A mom who leaves her husband and kids at home while going on eight solo holidays a year swears it ‘makes her a better wife and mother’ – as she encourages others to do the same.
Huda Alvi, 39, loves to travel and has spent her 30s prioritizing ‘me time’ – rebranding her solo holidays ‘an act of self-love.’
She jets off for up to five nights at a time and can spend up to $5,000 on each trip – from solo backpacking around Colombia, jaunts to Paris, France, and dreamy cruises exploring Vietnam.
The mom-of-three makes sure she fills each trip with culture and adventure, whether it’s paragliding in the mountains of Guatemala, Mexico, or exploring Costa Rica on the back of a quadbike.
Huda says her solo trips make her a better wife and mother as she’s more fulfilled and better rested because it ‘fills her cup back up.’
Huda, a lifestyle entrepreneur, from Toronto, Canada, said her husband understands that travel is an important part of her life.
‘I don’t need his permission to book a solo trip as he knows that I need to do it as part of my wellbeing,’ she explained.
‘He and those around me see the effects traveling has on me – it makes me a better mom and wife I’m more refreshed and emotionally available.
Huda Alvi, 39, loves to travel and has spent her 30s prioritizing ‘me time’ – rebranding her solo holidays ‘an act of self-love’
‘To me, it’s an act of self-love because you can’t pour from an empty cup.’
The mom said she finds it very freeing to travel alone, because you don’t have to answer to anyone else, and doesn’t listen to naysayers when they question why she doesn’t travel with her family.
‘I refuse to listen to society telling me “you can’t do that because you’re a mom,”‘ she shared.
‘I’ve got four trips planned for 2025 and I can’t wait.’
Huda became a single mom-of-two after getting a divorce at only 22 years old before moving back in with her parents and starting work as a realtor.
‘Being from a Muslim background, divorce was – and still is – considered a taboo subject,’ she explained.
‘I felt a sense of failure when I got divorced and it took a toll on my confidence.
‘But I focused on myself and my children and built it up brick by brick.’
The mom said she finds it very freeing to travel alone, because you don’t have to answer to anyone else
‘I refuse to listen to society telling me “you can’t do that because you’re a mom,”‘ she shared
Huda’s solo travelling began in November 2018 with a five-hour flight from Toronto to California, where she road tripped from Malibu, to Los Angeles, and Monterey
Huda met her now husband, Yehhia Bub, 42, a firefighter, in October 2007, and the pair tied the knot in August 2012.
They live together with Huda’s children – aged 19 and 17 – and Yehhia’s son, aged 18 – in Toronto, Canada.
Huda’s solo travelling began in November 2018 with a five-hour flight from Toronto to California, where she road tripped from Malibu, to Los Angeles, and Monterey.
Since then she has explored Morocco, Italy, Colombia, Costa Rica, Vietnam and France.
‘Travelling in my 30s is the best thing I’ve ever done,’ she gushed.
‘It makes life more fulfilling and I’m more sure of myself now than ever.
‘Backpacking around Colombia and Costa Rica was one of the most incredible experiences because I had to keep my wits about me,’ she added.
Huda documents her travels on social media and has over 97k follows on TikTok where she shares her tips for solo traveling as well as her activity recommendations
She now wants to travel with her kids, and has already gone to Portugal with her daughter
In 2016, Huda and her sister, Sana Alvi, 35, set up the travel company, The Girls Trip, which helps women in their late 20s, 30s, and mid 40s with their solo travels
Huda and Yehhia make sure that they take at least two trips a year alone without the kids to ‘keep the spark alive,’ as well as one big trip as a blended family.
‘I love solo traveling, it’s something I’ll never story doing, but taking trips with just Yehhia and [myself] is just as important,’ the mom explained. ‘It helps keep us connected and the spark alive.’
The couple are even going to a festival in Tulum, Mexico, in January to feel young again, and Huda has started going on trips with her kids.
She and her daughter have visited Portugal together and have a trip planned to Italy.
‘It’s great for us to spend one-on-one time together and is building her confidence with traveling.
She added: ‘It even inspired Yehhia and his son to take a road trip from California to Las Vagas this year!’
Huda documents her travels on social media and has over 97,000 follows on TikTok where she shares her tips for solo traveling as well as her activity recommendations.
In 2016, Huda and her sister, Sana Alvi, 35, set up the travel company, The Girls Trip, which helps women in their late 20s, 30s, and mid 40s with their solo travels.
‘I don’t care what others think and I’d recommend any moms who are curious to do the same, to just book that trip,’ Huda said.
She added she and her sister wanted to show women how empowering travel is, particularly by yourself – and to set a good example for her kids.
‘It doesn’t have to be far, you can always build up distance with time,’ she pointed out.
‘Solo traveling might not be for everyone but it makes me feel alive,’ she shared.
‘All in all, it’s not the quantity of trips, it’s the quality of the trip and what you get out of it.’
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk