The Tribune

By ALESHA CADET

Tribune Features Reporter

acadet@tribunemedia.net

QUINN RUSSELL’s multicultural upbringing sparked his fascination with world travel, architecture and culture. It gave him the hunger to get out and explore the world; to collect and share experiences.

This interest later led to Quinn becoming the founder and director of Traveller’s Bazaar (www.travellersbazaar.com), a travel blog showcasing the best in luxury travel, architecture/design, green living, fashion and people from around the world.

“I attended the American Heritage College Preparatory School of Boca Raton, FL, and the International Tennis Academy of Delray Beach, FL. I was exposed to persons of every cultural background imaginable; it furthered my passion for world travel and cross-cultural relations. Upon graduation I began my collegiate studies at Florida Atlantic University in Business Administration and Architecture. Through my studies, I found myself passionate about speaking on travel and design to any audience; it was this relentlessness that I channelled into an entrepreneurial platform,” said the Grand Bahama native. 
His most inspiring trip was visiting Israel, where he toured in the “footsteps of Christ”.
“That was beyond powerful. To stand in front of the Wailing Wall (Western Wall), to pray on top of the Temple Mount, shop in the Bazaars of Jerusalem’s Old City, and visit the Garden of Gethsemane. Those were experiences\

I was all too eager to photograph and write about. I wanted to document the experience and share it to the world,” said Quinn.
“Travel is apart of my life because I never want to be limited to my immediate perception of life. Learning of other cultures expands the mind so beautifully,” he said. 
Quinn’s career in travel journalism has given him the opportunity to visit France, Monaco, Russia, England, Dubai, Israel, Germany, and extensively throughout the Caribbean, United States and Latin America.

“You grow so much more in the moments of travel that are not prepackaged, predetermined, and seem all to familiar. I began writing in 2010 and since then it has been a world-wind experience, literally,” he said

He said his most memorable moment has to be standing atop the Eiffel Tower. He recalls the moment as surreal and magical. Also, Quinn said touring the House of Lords in London was fascinating.

“I could see notions of our government and history on display; it was living history before my eyes,” he said.
During a recent trip in Monaco, Quinn said he had a nightmarish car ride he will never forget. He was driving to St Tropez during a thunder storm on narrow cliff side roads.

“If you are not a master of manual do not rent a car in Monaco, there is no automatic option. The 90 degree inclined hills were not favourable to me; it was one of those in the moment experiences that are so bad, but after the fact you can laugh at yourself and say thank God I made it out of that,” said Quinn.

In Monaco, he also attended Art Monaco 2013. “I was probably the youngest face at the event and the only person of colour. In that moment I felt so humbled and thankful, the event was really out of this world. Being in the presence of royalty and celebrities is not a typical day in the office for me,” he said.

While staying at Yas Viceroy, a 5-star luxury hotel in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Quinn said he received an unforgettable surprise.

“I simply asked were there any room upgrades, and I went from a 500 sq ft room to a 1,500 sq ft marina suite. Never be afraid to ask; I live by that standard,” he said.
Quinn’s iPhone is his favourite travel item. Without it, Quinn said he would probably be lost in some remote jungle discovering an unknown civilization. Needless to say, he said a GPS system is also a lifesaver.
Next on Quinn’s travel list is a trip to Cuba. He said he has visited the country twice before, but he has not documented it properly.

“It is like stepping back into time, and that is uncommon in today’s globalised and modernised society. While visiting, I am purchasing art and antiques to be sold and auctioned off at the Traveller’s Bazaar launch party to be held this August in Nassau,” said Quinn. The launch party will aid efforts to raise funds for a young girl Quinn is assisting with securing a badly needed prosthetic leg.

Later in the year, Quinn plans to visit the Far East, and next Spring he will tour Spain, travelling slowly down the “Spice Trade”, stopping in Morocco, on to West Africa and down to South Africa, said Quinn.