Travel Babbo has been a friend of OluKai’s for many years and we asked him to give us his thoughts after completing his dream of traveling to all continents in the world. So far, he has been to 101 countries and 7 continents. Keep reading for his beautiful reflection on his travels this year!
Joy. OluKai asked me to post about my takeaway from visiting all seven continents this year (Australia yesterday was number seven), and joy is what jumped out at me. Not my joy at completing this personal goal, although I love travel and exploration, but the inner joy of the people around the world, despite bad things happening, despite unemployment, despite hardship. I loved spending a day with our tour guide Richard in Jamaica, who absolutely embodied Jamaican island warmth. I loved watching teens in Zanzibar doing back flips on the beach for hours, constantly encouraging each other until it was too dark to continue. I loved watching young kids interacting with quokkas on Rottnest Island – it was hard to tell whether the kids or the quokkas were happier. I loved talking to shopkeepers in the (very) small main town on Yao Noi island in Thailand, so excited to talk about the island’s artisans. I loved watching morning life unfold in Rethymno, Crete and Venice, Italy, with local resident after local resident coming into small coffee shops and talking about their lives, or the weather, or events, just a little before heading off to work – joy in the morning routine. I could go on and on.
The photos are from every continent. OluKai has been with me everywhere – my absolute favorite shoe brand, and a staple of every trip going back more than a decade.
Read more about his travels here and check out the styles he was wearing here!
