Episode 33 India Hicks on Aid Missions in Ukraine

This week on Passport to Everywhere, Melissa speaks with longtime friend, British designer, author, entrepreneur and goddaughter of King Charles, India Hicks. Melissa first met India on a trip to Harbour Island, where she traveled to write a story for the launch issue of Town & Country Travel magazine. The two became fast friends and have supported each other ever since. Known for her impeccable taste and design, India has lived an adventurous, fascinating life as a mother of five. She moved to the Bahamas from England in the 1990s with her now husband and designer David Flint Wood. She’s modeled for Ralph Lauren, written four design books, and led a multi-faceted career in design for over two decades. She’s also strongly driven by humanitarian work and serves on the advisory board of Global Empowerment Mission (GEM), a disaster relief agency she joined after Hurricane Dorian in 2019. In this conversation, India dives into her recent aid missions to Ukraine with GEM and talks about her experiences on the ground over her many trips since the war broke out. India sheds light on life in Ukraine today and how it has changed over the course of the war, what it was like having some of her adult children join her on mission trips, and the importance of hope in times of destruction.

Plus- India shares insight into the serene way of life on Harbour Island. After calling the Bahamas home for nearly three decades, she talks about the simplicity and creativity island life brings and how it has influenced her career and way of living. While famous for its pink beaches and pristine waters, India shares how the community is what actually makes this destination in the West Indies so special.

And- don’t miss India’s personal travel tips as she shares her recommendations for what to do in Harbor Island, how she packs for her travels, and her favorite destinations around the world.

Lightning Round with India:

• Item that’s always in your beach bag? Augustine’s Bader Lip Balm- not only hydrates these 55 year old lips but also plumps them up
• A favorite place to stay in London? The Goring Hotel- reassuringly British
• What are two other favorite hotels around the world? Casa Tua Miami, tiny members club in a secret walled garden. La Reserve in Paris, outstanding on every level
• You are deeply connected to Harbour Island and the Bahamas but if you had to pick another beach destination, which would you pick? Melides, Portugal, utterly unspoilt
• In a Q&A with us, you declared you are a terrible cook. Has that changed? What is one thing you can cook well? Marmite on toast
• Where are you going this summer? Hoping to find myself back at Kukutana, a historic farm house in a nature reserve an hour from Seville
• What are you reading? Whatever Next by Anne Glenconner, her follow up to Lady in Waiting. Royal magic and personal tragedy
• What are you watching? Liaison with Eva Green and Vincent Cassel

Tune in live: May 4, 2023 at 12 p.m. ET

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