As you all know. I love to travel. I especially love to travel solo. I’m often asked by people why, I travel solo, how I travel solo, Do I get bored? Today I’m sharing Three of my top reason why you should travel solo and why you should too.

3 Reasons Why You Should Travel Solo

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Have you ever booked a trip with your besties and it starts off with about 6-10 of you ladies and by the time the day of the trip comes it’s maybe 3? A lot of times people book group trips because they want to be around like-minded individuals while on vacation. I think that’s one of the most frustrating things about a group trip when you get a text message stating that “x” can no longer make it. Let’s not mention if you’re stuck with the bill of paying for the people who are no longer attending. Because no one had anything in writing. Honestly, I’m not saying to never make plans for a group trip. I’m just stating don’t cancel your plans because others are unable to make it. When you travel solo, you never have to worry about anyone canceling plans on you.

Itinerary 

Let’s face it. When you travel with others, you never have to worry about having someone to take your pictures. One of the downsides to this is not being able to visit all of those Instagram perfect locations because you’re accommodating everyone else needs. (which is only fear). However, this is your trip too and one of the downsides of group travel is that it’s not just about your needs. One of the best parts about solo travel is that you can do what you want when you want. Don’t feel like going on the guided tour. Fine! You can change up your itinerary to your little heart's content.

Time

It really gives you time to learn yourself. I know that might sound weird but you do. You learn how driven you are, patient, adventurous. You just learn so much about yourself. You have all the time in the world when you travel solo. If you feel like spending all day at the beach you can. You're on your own time and you can do what you want.

Have you tried traveling solo? 

Things are ever so changing in the travel world. When I learn new tips. I love to share them with you guys. Today I'm sharing with you guys travel tips that are must-know for your next travel adventure. When traveling, it’s so easy to forget about the basics. However, knowing the basics will save you time and money.

4 Must-Know Travel Tips/Hacks 

Liquids

Try to keep all of your carry-on liquids in one area. I know this might sound weird. However, it makes it a lot easier in the event that your carry-on luggage has to be checked. If you’re checking a bag. I would suggest checking your liquids they're not immediately needed upon your arrival to your destination. I would also suggest checking your liquids in one area doubled bagged in the event that one of the liquid bottles break. You have that second level of protection.

Food

I think a huge misconception is that you're not allowed bringing food and snacks on your flight. Yes, some foods and snacks are not allowed. However, most items are. Make sure to check the TSA list of approved foods that you can bring on your flight. This is a time and money saver. Especially if you’re traveling with children. I try my best to always packs snacks. Chips, cookies, granola bars (okay, I’m not listing anything healthy. But you get the point.) I know for some it’s very hard to eat when you’re in route for your flight. That's when packing snacks come in handy. Especially once you reach your destination especially if you’re visiting another country.

Water Bottle 

I know this is common, and I’ve mentioned this in the past. Bring your own water bottle. You can fill your water bottle once you pass the security check. If you prefer to purchase bottled water. I would suggest making the purchase at the airport especially if you’re traveling to a new destination. Also, note if you have a transfer flight, some countries will not allow you to bring the water past security. For instance, during my last flight. I purchased water in Colombia. However, upon reaching Florida I had to throw the bottled water away even though it was purchased at the airport in Colombia. 

Boarding Pass

Where in the area where we can pretty much do anything off of our phones. Save the environment by using an app if the airlines you’re flying with has one. Some airlines also charge for printing boarding passes. Keep that in mind. I know some people like to keep the boarding passes as a keepsake. However, depending on your flight it might be convenient to screenshot your boarding pass. I actually prefer this method. Especially if your phone has the tendency to act wacky. If you have an iPhone. You can also save your boarding pass to your passport wallet on your phone. Not all airport accept electronic boarding passes. Especially if you're flying Spirit. Make sure to print your boarding pass in advance.

Do you have any travel tips/hacks? 

If you’ve been reading the blog. I mentioned on last week how I just returned from my Mommy Vacation at Fort Lauderdale. Last week I shared how to prepare for visiting Florida during the Winter months, a sneak peek at my attire, my flight, and hotel experience.Today I’m recapping on my amazing trip.

Stay

I stayed at a Gorgeous hotel in Fort Lauderdale. Waking up each morning was like as if I was in paradise. I had the most breathtaking view of the Atlantic Beach and the sunrise. You can read my full blog review here of the Atlantic Hotel & Spa.

Beach

My hotel was just steps from the beach. The weather was gorgeous and the breeze felt amazing on my skin.

Indulge

The restaurant attached to the hotel was simply gorgeous. I indulged in a glass of wine with watching the amazing views of the beach.

Shopping

I stumbled across the most gorgeous mall. While in route to my hotel. To be honest, this wasn’t my first mall choice. I was going to visit another mall. However, opted to not go and just stay local last minute. I’m so happy that I decided to stay local. The Galleria Mall was within walking distance of my hotel and it had all of my favorite stores and then some. I found myself drooling over the Christian Louboutin & Gucci shoes because they were just too cute.

Work

Being a blogger, you really don’t have any days off. As you guys know, Starbucks is bae. I found a Starbucks within walking distance of my hotel and set up my remote working station. It felt really nice to get work done while on the go.

What’s your favorite thing to do while on vacation?

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I’m often asked how I go about Planning my mommy vacations as I like to call them. As I’m typing this post. I’m actually on a flight headed on one. If you’re not a solo traveler. You’re probably thinking, No kids, no spouse, no friends. Solo travel isn’t forever. However, Even if you do plan the Ultimate Mommy Vacation things happen and sometimes you can be left to go on the vacation by yourself. So I would suggest, even if you like taking group trips. Always create a plan “B”.

How To Plan The Ultimate Solo Mom Vacation

Budget

I wanted to start off with the heavy hitter. Budget! Create a budget, know how much you want to pay for the trip, estimates for any information that’s applicable. Flight, Hotel, Transportation, Food excursions. Knowing how much this trip is going to cost you can be a very important component.

Saving

My suggestion would be a travel saving account for yourself. Even if you have no plans. It’s nice to have the money set aside for when you do decide to go. If you know your budget, you have a good idea of how much you should be saving on a weekly or monthly basis to make your dream a reality of taking this mommy vacation.

When?!

The best part of taking you money vacation is that it’s on your own terms you don't have to coordinate with anyone else's schedule. You can take your vacation whenever it works for you and your family during the week or even on the weekends. I keep a printout of my son's school calendar. It’s so much easier for me to plan my Mommy Trips around his schedule. I try my best to plan off-season from basketball and football because that works best when I don’t have to worry about coordinating pickups for practices and games. Do what works for you and would make your trip as stress-free as possible. 

Location

The ultimate Mommy Vacation is all about the location. What I like to do is create a running list of places that I would like to visit. Now, this is where a budget comes in handy. Based on how much you want to spend you can do the process of elimination that way. Don’t feel pressured that you have to take your mommy vacation somewhere fancy. Even if your first trip is a staycation and you book a room at this cute boutique hotel in your state or within driving distance to your home make the most out of it and pamper yourself.

Gifts

Throughout the year, you may receive gifts. My biggest suggestion if money is tight is to ask your friends/family instead of giving you a gift they can assist you with going on the ultimate mommy vacation or if you receive larger gifts. You can ask them to pay for your flight and/or hotel. I also would suggest creating a “wish list” with items that you would need for this trip. New Camera, lens, floppy hat, sunglasses, selfie-stick, travel bag, suitcase etc. This makes a great option for those who don’t know what to get you. Give them options! If you don’t want to be too specific, I like stocking up on Amazon and Starbucks gift cards. You never know when you might need something last minute from Amazon and Amazon Prime is CLUTCH. If you follow me on Snapchat I was chatting about how I was looking for the ultimate travel tripod for my trip and I was able to get my order within two days of ordering which was one less thing I had to worry about. Plus, you never know when you might need something. Starbucks gift cards come in handy as well because most airports have a Starbucks plus you can pretty much find them in any state/country.

Itinerary

I honestly love going with the flow depending on where I’m visiting. However, I do my due diligence about the place that I’m visiting. Some of my favorite sites to visit is Yelp and Trip Adviser. I read the review of the places that I’m staying at. A lot of times, the reviewer will leave helpful information that’s not found in the FAQ section. Like convenient restaurants or places nearby. If I’m not staying at an all-inclusive restore, I try my best to do research and check out yelp for restaurants close by. I’ll also do google searches for fun things to do in the area. “ Places to Visit in Florida” etc. Pinterest is also a great resource for trip information and itineraries. The best part about this trip is that you're planning your itinerary around your needs and if you want to just go with the flow. Go with the Glow! 

Do you go on Mommy Vacations?

I recently flew United Airlines Basic Economy and wanted to share my experience. I honestly searched high and low for blog posts and I found very few that share their experience flying United airlines basic economy. A couple of forums. However, no blog post.

Getting There

My flight was a red eye which I prefer. However, that meant that instead of waiting for TSA to open or just getting to the airport and going straight through security I had to wait for United Check-in counters to open and once they were open. A clerk to approve my personal item. This was my first time experiencing this. I would always check-in online and never had to worry about checking in. I was super early for my flight so I didn't have to worry about being late getting to my gate. I will say that if you have one of the first flights and you plan on running late or just getting there in enough time. Don't! I also noticed that United Airlines had a separate area check-in for Basic Economy. Which I didn't notice prior to my arrival. 

Also, when boarding the flight you are in the last boarding group which I didn't mind. You will be reminded at that time again that you have to have a small personal item.

Small Personal Item

I felt this was really vague on the website. United provides dimensions of the bag. However, I don't believe any store sells an under seat bag at that dimension. I ended up calling United Airlines to confirm and they stated that the total inches are 36. The flight that I was on returning. I noticed that if you're in an aisle seat that the under the seat storage area is a little smaller.

Seating

I was pleasantly surprised with my seating. I knew prior to boarding what my seating was. Going I had a window seat and flying back I had an aisle seat. I know this is not going to be the case with all flights and I booked my flight a couple of weeks prior. Maybe two

Overall

I honestly would fly United Basic Economy again. I am trying to get out of the habit of traveling with so much luggage. I didn't feel that I was treated differently than any of the other passengers and I was actually surprised that a lot of people fly Basic Economy.

Have you ever flown Basic Economy?

I often travel and I’m always asked what are my travel must-haves that I can’t leave home without and honestly, this is such a hard question. At the beginning of my travel journey, I would take my entire home with me if I could and as I’m becoming more of a seasoned traveler I’m starting to see that less is more and now only take the essentials. Trust me, less is more! I've learned that you only need those multi purpose products that are truly a life saver! Today I will be sharing with you five of my travel must-haves that I can't leave home without. These products will range from electronics to beauty.

Phone/Power Bank Charger

I think taking my phone with me while I travel is a no brainier. However, this summer I was introduced to the lifestyle of owning a power bank and I have converted my entire family to this lifestyle. Now, you might think “how is a power bank a must-have?” if you're anything like me and live a laptop lifestyle power banks are a total life savers and game changer. From making sure I have enough battery life to stay connected on social media to having an enough battery life to figure out where you're going with your GPS on your phone. Trust me, you'll miss another special moment again.

Activated Charcoal Supplements

These pills are magic in a bottle. They have so many amazing uses that are total life savers. Some of my favorite uses are to whiten your teeth, elevate gas and bloating, water filtration, treats alcohol poisoning and assists with traveling diarrhea. Activated Charcoal pills are like carrying magic in a bottle with you during your travel journey. I always keep a bottle handy while on my travel journey.

Blanket Scarf

A blanket scarf is just a travel must-have from, keeping you warm during a chilly flight to using it as a picnic blanket in the park while enjoying lunch. Let’s not forget actually being fashionable with it as well by accessorizing your attire or even using it as a shawl to keep you warm while sitting on a beach in the Bahamas. Trust me, always carry a blanket scarf with you on your travel journey. They will come in handy and have so many amazing uses.

Antibacterial Hand/Surface Wipes

This is just non-negotiable. I always travel with antibacterial hand wipes and surface wipes. While traveling, I like to wipe down my plane seat and tray table with the surface wipes and when I don’t have access to good Ole soap and water. I wipe my hands with the antibacterial hand wipes. They come in handy, especially when in a country with amazing street food. Of course, I carry hand sanitizer with me too. However, I’ve found that the wipes work a lot better.

Suave Body Wash

After a flight the first thing I do once I check into my hotel and take a long shower. Especially after a long flight, I’m running to the shower. My body wash of choice is the Suave Wild Cherry Bloom. It's just what I need to unwind. Plus it just smells amazing and leaves my skin feeling super soft. I typically buy a bottle or two from my local Target prior to packing my suitcases for a trip. The Suave Wild Cherry Bloom is also perfect for freshening up after those vacation workouts or after spending the day at the beach. I love that my Wild Cherry Blossom body wash can easily fit into my luggage. Plus, I can easily transfer it to my travel size containers if needed.

I love that Suave offers a variety of scents that fit everyone's needs, it's affordable and is the only one product that you'll need in the shower and your travel hygiene bag. Suave has twelve amazing scents to choose from. Not sure which one to choose from. Take the quiz!

Take the Quiz and Save!

Take the Quiz, let your senses decide and spend some time learning something new about yourself. I learned that the Wild Cherry blossom was the perfect match for me and I've been hooked ever since!

Also, don't forget to use your exclusive rebate offer that you will receive after taking the quiz from Ibotta app.

What’s your Suave Body Wash Scent?

I recently started at the Leonardo Hotel just a few minutes from the Heathrow airport and I wanted to share with my readers my experience. I know finding the perfect hotel when you have a flight the next morning can sometimes be really difficult especially with mixed reviews. My main goal was to be as close as possible to the airport. Upon my arrival at the airport, I was pleasantly surprised that the airport offered free transportation through the regular hopper buses to and from the airport due to the hotel being within the first two stops. They also offer shuttles service for a fee that drops you off right in front of the hotel.

Upon arriving at the hotel from the airport. I noticed that the hotel entrance was not in the front of the hotel but in the back. I can imagine it’s due to the hotel being on the main road in route to the airport.

Lobby 

The lobby of the hotel is really pretty. I was really surprised at how modern it looked. The lobby is adjacent to the hotel restaurant which really adds a nice touch to the area and is really convenient if you plan on dining at the hotel.

Staff

The staff at the hotel were nice and knowledgeable of the area and were able to answer any of my questions that I had.

Amenities 

I loved that this hotel offered an onsite workout area which of course I took advantage of. The gym had the basic equipment which really came in handy for my workout the night before check out. I don’t believe that this hotel had an onsite pool. However, I did not check. I do love that this hotel offered a shuttle to and from the airport if you didn’t feel like walking to the bus stop on the main road. The shuttle pulls right in front of the entrance and I believe you can purchase tickets at the airport and the hotel lobby.

Proximity to the airport

This hotel was about a 10-minute bus ride to the airport. I loved how close this hotel was to the airport. I believe it was under two miles which were what I was looking for.

Rooms

My room wasn’t as modern as the hotel lobby. My bed was really comfortable. My room was clean and my shower water actually did get really hot. Which honestly, it’s really the little things when you're traveling. I love that this hotel offered complimentary tea, coffee, and sparkling water in the rooms which was a really nice touch. I noticed that you have to insert your key card in a slot in the wall when entering for the lights to turn on which was really different for me.

Overall, I would stay at this hotel again and I did recommend this hotel to family. You really get your bang for your buck and my overall experience was great.

Have you ever traveled solo before?

8 Tips for Traveling Solo Video

Let me start off by saying that this was my first time staying at an all-inclusive resort. Your thoughts and opinions may differ from mine. This is not a sponsored post.

Hotel

The hotel wasn’t new. However, they did go above and beyond to make sure that they keep the hotel in great shape. Someone is always working on something. From touching up paint to trimming the hedges. I am a really picky person and this hotel was clean and neat.

Staff

All of the staff were really friendly. It seems as if they really enjoy working there. All of the staff spoke to me in passing. The staff really did go above and beyond my expectations.

Amenities (Kid)

Again, I’ve never stayed at an all-inclusive hotel before. So I am not well versed with the amenities that other resorts offer. I will say that the focus of this resort is kid friendly. They have a good amount of stuff to keep the kiddies busy from basketball for to mini-golf. I did not have any smaller children with me. Therefore, did not utilize the childcare. I did see babies going there. Not sure of the specifics though.

Amenities (Adult)

I do feel as if the layout for adult amenities could have been little different or separate. For instance, I stayed at a separate building. Which had the adult bar area on the 8th floor which was perfect. However, the adult pool was near the front desk which was very inconvenient. I love that they offer this. However, it is weird. Having to go through the opposite side of the building. Not sure if the adult amenities was an after thought. Which
is very well could have been. It honestly would have been perfect if it was located near the adult dining/bar area. I just was under the impressions that all of the adult amenities would be the same area.

Restaurants

Let me first start off by saying that I visited two of the restaurants out of the four. Both restaurants were amazing. The menu for the restaurants is available right outside of them. In my case, it was little different because I do not eat meat. I was looking forward to trying the Mexican restaurant since I was in Mexico. However, the food options are very slim if you don’t eat chicken or pork. The staff was really sweet. What I did order was delicious.

Mexican Resturant

In January I took the leap to book my first international trip to Cancun solo. I was super nervous about the trip. After booking this trip. I decided to give a trial run to San Juan first. I talked all about my trip to San Juan here.

When I originally booked the trip. March seemed so far away. It was January at the time and super cold. One of the worst parts about living in Connecticut and traveling is that you really can not predict your travel plans weather wise. When I originally booked this trip. I wasn’t sure when would be a good time since last your in April it snowed. I knew not all Springs are the same. So I opted to book my trip the second to last week in March.

Exactly a week prior to my trip. We had a blizzard in Connecticut in the state was closed. Which made me a little nervous about my trip the following week. We had gotten a lot of snow and some schools were even closed a couple days. The scary part about it was that I was thinking about booking the trip for that week and opted a week later. Boy, what a difference a week makes.

For some reason the night before I couldn’t sleep and was pretty much cranky trying to get out of bed. It was super cold outside in Connecticut. No snow was on the ground which I was super happy about.


I arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare. I was super tired but I was excited about traveling to another country...

For the longest time, I avoided traveling solo. I didn’t realize that it even exist besides people traveling for business.  But what about women traveling solo. A female planning and booking a trip solely to go on this trip by herself. It wasn’t that friends canceled it was because she wanted to or opted to travel alone. I am so new to the traveling solo club. However, I did want to share with you what I absolutely love about traveling solo. 

Disclaimer: This post is coming from someone that considers herself antisocial. So my thought and options may vary from someone that's a social butterfly.

Location, Location

Have you ever wanted to visit a different country or state and everybody else were against the idea so you didn’t end up going? Have you ever wanted to stay a restart or hotel, but everyone else had something to say about it? Well, guess what. When you travel solo you don’t have to worry about that. In fact, you can change you hotels during your trip if you want. 

Own Your Time

Traveling solo you own your time. You don’t have to get up and have something to eat if you’re not ready to eat. You don’t have to eat at a restaurant because you don’t want to feel selfish about having things your way. Why, because if you’re traveling solo. You are not asking around. You're just doing. When I went to San Juan. I honestly was having so much fun that I forgot to eat most of my meals at the typical scheduled times. If I was with someone else that would not have happened. I would have had to make sure that we had a restaurant selected for breakfast lunch and dinner. You own your itinerary. You’re able to do what you want when you want. 

I Can't Make It 

Have you ever planned a trip with your friends or other families and slowly but surely people started to cancel. The original trip started with 15 people and by the time it’s time for the actual trip you have maybe five people still going. The hype is so real. “Oh, I can’t wait” “we’re going to do X”. When you book a trip by yourself you don’t worry if people are going to cancel.

Itinerary 

One of the biggest parts of a trip is planning the itinerary or lack thereof. When you plan a trip it’s all about the itinerary.  You may want to hit the ground running as soon as you land and the people you’re traveling with may have other plans and possibly want to just relax. Guess what? Traveling solo you can do pretty much what you want and you want with your itinerary. 

I booked this hotel on a whim. Literally, I booked this hotel a week prior to heading on my trip. When I originally booked this trip. I had no intentions on leaving the hotel grounds. I wanted to stay somewhere that looked beautiful. From the pictures, as it did in person, I believed this hotel was going to meet my needs. Below I give a review of my experience. If you have additional questions, please feel free to ask them in the comment section.

Location

One of the main reasons I selected this hotel was how close to it was to the airport (about ten minutes, I believe with no traffic.). This was my first time going on a trip alone so I wanted to ensure that I was close to the airport in the event that I lose track of time. This hotel is also on the bus line and close to many stores and restaurants.

Lobby/Hotel Grounds

This hotel's lobby does have a luxury feel. The lobby area of the hotel is very clean, the bathroom on the main floor which is towards your left upon entering is very clean as well. The grounds of the hotel are well kept. In order to enter the hotel from the beach, you have to be a guest which I loved. Traveling solo I felt very secure at this hotel. The hotel had several restaurants however, I did not get a chance to try them. I really did want to stop by Ruth Chris to grab lunch but didn’t have the time. The beach and outside grounds were well maintained as well.

Room

The room was very spacious, I did notice a couple of wears and tears. Nothing to cry home about. It was more my attention to detail. The room had a modern feel. I opted not to get the beach view. However, it was nice to see the planes arrived at the airport. My bed was comfortable and the pillows were so fluffy. I had a king size bed in my room. I love that the room included a sofa and not just a sitting area.

Staff

Upon arriving at this location the staff was super kind. The doors were always opened for me and the front desk staff was super nice as well. If there were any issues with my room. They got on the issue as soon as possible and apologized as well. It seemed like the really cared and enjoyed what they did. The tour staff (I can’t remember his position) he went out his way to explain where to go in Old San Juan and how to get there. He didn’t just hand me a map and tell me which bus number to get on. He really took his time and provided me with the information I needed.

Dislikes:

Jacuzzi

I really did not like that the hotel only had one Jacuzzi. Seeing how during the winter months it’s a little chiller outside at night, the Jacuzzi is prefect for guest that want to stay warm. The first day on grounds the Jacuzzi was packed. To the point, I got in and right out.

Pro

For me, the Jacuzzi wasn’t full around 2 pm and early in the morning, around 7 am. Those were the only times I ventured to it. (of course, this will all depend on how many people are staying at the hotel that would actual use the Jacuzzi.)

Room

The room you could pretty much hear everything. I am not sure if this was due to the people staying on both sides of me were naturally loud or if the walls were paper thin.

Overall

This hotel defiantly has the potential to be a five-star hotel. I overall would recommend this hotel to friends and family because I know besides everything else the staff will ensure that they can do whatever they can to make there experience great.