Tracee Ellis Ross Uses Solo Travel to Explore Self-Love and Sovereignty in New Roku Series
Tracee Ellis Ross’s latest project puts her on the road solo, but the message is collective: self-love, independence, and the power of inhabiting your own skin. As she prepares to debut Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross on the Roku Channel, the actress, former model and entrepreneur faced a social media moment head-on when she explained at the Travel + Leisure Summit that she packs two pairs of underwear in her carry-on so she can handwash if her bigger bags go missing. After some backlash, Ross returned to Instagram to reiterate the point, framing it as a relatable detail rather than a lifestyle boast.
The series itself is a three-part journey across Morocco, Mexico and Spain, documenting Ross as she travels alone and confronts the complexity of what it means to be herself while navigating the world. The show has become a standout for Roku, outperforming many of the platform’s other unscripted offerings, a testament to viewers’ appetite for intimate, candid travel storytelling.
Throughout Solo Traveling, Ross opens up about topics that aren’t often foregrounded in celebrity travel shows. At 52, she is single and childless, and she doesn’t shy away from the emotions that accompany that reality. In a moment of vulnerability, she describes loneliness and longing as part of her emotional arc, calling this phase of life “transcendent” and insisting that being in her own skin is not something she’s willing to forfeit. “I feel like I was fighting to be in my skin when I was growing up,” she says, adding that the journey is about not waiting for life to start, but walking toward it now.
Ross also reflects on the label of singledom, a designation she rejects as a limiter and instead reframes as a doorway to inhabiting her own vitality. She acknowledges the gifts that come with her current chapter, including a renewed sense of freedom and presence. “It has deposited me here, at 52, in an extraordinary experience that is filled with joy, loneliness, grief, exuberance, delight—like literally all of it. And I feel available to it,” she notes.
The personal landscape isn’t limited to introspection. Ross offers glimpses of daily life on the road, from fashion-forward moments to candid, sometimes offbeat moments—like airport anecdotes about intimate items making an impression, or the indisputable glamour of dressing for a solo night out. She describes clothing as more than material adornment; for her, fashion is creative armor and a way to “wear my insides on my outside,” a statement she emphasizes as she navigates both moments of confidence and times when travel throws a curveball.
Beyond the sparkle of designer looks and the humor that punctuates her travels, Ross emphasizes a broader purpose: to resist the pressure many Black women face to shrink or deny their needs and desires. The series offers a portrait of a woman who embraces joy and resilience in equal measure, balancing beauty and ambition with moments of vulnerability, laughter and even misadventure—like a playful encounter with a lamp during dinner or a poolside retreat after a rainy day.
The travelogue is not just a showcase of style and wit; it’s a narrative about choosing to live fully on one’s own terms. Ross’s reflections point to a deeper conversation about humanity, especially for Black women who are often dehumanized in public discourse. Her journey invites viewers to consider how joy, self-acceptance and the courage to be seen can coexist with solitude, growth and the pursuit of personal passions.
As Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross continues to roll out, the reception signals a meaningful shift in how audiences engage with solo travel stories: not as mere escapism, but as a powerful form of self-definition, empowerment and hopeful living.
Additional context and value:
– The series places Ross in real, everyday moments that underscore the complexity of life at midlife—loneliness, longing, joy and the thrill of independence.
– Fashion remains a core thread, used not solely for aesthetics but as an expression of inner strength and self-ownership.
– The show’s strong performance reinforces audience interest in honest, human-centered storytelling that centers Black women’s experiences and agency.
Summary in one line: Tracee Ellis Ross’s Solo Traveling captures a stylish, candid, and empowering exploration of self-love, independence and humanity on a journey across three countries, with fashion, humor and unflinching honesty at the forefront.