R&B singer, actress, and founding member of Destiny’s Child, LeToya Luckett will tell you herself that she loves a good vacation. Recently serving as a co-host at the inaugural Honeyland Festival, Luckett equally enjoys returning home to enjoy the familiarity of her hometown, Houston.
Travel Noire spoke with Luckett about her favorite types of vacations and destinations, and discovering worthiness through self-care.
Travel Noire: What restaurant or dish do you have to eat when you’ve been away from Houston for a while?
LeToya Luckett: The Breakfast Club’s seafood gumbo. I eat gumbo year-round, [and] don’t care if it’s hot outside [or] if I’m sweating while I’m eating. I love some good gumbo.
TN: What is your preferred vacation type? Are you a beach lover or do you prefer something more rustic?
LL: I love the beach, but my favorite destination is Sedona. It’s a place where I go, connect and center. It’s where I go to refill my cup, and it’s so peaceful there. I love seeing the desert, and I love the heat.
[However], I love a good beach, [like in] the Bahamas [and] the Turks and Caicos. I’ll do Italy and all those different things, but I need some good food. I need a good beach, sand between my toes, [and] a good sunset.
TN: What’s your preferred travel style? Are you vacationing with the family, your girls or a bae trip?
LL: Now, that’s an unfair question. I love taking my kids on vacation. [Although] they’re toddlers now and half the time they don’t know where we are unless we’re at Disney World, I love taking them to different places and letting them get to experience different cultures. I want to do more of that with them, but it isn’t like [taking] a baecation. We can [also] sprinkle in a girls’ trip.
I love traveling by myself [and] used to do that a lot. I haven’t got to do it since having kids. It’s beautiful, and I still feel safe. It’s whatever you’re feeling at the time that you need, but I love a baecation and I love taking my kiddos.
TN: Recently, you talked about transitioning from the group to your solo career and getting into your worthiness as a solo artist. Can you speak to what that looked like for you?
LL: First of all, give yourself time. Be gentle. Give yourself grace. A lot of times we feel like if we’re not moving, then we’re not doing the right thing. We’re not doing enough. That’s the best way to put it. What we have to realize is that we are enough.
You have to start looking within yourself, being happy and having peace with yourself before you’re able to take on the world. Taking a beat and giving yourself a break will also help you figure out what your next move should be and how your pivot should look. Giving myself the grace to take enough time to say, “Okay, what’s next? Even though going in this direction seems a little uncomfortable.”
I allowed God to speak [and] reveal. There are so many other cultures that take holidays for months and give themselves a break and rest. It’s so important to pour into yourself and allow yourself to be poured into, especially when you’re going through a challenging moment and you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. That’s when God is telling you to get still. Sometimes taking a vacation, taking a self-cation and taking some time to reflect is all the medicine you need.
This article has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.