Affordable Love


With Valentine’s day looming, thoughts of romance and candlelight dinners for two are all that may be on the mind of the person who is on a tight budget and can barely afford to spring for dinner, but who wants to carefully plan a surprise for their sweetheart.  The task of making the day special isn’t made any easier by retailers for those couples who wish to express their loving sentiments to each other.  Red and white theme displays, gifts of chocolate, long-stemmed roses, cards, jewelry and other memorabilia strategically placed throughout stores, I’m convinced, are there to capitalize on the emotion – love.

Some couples may have more financial latitude than others.  They may go to greater lengths or adopt signature ways to impress their sweethearts and celebrate their love.  One such way would be to fly away to a destination of their choosing, particularly, a remote island.  Jetting off to an island on any given day is wonderful, add in romance and it is a match made in heaven.  A weekend of bliss, fun and frolic would be a priceless treat of devoted attention for the surprised partner.  Cupid’s arrow strikes again.

Therefore, it is necessary to recommend pointers to help the cash-strapped or deep-pocket traveler on how to cover all their bases before they leave.  After all, who knows, either type of traveler may suffer from the same effects of cupid’s arrow (love has a way of doing that) and may forget pertinent to-dos for the trip.  While it may not be the intention of the partner who is doing the surprising to overlook specific niceties, they may find themselves ‘surprised’ and in a predicament if they fail to plan.  For sure, Murphy will be the uninvited guess who says, “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.”

So as not to obfuscate the details of the trip and to get started, you should follow these basic tips for your day or weekend de amor.

Write down everything, including thoughts that pertain to making the day special and memorable.  Make a checklist which will help to keep you on track.  Tick items off once completed.  Keep a list of contacts and share the itinerary with a family member or a close friend.

Days ahead of the adventure, secure passports in carry-on bags, double-check that tickets, car service and other arrangements are confirmed.

Pack an overnight case or weekend bags.  Keep them out of sight.

Day of departure to airport, pick up partner.  Blindfold (optional).  Brief on a ‘need to know’ basis.  Just before pulling up to the airport entrance, go over the immediate details of the trip.  Board flight with a mindset that you will enjoy every minute (attitude is everything) of the surprise get-away.

Community Peeps, have any of you been surprised on Valentine’s day with a trip by your loved one?  What was it like?  Please share the surprise experience in the box below.  We would love to go down memory lane with you.  Keep the intimate details to yourselves 😍.

Readers, as usual, I invite you to click follow to receive timely updates, select like to show your love and support.  Share this post on your social media site.  Write your comments in the box below.  Your interest, time and attention are always appreciated.  Thank you for reading.

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Speak Her Love Language When You Travel


Valentine’s Day is a couple days away and it is the time people express their undying love and devotion to each other.  Couples give gifts of: chocolates, flowers, jewelry, and other tokens that may be cherished and enjoyed for the moment or for a very long time.  Dr. Gary Chapman, author of the book “The Five Love Languages” revolutionized the way we view loving associations.   He identified: acts of service, gifts, physical touch, words of affirmation, and quality time as motivators for building happy relationships.  A person may have one distinct language that makes them truly happy or may have a combination of these languages that makes them feel loved and appreciated.  If you know which language(s) you or your partner speaks, then you are already ahead of the game, and can daily nurture your connection for a happy relationship.

In two days you may be on your way to enjoy a romantic vacation.  Maybe you are heading to an exotic Love Language3location like Barbados, Bora Bora, Maui, Santorini, Tahiti, or some other island that wreaks romance.  You want this vacation to be indelibly written on her mind and be remembered as the best everrr for the rest of your lives.  So, I propose you spend this vacation with the girl of your dreams discovering what love language she speaks.  You can practice a motivator each day to see which one(s) she responds to the best.  Don’t know what to do?  Here are some easy suggestions to start you off.  Bear in mind, you can practice all the love languages in one day, but if you are on a five-day holiday why not assimilate one each day.

Acts of service – Plan a bespoke itinerary for each day of the vacation that says you put some thought into it.  To avoid any objections, take care of household chores that you know she may be concerned about in your absence.  Handle all the scheduling details for an evening of dinner, dance and entertainment.  As much as you can, pre-arrange to have her commitments resolved before leaving on the trip.  Consort with her work supervisors for the time off and surprise her at the job with tickets neatly tucked into a bouquet of flowers.  Last but certainly not least, select her favorite clothes, pack her bags and have them waiting by the door ready for your departure.

Gifts – After a day of exploring the island, she may feel exhausted but a gift of one or all of the items listed will surely perk her up.  You would be surprised to see how fast the exhaustion disappears into thin air: a bouquet of flowers, a box of the finest BelgiumLove Language6 chocolates, or a beautiful piece of jewelry in the signature baby-blue colored box you know she has been eyeing for a long time.  She may squeal with delight, I would, and by this reaction or even the lack there of, you may know whether you are on to discovering gifts as one of her love languages.  Giving her a gift when she least expects it may warrant a reaction that is priceless.  After all, everyone loves a good gift and if it is given in a unique way, the story will be retold for weeks, months and years to come.

Physical touch – On your down times take a leisurely stroll on the beach or along a garden path.  Walking hand in hand will speak volumes of tenderness to her mind.  A light touch on Love Language4the back or on the shoulder may be interpreted to mean, I support you, or we are  connected.  These physical touches transmit a sense of loving appreciation.  Show her you are attentive by occasionally holding her hand, recline against her shoulder, or lay your head on her lap.

Words of affirmation –  Believe it or not but this is one of the most difficult of the languages to express.  If you spout words of love too much you may run the risk of Love Language1making it sound trite.  If you express sentiment grudgingly you may come across as cold and your words forced.  Therefore, choosing your words, delivery and timing are key to making sure your person feels loved and respected.  Use a candlelight dinner in a cozy restaurant to talk of all the qualities that you find fascinating about her.  You don’t have to be untruthful, you only need to be sincere.   Let her know you appreciate the little things she may think are mundane but that means the world to you.  Let her know how well she does them and because of that you have learned to stay in your lane when it comes to certain areas where, in your book, she’s the expert.

Quality time – This time is probably the best love language of all.  Just my opinion, hehehe.  You can either lay on the beach, sip a mocktail, listen to the sound of the waves Love Language2lapping in the ebb and flow, feel the gentle breezes as they rustle through the palm trees, enjoy the glow of the evening’s sunset, or you can set an appointment to receive a full body massage for two and enjoy the therapeutic benefits of the deep kneading that often lulls you to sleep.   No words are necessary.  Being there and quietly sharing the moment is the perfect finale to a five-day trip.

There you have it folks a romantic vacation to remember.  You have learned how to speak her love language and have fun doing it while on vacation.  Thank you for reading and viewing my site from time to time.  Feel free to add your comments in the box below.  As usual, I encourage you to follow, like, and share with your family and friends.  Happy Valentine’s y’all.

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