Jocelyn Cates knows what it means to be busy. She understands not having time for self care. She had her first child at a young age, and, fortunately, she had a supportive family who helped her. She is now the mother of 24- and 9-year old daughters, happily married, with a fulfilling work life. After working blue-collar jobs, moving into the start-up world, doing some corporate work, and publishing a book, she has launched her most passionate pursuit yet.
She calls it “One Night Away.”
In November 2019, she started this venture, a micro-travel company that enables women to find time for themselves away from their frenetic lives.
Over the years she lead guided sessions with groups of women and noted a trend.
“The glaring common theme is that women felt that they did not have the space and time in their lives to practice these things,” Cates says. “I saw that as a big problem.”
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"Easy Now" is available through Amazon.
She reflected on her own life and the driving need for self-care to give people time for themselves, their health, and their families. She knew the ability to get away, even briefly made the difference.
“I practice in my life going away for renewal and purpose work,” she says.
She ultimately decided to offer one woman from each session (who registered for her guided work) a night away in a downtown boutique hotel with a custom two-day trip plan.
“The response was crazy,” she says. “I needed to make ‘time away’ accessible and purposeful for women [who] really needed to know themselves, so they can be the person that they want to be without suffering.”
One Night Away plans domestic curated travel experiences for up to three nights for a maximum price of $300 nightly. It is designed based upon a questionnaire that each “member” completes. (When people sign up, they become members.) It asks everything from where individuals would like to go to what they would like to do.
“[The questionnaire is] a very thoughtful document that indicates their preferences, diet, how are they feeling, the state of their work and home life. This paints a picture how to best optimize their wellbeing, she says.
“It could be wellness, a hike, paired with practices, pairing what we learned about inner reflection time,” she continues.
Accommodations are secured exclusively with highly rated and pro -etted hotels and Airbnb Plus accommodations. Five-star boutique, unique, and lifestyle concept accommodations can be secured with a Premium Accommodations upgrade upon booking. Solo Plus is also offered, making it possible for companions to join a booked Solo trip for $149 and receive their own trip plan. Accommodations are shared. Solo Plus experiences are designed to balance purposeful solo time with shared experiences for a one-of-a-kind trip for all.
Cates offers a host of locations and also is able to secure a custom location, which takes six weeks in advance (Her standard locations require only four weeks.)
“This is meant to be very done … part of the magic is that you do not need to think about anything but how you are getting there,” she says. “The trip plan is accessible throughout and there is an app. It is digitally contained.”
Individuals select their own mode of transportation. Their first lesson is letting go of the details.
The experience includes itinerary, a curated, custom-planned experience. Women decided their daily budget while they are away. (Food and other extras are not included in the price.)
“Modern women are powerhouses. We’ve somehow adopted unyielding schedules on top of our already full plates, and we’re making it all look easy,” says Cates. “Though, realistically it’s exhausting and dangerous. Taking time to consciously unwind, renew and honor ourselves must be a top priority, if living fully and being well is the goal.”
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