Black Expat living in Mexico promotes own travel brand

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Meckell Milburn (Photo: Travel Noire)

According to Travel Noire, Meckell Milburn, from Lafayette, LA, 38, is a digital nomad, a queer travel addict, and a content creator who currently is living as a Black expat in Mexico.

Living in Mexico City, Milburn owns Travel Well With Meckell, a Black-owned travel brand, and she creates content that shares her experience and tries to inspire those who are considering living and working overseas.

Milburn’s experience also fueled her to support Black liberation work in the US. In order to bring her life abroad to fruition, Meckell Milburn left her 9-5 job.

The digital nomad created her own holistic wellness company and a digital travel brand which allows her to work from anywhere in the world. The digital nomad talked to Travel Noire about her experience of being a Black expat in Mexico:

Courtesy of Meckell Milburn

Life Before Being An Expat

I made the decision to move abroad around the start of the pandemic, so life was very different. I was living in the Bay Area, California, and working full-time at a local university. I loved my job but despised the 2-hour daily commute. Mentally I was depressed. I wasn’t in a good place. I was in an unhealthy marriage and knew there was more to life.

Travel Addict

I have always loved traveling mostly because I’m a naturally curious person and a huge foodie. I grew up in an outdoorsy family so road trips and camping were always things I looked forward to. I just began traveling abroad in my 30s, though. I always hesitate counting countries because each experience is so different. I’ve spent extended time in some places, like Mexico, and only one day in others, like Portugal. But in total, I’ve been to around 12 countries so far.

Choosing To Be A Black Expat In Mexico

Mexico has long been one of my favorite countries, which made it easy to start assessing for a long-term stay. It sounds insane to move abroad during a pandemic but major life changes are a great impetus.

I decided to leave the Bay Area in 2020, after filing for divorce and ended up back in Louisiana spending time with my family before taking the leap abroad. Red state plus conservative COVID views meant that I was not feeling very safe in the community. What I had learned about Mexico was that they were taking a completely different approach. I learned so much more about their perspectives on community, health, and safety which made the choice easy given the circumstances. I also love that Mexico is so close to the US so I can get back to see family and friends quickly- if need be.

With information from Travel Noire

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