The Black Dress Traveler

Travel Inspiration: Where My Friends Have Been

As much as I love reading travel magazines and memoirs, nothing compares to getting the inside scoop from my inner circle. Many of my friends travel quite frequently and have racked up miles visiting some pretty interesting places. Keep reading for three of their recommendations!

Mexico City
A view of the Zocalo - one of the world's largest urban squares.

"Great food and amazing architecture, you gotta go!" raved one of my dearest friends about his recent business trip to Mexico City. He only wished that his busy schedule allowed more time to explore the cultural, commercial, political, and economic capital of Mexico. This 700 year old city of nearly 10 million residents boasts ancient archaeological sites, majestic monuments, more than 150 museums and 3,500 restaurants (including 2 rated the world's best by Michelin.) Visit the Mexico City Experience website for more information about what to see and do.

Istanbul

The Bosphorus - also known as the Istanbul Strait

Istanbul is another destination that gets high marks from several friends. If you visit Istanbul you can actually claim that you visited two continents  - divided by the Bosphorus, the western part of the city is in Europe and the eastern part in Asia. One friend traveling alone to Istanbul, signed up for a great culinary walking tour hosted by a local. Click here for more tips on planning a trip to Istanbul.

Guatemala

Lake Atitlán

Have you thought about visiting Central America? My friend, photographer Leslie Yerman, recently visited Guatemala and has beautiful images of people and places on her site. I also recommend Pauline Frommer's article about her family's vacation in the highlands of Guatemala that included roasting marshmallows over the lava of an active volcano! Both ladies told me that Guatemala is a very affordable vacation.

Life is A Special Occasion: What Are You Waiting For?

I'm a big believer in dressing up just because you feel like it and not waiting for a special occasion. Yesterday, I had a really rough day but when I woke up this morning I was determined that yesterday's negativity would not mar the promise of today. So this morning, I spent extra time pampering moi before dealing with everyone else's problems and expectations. I put on a little black dress, my favorite red lipstick, and played some upbeat music. And you know what - it worked - I feel infinitely better! Without leaving my house, I am miles away from where I was yesterday.

Now, I'm not naive enough to believe dresses will solve the problems of the world but I do believe that sometimes us ladies have a tendency to ignore our needs and allow other people's drama, negativity, and insecurities to impact us too much. Sometimes you just have to put on a dress and make the decision to not ride the roller coaster known as dysfunction! 

PS. The dress in the picture is the Belinda Sequin Linen Dress by CALYPSO St. Barth ($350). Such a happy little frock!

Win a Copy of Brazilian Sexy: Secrets to Living a Gorgeous and Confident Life

As a very nerdy teenage girl I was obsessed with sex appeal - I wanted some. Real bad. There were these two Brazilian girls (they may have been sisters) from Sao Paulo at boarding school that seemingly every boy on campus adored. No matter when and where I saw these girls, they always looked runway ready - even at the darn library during finals week. Now that I'm older I realize that, yes they were pretty girls, but more than anything they had oodles of confidence - they seemed comfortable in their own skin and not burdened by the teenage angst that often overwhelmed me.

From Sonia Braga to Gisele Bundchen, Brazil is famous for their sexy, bold, and confident women. Brazilian Sexy: Secrets to Living a Gorgeous and Confident Life is a new book written by Janea Padilha. Who is Janea Padilha and what makes her an authority? Well, if you've ever had a Brazilian wax iin YOUR southern hemisphere, you can thank Ms. Padilha. She and her six sisters are the owners of NYC's famous J Sisters Salon and can be credited for creating and introducing the Brazilian Wax to America. Their famous clients include Vanessa Williams (she wrote the foreword to the book), Gwyneth Paltrow, Naomi Campbell and many others.

When I first received my copy of Brazilian Sexy to review, I feared that it might be an obnoxious tome about the superiority of Brazilian women but this sweet little book is actually written in a very friendly tone. Janea sounds like the cool aunt that would make you a cocktail and share all of her wisdom about life, love, beauty and sex with you. Brazilian Sexy has common sense advice on handling the ups and downs of life with gusto, how to think yes instead of no, and ways to bring sizzle into any relationship. Of course, there is also information about hair removal.

Brazilian Sexy isn't so much a beauty book as a guide to living a more beautiful life. Janea writes, " No one else can make you feel bad about yourself -you are the only one who can do that. That is the power that you have, to make yourself feel good or feel bad. Once you know that, you can stop some of those voices inside your head, the ones who are telling  you that you are not good enough. When those voices try to get into my head, I just push them out. I don't pay them any mind. Who cares about them."

Amen to that! I think I'll make a cold caipirinha, blast some bossa nova, and strut my sexy stuff!

PS. I am going to keep my review copy of Brazilian Sexy but I will treat one lucky reader to their very own copy. Just leave a comment below telling me what makes you feel sexy and confident by 12:00 pm on Wednesday, April 13 EST.  I will pick one reader at random and order them their own copy of the book. Prize can only be shipped to addresses in the United States.

Thankful for Travel: 3 Reasons I'm Grateful

One of the busiest travel days of the year, millions of people are boarding trains, planes and automobiles to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with their loved ones. The media is chock full of stories about the negative aspects of travel and I certainly have strong opinions on everything from airport security procedures to mediocre meals. However, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the positive.

1 - The freedom to travel is a blessing. There are parts of the world where people, especially women, are unable to travel freely and can't choose when and where they want to go.

2 - Planning a trip is easier than ever. Thanks to the Internet, you can book your dream vacation from the comfort of your own home 24/7. Price comparisons, reviews, and deals are more abundant online than ever before.

3 - Travel is transformative. Even when getting there is a hassle, nothing replaces that feeling of utter joy that comes upon reaching your destination. Whether visiting loved ones, taking a romantic getaway, or embarking on a solo adventure; travel shows us the world and teaches us about ourselves. A change of scenery often helps us to put our lives into perspective.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Photo: Jose Luis Magana (AP)