Charlotte Simpson takes us on her journey growing up in Rockford, Illinois and spending her summers in Alabama during the Jim Crow era of racial segregation. She shares her experiences as a kid having to use separate bathrooms, separate hotels, standing in separate lines to get ice cream, and observing the difference in educational resources for Black kids in Alabama vs. her Catholic school in Illinois. She talks about her mother’s racial justice activism with the NAACP and how that impacted her growing up. She then talks about her passion for education and dedicating her life and career to working with kids as both a teacher and guidance counsellor to help them to find and pursue their passions. She gives her top tips on raising amazing kids, as well as her tips on having a truly great marriage. She reflects on the importance of travel in her marriage and how she and her husband grew together through shared travel experiences over 31 years. After her husband’s passing, she takes us on her journey to becoming a solo-world traveler and shares stories from her trips to Italy, South Africa, Kenya, Egypt and India. She reflects on her years of solo-world-travel and how it has been empowering, confidence-building, and a great way to meet other people around the world. She shares her experience traveling at retirement age, and also offers specific tips for Black travelers as well as solo-female travelers, and details the safety precautions she takes as well as the travel insurance she carries. And, finally, Char reflects on the reasons she continues to travel and what travel means to her at this point in her life. FULL SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT: www.TheMaverickShow.com
Episode #114: From Jim Crow Segregation to Solo-Traveling the World in Retirement with Charlotte Simpson
Episode Summary
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About the Guest
Charlotte Simpson
Charlotte Simpson, aka the Traveling Black Widow, is a retired guidance counselor and special education teacher. After losing her husband of 31 years, she decided to make solo-world-travel a central part of her retirement life and has now been to over 80 countries. She documents her journey on Facebook and Instagram @TravelingBlackWidow where she currently has over 13,000 followers on Instagram alone. Charlotte has been featured in Conde Nast Traveler, Essence, Travel Noire, AARP and many other publications. When she is not traveling, she volunteers as a court appointed special advocate for children in foster care and to help high school students learn English as a Second Language.
What You'll Learn
- What Travel was like for African Americans During Jim Crow Segregation
- Reflections and Tips for Solo-Traveling the World in Retirement
- Tips for Black Travelers and Solo-Female Travelers
Links From the Episode
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#1 BOOK THAT CHARLOTTE RECOMMENDS
PERSON WITH WHOM CHARLOTEE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE DINNER
TOP 3 FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATIONS
TOP 3 BUCKET LIST DESTINATIONS
LOCATION WHERE THE INTERVIEW TOOK PLACE
PLACES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
- Australia
- Salvador da Bahia, Brazil
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Central America
- China
- Costa Rica
- Cairo, Egypt
- Luxor, Egypt
- Great Britain
- Jaipur, India
- Italy
- Maasai Mara, Kenya
- Mexico
- Morocco
- New Zealand
- Nile River
- Spain
- South Africa
- Kruger National Park, South Africa
- Taj Mahal
CONTACT AND FOLLOW CHARLOTTE
Time Stamped Show Notes
[2:30] Growing up in Rockford Illinois
[3:17] Experiencing Jim Crow Segregation as a Kid in the American South
- Traveling from Illinois to Alabama with her Grandparents
- Encountering segregated bathrooms, hotels and ice cream shops
- The difference in school resources available to Black kids in Alabama vs. Illinois
- Understanding her mother’s NAACP activism
[11:32] The Central Importance of “Education” in Char’s Life Work
- The influence of her mother and grandparents in prioritizing education
- Char’s positive experiences at Catholic Schools, College and Grad School
- Char’s passion for helping kids find their gifts and passions and pursue them
[14:56] Char’s Tips for Raising Amazing Kids
- Recognizing the individuality of your kids and supporting their dreams
- Getting some backup education to make a living while pursuing your primary passion
[16:56] Char’s Tips for Having a Truly Great Marriage
[18:42] Making Travel a Central Part of Her Marriage
- Growing together through shared travel experiences
[20:42] Beginning Her Solo-World-Travel Journey After Her Husband’s Passing
- Asking questions to other solo-travelers and learning from them
- Char’s first solo-travel experience to Italy
[23:22] Highlights from Char’s World Travel Experiences
- Kruger National Park in South Africa
- Safari in Kenya
- Egypt and cruising down the Nile river
- India and reflections on going to Jaipur, the Taj Mahal, and Varanasi
[31:59] Char’s Reflections on Years of Solo Travel
- Why Solo-Travel has been empowering and confidence-building
- Meeting other travelers and making more friends when traveling alone
[34:40] Char’s Reflections on Traveling at Retirement Age
- Being respected as an elder around the world
[35:53] Char’s Reflections on Traveling While Black
- How Char Handles people who want to take her picture
- Char’s tips for other Black travelers
[41:30] Char’s Tips for Female Solo-Travelers
- Safety precautions and recommendations
- The type of travel insurance Char recommends
[44:05] What Travel Means to Char at This Point in Her Life
[45:07] The Lightning Round
- #1 Book Char Recommends
- #1 Person with whom Char would most like to have dinner
- #1 Travel hack Char Recommends
- #1 Piece of advice Char would give to her 18 year old self
- Top 3 Favorite Travel Destinations
- Top 3 Bucket List Destinations
[55:32] Contact And Follow Char
