Pick Paradise! Marco Island, Florida (Photos)

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Feeling breezy and easy, tide coming in, a pina colada in one hand and a fish taco in the other, I circle along the beach with old friends and new.

Today, we picked paradise.

A photo posted by Stephanie Be (@stephbetravel) on Nov 11, 2014 at 7:58am PST

I’m on an island just northwest of Miami that probably haven’t heard of. The world is my office, and my host for the week is the luxurious Marriott Beach Resort Marco Island, Marco Island, Florida, United States, home to coveted year-long warm weather, palm trees, and seashell massages. Yes, hot seashell massages. And pina coladas. And fish tacos. And friends. And the beach. #TravelBreak Oh, those details. Although we chat work and strategy and give into guilty conversations of Margarita Sundays, something is apparent in my good company – – we are all detail-oriented, we make choices professionally and socially. We picked our careers, and we picked paradise.

A photo posted by Stephanie Be (@stephbetravel) on Nov 11, 2014 at 8:19pm PST

Well, Marco Island picked me.

I did, however, choose to be a professional traveler and freelance marketing and media consultant.

I have little pity for complainers who do not take action to make changes. We all have choices. If you don’t like something, change it. If you want something, go after it and make the sacrifices it takes to have it. I picked paradise over an apartment or a car; I chose adventure and freedom over stability and security. Sometimes it’s easy, sometimes it isn’t, but it’s a cost-benefit equation, and a choice.

We each define paradise in our own way.

Some people would fancy a few weeks of hitting the slopes, as I would trade the yeti for tropical beaches. I don’t even understand the concept of cold, and can’t imagine living long-term in the rain. While many dare to party five days a week while traveling, others escape the noise to read for pleasure. Some people want to meet new people, others prefer to play me, myself, and I or stick to their wolf pack.

Everyone has an individual travel recipe for the perfect trip.

Growing up, my mother always told me:

“Don’t strive to be THE best, strive to be YOUR best.”

Travel, our careers, and our time management is very similar to this mentality. There is no such thing as THE perfect trip, but there is such a thing as YOUR perfect trip, and it changes every time.

A photo posted by Stephanie Be (@stephbetravel) on Nov 11, 2014 at 9:13pm PST

Of course, there are limitations. I wouldn’t say that anyone can do anything if they really want to because there is a lot more than “want” that defines our choices. But even when we are feeling a little dependent, we still select a path.

A photo posted by Stephanie Be (@stephbetravel) on Nov 11, 2014 at 9:32pm PST

We decide how we invest our time, money, and energy.

If someone doesn’t have time for you, quite frankly, you just aren’t a priority.

Personally, I have a never ending to-do list so I often have to spread myself thin, and as of late, l have had critical decisions to make. Do I want to get an apartment and car or continue the nomadic lifestyle by doing another “big” trip? Should I date someone in LA to see in between travels, commit to someone who wants to travel, or be the face of single travel? Do I want to partner with others to make the TRAVELBREAK brand more than a personal blog?

Opportunities persist. Choices have to be made.

You’ll have to stay tuned as I make choices in my crazy, unconventional travel life.

For this holiday, I picked paradise – – Marco Island. I hope that whatever my metaphorical paradise is in my career and personal life works out too. The good news is that we can always change our mind, or at least, redefine paradise.