So far, I introduced myself and why I started this journey. Now, I am going to give you an overview of this year's adventures so you can see what things you'll be able to read in the future.
I went on one trip once a month since I graduated from grad school. Some of them have been solo, some with family and some with friends. All of them have been different in their own way and have helped me to learn a little more about myself.
I first started with a trip to Palm Spring, then Aruba, Myrtle Beach, a cruise to the Bahamas, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, back to Orlando, a road trip to Pennsylvania, back to Fort Lauderdale and then finally Phoenix. Every time I get back from a trip I think to myself "there's no way the next one could be this good" and it ends up being even better than I thought!
I do stay at the Marriott Vacation Clubs most of the time. This is not because I am sponsored by them (have none at the moment, maybe I'll change that one day) but because I am lucky enough to have parents who bought into the program when I was young and now I begged to use some of it for myself.
I normally just get the studio by myself since I would be silly to have two bedrooms alone. When I am with my family, we do get the two bedrooms since it gives us enough space for five people to stay comfortably.
This program has been one of the best things my parents did and it might be the reason I fell in love with travel. It allows us to travel to so many different places while giving us the ability to know what to expect at each resort (they do have some different amenities from place to place but overall they are basically the same). You get a kitchen (full for two bedrooms, microwave and little fridge for studio), living room, dining room, balconies, and depending on what style room, can sleep up to 12 people! The two bedrooms even have a washer and dryer in the room while the studios can use the washing room normally located on that floor or nearby. I’ll be sharing a more in-depth look into the vacation club program in my upcoming posts if you want to learn more.
When I go on vacation my goal is to maximize relaxation and unwind from the world around me. I do plan trips that can be more of a tourist kind (on the go all day doing different activities, sightseeing, hiking etc.) but those are few and far between. My everyday life can be crazy so to me, a beer, sun and pool are my idea of a great time. I like to get up with the sun, go back to the room when it goes down. Then get ready to go out for some delicious food and maybe find some good music.
Each trip has truly been so unique and I feel like I end up doing way more than I think I would do each trip. I have been taking 10 days or more for my trips which really gives me the ability to get to know the resort and area. On a couple trips I was at the resort so long that the bartenders got to know me and we all hung out outside of their work hours taking me to their favorite local spots.
You probably are thinking right now “I do not have enough time to take ten days to myself for a trip”. That's totally fine! I also take weekend trips and half week trips. I go alone and I go with my family. So if you only have enough vacation days for one trip, still do it! It all just depends on my schedule at the time, I just happen to be in a transition in my life which allowed me to have this extra time, but I have been traveling for many years and some years I can only do one trip, some I can do ten.
I actually was inspired to start this journey by one of my friends who was in between jobs and had about two months off, so he took a cruise solo. He talked it up so much that I had to see what he was talking about and flash forward a year later, look at all the places I went. I started my solo trip journey by doing the same thing he did (a cruise) so I could know what to expect. The cruise also has so many different activities and events that I felt like I could never be bored. I did discover that I am not a 24 hours of activity type of person, I like to sit in the adult only section with my book and not be looked at or talked to by anyone.
After my success with the cruise I decided another solo trip was needed to see if I really enjoyed traveling by myself or if I just liked it because who does not like a cruise! So, I went to Fort Lauderdale and stayed at the Marriott Beach Place Towers. This was way different than the cruise. I had to think about everything from activities to Uber to food. This was my real first taste of a solo planned trip and everything I decided to do was absolutely perfect. I did fun activities, met amazing new people who I talk to everyday now and I made memories that will last forever.
I then kept booking more and more trips. You might think that I was breaking the bank but I truly wasn’t. I’ll be sharing how much I paid on my trips as well as the tricks I use to save money. I’ll also be diving deeper into each individual trip and all the things I planned. I’ll be sharing with you all the good moments as well as the bad moments, things I would do again and stuff I wish I never tried. If you have any questions or want to learn more about a certain thing, please let me know. I would be happy to answer any questions or dive further into a certain topic. I think the best place to post those would be in the Forum or you can get me an email at vipadventurestravel@gamil.com
As always, thanks for reading and I hope you can find some enjoyment in your day today and everyday!
- G
The picture below is me on my way to the pool on the Oasis of the Seas
Comentarios