Give Yourself A Gift Next Year

{ The fabulous Ms. Karen Chase at La Tour Eiffel }

If you're a regular reader of Austen Hill you will most definitely be familiar with the work of my wonderful friend and neighbor, Karen A. Chase. I'm thrilled that she offered to do a guest post so you can all become better acquainted and enjoy her work as well. Today, Karen reminds us that taking care of ourselves can be the best present of all. Be sure to check out her blog here and stay tuned for a fun announcement about her book Bonjour  40:  A Paris Travel Log (40 years. 40 days. 40 seconds! 

xo Kelly

Wise words from Karen, Author - Blogger - Designer - Traveller 

It's the holiday season. And while everyone is running around getting gifts and giving to others, I think we women need to remember to plan some time for ourselves. I don't mean a manicure before a holiday party. I mean a trip. A lovely trip in the new year that you take on your own. Last year I went to Paris for three and a half weeks on my own, and several people asked how I could do it. Some asked why, and my answer was why not? I'm generous with others, and so why not for me occasionally, too? 

{ Touring a museum }

But the practicality of how to take a trip like that is daunting to many, and especially to gals who rarely travel alone. So here you go. A few tips to plan, save and make a trip by yourself–regardless if it's to Paris, or the next town over.

1) Plan

I planned the trip for a full year. I took French lessons, studied maps, spoke with those who had gone before and I gave myself plenty of time to prepare clients and my own life for the time away.

2) Save

Every time I saw a new outfit or a pair of shoes I figured out how many nights that was in Paris. I did not invest in my IRA that year, and instead invested in my L-I-F-E. It added up quickly, and in a year, the money was there.

3) Risk

Traveling alone to a place like Paris or a foreign land isn't what I would recommend to someone who has never spent a night away on their own before. So start small. Stay in a B&B in a nearby town. Then take a flight to a city for a few days. Positive experiences build on your willingness to take risks. You can do it.

4) Relish

Traveling alone brings women a few things. Insight. Independence. Self-reliance. And the freedom to get up and answer to absolutely no one. If you want to spend all day on a beach, reading trashy novels, no one is going to judge you but you. So you can let go and soak in that ocean of erotica until your fingers get all pruny.

5)Experience

Allow yourself to try new things. New foods, new languages, and new customs. The advantage to you, is that you'll come home with a great big bag of knowledge about how others live. Tolerance will be your souvenir.

6) Read

Other women before you have traveled alone. And guess what? They’ve not only survived, they’ve thrived! Hit the travel essay isle at your local bookstore, and you’ll find inspiration and a whole lot of gumption.

{ Karen's adorable apartment in Paris }

 Karen A. Chase is the author of Bonjour 40: A Paris Travel Log (40years. 40 days. 40 seconds.). She is a writer, and owns 224Pages.com, a design studio dedicated to creating bookcovers, trailers and materials for authors and publishers. She happily lives with Ted and their two cats in Richmond, VA.

http://KarenAChase.com

http://224Pages.com

FB: http://www.facebook.com/KarenAChaseAuthor

Twitter: @KarenAChase

Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/Bonjour-40-Travel-seconds-ebook/dp/B005U9BLGI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354208408&sr=8-1&keywords=bonjour+40