Hey Family,
Happy Independence Day Weekend. I don't usually celebrate this particular holiday with a full weekend itinerary, but thankfully I did this year. On Saturday, I attended
On Friday, another chronicling friend Vernae texted me from the Essence Fest. Man, every year I say I want to go but always forget to plan a trip down there. During our short convo, I started reminiscing about the one and only time I traveled down there - I was 15 years old at the time and went down to Nawlins with my mom. If any of you ever decide to travel with my mother, you'll realize she likes to get into EVERYTHING. With her, it's not really a relaxed vacation. It's more like a checklist and the Essence Fest is her kind of party. The festival is full of seminars, booths, food samples, and concerts and back then, I was just tryna keep up. I was doing well - only nodding off slightly at seminars, agreeing to meet and greet with Billy Blanks & other authors, etc - until we got halfway through the weekend. After one of the concerts, we decided to go to an after-party. I remember standing in line with her, completely bug-eyed and nervous because I was so underage. I'm not sure if they let me in because I was tall and looked over 18 or because I was with another woman who was obviously over 21 and almost identical to me. But inside the party, I got my first taste of an older man flirting with me. I was two-stepping and here this bugger comes trying to get closer to me with every beat. 'Where are you from? Aaah, you can move.' I think paralysis set in with each question or comment and before I knew it, my mother yanked the back of my shirt. For whatever reason, I still gave a shy wave to the guy and breathed a sigh of relief that Jacquie Chavis pulled the Mommy card. On our way out, we took pictures with Robert Horry and went back to the hotel. By that time, it was 3am.
So, we went to a seminar the next day and I was pooped. I don't remember anything but cloudy vision and then changing clothes for the Luther Vandross concert. I was excited but I needed sleep...so I gave in to the Sandman's pleading and slept. The whole concert. Here we are in the 6th row and my head is bobbing back and forth. My mom nudges me, I jump up, snap my fingers for maybe 20 seconds, and nod off again. Then, a random guy asked if something was wrong or if I was sick. I said no, and went back to sleep. Apparently, my nodding was so bad that this man asked my mom if I was drugged. I missed most of that concert, although I did clap and scream when Luther shouted out the cue. :)
This was the first taste of night life and my first real bout with sleep deprivation. Fast forward to my graduation trip in 2006. My mom and I visited LA at the time and again, we had a pretty strict agenda. I held on until the very last day. We toured everywhere we could for a full seven days and that day, we took a trip to Disney World. After about an 1.5 hours of heat, I just had a moment. 'I can't take it anymore. It is too hot! I'm headed to the car.' LOL This outburst was followed by another declaration that 'I'm not going anywhere on our last night, I am tired and I want to relax.' (Love you, Mommy!)
10 years later after my first vacation - I can hang with the best of them BUT if I don't get at least 5 hours of sleep, I will be nodding off in any corner imaginable. I have passed out in diners, museums, anywhere that I can close my eyes! Thankfully, I was able to party this weekend, get sleep, play in the sun, and just nap for 5 minutes if need be. Honestly, I did fall asleep while waiting for dinner last night. Ahhh well...I AM still the energizer bunny!
Have a great week!
Life is our playground,
Kristen Victoria
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