Tracee Ellis Ross Says Solo Travel Taught Her How To Be Her "Own Best Friend"
Tracee Ellis Ross is the queen of beauty, style, fashion, and recently, she's even decided to try her hand in the business world, but behind the scenes of her high-profile lifestyle, this Motown Princess enjoys spending her time indulging in a hobby that's a little more low-key. According to Tracee, one of the greatest joys in life is traveling to a foreign country alone to read a book by the pool, and after taking a look at her perfectly captured vacay selfies, we believe you, sis.
The 46-year-old Black-ish actress was recently a guest on Lilly Singh's new talk show, A Little Late, where she shared her love for solo traveling and the self-timed camera feature on her phone. With a huge family and chaotic professional life, Tracee says it's not easy to get a moment alone; that's why she hops on a plane at least once a year to spend some quality time with her damn self. She told Lilly:
"Well, honestly I talk a lot for my job and I'm out and I'm with people so I like having a moment to myself. I am amazing! My company is wonderful! My friends are all really busy too. So I go, and I like to read and watch everything I've downloaded from Netflix, it's fantastic."
One of the most valuable souvenirs from a voyage abroad is the collection of selfies that you can bring home, and Tracee says that she doesn't need a traveling buddy to assist her foreign photo shoots because she's mastered the art of thirst trapping all on her own.
"I am the queen of propping the phone up and using the timer, the 3-second or the 10-second. The beauty of the 10-second [timer] is it'll take the series of pictures . . . I put it on towels and prop it. My favorite is exes and stuff — I'll get texts and they'll be like, 'Who are you on vacation with? I'm like, 'Wouldn't you like to know.'"
Growing up as an heiress of entertainment royalty, Tracee was introduced to travel early-on in her life and even spent some time at a boarding school in Switzerland. Although having to constantly be on the road and make new friends may have been difficult for some children, Tracee says that her experience has paid off in a major way in her adult life:
"I think that was a big growth opportunity for me as I was coming of age and learning how to be on my own. I'm very comfortable traveling alone and being my own best friend."
Tracee says that solo travel isn't just some item to check off of your bucket list, issa necessity:
"It's empowering, and has afforded me the opportunity to connect with other human beings, to see how we are all so much alike, to learn about different cultures and traditions, and to really open up my understanding of what it is to be a human. It has given my life a richness that I really appreciate."
Watch the full clip here!
Tracee Ellis Ross Shares the Secret Behind Her Instagram Thirst Traps youtu.be
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Taylor "Pretty" Honore is a spiritually centered and equally provocative rapper from Baton Rouge, Louisiana with a love for people and storytelling. You can probably find me planting herbs in your local community garden, blasting "Back That Thang Up" from my mini speaker. Let's get to know each other: @prettyhonore.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Exclusive: Koryn Hawthorne On Her Miraculous Love Story: ‘I Was Never A Girlfriend’
Gospel singer Koryn Hawthorne has used her voice to let the world know about what God can do, and now the Season 8 finalist of NBC’s The Voice is sharing a miraculous act that led to her engagement.
The Praise This actress shared in an interview with xoNecole that prior to becoming engaged to her partner, Hunter Register, she passed over one particular title on her way to becoming a fiancée.
“I was never a girlfriend,” Hawthorn, 26, tells xoNecole.
“We've known each other since we were kids, so we just kind of always had this distant friendship. We would hit each other up on social media, and [I] slide up under things that he was posting,” she says. “We ended up hanging out together, and when we hung out, it was an instant immediate connection from all fronts. I think we just knew from the first day that I don't want to spend a day apart from you.”
Koryn Hawthorne On Her Miraculous Love Story, New Album, & More
She continued, "And yeah, we probably were boyfriend or girlfriend after — am I delusional? Then we were engaged a few months later.”
The Grammy-nominated singer, who became engaged in November of 2023, went on to share what her experience has been preparing to become a wife, exploring the personal growth, challenges, and emotions experienced throughout the process.
“It's a journey, I'm not gonna lie,” she says. “Relationships, in general, are hard, and whenever you think about marriage, is just different from being boyfriend and girlfriend because if you piss me off, I could just go,” she shared. “But marriage is an actual commitment. It's a partnership. It's a ministry.”
Hawthorne, 26, and Register, 27, were childhood friends growing up in Louisiana and sealed their love during a weekend getaway in New Orleans last fall.
For the gospel star, marriage involves more than lovely-dovey aspects, emphasizing how her relationship has allowed her to grow, mature, and learn valuable lessons through love.
“We were supposed to get married in May, but like for us to be mature enough to be like, ‘You know what? No, let's take the necessary time to make sure that we're fully prepared for this commitment such a beautiful thing,” Hawthorne reflected.
“It's a learning curve for sure, but our preparation for marriage would have been the only thing that brought this out of me. It's hard and it's scary at times, but it's God's purpose and His plan for our lives.”
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