Erzullie Icon and Plus Size Model, Loren Monares, has been one of the most active icons in the plus size fashion industry. Aside from her modeling career, she is also part of an international bank and have other business endeavors. With life full activity, her soul needed a bit of silence and where did she go? What did she do? Check out her story:
1. You have recently taken a break for yourself, what prompted the move? Why so?
I’ve been through some major changes and pressure in my life for past months. It was a juggle between personal and work stuffs. At some point I realized I needed a time off just to give myself time to reflect on it and re assess where I am in terms of career, personal life, etc. That decision to do solo travel for the first time was something huge for me
I picked Bohol because i wanted to be in a nice, peaceful beach set up, where I can find a space to do my reflection. I wanted to reconnect with nature, to have a quiet moment to allow myself to have a clear mind, away from the busy life in Manila. Bohol was the perfect place for me.
2. What was the most memorable part about the trip? Why so?
There were lots of “first time” I did in that trip. The experience of being alone, it gave me the opportunity to reconnect to myself. It allowed me to just think about me, my life and re assess what I really want and how I really want to drive it.
I have discovered that I can in fact be alone or travel alone, and it’s okay. That fear of being alone in a foreign place has been addressed when I faced it. In fact, I realized I did have a great time. I enjoyed so much the experience because it gave me different perspective. It also broadened my views about life. Before, I was just satisfied with my “comfort zone” or the thought of being in control of things. But that experience made me realize that there is so much to explore and I am looking forward to it.
3. As a plus size woman, traveling alone --- sad or sexy? Why so?
At first I thought it was a sad thing to travel alone. I was so afraid before of being judged as “loser” because that’s how I felt it would appear to be. But when I tried it, and experienced it for 5 days, I realized it wasn’t at all. The feeling of independence and freedom to do whatever you wish to do and not thinking about other people is awesome! So yeah, traveling alone is definitely sexy for me!
Things to take note actually depends on the purpose of your travel, but I would like to focus my top 3 if you wish to travel solo for a time off from your busy life and just reconnect with yourself. Just make sure to get a nice and comfortable place to stay, bring all the necessity with you and last but not the least, never make an itinerary! Spend each moment freely...anything goes.. don’t plan, don’t schedule, don’t let time control you, instead, let yourself control the time. Enjoy it!
Through this trip, I realized I can actually enjoy being alone. I enjoyed the fact of not following any schedule or no plans for a particular day at all. Coz prior to this, when I travel with family or friends, we always have itinerary to ensure we maximize our trip. In this case, I realized I can, in fact, maximize my trip by not having plans at all and just going with the flow. And it really felt good. There was a sense of freedom and empowerment I felt when I felt in control of what’s happening and my time.
4. What were the top 3 lessons that you have learned about yourself on the trip itself? Why so?
3 key things I learned about myself. First, I am equally okay when I am with company or alone. That I can equally enjoy the moment and experience. Second, I learned the art of being “quiet” and cherish those moments. Again, if you are close to me, you’d know I am always on the go and very talkative... and just really prefer being surrounded by people. Third, exploring alone means growth. It gives you a chance to have a self-checkpoint or re-assessment and think of how you want to move forward. It opens your mind to different perspective.
Cheers!
Erzullie is an invite-only fierce plus size fashion designer brand from the Philippines dedicated to serving the style of the empowered Erzulliesta. Get invited: www.erzullie.com
