There’s something emotional about traveling with your mother as an adult, especially after life changes in ways you never fully prepare for. When my mom came to visit from Puerto Rico recently, I knew I wanted us to have a trip that felt fun, relaxing, and meaningful at the same time. What I didn’t expect was just how much this Tampa Bay getaway would stay with me afterward.

Recently, I had the opportunity to experience Complications in Sue, the groundbreaking modern opera produced by Opera Philadelphia with a libretto by Michael R. Jackson and staged at the historic Wilma Theater in Philadelphia. It featured ten composers documenting the life of one woman across ten decades. From the moment the lights dimmed, the production challenged every preconceived notion theater-goers have about what opera should be. But then, an effervescent figure sauntered onto the stage — instantly shifting the energy in the room. 

There’s something about a South Florida icon stepping into a new era that just feels electric, and the newly reimagined Signia by Hilton Diplomat Beach Resort leans all the way into that moment. From the second you walk in, you can tell this isn’t just a refresh, but it’s a full transformation that still holds onto everything people have loved about this beachfront staple for decades, while confidently introducing something more elevated and experience driven.

There are weekends that feel like a reset, and then there are the ones that linger long after you’ve unpacked your bag.

Billy Lewis was 18 when he walked into a gay bar in Cleveland in 1975. A week later, he was back — with a gown, a wig, and a new name. That night marked the start of what would become five decades of female impersonation as Cathy Craig, now a drag legend in South Florida.

There are New York trips, and then there are the ones that stay with you a little longer than expected. The ones where everything just clicks, like the energy, the people, the moments you didn’t plan but somehow needed. The kind of trip where you’re already nostalgic for it before you’ve even left.