Meet the Young Black Female Navigator Who Turned Sailing the World’s Largest Tankers into a Travel Career

Capt. Sandy Campbell has circumnavigated the globe at the helm of the world’s largest gas tankers as a merchant mariner and seafarer. Being a woman in a male-dominated industry, she’s no stranger to taking on challenges and breaking down barriers. But today the young seafarer has traded her seat in the captain’s bridge for one behind a laptop screen where she curates travel experiences, coaches would-be solo travelers, and consults as a travel advisor through her newly launched website SandysSuitcase.com

Campbell’s love of travel grew roots on the ocean-going liners she has lived and worked on — 1,100-foot vessels (the size of three football fields) that have propelled her from country to country in the Middle East, Asia and Europe. For years, she traveled around the world, scraping the surface of countries and cultures she would only have a few days to explore at a time. On each of those short trips, she vowed to come back one day to fully explore what these places have to offer.

The Bahamian-born seafarer’s latest challenge? Carrying that same energy into the travel industry.

“In the beginning, blogging was an outlet for me, a way of keeping a record of my travels from around the world,” says Campbell.

“But what’s really important to me now is giving people who want to get their feet wet in the traveling pool the resources they need to do that.”

“Traveling for work has exposed me to so many wonderful places, and it’s made me want to share my love of travel and all the knowledge I’ve gained doing it with other people,” she says.

Today, the seafarer has traveled to 56 countries, five continents, and most of the Caribbean islands. She has sailed the Malacca Straights, explored the Greek Islands, sand-boarded in Peru, hiked an active volcano in Guatemala and lived like a local in Lagos.

Her next goal? Visiting every country on the planet!

Growing up in the Bahamas but raised by the world, Sandy’s passion and zest for life continue to grow as she aims to help would-be travelers get out there and see! Sandy consults, plans, coaches and advises on all things travel as well as curates group trips. Her love affair with the world is evident in her colorful anecdotal stories and descriptive narratives which she regularly posts on her website.

If you are thinking of taking the leap on a wild adventure or you’re ready to start traveling solo but are not sure where to start, schedule a call with Capt. Sandy today and fall in love with life!

To learn more about Captain Campbell’s story, visit sandyssuitcase.com and her Instagram page @SandysSuitcase.

This article first appeared on Blacknews.com.