You will not hear much from me over the next few days. Why? Because I am going on Vacation. I will be in Cuba.
That’s right Cuba. The island country not too far from Florida that only recently opened up to travelers from the US. I was offered the opportunity to attend the trip with The Phoenix Chronicles and felt that I could not let this opportunity pass me by.
For me this vacation is a mix of self-care and relationship building. The lovely Tee of The Phoenix Chronicles is a new girlboss friend. We have the same business coach/advisor. (That’s right I have a business advisor helping me to make Chasing Joy Events, Products, and Joy Makeover Programs more awesome.) The trip will allow us to get to know each other better. Also, my cousin (another girlboss – owner of L.M. Original Designs) is coming with me. So it is quality time for us too.
Cuba counts as self-care because this is my first real vacation in over a year. I am not going for my day job and this is not a blog assignment. Of course I’ll tell you guys about it but this is not a paid assignment where I have to do and write about certain things. My last two vacations were not real vacations. One was more like run away to Vegas because it is too painful being home after mom died. And the other was fly across the country to get rejected by a boy. See, those were not true vacations at all.
However, to be honest I am a little nervous. This is not my normal kind of vacation either. Normally I like to go to places where I lounge about, gamble, eat and drink fabulous food, and get spa treatments. In other words I usually go on very leisurely pampering type of vacation. This one is different. Cuba does not issue tourist visas to United States citizens. So, I will be visiting on an educational visa. That means instead of lounging about at some all-inclusive, like I’d normally do, instead I will be going on daily tours and learning all about the history and culture of Cuba. This is nothing like my vacations to Jamaica, Bermuda, or Vegas. This trip is completely out of my comfort zone. But, you know what they say the greatest Joys reside just outside of your comfort zone.
Actually, this trip feels more like an adventure than a vacation. The thing is I am not an adventurous person. I have mentioned before that I tend to be a bit of a worrier. I also recently talked about how I have to boost my confidence to deal with social anxieties. So right now I am in that worried anxious pre-trip phase.
I have learned that it is worth it to push past and even take action while dealing with these feelings in order to have great experiences and meet great people. I even did a video on doing things you are afraid to do. The good thing is I know from past experiences that once it is go time the anxieties and worries do dissipate. I am expecting to 100% have a great time in Cuba. I have only heard of people coming back saying they love it. I’m sure I’ll be telling that same tale.
Anyway, like I said it will be pretty quiet on my social media accounts for the next few days. But, there will still be blog posts going up while I am gone. Don’t be surprised if I am a little quiet on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Think of it like I am giving you a break before I bombard you with all of my post Cuba trip photos and videos. LOL
For those who are following my Single Mother By Choice journey, don’t worry. I got the ok from the fertility doctor before I agreed to go on the trip. I am traveling with my mosquito repellant and have no intentions of getting Zika.
I’ll be back in a few days to give you all the lowdown on Chasing Joy in Cuba.
