I Guess We Really Out Here.

As long as this website stayed dormant, I didn’t have to completely immerse myself into this process. All my efforts were tucked safely right in my head, not out here on display. But now that it’s live, there’s no going back into obscurity—it’s time to step out. So, hi, I’m Felicia. I’ll be your copilot. Relax and enjoy the ride.

I remember this day in New York, summer 2019, vividly.

My cousin and I had planned this juicy weekend getaway to Curlfest, where we were going to vibe out with our fellow naturalistas. We booked our spa day, hit up Curlfest, went to a comedy show, checked out a few restaurants, and topped it all off with a helicopter ride as the cherry on top.

We get there, go through the little safety briefing, and we're ready for takeoff. My cell phone battery was on 1000%, ready to get that iconic feet-hanging-out-of-the-helicopter shot. It was a whole moment on Insta. Anyway, we’re standing in line. A couple people ahead of us and then it’s finally our turn. Next thing you know, there are like 5 other people waiting by the door. Wait. How we all gon' fit in there? How many seats are in this thing? This was my first helicopter ride, so I didn’t know the logistics, but I knew one thing for sure: I wasn’t signing up for the middle seat. Nope. Not happening. I wanted my moment—feet out, wind in my hair, the whole deal.

Man, when I tell you we were packed in there like sardines! We won the battle, but lost the war. We got the seats we wanted, but comfort? Literally out the window. We had to ride perched outside the whole time. Even though we had a sliver of leg room and were only tethered by a harness I wasn’t fully trusting, I still felt sorry for the girl stuck in the middle seat. Could you imagine? We made brief eye contact, but I quickly looked away.

It’s funny how in your mind, you’ve got it all worked out, and then bam—reality hits, and it’s nothing like you imagined. The thrill wore off real quick. It was not giving what it was supposed to give. The view was nice, I got the shot, but honestly? Get me off this thing; I’m over it. Funny enough, I signed up for this. Paid my own way. Nobody forced me. I committed to this journey, so I had to see it through, even though I had an uncomfortable t-minus an hour and fifteen minutes left in this position. Wind smacking me in the face left and right, but as my Senior Pastor would say, “we out here now.” Yep, I was out there. Not so gracefully. Not so demure.

I launched my YouTube channel in November 2022, knowing I was purposed for this. And just like that helicopter ride, it’s been nothing like I imagined. You think you’ve got a plan, that everything’s gonna go smooth, but then the winds start blowing, the seat gets uncomfortable, and you realize this ride is way different from what you signed up for. But here I am, showing up. Committed to the process. Perched in my seat, wind testing my gangsta, no turning back. The journey is long, but I’ve already come this far, so I’ll see it through. After all, we are indeed out here now.