Vacationer of the Week: Ami King

Ami King has embarked on a journey to travel around the world as a transgender man and expat. Born in Atlantic City, New Jersey, he has spent most of his childhood in Las Vegas but currently lives in Mexico City. 

Within the past year and a half, the fearless digital nomad has been living in Latin America and spending time in a few cities and countries for an extended period of time.  

The 25-year-old traveling content creator has his own YouTube channel to document his real-time travel experiences and to also help offer some guidance to other Black queer travelers who are considering taking a big leap of faith to live abroad.  

We chat with our Vacationer of the Week not only about the complexities of traveling as a trans expat, but Ami also offers words of wisdom if you’re contemplating a move abroad, tells a personal story of why an open mind to new cultural differences is an expat essential, and he opens up about the welcoming sense of community he found in Mexico. It’s an interesting conversation you don’t want to miss out on. 

Vacationer: At what age did you receive your first passport? What was your first trip?

Ami King: I got my passport when I was 22 for a trip to study abroad in Chiang Mai, Thailand and I was the first person in my family to get a passport. 

What trip or travel experience sparked your passion for travel? 

Studying abroad in Thailand in 2019 really sparked my passion for travel. Traveling was never on my radar and quite honestly, I always saw studying abroad as something that only the rich white students were able to do. I was working anywhere from one to three jobs in school plus involved in extracurricular activities. When I studied abroad it was the first time, I saw myself do something that I never even knew I could do. It was the first time that I was capable of more than I perceived or thought I was and that was a very empowering feeling. I realized that the world and what I had expanded my perspective or thoughts. 

What inspires or drives your passion to travel?

I started my YouTube channel because two friends encouraged me to do it, but also because I didn’t see anyone that fit my demographics doing what I was doing. There weren’t a lot of Black expats, very few young expats, and those heavily impacted my experience abroad. I wanted to start to show folx what my experience was like. 

I wasn’t older or retired and I wasn’t a white kid that just graduated that had the financial support of my family to explore the world. I was a 23-year-old Black person taking a leap and moving to a new country alone. My platform has evolved to not just wanting to show people my experience but to also provide the tools, resources, and inspiration to other Black queer folx who never even thought travel or living abroad was possible for them. 

Please tell us how you identify yourself on the LGBTQIA spectrum. Tell us if how you identify influences the way your travel. If so, how?

I am a pansexual trans man but in a perfect and less binary world, I would love to just identify as queer. Being queer and abroad means I must be cautious about what spaces I find myself in. Getting misgendered is exhausting and I can only deal with being in spaces like that for so long. Since I go by Ami and no longer my previous name, I have to be cognizant of what I put on what documents and know when I need to put my previous name on an official document or some things that I can use my preferred name. 

I am a bit fearful as I plan to make some medical transitions and I know that will impact my travel experience. From dealing with TSA questions to probably my IDs and such not matching how I present – these things will bring some stress. Also, I am coming to terms that some countries may not be very safe for me to go to if I don’t present very ‘cishet’. I am aware that I still have ‘passing privilege’.

How do you choose a destination to live and or visit as a Black Queer Trans expat?

All the countries I have gone to have honestly been intuitive. I go where it feels right and makes sense. I choose also based on people I meet and recommendations I get. The Black queer ex-pat community in Mexico City has been absolutely amazing and has helped me feel so seen and a part of the community.

How easy or hard was it to make the transition from your hometown to the first place you decided to settle? What was or is the most difficult part about being an expat?

I always say living abroad isn’t for the faint of heart. It is an amazing and beautiful experience, but it is not an easy one – having to navigate culture shock, language differences, different currencies, the family that may not approve, and so much more. 

The most difficult part for me was dealing with cultural differences. I didn’t realize that living in the States had me valuing things that in other countries aren’t valued the same. One example, in the US, timeliness is seen as a way to show respect. It is considered a good quality if you are on time and by doing so you are showing respect to the other person and their time. That is not how time is seen in Latin America. That was something I had to learn. 

My local friends would be late to our meet-ups and I’d think nothing of it, and I would get upset because I thought they were 20 minutes late because they didn’t respect me. That caused some riffs because they didn’t understand why I cared so much about timeliness. Luckily, I was eventually open enough to see it another way and not let it bother me, but had I not, I could have missed out on a lot of relationships. 

If someone asked you for travel tips on how to navigate living outside of the U.S. or their native country, what are some important tips or words of wisdom you would give them? 

• Don’t take your perspective of how things should be done from your country. Be open-minded and know that there are so many ways people around the world do things. Be open to learning something new and truly immersing yourself in the culture. 
• Connect with locals, don’t just stay in the ‘expat bubble’. Your experience is going to be so much richer if you connect with locals and try to see their country through their eyes.
• Eat street food, but only eat it if it’s hot, or you might get sick.
• Before trying the tap water, first, make sure you find out if it’s safe to drink it.

What’s the best tip you’d offer travelers?

Learn how to trust your intuition. I truly think as a solo traveler that is my biggest resource. It has helped me in difficult situations, and I am sure it has helped me avoid potentially bad situations because I did listen to it. You have to learn to trust yourself and that inner wisdom, it will help guide you and help you have an amazing adventure. 

What’s are your top three favorite places to visit?

• Cali, Colombia
• Mexico City, Mexico
• Oaxaca, Mexico

What three places are still on your bucket list to visit?

• All of Southeast Asia
• Dubai
• Morocco
• Japan

What’s one thing you never forget to pack in your suitcase?

Before I shaved my head, it would have been hair care products. Now I would say either my Chacos (outdoor sandals) or my notebook filled with my YouTube strategy & content ideas.

You’re going on a road trip. What singer or band is always on your playlist?

Depends on the vibe, but Sam Smith, Pop Smoke, JP Cooper, Miguel, or maybe even Khalid.