Today we’d like to introduce you to Loreal Lewis
Hi Loreal, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I think my desire for wanting to travel started when I was 17 years old. I made a Facebook status stating that when I graduate college I would be a flight attendant because I wanted to see the world. Of course, once I graduated from college, I in fact did not go that route. Instead, I worked at Disney World for a bit and then went back home to New York and worked in Corporate America. Fast-forward 10 years later, and I go onto Facebook to see that same status pop up under my “memories” section. I read it and laughed about it to my now fiancé, and as we started to talk about the status, he asked me why don’t I apply to be one and when I didn’t have a good enough answer he encouraged me to go for it. It took a lot of thinking and even some convincing, but I ended up leaving corporate America to see what being a flight attendant would be like. As I started getting into my flying journey, I started to think maybe I should create a travel Instagram and document all my travels, but was too nervous to start it. One day over lunch with my fiancé, I was expressing to him how I felt about wanting to be a travel content creator, but being too scared to start, he then asked to see my phone. I handed it to him, and he created my travel Instagram account and gave me back the phone and then told me sometimes you just have to push through and just do it.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t been smooth. Like most content creators, I have my issues with self-doubt. I also sometimes struggle with finding that balance between flying, substitute teaching and creating content. I’m one of those flight attendants who’s ALWAYS flying, and it can be tiring on the body and mind.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Sometimes I feel like a woman who wears many hats (or 3 to be more specific). To sum it all up, I’m a Travel and Lifestyle Content Creator who’s also a Flight Attendant and I substitute teach on the side. Most people, however, do know me for flying and content creating (very few know I substitute). I specialize in providing travel tips, offering things to do and see from my travels and showcasing hotels. I have to say the thing I’m most proud of is how far I’ve come along since day 1 and how much I push myself past my comfort zone. Content creating and putting yourself out there is not easy especially when it feels like everyone is doing it. I think what truly sets me apart from others is me. My story is different from the next and there will never be another Loreal.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Well there are two things. The first one is when I’m not flying I just want to be home. People have this perception that travel content creators or flight attendants love traveling and being on the go nonstop and, while that is true for some, there are a lot of us who love to relax and stay on the ground as much as we can. The second thing is, I also have this fear of being stuck in an elevator because of how enclosed it is, but I have no issues being on a plane.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorealthewanderer/
Image Credits
The photo of me in the blue jumpsuit in front of the castle hotel and coming out of the train station is credited to Will Foster, who is a photographer in Orlando, FL.
