This post is the first in our Baggage Claim series and I am so excited to share it with you all.

Travel and experiencing our world is one of the foundational pillars of this company, and each of you have incredible journeys to inspire us, and knowledge that we hope to learn from. Through this series, I hope to share insights from women like you and me as they travel our globe bolding pursuing their daring life adventures.

Today’s contributor is a dear friend of mine, Morgan Knight. She is a talented photographer and has been an inspiration to me over the years. She recently traveled to Hong Kong and was gracious enough to share the city through her lens, along with some travel tips and tricks for our Baggage Claim interview.

WELCOME ABOARD MORGAN!

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

MORGAN: I am a dinosaur-lover who would be simultaneously thrilled and terrified to find myself in the real Jurassic Park (but definitely more thrilled, if I’m being honest), wanna-be health enthusiast who loves sugar a bit too much to fully commit, adventurer and traveler, sci-fi aficionado, believer that true female independence is being able to properly throw a football, currently obsessed with Korean dramas, and lover of Scooby-Doo fruit snacks who has zero self-control when faced with a bag (or box) of them.

I am also a photographer! I love getting to tell a person’s story, revealing something about themselves that maybe they don’t usually see, have forgotten, or didn’t even know was in them.

BOARDING PASS:

Tell us about your recent travels.

MORGAN: I just had the opportunity to travel to Hong Kong! The main reason for the trip was to connect with and photograph Filipino migrant workers under a portion of the NGO titled Deborah & Co. (two of the missionaries who live in Hong Kong have been building relationships with them over the past year). We spent their day-off encouraging and talking with them, and simply making them feel special during the time we had together. I then brought those images home and am currently compiling a book for each lady to give to them when I go back. The book will feature them and their images, coupled with scripture and words to encourage them into their identity of how God sees them and who He created them to be.

I will be returning this August for three months to give the ladies their books and continue those relationships, and also to connect with new people, and compile stories of empowering women from around the country!

MILEAGE CLUB:

As an avid traveler, do you have any go-to travel hacks?

MORGAN: I thought that surely I had some travel hacks but I think the only tip I have is to roll your clothes instead of folding them. It saves so much space and I need all the space I can get. I have a serious over-packing problem.

TRAVEL TRINKETS:

What’s your favorite travel souvenir?

MORGAN: I try to get a ring or something that like from a local store or street market. For me, it’s a cool way of collecting unique pieces I can wear from the different places I travel.

PERSONAL SPACE:

We’ve all had that airplane neighbor who does THAT THING…What’s your biggest plane etiquette pet peeve? (If you're the victim or even the culprit here, please do share!)

MORGAN: Please, for the love of all that is good, don’t take your shoes off on the plane. Please. My nose and I beg you.

IN-FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT:

On the airplane you tend to…

MORGAN: I get so hype about watching movies on the plane. I get even more hype when it’s a long flight and I get to watch even more movies or binge a whole series. I love people but… I usually keep my headphones in at all times when in an airport or on a plane. I didn’t follow this once and it resulted in an 8 hour conversation that I wanted to stop about 7 hours before it did…

SECURITY CHECK:

Do you get to the airport 4 hours early, or just in time to walk on the plane?

MORGAN: I love to procrastinate. I am really good at it. So, I’m going to cut it as close I can without being late. An hour to an hour and a half before the flight it plenty of time in my book.

TOURIST ATTRACTION:

If we’re headed to HK, what is something that we absolutely should not miss?

MORGAN: The skyline of Victoria Harbour... I mean, wow. It’s tourist-y but it never stopped being magical every time I saw it. Also the Bubble Tea. Try it all. It’s everywhere I never tasted one I didn’t like.

CRASH PAD:

What’s your preferred type of place to stay? Pick one! — Hotel Chain (I love collecting points!), Boutique Hotel, Airbnb/VRBO, or Stay with Family & Friends?

MORGAN: Family and friends are always preferable. I always prefer to do what a local would and people who live there always have great suggestions. A bed and breakfast is always fun, too! I stayed in one in Scotland once and awoke to a gentle breeze coming in through the window, the smell of bacon being cooked, and the sound of a flute drifting in through the window. A FLUTE! So stay at the Bed and Breakfast’s.

LOCAL FLAVOR:

What food/snack/beverage do we have to try from Hong Kong? If you have a favorite place to get said item, feel free to share it!

MORGAN: I drank so much milk tea that I think my blood was replaced by it. They have “Hong Kong” style there which I bought at almost every 7/11. I tried to get it shipped to America but have so far not found any country who does.

We also had a ton of dim sum, as one does. Dim Dim Sum had the cutest pig shaped custard buns that were amazing!

TRAVEL ITINERARY:

Are you a total planner or prefer to fly by the seat of your pants?

MORGAN: I do a bit of both. I like to have a basic idea of where I want to go or what I want to see, so we can try to maximize out time in a certain location. But I also leave room for exploring and checking out places that weren’t on the original itinerary. The random, unexpected discoveries are always the most fun.

BAGGAGE CLAIM:

What is your go-to travel accessory and what travel essentials are always in your suitcase?

MORGAN: Listen, this Travel Patterns small dual travel pouch is a game-changer! It holds all my face oils, moisturizers and tooth brush in one side, and my hair ties, bobby pins random toiletries in the other. When you have a bunch of small bottles like I do, this bag is the perfect size to fit everything in one neat, pretty place. (BONUS! It’s currently on sale here!)

TAKE HEART. TAKE FLIGHT:

Our motto - Take Heart. Take Flight. - calls us to courageously search for who we were meant to be, to break free of the fears holding us back, and to boldly pursue the daring adventure set before us. Tell us how you are living this motto in your life.

MORGAN: Breaking free from our fears is one of the hardest things that we’ll do. We get so bound by the “what if...” and the “what will people think?” that we stay unmoved toward the things we really want. I know I have done that for far too long. I challenge you to say yes to the dream, to the adventure, to the next big step that is equal parts thrilling and terrifying. When you have both of those things mixed together, you know a grand adventure is about to happen. Fight for it and kick fear out of the car, he has horrible taste in music.