Why We Need More of Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross

Tracee Ellis Ross has found another way to up the ante regarding Black women’s joy with her new show Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross on The Roku Channel. The three-part docuseries follows her as she visits Morocco, Mexico, and Spain to essentially eat, pray, and love — on her own terms. Ross explores various parts of each destination, touring through taste and doing anything else her heart desires.

But what cemented the show's necessity is the feeling of privilege it elicits to witness a Black woman basking in life’s treasures, even if it means journeying alone. She also did it while offering insight into her anxiety prior to each adventure and the process it takes for her to travel comfortably. The process of watching her overpack, navigate the ups and downs of lengthy travel times, and make her destinations feel like home helped to rewrite the uneasiness surrounding traveling alone, especially as a Black woman.

There was a particular moment when she spoke about her loneliness in real time and showcased what working through that looks like for her. What made her shared truth more relatable was the bravery she exhibited when reminiscing about Oprah Winfrey dubbing her the poster child for Black women’s singledom and how that was never her intention. In fact, she divulged that her fun through solidarity is more about satisfaction with her life.

“So much of what traveling is about, is for me, not waiting for something in order to walk towards my life, in order to be in my life, in order to experience my life,” she shared.

Watching her appreciate her own company by diving into new cultures, soaking in her surroundings, and creating memories is exactly the content that should be amplified right now. It’s what a lot of Black women are missing in the political and societal climate we’re experiencing in Trump's second presidential term. Finding a sliver of peace, away from all the tragedy the world is enduring, has been difficult to find. Personally, it’s seemed like the only way to find any solace is to travel and disconnect from the world as we know it.

Tracee Ellis Ross is the embodiment of what that solace could look like when you decide not to wait on anyone or anything to live your life. She’s showing us to do it anxiously. Swim in the rain. Converse with friendly strangers. Overpack to wear your fabulous outfits and ensure your comfort. Be unserious and bubbly. Talk to yourself aloud.

Honor your life by experiencing it. Learn to navigate through your loneliness by making peace with solitude.