Tracee Ellis Ross knows how to vacation. If you’ve seen any of her viral social media videos with her in a luxurious pool, holding an appetizing cocktail, you’d agree. Every year, her fans eagerly await to watch her take her first dip in a sprawling pool, amidst a tropical backdrop.
Ross is also known for her infectious joy, refreshing attitude, and outlook towards thoroughly enjoying life. Many would agree that she’s joy personified, which is fitting given her middle name is literally Joy. As an actress and entrepreneur she’s known to spread her magnetic personality through her products, roles, and even social media, but now her brand is synonymous with travel, as she’s morphed into the poster woman for fabulous solo travel (as she’s been doing it since she was in her early twenties), including enjoying a coveted lifestyle to boot, the pun was intended, given her passion for fashion and designer vintage shoes, which she manages to bring on every international trip.
In addition to expanding her award-winning and popular haircare brand, PATTERN Beauty, Ross is embarking on a new journey that’ll bring her even closer to her fans and admirers: a three episode docuseries show on Roku, aptly titled Solo Traveling, highlighting her luxurious international travels and revealing the joy of solo travel. Solo Traveling will stream on July 25th and feature Ross’s travels to Morocco, Mexico, and Spain.
Viewers can expect to enjoy the journey as Ross “meticulously and ridiculously” packs her many bags and invites audiences to join her solo travels, where she dines at different restaurants, learns to make cocktails, enjoys various cuisines from around the world, and dabbles in other new activities and adventures.
While the series is meant to introduce Ross to new audiences, its purpose is also to inspire people to feel comfortable with the idea of traveling abroad or domestically on their own, as many travelers tend to struggle with the concept due to fears of safety or being perceived as lonely. Unlike many, Ross has accepted the fact that she’s responsible for her happiness, which has emboldened her to begin enjoying her own company. As she so eloquently puts it, she focuses on the luxury of being, which is the state of well-being, rather than well-doing.
We spoke with Ross about why she loves solo travel, her perspective on luxury, tips for Black women solo travelers, and the importance of self-care.
ESSENCE: Why did you want to do this show?
Ross: I’ve always traveled solo. I’ve been traveling solo since I was about 24 or 25 years old. I have taken at least one, if not two, solo travel trips a year since then. It’s something I do, something I love, and something I enjoy. It’s something that offers me a huge benefit. About two years ago, I came back from one of my trips, and a guy who was helping me at the airport said to me, “Girl, I can’t tell you, I wait every year for your first dip, and I wait for your clothes in Paris. He was like, “Every year I wait for that content.”
I left the airport, and I called my manager, and I was like, ‘Is there any way that we could figure out how to do a show that would maintain the sort of intimacy and the reality of what I already do naturally, that would feel like an extension of how I share on social media?’
Also, about a year later, Travel and Leisure called and wanted to feature me as the first person on the cover of their magazine, which solidified the idea for me. The show is an extension of all the things I talk about and everything that I already am. It’s the same thing that my brand PATTERN is about. It’s the same thing that my life is about.
Throughout the show I am asking my audience the following question: Can you be yourself alone? Can you enjoy who you are? Can you make choices that feel empowered and full of agency when it comes to your happiness and joy? There’s no need to wait for someone or something to find a sense of luxury in your life. And our culture is a little confused about how I see luxury. Sometimes, luxury in our culture often comes with a significant price tag versus the luxury of being safe and having a sense of calm in your nervous system.
ESSENCE: I saw that in the first episode. That was part of one of the quotes that I wrote down when you said ‘state of well-being’ and not ‘well-doing,’ which resonated with me. We’re reshaping what it means to be a “soft girl” or live a luxurious life, and for me, it means simply the luxury of time, being still, and being safe in one’s own body. And from the three episodes, you just encapsulated that so perfectly. And that is what the beauty of solo travel is, even when others might not understand, like that woman during the Spain episode.
Ross: During one of the episodes, a woman said to me that she felt bad for me because I was alone. I was happy that she said that because it allowed us to show someone misunderstand the intention of solo travel, which often happens. People misunderstand what being single at this age or not having children can mean and look like. And as soon as you say the word sadness or loneliness or grief, they think, ‘See, you can’t be happy if you don’t have someone.’ And that’s not true. I know of people who are happily married and still experience loneliness and grief and sadness. So it’s a human thing. It’s not a being single thing, and solo travel is also something that can be for everybody.
Solo travel is for people who are in relationships. Solo travel can be about relaxation, and it can also be about adventure. Solo travel can be about meeting people and going on a trip, but it’s also about actually meeting other people who live in different places. There are various reasons to have this experience, but it’s certainly not one to feel sad about or to interpret as a comment on something that’s not working in your life.
ESSENCE: That’s why this series is so aspirational, right? You’re going to these coveted places like Morocco, but showing the highs and the lows of traveling in general.
Ross: Sometimes you might get rained on or you might get food poisoning. Sometimes the unexpected happens. That’s one of the most profound and significant benefits that solo travel has given me. Is this muscle strength around me enough to allow me to be myself in the world, even in uncomfortable situations, even when things don’t go according to plan? Hopefully, it doesn’t involve a hospital, but I learned that I can hold that space within myself and develop a strong muscle to handle things that don’t go as planned.
There are things that I can experience and gain, such as muscle strength and emotional resilience, when I’m out in the world by myself, which I bring home into my life, following for another greater sense of adventure and confidence in how I live my life.
ESSENCE: What did you learn from that first solo trip in your twenties that has been a throughline in your experiences today, particularly in solo traveling?
Ross: I had such a great trip that it made me realize it was possible. I don’t remember being frightened. Maybe I was, but I felt safe. I went to a resort. That’s probably why I still prefer going to resorts, as everything is conveniently located on-site, and I don’t have to venture off the property. I love discovering excellent restaurants, and I also enjoy a spa where I can receive a lymphatic drainage massage. But I think it’s just that first solo trip went well, and it let me know that that was a possibility and something that I didn’t have to be afraid of. Another thing I want to remind people of is that there are different types of solo travel. And so, people need to ask themselves, ‘What experience do you want from your trip?’ and approach it accordingly. If this is the experience you want, you should go to relax. You want to go on an adventure, whatever that is.
And then the following question to ask yourself is, ‘What are the things about my identity and who I am that, although they are empowered and beautiful parts of me, might leave me vulnerable somewhere else?’ ‘How can I plan for that and do my due diligence around my safety?’
We can’t expect to predict the unexpected, but to the best of my ability, how can I ensure that the place I choose to do that thing and get that experience I want, will offer it to me in a safe way? I think it’s essential for Black women.
ESSENCE: That response is a perfect segue into my next question. Do you have any tips for black women who might be struggling with the idea of going on a girls’ trip by themselves, particularly if they are concerned about issues related to their identity?
Ross: This is one of the reasons that social media can be one of the ways social media can be beneficial. There are ways to research places that people have visited, that you know. I also tell people, if you haven’t solo traveled, and there aren’t things that you know about yourself that you like, go somewhere you’ve been before, with friends, somewhere you’ve already been, or go there by yourself and see if you can find that experience just as joyful and wonderful, or a different version of joyful and wonderful, and then start to adventure from there.
Also, please provide your friends with the name of the hotel, flight information, and your expected landing time. Check in with people before and after I’ve landed. Trust your instincts. If there’s something that you plan to do when you get there and it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it.
ESSENCE: What have you learned about yourself when it comes to solo travel during your travels?
Ross: A couple of things, I like to pack a lot. I used to be ashamed about it. I don’t anymore. My overpacking has never hurt anybody. It’s only brought joy. I enjoy my own company. I’m fun and I’m silly!
ESSENCE: Why is it important to you to solo travel, and how has it revolutionized your idea of self-care? I know you mentioned that Oprah said before you were the poster woman for being single and living a fabulous life, but you would like to be a poster woman for something else, which is what you mentioned on the show. Share that with our audiences.
Ross: I’d like to be the poster woman for somebody who’s living life on her terms, who has a strong inner compass for her joy. I’ve never said that expression before. I love it. That’s an exclusive for ESSENCE.com.