Solo Traveler Watches 'Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross'
- Kimi's Travel Thoughts
- Sep 2
- 8 min read
When I first heard about the general premise of Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross (2025-2025), I thought the concept sounded very similar to what I do for my blog. Most of the activities I write about are things that I do solo and on occasion I will meet up with family or friends somewhere when I travel. Solo travel has been my primary way of seeing the world since becoming an adult and has been very important in determining where I go and what I write about for Kimi's Travel Thoughts.
I do not have Tracee Ellis Ross money, but even if I did, that would go against the basis of my travel blog which highlights how to make the most of a trip on limited time and a smaller budget. That being said, I thought it would be fun to watch Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross to get a sense of what she does as a solo traveler and share my perspective on the show. I'll break things down episode by episode because my thoughts were being written as a watched the show.
Episode One: Morocco
In the first episode of Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross, she mentions that her first solo trip was in her mid-twenties which similar to the time I began solo traveling. While traveling with someone else can be nice, Tracee makes a great point that not having kids or a partner shouldn't prevent you from getting out and enjoying the world. If anything, solo travel offers an opportunity to grow more comfortable in your own skin. That is the same perspective I took when I began solo traveling. While the two months I spent in Canada at 21 years old was not truly solo, the majority of my days were more or less me running around the Greater Toronto Area on my own. That gave me my first taste of seeing the world without someone readily by my side and I knew that I would need to feel comfortable traveling on my own to travel as much as I could while I'm still healthy enough and able to do so.
At first, I thought it was funny that Tracee begins packing 2 weeks out until I remembered that I actually start planning my outfits several months before an extended trip for the same reasons she does: to manage anxiety and the sense of control. However, I'm not packing nearly as many bags as she does. Tracee packs what seems to be nearly a dozen bags. I try not to pack more than 3: a backpack, a rolling carry-on, and a large checked bag. Elevators are not always available and packing light is, in my opinion, a necessity when solo traveling. In this episode, we also see how Tracee packs items into her bags. Having learned the hard way when my hair products exploded in my bag on my clothes during my flight to Canada backin summer 2018, I deeply appreciate that Tracee wraps her clothes in plastic before storing them in her luggage. She also makes sure to put essentials in her carry-on in case her luggage ever gets lost. I do the same thing and even suggested it in my travel tips about what to pack in your luggage when traveling!
Something that stuck with me in this episode was Tracee's concern about picking locations that would be safe for her to travel to not only as a solo traveler, but as a Black woman. I take those exact same concerns into consideration as I travel which is why traveling outside of the United States solo has been a bit more difficult. However, I have some countries lined up for the future that I am looking forward to eventually visiting. By watching Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross, I'm hoping to get a sense of what other countries I can add to my list!
Side Note: That moment where Tracee realizes she doesn't feel like going out anymore and just bails on her plans was too real. I get that feeling all the time when I solo travel!
Episode Two: Mexico
This second episode is one I was particularly excited about because I have been considering a solo trip to Mexico for a while and maybe even attempting a day trip there. I've been to Mexico before when my first cruise was diverted to Cozumel and I had a wonderful day there. However, Mexico is a large country with so much more to see and do. I'm not really a beach person though and I would likely go to Mexico City for a solo trip. In this episode, Tracee goes to a beach resort in Playa del Carmen which is also a very popular tourist location for people looking for a more affordable beach destination.
This resort that Tracee was staying at had a car service and the drive provides the supplies for a fresh margarita to sip on during the ride from the airport. Not sure if this is an add-on, but whatever it costs for this car service would be worth it! Ironically, I also started my day in Cozumel with fresh margaritas once the excursion bus arrived at our destination. Additionally, like Tracee, I had to navigate part of my time in Mexico in the rain. If you haven't been to the Yucatán Peninsula before, make sure to bring a rain jacket or rain poncho because odds are you will need it.
If margaritas by the pool, the ocean breeze, warm sun on your skin, and good food are your vacation priorities, then this type of trip would be perfect for you. Tracee's intention with this trip was to escape and just relax. While I was hoping for more of a cultural focus like the previous trip episode highlighted when she went to Morocco, that wasn't the purpose of this trip to Mexico and I completely understand that. I also take trips just to relax and unwind; not everything I do gets shared on my blog. However, a raccoon suddenly appearing next to me while I'm deep in thought like one did in this episode with Tracee would have immediately given me enough stress to pass out!
Side Note: There is an integrated ad for Tracee's haircare line. While it's not a surprise, it does feel a bit awkward because it doesn't exactly match the theme of the show. It's relevant because she was just in the pool before the ad begins, but (in my opinion) slightly disrupts the flow of the episode. If you watch until the end of the credits, you'll also see that the resort had promotional considerations, so this was advertising for them as well.
Episode Three: Spain
In the final episode of the first season of Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross, Tracee takes a trip to Spain. Once again, we see her start out at home as she contemplates what to pack for the trip. I'm still in awe of how much she packs for a trip! However, she loves fashion and having a variety of nice clothing options is very important to her along with being prepared for every possible situation. We see in her long layover in Paris that having essentials in her carry-on came in handy when the airline put her in a hotel overnight because of a flight delay.
Again, we see how she experiences another long-haul flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Tracee is staying hydrated, has mini air purifier, does a dry rub, and stretches. I do find it a bit odd doing a dry rub (dead or dry skin removal) from the plane seat, but that's part of her regular routine on a long flight. She's also in a pod of sorts in what is clearly an upper level of first class, so that is another factor to consider in how she goes about this flight routine.
Tracee is sick as her trip is finally getting started, but starts to feel better after taking her brother's advice to go for a walk and has a comforting phone call with her mom (THE Diana Ross -- in case you weren't already aware). Fresh air does wonders when you're recovering from being sick on vacation. My first cruise was rough at first because of the seasickness I was experiencing, but things were better for me anytime I was out getting some fresh air. It's not a perfect solution, but fresh air is beneficial to your health in general!
She said that she felt like she "disappointed a plan" from being sick and not really venturing out to explore Spain. I felt that same way when I spent a day on my first cruise locked in my room as I did my best to recover in bed and watch movies. I didn't put together as much effort as I did into preparing for the trip just to do the exact thing I would've done had I just taken a day off from work to stay at home. But if you're going to be sick while on vacation, being at a beautiful resort in Marbella, Spain is far from being the worst location.
As I have watched this series, there is only one thing that Tracee has done in which I immediately thought, "I want to do that", and it was when she did some olive oil tasting! Spain produces much of the world's olive oil and and I discovered how enjoyable olive oil tasting can be when I went to an olive oil tasting room in New Braunfels, TX during a day trip. If you love to cook or just enjoy eating bread dipped in olive oil, it's something that you need to experience!
Side Note: There is some irony to Tracee traveling solo with a camera crew. She does acknowledge that the cameras are with her from time to time throughout the series, but she overall goes about each day of her trip as if the crew isn't there and it's just the cameras. Tracee is an actress and has been in the public eye forever, so I imagine it was easier for her to do that as she filmed the show because that's just how her life works anyway.
Final Thoughts on Solo Travel with Tracee Ellis Ross
Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross was a cool show to watch and it made me imagine what my trips could be like if I had the same resources that Tracee has. This show also reminded me of why I'm a fan of Tracee and it's because she exists as a completely normal person in my mind who just so happens to be a celebrity. She even approaches people to have simple conversations about what she's doing while she travels as if she and her family are not well-known. While I have pretty much always known that her mom is THE Diana Ross, Tracee's career and notoriety exist separate from her mom's and I think that's awesome!
It can be difficult to relate to celebrities because their lives are very different from what the average person experiences day-to-day, but Tracee was so candid in her commentary that it opened up a special window into her world when she is just herself and not playing a character. Many of the things she does or worries about as a solo traveler are things that I worry about. She travels to take in the beauty of the landscape and cultures present in her destination just like I do. It's great to experience traveling when you can and, for some people, that means traveling solo. If you're ever considering traveling solo and you're unsure about it, hopefully a combination of travel tips and recaps on my blog and Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross will give you the courage to make the trip! I'll be here for advice if you need it.