When Tracee Ellis Ross needs to unwind, she books a trip with her favourite travel companion: herself.
"I've been solo travelling since I was, like, 24 or 25," the effervescent star of the award-winning comedies black-ish and Girlfriends tells the BBC. "And I think my first solo trip went so well that it just… stuck."
Ross, who now takes herself on holiday at least once a year, believes there are different reasons for travelling on one's own. "Some people solo travel for adventure," she says. "Some people solo travel to meet people. Some people solo travel to get away from their families and their lives… I solo travel as a way to be with myself out in the world."
What does being with oneself out in the world look like for a beauty brand CEO, actor and producer who admits to living a "very regimented, full, hard, working life"
Tracee Ellis Ross' top tips for travelling solo
1 day ago
Gregory Wakeman
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Courtesy of The Roku Channel Actor Tracee Ellis Ross (Credit: Courtesy of The Roku Channel)Courtesy of The Roku Channel
(Credit: Courtesy of The Roku Channel)
The black-ish actor is her own favourite travel companion. Here are her top tips for taking on the world one destination at a time, all on your own.
When Tracee Ellis Ross needs to unwind, she books a trip with her favourite travel companion: herself.
"I've been solo travelling since I was, like, 24 or 25," the effervescent star of the award-winning comedies black-ish and Girlfriends tells the BBC. "And I think my first solo trip went so well that it just… stuck."
Ross, who now takes herself on holiday at least once a year, believes there are different reasons for travelling on one's own. "Some people solo travel for adventure," she says. "Some people solo travel to meet people. Some people solo travel to get away from their families and their lives… I solo travel as a way to be with myself out in the world."
What does being with oneself out in the world look like for a beauty brand CEO, actor and producer who admits to living a "very regimented, full, hard, working life"?
"I decompress," she says. "[I] let the dust settle... I learn a lot about myself but mostly I gain this emotional muscle of how to hold space for myself even when things don't go according to plan. I can do uncomfortable things and find joy."
Ross is such a passionate advocate of travelling on her own that she has made her own docuseries Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross for The Roku Channel, which premieres on the platform 25 July. The three episodes follow Ross as she travels to Morocco, Mexico and Spain to indulge in her passions: beauty, fashion, design, food and culture. The style maven breaks down her routine from overpacking to how to relax on the plane, all while sharing her favourite ways to enjoy a new place entirely on your own.
"I find that it's a glorious luxury," she says. "[But] I've never had any shame about it. I think I've had more shame around having so much luggage, but not about solo travelling. And I think that's really part of what I hope people gain from the show… It's okay to know yourself. It's okay to know the things that work best for you. It's okay to know how to take care of yourself. It's okay to lean into that."
She adds: "One of the ways I've gotten over the shame of overpacking: my overpacking has never hurt anybody. It only brings joy. So do it. Pack it!"
Here are Ross' other tips for people dreaming of taking the plunge.