Yes, you deserve a fun and rejuvenating trip with your favorite ladies. And it’s time to plan it now. This past summer I went on the ultimate girls’ trip, the 2nd annual Support Your Girlfriends Getaway Weekend at Moon Palace Jamaica resort in Ochos Rios. Here are the seven things that made our trip and girls getaway magical.
1. Make the Commitment. Life is not slowing down anytime soon. So before 2019 speeds up, take a moment to pick a date and confirm a plan with your girls. Your career, relationships and every area of life will be better when you take a needed reset. Love to Nikkia McClain of Tene Nicole for organizing our trip. And it makes it easier to save up when you know packing a lunch means more lounge time on the beach.
2. Plan Ahead and Consider an All Inclusive. Once you’ve got a date and destination, it’s time to decide the details. Remember the earlier you plan, the better the deals. International trips are best booked at least two months in advance. Consider an all-inclusive resort for four to five days. One of the best perks of Moon Palace Jamaica was the great food options (Prosecco at any hour) and unlimited drinks. The reservation also includes transportation to and from the airport, with the option for VIP service the second you get off the plane, including expedited service through customs and a lounge at the airport. And because everything was all-included, a few of us treated ourselves to massages at Awe Spa, which happens to be Jamaica’s largest spa with 23 treatments rooms. We spent an afternoon going through different saunas, waterfalls and pools beneath chandeliers.
3. Play Your Position. We all have our strengths and a great girls trip asks you to bring yours. If you are the epic planner, hold us down with the details. If you are a bomb photographer, play paparazzi for the weekend. If you keep the party going, sprinkle your Black girl magic when needed. And if you never plan, surprise the planner in the group with a gift or spa treatment to show you appreciate her efforts. Our resident graphic designer Arion Jamerson of Artfully Made Designs created a logo for the event and supplied the weekend’s beautiful printed agendas along with menus and place cards.
4. Coooooooooordinate. Social media has taken us all back to middle school with synced wardrobes for pictures. With your trip mapped out, decide on a few color schemes and synced bathing suits to make your photos pop.
5. Create Epic Memories – and Dance Routines. Coordinated looks isn’t the only thing to bring from childhood. Let your middle school self out to play with a fun and coordinated dance routine. After snorkeling during a boat trip out to the middle of ocean, we slayed a dance to Ciara’s Level Up that even got Cardi B’s approval on IG. In addition to pictures on your phone, consider ensuring one of you bring a digital camera for great night photos. Sandra Garcia became our resident night photographer thanks to her Sony a6000.
6. Make New Friends. As the lives of your friends evolve, stay open to new connections. Consider allowing each girl to invite a trusted plus one. The Glossy Posse doubled from the first year, which expanded and strengthened our connections.
7. Take in the love and #supportyourgirlfriends. Life is coming at all of us fast, making times with your sister circle sacred and necessary. Along with eating jerk chicken and partying at the resort’s club, we also poured into each other. During one of the dinners Lucinda Cross shared from her new book The Big Ask, and asked all the ladies to share their heart’s biggest request. At a poolside chat for my book Boss Bride: The Powerful Woman’s Playbook for Love and Success, I was able to share a mantra that transformed my life: support is all around me and everyone is on my team.
