Does the word "Singlista" ring a bell? If not, it should! Successful entertainment lawyer by day, social butterfly by night, and jetsetter by weekend, allow me to introduce to you Lisa Bonner.
Lisa coined the title "Singlista" two years ago when she began chronicling her solo travel and lifestyle experience for Essence.com with her "Adventures of A Singlista" column. She did not write the column to give relationship advice, bad talk men or lament the challenges of being single. Instead she wrote the column to share how she is embracing her life as a divorced, single woman, and used the forum to share her adventures with travel, family, friends and current issues. William Shakespeare once said "Self-love is not so vile a sin as self-neglecting." Well, best believe Lisa is definitely not neglecting herself. She's soaring (literally), spreading love, and LIVING her life as a single woman!
The St. Louis native calls New York City home. "There's honestly no place like New York!", said Lisa. Last summer, after nearly a month of travel for work and her annual solo vacation, Lisa, cancelled her birthday trip and decided to do a "stay-cation" right here in the Big Apple. She said, "It felt great to visit museums, outdoor dining, movies in the park, yoga, and picnics at Sundae Sermon with friends."
With over 23,000 restaurants in the five borough's of NYC, Lisa shares with us a few Manhattan favorites.
Melba's uptown in Harlem.
Recommended dish: Catfish Nuggets
Hillstone midtown Manhattan
Recommended dish: The Veggie Burger
Ed's Chowder House -Lincoln Center
Recommended Beverage and Dish: Spicy Kelly Margarita & Tuna Sliders
Recommended dish: Nobu Tacos, Lobster sashimi salad with spicy lemon dressing
Recommended dish: Portobello mushroom salad with truffle oil
Lisa began her solo travel at age 22 when she decided to take a Carnival Cruise. "It wasn't the best trip, I must say. I am not a fan of the huge cruise lines, but at 22 that is what my budget could afford, and I wanted a vacation, so I went for it" said Lisa. You live and you learn and that was only the beginning. Since then, she has traveled all across Europe, Mexico, Caribbean Islands, and Hawaii just to name a few. Her second home away from home is Paris in which she travels to at least 4-6 times a year; she was so inspired with Paris, she has taken French classes and is now proficient in the language. Lisa is inspired to travel because she enjoys different cultures and experiencing the way other people live. Lisa plans her trips according to weather, beach, and timing. As a business owner, work comes first, of course it affords her lifestyle. She's also shared a few travel tips below to help you jump start your frequent flyer miles and save money while doing so.
Travel Tips:-Join a rewards programs for hotel groups, such as Starwood, Hyatt, Marriott Rewards.
-Always check in with Trip Advisor before you book a hotel. TripAdvisor provides actual traveler reviews and up-to-date candid photos.
-Choose a debit card or credit card that affords you the opportunity to gain travel points/miles.
-Become loyal to one airline and join their frequent flyer club; those rewards will come in handy for upgrades, no baggage fees and more flexibility.
I hope you take this Singlista's travel inspirations and tips and soar! Up next is Lisa's South Africa Safari excursion and you can get the deets right here on Jonesmagazine.com. Check in with Lisa via Twitter @LisaBonner.
-Carlton Jared Lockett
@CarltonJared
