*“Whenever I talk about the Bahamas and its beauty, I could never stop talking about my God who has given us all of this beauty.” –Dr. Myles Monroe*

Having had the privilege of seeing a bit of this beautiful planet we inhabit, I am always captivated by the beauty of God’s creation. He is an artist y’all! And when it comes to beauty, there are few places that I’ve visited than are equally as beautiful as the Bahamas.

Comprised of a whopping 700 islands and extending only a mere 847 miles from my home in New Orleans, I’ve had the opportunity to travel to just a few of these beautiful islands. The first couple of times I travelled there it was on a Carnival cruise ship, but more recently (right before the start of “hot girl summer”), I took a flight to Nassau where I was able to visit this particular island for the first time, as well as take in the people and culture a bit more. For the record, I love cruises because simply put, being on the water is my happy place. Not to mention the unlimited food choices that are at your disposal around the clock, but I digress.

The great thing about cruises is that they allow you to get a brief snippet of different countries and islands, and I live for island hopping. However, the caveat to this method of travel is it doesn’t always allow you to spend a significant amount of time with your boots on the ground. There is absolutely nothing like setting up base and exploring a new or old city over the course of a few days or even a few weeks.

The New Normal: The Impact of Hurricane Dorian

This week marked one month since Hurricane Dorian slowly swept through the Bahamas and completely obliterated the Abaco Islands and caused mass devastation in neighboring islands as well. When natural disasters occur in places I’ve visited it reminds me just how grateful we should be for the little-big things, but it also prompted me to reflect on my experience. So let’s flashback for just a moment to my pre-summer trip to both pay homage to the Bahamian people who welcomed me to this beautiful country with open arms, and to also identify some lessons learned from my experience while visiting.

Desperate for Self-care: You Cannot Pour From an Empty Cup

After having planned for my trip to the Bahamas in advance, as the date quickly approached I knew that it was coming at a time where I desperately needed a holiday. Unfortunately, it was also scheduled within a few weeks of three other trips I had planned, three family graduations and a few other obligations. Looking back on that time, there was no way that I wasn’t going to experience some level of burnout, but I must say that I was blindly optimistic about being able to juggle it all and still be my best self. (Insert laughter here).

A pretty picture never tells the full story. Remember that.

Hindsight is 20/20 or is it?

You know how they always say that hindsight is 20/20? That couldn’t be truer when I reflected on this experience. Travel is always my self-care of choice, but I’ve also developed a pattern that has continued over the past year where I literally run myself into the ground right before a trip so that I can meet the competing demands of work and life. This usually results in me getting no sleep prior to my flight and staying up to finish the final tasks on my to do list that somehow never all gets done.

Combine that with my last minute ditch efforts to pack for my trip (also a pattern for me), by the time I hopped on two flights and landed in the Bahamas in late May, I had been up for 30+ hours straight and needed a few days of sleep just to bounce back. Fix it Jesus!

Hanging on by a thread, I managed to keep it together through our drive from the airport to the resort, enjoying all of the horticulture along the way. Once we arrived to the property it was too early to check in to the room so we sipped frose` by the pool and enjoyed an overpriced lunch. The 4 PM check-in time came and went and our room still wasn’t ready. After the front desk staff confirmed this I literally lost it and went off! Imagine Linda Blair (the little girl from the exorcist who twisted her head all the way around), because I’m pretty sure that’s how I looked that day.

Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself

Thankfully we were able to get into our room after my episode and I was in tune enough to know that it would be in the best interest of society if I not engage with anyone, even my good girlfriend that I travelled there with, until I got some much needed sleep. While I needed this trip as a form of self-care, I had already pushed myself too far and my internal battery was dead. You know when your phone dies and you plug it into the charger, but it still won’t turn on right away? That was the equivalent of the battery life of my body and mind when I arrived in the Bahamas. I literally had nothing left to give. Without even knowing it I had basically cancelled out the self-care I had planned for myself, because it takes longer to recharge when you’ve already depleted your energy, making it all the more challenging to enjoy and explore a new place. That and I would’ve needed a much longer trip to pull me out of that space that I was in.

bahamas 3.jpg — “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” - Audre Lorde

Here’s the Moral of the Story…

I know you’re probably wondering if there’s any good news from this trip? The answer is, “yes.” After a much needed nap, I was able to wake up a bit more refreshed and at least function for the remainder of the vacation (insert pool and beach pictures here). One of the reasons that I created iFly Commercial is to share my love of travel and the experiences that I’ve had while doing so. I also always aim to be as authentic as possible. In keeping with that goal, when I post pretty pictures I also want you to understand that all travel doesn’t always go as planned and does not always have the bells and whistles of a good Instagram post. Sometimes it is either a hit or miss, and both are okay. The latter especially allows you to reflect on your experience and learn from it the next time.

Getting the Most Out of Your Trip:

An 8-Step Plan to Ensure That Your Battery is Charged Up

Maybe you are a traveller who has it all together and you don’t struggle with burnout before or during a trip. Let me just say that you are real life “GOALS” and we should connect! But I know that there are some others who may be like me, and you are always attempting perfection before jetting off that causes you to miss the mark sometimes. This leads to you trying to do it all and basically become superwoman or superman, and it takes away from being able to maximize your travel experience. Regardless of what side of the spectrum you are on, here are some tips for you to avoid “wrecking yourself” before and during new adventures at home and abroad.

1. Become more self-aware. It’s important for you to sense when your mind and body’s “charge” is running low. You want to have a plan of action for these times that can allow you to engage and access various forms of self-care when you need it.

2. Prepare in advance. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve started packing two hours before a flight or waited to book my hotel when I was mid-air on a flight to Bali somewhere. While the suspense of it all is intriguing, it is a form of stress to not have it all figured out. An effective way to prevent this is by preparing travel, transportation, lodging and itinerary arrangements in advance. I also recommend packing at least a week before your departure just to get it out of the way, especially if it gives you anxiety like it does for me.

3. Rest before vacation is essential. Get a good night’s sleep the evening before your flight and I’m talking the entire 8 hours at minimum. This allows you to recharge from the events of the week or previous weeks. Once you arrive to your destination you will have more energy to engage in the activities you planned in step #2.

4. Eat breakfast before your flight. Everyone isn’t a breakfast person and I understand that, but it really is the most important meal of the day. I also personally believe that it will make you less irritable as you are working your way through airports, customs and other formalities on the way to your destination. Additionally, according to Psychology Today, research has shown that having a large breakfast in the morning contributes to weight loss and according to the American Heart Association, this can also lower your risk for heart disease. That should be enough to convert you into a breakfast eater if you aren’t one already. Of course if your flight is scheduled for later in the day this tip still applies, just be sure to eat the appropriate meal (e.g. lunch or dinner) beforehand.

5. Arrive 2.5 hours before your flight. Le sigh. I probably struggle with this step the most. Honestly running through airports is how I get all of my cardio, but I don’t believe that living life on the edge is good for my heart or creates the type of Zen I desire before a big trip. Unlike me, you want to give yourself enough time to get through airport security, maybe even grab a bottle of water to hydrate on your flight and make it to your gate with enough time to spare. Airports and airlines advise to arrive to the airport at least 2 hours early, but I added an extra 30 minutes just in case you’re always running late like me.

6. Don’t argue with the hotel staff. Trust me, you don’t need that type of energy to kick off your trip. You can thank me later.

7. Plan to rest the first day of your arrival. After checking in to your hotel or Airbnb, do an early dinner and if you’re a drinker limit yourself to one cocktail before turning in early to rest. You’ll need and want that energy to use for the remainder of your trip. If you arrive to your destination later in the day or night, you should plan to take it easy for the first 24 hours so this may extend into day #2 of your getaway. Also, be sure to hydrate properly with plenty of water the entire trip.

8. Get a massage when you arrive or on the second day of the trip. This is a great way to relax. Who can really say “no” to a massage?

The Wrap-up: Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

While these steps will ensure that you are fully charged up for your vacation and can really live your best travel life, sometimes life just happens and things don’t always go as planned. Be sure to leave space in your expectations for happenings to run their course and be gentle with yourself through the process.

Right now Bahamians are experiencing the impact of a natural disaster which I’m certain was not in their plans, but life happens. It is reported that there are still over 2,500 Bahamians that are missing following Dorian and this is heartbreaking! It is a huge reminder that we shouldn’t sweat the “small stuff” like a hotel room not being ready at check-in or any other miniscule task that could potentially cause your spirit to be down before, during or after a trip. Those things don’t equate to complete devastation and loss so you will always recover from it.

I know that God in all of his infinite power and wisdom will comfort those who may have suffered tremendous losses in terms of lives and material possessions. While my thoughts and prayers have been with those impacted for the past month, I can’t help but feel the desire to get involved to assist in more tangible ways. The thing is, I’m not even sure where to start?

What ideas do you have on how we can assist the Bahamas in rebuilding? I’d love to hear your thoughts below in the comments or feel free to send me an email at info@iflycommercial.com. Thank you for reading and lets keep the Bahamas lifted in prayer together, because I firmly believe that prayer changes situations!

-Dr. Dom

References:

Is Breakfast the Most Important Meal? (2017, August 28). Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/evidence-based-living/201708/is-breakfast-the-most-important-meal.

Press, A. (2019, September 11). 2,500 people on the Bahamas' missing persons list from Hurricane Dorian. Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/2500-people-on-bahamas-missing-persons-list-from-hurricane-dorian.

What a Wonderful World: Exploring the Bahamas