\n<\/p>\n
After spending nearly two transformative weeks in London, coming back to the States felt like a crash landing. No cushion. No pause. Just a hard shift back into grind mode. I knew I had to get back to business\u2014finalizing the details and pushing ticket sales for my Professional Pretty Conference<\/strong>. And I did just that. In one week, I locked in my goal and sold out the conference. Mission accomplished.<\/p>\n I told myself I wouldn\u2019t travel again until after the event\u2014aside from a one-night Beyonc\u00e9 experience in Chicago (because\u2026 Queen Bey is therapy, too) and a brief Miami recharge. But as Memorial Day weekend approached, I could feel something bubbling under the surface. I was tired. Mentally, emotionally, and spiritually tired.<\/p>\n I couldn\u2019t shake the feeling that I needed something more than sleep\u2014I needed a reset. Not a spa day. Not a nap. I needed sun, stillness, and space.<\/p>\n The idea of being near the ocean, disconnected from constant demands, started to sound like a form of survival. I brought it up in therapy, almost laughing at myself, unsure if I was just being impulsive. But my therapist said something powerful: \u201cIf that\u2019s what your spirit needs to recharge, book the flight.\u201d<\/em> Was it in the budget? Not really.<\/p>\n Did I care? Not at all.<\/p>\n Grief has a way of distorting your internal compass. Since losing my dad, I\u2019ve felt unmoored. Some days, I\u2019m on top of my to-do list. Other days, I\u2019m trying to remember to eat or breathe. My therapist described this stage as \u201cconfusion.\u201d That word fits like a glove. I feel like I\u2019m floating between functioning and feeling, succeeding and surviving.<\/p>\n Cancun wasn\u2019t about escape\u2014it was about clarity. I booked the flight, set up my hotels, and reached out to my photographer friend in Mexico for a content shoot\u2014something I hadn\u2019t done since last year. That moment reminded me that I\u2019m still a creative. I\u2019m still me<\/em>. The Professional Pretty Conference<\/strong> is less than two weeks away, and I\u2019m going into it with a renewed sense of purpose. I created this event to inspire and uplift women who, like me, juggle dreams and deadlines, grief and glam, ambition and anxiety. And now, more than ever, I understand the power of carving out space for yourself\u2014whether that\u2019s through travel, therapy, or turning off your phone. The best version of yourself is on the other side of rest.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
So, I did.<\/p>\n
In Mexico, I gave myself permission to just be.<\/em> I laid by the pool, let the sun kiss my skin, sipped passionfruit margaritas, and rested.<\/em> Not the kind of sleep you get in between deadlines\u2014but real, soul-nourishing rest. I remembered what it feels like to be still without guilt.
This wasn\u2019t just a trip. It was a reset. A restart. A reclamation.<\/p>\n
\u200b
So if you’re reading this and feeling like you’re running on empty, I hope this is your sign: Take the break. Book the flight. Honor your feelings. You deserve it.<\/p>\n