Living in Paris: A Penciled in Goal turned Divine Assignment

Hello! Oh shall I say…Bonjour!

Before letting you in on our Parisian adventure, let's rewind to where it all began. It started with a simple chat about living abroad that became a penciled-in future goal. The Olympics were also on our minds since Rio, but like our international plans, they sat on that goal list.

Then Covid hit. Amidst the chaos, we moved to LA, started a new job but had a visit to Paris on the books. Five days here + we fell in love with the city! As opportunities to live + work abroad came up, I wondered if this was more than just a desire—and maybe even divine alignment on where God wanted us to be. With that in minds yet with Paris fresh in our hearts, we aimed for the Paris Olympics!

As we prayed about living abroad and preparing for the Paris Olympics, there was a sense of divine alignment. Doors opened, resources appeared—it felt like confirmation that this path was meant for us.

Living overseas isn’t just about the adventure; it's about embracing our faith + obedience + sharing our journey with you all. So here we are, our penciled in goal now a profound assignment. Excited to see where this journey takes us!

Reflection Question: What’s next. for you?! Is the Holy Spirit trying to get you attention + share your next assignment?! Are you listening?!

Getaway: Reconnect off the Grid

As we now start to navigate covid restrictions lifting + safe ways to get away, My husband Vince and I decided to try Getaway back in May. 

Getaway is an Outpost that has several locations around the country and is becoming more and more popular by the minute. If you’ve seen someone pictured in front of the biggest window ever sitting on a bed from inside a cabin, then you probably know what i’m talking about!  

We opted for the Glenwood, WA location about 2 hours away from home and stayed for 3 days and 2 nights. This was a perfect distance-- we weren't too far from home yet felt like we were away from everything. Oh yeah, and as most drives between Oregon + Washington, the drive, otherwise known as the journey, is just as pleasant b/c of how scenic it is. Pictures literally don’t do it justice. 

So, I wanted to share the experience and things to know before you go, should you decide to venture to Getaway!

Booking 

Booking on their site was so seamless and easy to navigate availability, pricing, and payment. I also love how flexible they are with your reservation. We had to shift our trip up a full week + that process was so easy. I just had to log back in and pick the new date to which my payment was transferred to (if you're more than 2 weeks out from your stay).  

• 1 Week Out: Before our getaway they reconfirmed our reservation. 

• Few Days Out: They reminded us to download maps/ directions should we lose service (which became critical).

• The Day Of: They sent our lodging location + code to use for the door. 

Not for improvement:  I feel there could be a clearer understanding of if your specific Getaway location actually has service or not which would then help you have a sense of what your experience will be. 

Off the Grid

About 30 mins from arriving, we completely lost service. Getaways did say there was a chance but didn't think it would happen so far out. With that in mind, we started to make sure to pay attention to the roads + our surroundings just so that we knew where we were on the way back should something happen to our maps. This is where it was important to ensure we downloaded our resources.

Prepping Our Cabin

Once we arrived and before unpacking, we checked out our surrounding grounds and then sanitized the cabin. Then, we brought in all of our camping gear, bins of food, and duffles that we were going to use for the next few days. From there we started to unpack and find a home for all our stuff.

Activities In + Around the Cabin

You’re off the grid, so you have time to think, read, and play the games you normally don’t make time for. With that, we played Uno, read many personal, professional, and spiritual books, Sun bathed, stargazed, went on walks/ hikes, and caught up on some much needed rest all with the backdrop of nature in its purest form. 

Food

With a two-burner stove, we were able to cook stove top + with a campfire…

SN: There was a General Store about 5 mins away from the camp grounds which was helpful for a few things we forgot to bring. Vince didn’t feel comfortable going in so I went on my own. 

Would I ‘Getaway’ Again?! 

Absolutely 100% percent yes! This was an experience like none other that I would love to do again + even experience with others. With that said, I would be very strategic about when deciding to go back. I could see maybe doing this once a year as one way to rest, recharge + break away from the noise. 

When you go, make sure to...

• Download offline maps to make sure you can get to + from the location.

• Tell your core circle where you are + when you plan to come back before leaving.

• Take note of the emergency phones/ contacts around the outpost.

• Be mindful of the drive there… narrow 2-lane highways, bridges or tunnels, potential mountain climbs, dirt roads.

• Think long and hard before you go by yourself, especially if your outpost location is completely off the grid.  

• I think 3 days and 2 nights is the perfect amount of time to truly disconnect. Too much longer could be a bit much (Especially a black couple... in the middle of nowhere… in Washington State... Lol).

• Really allow yourself to take in your surroundings + get in touch with your thoughts, feelings, emotion, and the ones you're with. Truly be in the moment.

Blackity, Black, Black, Black - Honoring Our American History

Over the past seven days, in honor of Black (American) history Month, we’ve taken our followers on a virtual vacay inspired by some of the prominent sites that inform and celebrate our movement to include: 

• Edmond Pettus Bridge + The National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Alabama

• Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park in Atlanta, Georgia

• Old Slave Mart in Charleston, South Carolina

• International Civil Rights Center & Museum in Greensboro, North Carolina

• National Museum of African American History and Culture + Martin Luther King, Jr.  Memorial in Washington, D.C.

TTT had the honor of visiting some of these sacred spaces in person, and in this blog, we’re sharing our personal experiences.  We highly recommend visiting these sites and TTT is here to help!

Left to RIGHT: dANIELLE + HUSBAND AT MLK MEMORIAL. NICOLE + PARENTS AT icrcm. TRACEY AT THE nmaahc.

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, DC

“Being from the Washington, DC/Maryland area I have seen my fair share of memorials and monuments but the power that the MLK Memorial holds is like none other. On a crisp March morning my family and I drove through the beautiful Cherry Blossoms and approached the MLK memorial in all its glory. The inspiration for the memorial design is a line from King's "I Have A Dream'' speech. You can literally see the image of Dr. King emerging from the mountainous structure with words "Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope” etched in the side. Standing strongly with crossed arms, he looks over the Tidal Basin toward the horizon. The 30 foot tall structure echoes the magnitude of Dr. King's impact.

Along the crescent shaped outer wall of the memorial, inscribed in granite are 14 excerpts from some of Dr. King's powerful speeches and sermons. As you walk and read these excerpts there is no question that the brilliance and foresight that Dr. King had, was a gift from God that we have all been blessed to have benefitted from.”— Danielle

International Civil Rights Center & Museum in Greensboro, NC

“While living in Greensboro, NC and knowing how four students of NC A+T impacted the Civil Rights movement, when my husband (boyfriend at the time) + my parents came to visit, I knew this was absolutely a place we had to visit!  

The highlight of this experience was standing at the “whites-only lunch counter” as they recreated what those four students experienced.  Watching and hearing what they had to endure was both frustrating + motivational. Frustrating to hear the hate spewed at them both physically + mentally yet motivational to know that their strength and perseverance not only shifted the city of Greensboro, but had a lasting impact on the movement around the nation. We must continue this fight for social justice on their behalf.”— Nicole

National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC)

“Stepping onto the grounds of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, I felt like I was stepping on sacred ground, overcome with the realization that this where the stories of my ancestors reside, where community resides, where resilience resides and where a vision of my future resides. The beautifully constructed structure with a façade resembling a crown of royalty steps each visitor through our weary past, our game-changing persistence, our scholarship, and our creative prowess.   All of this on display for the world to see at the great American institution known as the Smithsonian.

 I’ve had to return a couple times in order to complete the experience.  And each time, I’ve walked away in awe of the care taken in constructing this gem, and proud of our all- around “dope-ness” as Black people. I’m planning my return once COVID subsides.”— Tracey

Road Trips with TTT!

Like many of you travel is a way of life; liken to a religious experience to see God’s domestic and international beauty. So in this time of #COVID-19, the TTT co-founders were missing the joy and mental release that travel affords.  With this in mind 2/3 of the team decided it was time for a road trip—a change of scenery.  However, there were extra precautions to take in order to have an enjoyable and safe time.  In this blog post, “Road Trip”, we’ll talk a little about how Danielle and Nicole managed travel in these times of #COVID-19. 

Trip by Plane or Car?!

Palm Springs, CA

Nicole + Danielle both elected for a #roadtrip versus flying to their destination; however, they had to think through a plan for the road, taking into consideration what they would do about bathroom stops, gas, or food along the way.  Danielle’s destination was Palm Springs, a favorite of hers and her husband.  It’s about a 2-hour drive from Long Beach, CA where they live.  Nicole’s destination was Bend, OR which is about 3.5 hours from where they live in Portland, OR.  With each destination, they had to think through sanitization, meals, and things to do. It was important in both cases to use the bathroom before getting on the road and make strategic food stops.  Fortunately, the length of the trip allowed them to not have to stop. As far as gas, they were able to fill up at the top of the trip which lasted them through the ride.  

Hotel or Home Rental?!

Danielle and her husband elected to stay in an #AirBnB and while their rental guaranteed ultimate cleanliness, for total peace of mind they did a once-over their accommodations using #Lysol Wipes, #Lysol spray, gloves.  Nicole and her husband elected for #Hotel + #Resort style accommodations but did their own cleaning as well.  Both bought their own linens.  Additionally, they bought their own pantry items like plates, napkins, utensils, and food items.  Danielle, staying in a rental, bought along her own spices as well.      

PRONGHORN RESORT IN BEND, OR

Dine-in, Take-out, or Home-cooked Meal?!

Meals are always a luxury on vacation. To not have to cook is a vacation within itself.  Pre-COVID, most meals were dining-out to a break from the day-to-day cooking.  However, Danielle chose to rethink this a bit due to #COVID.  And, given she stayed in a rental, she took advantage of the beautiful indoor and outdoor kitchens. Many of their meals they cooked themselves and taking this opportunity to experiment with new recipes.  They also had takeout.  Nicole, staying on a resort, didn’t have the option to cook.  Knowing that they would spend more time in the room than usual, they made sure to bring their own snacks, beverages, cocktails.  They elected for carryout for most of their trip at either of the resort’s four restaurants, or off-property trying restaurants in Bend, OR and nearby Redmond.  They did try their hand dining in at one restaurant that had strict requirements due to #COVID. 

Indoor or Outdoor Activities?! 

PRONGHORN RESORT POOL IN BEND, OR

Its one thing to book your accommodations and secure your meals, but then the next thing is what are we going to do while there?  Number one priority was to relax and disconnect. Danielle’s place in Palm Springs had a private pool which was important to them to decrease any risk, so much of their time was spent poolside which is the thing to do in July in Palm Springs.  They also made sure to pack games like UNO, Connect 4, checkers, and an old childhood card game of ours, Speed and Spit.  And, every night was movie night with a new flick each night.  On the other hand, Nicole took advantage of Oregon’s great outdoors. At 3600 ft elevation, they enjoyed the beautiful views of the mountains, time poolside, walking/hiking, and picnics.  They also bought along their stash of games to enjoy while in the room.

Let us plan you Road Trip

#COVID-19 definitely altered + continues to alter our plans but travel is essential to our soul, so we had to make it happen in a safe + healthy way; we want to do the same for you!! We’re ready to plan your next road trip for the holidays, special events + beyond. Let’s start planning!

TTT

Traveling after Coronavirus: Ready for the Rebound

Last week on our IG LIVE we connected with our TTT community about the future of travel.  We had a great discussion around how things will look different for travelers coming out of stay-at-home orders.  Thank you for joining us! 

There are a few themes that popped for us from our discussion and in reading articles, they were:

CONTROLLING MY PERSONAL BUBBLE

• Travelers will take road trips to ease into travel

• Increase in private jets and chartered plans (but still a luxury price tag)

• When staying in hotels, travels will want to assess the pros and cons to having housekeeping clean rooms

BRAND CONFIDENCE BUILDING

• Our travel vendors will have to be strategic in how they build consumer confidence

SANATIZING TO YOUR LIKING

• Personal preflight self-cleaning process will be the norm and PPE

• Airlines starting to require PPE to fly

• Check hotels COIV-19 Safety Actions  

• Hotels determining their cleaning / PPE requirements 

• Will have to think about multiple cleanings a day

LIMITING PERSON-TO-PERSON CONTACT 

• May start to see more self-service check-in.  We already see that in the airline industry, but may begin to see less of the “front-desk” check-in and more utilization of mobile check-in or kiosk with hotels

• May have to reset expectations around levels of service from our resort stays, concierge, etc...

DISCOUNTS IGNITE TRAVEL

• As stay at home orders are lifted we may see discounted prices as the travel industry competes for our dollars

• On the other hand, given the hit to the airline industry we may see inflated prices to makeup ground

RESOURCES:

• How Coronavirus Will Change Air Travel

  By: Jeremy Bogiasky

• How Major Hotels Around the Globe Are Responding to Coronavirus (Video)

  By: Cailey Rizzo

• Coronavirus will reshape your next trip, for better or worse. Here's what to expect.

  By: Christopher Elliot

• Will Travel Change After Coronavirus? Here's What Experts Have to Say 

  By: Eric Rosen

• Here’s how hotels can prove to guests they’re safe after coronavirus

  By: Nick Ellis

As we prepare for the rebound, this time has allowed for great self-reflection.  We will never take travel for granted.  The ability to move freely is a blessing. Having something to look forward to is inspiring.  The change in scenery helps to fuel us.  We are grateful to have taken advantage of travel when we could, and looking to the future with anticipation, and will cherish that time like never before.

#ThrowbackThursday - NYE Edition

With New Year’s Eve less than a week away, we think about this day as the coveted holiday where people may break away from the family obligations and cut loose bringing in the New Year with others that matter most. There are many cities that can help you bring in the New Year right and CNN.com cites London, England  and New York City among 10 great places to spend New Year’s Eve and in this week’s blog, TTT is reminiscing on their time in London and NYC for NYE!

LONDON

I had the pleasure of experiencing the spectacle of New Year’s Eve in London back in 2008.  I was younger, single, and ready to explore. Me and my girlfriends from college wanted to experience something new for New Year’s, and London was our destination!  Food? Not so good. Shopping? All I can say is Harrods! Culture? Lot’s to explore – we took in museums and a musical on London’s West-end, Kensington Palace, Oxford Street, Big Ben and Buckingham Palace.  Stay? Notting Hill (yes, like the movie starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant). It was a great location as our hotel was about a block from the Tube (London’s subway system) and we weren’t far from Portobello Road a street market known for its unique finds of antiques, food, fashion and books. 

TRACEY + THREE OF HER COLLEGE FRIENDS ENJOYING LONDON DURING NYE.

NYE Party scene? EVERYTHING!!! I can remember going to a ticket book located in a central place and having to pick from several parties and picking one where we ended up spending the whole night.  I’m sure we had intentions of finding our way to the London Eye for fireworks, or Trafalgar Square which is like the Time Square of London, but we were having too much fun at the party! To this day, my NYE in London is the best on record!!!  Highly recommend.

If you’re planning here is a resource that will help! 

NYC

Growing up, if we weren't at church ringing in the New Year, we were at home in the living room, around our TV watching Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve! In the rain, snow, and freezing cold, we would watch as hundreds of thousands of people would cram into Time Square to celebrate, reminisce, and countdown the New Year. From watching year after year, I knew this would be a moment I’d eventually want to experience. 

As me and my girlfriends were getting closer to graduating from college, we thought this would be the perfect way to ring in our graduation year and finally do NYE in NYC! Me + two of my best friends planned, packed, and decided to make it happen! 

Exploring all parts of New Jersey + New York was amazing; even in the freezing cold! We took in all the sights and visited got together with many of our friends. On New Years Eve, we decided to explore the local area before going into the city. With festivities starting around 9p, we decided to head to the city on the subway around 8p. While the subway was packed, it was nothing compared to the crowds we would encounter once stepping foot in Times Square. 

People. Literally. Everywhere! Just imagine 1 million people crammed into roughly 8-10 blocks; CRAY-ZY!  **I will say with a low of 28°F that night, the more people, the better.**  

NICOLE + TWO of HER best friends standing in Time Square in 28°F weather.

The energy, excitement, and celebration that we + everyone around us were experiencing was simply unexplainable. People from all walks of life; from near and far, young and old, and of all shades coming together sharing the common goal of celebrating with those that we love.  

Being there in person was truly just as I imagined it would be growing up while watching it on TV with my family. It was nothing short of amazing and a memory that I'll always cherish. 

If you’re planning to visit NYC for NYE  here + here are resources to help guide you! 

With 2020 bringing a new decade, where are you planning to ring in the New Year? Tell us by Commenting below!

THE CORE

We recently took a family vacay to Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico (about 30 minutes from Puerto Vallarta), and most vacays are special, but this one was extra special.

TTT is founded by three girls and we are blood sisters.  Two of us are married --me (Tracey) for 6 years, 9 months; Danielle for 2 years, 9 months; and our  youngest sister Nicole is getting married in just 3 months (Countdown...forreal!). With each wedding, our family established a tradition to steal time before the hussle and bussle with just the five of us. We’ve expanded our family over the years, but the five of us were the core--each other’s rocks! So, why was Mexico special?  Because, this was our opportunity for the core to get back together. We had a great time with most days spent pool or beach side. We all work hard and needed this time.  

We pulled ourselves away from the beach one day to explore downtown Puerto Vallarta.  Take a look at how we spent our afternoon!

When we travel together as a family - whether its with the core or with our husbands/significant others, we always do a “high-point” roundrobin where each of us tell what we most enjoyed about the trip.  This trip’s high-point? Simply spending intentional time together. That’s all.

OUR JOURNEY

Welcome to TTT - The Travel Tailor!!!  We are so excited! We come to you all in service.  In service to make your travel planning a little easier.  This matters to us because from the time we were young, to even now, travel has only enriched our lives. And even today be it traveling with family or friends, we live for the opportunity to escape the day-to-day hustle and connect with those that matter most to us.  We want to help create these experiences for you and this is why we do what we do!

So, what is our service?  Designing a travel experience—you tell us where you want to go, we work to understand the things you like to do, or even how you’d like to look, and then we tailor an experience for you. Click TRAVEL or STYLE to understand how the process works!  Here is the thing—what we do; anyone can do, BUT what we’ve found is that for a lot, travel planning can be overwhelming, and scouring the travel resources available in search attractions, eats, and excursions is hardly enjoyable.  Well, we love it and learn so much through the process, so we are here to help. The FAQs can tell you more about our services.  

Who is the “WE” behind TTT?  We are three sisters—Tracey, Danielle and Nicole. Get to know a little more about who we are, how we grew up and why travel matters to us: