve been to 18 countries and a U.S. territory. I’ve hit four continents so far.

I still want to go to South America, Antarctica, Australia, and New Zealand. I’m trying to touch all seven continents.

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Q: What stands out the most when you travel?
A: The people. Meeting locals, meeting people on the trip. Those interactions always stay with me.

Sometimes you end up in groups where everyone just connects. I’ve had trips where it was mostly women, and it just turned into that kind of experience. Even with tour guides, you build real connections.

I also love the cultural exchange. It’s not like the U.S. There are certain things other countries value or practice that we don’t. It can be culture shock, but not always in a bad way. Sometimes America could take notes.

Q: Do you have any favorite countries?
A: Japan is definitely one of my favorites. Belize was really good. Greece was beautiful.

Italy stands out too. It looks like a storybook. Like something out of a movie. And it’s real—it’s not a set. It really looks like that in person.

Q: As a Black woman traveler, have you had any negative experiences abroad?
A: Personally, no. I’m not going to discredit anyone else’s experience, because I know it happens, but I haven’t experienced racism or mistreatment while traveling.

I don’t go looking for it either. I just go and enjoy myself. But I know it exists because people have shared their experiences.

Q: Do you have any travel tips or rituals before you go on trips?
A: I’m actually an anxious traveler. I’m never relaxed before flying. I don’t like flying at all. I just make sure I eat, because I won’t if I’m nervous.

A lot of the airport and flight content—I don’t even record that, because I’m having a panic attack.

As far as packing, I pack like I might change my mind, because I do every time. I’ll plan an outfit and then not want to wear it. So I need options.

I try to do carry-on, but if I can check a bag, I will. Also—AirTags. France lost my suitcase once, and I didn’t get it back for weeks. Ever since then, I track everything.

Q: Be honest—do long flights ever feel shorter?
A: No. Fifteen hours feels like fifteen hours every time. Especially over the ocean. People say it goes by fast—it doesn’t.

Q: Final message for people watching your journey?
A: Don’t live through me. Go live your own life.

If you see something you want to do, go do it. I’m not rich. I just have different priorities. Travel is one of them.

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