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A week ago you were in my tummy. Wild 💚 A week ago you were in my tummy. Wild 💚
Say hi to Beyond! Born Jan. 15th, same day as Dr. Say hi to Beyond! Born Jan. 15th, same day as Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday! Seems pretty fitting our son would share a birthday with an iconic disruptor and leader in social justice 😉 This past weekend has been a whirlwind! I've been documenting my natural, unmedicated birth and aftermath experience a little bit on IG stories, but wow. I really could talk about it for days. I'll share more details in other posts, but for now I just want to say how grateful I am for my husband and this little dude we created together. I never thought I'd be a mom, but I'm glad I changed my mind. My 9-month pregnancy was a pleasantly uneventful breeze but the labor, delivery, and postpartum recovery were a total beast (finally back home and still recovering). Every birth and postpartum story is different - so no amount of classes and YouTube binging could 100% prepare me for what my unique experience would be. Despite that shockwave, I found beauty in the pain when I saw Beyond's face, on top of experiencing the endearing love, support, and bonding from my husband throughout the entire process. When I tell you a supportive partner is EVERYTHING, I mean it. Going through this together elevated our love and respect for each other tenfold. We make a great team, and that's a truly unmatched feeling. This next chapter with our sweet boy is about to be a whole new adventure, and this mama and papa are ready for it. Leggo.
9 months y’all. I’ll be 40 weeks this weekend—if I make it to my due date. 🙃 Bae and I make friendly bets on everything. It's one of many ways we entertain each other. We bet on baby’s birth date, time, weight, and even how much weight I’d gain. His guess was that I’d gain 30 lbs. My guess was 28. We were both equally close. 29 is the magic number it seems! 🤰🏽 Some folks fear the weight gain, but I was excited to embrace it. It has been truly fascinating watching my body change over these last 9 months. 🦋 The result is a beautiful metamorphosis and it doesn’t matter if you gain 30 or 50—it’s all apart of your remarkable journey. Women’s bodies are extraordinary. Period. And don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
There have been 1,311 Senators in US history. Out There have been 1,311 Senators in US history. Out of that, only 10 have been Black. We should have been celebrating the significance of the US getting its 11th Black Senator this week. We must celebrate GA getting its first Black Senator ever. We must celebrate GA getting its first Jewish Senator ever. And the irony nobody seems to be addressing? The same pastor who was arrested by Capitol police in 2017 for peacefully praying in protest, became a US Senator 4 years later on the same day a violent mob stormed the very same chambers he was arrested at and will soon be walking freely in. The hypocrisy of how he was treated by police for PRAYING on Capitol grounds vs. what we all witnessed earlier this week is blatant. How fitting is it that years later after his arrest, he will now have the power to implement legislation to help fight injustices like these? This past week was dark. But we can't let that rob us of celebrating the light ✨
My mom and sis (@Jasminepennamma) in the 80s. When My mom and sis (@Jasminepennamma) in the 80s. When chaos happens in our country, it can be tempting to get sucked into the emotional rollercoaster ride that follows. Yesterday was my sister's birthday and I was happy to hear she spent the day completely unplugged from social media and the news. Instead she allowed herself and her family the freedom to simply celebrate her special day in peace, off the grid with limited access to cell service. So as a reminder to everyone, take a page out of my sister's book and allow yourself to acknowledge the ugliness and blatant hypocrisy of what transpired this week in the US while also unapologetically giving yourself the mental breaks you need. And please wish my big sis a Happy Birthday 💚
The irony of it all. Thank you GA. Thank you @sta The irony of it all. Thank you GA. Thank you @staceyabrams. Thank you Black women. And congratulations to @raphaelwarnock, GA's first Black US Senator. Today, I'm proud to be a Georgia voter. We made history 💙
My family voted. Today's historic election will de My family voted. Today's historic election will determine how successful Biden's presidency will be. I watched a @voxdotcom video yesterday that did an exceptional job explaining the importance of today's Senate race. It also shed light on the racist history of runoff elections in the South. Here are the points that were made. 1. WHY THIS RUNOFF MATTERS: This runoff election is important because if Democrat candidates Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock win these last two Senate seats, then the Senate will be ruled by Democrats, which means Biden's progressive legislation has a greater chance of being passed. If either of them lose, then the Senate will be ruled by Republicans, led by Sen. Mitch McConnell who has publicly vowed to block all of Biden's legislation. This means if you voted for Biden, you'd have to lower your expectations for the kind of change you want to see. 2. HOW THIS RUNOFF IS HISTORICALLY ROOTED IN RACISM: Georgia's "runoff voting" was birthed in response to the civil rights movement and an increase in Black voting. With traditional "plurality voting" where there are multiple candidates and majority wins, white politicians feared that votes would be split amongst the white candidates and the "one Black candidate" on the ballot would automatically win because he/she would get all the Black votes. So they implemented a runoff system. Instead of the majority wins rule, the top two candidates with the most votes from the initial election go to a runoff election, where politicians believed the Black candidate would lose, because now the white votes wouldn't be split between multiple white candidates - they can all be redirected to this one white candidate. VOTING MATTERS. Those who complain when presidents don't deliver on their promises, but didn't vote in local elections - are part of the problem. Presidential elections are only a fraction of the equation. Their success hinges on the outcome of local elections. Georgia - today is the last day to vote. Make your voice heard.
Yep. Veganuary is a thing. If you've been thinking Yep. Veganuary is a thing. If you've been thinking of dipping your toes into the vegan life, try it and bring your family and friends in on this January challenge. Over 1,000,000 people in 192 countries have participated in @weareveganuary since 2014. Trying this out can help you get more comfortable with plant-based meals, drive corporate change, and inspire the people in your own life to make more compassionate food & lifestyle choices that improve human health, the environment, and animal lives. I know this is new for some of you, so if y'all have questions please don't hesitate to drop 'em below 💚
Happy 1-Year "Veganversary" to my bae! He thought Happy 1-Year "Veganversary" to my bae! He thought he was only going to do it for a few months, but here we are a whole year later. The day after Christmas last year, we watched the Netflix documentary @gamechangersmovie. Afterwards, he realized that meat/dairy were unnecessary for his protein needs and that plants could even give him an edge in strength. He said he ate meat his whole life because he grew up being told it was needed for his diet - but when he learned it wasn't, he was driven by his curiosity to test if it was true or not. After a year, he's concluded that meat isn't a dietary requirement and more of a learned habit. He works out every day and feels better and more energized eating plants than he did when he ate meat. Injuries he's had for months finally healed and his body feels stronger overall. People go down the plant-based path for different reasons and every person's journey is different. I went vegan to take a stance against animal exploitation and eventually realized the health benefits. He went plant-based for his health and over the past year became more compassionate for animals. Whatever your reason for doing it, always remember your why 💚 PS. #Veganuary is next month! If you've been curious about the benefits of a plant-based diet, this will be a great month to start. What's your biggest challenge with it? Lemme know!
People search long and hard for magical formulas t People search long and hard for magical formulas to living longer. It's pretty straightforward though. #EatMorePlants
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Ashley Renne

Live an adventurously green life

My personal stories about travel, being vegan, green living, smart tech, and blogging as a mixed race Black and Indian woman.

Category: Personal Essay

Posted on 1 May 20191 May 2019
7 Truths About How I Travel So Much—and Why Maybe You Shouldn’t

Blog, Money Talk, Personal Essay, Travel Tips

7 Truths About How I Travel So Much—and Why Maybe You Shouldn’t

Traveling is a privilege. If you’re tired of people telling you how easy it is to travel the world, yet it doesn’t line up with your reality, I’m here to share an alternative perspective. 

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Posted on 31 Mar 201931 Mar 2019
Conquering Keynote Speech Anxiety

Blog, Career Growth, Personal Essay

Conquering Keynote Speech Anxiety

How I got past my keynote speech anxiety and 5 tips to help you conquer yours. 

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Posted on 29 Jan 20191 Apr 2019
Why I Changed My Blog Name

Blog, Career Growth, Personal Essay

Why I Changed My Blog Name

Well hey y’all! NEW NAME! WHO DIS? Welcome to Hey Ashley Renne, the blog formerly known as Travel Lushes. New year, new me! Haha, I know, I know, so effing cliché. But real talk, this was a big switch and you may be wondering why on earth did you go from Travel Lushes to Hey

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Posted on 9 Aug 20185 Jan 2019
Black People Climb Mountains? | Climbing a 14er with Coors Light

Black Travel, Blog, North America, Personal Essay

Black People Climb Mountains? | Climbing a 14er with Coors Light

When I first got the invitation to ‘Climb with Coors’ in Colorado, an annual trek to Wilson Peak, the 14,023-foot mountaintop you always see in the Coors Light logo, I didn’t hesitate to say yes. As a mixed-race Black and Indian woman in the travel media space, I don’t often see images displaying people of

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Posted on 20 Oct 20175 Jan 2019
Lost Passport While Traveling – Our Emirates Nightmare

Blog, Personal Essay

Lost Passport While Traveling – Our Emirates Nightmare

Picture this. You’re all set to go on the most amazing adventure of your life. About to board a plane to one of those dream destinations that tends to be a screensaver on most people’s computers (The Maldives) and getting there on what was voted the World’s Best Airline of 2017 (Emirates). On top of

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Posted on 28 Aug 20171 Apr 2019
Women in Travel Summit Inspired Me to Quit My Job

Blog, Career Growth, Personal Essay

Women in Travel Summit Inspired Me to Quit My Job

I first went to the Women in Travel Summit in 2016 and I’m not even exaggerating when I say this conference played a role in sending me down the path that led to me quitting my job to pursue my love of travel full-time.  Yep, sure did. Let me tell you the story. In 2016,

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Posted on 25 Apr 20177 Jan 2019
Why I Quit My $80K Job to Travel the World More

Blog, Personal Essay

Why I Quit My $80K Job to Travel the World More

Watch the Video: Ugh, it sounds like such a cliché right? Here goes another person shouting from the rooftops “I quit my job to travel the world!” Blah, blah, blah. Yep, I did it. And it felt good y’all. But did you notice in the title of my post, I put the word ‘more’ at

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January 2021
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