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What Do I Want Now? Set SMARTE Goals

Reflecting: What do I want now?

Reflecting: What do I want now?

Do you find yourself staring into space reflecting on the last 365 days, wondering what is coming your way in the up coming 365 days?

I can’t help and reflect during this time of year.  I am not sure why–as long as I could remember it has been the tradition to start anew annually every January.  I gave up making resolutions in 2010.  I could give you a my usual list of reasons why, but the real reason is I was just too sick and tired to commit to make anything happen.  I gave up dreaming, setting goals, or having desires–I saw no point in it.  Today, I struggle to connect with what I want now…(continued)

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A New Home for the Bounce Back Journal

Gal Pal Bounce Back Mission Family of Companies

Gal Pal Bounce Back Mission Family of Companies

I hope you enjoy the Bounce Back Journal half as much as I enjoy writing for you.  This year has been filled with monumental personal growth.   Thank you for allowing me to grow and become part of your lives.

I have enjoyed the dialogue I have engaged in through this venue, but I long to give more.  I do not want any woman, or person, to go through what I have gone through.  With that in mind I have created a new site http://www.BounceBackMission.com.  Gal Pal Bounce Back Mission is a highly interactive online community of and for confident, intelligent, thriving women whoa re ready to create their quintessential life with abandon, and without excuses.

This new site allows me to engage with readers and have discussions on important topics we blog about.  You are invited to join the conversation in our member’s only forum.  Membership is free so sign up today.

I will continue to post here 4 times per month, but I ask you to join our discussion at Gal Pal Bounce Back Mission.  The Bounce Back Journal is now accepting blog articles from guest writers.  If you are interested or would like additional information, please visit the new site, or e-mail me at Carmen@BounceBackMission.com.

We also have a new Facebook Fan Page we would love some likes, comments, and shares.

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Cruising First Timer: Carnival Dream

One of the best parts of my work as a travel planner is to introduce my clients to experiences they don’t know about or have never tried. My client came to me for help on planning an incredible family getaway for 16 family members. She is celebrating her 50th birthday and her survival. She is recovering from 9 surgeries due to an automobile accident just over 2 years ago and is ready to move–a little. So while she wants to celebrate life with her family, she has special needs we need to consider. She is uncomfortable flying, has been “everywhere,” wants to visit somewhere warm, has 7 days planned, and doesn’t know where she wants to go—she just wants to get away. After our initial interview, I felt a cruise was right for her and her family.

Carnival Dream

Carnival Dream

I recommend a cruise on the Carnival Dream. The Carnival Dream leaves from Port Canaveral for a 7 day exotic Eastern Caribbean, with stops in Nassau, Bahamas, St. Thomas, USVI and St. Maarten, NA before returning to Port Canaveral. The Carnival Dream is a floating resort, with restaurants, lounges and nightclubs, a casino, and a full service spa, just to name a few of the highlights. This 14 deck, 1,004 foot, 130,000 ton ship has 1,823 rooms, and can hold up to 4,633 guests.

Never having cruised before my client was a bit hesitant and had several questions, but is intrigued.

Will my family get bored? Each day your concierge will deliver the Carnival Fun Times. This is your guide to the fun taking place all around you. So you can do as much or as little as you like. If your family wants a little activity, beside the pool and waterworks activity center, there is a volleyball court, miniature golf, and jogging tracks. Enjoy theater, live entertainment, karaoke, shopping, getting pampered, it’s all there for you to enjoy.

Carnival Dream Meal

Carnival Dream Meal

I don’t want to eat at endless buffets all week, what are my options? You can eat in the dining room for table service, and there are specialty restaurants that offer gourmet dining options,  and you may try a different one each night. You can also have your meal delivered to your room.

Will I get sea-sick?Most people do not have an issue with getting sick on the cruise. Cruise ships have stabilizers to minimize motion. If you are prone to motion sickness we will get you’re a room on a lower deck with minimal motion, and you can use a Dramamine patch.

Room on Carnival Dream

Room on Carnival Dream

Will I have enough time to visit the ports? The cruise lines work with many suppliers to offer shore excursions that help you make the most of your time in each port. Remember cruises are about the journey—enjoying a sampling of what each port offers allows you the opportunity to visit and determine if you would like to return again someday.

I hear the rooms are small, what are our options? Since cruise ships are resorts on water, there are many room sizes and configurations.  I have been able to accommodate a family with 6 children-so this is not a concern. From inside cabins, to 3 bed room suites, finding room to provide comfort is never an issue.

 Not only did my client and her family love their cruise, they raved about the special birthday celebration I planned for them, and her make-over. As a special gift we scheduled several spa treatments. She came back 8 pounds lighter, radiant, relaxed, and completely rejuvenated. Her husband was so grateful for my guidance we are already planning next year’s trip.
Chamber Heated Seat (Spa) - My client's throne for the week

Chamber Heated Seat (Spa) – My client’s throne for the week

Considering a cruise and have questions? Ask them, I’m happy to help.
Travel is my vehicle to self exploration and growth.  Let me help you find yours…Because I got help, I want to help you.  It’s time to relax, reconnect, and rejuvenate.
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Insider Secrets for Stress-Free Traveling During the Holidays

Insider Secrets for Stress-Free Traveling During the Holidays

Insider Secrets for Stress-Free Traveling During the Holidays

This week kicks off the holiday travel season.  From late November to the end of December we can expect heavy traveling as families and friends get together for the holidays.  Travel during this time of year brings about its own unique concerns.

Following are my top Insider Secrets for Stress Free Traveling During the Holidays:

Confirm Your Trip – Because of the rapid pace in security and operating procedures, and change of flight availability, confirm your flight information no more than 24 hours in advance.  Many airlines offer to send a text or e-mail message, in case of any changes to your flight itinerary.  If available, sign-up for this service.  It is free and can save you from starting your travel day off on the wrong foot.

Review Security Issues and Requirements – Flying on an aircraft and entering the airport should not be  a concern.  Review the Airport Security Requirements by visiting your airline’s website.

Arrive Early – Passenger screening checkpoints may move slowly during peak travel times like the holidays.  Give yourself an extra hour or two before your scheduled boarding time to clear security and get to your gate.

Boarding Pass and Identification – Keep your passport or state issued identification on your person. You will be reaching for these documents frequently.

Expect a Crowded Airplane, Pack Light – Holiday travel means more travelers with more bags and the plane will be more crowded than usual.  Do not wrap any gifts so they may easily be checked by security screeners.

Do you have any tips to help get through security and onto your flight with ease? 

By: Carmen M. Perez, the Wanderlust Woman (Lii), Travel Planner, Travel Expert, Speaker and Writer.  Because I got help from my girlfriends, I want to help you.  Visit http://www.BounceBackMission.com for your Free Associate Membership to our on-line community.  We are on a mission…

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What Should I Put in a Travel Medical Kit?

What Should I Pack in a Travel Medical Kit?

What Should I Pack in a Travel Medical Kit?

When you travel, it’s important to have what you need to enjoy your vacation.  For most, packing involves comfortable and fun vacation clothes and toiletries.  A killer headache or heart burn is just one way to ruin the excitement of arriving at your hotel ready to start your vacation.

When you’re preparing to leave for your trip, consider a travel medical kit.  Following is what I make sure I pack in mine.

Insiders List of the 7 Items You Should Include in Your Travel Medical Kit

  • Painkillers (acetaminophen, aspirin, ibuprofen)
  • Antacids
  • A topical disinfectant/antibiotic
  • Antihistamines
  • A well sealed bottle of rubbing alcohol (3 oz. or less)
  • A thermometer
  • Adhesive bandages

What do you pack in your Travel Medical Kit?

As always, please feel free to share your thoughts and experiences.

 Carmen M. Perez, Travel Planner

Your Florida Travel Expert and Girlfriends’ Getaway Specialist

You dream it, I plan it, you deserve it.

Call me now to get pampered, play around, or just bounce back, with your girlfriends –and without all the drama.

Visit My Website: www.GalPalBounceBackGetaways.com

Telephone: (407) 900-9258 E-mail: Carmen@CmpTravelCounselor.com

“Like” Me on Facebook: GalPalBounceBackGetaways

“Follow” Me on Twitter: @CMPTravel

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Destination Spotlight: Magnificent Tampa

Magnificent Tampa

Magnificent Tampa

Even if you stay on the beaches 20 miles to the west, you should consider driving into Tampa for a mild taste of metropolis. Tampa is 85 miles southwest of Orlando. Tampa was a sleepy little port when Cuban immigrants founded Ybor City’s cigar industry in the 1880s. A few years later, Henry B. Plant put Tampa on the tourist map by building a railroad that ran into town and by constructing bulbous minarets atop his garish Tampa Bay Hotel, now a museum named in his honor. During the Spanish-American War, Teddy Roosevelt trained his Rough Riders here and walked the Ybor City streets with Cuban revolutionary José Martí. A land boom in the 1920s gave the city its charming, Victorian-style Hyde Park suburb, now a gentrified redoubt for the baby boomers just across the Hillsborough River from downtown.

Today’s downtown skyline is the product of the 1980s and 1990s booms, when banks built skyscrapers and the city put up an expansive convention center, a performing-arts center, and the St. Pete Times Forum (formerly the Ice Palace), a 20,000-seat bayfront arena that is home to professional hockey’s Tampa Bay Lightning. The renaissance hasn’t been as rapid as planned, given the recent economic recession, but it is continuing into the 21st century with redevelopment of the seaport area east of downtown. There, the existing Florida Aquarium and the Garrison Seaport Center (a major home port for cruise ships bound for Mexico and the Caribbean) are joined by office buildings, apartment complexes, and a major shopping-and-dining center known as Channelside (in the Channel District) at Garrison Seaport.

What do you love about Tampa?

As always, please feel free to share your thoughts and experiences.

 Carmen M. Perez, Travel Planner

Your Florida Travel Expert and Girlfriends’ Getaway Specialist

You dream it, I plan it, you deserve it.

Call me now to get pampered, play around, or just bounce back, with your girlfriends –and without all the drama.

Visit My Website: www.GalPalBounceBackGetaways.com

Telephone: (407) 900-9258 E-mail: Carmen@CmpTravelCounselor.com

“Like” Me on Facebook: GalPalBounceBackGetaways

“Follow” Me on Twitter: @CMPTravel

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What documents do I need to carry with me when I travel?

Are you carrying the right travel documents?

Are you carrying the right travel documents?

In your last hours before a vacation you make a mental checklist of what has been done and needs to be done before you leave for the airport. You stop the paper and the mail, pack, and throw out the garbage.  Unfortunately, one of the last things we think about are the documents we need to travel.

As a travel planner I review the required and essential documents to travel with my clients.

5 Insider Tips to Travel Documents You Should Carry

1. Flight itineraries and receipts.  If you do not have a seat assignment call each airline you will be flying with and request one.  Note your reservation information.

2. Hotel information, including telephone number, address, and basic directions.

3. Photocopies of your government issued identification and/or passport. I keep photocopies of my travel documents on my person and in my carry-on.

4. Traveler’s Checks.  Unless you plan on doing some duty-free shopping you will not need to carry more than a $100 in cash.  Carry the rest of your money in the form of a US traveler’s checks or demand drafts.

5. If traveling internationally, the required entry forms and/or  immigration documents.  Contact the US Department of State or your local embassy for information on additional documents that are required.

About a year ago I started creating a digital file with scanned photocopies of important travel documents.  My clients rave about the ease of retrieving the essential information while on the move.

As always, please feel free to share your thoughts and experiences.

Carmen M. Perez, Travel Planner

Your Florida Travel Expert and Girlfriends’ Getaway Specialist

You dream it, I plan it, you deserve it.

Call me now to get pampered, play around, or just bounce back, with your girlfriends –and without all the drama.

Visit My Website: www.GalPalBounceBackGetaways.com

Telephone: (407) 900-9258 E-mail: Carmen@CmpTravelCounselor.com

“Like” Me on Facebook: GalPalBounceBackGetaways

“Follow” Me on Twitter: @CMPTravel