Sometimes We Need the Juice

I don’t know who needed the juice more, my phone or me! Last week my boyfriend Darrein and I went to Atlanta to attend Love Le Menu’s Red Rose Divas Ball, where I covered the event and also spoke. I’m still hoping to find video of my speech, because the feedback and personal stories the other divas shared with me, were so touching that I am confident I did an awesome job.
However our trip went from good to bad within 24 hrs. Here’s a brief recap.

-Booked a hotel and paid. Got there and the hotel was closed. (yes, this is true)
-Car broke down and we sat on the side of the road multiple times.
-Had to reschedule my interview multiple times.
-I had one my of Real Housewives/ LAHH/ Iyanla “Fix My Life” arguments/therapy sessions with Karlyn of Love Le Menu. She’s still my Mother Hen, and I love her, but we do bump heads! 
-We were stuck four extra days, and though I told Darrein (my boyfriend) pack extra clothes, he didn’t.
-We we’re racing through Marta with tons of luggage.
-The bus traveled through MS but wouldn’t let us off.
-We had to sleep in separate rooms in Memphis (not a crisis but still), but why were we in Memphis? 
-I had to catch myself several times before turning my frustrations on Darrein.

I told myself before the trip, that this would be a team building exercise between the two of us, because I know how my anxiety comes during my biggest moments, but I didn’t expect all of the above. The old me would have been mad as shit and crying the whole time.  Fortunately, we both value communication and understanding, and we made it through. Ironically, transportation issues were a big part of the reason why I left ATL, so a part of me feels like that too was a test.

Many would ask why I took this trip if it was such a risk, but sometimes we do things just to see if we can do them twice, because nothing breeds confidence like obtaining or achieving a goal. But also, many may remember how I struggled to come to grips last year and accept the fact that you have to work twice as hard to get back where you once fell from. Sometimes we need to know if we still have the juice! So in spite of all that happened, this trip refreshed me in some ways. I mean we still made it there and back. I gave one of my best speeches ever. Plus the luxurious homes of friends and family we stayed with sparked hope and reignited my desire to travel more.
So that was my ATL/Memphis trip! Next time we are catching a bus or train to begin with, but hey you live and you learn. Until next time….

Peace and blessings.

Here’s few photos. 

Thank you to our sponsors:
My dress: B Fine Consign
Darrein’s Tux: Our Gang

 Yea, we looked rough.