Years ago I went to Jamaica – alone.

I wasn’t having a “How Stella Got her Groove Back” moment. My friends backed out at the last minute, but I wasn’t going to let their flakiness ruin my vacation.

At the airport, a guy in customs stamped my passport and said, “I’ll see you later.”

I laughed and said, “No, you won't. You don’t know where I’m staying.”

He chuckled and pointed at my travel papers. He came to my hotel that evening and asked if I wanted to get something to eat. I took a ride with him. We headed toward the mountains. My earlier nonchalance turned to fear. I should have stayed my behind inside my all-inclusive resort hotel. Now, I didn’t know where I was or where I was going, and it was dark outside.

I thought, “Lashawnda, you fool, this man could chop your head off and no one would know.”Forty minutes later, we arrived at a café, which was basically an open-air hut. He took me around back into a small, dark room. My heart pounded.

A woman stood near a wall with a huge metal pot. I looked into the pot and saw all types of live fish.

The guy said, “Pick ya fish.”

I pointed to one.

We sat at a little table in front of the hut and talked. Others sat nearby talking. A woman served beer from the café’s bar. Music played.

A few minutes later the woman brought me a plate with fried fish, coco bread, fried plantains and a Ting soda. I ate, thankful I didn’t let fear stop me from stepping outside of my fancy hotel – and that he didn’t chop my head off.

Although, I wouldn’t repeat something as crazy as driving around Jamaica with a stranger, I do like adventure. Style Essentials reflects my sense of adventure. Whether it’s testing new products, attending events or looking at the latest trends in fashion. In this blog, I will challenge society’s perceptions of what it means to be black, beautiful and fabulous.