July 9, 2024 • 41 mins
Master the Art of the Perfect Girls' Trip with our latest podcast episode! Discover how to transform a simple getaway into an unforgettable adventure. Learn to select the ideal destination, coordinate activities, and understand your friends' travel preferences. Whether you're planning a serene spa retreat or an adventurous escapade, we've got you covered. Get essential tips on etiquette, safety, and creating lasting memories while avoiding drama and stress. Tune in and make your next girls' trip the best yet!"
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Tracey (00:22):
What's good everybody?
Welcome to the ChargingStation Podcast.
It's your girl, Tracey Masseyof Living My EmPOWERed Life.
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey,hey, hey, hey, hey, if you are
new here, welcome.
I am so happy to have you here.
I hope you follow, subscribe,rate, review.
Whatever podcast listeningplatform you're listening to
(00:43):
this podcast on, whatever itasks you to do, do that, okay.
Leave a review if you can.
Leave a message.
This is an interactive podcast.
Let me know what you think ofthe show.
If you have episode suggestions, leave those as well.
You can always hit me up athello@ livingmyempowerlife.
comIf you are a returning listener,
(01:03):
! b.
.
t I'm on Instagram, Twitter,Facebook, TikTok, and youtube.
YouHey, boo, you know I love me
some.
You.
Welcome back, welcome back,welcome back, welcome back,
everybody.
Go ahead, grab your coffee,grab your tea, grab your water,
grab your wine, whatever yourbeverage of choice is.
Go ahead, grab that thang thangand have a seat on the couch.
And if you're not following meon all the socials, please do so
.
You can find me at Living myEmpowered Life.
I'm on Instagram, twitter,facebook, tiktok, youtube.
(01:29):
No, not Twitter anymore.
X.
I'm not even on that anymore.
That just flowed off the tonguebecause I'm used to saying it,
but I'm on threads all underLiving my Empowered Life.
Let's get social.
Talk The to Charging me Stationtalk to me.
And also, you're going to needto do that anyway because the
Charging Station, season seven,is coming to a close.
(01:50):
Now, don't worry, this is notthe last episode.
We got a couple more.
Okay, we got a couple more, andwhen I say couple, I really
mean couple.
We got two more, two moreepisodes.
And then we're taking a breakfor the summer because sis got
to travel.
Okay, it's a hot girl summer.
I want to get out and enjoy itbefore the fall comes around and
I get busy, busy.
So now that we got all that outof the way, girl, what is
(02:13):
happening to the voice?
Now that we've gotten all thatout of the way, let me take a
sip of water.
I'm talking about grabbing mywater because, honey, I don't
know what's going on with thisthroat.
Hold on, All right.
Last episode I started coughing.
This time I got a little ticklein my throat, all right.
(02:34):
.
So last episode we talked aboutsolo traveling and making taking
the fear and the complexitiesout of solo traveling.
So I hope you got anopportunity to listen to that
episode.
If you have not, go back andlisten to it.
Actually, just listen to allthe episodes of the Charging
Station.
If you need something to bingelisten to throughout the summer,
(02:55):
you got over 100 episodes.
Go ahead.
Listen to them, and just don'tjudge me from like 2017, when we
first started this thing.
I'm going to admit the contentwas good, but, baby, I didn't
know what I was doing.
I didn't know what I was doingbut I did it okay.
2017 will show you the growthof the charting station, and if
(03:18):
you've been rocking with mesince then, thank you because
you came through the growingpains, you came through the
trenches with me.
But since we talked about solotraveling on the last episode
this episode I wanted to take amoment to talk about how to
prepare and have a successfulgirls trip, because if you have
been online at any moment intime, I'm sure you have seen or
(03:43):
heard some horror stories aboutsaid girls trips.
Sometimes girls trips can goleft, and the tips that I'm
going to provide are some of thethings that my friends and I do
when we travel.
First things first, thoughdisclaimer you can't travel with
everybody, baby.
You can't travel with everybody.
(04:04):
Everybody is not a good time ona trip, but there are some
things that you can do ahead oftime to kind of foresee those
things coming and kind of helpyou pivot if those things you
know, the bad trip vibes pop upwhile you're on a trip.
So let's just get into thecontent, shall we?
So you know the number onething I'm going to say, number
one thing I'm going to sayNumber one thing I'm going to
say because this is just me,this is my aesthetic, this is my
(04:30):
life Plan ahead, plan ahead.
If you don't have a plan, youare planning to fail.
I know that's not the saying,that's Tracy-ism.
You know that's my littlewhatever, my little spin on it.
But plan ahead.
Start first by deciding onwhere you're going to go.
What's your destination goingto be?
(04:50):
Is it going to be a mountaintrip?
Is it going to be a beach trip?
Is it going to be a trip toVegas?
How long are you going to stay?
Things like that, just kind ofbrainstorm with the group that
you're trying to travel with.
Also, for me, I have differenttypes of friends.
I have friends who, like mygirl's trip that's coming up
(05:12):
pretty soon, we're going to thebeach and this is the group that
we don't do any activities butlay on the beach, eat snacks and
giggle.
That's all we do because we'reall busy women um, we all have
demanding jobs.
We have people that we'retrying to take care of and keep
alive, so that time is our timeto just chill on the beach, and
(05:36):
I love that group.
Then I have a group that ismore adventurous.
So I know if I go travel withthem, we're gonna be doing some
kind of activity.
I also know I have a groupthat's spa ready.
So I know if we go somewhere,most likely we're going to go to
a spa, a place that has a spa,so a spa resort or a resort that
has a spa.
So I know that group.
(05:57):
And then there's a group that Iknow you know they're not very
adventurous at all.
We're going to be sitting bythe pool or hanging out in each
other's rooms.
But it's a different dynamicwith each group and I'm blessed
to be able to fit in each onewhere you know in any kind of
capacity.
So you also need to know whatkind of traveler you are.
I know that I am a bougietraveler.
(06:19):
I have some friends that willgo backpack across Europe and
stay in hostels or be sleepingon people's couches from country
to country.
That's not me.
You try to get me in a hostel,baby.
We fighting.
Okay, we are beefing.
I probably won't ever speak toyou again.
I for sure will never travelwith you again.
(06:39):
But yeah, I am very travel,bougie.
I need to know reviews, I needto see pictures.
I'm that person.
So planning ahead and knowingwho you are traveling with and
what type of traveler you arewill help alleviate some of
these issues.
So when you start and youdecide where you're going and
(07:01):
everyone gets excited about it,you know everybody in the group
chat is always excited when youstart to talk about the trip.
So just be prepared for thegroup trip to not make it out
the group chat.
Let's just be real.
But for now we're going topretend, like everybody, the
group trip is making it out ofthe group chat, okay.
(07:21):
So when you plan ahead andeveryone's excited about the
talk.
(08:59):
And make sure you the detailsLike what kind of accommodations
do you want to be in, what'sthe transportation going to be
like, what kind of activities?
And honestly, the earlier youstart to plan, the better,
because you can get some gooddeals.
You can work out payment plansif you need to.
if, I don't know about y'all,but it's just something about
dropping a whole bunch of moneyat one time on a trip.
Even if I can, when I can, Ijust like I'm going to pay this
deposit and then maybe a monthlater I'm going to pay it off.
It's just something, and I'mlike that with everything.
It's just something aboutdropping a whole bunch of money.
I sent the money over for myrent today and I was like, ah,
ah, just seeing that money leavemy account.
It's like oh God, but moneycomes to me effortlessly and
easily.
So finger I just had to speakthat little affirmation over
myself before I had a little fit.
So you're planning ahead.
.
(09:41):
.
Everyone's excited in the groupchat.
We're going to this destination.
So once you get the destinationin mind, budget, budget wisely.
And this can be a sensitivetopic because you're talking
about money, so you're notnecessarily micromanaging
people's pockets.
But you do.
(10:06):
money for stuff, and I thinkthat this is the problem with a
lot of group trips, especiallywith younger women, not
necessarily older women, we tendto put this out on the table,
but with younger women you don'twant to have that money.
Talk, and it's nothing wrong.
If you have a friend who's noteconomically in the same space
as you are, just be prepared tofoot the bill for them and have
that discussion.
Like, have.
that discussion.
If you have a friend that wantsto go on a trip or you want
them to go on a trip and you arein a space where you can foot
the bill for them, have thatdiscussion with them, food;
therefore you don't want to haveanybody embarrassed CashAp p
know, I know to CashApp fullyembarrassed Zelle somebody paid
for me to go on a trip and I hadto sit there and eat famous
sandwiches.
And also, don't throw it up intheir faces.
If you're going to foot thebill for somebody on their trip,
don't throw it up in theirfaces.
Don't embarrass these people.
Don't embarrass your friend,especially if this is your
friend.
Don't embarrass your friend,okay, but have the money.
Talk up front, be up frontabout what the budget is going
to look like and make sureeveryone is comfortable with the
spending plan, and this alsohelps avoid any awkwardness
later.
So if you know, like I know Ihave a couple friends who the
hotel accommodations they wantfive star, they want five star.
They want their own rooms.
I don't mind sharing a roomwith people, but some people
just want their own rooms.
I don't mind sharing a roomwith people, but some people
just want their own rooms.
That can be a little expensive.
So find a place, especially ifyou're going to a hotel.
Find a place that has differenttiers for pricing.
And also find.
I know a couple of friends ofmine who love to eat and they
eat well.
It's these expensiverestaurants and some places that
(10:27):
you go like.
When we went to Las Vegas,easily we could have gone to one
restaurant and could havedropped $1,000 on our food.
Also, talk about if you're .
to be splitting the bill.
If you're going to a restaurant, are we splitting to Give get
separate checks?
Some restaurants have it wheresomebody has to put their.
(10:48):
card down for the reservation.
So if that person is puttingtheir card down, make sure you
have a way to say all right, I'mspending a hundred bucks on my
food.
Therefore, I'm going to goahead and cash up you.
I'm going to cash up you orZill you or whatever it is that
you guys use.
Here's the money for my stuff.
So have those conversationsbeforehand, before itinerary,
(11:08):
make on a trip, so you can comeback from the trip as friends,
okay.
Third thing, your sharedinterests.
Plan activities that everyoneepisode, but, whether it's a spa
day Coordinate a hikingadventure, a shopping spree but
make sure there's something foreveryone to do, and also be
(11:30):
flexible in these options.
While it's a good thing to havea plan, be flexible.
Things might not always go asplanned, and that's okay.
The most important thing isthat you enjoy each other's
company.
So braided, and also also don'tbe .
(11:54):
I love a good planned trip, Ilove an itinerary, but I can't
stand when there's activitiesthe entire time.
When there's activities theentire time, give people space
to be able to go off and dotheir own thing Because, like
for me, I'm going to take a nap.
I'm going to take a nap.
Y'all want to go out into thedesert and ride camels?
(12:17):
Great, I will see you when youget back.
I'm going to take a nap.
But give people the flexibilityto do things that they want to
do or do nothing at all.
It's great to have an itinerary, but even in the itinerary.
Make space for them to donothing.
You don't have to be in eachother's faces the entire trip.
(12:44):
Number four, number five wetalked about this on the last
episode.
But pack smart, pack smart.
Coronate on what to bring andavoid duplication.
For instance, you probablydon't need four hair dryers for
one hotel room.
Most hotel rooms have a hairdryer and you know, if you're
(13:05):
African-American, like us, likemost of my friends, we're going
to get our well, one.
Well, they're going to get do,if hair braided.
I'm getting my hair cut, butthey're gonna get their hair
braided before we go on vacation.
So we don't have to worry abouthair dryers.
And this also saves for checkback fees and things like that.
Get with your friends and say,all right, girl, I have the
sunscreen, who's bringing thetoothpaste, who's bringing the
(13:28):
mouthwash?
So everybody doesn't bring thesame thing and it's taking up
space, especially if you'reusing a space like Airbnb.
You know the space may belimited.
You may have limited bathroomspace, so that will help save
space.
Gremlin It will also Gremlins?
save time and it also Gremlinshelps save space in your packed
bags, all right.
(13:49):
.
(15:05):
.
Capture said this moments eachother's space.
Everyone needs some alone time,especially if you're on
vacation.
Respect each other's needs forspace and don't take it
personally.
Please don't take it personallyif somebody just wants to go
lay down or if somebody is justnot feeling well, you know, do
you have somebody on a tripthat's not feeling well?
One thing that my friends and Ido.
If somebody's you have somebodyon a trip that's not feeling
well one thing that my friendsand I do.
If somebody's sick, somebody'schecking on that person, so we
may rotate and see who, makingsure that person is good, but
don't take it personally.
If somebody wants to have alittle space, please, especially
if your friend is an introvert,my friends know.
First of all, don't come at meat the side of the side of your
neck, talk about you beinganti-social.
I am.
I am because if I don't getthat alone time, that that space
, especially on vacation, I'mgonna be evil, like nobody wants
me around.
Nobody wants to be around mewhen I'm sleepy.
I'm like a gremlin.
Y'all remember gremlins.
If you don't remember gremlins,you are too young to talk to me
.
But I'm like a gremlin, you gotto feed me and I got to go so
don't get upset if I look I needto break away.
Go get a snack.
All right, don't take itpersonally when somebody just
says, hey, I need a minute, letthem have their minute and
there's nothing wrong with them.
You don't have to call it out,you don't have to make a comment
.
Let them be One of my favoritethings to do.
I forgot what number I'm on.
Number five, maybe Y'all keeptrack.
Y'all keep track of this.
(15:26):
But number five Capture themoments.
Capt, capture ?
the first.
(17:13):
Always moments.
Anytime we go on a girl's trip,it's taking the pictures, it's
taking the video.
Now, I'm not saying that keepthe camera up all travel, the
time, but there are some momentswhere it's just good to capture
the moment.
I had some memories pop up onmy phone today from the girl's
trip that I took three years ago.
One of my friends was pregnantwith her son and it just
reminded me like, oh my gosh,he's about to be three years old
.
But on that trip she waspregnant and we were having a
good time.
We were on the beach, we were.
Where did we go?
Were we in Savannah?
Yeah, that was our Savannahtrip.
We were having a great time andI looked back over those
memories like, wow, look at howfar we've come in the last three
years.
So capture the moments anddon't forget to take lots of
pictures and videos.
These will be great memories tolook back on.
Number six stay positive.
Stay positive, keep the vibepositive and drama free.
Listen, this is why it's soimportant to know who you're
traveling with.
If that person is full of dramaat home, they're going to be
full of drama on the vacation.
Vacation is a time to relax andhave fun and strengthen your
bond.
I don't want to be arguing withanybody on my vacation.
Okay, make sure you know whoyou're traveling with and make
sure you know what type oftraveler you are.
Leave the drama at home, athome.
Number seven maybe Safety.
First, always keep each other'ssafety in mind.
Stick together, especially atnight, and keep an eye out for
each other.
One thing that we do when wetravel nobody gets left behind.
Nobody gets left behind.
There's no running off with noman.
You know, I know we grown women, but safety, baby, even if
we're out somewhere we?
(17:34):
don't really club like we usedto, but even if we're out
somewhere we're watching drinks.
.
(18:58):
?
when, this is something that Igrew up.
When I started, when I was inmy late teens, twenties, mid
twenties and we would go out tothe club, my mama always told me
watch your drink, watch yourdrink.
These people out here are aresome people out here are crazy
and they're very sneaky and youknow trafficking is real.
So watch your drink.
There's even I'm going to linkthis in the show notes for you,
but there are little covers thatyou can put over your glass to
keep people from putting thingsin your drink.
Don't KevO n Stage down and.
then On Stage and dance andthen come back and try to drink
that from putting things in yourdrink.
Don't sit your drink down andthen go off and dance and then
come back and try to drink thatdrink.
Never leave your drinkunattended and always keep it
covered.
.
And if you do have, if you dohappen to go dance with somebody
, make sure there's safety inmind, nobody's left behind,
nobody's leaving off withanybody, even if, like I said,
we grown so there may besomebody in your party who wants
to go off with somebody,location them.
What's your location Check insis, because the one thing that
I don't ever God forbid, I don'tever want to experience is one
of my friends going missingwhile we out on a trip.
No, I could not live with that.
So safety first Keep in mind.
.
When you're on vacation, you'rea little bit more relaxed.
Keep your head on a swivel.
Keep your head on a swivel.
Another thing, a number eightmaybe Cherish the time together.
Remember the goal is.
to have fun and create lastingdiscuss So cherish the time you
(19:18):
have together and make the mostof it.
One of my favorite things ishaving a girls' trip.
Now, granted, a girls' tripisn't necessarily always us
going to another location.
I love when my besties and Iget together and we get a hotel
room and we just giggle.
(19:38):
We giggle until one of us getssleepy, which is pretty early
now because we're older.
One of our favorite pastimes issitting in the bed and rubbing
our feet together like a cricket.
If you over 40, you understandthat.
You understand having yourfavorite.
You know sleepwear on and Ilove socks.
So I have my fuzzy time, on,wood, b ut happy camper, but I
(20:03):
love it when my girlfriends andI are just able to get time
together because we all live indifferent states, we all have
lives that are going on.
Some of them are raising youngkids, you know, so they got
husbands, so it's kind of hardto get that time together.
So when we get it together, itis precious.
(20:24):
At the end of this, I'm going toshare some of my favorite girls
trip destinations and, if timepermits, I'll be able to share
some of my favorite spots, likestaying some of the places that
I like to stay, maybe because Idon't want everybody to know
where I have to stay when I goon vacation.
So maybe, maybe.
But cherish that time together,especially if you're going to.
(20:48):
Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
Scratch that thought I wasenamored the last couple of days
watching Kev and MelissaFredericks known as Kev on stage
and Mrs Kev on stage.
They had a 20th, theycelebrated their 20th wedding
anniversary and they had a vowrenewal in Mexico and they had
(21:13):
their closest family and friendsat this place.
And one thing Kev said was hethoroughly enjoyed being on air
quotes vacation with everybody.
And those are memories that heand Melissa and their families
and their friends will be ableto cherish forever Because, even
(21:34):
though they were there tocelebrate their anniversary
cruise their love, having thosemoments with all of these people
by the pool, or you're havingdinner together, everybody
getting together to go havebreakfast, those are memories
that nobody can ever take awayfrom you.
So cherish those moments,cherish that time together,
because you never know when thelast time you see that person
(21:56):
will be the last time.
Not to sound grim and morbid,but it's true.
Anything can happen and lifehappens fast.
I remember the last get togetherthat I had with my girls and
our best friend Robin.
That I had with my girls andour best friend Robin.
Well, it's not the last, it wasone of the last moments.
(22:18):
But we it was the Marchbirthday, so in our group
there's two of my girlfriendsare born on the same day and
then there's me, so we're liketwo days apart, and so we grits
the March birthdays.
My bestie, one of my bestiesgot us a hotel room.
See, get in the hotel room.
They all came up to Charlotteand we sat in that hotel room
(22:39):
and had a.
good time.
But I remember it being sofunny because our friend Robin
not to get confused with mysister number one, yeah, but my
friend Robin had this game andRobin was basically trying to
get us drunk.
She was basically trying to setus up and get us drunk, but she
(23:02):
ended up being the tipsy one.
So when I see the pictures andthe yes, I got video video of
that moment I crack up because,guess what, robin is no longer
with us.
But I have those memories to goback and look at and just be
like, wow, we really had a goodtime.
(23:23):
So cherish those moments.
Another thing, okay, that Iwould like to share with you.
What number?
What number, I don't know Childwe just on the next thing.
Please, please, please,communicate.
Communication is key.
(23:45):
Communication is key, even ifyou make these plans and you
know, life happens.
Sometimes people may have todrop out of the trip, whatever,
whatever.
Whenever there's a change,communicate it Before you go on
a trip.
Discuss expectations, anypotential issues.
(24:05):
Clear communication can preventmisunderstandings and ensure
everyone is on the same page.
For instance, like on thegirls' trip that I'm getting
ready to go on, we had a couplepeople who aren't going to be
able to make it.
Are we sad about it?
Absolutely, absolutely.
We wish they could go, but lifehappens.
So not only are you know.
Their funding portion of thetrip has changed.
(24:27):
It's no longer there, so thatmeans our out-of-pocket is going
to be different.
So we had to communicate that.
Hold on one second, I have tosneeze, excuse me.
Everything is happening whileI'm up in here.
Thank you if you say, bless you.
But yeah, so now our tripdynamic has changed, so that
(24:49):
means our out-of-pocket expenseis going to be a little
different, and so we had tocommunicate.
They communicated this earlyenough for us to be able to make
adjustments and it not reallyaffect us.
So communication is key.
Let somebody know if you haveallergies, like for me.
I think I'm the one that hashas the most allergies.
So whenever we go on a trip myfriends know this already, but
(25:12):
they know that I have ashellfish allergy.
So whenever we go torestaurants and things like that
, thank God they're mindful ofme.
So, first of all, I never putmy allergies as a responsibility
on another person.
.
can happen.
I've been in situations thankGod it hasn't happened in a long
(25:36):
time knock wood situationsthank God it hasn't happened in
a long time, knock wood.
But I was in a situation onetime where we went to a seafood
restaurant and they fried theirfrench fries and their chicken
tenders in the same grease asthey did their shrimp.
That's a danger.
That's a hazard for me becauseI could really have a bad,
(25:58):
really bad allergic reaction.
But let people know.
If you got medical issues, youknow, if you got heart problems
I don't want you on the zip line, you know.
Just kind of let people knowwhat's going on in your life.
Now you don't have to tell allyour business, but kind of give
people a heads up.
If this is an issue for you,let somebody know.
(26:19):
Now great tip is to delegateresponsibilities.
So if you have a big group likeI, my family and I are planning
a family cruise next year, 2025.
I have to be mindful of whatI'm saying because you can
(26:40):
listen to this episode in 2026.
But we're planning a familycruise in 2025.
That's a lot of people.
So one of my cousins and I havetaken the reins of planning
this trip.
We have our cruise coordinatorwho works for the cruise line,
but the communication andeverything comes through myself
and my cousin.
So we've delegated theresponsibilities.
He was in charge of the bookingand accommodations.
(27:04):
I'm researching activities andwe're planning the dinner and
any kind of activities that arecoming along.
But the workload is shared soit doesn't feel like it's a
burden on one person.
And being able to disseminateinformation is a lot easier when
you got two contact people,because if they can't, if fam
that's going on the trip can'treach me, they can reach my
(27:24):
cousin and they can also reachthe crew's coordinator.
So disseminating thoseresponsibilities has been a huge
help.
So if you're planning a grouptrip, whether it be four people
or 20 people, put some of theresponsibilities on somebody
else.
So even in our small girls trip, the girls trip that I'm
getting ready to go on, oneperson found the accommodations.
(27:46):
Another person has found she'sresearching restaurants for us
to go eat.
I know I'm responsible forbreakfast because they love I
make these amazing grits.
Y'all they love my grit, so Iknow we're going to be cooking
breakfast.
So, delegate, delegate,delegate.
Now this is a tip that I foundonline that I thought was kind
(28:08):
of good.
Do with it what you may Createa shared fund.
Consider creating a shared fundfor a group expenses like meals,
cab fares and tips.
It simplifies payments andensures everyone contributes
equally.
That is a great idea.
That is a really great idea.
(28:28):
Now, with that, it has to besomebody who is responsible with
money, because you don't wantto be putting funds into a
shared fund and somebody run offwith all the money.
So, legally, you may want toput some kind of legal
parameters in place that wouldmean who has access to the
(28:51):
account or things like that, butthat is a really great idea.
I have not done that one.
I'm not going to stay theremuch longer because I haven't
done that one, but that is a .
really great idea.
Think about behind.
(31:58):
Y'all a first aid kit.
I said this on the last episode.
Having a first aid kit,accidents are going to happen
and I am a clumsy person.
Accidents happen.
I went on a trip one time tothe beach, rolled my ankle tore,
not tore, but I almost.
I came real close to tearing myACL.
Came back from that trip, I wasin a boot for eight weeks Now,
granted, a first aid kitcouldn't really, you know, fix
that.
Well, granted, a first aid kitcouldn't really fix that?
Well, yeah, we could.
There was an ace bandage inthere, so I was able to wrap my
ankle.
But having a first aid kit, youmay get a cut or a scrape,
having things on hands likeBand-Aids, pain relievers,
sometimes prescriptionmedication.
But again.
, like the last episode, when Isaid in the last episode, be
careful with those medicaremedicants.
Be careful with thosemedications.
If you're going to a foreigncountry, research that country
and make sure that what you'rebringing .
into the country is is legal foryou to bring.
It's not illegal for you tobring.
I don't to hear nobody thatlistened to this.
podcast episode ended up lockedup abroad.
No, no, no, no, no, no.
But having a first aid kit, youknow a little small one and
they have some online.
I'll see if I can find some ofthose too and just kind of link
those.
Let me see if I can find theone that I got.
The one that I got I've had forabout eight years, maybe eight
years, so it's old I just onegood thing about it is I can
refill it as time permits.
And also, if you have a firstaid kit and it has medications
in there, check the expirationdates of your medicine.
Okay, just check the expirationdates, because if you, you
don't use a first aid kit everyday, so check the expiration
date.
Another tip is to have a plan.
b.
Sometimes things don't go asplanned, so having a backup plan
ensures that the fun doesn'tstop, even if the original plan
falls through.
You go on a trip and have anexcursion.
The excursion can get canceled,so what's the plan B?
Are you just going to go restor are you going to do something
else?
Have a plan B.
If somebody backs out of thetrip.
What's the plan B?
Are you going to cancel thetrip or are you going to
continue and have everybody upthe ante, so to speak?
Have a plan B.
Sorry, somebody, I'm at thepodcast studio y'all and people
walk by and they just staringlike what Another great tip.
Leave work behind'all.
As a content creator, this isso hard.
This is so hard becauseeverything is content, almost
everything is content.
So you, you want to pull outthe laptop and write the blog or
do things like that.
So, even if you're not acontent creator and you work a
(32:19):
nine to five, I have I do both.
Leave the work behind, try, tryyour very best to disconnect
from work and fully immerseyourself and be present.
Immerse yourself in the trip,be present in the trip.
This is the time to unwind andenjoy your life.
Unwind and enjoy.
(32:40):
If you can unplug, unplug.
I know that that may be hardfor those of you who have
children at home.
You know somebody needs to getin contact with you.
It may be hard to unplug, butyou can unplug from that job.
You can unplug from that jobfor a little while.
That's why you have PTO Paidtime off.
Try to unplug.
(33:02):
One thing that I'm trying to getbetter at is I'm really great
at leaving my work laptop Reallygreat at that.
But that personal laptop thatSouth use to create all of my
content, edit podcasts, episodes, do graphics, all that stuff
Whew, whew.
It's hard to leave Beulah athome.
(33:23):
Yes, I named my laptop Beulah.
It's hard to leave Beulah athome.
And I have to leave her at homebecause I know what's going to
happen if I bring her with me.
I'm going to crack her open andstart working and the next
thing I know, five hours later,my girls will be looking at me
like girl, what you doing?
You've missed half the trip isgone and.
(33:47):
I know that this is hard becauseideas come all the time.
So here's something that I do.
If you're a creative, you mightwant to do this.
.
I always have my journal with me, Always, because I'm Nevada
going to journal about myexperience and sometimes I can
(34:08):
write a blog post, or I canwrite my thoughts for the next
podcast episode, whatever ideasI'm having.
Sometimes a whole campaign maycome, or a marketing strategy,
or whatever.
If God gives me a download forthe business, I need to have
that somewhere.
So I will write in my journal.
Sometimes I will use my phoneand I'll create a video and do
clip-to-clip YouTube stuff.
(34:29):
So use your technology, butdon't go overboard with it.
Remember you're on vacation.
You're on a girl's trip.
You're on a guy's trip.
You're on vacation.
Let work sit somewhere.
It's going to be there.
Okay, it's going to be there.
Being overworked is not cute.
Being in hustle mode all thetime it's exhausting.
(34:49):
Take this time out to refreshand recharge and enjoy yourself.
Have fun, no matter whathappens Nevada.
(38:21):
Another to have fun and enjoythis time with your friends.
That's why y'all book the trip,book the ding dang trip, and if
you have never traveled withyour friends, now's a good time
to start.
It's summertime, let's go.
Let's go somewhere.
So all right.
A couple destinations Tennesseethat I love for girls trips and
again, this depends on the typeof traveler you are and the type
of who you're traveling with.
Keep in mind, I have friendswith various travel needs and
wants and desires and all thisstuff.
I have one friend who refusesto fly.
So I know when we go on a girlstrip it's got to be someplace
where we can drive within two orthree hours, maybe four max,
five max, because I hate flying.
I hate driving more than fivehours.
Put me on a plane, I'll meetyou there.
So a couple places that I love.
South Carolina is one of myTennessee.
And to visit.
Maybe it's because I kind ofgrew up there, but I love going
to Hilton Head, south Carolina.
It is laid back.
It is such a vibe you don't seea whole bunch of.
It's just very quiet.
It's a very comfortable placeto unplug, because I love the
The beach Charging Station arebeautiful Airbnbs there.
There are hotels there, thefood is amazing.
It's within driving distance toCharleston and Savannah, so you
can have a day trip to Savannah, you can have a day trip to
Charleston and be right there atHilton Head.
I love it.
It's one of my favorite placesand for a girl's trip it's a
really good spot places and forgirls trip.
It's a really good spot.
So, especially with us livingin North Carolina and South
Carolina,.
Another one of my favoriteplaces is Tybee Island, tybee
Island, georgia, tybee Island.
Again, I love the beach there.
There are Airbnbs there, thereare hotels there.
Again, the food is amazing andit's within distance to
Charleston and Hilton Head aswell, so you can do the day trip
thing.
Another one of my favorite girlstrip places Las Vegas, nevada.
Granted, you have to fly, butVegas is a good time.
Vegas is a good time.
Granted, I don't gamble.
I gamble.
The first time I went to VegasI lost three dollars in my very
warm glove.
It was my, my favorite pair ofgloves.
I lost one glove and I was likeall right, I'm done, because my
thing is no shade to those whogamble, do what you do.
I don't like spending moneythat I don't have anything
tangible to have.
So when I lost that $3 and myglove, I was like, oh no, this
ain't for me.
I went shopping.
So Vegas is a great place for agirls trip.
There's so many activities.
You can do a show.
One of my favorite girls tripswas when we went to go see my
baby dad Usher, at his residency.
Granted, we were and for 48hours.
It was a hard 48.
But I had such a great time.
My best.
See and I went ziplining.
We ate good food, the show wasamazing.
It was a great trip.
So consider Las Vegas, nevada,another one of my favorite
places going to Pigeon Forge,Tennessee.
Pigeon Forge, tennessee.
My family and I did a familytrip there a couple years ago
and we had this huge cabin.
It was about 20 of us in thiscabin and I know that may sound
like we were on top of eachother.
(38:42):
We were not.
This cabin had four levels.
We barely saw the childrenbecause they were in the movie
theater, because the place thatwe had had games video games.
It was a game room.
It was a PlayStation that washooked up.
We saw those kids when it wastime to eat and when it was time
(39:02):
for us to go to the amusementpark and time for us to leave.
So that's when we saw the kids.
We had a hot tub, we had agrill, we were outside playing
cornhole.
So being in the mountains was agreat, great, great time.
So check out Pigeon Forge,tennessee, and I would love to
hear from you what are some ofyour favorite destinations to
(39:23):
visit, whether it be locally orinternationally.
If you are an internationallistener, let me know what your
favorite spots are.
I would love to come visit.
We have people all over theworld that listen to the
charging station, so I hope someof these tips are good for you,
helpful to you as well, but Iwould love to hear from you all
(39:43):
what is your perspective?
What kind of places do you liketo visit?
Do you have any other tips thatyou we may not have covered,
but you have tips that haveworked well for you.
Are there any tips that welisted that you are planning on
implementing?
So let me know.
I want to hear from you.
Are there any tips that welisted that you are planning on
implementing?
So let me know.
I want to hear from you Always,always, always.
If you're following us onInstagram, you'll see the post
(40:05):
for the podcast episode.
You can comment on that post.
You can always email me.
You can reply to the email.
If you're on my email list, youget the episode first.
It comes out to you as soon asit hits, so you can always reply
to that email.
Let me know if this has beenhelpful for you.
So, y'all, that is it.
Those are all the tips that Ihave.
(40:27):
I hope this has blessed you insome kind of way.
I hope that you are encouragedto get out and travel if time in
your budget permits.
Okay, don't do it because I sayso.
Do it because you want to seesome world.
Get out here and see some world.
So, with that being said, weare going to close out this
episode and we have what?
(40:50):
Maybe two more, two moreepisodes to go, y'all, and then
we'll be closing out seasonseven of the charging station.
I can't believe we're coming upon eight years, y'all.
August will be eight years.
So I appreciate you for rockingwith me all of this time.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.
And before we close out, I wantyou to remember this always God
(41:12):
loves you, I love you.
It ain't nothing you can doabout it.
Boo bye.
What's good everybody?
Welcome to the ChargingStation Podcast.
It's your girl, Tracey Masseyof Living My EmPOWERed Life.
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey,hey, hey, hey, hey, if you are
new here, welcome.
I am so happy to have you here.
I hope you follow, subscribe,rate, review.
Whatever podcast listeningplatform you're listening to
(00:43):
this podcast on, whatever itasks you to do, do that, okay.
Leave a review if you can.
Leave a message.
This is an interactive podcast.
Let me know what you think ofthe show.
If you have episode suggestions, leave those as well.
You can always hit me up athello@ livingmyempowerlife.
comIf you are a returning listener,
(01:03):
! b.
.
t I'm on Instagram, Twitter,Facebook, TikTok, and youtube.
YouHey, boo, you know I love me
some.
You.
Welcome back, welcome back,welcome back, welcome back,
everybody.
Go ahead, grab your coffee,grab your tea, grab your water,
grab your wine, whatever yourbeverage of choice is.
Go ahead, grab that thang thangand have a seat on the couch.
And if you're not following meon all the socials, please do so
.
You can find me at Living myEmpowered Life.
I'm on Instagram, twitter,facebook, tiktok, youtube.
(01:29):
No, not Twitter anymore.
X.
I'm not even on that anymore.
That just flowed off the tonguebecause I'm used to saying it,
but I'm on threads all underLiving my Empowered Life.
Let's get social.
Talk The to Charging me Stationtalk to me.
And also, you're going to needto do that anyway because the
Charging Station, season seven,is coming to a close.
(01:50):
Now, don't worry, this is notthe last episode.
We got a couple more.
Okay, we got a couple more, andwhen I say couple, I really
mean couple.
We got two more, two moreepisodes.
And then we're taking a breakfor the summer because sis got
to travel.
Okay, it's a hot girl summer.
I want to get out and enjoy itbefore the fall comes around and
I get busy, busy.
So now that we got all that outof the way, girl, what is
(02:13):
happening to the voice?
Now that we've gotten all thatout of the way, let me take a
sip of water.
I'm talking about grabbing mywater because, honey, I don't
know what's going on with thisthroat.
Hold on, All right.
Last episode I started coughing.
This time I got a little ticklein my throat, all right.
(02:34):
.
So last episode we talked aboutsolo traveling and making taking
the fear and the complexitiesout of solo traveling.
So I hope you got anopportunity to listen to that
episode.
If you have not, go back andlisten to it.
Actually, just listen to allthe episodes of the Charging
Station.
If you need something to bingelisten to throughout the summer,
(02:55):
you got over 100 episodes.
Go ahead.
Listen to them, and just don'tjudge me from like 2017, when we
first started this thing.
I'm going to admit the contentwas good, but, baby, I didn't
know what I was doing.
I didn't know what I was doingbut I did it okay.
2017 will show you the growthof the charting station, and if
(03:18):
you've been rocking with mesince then, thank you because
you came through the growingpains, you came through the
trenches with me.
But since we talked about solotraveling on the last episode
this episode I wanted to take amoment to talk about how to
prepare and have a successfulgirls trip, because if you have
been online at any moment intime, I'm sure you have seen or
(03:43):
heard some horror stories aboutsaid girls trips.
Sometimes girls trips can goleft, and the tips that I'm
going to provide are some of thethings that my friends and I do
when we travel.
First things first, thoughdisclaimer you can't travel with
everybody, baby.
You can't travel with everybody.
(04:04):
Everybody is not a good time ona trip, but there are some
things that you can do ahead oftime to kind of foresee those
things coming and kind of helpyou pivot if those things you
know, the bad trip vibes pop upwhile you're on a trip.
So let's just get into thecontent, shall we?
So you know the number onething I'm going to say, number
one thing I'm going to sayNumber one thing I'm going to
say because this is just me,this is my aesthetic, this is my
(04:30):
life Plan ahead, plan ahead.
If you don't have a plan, youare planning to fail.
I know that's not the saying,that's Tracy-ism.
You know that's my littlewhatever, my little spin on it.
But plan ahead.
Start first by deciding onwhere you're going to go.
What's your destination goingto be?
(04:50):
Is it going to be a mountaintrip?
Is it going to be a beach trip?
Is it going to be a trip toVegas?
How long are you going to stay?
Things like that, just kind ofbrainstorm with the group that
you're trying to travel with.
Also, for me, I have differenttypes of friends.
I have friends who, like mygirl's trip that's coming up
(05:12):
pretty soon, we're going to thebeach and this is the group that
we don't do any activities butlay on the beach, eat snacks and
giggle.
That's all we do because we'reall busy women um, we all have
demanding jobs.
We have people that we'retrying to take care of and keep
alive, so that time is our timeto just chill on the beach, and
(05:36):
I love that group.
Then I have a group that ismore adventurous.
So I know if I go travel withthem, we're gonna be doing some
kind of activity.
I also know I have a groupthat's spa ready.
So I know if we go somewhere,most likely we're going to go to
a spa, a place that has a spa,so a spa resort or a resort that
has a spa.
So I know that group.
(05:57):
And then there's a group that Iknow you know they're not very
adventurous at all.
We're going to be sitting bythe pool or hanging out in each
other's rooms.
But it's a different dynamicwith each group and I'm blessed
to be able to fit in each onewhere you know in any kind of
capacity.
So you also need to know whatkind of traveler you are.
I know that I am a bougietraveler.
(06:19):
I have some friends that willgo backpack across Europe and
stay in hostels or be sleepingon people's couches from country
to country.
That's not me.
You try to get me in a hostel,baby.
We fighting.
Okay, we are beefing.
I probably won't ever speak toyou again.
I for sure will never travelwith you again.
(06:39):
But yeah, I am very travel,bougie.
I need to know reviews, I needto see pictures.
I'm that person.
So planning ahead and knowingwho you are traveling with and
what type of traveler you arewill help alleviate some of
these issues.
So when you start and youdecide where you're going and
(07:01):
everyone gets excited about it,you know everybody in the group
chat is always excited when youstart to talk about the trip.
So just be prepared for thegroup trip to not make it out
the group chat.
Let's just be real.
But for now we're going topretend, like everybody, the
group trip is making it out ofthe group chat, okay.
(07:21):
So when you plan ahead andeveryone's excited about the
talk.
(08:59):
And make sure you the detailsLike what kind of accommodations
do you want to be in, what'sthe transportation going to be
like, what kind of activities?
And honestly, the earlier youstart to plan, the better,
because you can get some gooddeals.
You can work out payment plansif you need to.
if, I don't know about y'all,but it's just something about
dropping a whole bunch of moneyat one time on a trip.
Even if I can, when I can, Ijust like I'm going to pay this
deposit and then maybe a monthlater I'm going to pay it off.
It's just something, and I'mlike that with everything.
It's just something aboutdropping a whole bunch of money.
I sent the money over for myrent today and I was like, ah,
ah, just seeing that money leavemy account.
It's like oh God, but moneycomes to me effortlessly and
easily.
So finger I just had to speakthat little affirmation over
myself before I had a little fit.
So you're planning ahead.
.
(09:41):
.
Everyone's excited in the groupchat.
We're going to this destination.
So once you get the destinationin mind, budget, budget wisely.
And this can be a sensitivetopic because you're talking
about money, so you're notnecessarily micromanaging
people's pockets.
But you do.
(10:06):
money for stuff, and I thinkthat this is the problem with a
lot of group trips, especiallywith younger women, not
necessarily older women, we tendto put this out on the table,
but with younger women you don'twant to have that money.
Talk, and it's nothing wrong.
If you have a friend who's noteconomically in the same space
as you are, just be prepared tofoot the bill for them and have
that discussion.
Like, have.
that discussion.
If you have a friend that wantsto go on a trip or you want
them to go on a trip and you arein a space where you can foot
the bill for them, have thatdiscussion with them, food;
therefore you don't want to haveanybody embarrassed CashAp p
know, I know to CashApp fullyembarrassed Zelle somebody paid
for me to go on a trip and I hadto sit there and eat famous
sandwiches.
And also, don't throw it up intheir faces.
If you're going to foot thebill for somebody on their trip,
don't throw it up in theirfaces.
Don't embarrass these people.
Don't embarrass your friend,especially if this is your
friend.
Don't embarrass your friend,okay, but have the money.
Talk up front, be up frontabout what the budget is going
to look like and make sureeveryone is comfortable with the
spending plan, and this alsohelps avoid any awkwardness
later.
So if you know, like I know Ihave a couple friends who the
hotel accommodations they wantfive star, they want five star.
They want their own rooms.
I don't mind sharing a roomwith people, but some people
just want their own rooms.
I don't mind sharing a roomwith people, but some people
just want their own rooms.
That can be a little expensive.
So find a place, especially ifyou're going to a hotel.
Find a place that has differenttiers for pricing.
And also find.
I know a couple of friends ofmine who love to eat and they
eat well.
It's these expensiverestaurants and some places that
(10:27):
you go like.
When we went to Las Vegas,easily we could have gone to one
restaurant and could havedropped $1,000 on our food.
Also, talk about if you're .
to be splitting the bill.
If you're going to a restaurant, are we splitting to Give get
separate checks?
Some restaurants have it wheresomebody has to put their.
(10:48):
card down for the reservation.
So if that person is puttingtheir card down, make sure you
have a way to say all right, I'mspending a hundred bucks on my
food.
Therefore, I'm going to goahead and cash up you.
I'm going to cash up you orZill you or whatever it is that
you guys use.
Here's the money for my stuff.
So have those conversationsbeforehand, before itinerary,
(11:08):
make on a trip, so you can comeback from the trip as friends,
okay.
Third thing, your sharedinterests.
Plan activities that everyoneepisode, but, whether it's a spa
day Coordinate a hikingadventure, a shopping spree but
make sure there's something foreveryone to do, and also be
(11:30):
flexible in these options.
While it's a good thing to havea plan, be flexible.
Things might not always go asplanned, and that's okay.
The most important thing isthat you enjoy each other's
company.
So braided, and also also don'tbe .
(11:54):
I love a good planned trip, Ilove an itinerary, but I can't
stand when there's activitiesthe entire time.
When there's activities theentire time, give people space
to be able to go off and dotheir own thing Because, like
for me, I'm going to take a nap.
I'm going to take a nap.
Y'all want to go out into thedesert and ride camels?
(12:17):
Great, I will see you when youget back.
I'm going to take a nap.
But give people the flexibilityto do things that they want to
do or do nothing at all.
It's great to have an itinerary, but even in the itinerary.
Make space for them to donothing.
You don't have to be in eachother's faces the entire trip.
(12:44):
Number four, number five wetalked about this on the last
episode.
But pack smart, pack smart.
Coronate on what to bring andavoid duplication.
For instance, you probablydon't need four hair dryers for
one hotel room.
Most hotel rooms have a hairdryer and you know, if you're
(13:05):
African-American, like us, likemost of my friends, we're going
to get our well, one.
Well, they're going to get do,if hair braided.
I'm getting my hair cut, butthey're gonna get their hair
braided before we go on vacation.
So we don't have to worry abouthair dryers.
And this also saves for checkback fees and things like that.
Get with your friends and say,all right, girl, I have the
sunscreen, who's bringing thetoothpaste, who's bringing the
(13:28):
mouthwash?
So everybody doesn't bring thesame thing and it's taking up
space, especially if you'reusing a space like Airbnb.
You know the space may belimited.
You may have limited bathroomspace, so that will help save
space.
Gremlin It will also Gremlins?
save time and it also Gremlinshelps save space in your packed
bags, all right.
(13:49):
.
(15:05):
.
Capture said this moments eachother's space.
Everyone needs some alone time,especially if you're on
vacation.
Respect each other's needs forspace and don't take it
personally.
Please don't take it personallyif somebody just wants to go
lay down or if somebody is justnot feeling well, you know, do
you have somebody on a tripthat's not feeling well?
One thing that my friends and Ido.
If somebody's you have somebodyon a trip that's not feeling
well one thing that my friendsand I do.
If somebody's sick, somebody'schecking on that person, so we
may rotate and see who, makingsure that person is good, but
don't take it personally.
If somebody wants to have alittle space, please, especially
if your friend is an introvert,my friends know.
First of all, don't come at meat the side of the side of your
neck, talk about you beinganti-social.
I am.
I am because if I don't getthat alone time, that that space
, especially on vacation, I'mgonna be evil, like nobody wants
me around.
Nobody wants to be around mewhen I'm sleepy.
I'm like a gremlin.
Y'all remember gremlins.
If you don't remember gremlins,you are too young to talk to me
.
But I'm like a gremlin, you gotto feed me and I got to go so
don't get upset if I look I needto break away.
Go get a snack.
All right, don't take itpersonally when somebody just
says, hey, I need a minute, letthem have their minute and
there's nothing wrong with them.
You don't have to call it out,you don't have to make a comment
.
Let them be One of my favoritethings to do.
I forgot what number I'm on.
Number five, maybe Y'all keeptrack.
Y'all keep track of this.
(15:26):
But number five Capture themoments.
Capt, capture ?
the first.
(17:13):
Always moments.
Anytime we go on a girl's trip,it's taking the pictures, it's
taking the video.
Now, I'm not saying that keepthe camera up all travel, the
time, but there are some momentswhere it's just good to capture
the moment.
I had some memories pop up onmy phone today from the girl's
trip that I took three years ago.
One of my friends was pregnantwith her son and it just
reminded me like, oh my gosh,he's about to be three years old
.
But on that trip she waspregnant and we were having a
good time.
We were on the beach, we were.
Where did we go?
Were we in Savannah?
Yeah, that was our Savannahtrip.
We were having a great time andI looked back over those
memories like, wow, look at howfar we've come in the last three
years.
So capture the moments anddon't forget to take lots of
pictures and videos.
These will be great memories tolook back on.
Number six stay positive.
Stay positive, keep the vibepositive and drama free.
Listen, this is why it's soimportant to know who you're
traveling with.
If that person is full of dramaat home, they're going to be
full of drama on the vacation.
Vacation is a time to relax andhave fun and strengthen your
bond.
I don't want to be arguing withanybody on my vacation.
Okay, make sure you know whoyou're traveling with and make
sure you know what type oftraveler you are.
Leave the drama at home, athome.
Number seven maybe Safety.
First, always keep each other'ssafety in mind.
Stick together, especially atnight, and keep an eye out for
each other.
One thing that we do when wetravel nobody gets left behind.
Nobody gets left behind.
There's no running off with noman.
You know, I know we grown women, but safety, baby, even if
we're out somewhere we?
(17:34):
don't really club like we usedto, but even if we're out
somewhere we're watching drinks.
.
(18:58):
?
when, this is something that Igrew up.
When I started, when I was inmy late teens, twenties, mid
twenties and we would go out tothe club, my mama always told me
watch your drink, watch yourdrink.
These people out here are aresome people out here are crazy
and they're very sneaky and youknow trafficking is real.
So watch your drink.
There's even I'm going to linkthis in the show notes for you,
but there are little covers thatyou can put over your glass to
keep people from putting thingsin your drink.
Don't KevO n Stage down and.
then On Stage and dance andthen come back and try to drink
that from putting things in yourdrink.
Don't sit your drink down andthen go off and dance and then
come back and try to drink thatdrink.
Never leave your drinkunattended and always keep it
covered.
.
And if you do have, if you dohappen to go dance with somebody
, make sure there's safety inmind, nobody's left behind,
nobody's leaving off withanybody, even if, like I said,
we grown so there may besomebody in your party who wants
to go off with somebody,location them.
What's your location Check insis, because the one thing that
I don't ever God forbid, I don'tever want to experience is one
of my friends going missingwhile we out on a trip.
No, I could not live with that.
So safety first Keep in mind.
.
When you're on vacation, you'rea little bit more relaxed.
Keep your head on a swivel.
Keep your head on a swivel.
Another thing, a number eightmaybe Cherish the time together.
Remember the goal is.
to have fun and create lastingdiscuss So cherish the time you
(19:18):
have together and make the mostof it.
One of my favorite things ishaving a girls' trip.
Now, granted, a girls' tripisn't necessarily always us
going to another location.
I love when my besties and Iget together and we get a hotel
room and we just giggle.
(19:38):
We giggle until one of us getssleepy, which is pretty early
now because we're older.
One of our favorite pastimes issitting in the bed and rubbing
our feet together like a cricket.
If you over 40, you understandthat.
You understand having yourfavorite.
You know sleepwear on and Ilove socks.
So I have my fuzzy time, on,wood, b ut happy camper, but I
(20:03):
love it when my girlfriends andI are just able to get time
together because we all live indifferent states, we all have
lives that are going on.
Some of them are raising youngkids, you know, so they got
husbands, so it's kind of hardto get that time together.
So when we get it together, itis precious.
(20:24):
At the end of this, I'm going toshare some of my favorite girls
trip destinations and, if timepermits, I'll be able to share
some of my favorite spots, likestaying some of the places that
I like to stay, maybe because Idon't want everybody to know
where I have to stay when I goon vacation.
So maybe, maybe.
But cherish that time together,especially if you're going to.
(20:48):
Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
Scratch that thought I wasenamored the last couple of days
watching Kev and MelissaFredericks known as Kev on stage
and Mrs Kev on stage.
They had a 20th, theycelebrated their 20th wedding
anniversary and they had a vowrenewal in Mexico and they had
(21:13):
their closest family and friendsat this place.
And one thing Kev said was hethoroughly enjoyed being on air
quotes vacation with everybody.
And those are memories that heand Melissa and their families
and their friends will be ableto cherish forever Because, even
(21:34):
though they were there tocelebrate their anniversary
cruise their love, having thosemoments with all of these people
by the pool, or you're havingdinner together, everybody
getting together to go havebreakfast, those are memories
that nobody can ever take awayfrom you.
So cherish those moments,cherish that time together,
because you never know when thelast time you see that person
(21:56):
will be the last time.
Not to sound grim and morbid,but it's true.
Anything can happen and lifehappens fast.
I remember the last get togetherthat I had with my girls and
our best friend Robin.
That I had with my girls andour best friend Robin.
Well, it's not the last, it wasone of the last moments.
(22:18):
But we it was the Marchbirthday, so in our group
there's two of my girlfriendsare born on the same day and
then there's me, so we're liketwo days apart, and so we grits
the March birthdays.
My bestie, one of my bestiesgot us a hotel room.
See, get in the hotel room.
They all came up to Charlotteand we sat in that hotel room
(22:39):
and had a.
good time.
But I remember it being sofunny because our friend Robin
not to get confused with mysister number one, yeah, but my
friend Robin had this game andRobin was basically trying to
get us drunk.
She was basically trying to setus up and get us drunk, but she
(23:02):
ended up being the tipsy one.
So when I see the pictures andthe yes, I got video video of
that moment I crack up because,guess what, robin is no longer
with us.
But I have those memories to goback and look at and just be
like, wow, we really had a goodtime.
(23:23):
So cherish those moments.
Another thing, okay, that Iwould like to share with you.
What number?
What number, I don't know Childwe just on the next thing.
Please, please, please,communicate.
Communication is key.
(23:45):
Communication is key, even ifyou make these plans and you
know, life happens.
Sometimes people may have todrop out of the trip, whatever,
whatever.
Whenever there's a change,communicate it Before you go on
a trip.
Discuss expectations, anypotential issues.
(24:05):
Clear communication can preventmisunderstandings and ensure
everyone is on the same page.
For instance, like on thegirls' trip that I'm getting
ready to go on, we had a couplepeople who aren't going to be
able to make it.
Are we sad about it?
Absolutely, absolutely.
We wish they could go, but lifehappens.
So not only are you know.
Their funding portion of thetrip has changed.
(24:27):
It's no longer there, so thatmeans our out-of-pocket is going
to be different.
So we had to communicate that.
Hold on one second, I have tosneeze, excuse me.
Everything is happening whileI'm up in here.
Thank you if you say, bless you.
But yeah, so now our tripdynamic has changed, so that
(24:49):
means our out-of-pocket expenseis going to be a little
different, and so we had tocommunicate.
They communicated this earlyenough for us to be able to make
adjustments and it not reallyaffect us.
So communication is key.
Let somebody know if you haveallergies, like for me.
I think I'm the one that hashas the most allergies.
So whenever we go on a trip myfriends know this already, but
(25:12):
they know that I have ashellfish allergy.
So whenever we go torestaurants and things like that
, thank God they're mindful ofme.
So, first of all, I never putmy allergies as a responsibility
on another person.
.
can happen.
I've been in situations thankGod it hasn't happened in a long
(25:36):
time knock wood situationsthank God it hasn't happened in
a long time, knock wood.
But I was in a situation onetime where we went to a seafood
restaurant and they fried theirfrench fries and their chicken
tenders in the same grease asthey did their shrimp.
That's a danger.
That's a hazard for me becauseI could really have a bad,
(25:58):
really bad allergic reaction.
But let people know.
If you got medical issues, youknow, if you got heart problems
I don't want you on the zip line, you know.
Just kind of let people knowwhat's going on in your life.
Now you don't have to tell allyour business, but kind of give
people a heads up.
If this is an issue for you,let somebody know.
(26:19):
Now great tip is to delegateresponsibilities.
So if you have a big group likeI, my family and I are planning
a family cruise next year, 2025.
I have to be mindful of whatI'm saying because you can
(26:40):
listen to this episode in 2026.
But we're planning a familycruise in 2025.
That's a lot of people.
So one of my cousins and I havetaken the reins of planning
this trip.
We have our cruise coordinatorwho works for the cruise line,
but the communication andeverything comes through myself
and my cousin.
So we've delegated theresponsibilities.
He was in charge of the bookingand accommodations.
(27:04):
I'm researching activities andwe're planning the dinner and
any kind of activities that arecoming along.
But the workload is shared soit doesn't feel like it's a
burden on one person.
And being able to disseminateinformation is a lot easier when
you got two contact people,because if they can't, if fam
that's going on the trip can'treach me, they can reach my
(27:24):
cousin and they can also reachthe crew's coordinator.
So disseminating thoseresponsibilities has been a huge
help.
So if you're planning a grouptrip, whether it be four people
or 20 people, put some of theresponsibilities on somebody
else.
So even in our small girls trip, the girls trip that I'm
getting ready to go on, oneperson found the accommodations.
(27:46):
Another person has found she'sresearching restaurants for us
to go eat.
I know I'm responsible forbreakfast because they love I
make these amazing grits.
Y'all they love my grit, so Iknow we're going to be cooking
breakfast.
So, delegate, delegate,delegate.
Now this is a tip that I foundonline that I thought was kind
(28:08):
of good.
Do with it what you may Createa shared fund.
Consider creating a shared fundfor a group expenses like meals,
cab fares and tips.
It simplifies payments andensures everyone contributes
equally.
That is a great idea.
That is a really great idea.
(28:28):
Now, with that, it has to besomebody who is responsible with
money, because you don't wantto be putting funds into a
shared fund and somebody run offwith all the money.
So, legally, you may want toput some kind of legal
parameters in place that wouldmean who has access to the
(28:51):
account or things like that, butthat is a really great idea.
I have not done that one.
I'm not going to stay theremuch longer because I haven't
done that one, but that is a .
really great idea.
Think about behind.
(31:58):
Y'all a first aid kit.
I said this on the last episode.
Having a first aid kit,accidents are going to happen
and I am a clumsy person.
Accidents happen.
I went on a trip one time tothe beach, rolled my ankle tore,
not tore, but I almost.
I came real close to tearing myACL.
Came back from that trip, I wasin a boot for eight weeks Now,
granted, a first aid kitcouldn't really, you know, fix
that.
Well, granted, a first aid kitcouldn't really fix that?
Well, yeah, we could.
There was an ace bandage inthere, so I was able to wrap my
ankle.
But having a first aid kit, youmay get a cut or a scrape,
having things on hands likeBand-Aids, pain relievers,
sometimes prescriptionmedication.
But again.
, like the last episode, when Isaid in the last episode, be
careful with those medicaremedicants.
Be careful with thosemedications.
If you're going to a foreigncountry, research that country
and make sure that what you'rebringing .
into the country is is legal foryou to bring.
It's not illegal for you tobring.
I don't to hear nobody thatlistened to this.
podcast episode ended up lockedup abroad.
No, no, no, no, no, no.
But having a first aid kit, youknow a little small one and
they have some online.
I'll see if I can find some ofthose too and just kind of link
those.
Let me see if I can find theone that I got.
The one that I got I've had forabout eight years, maybe eight
years, so it's old I just onegood thing about it is I can
refill it as time permits.
And also, if you have a firstaid kit and it has medications
in there, check the expirationdates of your medicine.
Okay, just check the expirationdates, because if you, you
don't use a first aid kit everyday, so check the expiration
date.
Another tip is to have a plan.
b.
Sometimes things don't go asplanned, so having a backup plan
ensures that the fun doesn'tstop, even if the original plan
falls through.
You go on a trip and have anexcursion.
The excursion can get canceled,so what's the plan B?
Are you just going to go restor are you going to do something
else?
Have a plan B.
If somebody backs out of thetrip.
What's the plan B?
Are you going to cancel thetrip or are you going to
continue and have everybody upthe ante, so to speak?
Have a plan B.
Sorry, somebody, I'm at thepodcast studio y'all and people
walk by and they just staringlike what Another great tip.
Leave work behind'all.
As a content creator, this isso hard.
This is so hard becauseeverything is content, almost
everything is content.
So you, you want to pull outthe laptop and write the blog or
do things like that.
So, even if you're not acontent creator and you work a
(32:19):
nine to five, I have I do both.
Leave the work behind, try, tryyour very best to disconnect
from work and fully immerseyourself and be present.
Immerse yourself in the trip,be present in the trip.
This is the time to unwind andenjoy your life.
Unwind and enjoy.
(32:40):
If you can unplug, unplug.
I know that that may be hardfor those of you who have
children at home.
You know somebody needs to getin contact with you.
It may be hard to unplug, butyou can unplug from that job.
You can unplug from that jobfor a little while.
That's why you have PTO Paidtime off.
Try to unplug.
(33:02):
One thing that I'm trying to getbetter at is I'm really great
at leaving my work laptop Reallygreat at that.
But that personal laptop thatSouth use to create all of my
content, edit podcasts, episodes, do graphics, all that stuff
Whew, whew.
It's hard to leave Beulah athome.
(33:23):
Yes, I named my laptop Beulah.
It's hard to leave Beulah athome.
And I have to leave her at homebecause I know what's going to
happen if I bring her with me.
I'm going to crack her open andstart working and the next
thing I know, five hours later,my girls will be looking at me
like girl, what you doing?
You've missed half the trip isgone and.
(33:47):
I know that this is hard becauseideas come all the time.
So here's something that I do.
If you're a creative, you mightwant to do this.
.
I always have my journal with me, Always, because I'm Nevada
going to journal about myexperience and sometimes I can
(34:08):
write a blog post, or I canwrite my thoughts for the next
podcast episode, whatever ideasI'm having.
Sometimes a whole campaign maycome, or a marketing strategy,
or whatever.
If God gives me a download forthe business, I need to have
that somewhere.
So I will write in my journal.
Sometimes I will use my phoneand I'll create a video and do
clip-to-clip YouTube stuff.
(34:29):
So use your technology, butdon't go overboard with it.
Remember you're on vacation.
You're on a girl's trip.
You're on a guy's trip.
You're on vacation.
Let work sit somewhere.
It's going to be there.
Okay, it's going to be there.
Being overworked is not cute.
Being in hustle mode all thetime it's exhausting.
(34:49):
Take this time out to refreshand recharge and enjoy yourself.
Have fun, no matter whathappens Nevada.
(38:21):
Another to have fun and enjoythis time with your friends.
That's why y'all book the trip,book the ding dang trip, and if
you have never traveled withyour friends, now's a good time
to start.
It's summertime, let's go.
Let's go somewhere.
So all right.
A couple destinations Tennesseethat I love for girls trips and
again, this depends on the typeof traveler you are and the type
of who you're traveling with.
Keep in mind, I have friendswith various travel needs and
wants and desires and all thisstuff.
I have one friend who refusesto fly.
So I know when we go on a girlstrip it's got to be someplace
where we can drive within two orthree hours, maybe four max,
five max, because I hate flying.
I hate driving more than fivehours.
Put me on a plane, I'll meetyou there.
So a couple places that I love.
South Carolina is one of myTennessee.
And to visit.
Maybe it's because I kind ofgrew up there, but I love going
to Hilton Head, south Carolina.
It is laid back.
It is such a vibe you don't seea whole bunch of.
It's just very quiet.
It's a very comfortable placeto unplug, because I love the
The beach Charging Station arebeautiful Airbnbs there.
There are hotels there, thefood is amazing.
It's within driving distance toCharleston and Savannah, so you
can have a day trip to Savannah, you can have a day trip to
Charleston and be right there atHilton Head.
I love it.
It's one of my favorite placesand for a girl's trip it's a
really good spot places and forgirls trip.
It's a really good spot.
So, especially with us livingin North Carolina and South
Carolina,.
Another one of my favoriteplaces is Tybee Island, tybee
Island, georgia, tybee Island.
Again, I love the beach there.
There are Airbnbs there, thereare hotels there.
Again, the food is amazing andit's within distance to
Charleston and Hilton Head aswell, so you can do the day trip
thing.
Another one of my favorite girlstrip places Las Vegas, nevada.
Granted, you have to fly, butVegas is a good time.
Vegas is a good time.
Granted, I don't gamble.
I gamble.
The first time I went to VegasI lost three dollars in my very
warm glove.
It was my, my favorite pair ofgloves.
I lost one glove and I was likeall right, I'm done, because my
thing is no shade to those whogamble, do what you do.
I don't like spending moneythat I don't have anything
tangible to have.
So when I lost that $3 and myglove, I was like, oh no, this
ain't for me.
I went shopping.
So Vegas is a great place for agirls trip.
There's so many activities.
You can do a show.
One of my favorite girls tripswas when we went to go see my
baby dad Usher, at his residency.
Granted, we were and for 48hours.
It was a hard 48.
But I had such a great time.
My best.
See and I went ziplining.
We ate good food, the show wasamazing.
It was a great trip.
So consider Las Vegas, nevada,another one of my favorite
places going to Pigeon Forge,Tennessee.
Pigeon Forge, tennessee.
My family and I did a familytrip there a couple years ago
and we had this huge cabin.
It was about 20 of us in thiscabin and I know that may sound
like we were on top of eachother.
(38:42):
We were not.
This cabin had four levels.
We barely saw the childrenbecause they were in the movie
theater, because the place thatwe had had games video games.
It was a game room.
It was a PlayStation that washooked up.
We saw those kids when it wastime to eat and when it was time
(39:02):
for us to go to the amusementpark and time for us to leave.
So that's when we saw the kids.
We had a hot tub, we had agrill, we were outside playing
cornhole.
So being in the mountains was agreat, great, great time.
So check out Pigeon Forge,tennessee, and I would love to
hear from you what are some ofyour favorite destinations to
(39:23):
visit, whether it be locally orinternationally.
If you are an internationallistener, let me know what your
favorite spots are.
I would love to come visit.
We have people all over theworld that listen to the
charging station, so I hope someof these tips are good for you,
helpful to you as well, but Iwould love to hear from you all
(39:43):
what is your perspective?
What kind of places do you liketo visit?
Do you have any other tips thatyou we may not have covered,
but you have tips that haveworked well for you.
Are there any tips that welisted that you are planning on
implementing?
So let me know.
I want to hear from you.
Are there any tips that welisted that you are planning on
implementing?
So let me know.
I want to hear from you Always,always, always.
If you're following us onInstagram, you'll see the post
(40:05):
for the podcast episode.
You can comment on that post.
You can always email me.
You can reply to the email.
If you're on my email list, youget the episode first.
It comes out to you as soon asit hits, so you can always reply
to that email.
Let me know if this has beenhelpful for you.
So, y'all, that is it.
Those are all the tips that Ihave.
(40:27):
I hope this has blessed you insome kind of way.
I hope that you are encouragedto get out and travel if time in
your budget permits.
Okay, don't do it because I sayso.
Do it because you want to seesome world.
Get out here and see some world.
So, with that being said, weare going to close out this
episode and we have what?
(40:50):
Maybe two more, two moreepisodes to go, y'all, and then
we'll be closing out seasonseven of the charging station.
I can't believe we're coming upon eight years, y'all.
August will be eight years.
So I appreciate you for rockingwith me all of this time.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.
And before we close out, I wantyou to remember this always God
(41:12):
loves you, I love you.
It ain't nothing you can doabout it.
Boo bye.
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