For a long time, rest was not something I allowed myself. For nearly a decade, I lived out of a suitcase chasing work missed holidays, missed school moments, missed the ordinary magic that happens when you simply show up for the people you love. Florida Vacation? That was for other people. I was too busy being productive to be present.

Then life in the way it has a tendency to do recalibrated everything.

These last few years have been my greatest teachers. They reminded me that rest is not laziness; it is wisdom. That presence is a gift you give yourself just as much as you give it to others. And that tomorrow is genuinely not promised, so the time to love on your people is right now.

So I started taking vacations. Not just booking trips, but actually exhaling. Hitting the reset button with intention.

Florida, Good Company & The Right Pool Look

When my love said, “Pack your bags I’m taking you to Florida,” I did not hesitate for a single second.

My first stop? Zara and TopShop, because a girl needs the right pool looks. Priorities.

We stayed at the gorgeous Tuscany Village Resort one of those properties that just feels like an exhale the moment you walk in. Yes, it rained almost every day. And honestly? I did not mind one bit. Because the trip was never really about the weather. It was about being. Spending time at Disney, savoring good food, sipping on something cold and pretty, and enjoying the kind of easy, unhurried company that reminds you why you chose your person in the first place.

Let me say this plainly: find yourself someone you genuinely enjoy being around. It makes every difference.

We Are a Black Couple Who Travels And I Am Here For It

We came home with a commitment to keep going.

Even if it is just a long weekend somewhere. Even if it is a short drive and a hotel with a good pool. We are officially a Black couple who travels, and I am fully, unapologetically here for it.

Rest is resistance. Joy is intentional. And a woman who knows how to pour back into herself glows differently.