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An interview with Naomi Hearts on her journey to self-love.
Women’s history month means celebrating all of the wonderful, powerful women in the world of travel—the women who have made history and are making history. Every. Single. Day. Fearlessly paving the way for generations to come.
At TrovaTrip, we are lucky enough to partner with creators who come from a myriad of beautiful, diverse backgrounds. In celebration of Women’s History Month, we had the honor of spotlighting some of our incredible female-identifying Hosts who are making waves in the travel industry. Recently, we caught up with L.A.-based content creator and self-proclaimed body-positive Chicana trans woman, Naomi Hearts, @naomiheartsxo.
Tune in as Naomi shares her story, talks travel, and sheds light on her journey to becoming the proud, confident woman she is today.
Key Takeaways
1. Love yourself first. Always.
Visit Naomi’s Instagram page @naomiheartsxo and you’ll see the phrase “Love yourself first, always” written across her bio. Reflecting on this message and how she practices it in her daily life, the California native acknowledged all of the negative energy she has seen in the world. Naomi admits that there was a point in her life when she was surrounded by so much negativity, she felt there was no choice but to react with the same hate that was directed towards her.
With time, Naomi reflected on these behaviors and came to the life-altering conclusion that engaging in this negativity added no value to her mental health. In fact, it took away from it. She learned to ignore the hate and eventually turned the situations into opportunities to spread love—both inwards and outwards.
In a world where hurt people are conditioned to hurt other people because of their own traumas, Naomi reminds us that the key to breaking the cycle is to never lose sight of who we really are. By putting ourselves first, embracing who we are and spreading love with more tenacity than hate, we can make the world a better place for everyone to explore.
2. Don’t rush your journey.
Loving yourself doesn’t happen overnight. Oftentimes the journey of becoming who you really are takes time, effort and honestly, a lot of patience.
Naomi explains that she doesn’t fit the restrictive mold of America’s standard of beauty. “I went on a journey of self-acceptance,” she recalls and went on to share that she no longer allows this to stop her from recognizing her own strength and power.
Differences should be celebrated. It’s a fact. The moment you learn to love what makes you unique is the moment you get to control the narrative of your life. Stepping into that power is what Naomi would describe as “the true standard of beauty” that each of us has the potential to seek and embody on our own individual journeys.
3. Find strength in your community.
As a woman who has made a career out of creating content on social media, Naomi has had the unique opportunity to share the multifaceted parts of her identity with an audience that authentically relates by seeing themselves in her.
As someone who proudly wears her identity as a plus-size Chicana trans woman, Naomi is a beacon of hope and inspiration to many. She always aims to give back the same love and energy she feels is poured into her by her followers.
4. Get comfortable being uncomfortable.
There is a level of uncertainty that comes with being a Traveler in a marginalized community. There is no denying it. But if there’s one thing we stand behind at TrovaTrip, it’s the notion that with the right resources to do it, an open heart and a little bit of bravery, travel is something that’s meant for everyone.
On her upcoming trip to Bali, Naomi will be running a Self-Love Workshop that empowers her Travelers to share their lived experiences in a safe and accepting space. She hopes to encourage her community to step outside of their comfort zones and connect with people who may share a similar story.
The key takeaway? When we let our guards down, we are able to connect and evolve in ways we may have never thought possible. Step one: Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
5. Don’t let fear hold you back.
As a woman new to travel (and low-key afraid of planes), Naomi will be the first to tell you how easy it is to act, or not act, out of fear. She addresses that it can be difficult for someone in the trans or plus-size community to experience the wonders of traveling when there are questions around safety and acceptance swirling.
But the proud Latina public figure reminded us that stepping into this uncertainty can be a beautiful thing, essential to self-growth.
Get out there and do it!
The world of travel has a space for everyone, but when we don’t see people who match our identities exploring our desired paths, it’s easy to feel as if you’re being left out of the equation. Thanks to TrovaTrip Hosts like Naomi Hearts, who fully embrace the power of self-love, community and intentionality–Travelers know that their voices matter and should be heard around the globe.
If you want to join Naomi on her upcoming trip to Bali and secure a seat at her Self-Love Workshop, you can visit her trip page here. We already know you’re brave enough to take this next step in your journey. All that’s left is for you to believe it too.