“You don’t have to be rich to travel well.” Eugene Fodor
Traveling and WEEKEND GETAWAYS are things I look forward to doing because going places are great experiences and wonderful adventures. In September, while on our way to San Diego for a WEEKEND GETAWAY, my mom received a text from her nephew (my cousin), Michael and his husband Rob extending an invitation to join them in Palms Springs for a WEEKEND GETAWAY in November. The invitation stated that we had a 4-day reservation for a fancy Villa, intrigued, I immediately called Michael to get the particulars. He informed me that he and Rob would be spending Gay Pride in Palms Springs and just wanted to invite some friends and family to join them for a relaxing WEEKEND GETAWAY. Although, we had no idea what the WEEKEND would entail, we knew we were proud that he was free to love who he loves and without hesitation, gladly accepted the invitation and began looking forward to the trip. And I’m glad we did because it was another fabulous WEEKEND in Palms Springs spent with him and his husband. When was the last time you had a good WEEKEND GETAWAY? You already know, it was last WEEKEND for me. So, for this week’s blog, let’s talk SHIP about the importance of WEEKEND GETAWAYS!!!
When we arrived Thursday night, we had no idea how the WEEKEND would unfold which made it even more exciting. I texted Michael to let him know that we had arrive. He promptly texted back saying that tomorrow we had appointments at 12pm for massages and he’d see us afterwards. Later, he sent another text with the name of a restaurant and the time we’d be meeting for dinner tomorrow. I’m thinking let the WEEKEND begin. The morning of the massage, Michael sent another text saying he’d already paid for our massages, to enjoy them, and that he would see us when we were finished. After our relaxing massages, sure enough, he was in the lobby waiting for us. It was the first time we’d seen him since we’d arrived. He and Rob swooped us up and took us to their-newly constructed home and it’s absolutely STUNNING!! They haven’t moved in yet because my business savvy cousin is getting paid for allowing the developers to use it as a model home AND everything used to stage it, they now own too. It really is a STUNNING dream home!!!
Later that night, we met for dinner. I knew Michael and Rob had invited others, but this was the first chance we had to meet each other. They invited 9 of us- 2 gay couples, their neighbors from Long Beach-a married couple, and the 3 of us-my mom, sister, and I. We had a great time at dinner, eating, drinking, and being merry. When Michael came down to my end of the table, I asked what the purpose of the trip was. He said that he and Rob had accrued so many Marriott reward points, and that Rob was content just turning them back in. Michael was like, NO MOTHER, we are NOT turning in points. Instead, he decided to book some rooms and invite a few of their family and friends down to relax for the WEEKEND. We were all appreciative and grateful that they had selected us for such a wonderful WEEKEND GETAWAY. WEEKEND GETAWAYS can be a well-deserved reward after experiencing a stressful week at work or with the kids. They give us the ability to take a break from our hectic and busy lives and affords us the opportunity to relax and regroup and that’s just what Palm Springs delivered. Thanks Micheal and Rob for such a wonderful WEEKEND.
On the drive home, I reflected on my WEEKEND GETAWAY and felt blessed that I had the chance to spend time with my family and new friends with no expectations other than to enjoy ourselves. During the ride, I remembered how much I enjoyed traveling and recalled a conversation I had with my aunt Dorothy (RIP) years ago. She was a frequent traveler and told me that if I waited until I could afford to travel, I’d never go anywhere. But, if I planned my trips, I could go anywhere. That next year, traveling became a priority for me and I loved it. I learned about other cultures, discovered GOD’s beauty, had authentic experiences and adventures and it was all very exciting. For about 8 years, a few of my friends and I traveled somewhere every year. Seeing sites and experiencing places that you’ve read about in person is an amazing experience. So, no doubt this WEEKEND GETAWAY reignited the fire in me and has stirred up my desire to start traveling again. Do you travel? If you don’t, you should. Stop thinking you can’t afford to travel, because you can. You just have to plan it! And you should start planning, because GOD created a beautiful world out there waiting for us to explore it. I say let’s start exploring by taking one WEEKEND GETAWAY at a time!!!
SHIP TALK: When was the last time you had a good WEEKEND GETAWAY?
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