I love traveling by air and I especially love traveling outside of the U.S. It’s so refreshing to get away to a new place, learn about a unique culture, meet interesting people, eat unfamiliar foods, experience new and different climates. It opens you up in ways that you have never imagined…I’ve been out of the country a total of 9 times over the past 19 years and I have travelled to a few places multiple times.
London, England
My first trip out of the country was to London, England back in 1996. I went with my girlfriend Gina after we saw a newspaper ad about a dirt cheap March travel special in the Kensington district of London. It included hotel, air fare, round trip transfers to and from the airport and free continental breakfast daily for one low, low price. What we didn’t count on was the snowstorm that arrived the morning we were leaving Connecticut to JFK (last day of March!) which for us meant the airplane’s wings needed to be de-iced before we even took off and which added an extra 2 hours to an already long 7 hour flight to Heathrow Airport. Then, since we were delayed by 2 hours, we missed our airport to hotel to and from connection! So we wound up riding the Metro (their version of our subway) at one o’clock in the morning because we couldn’t figure out how to hail a cab! We met a very nice African student (see pix below) who helped us navigate the Metro trains so we were able to make it to our hotel room safely. Fortunately the remainder of the week was not as dramatic, we did the usual touristy stuff: riding the double decker bus, visiting Big Ben (www.bigbenfacts.co.uk/facts/), gazing at the River Thames, touring Buckingham Palace (www.londonpass.com/Buckingham-Palace), St. Paul’s Cathedral (www.stpauls.co.uk/), visiting Madame Tussaud’s museum (www.madametussauds.com/London/), etc., We also went shopping and I found a nice, thick London sweater that I still wear to this day(!), a stylish leather jacket and a pretty mini dress. What surprised me most about London was the food (fatty and for the most part, unappetizing). What did not surprise me was the weather: rainy, foggy, dreary, blah. Also it appeared as if everyone smoked cigarettes back then and did not seem at all conscious of their health. In 1996, London seemed to me like the U.S. – 20 years before – so much for dirt cheap monthly specials (smile). All in all I liked it though and would definitely return.
Paris, France
My next trip out of the country was to Paris, France. I kinda felt like I had to go to Paris as my first name means ‘the young’ in French. True story: my mother was reading Jet magazine while pregnant with me and there was a story about a well known black model who traveled to France named LeJeune Hundley so she purposely changed the e to an a and named me Lajeune.
Anyway me and my 5 girlfriends spotted a newspaper ad (this was a loooong time ago) boasting a March travel special (March is a good month to travel in to Europe as the weather is iffy) a few years later (1998) and headed off to Gay Paree…it was all that and much more – plus, as we found out at night, it most definitely lived up to its ‘City of Lights’ image. And, as expected, Paris was very romantic – couples strolled hand in hand throughout the city seemingly without a care in the world. But what was most surprising to me was that first of all, everyone we encountered spoke English and secondly, Paris is a city that loves its dogs. Dogs were with their owners everywhere! And I mean everywhere – out shopping, out walking, at outdoor bistros and cafes, in hotel lobbies, inside retail stores, at the bank, etc. There was even a huge street sweeper truck that cleaned dog poo off the Parisian streets in front of our hotel every morning without fail.
The wine in Paris was plentiful and the food, fantastic. We ate duck on the airplane ride (Air France) for Pete’s sake! While in Paris we indulged in cheeses and croissants and dark chocolates and French fries – delish!
The clothes were mostly expensive but well made. I did not buy any clothes there but I did buy some Parisian perfumes as well as some jewelry.
Our room was clean and nice, not spectacular, and the daily continental free breakfasts were the same each day: cheeses, apples, croissants, tea and coffee. I ate so many croissants I haven’t had a taste for one since!
We spent one day visiting Versailles which was just a Metro train ride away – this was a fun, interesting day trip. And so close but a whole new experience!
And we spent the bulk of our time touring the usual places: Eiffel Tower (www.toureiffel.paris/en.html); The Louvre museum (www.louvre.fr/en); the Arc de Triomphe (www.arcdetriompheparis.com/); and the National Museum of Natural History (www.mnhn.fr).
Would I go to Paris again? Yes, but only after visiting some other countries that I have not been to as of yet…
Montego Bay, Jamaica
April 1999 was a good year for me. I was selling radio advertising for WEBE 108 in Bridgeport. CT at the time, and during my first week of employment, found out that I would be going (along with the entire sales team and the managers, along with their significant others) to Half Moon Bay Golf & Tennis Resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica! The trip was a ‘thank you for making the team’s 1st Quarter budget’ and since I was taking over the account list of someone who was no longer a team member, they extended that invitation to me in the hopes that I would be able to “produce” down the road. I was, however, not allowed to bring a guest like everyone else but I was okay with that…Anyway, it was probably one of the most memorable free vacations I had ever experienced as the resort was truly spectacular. Upon arrival, we all received Platinum Plan cards which gained us access to unlimited drinks, food, water sports, regular sports, etc. We lounged on the beach by day and dressed up for dinner at night, we played water sports, we swam, we ate, we drank, we swam some more, and most of all, we bonded as a team. It was truly a special time with my new work colleagues.
I vowed to go back to Jamaica as I loved the weather, the food was delicious, there was plenty to see and do I the resort staff made me feel so welcome – no complaints at all!
Freeport, Bahamas
In August of 1999, me, my late mother Jean and my oldest sister Dana went on a long weekend Carnival (www.carnival.com/) cruise to the Bahamas. At the time we left I was fighting some kind of bug which would only rear its ugly head at night so I could make it through the day okay: eating, drinking, shopping, etc. but once night hit, I was out like a light!
This was my very first cruise and to tell you the truth, I felt like I was in a spectacular mall, not on a cruise ship. No movement at all…Our room was nice, we did not have an ocean view, but it had everything we needed. We were kept very busy with the ship’s itinerary which included lots of meals, gambling, yoga, aerobics, games, water rides, etc. until we landed in Freeport. Then they let us off the boat to explore the island for the entire day. Freeport was ‘islandy.’ The food was very good, especially the conches, and I loved shopping there because everything was so colorful and cheap.
By the time we got back to the boat we were beat and only one day away from heading back to Florida. I would recommend a 3-day weekend cruise so you can see if the cruise life is for you. It’s short enough so that if you don’t like it you don’t have to wait long before you are back home. And it’s long enough for you to know if you want to do it all over again but take a longer trip…
Negril, Jamaica
I love Sandals Resorts (www.sandals.com/main/negril/ne-home/)! They are truly the most comprehensive All-Inclusives. Me and my two older sisters Dana and Casandra went to Negril, Jamaica in July of 2006. My girlfriend and co-worker Melissa was getting married at a Sandals Family Resort in Jamaica and invited me to come so me and my 2 sisters figured we may as well make a vacation out of it. Melissa and Adrian’s wedding was beautiful – they originally planned to have it performed on the beach but the weather did not cooperate so it was quickly moved indoors but it was still a lovely affair. We spent the days leading up to the wedding enjoying the resort, the food, the activities, the water sports, the swim up bar, the outdoor Jacuzzi, etc. We loved Negril and Negril seemed to love us back! I even learned how to water ski in Negril! The pictures did not come out so I unfortunately have no proof of it…The weather that week in July was spectacular for the most part (not counting the actual wedding day) and everyone was friendly and accommodating. This was my second trip to Jamaica and this time we went to Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville as well as Dunn’s River Falls! The music, the culture, the food, the people, – muuuah – my kind of place~
Playa Del Carmen, Mexico
In July of 2007 me and an old bf went to Playa Del Carmen or “Playa” which is in the Riviera Maya section of Mexico. What’s not to like about Mexico, it’s the “new Caribbean” but much more affordable and a better value. For the life of me, I cannot remember the name of the resort we stayed in…We had an Oceanside room and the weather cooperated for the most part. I had heard ‘don’t drink the water’ my whole life but what I did not realize was that this also meant: don’t eat the salads, don’t brush your teeth in it, don’t order drinks with ice, etc. so my stomach was gurgling the whole time I was there. It was challenging finding things to eat which would not make me run back to my hotel room so believe it or not, one of the few things I could eat and not suffer later from was the sushi on the beach – it tasted real good and managed to stick with me (smile).
As luck would have it, Essence magazine (essence.com) was doing a photo shoot on our beach on one of the days we were there complete with male models so I had the distinct pleasure of taking a picture with a few of these gorgeous hunks before they packed up. Good times. For fun I spent countless hours swimming, kayaking, and playing water volleyball – one of my fave sports. All and all it was a good trip despite my stomach ailments.
Playa Del Carmen, Mexico
In June of 2011 I was diagnosed with colon cancer. In August of the same year I had 2 major surgeries to remove the cancer and I returned to work in September, just 5 1/2 weeks later. My second week back to work I started my first month of 6 months of chemotherapy treatments. While ‘treating’ twice a month, I would come in to work wearing my fanny pack which I called my ‘chemo to go’ pack. Unbeknownst to me, my News 8 co-workers had taken notice of what one of them called my ‘grace under pressure’ moment and collectively decided to vote for me at the upcoming News 8 and Lin TV Circle of Excellence program. What had started off as a not so good year, turned into a positive: I was consequently voted in (along with my good friend and News 8 Chief Meteorologist Gil Simmons) that year as News 8 and Lin TV Employees of the year! The prize was an all-expense paid trip for 2 to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico for an all-inclusive spa resort! I received the good news in December of that same year at our annual company Christmas party. My sister Casandra was my “date” for the night and it was fitting that she was there to witness me receiving this ‘gift’ from my co-workers as she was who I decided to bring with me.
We actually went on the Circle of Excellence (COE) trip in late March of 2012. By then I had completed all 12 of my Chemotherapy treatments so I was thin as a rail and subseptible to catching any and all types of germs but I was determined to have a good time. Mexico is always a good time but this resort was extra special as it was a spa hotel resort. Upon arrival, I immediately signed up for 2 different sessions: a hair wash and set and a full body Chocolate massage. The full body Chocolate massage was a heavenly experience. I vividly remember it to this day. I also enjoyed our beautiful room which included a huge spa tub in the middle of the room. And I enjoyed the nearby beach, the multiple pools, and the nights out at a la carte restaurants featuring ethnic cuisines. The resort staff made sure that all of our needs were met and then some. I would recommend this particular resort to anyone wishing to go to Playa Del Carmen as it was truly remarkable.
Playa Del Carmen, Mexico
So I loved Playa Del Carmen so much that I brought my partner James there with me in December of 2012. We arrived 3 days after Christmas and stayed until January 5th of 2013. Spending New Year’sEve in Mexico was spectacular and much more than I ever expected. Plus I felt like we had the perfect backdrop for a New Year’s Eve celebration: a lovely resort, a pristine beach, pumping music and the company of good (new) friends from Canada that we had recently made acquaintance of and decided to see the New Year in with. So we took the shuttle downtown and bought our own Champagne and snacks, got glammed up and met our new Canadian friends at the entrance to the beach. I felt truly blessed. We had an awesome time and the fireworks at midnight were the perfect nightcap…
The very next day we took a tour to Isla De Mujeres via a Catamaran. Fun Day!
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
I celebrated my 51st Valentines Day/Birthday in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic at Melia’ Caribe Tropical (melia.com). I was born on Valentines Day so my SO James wanted to do something special for me and he surprised me with a trip to the DR. I can honestly say that celebrating my birthday at this resort was by far one of the most awesome ways to celebrate. My oldest sister Dana (dana.owens@cruiseplanners.com) booked the entire trip for us.
The resort was real nice although a bit too expansive (large) for our tastes. By this I mean there was plenty to do but you had to take shuttles to/from everything (including the beach which was way too far off). To their credit, the shuttles came every 15 to 20 minutes, but after being at resorts where everything is right at your finger tips (including the beach) it was a tad disappointing. The language spoken was mostly Spanish so we had a bit of a difficulty communicating with the staff. The food was decent but the wine was not up to our standards . My favorite and most cherished memory was when we paid extra for a tour to Saona Island via a catamaran (www.colonialtours.com/do/englishsaona.htm). For this tour we caught a bus very early in the morning, got on the catamaran, did a little scuba diving, drank rum and cokes, listened to steel bands, ate delicious foods, then arrived on the private island of Saona where we swam, ate, drank some more, and sunned on the beach. Then back to the catamaran where we partied to steel bands before heading back to the resort. Best Day Ever! And one of the reasons why I still recommend the Dominican Republic as a good and affordable choice for a tropical Caribbean vacation.
Akumal, Mexico
In April of 2015 me and my partner James went to Akumal to a Luxury, Adults Only, All-Inclusive Resort called the Gran Bahia Principe Sian Kaan Don Pablo Collection. Yes, it’s a mouthful but that is truly the name! My oldest sister Dana (dana.owens@cruiseplanners.com) planned this trip as well. I blogged about the trip already in “My Mexican Vacay” so I will suffice it so say that we had a wonderful time and would definitely go back but only after we visit some other islands that we have not yet been to.
Sincerely,
TVFL
