{"id":12116,"date":"2023-12-22T13:06:06","date_gmt":"2023-12-22T13:06:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thequeenoftrips.com\/?p=12116"},"modified":"2026-02-02T23:17:22","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T23:17:22","slug":"2023-un-ano-de-crecimiento-personal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/es\/2023-a-year-of-personal-growth\/","title":{"rendered":"2023: A year of Personal Growth"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"cursor:pointer\">Tabla de Contenido<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Alternativa para Ocultar\/Mostrar la Tabla de Contenidos\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Alterna<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #5e344f;color:#5e344f\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #5e344f;color:#5e344f\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseprofile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/es\/2023-a-year-of-personal-growth\/#Professional_Career_Side_Hustles\" >Professional Career  \/ Side Hustles<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/es\/2023-a-year-of-personal-growth\/#Content_Creation\" >Content Creation<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/es\/2023-a-year-of-personal-growth\/#Health\" >Health<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/es\/2023-a-year-of-personal-growth\/#Travel\" >Travel<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/es\/2023-a-year-of-personal-growth\/#Goals_for_2024\" >Goals for 2024:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-8ee4eeeb87d479cfc6a887ac522c8133 wp-block-paragraph\">This year&#8217;s been a wild ride of learning, scary moments, and coming back stronger. As I sit back to think about how fast it all zipped by, it hits me\u2014comparison really does steal our joy. We&#8217;re all guilty of scrolling through those perfect pics on social media, sizing up our own journeys against the flawless moments posted for the world to see. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-069b48326049d11bf2ca488c57af9f22 wp-block-paragraph\">But here&#8217;s the deal: I want to ditch the comparison game. The overnight successes seen on social media do not happen overnight.  Some people are lucky and reach success very quickly but for the majority of us, it takes years.  I want to share about my year, the unfiltered parts of life, and finding beauty in imperfection.  I want more people to see that the journey takes steps and actions and that it isn&#8217;t instant.  I will try to disclose as much as I feel comfortable with in the next few paragraphs!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3c546da02fbd574346e71b8fd2bcb0aa\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Professional_Career_Side_Hustles\"><\/span>Professional Career  \/ Side Hustles<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-4205e6399e733c1091cc744b5d8c848d wp-block-paragraph\">My<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"> side business<\/span><\/strong>, <a href=\"http:\/\/instagram.com\/bmsmodels\">BMS Models<\/a>, provided promotional staff, promotional inventory, and asset management for over 150 events this year.  Through the business, we also purchased a van to transport the promotional assets.  We invested in a second related business &#8211; <a href=\"http:\/\/instagram.com\/beveragebella\">Beverage Bellas<\/a>, a strolling beverage skirt, which is available for rent in South Florida &#8211; if you are in the area and have an upcoming promotional brand party or event&#8230; hit me up!  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-91368411284dd2f3aad2d4d459760f07 wp-block-paragraph\"><br><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">9-5:<\/span><\/strong> I received an adjustment raise at work a few months ago.  It was long overdue, but I am still underpaid.  I excelled at my performance review, but there were no further raises, promotions, or bonuses at work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/BMS-Models.png\" alt=\"People cheering at a Malibu rum promotional sampling\" class=\"wp-image-12136\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/BMS-Models.png 300w, https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/BMS-Models-180x300.png 180w, https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/BMS-Models-7x12.png 7w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/beveragebellas\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Beverage-Bellas.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12135\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Beverage-Bellas.png 300w, https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Beverage-Bellas-180x300.png 180w, https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Beverage-Bellas-7x12.png 7w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-bff4975fdd2c16d4ef3472b0fe82c05b\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Content_Creation\"><\/span>Content Creation<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-3b10cc7c0e3320d9ece5bd7c7378411c wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Blog<\/span>: <\/strong>I launched this blog back in September along with a biweekly newsletter.  This blog has been an investment of love, time, and money.  So far I have received almost 2600 unique visitors to the website since launching.  The blog currently has 16 blog posts mostly surrounding a series on &#8220;The Ultimate Guide for Solo Female Travel&#8221;.  In 2024 I expect to finish the guide, and continue releasing a blog post every week on different travel related topics along with a biweekly newsletter.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-37a371294d485152199ccac4123b5d55 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Newsletter: <\/span><\/strong>I currently have 43 subscribers to the newsletter and I love packing it with relevant travel info.  I hope you are finding value in receiving the Globetrotter&#8217;s Gazette: The Queen&#8217;s Edition every 2 weeks.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-9709674ff3b077d1e57149c059f7e706 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Instagram:<\/span><\/strong> I posted 68 times to Instagram over the last year.  The highest number of views one of my reels achieved was over 12K.  I actually burnt out of creating reels because of trending sounds (all reels sounded and looked the same) and the short clickbait reels.  Also, if I see &#8220;read the caption&#8221; on one of the really short videos, I&#8217;m mostly annoyed and will check if the creator has more content like that.  If so, I tend to unfollow.  I earned a $100 bonus from IG for my reels. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-72dda26030fa1da2675d9ac5dd35b0bf wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Affiliate Marketing<\/span>: <\/strong>I also earned $100 through affiliate marketing for Camp Indie!    <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-5d3b543c9c35f3ecc31485cb9776837a wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">FAM \/ Press Trips:<\/span><\/strong> I was invited on my first FAM Trip this year to Casa Alternavida in Puerto Rico.  If you don&#8217;t know what a FAM trip is, a familiarization trip, or FAM for short, is&nbsp;a trip designed for traditional media, social media influencers and bloggers to learn about a destination, a tourism operator, a hotel chain, or a tourism board, and sometimes, all of the above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/CASA-Alternavida.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12144\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/CASA-Alternavida.png 300w, https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/CASA-Alternavida-180x300.png 180w, https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/CASA-Alternavida-7x12.png 7w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-e96fd94bf608adc0b0c776698a6f9ca7 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Podcasts<\/span>: <\/strong>I was invited as a guest speaker on 3 different podcast episodes.  If you would like to listen in on some of these episodes, make sure to <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/playlist\/3AWrl1URNc4RferJ7VLdSE?si=3104b5cd6e68446c\">click here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-9ac00cf961d1ea846fe5a532228b76c6 wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-5908424ab1ab5aff33657ffda4a3f5a0 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Conferences:<\/span> <\/strong>I volunteered at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latinotravelfest.com\">Latino Travel Fest<\/a> in NYC in March, attended Mochileando Masterclass and <a href=\"https:\/\/witsummit.com\/northamerica\/schedule\">cumbre viajera WITS<\/a>&#8216; in Puerto Rico in April and May, healed my inner child at <a href=\"https:\/\/campindie.com\">Camp Indie<\/a> in June, and had a great time at <a href=\"https:\/\/talesofthecocktail.org\">Tales of the Cocktail<\/a>&#8216; in New Orleans in July.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/latinotravelfest.com\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/LTF.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12139\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/LTF.png 300w, https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/LTF-180x300.png 180w, https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/LTF-7x12.png 7w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/WITS.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12158\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/WITS.png 300w, https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/WITS-180x300.png 180w, https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/WITS-7x12.png 7w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Tales.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12140\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Tales.png 300w, https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Tales-180x300.png 180w, https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Tales-7x12.png 7w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-4ed907171c287075f1b41b21eb1c4dd4\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Health\"><\/span>Health<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-7d1ac4fc57e9ddf12049d080b2f11ec5 wp-block-paragraph\">This year wasn&#8217;t all sunshine and rainbows. It was messy, raw, and real. There were moments when I thought, &#8220;Can this day get any worse?&#8221; Surprisingly, it did get worse, only to turn around and surprise me with something unexpectedly great. It&#8217;s funny how life throws those curveballs when you least expect them.  My mom has to undergo PETScans a few times a year.  Every single time we experience the emotional rollercoaster of abnormal results requiring further analysis.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-3bbdf6ebc2bc04522aa78f86e3652a81 wp-block-paragraph\">Early in the year, I began to plan my mom&#8217;s 70th birthday trip.  A few weeks before the trip, we received the results from mom&#8217;s latest PETScan with additional suspicious nodes on it.  Her oncologist decided to have additional testing done.  WE thought we would end up missing the trip completely.  Luckily, the Dr. cleared her for travel but the suspicious nodes will be studied further in an upcoming PET Scan.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-2c3954521369239bc4ac57add37a5b07 wp-block-paragraph\">Regarding my own health, I have graduated to go to the oncologist every 6 months instead of every 4 months.  This yet another step in the right direction.  I am so excited to see when my oncologist says its time to stop treatment.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Cancer.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12138\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Cancer.png 300w, https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Cancer-180x300.png 180w, https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Cancer-7x12.png 7w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-5af6fa5f16728b01bf417b33b0e89a1d\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Travel\"><\/span>Travel<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-b2064e45374fe1db0c5d751f0b2ddd94 wp-block-paragraph\">In 2023 I slowed down&#8230; a lot.  In 2022, I was traveling every 3 weeks, but in 2023, I decided to take it a bit slower.  I blew through all my travel funds in 2022, so I had to be intentional about the trips I could take this year.  2023 brought me back to Puerto Rico not once but twice for a total of almost 3 weeks, deepening my love for the island&#8217;s culture and its incredible people.  Puerto Rico is one of my favorite places as it holds a very special place in my heart. I stayed at a friend&#8217;s house and also at a women-only hostel and enjoyed all of my time on &#8220;La Isla Del Encanto&#8221;!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_0447-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12164\" style=\"object-fit:cover;width:300px;height:500px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_0447-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_0447-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_0447-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_0447-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_0447-9x12.jpeg 9w, https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_0447-scaled.jpeg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-9ea9de3557edab6b4469dff93e6affdc wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-d42448130526182af8fa7134d50aa876 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/es\/mi-transformacion-en-el-campamento-para-adultos-camp-indie\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Healed My Inner Child at Camp Indie in Kent, CT<\/a>!<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-99f6f45ccac2cb313da736d0f9604d32 wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.campindie.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Camp Indie<\/a> is an Adult Summer Camp for Digital Nomads, Entrepreneurs, and Adventure-Seekers! As a daughter in a Latino household, there were very few places that I was allowed to sleep over. Summer camp was never a possibility because of cost and also the fact that I would sleep away from home. I always wanted to attend as a child and was never allowed to and it was everything I dreamed camp would be. There were cabins and s&#8217;mores and camp fires and so many things to do. I loved that this was the most laid back &#8220;conference&#8221; I have ever been to. We enjoyed so many camp activities and also some grown up activities. I am looking forward to returning in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Camp-Indie.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12137\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Camp-Indie.png 300w, https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Camp-Indie-180x300.png 180w, https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Camp-Indie-7x12.png 7w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-5d04b2ec56ff12a158a0b1c8021d3d0b wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">My Mom&#8217;s Birthday Trip!<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-07c652e7e5c1c44b1e11f8a557f11350 wp-block-paragraph\">My mom turns 70 in 2024, but because of her rare cancer, I decided to take her on her 70th bday trip a year early.  We went to Rome, Florence, and Vatican City.  Then we flew to Athens and spent 3 days there.  We went on a 7-day cruise to Kusadasi, Turkey; Patmos, Greece; Haifa; Old Jerusalem; Nazareth; Galilee and Ashdod, Israel; Bethlehem, Palestine; Limassol, Cyprus and Santorini, Greece, before returning to Athens.  From Athens, we flew to Barcelona, Spain, for 3 days and then to Paris for the final 3 days.  She had an amazing time and is always raving about this trip.  I feel very fortunate that I was able to make her travel dreams come true.  I invested $7,000 and 180,000 miles and points for the trip.  <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Moms-70th.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12161\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Moms-70th.png 300w, https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Moms-70th-180x300.png 180w, https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Moms-70th-7x12.png 7w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-36e65832a8a9d3d0fe25c535c3201905 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">50 Best Bars List<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-c3054ff36f81404d61b7bf46b44e0d02 wp-block-paragraph\">Based off of last year&#8217;s list I visited a few of the bars on the list:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-57ee3ca0a619fda7d453663555b2cc29 wp-block-paragraph\"><br><a href=\"https:\/\/paradiso.cat\/en\/\">Paradiso in Barcelona<\/a>: So much creativity with flavor and presentation at this bar!  I loved all of the drinks we tried.  Mom had a mocktail that she really enjoyed.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-1e5c66cd5ddc60f4435bc708594ed1a1 wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.babaaurum.com\/the-menu\">Baba Au Rum in Athens<\/a>: Over 400 different rums to sample.  They have some very interesting rum based drinks and the menu has won awards for the design and typeface.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-42a8573bd87ae69ac1917142263beb9c wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theclumsies.gr\">The Clumsies in Athens<\/a>: had amazing drinks and met some really fun people.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-852e8ff308343e5ce86767cac43b7324 wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/doublechickenplease.com\">Double Chicken Please in NYC<\/a>: make reservations for The Coop<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-7f63d46e3a7a4fa76e5b1b2507b342ba wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/attaboy.us\/visit-us\">Attaboy in NYC<\/a>: GIve yourself time to stand in line.  This bar is small and you may have to wait a while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-3f5457782d716f8cee36421068f223dc wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cafelatrova.com\">Cafe La Trova in Miami<\/a>: Sit at the bar or reserve a table.  The live music is a lot of fun. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/NYC.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12178\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/NYC.png 300w, https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/NYC-180x300.png 180w, https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/NYC-7x12.png 7w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mochi Donut at Double Chicken Please NYC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Baba-Au-Rum.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12186\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Baba-Au-Rum.png 300w, https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Baba-Au-Rum-180x300.png 180w, https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Baba-Au-Rum-7x12.png 7w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Me enjoying my drink @ Baba Au Rum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Paradiso.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12190\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Paradiso.png 300w, https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Paradiso-180x300.png 180w, https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Paradiso-7x12.png 7w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Clouds @ Paradiso Barcelona<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-fad65b90127beb166560035a0fc4333e wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">New York City:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-f06436c9193b6d419423fdef4e86194a wp-block-paragraph\">I ended up in NYC twice for a total of almost 3 weeks.  I visited some of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theworlds50best.com\/bars\/index.html\">50 best bars<\/a> on the list.  I also went to see a Broadway play based on songs by Britney Spears called <a href=\"https:\/\/onemoretimemusical.com\">Once Upon a One More Time<\/a> and I definitely recommend going to see it if you can.  It is such a fun show! It reminded me a bit of Wicked.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-c0deb94b501aa4fae2156bdfb32a3810 wp-block-paragraph\">I also visited a Puerto Rican institution in Brooklyn, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/tonitasny\/?hl=en\">Caribbean Social Club or To\u00f1itas<\/a> with a friend and we had a great time!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-9ea9de3557edab6b4469dff93e6affdc wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-bfb6a622340e2cffc3dda94918c4cf1a wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Dating Life<\/span><\/strong>: I went on 7 first dates, 4 second dates, and 3 third dates.  I had a good time on some of these dates but was not overly enthused with any one to even mention them to my family.  I find it harder to date post cancer.  For now, I am happily single and love to spend time with loved ones, and take myself out on dates.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Goals_for_2024\"><\/span>Goals for 2024:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Being invited on 5 FAM or press trips. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Writing 75-100 blog posts.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Doubling my current income<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Paying off my debt.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Pitching to 50 brands \/ tourism boards.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Creating one product.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">As I raise a glass to 2023, my heart is full of gratitude. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">While this year held difficulty and grief, the joys and blessings far outweighed the hardships. My business expanded, allowing me to bring promotional experiences to even more audiences. My blog grew, providing a platform to inspire and uplift. And I was gifted with quality time and rich memories with my brave mother and others I love. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">There were certainly moments of fear and uncertainty, but I enter 2024 with renewed passion, purpose, and perspective. Every year since 2018 has taught me that life is precious and unpredictable &#8211; so I aim to live fully, give generously, and appreciate each marvelous moment I&#8217;m given. The future is unwritten, but I&#8217;m eager to face it head-on, continue growing, and always see the beauty in the journey. Cheers to a new year and new adventures!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"75\" src=\"https:\/\/thequeenoftrips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Cafecito-y-Besitos.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11223\" srcset=\"\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" data-srcset=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This year&#8217;s been a wild ride of learning, scary moments, and coming back stronger. As I sit back to think about how fast it all zipped by, it hits me\u2014comparison really does steal our joy. We&#8217;re all guilty of scrolling through those perfect pics on social media, sizing up our own journeys against the flawless&#8230;<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12130,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_wp_convertkit_post_meta":{"form":"-1","landing_page":"","tag":"0","restrict_content":"0"},"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[90],"tags":[],"post_location":[],"class_list":["post-12116","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel-journaling"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12116","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12116"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12116\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12130"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12116"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12116"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12116"},{"taxonomy":"post_location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thequeenoftrips.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_location?post=12116"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}