Welcome to another episode of the "50 is Bold: Self-Love Journey" with Aja Ajavon. Join Aja as she takes you on a transformative journey through the cultural richness and breathtaking landscapes of Liberia, Ghana, and Togo. Experience her powerful reconnection with self and spirit, navigate moments of danger and chaos, and discover the depth of self-love and recognition in these vibrant lands. Aja's travels reveal a story of resilience and awakening, where every border crossed is a step closer to embracing and celebrating one's true self.
00:00:00 --> 00:00:10 Music.
00:00:10 --> 00:00:15 Good evening, beautiful people, and welcome back to 50 is Bold Self-Love Journey,
00:00:15 --> 00:00:22 where we celebrate the power, freedom, and fierce self-love that blooms after 50.
00:00:22 --> 00:00:29 I'm your host, Aja Ajavan, and in today's episode, I'm taking you deep into
00:00:29 --> 00:00:32 my travels, Liberia, Ghana,
00:00:32 --> 00:00:37 and the wild, wild, wild ride into Togo.
00:00:38 --> 00:00:42 Let's just say this was a chapter filled with beachfront dreams,
00:00:43 --> 00:00:53 cultural richness, black boldness, men, and yes, a moment on the back of a motorcycle at gunpoint.
00:00:53 --> 00:00:57 So buckle up. This one's a journey you will not forget.
00:00:58 --> 00:01:06 Let's start with Liberia, the land of liberty, legacy, and something sacred. it.
00:01:06 --> 00:01:09 I didn't even know I was seeking.
00:01:10 --> 00:01:18 I arrived with curiosity, unsure of what to expect, but wild open to what might unfold.
00:01:19 --> 00:01:26 I came with my bags packed, both literally and emotionally, carrying the weight
00:01:26 --> 00:01:29 of age, experience, and transformation.
00:01:30 --> 00:01:35 But what I found? It was more than I ever imagined.
00:01:35 --> 00:01:41 When I found in Liberia was a powerful reconnection of myself,
00:01:41 --> 00:01:45 my spirit, my sensuality, and my sense of belonging.
00:01:46 --> 00:01:50 I am from Liberia, born and raised.
00:01:51 --> 00:01:57 Picture this, a stunning beachfront property where the ocean whispered ancient
00:01:57 --> 00:02:02 stories, and the horizon seemed to stretch beyond time itself.
00:02:03 --> 00:02:10 The sun kissed my skin, the breeze danced through my locks, and the air,
00:02:10 --> 00:02:17 rich with salt, history, and promise, felt like a cleansing prayer.
00:02:17 --> 00:02:19 Very poetic, isn't it?
00:02:21 --> 00:02:26 And then there was the welcome, a diplomatic reception, no less.
00:02:26 --> 00:02:32 I was greeted not just as a visitor, but as a woman of substance.
00:02:33 --> 00:02:40 Royal treatment, yes. But more than that, it was the affirmation that I belonged
00:02:40 --> 00:02:47 there, that my journey mattered, that I could take up space unapologetically.
00:02:48 --> 00:02:54 The space I stayed wasn't just luxurious, it was intentional.
00:02:54 --> 00:03:00 Every detail said you are worthy of care, of rest, of peace.
00:03:01 --> 00:03:06 It reminded me that self-love isn't just about spa days and affirmations.
00:03:07 --> 00:03:14 It's also about environment, about who and what you allow to surround and support you.
00:03:14 --> 00:03:17 And let's talk about the men. Hmm.
00:03:18 --> 00:03:21 Liberian men. Let's talk about them.
00:03:21 --> 00:03:28 Growing up in Liberia, I never thought I would be attracted to the men of my country.
00:03:28 --> 00:03:33 But Liberian men carry a presence that is undeniable.
00:03:33 --> 00:03:37 They were strong, but not just physically.
00:03:38 --> 00:03:44 They were spiritually rooted, emotionally mature, and intellectually present.
00:03:45 --> 00:03:51 I never knew that about my Liberian men until I took this bold journey.
00:03:51 --> 00:03:57 I had conversations that ran deep, very deep, about purpose,
00:03:57 --> 00:04:00 about love, about legacy and healing.
00:04:00 --> 00:04:07 I met businessmen and farmers, artists and thinkers, all unafraid to be vulnerable,
00:04:08 --> 00:04:12 all unafraid to hold space for a woman like me.
00:04:12 --> 00:04:17 For the first time in a long time, I felt something profound.
00:04:18 --> 00:04:23 I felt seen, actually seen, not as someone's mother,
00:04:24 --> 00:04:31 not as someone's role model, not as someone's ex-wife, not as someone of a certain age,
00:04:31 --> 00:04:40 but as whole as a whole woman, a woman with layers, dreams, fire and softness.
00:04:40 --> 00:04:43 And more than that, I felt valued.
00:04:44 --> 00:04:49 Valued not to what I do, but to who I am.
00:04:50 --> 00:04:54 Liberia didn't just give me rest, it gave me recognition.
00:04:54 --> 00:05:01 And it was the recognition I began to reclaim parts of myself I had tucked away,
00:05:02 --> 00:05:04 parts that deserves the sun,
00:05:04 --> 00:05:10 the waves, and the luxury of love, self-love.
00:05:11 --> 00:05:15 Liberia showed me so much love, but I had to move on to my next journey.
00:05:16 --> 00:05:19 And then came Ghana.
00:05:20 --> 00:05:24 Ghana didn't whisper to me like Liberia. It spoke boldly.
00:05:24 --> 00:05:29 With rhythm and color and soul, oof, love Ghana.
00:05:29 --> 00:05:36 It met me at the airport with the heartbeat of the drum, the weight of history
00:05:36 --> 00:05:41 in a sense of arrival that felt deeply ancestral.
00:05:42 --> 00:05:48 That was something about stepping onto Ghana soil that woke up the warrior woman
00:05:48 --> 00:05:52 in me. I wasn't just visiting, I was returning.
00:05:52 --> 00:05:56 Let me tell you, Ghana is a land of layers.
00:05:56 --> 00:06:03 One moment, I'm sipping hibiscus tea on a private balcony at the luxurious Kapensky
00:06:03 --> 00:06:11 Hotel, soaking in a five-star comfort, elegance, and every amenity a queen could ask for.
00:06:12 --> 00:06:18 That place was a full-on vibe, a space where I could reflect,
00:06:19 --> 00:06:24 recharge, and walk through the marble halls like the royalty I know I am.
00:06:24 --> 00:06:29 It was the kind of luxury that says, you deserve softness.
00:06:30 --> 00:06:34 But Ghana didn't let me stay too comfortable, and I'm grateful.
00:06:34 --> 00:06:42 Because the next moment I was on the back of a motorcycle at gunpoint crossing into Togo.
00:06:42 --> 00:06:45 Yes, you heard me right, gunpoint.
00:06:45 --> 00:06:52 It was terrifying, it was raw, and it was the moment I had to pull from every
00:06:52 --> 00:06:56 inch of courage I'd built over 50 years of my life.
00:06:57 --> 00:07:01 I had to trust instinct. I had to listen to spirit.
00:07:01 --> 00:07:08 And most of all, I had to remind myself that fear does not erase strength. It just sharpens it.
00:07:09 --> 00:07:16 That experience taught me that even in moments of danger, I am not a victim. I am a survivor.
00:07:16 --> 00:07:24 I am a woman who can hold luxury and chaos, grace and grit, all in the same breath.
00:07:24 --> 00:07:29 That's what being over 50 has given me, range.
00:07:30 --> 00:07:34 Back in Ghana, I dove into the culture, rich, layered, and alive.
00:07:35 --> 00:07:39 I danced under the stars at local gatherings.
00:07:40 --> 00:07:47 Afrikiko is the place to be in Ghana. Shopped at vibrant shops, the markets,
00:07:48 --> 00:07:55 Makola Market, where every fabric had a story and stood in the quiet of the
00:07:55 --> 00:07:59 Cape Coast slave castle with my hands pressed against the stone.
00:08:01 --> 00:08:08 Traveling to the Cape Coast was very invigorating. Entering the castle was even more astonishing.
00:08:09 --> 00:08:18 I was able to walk the path my ancestors walked and hear the cries of babies and mothers.
00:08:18 --> 00:08:24 And when I approached the door of no return, I was able to return because I
00:08:24 --> 00:08:26 walked out and I walked back in.
00:08:27 --> 00:08:32 Not many of my families or ancestors could even say the same.
00:08:34 --> 00:08:39 Ghana reminded me that healing is generational, but so is joy.
00:08:40 --> 00:08:44 And I claimed both. And of course, the men.
00:08:45 --> 00:08:49 Again, men brought that confident calm.
00:08:49 --> 00:08:56 They didn't rush to impress, to held conversations like it was a sacred exchange.
00:08:56 --> 00:08:59 I was even again, not just for
00:08:59 --> 00:09:06 what I brought to the table, but for who I was when I sat at the table.
00:09:07 --> 00:09:09 And that meant a lot to me.
00:09:10 --> 00:09:17 That is the kind of recognition every woman deserves, regardless of your age.
00:09:17 --> 00:09:24 These moments of power and vulnerability, joy and fear became the soil in which
00:09:24 --> 00:09:26 my self-love grew even deeper.
00:09:27 --> 00:09:32 Traveling alone as a woman over 50 isn't just brave, it's revolutionary.
00:09:32 --> 00:09:37 Because every border I cross wasn't just political, it was personal.
00:09:38 --> 00:09:41 I cross into a fuller version of myself.
00:09:42 --> 00:09:48 Good people, if this episode inspired you, share it with another bold soul.
00:09:48 --> 00:09:54 Leave a review or message me your thoughts. I love to hear from you.
00:09:54 --> 00:10:01 And remember, you are not too old to change your life. You are not too late to feel alive.
00:10:02 --> 00:10:06 You are bold by nature and beautiful by design.
00:10:06 --> 00:10:13 Until next time, Aja Ajavan, reminding you to love yourself deeply and live
00:10:13 --> 00:10:17 your truth, no matter what continent you're on.
00:10:18 --> 00:10:28 Music.