 Seasonal depression, too much on my plate, cold weather, work, and more work, nervous about what was to come. I felt all of that. I looked forward to completing the run for my play (Penny’s Kids) and hopping on a plane to St. Lucia! As time ran down, I felt the stress and anxiety of traveling alone while handling business before I left.  Then, once I stepped off the plane, my heart, mind, and body were in paradise! Ending the month on a great note by visiting a new place really set the tone for finishing the year strong! Upon returning home, I felt rested, happier, and accomplished at trying new things.  So, what did I do while there? Enjoyed the all-inclusive resort, Bel Jou. Beautiful place in Castries, St Lucia with an amazing staff and two pools, and a view to get lost in. Let’s not forget about the food and the nighttime! Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were buffet style and the hotel took great measures in keeping everyone safe and sanitized. Fresh tuna, good salads, jerk chicken, omelets, and amazing drinks! I even tried my luck at karaoke which everybody loved! You can do things like that in places where people don’t know you!  Took a boat ride to Sugar beach and tried snorkeling for the first time. The ride there gave an up-close and personal look at the gorgeous deep-blue waters surrounding mountain tops that reached the clouds. I’ve never seen a thing like that before.  Snorkeling time. I’m a fire sign (Sagittarius) and water without a boat isn’t my thing. But I’m happy to have crossed that off my bucket list. I stayed close to the shore and enjoyed the small “fishes” swimming in clusters. I spent a small time there but, it was enough to have an enjoyable experience. (Maybe I’ll try again one day, lol). The boat ride back consisted of rum punch fellowship, dancing, and good music. I had a nice time enjoying the diverse crowd of people from different places taking in the moments along with me.
Spent the day by the pool with endless margaritas and rum punch. Who doesn’t want to leave the cold air of New York and emerge into a place where you can walk around in a bikini all day? The resort provided two pools with bar areas in each section. Soaking up the sun and feeling cool waters was exhilarating. I took a break from hanging out on my room’s balcony and took a few pics. Laid in bed with no worries. On my last day, I wanted to sleep in. I watched the sunrise over my balcony and enjoyed movies.  On the way to the airport, our taxi driver took us on a small tour before leaving Castries. We stopped in a small pub for drinks, and I got to know a beautiful couple from Ireland who spent two weeks there for their honeymoon.
 The Blakk Dahlia (E. Alexcina Brown) is a New York City author/blogger from Macon, GA. Recently, she released the book series, the Heartbreak Diaries outlining different perspectives of heartbreak. The Dahlia Diaries is a lifestyle blog penned by The Blakk Dahlia, sharing her story in NYC along with life lessons and tips she's learned in her journey.
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 Although things are different, the world is trying to get back to normal. But do we want it? Or can we create a “New Normal” taking in the lessons from the past year? I choose the latter. With a new season upon us, I refuse to go back to the old. I don’t even want to think about the old habits, yielding zero positive results. Sometimes we do things just because, that’s how it is. I’m charging myself to take in this new season with a new outlook and creating new habits.  More Meditation. Sit down and breathe out the anxiety. I’m excited about the Summer, but that doesn’t erase the anxious feelings carrying over from previous seasons. Meditating more throughout the day (or at least once a day) is sure to help keep me grounded in the Now. Anxiety builds the fear of what might or never will happen. It takes me away from the current moments where I can live in and enjoy. Sitting down back in 2020 gave me time to breathe and think of more positivity to drown out the negative. Slowing down from a busy life will allow you to gain so much clarity and it's much needed.  Better Experiences. We can travel now! Events are popping up left and right! How can I experience these amazing things in a better way? For starters, I could just go! Before, I’d sit and wait; thinking about something important coming up like a life event, bills, or me just not feeling it. But this time around, I’m taking it all in and making time to visit and experience events like never before. I hate looking at Instagram experiencing extreme FOMO because I didn’t make it happen.  Saying ‘No’ More Often. Whether work or leisure, being a yes person wears me out. I do it to take care of other’s feelings, all the while doing a major disservice to myself. Saying no and meaning it unapologetically takes care of my peace. Something as simple as not doing what I don’t want to do, or having the time to do at the moment. Those who understand, will…those who don’t can find someone else to do it OR wait for it! Self-Care times 1000. The self-care kickstarted way before the pandemic, but now it’s time to take it up a notch. With offices reopening and NYC MTA getting back in order, I’ll definitely need a lot more “me time”. This calls for putting on my calendar and signing off from EVERYTHING for some self-care. Before it was sporadic. I’d do it on a Sunday here and there, or wait for the idea to come. This HAS to become a habit for me to keep the anxiety levels low and remain sane. Just because everyone else is up in arms doesn’t mean that I have to join in.  The heat moving in for a few months doesn’t mean I have to have a Cruel Summer. This can be the best Summer yet, only if I keep my head together and allowing the good times to flow. What are your plans for the Summer?  The Blakk Dahlia (E. Alexcina Brown) is a New York City author/blogger from Macon, GA. Recently, she released the book series, the Heartbreak Diaries outlining different perspectives of heartbreak. The Dahlia Diaries is a lifestyle blog penned by The Blakk Dahlia, sharing her story in NYC along with life lessons and tips she's learned in her journey. I found a new place of peace in the midst of what gives me anxiety  Usually, plane rides give me anxiety. Which is weird because I LOVE to travel, but I suck it up and drink a cocktail to ease the nerves. Since COVID-19, cocktail hour has been eliminated on flights and I’ve had to find new ways to channel the anxiety by thinking positive thoughts, thinking about being anywhere else but on the plane, and deep breathing. My latest flight from my hometown in Georgia was a bit different. I took an evening flight home and I experienced something like never before. Peace on a Plane. Take off didn’t have me grabbing the armrests like a baby clenching to his mother. And I was intrigued with the working mechanisms of a plane. I felt fine and enjoyed my window seat, peering out onto the earth where we reside.  I saw the sun setting on my side of the planet and preparing to rise on another part of the world, while the moon took center stage in giving light. Buildings were illuminated below displaying a sky view of the world continuing to keep moving during the moon’s grand performance. Then, there was an “ah-ha” moment. “Wow this is God’s creation, and it's beautiful.” I never saw the skies like that before, especially during the evening turning into night.  As we elevated above the clouds, those balls of gas were as beautiful as the colors of the sunset. It was amazing to see, like a real-life science lesson as I took the same ride home as I’ve taken many times before. Turbulence hit, and I didn’t care. The captivating views made me one with the clouds. Floating and exploring through the wind. I tried to take pictures, but the iPhone just didn’t capture what my eyes could see.  An hour and a half later, we descended to land, and I wanted to see more. I wasn’t ready for the show to end nor the lights to come on with announcements. But I was grateful for that time in the air. Peace was all over me and I came home with more motivation to appreciate everything around me. Even the cold winds that makes me bundle up as I take a walk to my destinations. Planet Earth is beautiful in all its splendor, and I experienced it first-hand.  The Blakk Dahlia (E. Alexcina Brown) is a New York City author/blogger from Macon, GA. Recently, she released the book series, the Heartbreak Diaries outlining different perspectives of heartbreak. The Dahlia Diaries is a lifestyle blog penned by The Blakk Dahlia, sharing her story in NYC along with life lessons and tips she's learned in her journey. Chronicles of a Solo Vacation in Puerto Rico  In continuing to “get back to me”, I decided to take a breather. My choices were to take a few days off from work and stay home OR take this show on the road with a solo vacation. I have travel buddies, but I’ve always wanted to explore a new place alone. I see it as sort of a challenge and since it was super last minute, I didn’t want the trip to be based on whether or not someone could attend with me. The ironic thing is that stress, work, and COVID messing up my Summer creative plans led me to take this time away, which paid off big time for my mental health. Throughout my search for deciding where to go, I wanted to visit a place I’d never been to. My choices were Venice Beach, CA; Somewhere else in California, and Puerto Rico. Long story short, Puerto Rico won. Although I was all set for a nice vacay on a beautiful island, there were certain protocols in place to get into the island:
 The usual vacation for me is tourist attractions in the daytime, then at night….out to the streets for partying and dancing until the morning! But this time was different due to the mandatory curfew from the hours of 10 pm - 5 am and certain tourist attractions were not open for business. At first, it was a downer but just as life aligns with what we need, I needed to stay in place. Plus, my Airbnb had the BEST patio, I could stay out there ALL NIGHT and I did!
I was able to venture out into San Juan to explore the city along with patronizing restaurants with good food and drinks. The best part, Ocean Park BEACH! Who needs the nightlife when the beach gives the best vacation experience!?! I brought along my new tripod for pics (b/c it never happens if it doesn’t make it to the gram), drinks, and my music playlist. All ingredients to have regained peace, free me from worries, and throw them all into the ocean. As the sunset came, I headed to a good restaurant for more drinks and good food before retiring each day. Now, back to this lovely patio at my Airbnb. I never knew heaven could be on a balcony. Two hammock-style chairs, a dining room table to feel the breeze while I eat, and spacious areas to take good pics. My mornings were spent on the patio enjoying the fresh air and thinking of what I wanted to do that day. I stayed out there until 2 am, listening to music, face-timing friends, and watching one of my fav shows…Paternity Court with Lauren Lake! Everything I would do at home was magnified because of the refreshing atmosphere. It was very hard to leave this beautiful place and I’m already making plans to return before the end of the year. I accomplished everything I wanted by clearing my mind, relaxing, and just living in moments with beautiful views. My first solo vacay was a complete success.
Thank you, Puerto Rico!  The Blakk Dahlia (E. Alexcina Brown) is a New York City author/blogger from Macon, GA. Recently, she released the book series, the Heartbreak Diaries outlining different perspectives of heartbreak. The Dahlia Diaries is a lifestyle blog penned by The Blakk Dahlia, sharing her story in NYC along with life lessons and tips she's learned in her journey.  May is here and of course New York didn’t get the memo that the season has changed. I still have to pull out my big coat on some days, but I’ve enjoyed about a week of warm weather. Nothing wrong with a little tease for what’s to come. As I organize this apartment to put up these big sweaters…hoping one day for good, I’m finding more favs that are a must have for me to get into the Spring Season, while we wait for the weather to catch up. So, here’s my list to continue the #mood of Spring! Perfume Paint (Tease). You can’t pass up on beauty products. Especially the ones that make you feel…SEXXY! That’s where my first item comes in. Strolling through Victoria’s Secret, I run across this brush on perfume. I’ve never seen a product like this before so I HAD to get it (AND it was on sale!). Getting it home and giving it a try, I was immediately impressed with the soft brush painting on this smooth, sensual fragrance by the name of Tease. A few pumps, then painting on those sacred areas, and I’m ready to own the night!
A Memorable Vacation. Spring season means its time to cash in on those flyer miles or collect a stamp or two on the passport. A good vacay can ease you into a new season by purging the woes of winter. To kick of spring, me and my girls took a trip to Cuba! YES, Cuba! We spent three days in Havana enjoying back to back sight-seeing and activities like horseback riding, salsa lesson, a tour through a tobacco and coffee farm. Even got a history lesson by visiting a coffee plantation. The restaurants had great menu choices with free fish and tasty pleasures that can only be found in Cuba.
The last leg of the trip was spent at Varadero Beach, soaking up the sun, and taking in views of gorgeous blue water. So many good memories and a great disconnect from the daily routine of work, train commutes, and social media. I returned with new inspiration and a relaxed mind. Thank you Cuba!
Chocolate Beer. In the bar scene, I love trying new things. Venturing in midtown, I ran into a bar (The Ginger Man) and found a unique treat on the menu. Chocolate Beer! Otherwise known as Boulevard Chocolate Ale. Two of my favorite things mixed into one. Who knew chocolate could serve many purposes?  Boulevard Chocolate Ale from The Ginger Man Spring is still in full effect and I’m ready to take on the new adventures of this season. Be sure to share YOUR favorite things to get you through Springtime!  The Blakk Dahlia (E. Alexcina Brown) is a New York City author/blogger from Macon, GA. Recently, she released the book series, the Heartbreak Diaries outlining different perspectives of heartbreak. The Dahlia Diaries is a lifestyle blog penned by The Blakk Dahlia, sharing her story in NYC along with life lessons and tips she's learned in her journey. |
"I LOVE to write and create. These are the diaries of how I work and deal in my world of writing and adventures!"
- The Blakk Dahlia Latest book from the Heartbreak Diaries Book Series
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