Writer Table Talk: Pamper yourself! Visit CATALINA ISLAND For FREE

Photograph Taken From my iPhone 6 S+ Dress : Forever 21

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HAVE YOU TREATED YOURSELF LATELY?

Hello Conscious Queens, 👑

Happy new week to you! Over the weekend, my Cameroonian friends

and I took an impromptu trip to a beautiful island

South West of Los Angeles called Santa Catalina.

We were celebrating my friend Karine's birthday;
among other things.

My selfie (hello forehead pimple) taken on iPhone 6S

It was quite a refreshing sight; away from the

hustle and bustle of LA life, with a crowd that left me nostalgic
from their heavy use of Cameroonian slang
and Pidgin English.

Picture Taken from Samsung Galaxy | With Cameroonian Group of Friends at Catalina Island

Once there, I thought about you; all of my Conscious Queens,

who work 24/8 (You feel me sis?) doing the best we can to make

it "the right way" in this world. We go far out of our way for

our careers, our significant other, friends, and family;

but what about ourselves?

Group of Cameroonian Queens posing for a photograph.

How often do we spoil ourselves, queens?

This post is to remind you of how important it is to

treat your queenship properly by treating yourself for all of your hard work
and keeping costs low with the right amount of planning.

Photograph Taken on my iPhone 6 S + Dress from Forever 21; Taken By Karine Fotso.

I encourage you to queen out

at least once a month.

Anything from a well-deserved massage to

a trip like this is needed to keep us balanced.

Sites like Groupon are key, for keeping your costs low.
Find out how to win a ticket!

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SHOW THE BIRTHDAY GIRL SOME LOVE!

Before I go further, please meet this glowing Queen

Karine Fotso.

She is not only an old friend and sister; but also a phenomenal

makeup artist and style director from Cameroon.

We went to school together for so many years back home.

Follow Karine here: Instagram + Snapchat and
wish her a happy birthday! : @karinefotso

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HOW DO YOU TRAVEL TO

THE ISLAND?

Catalina is in the South West of Los Angeles.

It is one of California’s Channel Islands;
known for its beauty, and the unending lists of fun activities
a person can undertake alone, with a romantic partner, friends or family.

I fell in love with it this weekend.

From Los Angeles, you travel there by sea (1 hour),
on a ferry ride from the Long Beach, Newport Beach,
Dana Point or San Pedro; or by air (15 minutes).
Both vessels arrive at Avalon (the main city on the island).

Photo Taken with my iPhone 6S +

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HOW DO YOU RIDE
TO CATALINA FOR FREE* ?

Girl, You ride free on your birthday!
Just bring an ID to show proof of your claim!

Photography taken on my iPhone 6 S+ by Karine.

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CAN YOU SPEND THE
NIGHT AT THE ISLAND?

You sure can! This Trip Advisor recommends
the 10 best hotels. We didn't spend the night.
We had an after party in L.A,
with lots of Cameroonian food!

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GENERAL POINTERS
FOR YOUR TRIP
PREP:

Photo Taken on iPhone 6S+ By Karine F.

Book your Tickets for the ferry on Catalina Express. The average cost per person is $36 each way(If you are leaving from Long Beach). If you'd prefer to VIP it out, then expect to shell an average cost of $51 each way + Tax both ways.
Grab activity & hotel tickets from their website. You can go solo or grab a package deal with your girlfriends!
It is an island, so all trips are made by boat or ferry. So, watch out for sea sickness. Avoid it at all costs! Prevent or deal with it if need be. You can use these tips.
Photograph Taken on iPhone 6S +

Leave your house early! Long Beach is an hour away from Los Angeles! The island is another hour away from Long Beach! Also, the ferry has a strict schedule! Plan to arrive an hour before you are meant to leave. Then grab some coffee and wait. If you miss your appointment, you'd have to wait on standby forever. Trust me, it is no fun.

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WHAT ACTIVITIES
CAN YOU DO

ON THE ISLAND?

I guess the question should be "what can't you do on the island"?

There's all type of activities ! Golfing, dining, partying, island spa,

camping and boating, etc.

Visit their website to see all of their package

deals. Here is what we did however:

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JET SKIING:

For $144/ hour,($20 extra person) my buddies and I jet skied on the ocean.

Imagine the sight of jumping flying fish and seals splashing

out to greet the sun, as you bounce off soft waves, salty

water spraying everywhere. It felt amazing!

We exchanged pleasant greeting with passerby kayakers,

rich families sipping on champagne from their yachts, and

canoers.

The Catalina Waverunners have a Jet Ski Barge anchored offshore from

the island. They provided transportation via two

"ferry-like" vessels to

our destination.

They provided all the equipment and this long long instruction

session that added nerves to my already nervous African self

who was already considering all the

warnings my mother has

given me about the ocean!

But to head to the

middle of the ocean?

What business

does a grassland native of Cameroon have in the ocean?

(we are literally from the grasslands, with no ocean around us).

But, at this stage Queen, I am trying new things; exploring my limits. I

even jumped off a cliff into water a few month ago.

But that is another story.

On the rooftop of the vessel, after wearing my life jacket for the ski.

To sign up for the jet ski, you show up at their

“Catalina Jet Ski/Electric Bike Office at 101 Pebbly Beach Rd”

and sign this Looooong contract, which removes all liability

from them; and then you get a voucher,

and wait for the time you chose. The ride lasts an hour.

To book a ticket, Check here

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SUBMARINES:

For $35 for adults, $29 for children,

active military and elderly people, enjoy This 45-minute tour of life!

Every passenger had a seat and port hole. We could also roam

around the cabin. We saw all types of sea creatures; brightly colored fish,

urchins, but unfortunately no Sharks. How funny that I was

not particularly hoping to see a shark when I was jet skiing.

Booyourou reservation by calling: 800- 626- 7489.

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SHOPPING:

And so, our host Mark didn't tell us the
exact breakdown for the day.

Our Host Mark from Cameroon.

So, we showed up wearing long dramatic dresses and
heels. On that note, we soon had to hit the store before lunch.
Karine grabbed a casual black dress from one of the local
souvenir shops, and I a pair of flip flops.
I don't remember what the store was called, though.

DINING:

When hungry, we tried two places.

First, we dined at this really swanky place with stellar

customer service from British-sounding servers, and excellent fish!

Blue water Grill, I believe it was called: the food was delicious!
Sadly, I didn't take any photographs.

Photo credit: Stolen From Free Pixabay Photos.

Later we had some beers and fast food at Harbor Reef Restaurant.

At this point in time, all of our phones were dead, but I managed to

find a picture or two from the internet.

Photo Credit: Vanya Keyes (Google Maps)

Shashank Shivakumar (Google Maps)

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TIPS FOR KEEPING YOUR

COSTS LOW

Plan early. Say, if your trip is in November, try to get all your dates and tickets in August. This is just a general travel cost-effective trick.
Use sites like www.Groupon.com to book cheaper deal packages.
Plan to Go on your birthday!

Photograph : By Mathias on a Samsung Galaxy Phone

“Today is a gift use it to make
it your best day ever.
Spoil yourself. Love yourself.
Find your happiness within yourself.”
- Malika E Nura quotes

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DO YOU WANT TO WORK

ON THE ISLAND?

You know me. The curious case.

I had to ask.

Apply HERE

Santa Catalina Island Company
Human Resources / Hiring
PO Box 737
Avalon, CA 90704
Or
email: jobs@scico.com

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CONCLUSION:

Reward yourself...
If you don't have money to go, you can enter the

Sweeptakes here to win a getaway, and who knows? You might be lucky!
Also, if you want to stay the night, the island has several hotels. You
can click this link to visit them.