The Tranquil Vintessa

Ever since watching Girlfriends as a child, I’ve loved Tracee Ellis Ross. Her style and natural charisma were infectious, and seeing a curvy girl still be so stylish always felt like a win for me. I followed her on Instagram, and when I saw she was coming out with a show about solo traveling, I was instantly curious.

I’m not a big traveler—nothing ever really gets past the planning phase. Something always comes up, and I end up staying home. If only I had the confidence to go by myself. But with one of my personal icons doing it? Maybe I’ll get the courage to go solo too. Who knows? I made myself a drink, grabbed my Roku remote, and set out for Morocco with Tracee. Here are my thoughts.

I was surprised by how often she truly travels alone. When I think of celebrities, I picture entourages—assistants, stylists, cameras—but Tracee was in her home packing solo. No one fussing around, just her, preparing for a week away. It was unexpectedly grounding.

She struggled with her single life. I never thought much about her—or really any woman—being single. I’m single too, and mostly by choice (you can read more about that discovery [here]). But seeing someone so successful, beautiful, and full of spirit wrestle with being labeled a “poster child” for single women, like that’s all she was, was jarring. The hurt on her face felt raw—because it’s something she’s had to come to terms with. She had to recognize that her relationship status doesn’t define her, and it doesn’t define any of us. We are more than that. It reminded me that while I might not give that label a second thought, others really feel the weight of it. It was eye-opening.

She had a visible bra—and she bloats. Social media has completely warped my sense of what a real body looks like. I have a stubborn roll, I bloat after meals—and to see Tracee, sitting at a restaurant with a visible food baby and a bra outline, enjoying herself and letting her body just be… it was refreshing. It wasn’t some forced, “pivotal” body-positive moment—it just was. And her joke about being gluten-free while eating bread? A woman after my own heart.

Solo traveling is the art of just being. When I picture traveling, I think of grand itineraries and non-stop activities—because that’s what you’re supposed to do, right? But that’s not how Tracee approached it. She browsed local shops, chatted with shopkeepers, savored delicious food—and one night, she stayed in to eat fries, take out her hair, and the next day read in the garden. It wasn’t about performing travel, it was about experiencing it. Even in a luxurious setting, she was doing normal things, and that made it feel so much more real.

Watching Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross was a humbling experience. I expected glitz, glamour, maybe even a little drama. Instead, I saw a fabulously dressed woman, propping up her camera to take solo pictures, and simply being herself in beautiful places. I don’t have any trips planned right now, but I might start being a tourist in my own city. I might take myself out more, explore solo, stop waiting on others. If Tracee Ellis Ross can do it—why can’t I?