50-Something Diary: Spend a Slow Weekend With Me

50-Something Diary: Spend a Slow Weekend With Me

A Weekend Built on Peace.

At 54, I chose peace over plans for my birthday. A cozy Airbnb stay, movies, grilled food, and laughter with my husband made for the perfect slow weekend. This 50-something diary entry is a love letter to doing less and feeling more.

I didn’t want much for my birthday this year, no big surprises, no schedules, no “where we headed next?” conversations. 

I just wanted to rest, the kind that lets your shoulders drop from doing so much from day to day. And this year, my family gave me exactly that. #familylove

They booked me a little Airbnb not too far from home, but far enough for it to feel like an escape. I did not have to rush for no airports, no traffic, no bags to check, just a quiet space where time could slow down and I could, too. 

Rico and I stayed in the entire weekend. For the first time, we didn’t rush or overthink our plans. We just enjoyed driving through the countryside outside of Dallas, Texas. I got a chance to laugh out loud and gossip with my husband, it felt like being new friends again. That in itself felt like a gift that I want to keep reliving over and over again. We get so busy that we often forget to slow down from putting work, life, and others first. And, now that I am getting older, I am re-prioritizing my life.

Pizza, Movies, and Laughter Like New Love

The first night, we went full nostalgia: Pizza Hut pizza, the kind you don’t leave a single slice behind. We stayed up late with cheap wine and scary movies. Now, I’ll be honest, the scary movies in an unfamiliar place were not a good idea. I tapped out after a few jump scares and switched over to Final Destination because at least I knew how that chaos ended, and I've seen it several times.  The next day, we watched Girls Trip, which was loud, wild, and honestly a little over the top, but I laughed hard and didn’t stop until 2 AM. That’s medicine I didn’t know I needed and wanted.

No Plans, Just Presence

The next morning started slowly with coffee, yogurt, and a few more movies, which we watched for hours. We never left the Airbnb, not even once. We didn’t need to. That evening, I chopped up onions and bell peppers, threw spicy sausage and cheese hot dogs on the grill, and played a hilariously competitive game of putt-putt that  I may or may not have cheated to win, but Rico let me win. 

Although this little getaway was packed with movies, food, and laughter, what I cherished most was the peace. I let go of everything outside those four walls. No noise, no pressure to be productive, no expectations. Just rest. And as I sit here editing these photos, I realize how much I did exactly what I wanted to do, with my time, my energy, my life.

This Is What Rest Looks Like for Me Now

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it means to live at 50-something. I’ve traveled, worked, hustled, and shown up for everyone and everything. But now, I'm carving out time for small, meaningful moments, the kind that help me feel alive, happy, and mentally free. Slowing down isn’t about missing out. It’s about honoring what my body, my mind, and my soul need.

There are seven days in a week, and I’ve spent too many of them rushing through. These days, I want to use them wisely. Quiet weekends like this remind me: life isn’t meant to be lived in constant motion. Sometimes, closing yourself off from the world is the best thing you can do for yourself.

This birthday wasn’t about a big celebration for once in my life. It was about choosing stillness, quietness. It was about enjoying the mundane, pizza, eating, movies, playing putt-putt golf, and backyard grilling. It felt good to just stay in my own city, with the people I love, and do absolutely nothing... beautifully.

Lastly: Let's Normalize Doing Less

As women, especially black women, we don’t talk about this enough, but choosing a quiet weekend isn’t being lazy or boring. It’s a beautiful thing. We don’t always have to go, do, achieve, or save the world. It's ok to take our superwoman, I can do it all, cape off. Sometimes, choosing peace is the loudest kind of love you can give yourself. 

So here’s to women like us, who are learning to live beyond existing, and to soft escapes, silly movies, slow mornings, and weekends that aren’t about what you do but how you feel.

“My birthday this year wasn’t about a trip. It was about choosing me, myself, and I.”

So here’s to living beyond existing.
Until next time, see you in the next post.
xo, Tangie