“Your greatest responsibility is to love yourself and to know you are enough.” – Chetna Mishra
“You are so worth your own time and attention.” – Kelly Ann Matuskiewicz
The month of February is so special. It is known for Black History Month and also for Valentine’s Day. I want you all to think about the past year. How much time did you spend on yourself, or did something to make yourself feel special?
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What did you do?
…did you take a trip?…did you read a book in a soothing place….mani/pedi?
The 14th of February, and seemingly every day leading up to it, we tend only focus on Valentine’s Day and who we are going to spend it with. For singles, it can be a challenging time emotionally because you might have someone you want to spend the day with but you parted ways, or you don’t have anyone. Celebrating yourself, regardless if its Black, Native, Spanish history month…is SO IMPORTANT!
How do I celebrate myself?….TRAVELIIIIIIIINNNNNNGGGGG!!!! LOL
You know where I was going with all of this!
So as a single lady like myself, you ask, “Chantre’ what am I supposed to do?…go to dinner by myself?”…my answer….HECK YES!!!
Related Post: 4 STEPS TO LOVING YOURSELF
This is the Chantre’ Guide to Planning a Solo Valentine’s/I Love Myself Trip
First things first:
1. Where do I want to go?
2. How soon do you want to travel?
3. How many days do I want to stay?
4. Purpose?
Where am I going?
My rule of thumb is to start with choosing a place that I may have never been before OR that I have been too but would like to revisit to do more exploration…or EAT lol
This goes into how soon you want to travel because if it is close, you can make it a quick trip and not have to do much planning. If it is a far away destination, you might need to plan your work schedule, doggy day care, outfits…you know what I am talking about!
How soon?
This is the difference between a weekend getaway and a full blown vacation. Either option is going to be amazing for you, but sometimes starting small for a single day of self-love like Valentine’s is best for a weekend getaway that is simple to plan and stick to.
I always give myself ample time to arrive at the hotel, and always request early check-in even though most of the time I miss it. I just want to know, they know, I might arrive early so have my room ready first. #chantrethink
Related Post: Treat Yo’Self Travel: Expert Planning Tips
Now…the purpose…
By no means do I believe ANYONE needs a “real reason” to travel anywhere or pamper themselves. When I say “purpose” I am referring to whether or not you want to see people, places, things, or eat, shop, and relax…or all of the above!!
For my Valentine’s weekend, I wanted to DEFINITELY relax and explore, so I booked a resort on the beach. The resort is close to SWEET dining options, like ice cream shops and cookie places so I can explore, and walk off the calories on the beach while eating my ice cream and cookies
….the art of #chantrethink and multi-tasking LOL
The actual Valentine’s Day, I will be checking out and traveling to a nearby city where I made myself a reservation for two. Why two?…because I didn’t want them to sit me at the bar like I was an outcast LOL. Also, I might meet a charming stranger that I want to join me between now and then, or I might ask a friend to join me as well. Either way, a table to 2 is reserved, and I have YET to tell anyone about my plans. I am fully prepared and ready to dine SOLO with plenty of table room for ALL my plates.
No shame in my game
There is ABSOLUTELY NO SHAME is dining at a nice restaurant solo. You don’t have to wait until you have someone to go with in order to enjoy that really nice meal at that 4 star restaurant…”You are worth your own time and attention…love yourself and know that YOU ARE ENOUGH”…quoted above.
Now that I know I will be relaxing, dining, eating whatever I want…what am I going to wear?
LOOOOOOOKKKK….#chantrethink is a full blown MOOOOODDD!!
I am the queen of wearing sweats and boots to the movies…HOWEVER….girl (or guy)…you picked a 4 star restaurant for a reason. Put on that little black dress or that outfit that you have been wanting to wear or go buy you an outfit just for the occasion…YOU ARE WORTH IT!! Dress up and look good for yourself. You are traveling and exploring and just doing your own thing, so wear those daring outfits that make you feel sexy and beautiful.
If you haven’t heard it lately…
I am telling you ahead of time…YOU ARE GORGEOUS, SMART, BEAUTIFUL, YOU DESERVE TO BE HAPPY, YOU DESERVE TO BE PAMPERED AND TREATED WELL…and ahead of your fierceness I am sending you the biggest….yaaaaaaassssss (with a finger snap and scrunchy face)…all the way from Florida.
Oh and before I forget…Chantre’ says
….BE YOUR OWN VALENTINE…every single day of the year!!!
You all will hear about the details of my Valentine’s trip in March, so do NOT fret. I have a longer trip coming up across country to see old friend’s, new babies, and to EAT! That trip is in May so you will hear all about it in June.
If you need any help planning a weekend trip for yourself or with your loved ones, do not hesitate to reach out to me for ideas or suggestions
As always, stay well my and travel!
Your travel friend,
Tre’
My name is Chantre’ (Tre’ for short). I am a military brat and soon to be a military wife. I have two fur babies; a Rottweiler named Duke and a German Shepperd named Aurora. I am a travel agent that specializes in EVERYTHING!…mostly fun quick trips or international trip for me personally, but I love researching for every client as if I am traveling with them.
Traveling is where my passion lies. Being in school my whole life, I am at the point where I am now settled and ready to begin my journey to explore the WORLD as much as possible. I have a yearning to see new things and cities, and experience other beliefs and cultures. As a young woman, it can be difficult to find other women that are in the same mindset as I am, and who are ready to take this journey with me in this season of my life…this is why I started my @tres_travelexperiences business and blog. I want to be able to share my experiences with others who share my passion for travel, but are being held back. Experience traveling through my journey.
I am passionate about being able to connect with other women no matter age or background, that are seeking travel experiences as I am, and just need someone to travel with like me. Prior to meeting my love, I was fully prepared and had literally booked a 15 days trip to Europe…SOLO. The amount of courage it took, I cannot even describe but I am thankful to God that He settled my mind, heart, and soul to take the leap. I know every woman may not want to do the same, so I am more than happy to plan a trip for others, whether big or small, solo or group.
If you have an urge to travel, but no one to travel with …come join me on one of my upcoming trips! On my Facebook page, you will find events where you can register for upcoming trips that I have planned which are open for you to join us. You will also find travel deals that I have created, but can be customized for your specific needs. Some of my trips will be very kid-friendly due to my current auntie role, so please reach out and connect with me in the links below. Feel free to contact me for a chat about what your specific needs are and I will be more than happy to have a chat with you!
Links
