A ‘Happistart’ for travel planner and blogger Soumoya Mattis

When Soumoya Mattis took her first trip overseas, she knew that she would take another in no time.

“I didn’t always see myself travelling. Before my first trip, I didn’t even think that what I’m doing now was possible. But the moment I booked my first flight back in 2010, I knew that I was gonna stay travelling. And when I got back to Jamaica, I needed to see everywhere else,” she told Saturday Living of how she became a world traveller, travel planner and blogger.

Mattis hails from a small town in Hanover, and her initial experience with travel included heading to the Second City, Montego Bay. Seeing no immediate family member or anyone in her social circle catching flights, she would be the first to break the cycle, step out of her comfort zone and crossing international borders.

AMAZING EXPERIENCE

Visiting over 20 countries so far, she listed Paris, the capital of France, as one of the most amazing places she has ever seen. “Not only was it an ‘awesperience’, but it was also a spiritual one for me. The day I came up out of the train station and looked at the Eiffel Tower, my eyes filled with tears. Me, [a] likkle country girl from dung ah Hanover duh this by miself. My heart was full,” she reflected.

It was a far cry from growing up in a place where girls got pregnant before completing high school and being raised in a four-corner home with a bed on one side and a stove on the other – that was the pure definition of ‘reach’ in her eyes. Breaking away from the stereotypes of her surroundings hit her harder than she could have imagined.

Her second trip, which took her to Turks and Caicos, really defined her scope of travel. It was only up from there. After hearing plans from her college friend to attend grad school in the Netherlands, Mattis was so intrigued that she tapped into a unique aspect of jet-setting: planning behind the scenes. “I went home and started doing research on Europe, and I went down a rabbit hole about Africa and Asia. While doing research, I manifested that I wanted to travel. I needed to create a job for myself that would allow me to travel,” she said. At that moment, she began working towards becoming a travel planner.

Between 2013 and 2014, she joined travel forces with Team Jamaica for the World Championships of Performing Arts. There, she did visa applications for the entire team, arranged flights, transportation and hotel accommodations. “I was assisting with the entire logistics of getting people to Hollywood and back,” she added. By 2019, riding on the wave of her success and her own discoveries, she decided to create her own brand: Happistart.

Her social media content includes videos on how to apply for visas, travel experiences, guides and tips. She is building her brand with high hopes of seeing and experiencing as many countries and cultures as possible. “My aim is to assist as many Jamaicans as possible to travel through my company,” the entrepreneur asserted, adding on a more personal note, “I’m partly trying to ‘find myself’. I want [that] when I decide to settle down, I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything.”

Outside of travel-oriented endeavours, Mattis owns a digital production company called Soneik Entertainment, which provides video and photography services and studio rental. When she is grounded, she spends her days managing her production company, assisting with visa applications, blogging, editing content, and planning trips. While visa access and finances continue to make life difficult for the world traveller, she is pushing forward and is already well on her way in exploring the beauty of East Africa, namely, Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia. And she will be flying off to Asia, Europe and Australia later this year.

Those with the desire to start travelling are advised to do some research. The information is out there; there’s Google, and it helps to connect with consulates and ambassadors here in Jamaica who are willing to answer all of your questions. “The thing with travel is, you have to be flexible. To grab the good deals, you got to be packed and ready to jump on a plane; but with a passport with low mobility, I can’t just jump on a plane. I have to plan in advance so I can apply for the correct visas and ensure my travel route is suitable. I also have to ensure that I don’t get myself stranded, because one thing these countries don’t play about is their borders.”

Soumoya Mattis is on Instagram as @soumoya_soneik and @happistarttravel and TikTok, @crzysamoye and @happistarttravel.

krysta.anderson@gleanerjm.com