Ashley Grey

Tag Archives: travel

Let the golden age of travel begin

A new “Golden Age of Travel” according to Chris Nassetta, Hilton hotel chain CEO, is about to begin. I say amen, to that. The hospitality and travel industry suffered huge losses as a result of the pandemic. The Golden Age represents eras of prosperity and stability. It suggests periods of less toil and grief and more ease and abundance. There have been a few Golden Ages in history. Examples are the Golden Age of Literature when literature and the Arts flourished. There’s also the Golden Age of Flanders when cultural and economic activities blossomed. Also, worth mentioning is the Golden Age of Television, which was marked by a large number of live productions. And you can read about Africa’s involvement in the Golden Age here.  I found it interesting. Maybe, you will too. Did you read it yet? Great! You want to keep that dream alive. Write the book, ask…

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Out of Akosombo and fond memories! The training venue was the Volta Hotel, less than two hours drive, from Accra, Ghana’s capital if traffic is light. Bags packed, we all looked forward to the travel experience especially as it meant being out of busy Accra for a few days. Besides, road trips can be such fun, yes? Images from the lake Checking in took a bit of time. Why did it take so long? They knew we were coming, right? Soon, it was dinner and surprise, it was the eat- all- you- can kind. A delightful spread to choose from. The food was consistently good all through our stay. The lake across was attention grabbing; not to mention the scenic landscape and majestic mountains. Finally, we all got our rooms. Nice and clean with luxurious sheets, waiting was not so bad after all. Seeing the drinking glasses wrapped in cling-film…

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Nelly’s dad was quite fond of saying, “don’t drive a willing horse to death.” Huh!? It didn’t make much sense to her. It did however, the older and wiser she got. At one time or another, we might have seen a horse handler breaking a horse or putting it under saddle. At first, it is tough. Eventually, the animal is ready and serves the owner on a farm or on the field. With a saddle safely in place, one can ride safely on the horse. But I digress. Now, the horse is malleable and willing, but you want to watch that you don’t ride it to exhaustion and death. There’s such a thing as a good thing being too much. That’s what Nelly’s dad meant by the expression. horse Like we see in the story of the prophet and a donkey, even a beast of burden has its breaking point.…

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A label is nice when one is looking to boost a brand or stand out from the competition. How about other times? Can labels be limiting? William may cheerfully greet a new neighbour. James may not even make eye contact with the new neighbour. William may get labelled as friendly or an extrovert while James is viewed as unfriendly or an introvert. Same situation, different expressions and perceptions. William and James expressing themselves differently, and get defined based on people’s perceptions. Rightly or wrongly! Through the years, like William and James could, we might believe perceptions and labels about us and repeat them often enough. “oh, I am squeamish,” one might say. Or “I have been described as finicky, and we typically put others down.” And like an eagle that does not soar, because it thinks it is a chicken, our wings are clipped, and not in a good way.A…

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Friendships can form really quickly when you least expect it. I made a new friend, a senior and never would have imagined we would connect like we did. The bonding was fast. We talked about foods, cultures and lifestyle. She told me about her experience travelling within Canada and all fifty states of the United States and how she hated the boarding protocol and being treated like a senior. She would much rather be treated like everyone else while boarding a plane. We laughed a lot and did silly things like wave at airplanes in the sky on that dark moonless night. Seriously! We shared silences too and they were not awkward. She revealed a flirty side when she talked about her husband and his amazing body. Oh my goodness! Then I think, wait a minute, flirting between spouses should never stop at any age. It is the life of…

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