If I asked you to describe your perfect day, what would you say?

A perfect day doesn’t mean everything goes right. It means you did what you wanted to do, and despite any obstacles, when you sat down at the end of the night, you smiled and felt at peace.

For a long time, I didn’t think those days would happen for me—until one did. On my birthday. Let me tell you about it.

It had been an eventful week, but as I stepped into my new age, I knew one thing: I wanted intention to be the name of the game.

And that’s exactly what it was.

Coming into my birthday, there was so much I was leaving behind. And maybe that’s why I could finally focus on the present.

I started my day with prayer and an iced coffee (of course).
Followed by a phone call with my godfather.
Then, I put on my monochrome burgundy outfit and headed to my favorite café.
I arrived and treated myself to my favorite danish—and, thanks to birthday perks, a free strawberry matcha.
Next, I spent the afternoon at the Institute of Contemporary Art.
And to end the night, I had dinner at a Caribbean-inspired restaurant.

But it wasn’t just the places or the plans that made it perfect.

It was the way my smile and my natural hair illuminated every outfit I wore.

Dear adopted Black women, we can create our perfect days. Perfect doesn’t have to be as rigid as we once thought.

So, write yours out. Then go live it.

From the road with love,

Teisha