Follow Friday: An Interview with Evie Robinson of Nomad•ness TV

Last week, Clutch Magazine posted an article: 11 Black Women Inspiring Us to Travel. I poured over the list, clicking each link and following each woman’s stories. Seeing amazing, beautiful Black women that travel was insanely inspiring. I wanted to find out more about each and every one of them.

First, I’d like to introduce you to Evie Robinson. Evie is the founder of Nomad•ness TV, the travel reality show of one woman, one perspective, one country at a time. She explores urban life around the world through art, food, and local pastimes. From climbing the temples of Angkor Wat, to teaching in Japan, to beer tasting in Germany, Evie has always been a constant inspiration for me. Her work ethic is unrivaled. In addition to writing for her travel blog, Evie runs her Kickstarter funded travel show, and the hugely popular Nomad•ness Travel Tribe on Facebook.

Your Favorite Travel Moment?
My favorite travel moment comes from the trip that started it all. I graduated from Iona College, in late May 2006. By early July I was in Paris, taking a film workshop with the New York Film Academy. I lived with my best friend from high school, at the time. The day right after our final theater screening of our work with the NYFA, she had to move out of her loft. I woke up, in Paris, in an empty loft, hungover after the celebration of watching our films in La Femis theater, and lost as to what I was going to do for twenty-four hours before going home. That day I was terrified, and I found myself trying to run around Paris, meeting friends from NYFA before heading home. Not wanting to go back to New York. I ended up alone, sitting in front of the Eiffel Tower, on the Grand Lawn, scared to death. My life in Paris for five weeks flashed before my eyes, and I had that groundlessness feeling for the first real time. I literally felt like everything I knew in life, and about myself, changed in an instant, and it had. That day I made a promise to myself that I had to continue in the arts, but somehow use it to keep traveling. I had no idea how, but I knew I needed to find a way. I’ve been addicted to that groundlessness feeling ever since.

What inspired you to create the Nomad•ness Travel Movement and Series?
I lived and taught English in Niigata, Japan from March 2009 to March 2010. Nomad•ness ‘premiered’ in February 2010. At that point, I felt it was safe to say that no one from home was going to visit me while in Japan. Whether money, a thirteen hour flight, or lack of vacation time, it just wasn’t going to happen. I had so much I wanted to share with family and friends. I also had a shitty camera, and Final Cut Pro on my Mac. I decided to bring my experiences to them, via social media. Hence, the series was born.
The Nomad•ness Movement came from me being the ‘A’ personality that I am. I have to go full throttle. I figured that if I was inspired by all these places and experiences then there had to be others who would be too. I’m the type where if I want something, and it’s not out there, then I’ll create it. That’s kind of what happened here. I grew. It grew. It continue to grow. It continues to grow.

Your favorite place in the world?
Favorite place in the world is… shit. Paris, France. Honestly, this is starting to change but I’ll hold fast for now.

Your dream destination?
Cairo and Alexandra, Egypt

Could you explain your new Nomad•ness Travel Tribe on Facebook? What type of people can join?
Nomad•ness Tribe came in my own Mark Zuckerberg moment. I knew I wanted a home for the people who are genuine travelers, and have an artistic, urban, appeal and I initially was going to start a completely different social media outlet. I even started designing it. My Co-Admin, Stephanie O’Conner suggested doing a group on Facebook to serve the same purpose and kill the need for people to start from scratch on another social network. That was a plus for me because I feel like if I get on another one my fucking head is going to explode. So I tried it out, and it is working, way better than I ever thought. It’s our secret society. The criteria is that you have to have at least one international stamp in your passport for entry. There’s a ‘rite of passage’ when you join. I just make up shit along the way, and it’s cool because it works. But people have to be involved or else they’re getting kicked out. Stephanie and I are giving people two weeks to start participating, and then you’re out if you don’t. This group is not about numbers. I don’t care if only ten people are in it. It’s about activity. We want people who continuously share. It will work in their benefit. I have some tricks and future perks up my sleeve.