Last year marked my 20-year anniversary as an entrepreneur. With two decades under my belt, I’ve experienced both the highs and the lows of being in business for yourself.
As a book publicist grinding in the Big Apple, I’ve experienced firsthand what it looks like to run through the city with clients on their big media day. I know what it’s like to have a calendar booked with endless author-signing events, editor lunches, and photoshoots. I’ve even attended countless pitch sessions at writing conferences.
My life was like the Sex in the City episode when Carrie was on her book tour. I would be Samantha, minus the appreciation for feather boas.
These days, the big city hustle doesn’t serve one of my lifelong goals of celebrating my 100th birthday with grace, style, and vitality. (My paternal grandmother lived to 92 and my mother’s uncle lived to the age of 99.)
To reach my goal, I took a close look at my life and made the decision to move down south to slow down and redirect myself.
Finding My Soft Life In The South
My relocation to Charlotte, NC gave me a quality of life upgrade, starting with a new pearly white garden tub, a fireplace, a private deck, multiple greenways, several gyms within a mile, and a swimming pool in my subdivision.
Life has become easier. I didn’t realize how aggressive my lifestyle in NY had been. I was committed to work and always moving. In Charlotte, I officially began living a soft life.
I added more activities to my weekly regime, like taking long baths three times a week, regularly walking, kickboxing, and cryotherapy. I’ve also started trying new spas and began enjoying the health benefits of infrared saunas, acupuncture, and hot yoga.
Fridays have become my designated day for long, mid-afternoon showers and resetting my energy for the weekend. Most weekends, I book a massage at a local spa offering Groupon promotions. (FYI: Fantastic spa deals are abundant on the app.)
Cheers To New Adventures
I celebrated a milestone birthday last March with a week-long return to Marrakesh, Morocco— a place rich in culture, spiritual discipline, farm-to-table eating, eye-catching art, fashion, and architecture.
Sitting in my first-class Delta seat, preparing to sip and nibble across the Atlantic Ocean, I couldn’t help but think of some great advice I had been given in the years leading up to this time of my life. A mentor and accomplished friend told me that in this coming season, I should look for divine guidance leading me to my second chapter.
“Don’t let your inner child die, Dawn,” she said in a nurturing tone.
With champagne in hand and seatbelt fastened, I raised a glass to myself: “Cheers to my second act, whatever that may be.”
My Self-Care Trip To Morocco
The Netflix documentary Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones— hosted by author, educator, and National Geographic Fellow Dan Buettner— initially sparked my curiosity to explore what self-care looks like from an international vantage point. My curiosity paid off.
My birthday trip to Morocco is where I found a deep connection between travel and self-care. It was also where I found the inspiration for my next chapter.
While in Morocco, I enjoyed a Moroccan hammam, also known as a traditional steam bath. If you have never experienced one, you have to try it!
During a Moroccan Hammam, you are placed in a steamy bath or room. Black soap is applied to your body, and you are left to sit for a few minutes to allow the skin to absorb its nutrients. Next, you are rinsed off with warm water. The process is repeated, and your skin is exfoliated from head to toe using an exfoliating mitt. The hammam mitt, known as a kessa glove, effectively removes dead skin cells and unclogs pores.
To date, the Hamman is the best bathing experience of my life. Not since being a baby has someone washed my body this way. For one hour, a woman washed my entire body from the crown of my braided head to between my toes. I felt my body’s circulation rev up. Afterward, a 60-minute deep tissue massage with Argan oil released all that no longer served my body. The two-hour experience brought about a deep sense of relief that allowed me to rest. (Yes, I fell asleep with my mouth open. You would, too.)
The experience became one that I want every woman to indulge in. It also sparked an idea.
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My Second Act: A Spark Of Inspiration
During my international adventures, I’ve witnessed firsthand how women in Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean intentionally unwind and rejuvenate. There seemed to be an understanding among women abroad that taking time to slow down and prioritize wellness is essential to maintaining a high quality of life and better mental and emotional health.
One of the best parts of travel for me is having the opportunity to enjoy new cultural experiences and bringing home as much of that as possible. This includes bringing home products like spices, along with bath and body care.
Inspired by my self-care experience at Morocco, I thought to myself, what if I curated a box that offers insight into international wellness experiences and highlights some of my favorite bath products created from each region’s natural resources? This question inspired the recent launch of Passport To Wellness, my wellness brand that offers curated collection of global spa boxes filled with personal care and beauty items from various regions worldwide, including Africa, the Caribbean, and Europe.
Above is a look inside my limited-edition Moroccan Global Spa Box, which features wonderful products from Morocco like organic black soap with argan oil, a hand-made Hammam Mitt, and Moroccan Tea. There’s even a customized soundtrack to help make your at-home spa day as authentic as possible!
They say some of the best ideas come to you while you are in the bath, and this one did.
I am happy to say that my second act consists of living a softer life and building a community that cultivates experiences and helps my fellow sisters find a path to aging with grace, style, and vitality.
To learn more about Passport To Wellness, visit passporttowellnessbox.com.
