You know you’re a mom when your hobbies include neglecting yourself; never getting your hair right; rushing with wrong colour combinations; picking up your couch cushions from floor thrice a day; day dreaming of a peaceful sleep and repeating the same old excuse for not having time for a facial.
Yet, you are the boss of the house and an awesome super mommy.
Here’s a sneak peak on Why mommies should take solo trips with friends minus family:
Donning a Mommie’s hat to keep home and family together, we often forget that no matter how good we may be at our work, bringing up kids and home 24 x 7 is still a thankless job.
Its when my spirit and energy levels start to dip. I know it’s time to have a mommy vacation.
To have a life-partner who supports your endeavor to take a break and look after children is a boon- I’m blessed to have one. Normally, I plan my solo expeditions with my best friend bearing in mind budgets and my hubby’s work schedules.
It’s the best way to unwind and recharge your inner self. Trust me, it’s a not a luxury but a necessity that one must invest in.Finally it was decided, I was going to GOA on a solo trip with my best friend.
So here we were two gypsy mommies all set for our adventures in Goa.
Aboard the flight, I realized it was excruciating, liberating and remorseful at same time. While I really needed this break, but probably people like me can’t just disconnect from the role that they play 24 x 7.
On the other side,my friend seemed completely chilled and all set to breathe freedom. Well it’s not necessary that two people have same stories yet be the best buddies. I guess opposites attract.
So before we took off, I sent a message to my husband & daughter saying” Miss you both”.
It was an ordeal to find balance mentally between responsibilities, knick-knack of households and my own needs for those 45 minutes in the plane.
Finally we landed in Goa. And I switched on my mobile from flight mode with a big smile as my message had the sweetest response I could have received at that moment. The message read “Your kid is my daughter too; don’t worry we shall have fun too”! So sit back and enjoy your holiday”.
Sometimes, I wonder how my better half knows me so well, actually more than I know myself. His words brought me so much peace, comfort & simply relaxed my exhausted muscles and tensed brain.
I suddenly felt disconnected and all set in a new avatar to enjoy & chill.
“Good Times in Goa” had just started.
Good state of mind rejuvenates ones overall health and keeps you on track for the family. While it also gives a chance to the ‘Father’s to bond well with kids and you come back as New person or at least as “You”.
It’s important that the place you choose basis your budget is comfortable & cosy. We opted for a cosy woody resort in North Goa bang on the Calangute Beach, Baga Bardez.
What I admired about the resort were the interiors and small little balcony facing the pool. The balcony turned out to be our favorite as we spent quite a bit of time having coffee conversations. Sometimes conversations like these with your best friend are the only therapy you need.
To fuel our hungry taste buds, we decided to go for some ‘Goan’ food by the beach.
The shacks on the Calangute beach are simply mesmerizing and clean making the ambience calm and serene.
While having lunch, we decided our 3 day itinerary which was a combination of food on beaches, visit to few forts & churches that I am particularly fond of and a day full of shopping which is my friend’s all time favorite activity.
Setting our itinerary, we both discovered that going on a solo trip together also requires giving space and freedom to balance each other’s choices and tastes. Hence for us, it was a combination of tastes wisely bifurcated on the time we had in hand.
We hit for some beachy affair and post that it was time for some action- girl’s favorite sport- “shopping spree”.
We hopped in to quite a few outlets, conversing & chit-chatting which reminded me of my college days and shopping sprees unlike mommies discussing kids shoe sizes and how fast they grow up.We had a great time!!
Night life in Goa is equally mesmerizing.
The beachy girls that we are, dinner was bound to be at one of the shacks with live music and dance. We relaxed on lazy bamboo chairs, sipping our mocktails and enjoying lavish sea food. And how could we miss the gypsy fun of hair beading, a must do.
Next morning after a filling breakfast, we headed to my favorite expedition, forts and churches in Goa. On way, while we spotted lots of churches. I discovered that Goa is abode to a lot of temples too.
If you are someone who admires or loves to explore history, then one must visit Bom Jesus Church in Old Goa.
Alas! What a magnificent Church it is; truly a world heritage site and a breathtaking example of Borque architecture.
It’s called Bom Jesus meaning Good Jesus or infant Jesus to whom it’s dedicated.
The main facade has letters HIS engraved which means JESUS in Greek.
It’s a huge church inside, with two main chapels, a main altar and sacristy besides a choir inside. Large rows of pews add to the church’s grandeur.
After spending some time back in history,we went into some more frenzy. I am not too much of a bollywood movie buff but some iconic movies do make me Filmy (Movie addict).
Fort Aguada made me nostalgic, best known for being the backdrop to 3 best friends in one of the most popular buddy flicks in Bollywood- “Dil Chahta Hai”. Sounds cheesy but no harm indulging in something dramatic once in a while.
It’s a beautiful 4 km drive from Sinquerim beach and can be approached via vehicles, the road is surrounded with trees, there is another 2 km foot path but is a slightly elevated terrain.
The Fort looks majestic and its grandeur justifies the rich history. Acknowledged as the most prized and crucial fort of Portuguese, the fort is spread over the entire peninsula on the south western tip of Bardez. It was built strategically to be used as one of key defence against Portuguese and Marathas.
We trolled over the upper deck of the fort; the light house stands tall as if still guiding the ships. Interestingly, in the initial days, it used to emit light once in 7 minutes and then it was changed to emit light forming an eclipse every 30 seconds and finally the practice was abandoned in 1976.
We were trying to recreate that moment in the Fort, feeling young and kid dish but who wants to grow up anyways. Like Peter Pan says “Never grow up”.
Finally, we headed back to our hotel and crashed in bed. Mommies were tired indeed!! An hour of soundless sleep was good enough to put the mommies back in action.
It was time again for our favorite activity “Shopping”.
We were told by the hotel staff that one who comes to Goa on weekends especially on Saturday, must venture at Arpora Saturday Night Bazaar. I must confess they were right.
I won’t talk much rather let my pictures do the talking. A bit expensive for few things but it is a must visit for sure.
Goa is heaven for shopaholics; what’s interesting are the street markets on weekdays & weekends that offer a lavish array of handicrafts, clothes, food, artifacts, paintings and a lot more. These markets are not just confined to locals but to foreign nationals who stay on long hauls in this city.
No wonder, Goa offers Anglo-Indian lifestyle.
Few other markets that top the charts are Anjuna Wednesday Flea Market, Calangute Market, Baga Night Market (Saturdays), Margao Market, Tibetan Handicrafts Market.
Need I say more; see it to feel & experience it.
All good things come to an end; it was time to head back home, fresh and energetic. I had mixed feelings; I guess that’s how mommies DNA are made of. I did bid Au revoir to Goa with my gypsy mind already wandering over my next solo trip.
To all those mommies out there, what I have learnt from my solo adventures is that “Investing in yourself and taking care of yourself is part of taking care of your family”.
Top 10 thumb rules one should follow on women solo trips; doesn’t show or prove that you are old fashioned, coward or not adventurous but I believe in enjoying and being safe.
Well for both of us, adventure was definitely on our mind but we also did have our rules in place.
Rule # 1; Best to hire authorized city prepaid taxi service.
Rule # 2: Book family hotels in popular locations in city rather than remote & cut-off locations.
Rule # 3. Walk most places while exploring and use local, authorized transport then hitch-hiking.
Rule # 4. Buy your own food and drinks while making new friends.
Rule # 5. In Pubs & Clubs, avoid disclosing too much information about yourself. Having a good time doesn’t require you to be agony aunts & narrate sorrow tales to acquaintances over a few drinks.
Rule #6. Being a Mommy doesn’t bar you from wearing a sexy beach outfit but what’s the harm in wearing a modest one when alone.
Rule # 7. Adventure activities are fun and a must on holiday but one can avoid the ones that are risky.
Rule No. # 8. Best to carry a back pack and carry your valuables with you.
Rule No. # 9. Avoid night outs with strangers- moderate late nights are fine.
Rule No. # 10. Always keep local helpline nos. handy and feeded in your mobile. Carry fully charged mobile phones and power banks in your bag to be connected always. GPS and location tracking should be always on a switch on mode.
