Ciao, Bella!!!
BlackGirlTravel.com
1st Annual Rush Party
By: Demita Usher

When I spent a week in London, England a year and a half ago to take a class, I went alone. After the class commenced, I had some time left to enjoy the sites, but since I knew no one, I found it a bit of a challenge to enjoy it fully and to make the most of the time I had left. Though I loved being in England, one of the memories that stayed with me was how lonely it was having no friends or family to enjoy it with. I made a promise to myself after that trip that unless it was absolutely necessary, I would never travel alone again. When I attended BlackGirlTravel.com's 1st annual rush party, I know now that I won't have to.

For the past five years, Fleace Weaver, the founder of BlackGirlTravel.com has been organizing tours to encourage black women to spread their wings and fly! Her most popular tour is called Bella Italia, which takes you through seven (7) cities in Italy in 10 days. A former fashion model, Fleace is very well acquainted with the beauty and history of Italy and her excitement about introducing a new group of women to the beauty and wonder of this country every year has not diminished. If you expect 10 days of sleeping and lounging with a visit to the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, and Leaning Tower of Pisa guess again. Fleace is not having it! She wants the women who participate in these tours to have a unique travel experience. “It is important to me to make the tours personable,” Fleace said in her opening greeting to the ladies who attended an evening to find out more about the tour. She makes the tours personable and unique by treating those who accompany her as if she were taking her best girlfriend along and showing her around. The five elements that make her tours personable are culture, shopping, food, party, and interaction with the locals. Her mission is accomplished yearly with sold out tours, not to mention, every year a new group of Italian locals are taught how to do the Soul train line and the electric slide!

When asked what inspired her to start her travel company, she stated that she noticed that many black women rarely venture out to travel and she wanted to create an experience that would encourage them to travel and to experience new things and open themselves to new possibilities. (One woman who went on the tour is planning to move to Italy next year) She considers it more of a traveling sorority, a sisterhood of women. While traveling, the word Bella, (which is beautiful in Italian) is tacked on to the front of every woman's name; “Bella Christina” and “Bella Fleace” to name a few and according to Fleace, “Once a Bella, a Bella for life!” Is this sisterhood limited to just black women? Fleace shares that she organizes the tour to address the special travel needs of black women; for example, scheduling scuba diving day the last day of the trip because of their hair care; however, women of all races are welcome join the sisterhood as long as they can hang out with the “sistahs” and have a great time doing it.

Before you can participate in any of her fabulous tours, you will be interviewed to ensure the groups are cohesive.  Because she wants people to not only have a great time, she also understands the importance like a great pair of shoes that fit is important. Once that is established, the countdown begins. In the months leading up to the trip, you can expect regular phone calls from Fleace checking in with you, to see how you are doing. You will receive weekly emails with helpful information about Italian culture, paired with your roommate for trip if necessary, and attend monthly mixers, which are held at the Travelers Bookcase in Los Angeles. This is where she recommends books and necessary travel items for your trip abroad. Fleace takes the time to train and prepare the ladies to travel overseas, what to wear on the plane, what to pack, and how to learn Italian. All this attention to detail has made Fleace's tours one of the most popular to date.

Fleace is a strong believer in giving back and this is where Sisters without Borders (SWB) comes in. SWB is a non-profit organization within the BlackGirlTravel.com organization where a portion of the proceeds is donated to a children's organization in the host country the tour is being conducted. In Italy donations go to the Girls' Town of Rome (www.cittadelleragazze.it) organization, which is a safe house for girls from all backgrounds who have been rescued from dire situations including human trafficking. The reciprocation from the girls is most definitely going to leave you misty eyed as the girls won't let you leave until they have shown their gratitude with home made gifts for the Bellas.

When Fleace first approached travel organizations with her idea for BlackGirlTravel.com, she was told it would never work and received nothing but ridicule and discouragement. She knew she was on to something and she never gave up. Five short years and several successful tours later, some of those same companies that dismissed her idea, are now fighting for the contracts for her tours; poetic justice at it's finest. But she did not need those companies to validate her. The success of her tours, along with some very happy ladies and a Fan Page on Facebook started by a supporter all speak for themselves.  And after spending the evening with this phenomenal woman, I too am ready to get a stamp my passport from Italy and become a “Bella” for life!

For more information on Black Girl Travel, visit their website at www.BlackGirlTravel.com