It was a Tuesday afternoon. A full day of virtual meetings with CNN muted on the T.V. in the background. On this particular day I decided to wear my Hampton University t-shirt and show some HBCU pride. After my last meeting of the day, I unmuted the T.V. just in time to hear the CNN correspondent in Delaware very casually reveal that the 2020 presumptive democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden selected Kamala Harris for his vice presidential (VP) running mate.

Dear Ghana,

I was my best when I was with you. You owe me absolutely nothing. You gave me the good, the bad, and the ugly and I have no regrets. If anything, I could have given you more. Until next time (because I AM coming back)

My employer announced the destination for our winter holiday retreat; Ghana. This was great because there would be so much to do as my work trip would fall during the culmination of the “Year of the Return” A campaign from the government of Ghana to encourage descendants of enslaved Africans to re-connect with the land of their ancestors.

Passport? Check. Money? Check. A suitcase full of hair products? Absolutely.Traveling internationally is no easy feat, especially when you’re a woman of color with thick, curly locks that are prone to frizz. That’s why students and staff at Virginia Wesleyan University teamed up with a travel blogger Wednesday night to discuss the dos and don’ts of being a curly girl while exploring the world.

I didn’t accomplish everything but it allowed me to push myself to explore things that I would have done otherwise. I created a list of 30 things I wanted to complete before I turned 30. Now we are approaching that deadline and I am taking a moment to reflect on what I have accomplished, how this list has evolved over the 5 years and how I plan to move forward into a new year, new chapter, and new decade in my life.