The Roamin’ Rose

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The Roamin’ Rose Just a girl determined to see the world! Join me on my adventures.

Lost in the charm of Copenhagen, where every corner feels like a story waiting to be told. ✈️✨                          ...
08/10/2024

Lost in the charm of Copenhagen, where every corner feels like a story waiting to be told. ✈️✨ ✨

I’ve got itchy feet… where to next?
06/08/2024

I’ve got itchy feet… where to next?

The fun continues..   Where did my roaming take me this time? Take a guess. Coming up on the blog…
04/08/2024

The fun continues.. Where did my roaming take me this time? Take a guess. Coming up on the blog…

Where did my roaming take me this time? Take a guess. Up next on the blog…
01/08/2024

Where did my roaming take me this time? Take a guess. Up next on the blog…

Another must do in Tokyo, Japan - Visit the Cafes… There a so many to choose from, eg pet cafes where you can enjoy a li...
22/01/2024

Another must do in Tokyo, Japan - Visit the Cafes…

There a so many to choose from, eg pet cafes where you can enjoy a light snack/drink while you hold and pet cats, dogs, snakes, otters… maid cafes, where ladies dress in maid costumes and serve guests, ninja cafes where you can experience ninja training, dress up in ninja costumes and enjoy special ninja dishes and desserts…. And much more.

Whatever your interest or quirks, I’m sure there’s a cafe for you to checkout while visiting Tokyo.

Which cafe would you visit? We visited the dog & snake cafes.

Still chasing sunsets… 🌅                       ✨
21/01/2024

Still chasing sunsets… 🌅 ✨

This is somebody’s backyard… I’m jealous                        ✨
18/01/2024

This is somebody’s backyard… I’m jealous ✨

Next on the to-do list in Tokyo, Japan… schedule a day tour of the city. Most tour guides will allow you to customize yo...
09/01/2024

Next on the to-do list in Tokyo, Japan… schedule a day tour of the city. Most tour guides will allow you to customize your tour to hit your must see spots! We started off with some shopping at Asasuka temple, Tokyo Skytree, Shibuya Crossing, Golden G*i, Akihabara (anime center), Harijuku St, and so much more. We ended the night at the red light 🚦 district, where we saw many interesting sights and more love hotels than we could keep up with 🏩. It was a lot of walking, but sure worth it.

Tips:
1. Book the tour on the first or second day of your stay. That way you can return to interesting places you didn’t get to spend much time at during the tour.
2. ⁠If you love taking pics, ask your tour guide beforehand if they mind snapping pics! Our tour guide even brought his own camera!

Travel testimony Tuesday… It is amazing how God gives you what you need even when you don’t know you need it.. after all...
19/12/2023

Travel testimony Tuesday… It is amazing how God gives you what you need even when you don’t know you need it.. after all, He’s our Shepherd, He’s our Good Father.

On Sunday night, I was sure I was going to miss my flight home. I hurried to the gate shown on my boarding pass… wrong gate. With about 20 minutes to spare I ran to the correct gate and took a sigh of relief when I saw that there was still a handful of people boarding.

I scanned my boarding pass and the attendant says, “you have a new seat assignment.” I wonder why, as I had already selected my window seat at the very back of the airplane so I could catch my 💤 , as I usually do! I say nothing, board and sit in 11C.

Shortly after, this beautiful soul sits beside me, and I learn her name is Grace. We talk for the entire flight… something I never do 😅 but this was different. We introduced ourselves and soon learned that we shared a very similar testimony.. we both lost loved ones, were daily navigating the pangs of grief, had similar thoughts and questions about the experience, and both knew that if it had not been for our faith and trust in God we would not be sitting next to, and encouraging each other.

We talked about the grief rollercoaster, shared coping strategies, and even had some moments of laughter… because sometimes you just have to laugh to keep from crying.

Yesterday I was listening to one of my favorite songs, and it brought me back to my conversation with Grace… I am so happy that we have a hope in God. And because there’s hope we know that our future is in Him, we know that ALL things will work for our good even when we don’t understand, even when we’re grieving, even when we’re angry, even when all we see in the world around us is bad, we still trust that God will turn it in our favor..

Let Him turn it in your favor
Watch Him work it for your good
He's not done with what He's started
He's not done until it's good
Hello peace, hello joy
Hello love
Hello strength, hello hope
It's a new horizon

And my favorite part….

Fear is not my future
You are (You are)
Sickness is not my story
You are (You are) You are (You are)
Heartbreak's not my home
You are (You are) You are (You are)
Death is not the end
You are, You are (Oh)

The holiday season can be so hard for those of us who are grieving.. but we do not grieve without hope, for we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 1 Thessalonians 4:14

Thank you Grace for reminding me that there’s hope…


Late post… blogging is not for the weak, busy or lazy 😂😂Soooo, last month I travelled to South Korea and Japan… over the...
18/12/2023

Late post… blogging is not for the weak, busy or lazy 😂😂

Soooo, last month I travelled to South Korea and Japan… over the next few days I’ll be sharing 5 Must Dos/ Must Trys in Japan.. eventually I’ll get to South Korea 😜

Day 1 - Geisha/Samauri Experience

Geishas are traditional Japanese entertainers. They are known for their mysterious lives, unique beauty, grace, and discipline. I debated on whether I should dress up like a geisha, I wanted to do my research as there are a lot of misconceptions and misrepresentations of the geisha profession. I wanted to make sure that I wouldn’t be appropriating culture.. but the Japanese ladies who helped us get ready encouraged the experience and the people on the street complimented us, so I don’t think any harm was done. 🙃

There are many places in Tokyo where you can rent beautiful kimonos for the day, some have different packages including hair, makeup, photos and you even get to meet a geisha, eat with them hear their stories and enjoy geisha entertainment. Unfortunately our appointment for that experience didn’t pan out… but we lucked out and found a boutique close to the train station that provided exactly what we needed to be pretend geishas! The workers didn’t speak much English, but were friendly and welcoming. They are also very strong 💪🏾 and patient… wearing a kimono involves a few layers and corsets. Talk about snatched!! Hairstyle was included in our package, but I did a little face beat prior to arrival. The boutique was clean, and had plenty options for kimonos and accessories ranging from very colorful, flowery and animated to neutral, earth tones with more geometric or simple designs. I think the rental for the day was less than $20.

Tips:
1. Some boutiques are appointment only, others allow walk-in. Plan accordingly.

2. If you are plus sized or blessed in the bust like myself you may need to shop around for a boutique that carries kimonos in your size. There I was shuffling through the beautiful kimonos, picking my favorites… the assistant kindly and somewhat shadily pointed me to the 5 plus sized options I could choose from! 😂😂😂 Unfortunately they did not carry the long sleeved style in plus size.

3. If you’re a guy, you can choose to dress up like a samaui, and brush up on your Japanese martial arts.

4. Embrace the experience, walk around town (we spent the day at Asakusa Shrine), take pictures, greet folks, go shopping, try different foods, twerk 😉, and imagine what it’s like to live like a geisha for the day… who doesn’t like to play dress up?? It’s truly a nostalgic experience.

Would you try the geisha experience?

I stumbled on my love for traveling while I was searching for an escape from grief and depression. I felt like I was suf...
01/12/2023

I stumbled on my love for traveling while I was searching for an escape from grief and depression. I felt like I was suffocating in my “normal,” mundane life.. but when I’m in a place I’ve never been before, meeting people and experiencing food and cultures that are new and different, my lungs feel open and full… I can breathe. I always say for me, traveling is spiritual. I get to see God in people, places and I’m reminded that his love is so big, deep and wide that I cannot see it all, tell it all, experience it all… but it doesn’t hurt to try.

I’ll share my testimony of how travel saves (plural tense) me at another time. I’ll share how, on many occasions, God talked to me in nature, and through people. But… I promised to share my testimony on Mt. Fuji during my recent trip to Japan so here it goes.

We left Tokyo, got on a tour bus, drove 3 hours or more through the Japanese mountains and country side to see Mt. Fuji, one of 3 sacred mountains in Japan, an active volcano and the country’s tallest peak. Imagine a tour bus of about 50 people (plus hundreds of others on the mountain), looking forward to seeing this wonder, but when we get there we see Exhibit 😢. (See pics)

It’s cloudy, cold, there’s a dusting of snow in the air, probably snowing on the mountain, so we can’t even see it. How disappointing! All that for nothing.

We went into the gift shop, looked around for maybe an hour, and returned to find Fuji still hiding behind the clouds. We were given a time to return to the bus, so decided to call it a loss and head back. We didn’t see Fuji, but we were there, counts for something, right?

My friend and I start walking to the bus, our backs turned to the mountain, and we hear people gasping, now smiling taking out their phones snapping pictures, happy and excited that the clouds were clearing and the mountain was visible again.

Disappointment turned into joy… and I’m glad we got to experience Mt. Fuji in all its splendor. 🏔️

As I stood looking on the mountain only one thing was on my mind… even though we couldn’t see the mountain for the better part of an hour… it was still there. IT. WAS. STILL. THERE.

I mentioned above that travel is an escape for me, and even during this trip to Asia I was dealing with so much that caused me to feel heavy, but in those moments at Mt. Fuji, God reminded me that even when I don’t see Him, He’s there. Even when I don’t feel Him, He’s holding me. Even when I don’t see prayers answered, He’s working on my behalf. He reminded me of his promise that He’ll never leave me nor forsake me… and if you’ve experienced abandonment and loss, that promise means a lot.

Later in the day we were chatting with a guy from the tour group about the events of the morning and he said verbatim (I took out my phone and wrote it down), “I was getting ready to walk away then all of a sudden the clouds just went away…”

Can you say my mind was blown… 🤯 and I wanted to do a shout, a praise dance on Mt. Fuji?????? I’m reminded of a song we used to sing on the choir:

There's been a change in me
Once blind but know i see
God gave me victory
And he did it suddenly
He changed the way i walk
He changed the way i talk
He changed my attitude
And he did it suddenly
Jesus did it oh yes he did and he did it suddenly
God changed me I'm not the same and he did it suddenly… suddenly SUDDENLY

There’s just something about that sudden turnaround! Than sudden breakthrough!

So many times I was also getting ready to walk away… but God rolled back the clouds. I’ve spent days trying to see through the clouds, months, years even.. but God always comes through.

This is my testimony on the mountain. If you’ve taken the time to read this far, I don’t know what the cloud is, that is obscuring your view of God… but I want you to remember that even on cloudy days, when you can’t see Him, He sees you, He’ll never leave you, He’s there and He always has His hands on you.

So many people missed seeing Mt. Fuji because they left and went back to the bus. But, dont give up. Don’t walk away.

As I encourage you, I also encourage myself.

“Trust in God, even when you can't see or feel His presence, no matter how dark or painful your situation is. Stay faithful, until God shows you His divine will.”

CAPTION THIS PIC… Coming up on the blog “5 Epic Must-dos in Tokyo, Japan.”
18/11/2023

CAPTION THIS PIC… Coming up on the blog “5 Epic Must-dos in Tokyo, Japan.”

You’ve guessed the continent (Asia), but not the country… here’s a hint. Where did my roaming take me this time? Take a ...
12/11/2023

You’ve guessed the continent (Asia), but not the country… here’s a hint. Where did my roaming take me this time? Take a guess. Up next on the blog…

I see skies of blue and clouds of whiteThe bright blessed days, the dark sacred nightAnd I think to myself: What a wonde...
22/10/2023

I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed days, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself: What a wonderful world… 🎶 ¿Dónde en el mundo está Camille?

Food is usually a major highlight of my vacations. I do my research before arriving to my destination and prepare a list...
21/09/2023

Food is usually a major highlight of my vacations. I do my research before arriving to my destination and prepare a list of “must-eats.” I knocked quite a few dishes off my Cartagena list and I must say the flavors did not disappoint…

When you visit Cartagena you have to try the national dish - bandeja paisa! This was so good, I had to have it twice! Reminiscent of what we in Jamaica call stew peas and rice, this popular dish consists of rice, minced meat, red beans, chorizo, arepa, a fried egg, chicharron (fried pork skin), morcilla (black pudding), sweet plantain, and a slice of avocado – all served on one plate. I don’t eat pork, so I made sure to order without oink oink - literally 😂😂😂

What else did I try… fruits and juices, lulada, arepas for breakfast, empanadas, pan de bono (I literally followed my nose to a bakery), cocadas (coconut sugar candy akin to Jamaican coconut drops), sancocho, and red snapper to my little heart’s content!

It’s amazing how similar our foods are, from Colombia to Jamaica to New Orleans… all around the world that African influence is ever so strong.

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