Q&A with Ebony Walden

  

 

 

Ebony Walden is the author of the new memoir Where I'm From: A Poetic Journey Across Five Continents. She is the founder of the consulting firm Ebony Walden Consulting, and is the creator of the documentary series and podcast Black Beyond Borders. She lives in Richmond, Virginia. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write Where I’m From, and how was the book’s title chosen?

 

A: My trip around the world created the basis for the book. My friend wanted to go on an around-the-world trip and told me about it, and I ran with the idea.

 

I was hosting an open mic at the time and writing poetry, so capturing other people’s stories through poetry became part of the idea for the 2010 journey, which I called The Poetic Justice World Tour.

  

After I returned, I realized how much I had changed. Writing helped me process those experiences. Years later, I decided to publish this memoir to inspire others to take their own transformative journeys. 

 

The title comes from the "Where I’m From" poems I wrote with people during my travels to 15 countries across five continents. You travel with me, learn where others are from through their poems, and then you also learn where I am from as I come to terms with it. I had to go around the world to find home within myself.

 

Q: Of the various places you’ve traveled, are there a couple that are especially meaningful to you?

 

A: The places I loved most are those where I had a deeply impactful volunteer experience. I went to 17 countries and volunteered at schools, community centers, and children's homes for two to six weeks in six of them.

 

Guatemala, Kenya and India were my favorite experiences. The children lit up my world and opened my heart in a new way. They were open, curious, eager to learn, hilarious, and delightful.

 

I also love the Mayan history and colonial architecture in Guatemala. Safari in Kenya was otherworldly, and the colorfulness and intensity of India offered a lesson in embracing uncertainty.

 

Q: The writer Lola Akinmade called the book a “beautiful testament to the transformational power of travel.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: My thesis after traveling extensively is that travel is a portal for transformation, if you allow it to be. Thus, Lola's description is perfect. She understood the soul of the book.

 

The journey changed my perspective on life, love, and relationships, and I offer 15 life lessons that I gleaned from the experience. The memoir is more than just the places I visited; every chapter moves the larger story of transformation forward. It's a deeply soulful and spiritual journey to me. Curiosity, connection, and internal shifts are woven throughout.

 

Q: What impact did it have on you to write the book, and what do you hope readers take away from it?

 

A: I started writing the book a few years after I returned, primarily for myself. I wanted to retrace that journey and understand how I had changed. Step by step, encounter by encounter, country by country. I wanted to gather all the lessons so I could fully incorporate them into my life going forward.

 

Takeaways for readers:

 

You do not need to go to six continents to live like a traveler. Just live with openness, curiosity and by embracing connection and uncertainty.

Dream out loud. You can do something bold and audacious. Do that thing!

 

The most important journey is the journey within. Do the work to fully embrace the beauty and broken pieces of your life and story. That takes honesty, introspection, and sharing when you are ready. Travel, poetry, and memoir are my mediums. Find yours.

 

Ultimately, I hope readers reflect on their own journey and think about how the people and places they have encountered have shaped them.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I have a 12-city book tour in the works for Where I'm From, which launches September 8.

 

I'm working on seasons two (Colombia) and three (Ghana) of my award-winning travel documentary series Black Beyond Borders, where I explore Black culture across the African diaspora.

 

 I am also building a speaking platform that turns lessons from my travels into workshops, keynotes, and immersive experiences exploring identity, leadership, and creativity beyond borders.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: My goal in writing this book is to be a catalyst for others' transformation. To do this, I have four companion resources for the book: an anthology of poems, a discussion guide, a journal, and a workbook to help readers connect to the story, the lessons, and themselves.You can find all of these on my website, www.ebonywalden.com.

 

I also publish essays about travel and transformation on my Substack, Beyond Borders, and share my travels on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Subscribe and feel free to reach out. I love hearing from viewers and readers. 

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb