Summertime has FINALLY ARRIVED and is almost over…. (Insert sad face here).
Hey Love, you have worked ALL WINTER and Fall…Spring too; but now it’s Summer and it’s time you start LIVING LIFE!! Have you ever been in the company of another and all s/he talked about was how they, “need to get out” ; however, failed to make plans to do so? If you are anything like me, you work hard EVERYDAY! And if you are a Mother, your workload is even greater…. Utilize the summer months to let your hair down and relax.
I can be honest with you and share that I often work day and night. Literally EVERYDAY. Never feeling like I have completed every task that I set for myself. I later realized that no matter what, every task that was on my To-Do-List would never be done. It was all about perspective and what needed to be done with urgency. Once I concluded that vacations in the middle of that was necessary for my own sanity, is when I learned to enjoy my Family Life, Business Life and took advantage of vacationing!!
I was blessed with the opportunity to travel abroad with my Best Friend to Europe where we spent an amazing week touring and studying Lisbon, Portugal! Yes!! Black Women Travel too! The entire time, we were able to laugh, soak up the sun and learn about something other than American History. It’s really interesting how other cultures have SO MUCH history behind their Countries and how the people who live there continue to embrace and stand strong to make their traditions unified. Watching families walk to their destinations rather than drive, laugh over port wine, preserve pieces of royalty or keep castles perfectly groomed that were built as old as the 17th Century. My best friend and I were in awe at the art work that was displayed on the cobble stones as we walked and ate cheese as well as attended musical operas that were performed over dinner. It made me think about Life and how much I LOVE TO LEARN & EXPLORE! I totally missed my husband, children and family; yet, I felt so incredibly blessed (and still do).
Yes, Black Women Travel too! I did it an so can you! -Mrs. Rae, Founder of She’s Ready Inc.
This post is specifically for you to organize your priorities so that you too can vacation…WITHOUT the kids!!
Take time to research where you want to go and for how long.
This will help you narrow your approach when selecting a vacation spot. Is this a “Get Your Groove Back” trip, “Ladies Only” trip, “Exploration” trip or a “I just want to breathe” trip?
Look at your budget and decide where you can afford to go.
This can be tricky; however, depending on how you look at it, it can be fairly simple. If you are limited on funds and still want to leave the U.S. Try looking into All-Inclusive packages to the Bahamas, Jamaica, Costa Rica or the like. You can create a package for as low as $500-$800 for a full week and not pay for ANY FOOD OR DRINKS! Just relax and soak in the sun!
Every vacation does not require you to use a passport
Take a weekend trip to the next state or next few states over. Maybe you want to drive to a California Beach, go shopping at the Mall of America, or soak in the culture in Atlanta. Depending on your lifestyle, there are plenty of places you can visit and enjoy.
Itching to leave the Country? No Problem.
Keep in mind that scheduling a trip out of the country (to Europe, Africa, Asia, South America, for example) is not cheap and can not be done overnight. This means, put away so you can explore!!
- Look at your spending habits,
- Decide how much you need to put away per paycheck
- Be strict on your yourself, meaning FORCE yourself to SAVE
- Look for “Things to Do” tickets
- Plan, Plan & Plan
Get your parents involved
Yes, have your parents watch your children for the duration of time you are leaving. Please do not look at this as you are dumping your responsibilities but rather taking time for YOU! I’m sure they won’t mind!!
You owe it to yourself to take a breather. We only are guaranteed one life but not guaranteed to live to see the next day. Live your Life the way you want to live it. Stop telling yourself that, ‘you’ll get to it next year’ and start getting to it, now! Winter break is just around the corner……get to packin’
Below I have provided a FEW pictures of my experience in Portugal with my Best Friend. I totally enjoyed my time and can’t wait to plan something else. It was a nice way to “get away” yet do something for me. Special Kisses to my Dear Husband for being an awesome sport! LOL!
Mones Claros Monument
