The Carters Show Us How To Do Baecation Season Right
Life can seem redundant when the only thing you have to look forward to is the same ol' daily routine. Let's be honest, some days it's harder to get out of bed than others. Looking at the same people, doing the same things, having sex in the same places can be reminders of the humdrum rhythm of life's mundanities. To remedy that, take a note from the book of our favorite power couple and book a baecation that will spice up your romantic life and allow you to explore new experiences with the one you're diggin'.
Through the years, Jay-Z and Beyonce have had their share of drama in the media, but that hasn't stopped them from sharing quality time in some pretty dope places.
Just last week, the power couple made headlines on the heels of the announcement for their joint world tour OTR II, which acts as a sequel to their 2014 inaugural joint headlining tour On The Run. The married couple are slated to start the tour on June 6 with dates ending in October. And this week, Jay and Bey were spotted in Jamaica further fueling our #goals aspirations while touring Trench Town, where Bob Marley was born and raised with Beyonce straddling Jay on the back of a motorcycle - talk about a baecay.
Baecation season is rapidly approaching and we've compiled some great tips from Jay and Bey on how and where to baecation the right way.
The Caribbean
Last week, the couple was spotted on a trip in Kingston, Jamaica that was likely business-related, but that didn't stop them from soaking up some sun, love, and good vibes from the natives. The Caribbean consists of over 7,000 individual islands, so don't limit yourself to just Jamaica. No time to pick up a new passport? Try visiting the U.S. Virgin Islands to enjoy the Islands without leaving the country. Try going at the end of December or the beginning of January to experience Carnivale and spend Christmas Eve on the beach!
The Grand Canyon
Yes, I mean that place you always see white people and their kids go for vacation in movies but really it's just an oversized ditch. Jay and B visited with Blue Ivy for their eighth wedding anniversary back in 2016 and it was unconventionally romantic.
Seeing Beyonce standing next to that big beautiful ditch in those hoop earrings with her hair wrapped was just so romantic in itself. The canyon runs 277 miles long and can range anywhere from 4-18 miles wide, so it really would be a breathtaking experience to have with your boo. It gets pretty chilly, so try visiting during the warmer times of year. If you're not quite convinced, check this out.
Bora, Bora
Before Bey gave birth to the twins, she and Jay-Z spent five nights in Tahiti in a villa on a private Island only accessible by boat. If total seclusion isn't really in your budget, check out this list of romantic getaway resorts in Bora, Bora. The best time to visit is between November and April when the tourists disappear, but be sure to pack a good mosquito repellent.
Italy
The last but certainly not the least romantic of the list is Italy, where the Carters were seen riding golden carousels and snacking on gelato. They've been spotted throughout the European country in cities like Venice and Sicily, but U.S. News ranks Rome as the best place to visit in Italy because of the cities immense cultural and historical value. Choose to skip the culture and get down to business? Here are 11 romantic ideas for lodging during your time in Italy.
Okay so we can't all afford to party like Jay-Z and Beyonce just yet, but that doesn't mean we can't designate time and energy for things that are really important like quality time with the one we love, making memories and investing in adventure. We have to find the beauty in spending money on experiences rather than material things. A good baecation can help you realign and likely improve the relationship of you and your partner.
Even if you're only going a few hours away, make time to live a life that you and your partner can get excited about. Living the life of your dreams can still happen when you're awake!
Featured image by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images For Parkwood Entertainment
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Taylor "Pretty" Honore is a spiritually centered and equally provocative rapper from Baton Rouge, Louisiana with a love for people and storytelling. You can probably find me planting herbs in your local community garden, blasting "Back That Thang Up" from my mini speaker. Let's get to know each other: @prettyhonore.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Stress Awareness Month: Sneaky Workplace Triggers Affecting Black Women, And How To Cope
We all know about the major stress triggers of everyday life, from relationship woes to monthly bills to unexpected emergencies, but there are small, subtle triggers that impact Black women in a big way, especially when it comes to work. It’s good to be aware of these sneaky stressors in order to maximize your day and find ways to incorporate solutions into your self-care routines.
Since it’s Stress Awareness Month, we caught up with Keanne Owens, LCSW, founder of Journey To Harmony Therapy Center, to talk about these triggers and what Black women can do to manage and cope.
Owens is an experienced South Florida-based counselor and social worker who offers her services via Grow Therapy, a therapy and medication management platform. She has worked with Black women professionals to unpack issues related to workplace stressors. “One is the pressure to perform–having to meet deadlines and deliverables. And a lot of times, these subtle stressors from performance are put upon ourselves as Black women. We want to make sure we’re doing our best. We don’t want to be critiqued in certain ways.”
Excessive micromanagement leading to fear of overly critical bosses is another subtle trigger that can negatively impact Black women in the workplace.
“Whenever something is done wrong, or we experience some type of injustice and have to report it, it’s the fear of retaliation–[fear that] we won’t be taken seriously or [our words] will be taken out of context because of being deemed as the ‘angry Black woman,’” she said.
Black Women And Workplace Stress Triggers
Her sentiments are backed by research. A recent report by Coqual found that 28% of Black women (compared to 17% of White men) say their supervisor uses “excessive control or attention to detail” when managing them. There’s more: A survey by the National Employment Law Project found that Black workers were “more likely to have concerns (80 percent) and twice as likely as white workers (18 percent) to have unresolved concerns at work, with 39 percent reporting they were “not satisfied with the employer’s response or did not raise concerns for fear of retaliation.”
The survey also found that 14 percent of Black respondents said they “avoided raising concerns to their employer for fear of retaliation—more than twice the average rate of 6 percent for all survey respondents.”
Owens pointed to the fact that these subtle stress triggers can negatively impact our physical health and our career advancement. “A lot of time it’ll affect our productivity,” Owens added. “We start to have negative thoughts of ourselves. The stressors can also cause fatigue. We’re no longer meeting or working up to our desired potential.” Other challenges as a result include insomnia and increased insolation, withdrawal, and lack of motivation to apply for jobs or promotions even when qualified.
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How To Manage Subtle Stress Triggers
While there are systemic issues at play for Black women at work that has less to do with us and more to do with major overhauls that must be addressed by the powers that be, there are steps we can take for the betterment of ourselves and our mental health. Owens offered the following tips:
Tap into a support system, whether it’s a coworker you trust, a family member, an organization, or an outlet like a hobby.
Create a good work-life balance before burnout even starts. “Having certain boundaries [is the goal] such as, for example, if you get off at 5, you get off at 5. If your job description is this, you don’t go above and beyond because that brings you to a lot of burnout,” Owens said.
Prioritize self-care, whatever that means for you. “If you don’t have a routine, create one. Practice mindfulness and even some meditation,” she added.
Create structure in your life outside of work. “Even if you have a family, applying some structure in your routine helps relieve stress,” she said.
Get into grounding techniques. “Do a real quick square breathing exercise, that’s literally 30 seconds, or you can do a grounding technique that’s less than two minutes, right there where you are. You don’t need any other materials. That’s something you can do with just yourself and your body.”
Ask for help. “As Black women, we don’t ask for help enough,” she said. “Find where you need to ask for help. A lot of times, people think that’s indicative of weakness, but we need to rewrite that narrative. It’s okay to ask for help where you see fit. [If] you’re a mom, [it could be] every Wednesday from 5 to 6, your children are with the dad. You have to carve out that time.”
For more information on Grow Therapy, visit their website. You can also find out more about Keanne Owens, LCSW, via BeginYourJourneyToHarmony.com.
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Featured image by Charday Penn/Getty Images