Part 2
Last edit, we introduced you to the team (a.k.a. Bella Roses) and the truth; the love in our hearts carried us thousands of miles from our families and returned us safely. No Girls Trip is complete without a theme. To get us started, my sister decided to secure t-shirts from Amazon. During our very short pre-trip planning sessions, we had fun selecting the sizes. Perhaps, we are trapped in a time capsule, for giggles, I selected XS. If you smiled, then mission accomplished. Honestly, we all selected the size that made us shine our best!
The Theme. It was unplanned and still a mystery to me how we landed into two groups: green and orange. Green represented new beginnings: an earthly tone celebrating affluence, abundance, and growth. While in High School, the Bella Roses donned six-gore, olive green skirts paired with a white blouse to complete our school uniforms. Orange embodied positive energy, warmth, vibrance, being unique, and filled with enthusiasm. Suddenly, a mad scientist idea came to my mind: when you mix green and orange, brown is the result. We are brown Bella Roses indeed sparkling with confidence.
The Tower. London, England was our first stop for the first two days. On the third day, we boarded our Uber and after a thirty-minutes ride, we arrived at St. Pancras station. London has strict speed limits and even at 4:00AM, our driver adhered. Destination: Paris, France awaited us. With so many modern forms of transformation available, we opted for the Eurostar, otherwise known as the Bullet Train. Luxury called us by our surnames, so we secured Standard Premier seating, which grants you a lovely (yet simple) meal and a quiet spot to rest up for the near 150 minutes ride.
Arriving at “La dame de fer” in classic Uber style was priceless. The Eiffel Tower is an amazing wrought-iron lattice structure built over 130 years ago. Gazing at this landmark. I begged for time to stand still. The great architectural talents of Gustave Eiffel awaken the souls of each visitor. We stand or sit, relishing the scenes. This is my second visit to see this enthralling view and I’m still awestruck. Like many visitors, we took 1,500 pictures here. Our feet were sown, soundly. “Catch my good side”, one Bella Rose shouted!
The Trust. Travelling in a group our size is not always easy. Grabbing a Uber is not always practical and can be very expensive between destinations. Groups should carefully map out the itinerary and agree on places to see, eat and shop. Going afoot is convenient for short trips to monument. As an instance, we walked from our hotel to L’Arc de Triompe. The roads had a steady incline. To enjoy an up-close view of this massive attraction staged at the western junction of the Champs-Elysees and the mouth of Charles De Gaulle. The afternoon weather was perfect, low 50’s but we were gently reminded that we rely far too much on our vehicles in the U.S.A. We felt triumphant in each step and grateful to take in the view and admire the thousands of visitors. I estimate that we snapped over 200 photos at this spot. Bella Roses are a force to reckon with. Camera shy, not us!
Photo Credit: Bella Roses, Girls Trip 2023
Next edition will feature The Takes, The Tears, and The Telly.
Richly to your success,
Dr. Simone
About the Author
Simone Arnold is a vice president of product management at a Fortune 500 Company. She is also an alumna and contributor to the Center for Education and Information Technology Research and the Center for Workplace Diversity and Inclusion Research at the University of Phoenix. She researches emotional intelligence, workplace diversity, and statistical procedures and applications for continuous performance development. She holds a Doctor of Management degree in Organizational Leadership from the University of Phoenix. She is Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt from PECB. As the Chief Inspiration Officer at MotivEight, LLC, she intentionally affirms to help professionals grow through speaking, training, and mentorship.
