If you're a solo traveler like me who is always itching to catch a flight, you probably feel like COVID just did away with all your travel dreams. I am sure you feel restricted AF. As a Sagittarius, I don't do well with restriction. I was so ready to be more adventurous this year too. I was planning to go to Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. But those plans came to an indefinite pause because of this never-ending pandemic. Scrolling through my Instagram feed, I was lowkey jealous of travelers that were stuck in countries like Bali, or Thailand. I mean, who wouldn't want to be stuck in paradise during a pandemic? A girlfriend of mine has been living in Portugal since the beginning of COVID not knowing when she can come home. Believe me, she is more than OK with the uncertainty of it too.
With random flight cancellations, mask requirements, and temperature checks, I am sure you are wondering what travel will look like for 2021. Well, let me just say if you love to fly, travel is about to be a whole damn process. And I know a good portion of us are willing to go through that process because we desperately need a redo of 2020. The travel industry got an unwanted makeover that none of us asked for. But there is confidence that travel will increase in 2021 as most of us either chose not to travel at all or postponed pre-planned vacations, weddings, honeymoons, anniversaries, and birthday trips.
In 2021, you can still live your best travel life, but it is not without a few caveats and new travel trends.
Pre-Travel Requirements Are Here To Stay
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Mexico and Colombia are open to tourism with the minimal requirement of a face mask and social distancing in public places. Countries like Trinidad are still on lockdown, and other countries are allowing foreign nationals to visit with restrictions. Not only are we required to wear face masks, social distance, and quarantine at our destination city, we are required to show proof of a negative COVID test for entry. I hate to pick on Jamaica, but because I will be traveling there soon, their government requires visitors to provide a copy of a negative COVID test that is less than 10 days old from the date of travel. Visitors must also request approval for entry into Jamaica via an online form five days before their arrival date.
Other countries like Egypt require a negative COVID test result 72 hours before their departure flight. And there is a high possibility travel insurance may become mandatory. While you have the option to take the PCR or antigen test, the PCR test is the universal standard and recommended. So, if you plan to travel internationally, check the visitor requirements for your destination country to avoid delays, and denied entry.
Staycations In Your Home City Or State Are Where It's At
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If international travel isn't something you're ready for this year, a staycation in your home city or state is where it's at. Because of the stay-at-home orders or state lockdowns, many travelers used the quarantine to explore their own hood.
Believe it or not, there are places you have yet to see or experience right in your own backyard. And now is the time to do it. The good thing is by choosing a staycation, travelers are supporting local Airbnbs, boutique hotels, restaurants, and other small businesses.
I love me a boutique hotel too. It's always the décor and ambiance for me. Oh, and the best food usually comes from the restaurant down the street.
Road Trips Are A Wanderlust Alternative
Shutterstock2020 also became the year of the road trip. Somehow driving became the safest method of travel for everyone. And honestly, who doesn't like a good road trip? It's so much easier to rent a car or an RV, map your route, and explore the city of your choosing at your own pace. Some have even used the quarantine for a DIY van build just so they can travel across the country. Personally, I like driving. It's the get-up and go feeling I crave. Distance doesn't bother me either, I always have my overnight bag ready to go.
If there is anything COVID taught us, it's that we take our own country's beauty for granted while admiring the beauty of others. COVID allowed us to get back to our roots by just being present in nature. Whether it was walking, hiking, riding a bike, rollerblading, or camping we all found our inner child outside.
Wellness Is Always The Answer
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It's been said that there has been a collective shift in thinking due to this pandemic. A universal awakening of some sort. Self-awareness, mental health, and well-being are major themes this year. And it has now become a theme for the travel industry. Hotels are starting to consider the whole person when creating an environment. They are aiming to meet people where they are now by offering experiences that focus on physical, emotional, and mental well-being. This also translates to the look and feel of hotels. Does the designed space make guests feel comfortable or connected to nature? There is more of a focus on the design of outdoor spaces as well as hotel lobbies that are spiritually engaging and offer privacy.
Travel is going to continue to look different in 2021 and beyond, but do not let this "new look" kill your travel joy. Now, there is just an added layer of protection and it is needed. We are here in this world to experience, to live, and to feel. Regardless of how you choose to travel, be smart, and play it safe.
These are moments and memories you are creating for yourself.
These are your untold stories.
And years from now, you can look back and say, "I survived a global pandemic and I traveled too."
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In a xoNecoleexclusive, the iconic actress opens up about embracing this season of her life, new projects, and overall being a “bad motherfucker.” Gabrielle reveals that she was 37 years old when she was diagnosed with perimenopause and is still going through it at 51 years old. Mayo Clinic says perimenopause “refers to the time during which your body makes the natural transition to menopause, marking the end of the reproductive years.”
“I haven't crossed over the next phase just yet, but I think part of it is when you hear any form of menopause, you automatically think of your mother or grandmother. It feels like an old-person thing, but for me, I was 37 and like not understanding what that really meant for me. And I don't think we focus so much on the word menopause without understanding that perimenopause is just the time before menopause,” she tells us.
Gabrielle Union
Photo by Brian Thomas
"But you can experience a lot of the same things during that period that people talk about, that they experienced during menopause. So you could get a hot flash, you could get the weight gain, the hair loss, depression, anxiety, like all of it, mental health challenges, all of that can come, you know, at any stage of the menopausal journey and like for me, I've been in perimenopause like 13, 14 years. When you know, most doctors are like, ‘Oh, but it's usually about ten years, and I'm like, ‘Uhh, I’m still going (laughs).’”
Conversations about perimenopause, fibroids, and all the things that are associated with women’s bodies have often been considered taboo and thus not discussed publicly. However, times are changing, and thanks to the Gabrielle’s and the Tia Mowry’s, more women are having an authentic discourse about women’s health. These open discussions lead to the creation of more safe spaces and support for one another.
“I want to be in community with folks. I don't ever want to feel like I'm on an island about anything. So, if I can help create community where we are lacking, I want to be a part of that,” she says. “So, it's like there's no harm in talking about it. You know what I mean? Like, I was a bad motherfucker before perimenopause. I’m a bad motherfucker now, and I'll be a bad motherfucker after menopause. Know what I’m saying? None of that has to change. How I’m a bad motherfucker, I welcome that part of the change. I'm just getting better and stronger and more intelligent, more wise, more patient, more compassionate, more empathetic. All of that is very, very welcomed, and none of it should be scary.”
The Being Mary Jane star hasn’t been shy about her stance on therapy. If you don’t know, here’s a hint: she’s all for it, and she encourages others to try it as well. She likens therapy to dating by suggesting that you keep looking for the right therapist to match your needs. Two other essential keys to her growth are radical transparency and radical acceptance (though she admits she is still working on the latter).
"I was a bad motherfucker before perimenopause. I’m a bad motherfucker now, and I'll be a bad motherfucker after menopause. Know what I’m saying? None of that has to change. How I’m a bad motherfucker, I welcome that part of the change."
Gabrielle Union and Kaavia Union-Wade
Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images
“I hope that a.) you recognize that you're not alone. Seek out help and know that it's okay to be honest about what the hell is happening in your life. That's the only way that you know you can get help, and that's also the only other way that people know that you are in need if there's something going on,” she says, “because we have all these big, very wild, high expectations of people, but if they don't know what they're actually dealing with, they're always going to be failing, and you will always be disappointed. So how about just tell the truth, be transparent, and let people know where you are. So they can be of service, they can be compassionate.”
Gabrielle’s transparency is what makes her so relatable, and has so many people root for her. Whether through her TV and film projects, her memoirs, or her social media, the actress has a knack for making you feel like she’s your homegirl. Scrolling through her Instagram, you see the special moments with her family, exciting new business ventures, and jaw-dropping fashion moments. Throughout her life and career, we’ve seen her evolve in a multitude of ways. From producing films to starting a haircare line to marriage and motherhood, her journey is a story of courage and triumph. And right now, in this season, she’s asking, “What’s next?”
“This is a season of discovery and change. In a billion ways,” says the NAACP Image Award winner. “The notion of like, ‘Oh, so and so changed. They got brand new.’ I want you to be brand new. I want me to be brand new. I want us to be always constantly growing, evolving. Having more clarity, moving with different purpose, like, and all of that is for me very, very welcomed."
"I want you to be brand new. I want me to be brand new. I want us to be always constantly growing, evolving. Having more clarity, moving with different purpose, like, and all of that is for me very, very welcomed."
She continues, “So I'm just trying to figure out what's next. You know what I mean? I'm jumping into what's next. I'm excited going into what's next and new. I'm just sort of embracing all of what life has to offer.”
Look out for Gabrielle in the upcoming indie film Riff Raff, which is a crime comedy starring her and Jennifer Coolidge, and she will also produce The Idea of You, which stars Anne Hathaway.
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When I came across a way to maximize the pleasure I receive from cunnilingus (already), I had no choice but to tap in. Who knew the key to taking oral sex to new heights was giving it a sideways twist? For those of you who might also be interested in ways to spice up the way you do oral, experience faster and stronger orgasms, or simply want to indulge in something new with your partner, the Kivin Method could definitely be the oral sex technique for you, too.
Keep reading to learn about the method that is sure to have you writhing in ecstasy in no time at all.
What Is The Kivin Method?
For the uninitiated, the Kivin Method is an oral sex technique that focuses on stimulating the clitoris from a different angle. Dubbed “sideways oral” by some, this method involves the action of giving head from a side-to-side movement as opposed to the up-and-down motion that people typically perform when giving head. (If you need a visual, this illustration is helpful.)
The difference in approach as you’re receiving head can be a game-changer in how you receive pleasure. Not only does the giving partner have access to the clitoris, but they can also access more easily the vulva and the labia, which are objectively a bigger focus in this version of cunnilingus. More access means wider coverage, and that, plus the new sensation of oral from a different angle, can heighten the way you experience oral sex that much more.
Where more pleasure flows, intense orgasms are sure to follow.
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How To Do The Kivin Method
If you want to know how to do the Kivin Method, it’s actually pretty straightforward. The receiver lays on their back while the giver positions themselves perpendicular to the receiver. Their head will be facing the vulva, but instead of vertical, their face will be horizontal to the vulva.
From there, the giver can get to business, ensuring that they keep their head perpendicular to the receiver’s vulva while working on their craft. Because this technique can be more intense for some receivers, start slowly by stroking the vulva and clitoris sideways with the tongue, and allow sensations and communication from the receiver to be a guide of what you need more or less of with the Kivin Method.
Ultimately, the Kivin Method allows experimentation and unlocking what pressure, rhythm, and tricks work best for the giver and the receiver. Try implementing a finger or two, or adding a sex toy to the mix to intensify the act even further.
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Featured image by Delmaine Donson/Getty Images
