Surprise! The cat is out of the bag and I’m happy to finally be able to reveal the project that I’ve been working on with Toyota.
“Let’s go places”.
It never ceases to amaze me how my passions for travel, writing, and adventure have paved the way for some extraordinary opportunities. Never would I have guessed that the little online travel diary I launched (for fun!) in 2005 would grow into a body of work spanning 10 years and 6 continents; never would I have guessed that my words and pictures would spark both lasting friendships with other bloggers and lucrative relationships with brands.
Because, really, I just wanted to tell stories about travel and life abroad. About how it feels to simultaneously feel at home and out of your depth in a foreign land. About what it’s like to tempt fate and try something new.
But this blog has evolved into so much more and I’m excited to share this most recent bit of news.
So let me just spit it out: I’m part of a new campaign for Toyota that will bring me to air waves and computer screens near you!
At the end of September I flew to Los Angeles to film a series of digital ads about travel to coincide with the launch of the 2016 Toyota Avalon. I wasn’t alone in this endeavour: fellow globetrotters Zim Ugochukwu (CEO of Travel Noire), Teri Johnson (of TravelistaTV), and Nelson George (noted filmmaker and critic) also lent their expertise to the project. Together we produced some great discussions about travel and the joys of hitting the open road.
I also recorded a radio ad which is currently being broadcast across the U.S. and Canada, so don’t be surprised if you hear my lilting tenor on your local station (or Pandora internet radio) sometime soon.
Over the next weeks I’ll be sharing more details, but in the meantime, here is the first video! In this one we share our tips for solo travel. Give it a watch and let me know what you think!
103 Comments
Do the d*** thing, girl. So proud of you.
Thanks so much Monique!!
Ditto what Monique said!! CONGRATS!!
Thanks a lot April!!
Yes!! Love it.
Merci!
Wow, what an awesome opportunity! Loved the first video! 🙂
Thanks so much Erika!
I got chills watching this!! Super awesome, congrats to you!!
Aww, thank you! Keep the youtube vids coming!
Yas!!! I just Love this so. Ya’ll inspire me so much. Great job.
Thanks Nicole! Hope to meet you in person at some point!
Congratulations Oneika!!! Great job!
Thank you so much Lola! That means so much coming from you!
Very Nicely done, Oneika!
Thanks!!
Well done, Oneika! Love the video.
Hey Gorgeous
Your voice in who you are as a traveller is very clearly heard. You outshine your co-stars in this first video peek. Though you all look great. Looking forward to more.
You are too sweet, Ria! Thank you!
I love it! Congrats to you and Teri on your project 🙂
Thanks Chanel! I still would love to do an NYC Black Travel Bloggers Meetup! I hope your studies and travels are going well!
Congrats on the gig!
Congrats on the gig! Looks good.
Thanks, Kerwin! Hope you meet you in person again one of these days!
Congratulations! It’s nice to see more of us making it to TV & print.
Thank you Lily! I am trying to follow in your footsteps, you have been rocking it (in Spanish, no less!) on Dominican television!
Congratulations! This sounds like an amazing opportunity and you all look beautiful in the video and might I add I love the tone of your voice! lol I can’t wait to the see rest of the series!
Haha thanks for the compliment on my voice– most of the time I cringe at the sound of it!
This is awesome, Oneika! You guys look beautiful. Looking forward to the rest of the series. Congratulations – so proud of you all!
Thanks Dana!
This rocks! Huge congrats to you and the rest of the Traveler featured in this commercial. So well done!
So this is why I was in and out of LA… 😉 Hoping to catch up with you somewhere around the world at some point, Nailah!
I love this commercial! Now even more people will get to see how awesome you are! Because of you, I hope to take my first trip abroad SOLO in 2016!
Thank you Yolanda!
Wow, I love this. Congrats to you all! Great representation of three strong women (and man!) of color!
Thanks Tausha, and I agree! I love our group!
Congratulations to you all! Travel is made much easier financially when you get sponsorships and opportunities to promote brands…it’s even better for your blog which will recieve the marketing that is so needful!
Thanks Caroline! 95% of my travel is self-financed so luckily I’m in a position to be picky about who I work with… 😉 Still, every once in a while an opportunity to work on a great project with an amazing brand like Toyota comes up– couldn’t turn it down! I love that this campaign focuses on the African-American demographic, and proud that myself and other black travel influencers were able to make themselves heard in this space.
Love it! Love it! Love it!
So many congratulations Oneika! This is a huge fabulous deal which you greatly deserve. You have great presence, a lovely voice and a wonderful personality. We might not yet have personally met but I’m extremely proud of you.
We all are!
Go Oneika! xx
It was awesome!!! Congrats! And yes, your voice is perfect ?
That was sooooo cool! I loved seeing three people I recognize and whose work I actually follow!
You look amazing, and what a cool opportunity! Congrats, lady!
Oh my god lady! I am so proud of you. As usual, you carry yourself with confidence and grace. How cool is this? Like, totally! <3
Jeannie my sister! Thanks so much for the support and kind words!
This is AMAZING, Oneika! Keep up the good work! =)
Merci, Stacia!
This is so awesome. Congratulations!!
Thank you!
Yaaaaah!! I’m soooo proud of you!!! I can’t wait to see the commercial and I hate commercials!!
Thank you!
I’m sitting in my car and I hear my name over the airways! I immediately went to Google. Of course spelling your name like mine, “Onieka The Traveler,” but it corrected me and there you were. I absolutely love your site and it’s so warming, everytime I come across a woman who shares my name. When I was younger, I always thought I was the only one out there!! Congrats on your new project with Toyota! That’s awesome. Where are you traveling to next or what’s up next?
Hey girl hey!! That’s sooooo cool that we have the same name, there aren’t that many of us!! And thank you so much for the congrats! I’m heading to South Africa, Zambia, and Botswana next and am too excited. Where are you based?
Congratulations, Oneika!
I showed my students this and their were in awe!
Since this is my last year of teaching I want to show them people who look just like them that are traveling the world, that are fearless and fabulous doing so!
This is sooooooo cool! Congratulations! I’m so happy for you!
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