Hey everyone! Today in the 11th edition of Real People, Real Stories we have with the Dame Traveler.
She chose the name #dametraveler to exemplify strength, fearlessness and courage. Nastasia Yakoub formerly known was Dame Traveler, is a former nurse turned full-time traveller, entrepreneur and photographer with an ambition to inspire and empower women.
At the age of 20, Nastasia took a leap of faith and moved to Chicago to pursue a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing at Loyola University, supporting herself entirely as she began her new life full of opportunities and challenges. Soon after, Nastasia embarked on her first solo trip to South Africa to volunteer at an orphanage in Cape Town. Her experiences there sparked her love for the world.
If you are new here, following are the previous posts in the Real People, Real Stories series:
Real people, Real stories – 1 ( Anant Saini, Greater Noida, India )
Real people, Real stories – 2 ( Alessio Grassi, Sarzana, Italy )
Real people, Real stories – 3 ( Martijn van Steenbergen, Netherlands )
Real people, Real stories – 4 ( Peter Dijkgraaf, Netherlands )
Real people, Real stories – 5 ( Mumal Mustafa, Pakistan )
Real people, Real stories – 6 ( Dinesh Kumar, Pune, India )
Real people, Real stories – 7 ( Ahamed Yaaseen, Kerala, India )
Real people, Real stories – 8 ( Thomas Sanderson, Ljubljana, Slovenia )
Real People, Real stories – 9 ( Yann Seiller, France )
Real People, Real stories – 10 ( Joanie Simon, Arizona)
Name: Nastasia Yakoub
Location: Iraq
Website: https://www.dametraveler.com/home/
Instagram: dametraveler
Table Of Contents
A little introduction about yourself and what you do
I’m Nastasia, besides being a full-time traveller, I am also the founder of Dame Traveler – the first female travel Instagram community. Our mission is to encourage, inspire and inform women to travel the world with courage and curiosity.
What was your favourite city?
Wow, that’s too hard to choose! I’m an old soul. I love the romance of European cities like Paris and the Amalfi Coast. I also absolutely love Cuba for the same reasons. Any place that makes me feel like I’ve been transported back in time has my heart.
What were the obstacles, if any, and how did you overcome them
In 2013, I graduated from nursing school but suffered a very severe work-related injury that kept me from working on the Labor and Delivery unit job I had always dreamed of. It was a tough time. I fell into bed rest for six long months. However, it was during that time of reflection and stillness that I started to teach myself the ropes of blogging and social media. I realized that there was a space missing on Instagram particularly for women in the travel world. Flashforward to a bit later and I had created the hashtag #dametraveler and the rest is history. It feels amazing to create a space for inspiring women around the world.
What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
There are so many things that come to mind. Seeing the sunrise over the monasteries of Bagan, visiting the Holy Land, sailing through the fjords of Norway, being cared for by local Cuban women after I got horrible food poisoning… the list goes on. I’ve been very lucky to have such amazing experiences around the world.
Where would you revisit? Would you ever move to any of those cities?
I moved to Paris this year because I simply love the romance of the City Of Lights. I’ve always wanted to live abroad for a period of time, and I’m so glad I did. It’s been rewarding in ways I would have never expected. I could see myself living in many other places around the world, but home for me is New York City. Something about the buzz and energy of the city keeps me inspired.
What are you most grateful for and to what do you owe your success?
I am most grateful for the encouragement I’ve received from the grace of other women travelling the world from the Dame Traveler community. Women are truly amazing. Every day I learn about a new woman catapulting herself into her wildest dreams, visiting new places, capturing beauty along the way. I’m so grateful that every day I get to celebrate the triumphs of women on our planet. I believe wholeheartedly that travel makes this world a more connected, understanding place. To be a part of that movement is so rewarding.
I owe my success to my diligence and patience, but also to stay true to my values. Never compromising my own ethics just to get ahead is something I’m proud of.
Also Read: 5 Unique libraries around the world
What was the strangest thing you ate?
Dust in Mexico!
Did you find any sites or activities a bit off the beaten track? Beyond the tourist traps?
I’m a huge advocate for going off the beaten path. Finding hidden gems is my favourite thing in the world! In the Instagram-age, we see a lot of “touristy” areas photographed. I hope that travellers also find beauty in unexpected places as well. My biggest tip for finding those off-the-beaten-track places is actually, funnily enough, Instagram. Going through tagged locations and using our hashtag #dametraveler (and add your destination – for example, #dametravelerportugal) will result in lots of inspirational photos that aren’t the expected.
What was your favourite meal?
My favourite meal is Dolma. My parents are Iraqi, so I was raised in a Chaldean culture at home. One of my favourite things about my parents is that they continue to celebrate their heritage, so our home was always filled with authentic Iraqi dishes. Dolma is basically the Chaldean version of Greek stuffed grape leaves but served warm instead of cold. It’s delicious and reminds me of my family!
If you’re a traveller who has his or her story to share and get featured here then let me know below!
Thanks for posting these! I love reading stories from other travellers and the amazing things they’re doing with their lives while overcoming obstacles, its incredibly motivational!
Yes, it’s quite motivational right? I started this series with the same thought in mind. I wanted to know about the places around the globe from the people who have been there themselves.