Growing up I remember anxiously asking my older sister after school, threatening to be devastated if she forgot, "You remembered to record Oprah right?! I CAN'T miss Oprah!", as we made our way home from the bus stop. Like clockwork, the eye-roll came first then, "Yes... I remembered to record Oprah." As I rushed inside, I would grab a snack, hit the couch and get the VCR ready for the best part of my day.
Fast forward 20 years later, when I found out Oprah was coming to town, the first text I sent was to the group chat with my mom and sisters "OPRAHHHHHH"S COMIIIINNNG" with a million Oprah gifs. I didn't even know how much tickets cost or what she would be in town for but I knew I had to be there. We got the pre-sale code instantly purchased 10 tickets (additional for family and friends) and I can honestly say, it was the best decision I made of 2019. I later found out it was part of the WW: Oprah's 2020 Vision Tour where she would be discussing an array of things with special guests and got even more excited.
The day started out with music dancing for about 30 minutes before Aunty O herself (yes, Aunty O -- in my head, we're on a nickname basis) graced me (and 17,000 other people) with her presence. "Good Mornnninggg Dallllllasssss" she screamed as she floated across the stage just as you would imagine. I knew at that moment the day was going to be magical. She radiated this certain energy that is unexplainable but can be only be felt through literally her sheer presence. We started the morning discussing our why's and our purpose. She went on to talk about wellness and stress in an interactive workshop where she gave each attendee a workbook with reflective questions that allowed you to measure what areas you were struggling in; we covered nutrition, faith, relationships, finances, exercise and so much
more.
After we took a lunch break, she invited Tracee Ellis Ross on stage for a one-on-one discussing what beauty, wellness, and living unapologetically looks like to her and why it is so important that as humans we value our energy and honor our true selves. She spoke about being raised by Diana Ross or as she so delicately put it "she's just mommy to me". How she herself (Tracee) has been held back by fears that have paralyzed her for operating at her highest potential until most recently and just gave us a raw, vulnerable insight into who she is as at her core as a human.
By the time we left there was not a dry eye or untouched soul in the building. Throughout the day, I laughed, I cried, I danced, I sang but most importantly, I learned so much. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience and was everything I needed to feel encouraged to continue to face life head-on with intention. If you have the opportunity to attend one of the conferences, I highly recommend it. It will be worth every penny and more.