WHAT'S YOUR LOVE LETTER?

I am at the airport heading back home from a very humble and beautiful solo trip to Mexico. I love traveling with friends and with my baby but I am no stranger to copping a flight by myself somewhere - or really doing anything solo. 

I thought to myself, every solo adventure is really a love letter to myself. 

What is your love letter to yourself? What are some things that you do by yourself, for yourself that make you feel like, " I LOVE THIS SO MUCH"? 

I said in the last letter that summer has been so damn fast paced with all the social activities, this heat, obligations and trying to balance it all. It's a buzzy season and I know for me it's been a challenge to stay grounded and not on autopilot. It's making the time go by faster. We blinked and July is damn near almost over. 

I was going to cancel this trip because the expenses weren't mathing but I knew that experiencing a change in scenery surrounded by nature, especially the ocean, was the perfect love letter to myself right now as I have been on the go, go, go. So I challenged myself to skim it way down. I stayed at a boutique hotel that was $200 total for 3 nights that included breakfast and access to a sister property's beach club. I took a $10 bus to and from the airport rather than a private car. I rented a bike and biked EVERYWHERE rather than taxis. I ate at mom and pop shops. I got my pics and content in (lol) but 80% of the time I was just vibing and enjoying my own DAMN SELF. And sleep by 10pm every night. And every moment I was thinking, this is a viiiibe. I'm really grateful to be doing this for myself. 

But this letter wasn't just to share my experience, it was really to ask you the question, what are your love letters to yourself? Do you know? Are you doing it daily? Do you remember the last time being a while ago? 

It doesn't have to be about traveling by yourself or taking yourself on a date or even physically writing yourself a love letter. But you spend the most time with your own self, your own thoughts and own body. What makes you feel good? 

Things like: 

• Planning a visit to that place you've been wanting to get to but have been waiting on other people. You can do it safely (hit me up for ideas).

• Visiting that restaurant, coffee shop, bookstore, museum or other vibey place you seen on Instagram/TikTok but again, been waiting for the stars to align with a friend or boo. JUST GO. 

• Carving out space in your morning because you feel so much better when you have that time for yourself before everybody else is in your face and in your space. 

• Eating better because the bad ass food makes you feel so heavy, guilty and sluggish (no judgement though!  this is your love letter). 

• Taking a scenic walk.  

• Watching guilt free TV that makes you feel good. 

• Shutting out the world and reading. 

• Maybe it is writing yourself. Or journaling. Or affirmations. 

• OR something else that's personal to you 

What's your love letter and do you want to try to execute it today? Or in the coming days or week? 

Do what feels good for you. Not just a self-care or self-love thing. Something that stops you dead in your tracks and makes you say "this is a viiiiibe". Think about it. 

SHANI