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  • 2 days ago
Solo Traveling With Tracee Ellis Ross Season 1 Episode 1
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00:00she has arrived so why Morocco I've always wanted to go to Morocco because
00:09of the fashion inspiration and the colors the city has always been a magnet
00:14for the curious and the creative I'm excited to be immersed in the culture
00:20and to be surrounded by the colors sounds and scents of Marrakesh I've never ever oh
00:29my god ever seen anything like this in my life I'm Tracy Ellis Ross I took my first
00:38solo trip when I was either 24 or 25 and something clicked I'm responsible for my
00:44own happiness join me as I follow my heart go to beautiful places wear pretty
00:51clothes and enjoy my own company
01:09I spend a lot of time planning for my packing and here's why I'm anxious when I
01:14travel on my own I'm anxious when I do anything that is unknown so what I pack
01:19is one of the ways that I create an illusion of control but also in my life
01:28as an actor I wear somebody else's clothes portraying someone other than me so it's
01:35not my soul my heart clothing is a form of creative expression for me it started as
01:42as an armor and so now it's a mix of the two it's how I wear my insides on my outside
01:49as a solo traveler I have three goals when packing number one be prepared a shift in weather
02:03an unexpected run-in with a sexy man the Moroccan desert even when you have enough you kind of
02:11still keep going number two be meticulously thoughtful of my needs and comforts compression
02:18socks medications and supplements snackies and number three pack my beautiful favorite clothes
02:28without bringing my entire closet that is not easy I do not know a lot about Morocco at all I did some
02:35research just to make sure that I was packing appropriately that I was going to be respectful
02:41and appropriate in my clothing I also love my clothes they are my treasures and my little babies
02:46and I keep them forever and I wear them forever so packing with care is important
02:52I'm all packed a little squirrely uh that's my car
03:04and now we fly but first we disinfect take off our shirt put on compression socks
03:20and fancy pajamas we and then we tend to our skin
03:27I always fly with a carry-on that has everything I need in the off chance that my luggage is lost
03:37I could live out of that bag for at least a week and still look fabulous
03:41I chose Morocco because I've never been one of the things that was important to me was to choose
03:49place locations that felt like they were safe for solo travel safe for a black woman to travel
03:56and I'm making a show about the joy of solo travel so why not immerse myself somewhere I've never been
04:05she has arrived
04:08I'm so happy to finally be here you that was a lot of flying
04:12heading heading to the hotel but first let me tell you I had a very awkward moment with airport security
04:19in Paris they did a thorough check of my carry-on bag
04:25so usually they don't go through every single bag they went through every single bag and I have a lovely
04:34little bag that has things that are usually in your bedside table
04:46she opened the bag and I was like oh
04:51and then she went
04:52she opened it
04:55anyway you learned your lessons
04:57now we're in Marrakesh
04:59my driver's name is
05:01Rashid
05:01this is Rashid
05:04look how beautiful
05:06I just love the colors
05:08actually the Marrakesh we call it red city
05:11red city
05:11yeah you can see the walls in this race
05:14so beautiful
05:26just look at the bus
05:32look how pretty the color of the bus is
05:34it's gorgeous
05:35and the people
05:37oh how I love people
05:40if this is an uncomfortable question don't answer but
05:43do Moroccan people consider themselves black
05:47like you know how in America where the black people
05:49it's the same in in Morocco too
05:51yeah there is like two
05:53interesting
05:56very very normal
05:57I think it's the world
05:58yeah
06:04Miss Rose
06:05yes
06:05you're welcome to Raymond sir
06:07we're here
06:08yeah
06:10oh wow
06:10welcome I'm Clément I'm the director of rooms very nice to meet you
06:15I'm very excited mostly about the colors
06:18and I've been asking lots of questions
06:19of course
06:20and so I was told it's the king's hotel
06:22correct yeah his majesty is the owner of this hotel
06:25I really like the way that sounds
06:27yeah I think that's where I should be
06:29note to self ask for consent before touching people
06:33look how beautiful
06:34so when you see this green door it means that's the entrance of a riad
06:42you don't know what's behind that's the concept
06:44one bedroom two bedrooms three rooms like if you were walking
06:47inside the real medina you don't know what's behind
06:50that will be your home for the next couple of days
06:52amazing hi how are you
06:54nice to meet you
06:55welcome to your privileged riad
06:57thank you
06:58this is the bedroom
07:00and you have here the other room which is the guest room
07:03again this is Yasin
07:05the wonderful human being who cared for me during my stay
07:08we're going to take the stairs to the terrace
07:11yeah
07:13yes
07:22i labeled all my bags
07:35this is tea tracy marrakesh number two bag number two
07:44you saw it go in the bag now you'll see it go in the closet
07:48one of my favorite tricks laundry bag what
07:57some people would ask why do you unpack when you're only going to be there a few days
08:02because the best way to wear and enjoy your pretty things for me is to put them away
08:10i forgot this goes with this outfit
08:20it's so much cuter
08:26i mean come on this deserves all the stuffing
08:42and yes i have to pack them up just as meticulously to go home
08:46you gotta have your pretty things
08:48and this is the point in the unpack where i go
08:54maybe i brought too much
09:01okay i think we got it good night morocco
09:18i just love being in the water
09:24there's something about like the dunk
09:27am i too close now do you see my pores what do you see
09:32oh my hair's holding up nicely
09:33come up and you're vacation girl
09:46i have a lot of experience enjoying my own company even on a simple wander
10:07and just listen to the sounds and look at all the beauty around me
10:22this is me just sharing sharing what it means to learn yourself and then have the courage to be that
10:29person not just at home and not just in your life but elsewhere out in the world like here in morocco
10:36one of the joys of solo travel is choosing to do what i want when i want like taking a quick pit stop
10:45in the spa to get myself tenderized treatment time
10:53that was incredible and like mush god does this smell good
10:58hi guys in the bathroom what are you doing
11:09that cleans me up a little bit
11:13after spending a quiet morning by myself i am ready to see marrakesh and hit the medina
11:20the medina is in the heart of the city where the souk or the markets have been since ancient times
11:31i think this might be the color of my soul this pink red like dusty rose that's everywhere
11:40it's okay with the camera it's okay thank you so much
12:03so beautiful oh my god
12:12i mean okay i love it on you i mean too
12:24thank you the city's blends of cultures is beautiful fascinating fast-paced and energetic
12:34it's beautiful it's beautiful it's beautiful the walls the doors everything is so beautiful
12:45okay
12:50what's your name it's ibrahim ibrahim nice to meet you this is stunning i love old things
12:57different different this is the mirror
12:59mm-hmm and of fatima tell me what it means this is meaning for good luck
13:06so you inside this is a project you you go away okay you have so many beautiful things thank you
13:12thank you oh my goodness
13:25what's your name monster monster monster monster shares with me about his family and love of moroccan
13:31design beautiful when i open my eyes i find myself in the market we have so many things
13:39in the market now you need just to buy the good stuff so you like the good stuff yeah always always
13:44always me too i like the good stuff speaking of good stuff
13:51oh how i love good fragrances earthy floral aromatic delicious thank you so much
13:59you're welcome so nice to meet you nice to meet you thank you thank you oh yeah okay
14:13it's a dream look at that
14:18the color i don't know what it is about this color but it really speaks to my heart
14:24it can be used for both sides yes if there is a hot summer or party inside the house you flip it over
14:34and the more you walk on the summer side the wool goes flutter and the dust come out and that's
14:40vacuum clean
14:44what's your name aziz this is very helpful i did not know this yes i love learning new things and aziz
14:51tells me that berber is morocco's largest indigenous group credited with the art of rug weaving thanks aziz
15:05that's the killim flat way that's the killer yes the berber picnics uh oh oh oh i made a mess stop
15:14off sorry wow wow wow you got a lot of rugs yes look at this one this one is beautiful gorgeous oh my
15:34just like painting yeah can you take a picture of me sitting on the couch please
15:39oh the superstar on the couch the queen of the arabia where's the smile there you go i was looking for
15:50this smile take a look at this one here you can take your shoes off and walk on it i mean
15:57oh my god oh i see what's happening what that is gorgeous i bought this rug isn't she lovely
16:13the crisscross pattern symbolizes protection against evil same as the hand of fatima i learned that from
16:19ibrahim just learning things left and right okay after all that shopping back to the hotel to get
16:26ready for dinner with myself thank you for your help god bless you
16:37okay i'm going to dinner at sabi sabi which i'm really excited about according to instagram sabi
16:42sabi is quote moroccan cuisine by empowered women this sounds exciting also i am very hungry
16:50and i have a great look that i think will pop in the environment this phase of my life uh in so many
16:59ways like emotionally and spiritually like a transcendent time like i feel um i feel like i was fighting to be
17:08in my skin in my skin when i was growing up and i still have these really low dips of fighting with
17:19my own sense of unlovability and my own grief around not being a mother and um being single
17:31so much of what solo traveling is is about for me um not waiting
17:40for something in order to walk towards my life in order to be in my life in order to experience my life
17:48i think that was why i took my first trip solo and i know that in some ways i mean oprah said it
17:55she said i'm the poster child for singledom i don't want to be that i want to be the poster child for
18:01being and inhabiting your own skin for living in your own skin that applies to everyone um yes i am a
18:09single black woman who does not have children not having a relationship a long long relationships not
18:16having children has allowed me to explore things of my own humanity it has deposited me here at 52
18:28in an extraordinary experience that is filled with joy loneliness grief um exuberance delight like
18:39literally all of it and i feel available to it and i am so late and i did not do my makeup
18:48oh i don't know okay that was way more more important than makeup okay i'm gonna go get dressed
19:10hello welcome thank you welcome yes right by the food i usually prefer a table in a corner when i'm
19:17by myself but open kitchens are uncommon in morocco and this allows me to see everything that's happening
19:24it's lovely to meet you i'm so happy to be able to see you here thank you so much oh no i'm very happy
19:30yeah it's very cool yeah yeah i love it i love it very nice to meet you thank you so much glasses hi hi
19:41so what are you guys known for uh lamb tagine with apples it's sweet and south at the same time okay
19:48and what's this one moroccan soup the famous moroccan soup is that pigeon as in the bird yes oh i don't want
19:55that okay so let's skip it the lamb i think i should get the lamb tagine the lamb tagine okay let's stick
20:02with it thank you you're welcome there's nothing i like more than supporting women nothing i mean a lot
20:12a lot of other things but this is also it's also really pretty in here
20:27the lady alone just looking at all the people
20:33look hi people this is look at how pretty that is
20:43like what is my mom tasting
20:49your lamb tagine is ready oh my gosh be careful it's too hot okay
20:56i think as you can see lamb quins and apples quins and apples yes i'm gonna let it cool down yeah
21:17it's so good it's just hot hot hot but plenty of flavors we have tangia you know this is tagine and
21:32tangia it's oh this is just yeah oh i thought it was the spices yeah no actually the plates is tagine
21:39uh yes yes good to know yes okay i want just to introduce to you our restaurant that it's concept
21:50and yeah please meaning means friends and to put two words similar word together for me it means
21:59friendship okay we are women like sisters sisterhood i love this thank you that's fantastic was that
22:09the concept from the beginning yes so you have the time it's thank you now it's now it's not so hot
22:14thank you you're welcome
22:27i can't eat anymore oh you have to walk a little bit walk look it's me it's that baby yes it's your baby
22:37it's a savvy savvy savvy savvy baby do you want to see the savvy savvy baby
22:49i saw this couple look at me a few times it was probably the cameras so i went over to say hi hi
22:56hello how are you having a good trip i know we're just having a vacation in america
23:02here yeah that's exciting yeah the old town in the medina they've been coming since we met 15 years ago
23:09they've been coming every year we realize gosh i love people all right i've never been before i wanted to
23:18really share the experience of what it's like to be who you are but out in the world and be able to
23:26enjoy your own company right and meet a great party of one exactly a great party of one
23:35dinner was fun tonight tonight feels a little hard for some reason
23:39i do feel lonely tonight perhaps i'm
23:49missing the fantasy of what something was with someone i wonder if loneliness and sadness are the
23:57same thing they feel so similar in my body happiness and joy feel like two very different things
24:06distinct very different feelings happiness is slicker bouncier joy is wider deeper fun to talk that to a
24:21camera instead of writing it in a journal get to go shopping tomorrow we know i love that
24:27good night for now
24:43did i tell you i slept well
24:47i didn't fall asleep till 2 30 but i slept all the way till 10. what seven and a half hours it's a good night
24:55sweet
24:57black seeds this is where my meticulous packing pays off b-y-o-c-s bring your own chia seeds why yes
25:07i did i may have a lot of baggage but it serves a purpose the girls prepared
25:14i also have four hard-boiled eggs protein baby
25:19these birds are aggressive excuse me no no
25:33they're sneaky they get closer and then next thing you know they'll be sitting here trying
25:39to have breakfast with me i'm not asking for that
25:41today i'm heading back to the medina to continue my shopping doing the same thing twice is something
25:52you can do when you're solo but first a quick photo shoot to document today's look i think she's cute
25:59i'm going to a store called straight out of the medina
26:15out of the medina you heard me straight out of the medina i walked by it yesterday and it looked
26:21so fun and cool oh my god it's fabulous welcome to morocco you're blending in already
26:28what does this mean uh andy what it means uh i have nothing because i'm making stuff out of
26:33nothing like more recycled oh my god so cute okay next pair i'll be back the other ones are too small
26:50my big old booty won't go in i had such a nice chat with hassan and i got some cute shorts and a selfie
26:59of course i'm a little hungry after my day of shopping so i'm going back to the royal monsoor
27:08for a little treat i think i deserve a treat
27:17i don't eat gluten
27:21i would like to be very clear marrakesh so far is a beautiful place but i would like to live inside here
27:27inside the cheesy bread fluff that's where i want to live wash it down with a little bit of this and
27:38you have a lovely holiday
27:45the riad has two bedrooms and i thought i had picked the right room but yeah the vibes aren't feeling right
27:51so here's the scoop i'm moving rooms it's just across the hall this is my energy we're gonna clean
28:00again but we're moving the closet so god bless me if something's bothering you and you can change it
28:08change it are you guys feeling better now that i'm in here because i feel better so much better what was
28:14i thinking i wasn't thinking it's already feels better like i literally my intestinals feel better
28:30like my duodenum is like oh my god we're in the right room now and my small intestine just went like this
28:38i don't want to hear any lip about the fact that i've got three pairs of sneakers that look exactly
28:47almost the same and that there's two more in my bag i don't want to hear it so you just take your
28:52judgment and put it away because i'm judging myself enough shame is a shaman yeah do you know what shame
29:01stands for should have already mastered everything and no i have not mastered the art
29:06of one pair of sneakers or one pair of ballet plans there's another pair there and i feel really
29:12pissed that i didn't bring the fourth
29:31karen grubski i love you too samira dasar you're the best
29:36box this is for me because you know you're going to buy one for them buy two for you oh my god where
29:53are we going oh no this is just my bag i got it in marrakesh oh marrakesh is in morocco yeah did you know
30:02that uh berber is a tribe if you don't stop it right now if you don't stop it right now
30:21okay we're in the final throes of closet changeover hello dear closet we've released your friend your
30:29partner your buddy but you you are now mine and i am yours we will have this time together
30:37this closet's amazing
30:43please stay please stay
30:57hi good evening how are you are you ready sir i'm good yeah trying to decide if i want to have a drink
31:14or not it's a good idea it seems like a good idea one of the many advantages of solo traveling is that
31:22you can change your plans last minute i don't feel like going out anymore thank you so much and no one
31:29gets upset hi yasin it's tracy from 27 is it too late for me to order room service in my room
31:39um well i definitely want french fries thank you these are the things you go on vacation and think
31:47to yourself i mean what if you could do that at home i mean then you'd live like a king all year round
31:51all right me and this cute outfit are going to bed usually when i'm taking out my braids and i'm by
32:05myself i'm gonna watch something great on my ipad but because you're here i'm gonna talk to you this is
32:12not mine bye
32:30i wonder what the people who clean the room think when they find like a garbage can filled with hair
32:43don't mind me i'm just solo traveling eating french fries does anyone else match up fry size
32:54this is what you call a great night just fyi i will not drink that whole bottle because i know
33:01i've mentioned this but i'm a menopausal lady and i cannot process sugar anymore
33:12god that was too easy i actually think you can call me a sommelier now
33:21cheers to the solos
33:26when you're solo you can chew with your mouth open
33:30you can wipe your nose with your hand you can wipe it on the towel no one knows nobody
33:36okay all of you guys know but you're not gonna tell anybody okay bye bye fry that's disgusting
33:43a french fry with hair is like let's just bury that because nobody needs to see that
33:50the vibe in this room is just so good i mean i've had a good time so far but now this is going to be
33:56very otherworldly these are great fries great fries great fries okay royal monster
34:06i always hear people say that
34:09they get nervous to like go to dinner alone or travel alone um because they'll feel self-conscious
34:17i really understand that i remember the first time i went on that solo trip i and you know
34:26what's crazy i still have a friend that i met at on that trip and he said his assumption was that i
34:36was a kept woman first of all that expression the feminist in me has a lot of trouble with that
34:44expression his assumption was i was a kept woman meaning that someone else had paid for my trip
34:52and either someone was meeting me or something like that it goes back to this really important
35:00part of solo travel for me i get to build my life for myself i like to find the delight the joy the
35:07spontaneity knowing myself and what is actually joyful and what makes me feel joyful is not the same
35:13as other people going out like there's a lot of that stuff that's just not it's not for me thank
35:20god i have wonderful friends and therapy and different communities around me that help support me in
35:26discovering my own sense of self because we don't live in a world that does that all the time i mean
35:34i'm not even going to name names but
35:35okay
35:42okay
35:44okay
35:54okay
35:56okay
35:58okay
36:00okay
36:02Solo travel offers me time to soak in the environments that I'm in.
36:23The call to prayer, the wind in the trees.
36:27My heart and soul are filled by moments like this.
36:30I feel truly immersed in the wonders of Marrakesh.
36:34Oh my god, it's lemon verbena.
36:49Oh my god.
36:52Oh, I could stay in this garden for a little while longer.
36:55But, tonight's my last night in Morocco.
37:01So I'm headed to the Agafé Desert to see the sunset and the landscape.
37:06Oh my god.
37:07What's my last look going to be?
37:15I wore sneakers.
37:17Sneakers with this look.
37:18That way my feet don't get dusty.
37:21Mr. Rissiq, nice to see you.
37:23No, no.
37:24I wanted to make sure I saw you again, Rissiq.
37:26Yeah.
37:28Very nice weather.
37:30Does it get cold at night?
37:31Uh, a little bit, yeah.
37:33Yeah?
37:33Yeah.
37:34Because it's not far from the Atlas Mountains.
37:36Ah.
37:36Yeah, it's very close.
37:38I've got my jacket.
37:47Best place.
37:49I missed that.
37:50I tried.
37:51Miss Rissiq, this is the beginning of the village, the Lallatakrkust village.
38:10Okay, say the name.
38:11It's the beginning of the?
38:12Of the Lallatakrkust village.
38:14Lallatakrkust.
38:15Lallatakrkust.
38:16So fast.
38:17Slowly.
38:17Say it slowly.
38:19Lallatakrkust.
38:20Lallatakrkust.
38:21Lallatakrkust.
38:22Lallatakrkust.
38:22Lallatakrkust.
38:23Lallatakrkust.
38:25Village.
38:26Village.
38:27Ah, that wasn't great.
38:33Mr. Rissiq, you see the cape in the right?
38:36Oh, wow.
38:37Yeah, it's in our cape.
38:45Before the sun goes down, let me start taking some selfies.
38:48I gotta get this.
38:48This is magical.
38:53That wood even smells magical.
38:55The art of being solo is always searching for places to put your camera to take pictures
39:03of yourself.
39:10Oh, wow.
39:10I got a good one.
39:11Wonder woman.
39:23Wonder woman.
39:27What was fascinating to me was when we pulled in.
39:29what was fascinating to me was when we pulled in i'll pop a photo up because it took it i was like
39:44wow how interesting this looks like a dude ranch in wyoming also it looks like a hoppa
39:53from you know a jewish wedding i can say as tracy silverstein so i'm just fascinated by how cultures
40:04collide it looks like we're in an african safari camp or we're in a glamping camp and it just reminds
40:13me how as human beings there's so much overlap and intersection and i find it stunning i find
40:23the intersection and the overlap beautiful and stunning and i also find the ways that we are so
40:30uniquely different beautiful and textured and layered and interesting and delicious i will tell
40:39you that most solo travel trips i don't get to talk to the camera i'm not a person who talks to the
40:46instagram camera so you know it's kind of like i'm not alone thank you for joining me
40:51that's a good olive oh that's a good olive that's a great olive
40:59that's probably one of the best olives i've ever eaten
41:03i am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be able to travel
41:27in this way the opportunity to lean into my preferences um the way i'm traveling is like i'm
41:39in bubble wrap
41:40i am incredibly grateful for the the breeze on my face even right now
41:55is your ass hot okay um
42:01that's a crazy question but he's by the fire okay how did i honor myself on this trip
42:07i think it actually has to do with the filming i was able to be present enough to
42:15let go of what i know of my experience with solo travel and figure out how to share that
42:27through a camera i think my favorite part of this trip were the colors
42:32the light and the colors make my soul sing the sky is a magic color of blue
42:40the culture is layered and filled with community of all the people i met ibrahim aziz and mustafa stood
42:48out for me i asked so many questions i bought beautiful things i was secretly and absolutely blown away
42:56by the way by the nut cart
42:59the craftsmanship and the artistry that even a cart of nuts shows is crazy
43:05i've literally in my life never seen a landscape like this
43:10i've seen it on the screen savers on my smart tv
43:15i've seen it in photographs or in movies in mad max i've just i've truly never seen a landscape like
43:23this in my life stunning yeah here's what i want to say thank you morocco i will be back this was gorgeous
43:32the dogs sound amazing
43:45oh
44:02I don't know, I'm not here.
44:32I was told this was perfect tennis attire.
44:43I like it.
44:44Just in case it rains.
44:45When was the last time you played?
44:47I'm 52 now.
44:48I think I was maybe 20.
44:49Oh, God.
44:50Oh, Jesus.
44:51.
44:52.
44:53.
44:54.
44:55.
44:56Did you see the ball?
44:57.
44:59.
45:00Did you see that?
45:01I just beat Serena.
45:03.
45:04.
45:05.
45:06.
45:07.
45:08.
45:09.
45:10.
45:11.
45:12.
45:13.