Abroad in Your Inbox Vol. 57

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I’M ANGRY AND READY TO GET LOUD

Let’s just get this out of the way, this will not be a normal newsletter.

TLDR (too long didn’t read): Alle Abroad & Gals Abroad Getaways stand in support of a woman’s right to reproductive rights and the freedom to choose what she does with her body. Help us get loud, take action and support the women who need resources right now by donating to the National Network of Abortion Funds. CLICK HERE TO DONATE. My goal is to raise $2,500 in the next 30 days.

(In order to donate you must be using the Instagram app on your phone and not via a desktop browser - if you go to my IG profile you can’t miss the fundraiser button.)

THE LONG VERSION & MY PURPOSE:

When I started Alle Abroad in 2018, my goal was simply to share my colorful travels around the world with Linda, connect with other travel lovers, and hopefully make the travel planning process easier, stress-free and more approachable for my community.

And while that initial goal still informs the content I create to this day, I feel like my brand and the platform I’ve been privileged to build has grown beyond just speaking about travel.

Over on Instagram, I’ve connected with so many of you about your decision to not have children. Your thoughts about quitting your job and launching your own business. And most importantly of all, our mutual desire to live in a country that respects the basic rights of EVERY human being who lives here.

If you’re new here (which many of you are), 2020 was the year that I found my voice and leveraged this platform I’ve built to not only talk about travel but also speak out against the injustices taking place in our country.

I think that 2020 was the year that forced many of us to stare the ugliness of America - that so many of us have blissfully ignored - straight in the eye and make a choice: speak up or go silent.

For me, silence was never an option.

From sharing voting resources and volunteering with the Democrats during the 2020 election to learning how to be a better Ally after George Floyd was murdered and all the growth moments in between - I made a conscious choice that I was going to use my platform as a place to share resources with those willing to listen, learn and grow.

HERE’S WHY I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT FOR ME TO SPEAK UP:

I want Alle Abroad to be a safe space for self-identifying women, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, to BIPOC, to fellow Allies. I want someone who lands on my website or social media platforms to know where I stand when it comes to supporting and advocating for their basic human rights. 

For so long as a TV news reporter I was unable to share my opinions or thoughts on topics that were important to me. 

NO LONGER. 

I now have the privilege of being my own boss and have made the decision that what is best for my business is to take a stance and share it with the world.

The people, brands, and organizations who get it will work with me. 

Those who don’t, well do I really want to work with them anyways??

I may not always get it right, and I might not speak on every issue, but I’d rather make an intentional effort than do nothing at all. 

It is a privilege to have this platform and speaking up for what I believe in is by far the most important thing I can do in this space. 

NEXT STEPS & HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED IN THE FIGHT:

I know these last few days have felt incredibly heavy and you might feel the urge to turn it all off, crawl in a hole and ignore what’s going on. And while I think our mental health during times like these is incredibly important to protect, I also urge you to make sure that you educate yourself on what’s taking place because the harsh truth of the matter is that this is just the beginning…

One of the best ways that I stay informed is via trusted, vetted news sources in the form of podcasts. To each their own but let me share some that have been helpful to me at the moment.

Here’s some podcasts that I’ve recently listened to that have helped me understand what’s happening:

  1. THE BASICS: The New York Times “The Daily” did a special episode immediately after Roe was overturned. If you’re looking for the straight facts, start here.

  2. THE NITTY-GRITTY DETAILS - if you want to hear from lawyers about the intricacies of what happened on Friday, listen to Strict Scrutiny which is a podcast hosted by three women that talks about the United States Supreme Court and the legal culture that surrounds it.

  3. WHY YOU NEED TO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO WHAT’S GOING ON: Fresh Air dives deep into where the anti-abortion movement is heading and what can happen next. This is probably the most important listen of all.

After that, make an action plan:

HERE ARE 6 WAYS YOU CAN STAND UP IN THE FIGHT FOR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS (and they’re pretty simple)

YOU CAN ALSO CHECK OUT POD SAVE AMERICA’S F@CK BANS ACTION PLAN FOR MORE WAYS TO SUPPORT.

After that, prioritize your mental health and set boundaries

During the 2020 election, I was CONSUMED by the news coverage and I guarantee that did not help my mental health.

I’ve since learned to set boundaries for how much I consume and here are some bits of advice (ps I’m not an expert this is just what has worked for me):

  1. Lean on your support network. In the past few days, I’ve spent time with family and friends and have taken breaks from my constant consumption of social media and the news. It’s too much to live in this mess 24/7.

  2. Set time limits on social media consumption, news, etc.

  3. Move your body - I know, I know, I know…but seriously I find that when I’m angry, frustrated and feeling helpless the best thing I can do is channel that energy into a good workout. I can’t tell you how much it helps.

  4. Don’t ignore how you’re feeling. Journal, cry, feel it all and if you need someone to talk to my DMs and email inbox is a safe space. But if you feel like you might need to seek the support of a professional, do so.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

I know that you didn’t originally come here for my thoughts on politics or reproductive rights. BUT in this day and age and this political climate where everything is so incredibly intermixed (for better or worse), it would be irresponsible for me not to use the platform I built to educate and share resources on something I feel incredibly strongly about.

I HATE WHEN PEOPLE TELL CREATORS/ACTORS/ARTISTS/ATHLETES/BUSINESS OWNERS ETC NOT TO SHARE THEIR POLITICAL VIEWS.

I think that is so narrow-minded to think of anyone with a platform or business is a one-trick pony simply there to entertain vs a multifaceted human being with thoughts, emotions and feelings & the ability to enact true change if they use their voice for good.

I hope that if you’ve made it allllllll the way down here (lol) that you can respect my decision to speak up (whether you agree with it or not) and understand that this is the choice that I believe is best for me & my business.

And to those of you who have donated, shared and supported thus far, thank you. This community and this country needs you and we are just getting started.

But for now, I’m going to disconnect and get ready to start the week refreshed and ready to fight.

xx Allecat