“Take me to the beach!” will be my forever mood. Who can relate? In my 5 Solo Travel Tips blog post, I mentioned one of my work conferences being rescheduled and omg, am I sooo glad it was instead of fully cancelled because I made a lot of amazing memories this time around. (S/o to libraries for having some amazing conferences and even more amazing people.) Follow along on my trip St. Pete, FL from February!

“As important as the beauty of escapism is, the come-down to reality after is equally important.”

I always feel SO happy surrounded by large bodies of water so I knew before even setting foot in St. Pete I would have a good time in the nature there. The trip honestly snuck up on me so it was a mad dash to finish packing on 1 hour of sleep then make it to the airport. The conference was for Librarians of Color and it was educational, informational, and most importantly a little hub of support and acceptance between POCs. (With a liiiiiit dance party of music of all cultures—fr it was amazing.) I also applied for a new job in Marketing by the beach—which I landed after giving the interview my first day back in Kansas! (Just the life of a gIrLbOsS!!! Kidding.) I appreciated all of the fun of the trip as I had a bag full of problems to escape and that were waiting for me back home. This trip fell at a time I needed it most, so the universe really did it’s thing with it falling at the start of 2023. However, as important as the beauty of escapism is, the come-down to reality after is equally important. This very reason is why I held off on publishing this blog post for a while. I had a lot of decisions to make when I got back about setting and reinforcing boundaries in my life and deciding who I would allow in it. When you are introduced to folks who see and encourage the positive sides of you, you really start to see how comments from people who seemingly focus only on what they would change about you can bog down your life. Being around uplifting folks who see the joy in every day, even in the face of adversity, was a much-needed momentary paradise—that I now realize doesn’t have to be momentary at all. As they say, “Friends are like mirrors.” Be mindful of the kind of energy you want reflected around you—and be mindful of the kind of energy you are reflecting.

“Being around uplifting folks who see the joy in every day, even in the face of adversity, was a much-needed momentary paradise—that I now realize doesn’t have to be momentary at all.”

Before the end-of-conference dance party, there was a series of cultural performances. We witnessed an original poem from a Black poet, a dance which originated from the Phillipines, a song from a Chinese opera, a retelling of a popular story from Hispanic culture—and then came the dance party. There is something so freeing about song and dance! When “Break My Soul” by Beyoncé came on, it felt like the universe telling to let go of all of the dark clouds of negative energy swarming in my life back home. Being surrounded by POCs, laughing and leaning into expression through movement is the kind of healing I can’t put into words. There was a whole other level of connection and freedom going on in that room. I’m glad to carry that memory with me throughout this year.

Looking back through photos and videos from the trip, I can see how truly joyful I felt those handful of days as, amongst the learning and job interview prep, I allowed myself to do something I rarely give myself permission to do: rest. I also roomed with a sunbeam of a person who I work with! Most of all, I enjoyed fleeting exchanges with beautiful people of color and felt a sense of community and peace that I realize is a big void in my life at home. Trying to figure out how to bridge that gap, to make time for a sense of community of like-minded folks leading up to and following graduation (I get my Master’s in Library Science at the end of August, y’all!) is going to be a focus of mine in 2023.

With the whirlwind of travel (and stress) in my life in February, I couldn’t complete the song cover I initially wanted to for Valentine’s Day, but I did whip up a cover in a handful of days on my at home set-up. (Gonna be a while until I do studio work as I’ve went without a car for 3 months now—a fun little development that happened when I came back from beach paradise to the tundra that was Kansas in February haha.) Check out the casual cover on YouTube if you’re into soft pop!

Above all else, I was reminded this past trip that I am able to find joy in every corner of the world, no matter the trial, no matter the situation. In my adult life, I’ve grown to realize this is a superpower. Not all can find the light. I am blessed to have an innate positivity that my grandmother instilled in me. She would always say, “God will make a way out of no way,” and as I tap back into the spiritual side of religion more regularly after unintentionally drifting away for a while by checking in with God and leaning into guidance from my ancestors more, I feel a lightness even in situations that feel briefly helpless. This trip confirmed that there is no challenge I cannot overcome because I am capable, resilient, and can always find a reason to smile. I can’t wait to share my next travel experience this summer returning somewhere I’ve visited briefly before—Chicago—on my first train ride! If life’s getting you down, remember that there are great experiences and great people waiting for you and let the negativity roll off your back. That’s just the (waves) of the world.

Until next time,

- x, k.