There’s a memory I carry with me, one that feels as close as my own breath. It’s of my grandmother, Johnnie Mae, sitting on the porch of her house in Newport News, Virginia. The sun would dip low, casting long shadows across the yard, and the scent of smothered fried chicken would drift from the kitchen—rich, savory, and full of love.
That smell alone was enough to ground me, to remind me that no matter where I wandered, I had a place I could always return to. A place where comfort was woven into every meal, and harmony filled the air.
I can still see her there, sitting with that quiet strength, as if the whole world moved around her while she stayed rooted. Her porch was a sanctuary, and her kitchen was a space of magic—where something as simple as a meal became a ritual of love, care, and nourishment. In that space, the power of home and food was more than just a necessity; it was a way of anchoring us, of binding us together in ways that words never could.
As I grew older and began my own journey—living between Harlem and Paris, traveling across cultures, learning the language of new places—I realized how deeply that sense of home had shaped me. I became what some would call a “third-culture kid,” a child of the world, never fully anchored to one place, but finding pieces of home in many. And through it all, I carried with me the lessons my grandmother taught without ever saying a word: that home is not just where you live; it’s where you create comfort, where you ground yourself, where you nourish both body and soul.
Food, like home, is one of the most powerful tools we have to create harmony in our lives. I’ve learned this over the years—not just through the meals that remind me of my roots, but through the way I’ve come to understand food as a bridge between cultures, as a language in itself. It connects us to our past, our heritage, but also to each other. It allows us to create spaces where we feel safe, loved, and fully ourselves, even when the world outside feels chaotic.
In the upcoming Traciana Diaries, I’ll be exploring this very connection—the power of home and food to create comfort, grounding, and harmony, especially for high achievers like myself who are often moving at such a pace that we forget to pause and root ourselves. These reflections will be personal, drawing from my own experiences, my travels, and the many lessons I’ve learned from the kitchens and homes that have welcomed me. And always, in the back of my mind, there will be the memory of my grandmother—her porch, her kitchen, her quiet strength.
In this series, my team and I will also be embracing the nourishing aspects of Cuisine & Home by placing an emphasis on comfort-making, as we prepare to share our findings in our upcoming podcast and newsletter. Together, we are creating tranquility in our homes, while also learning to leave our internal comfort zones. As I’ve taken intentional steps to balance my home with serenity during this exciting launch phase of the H360 community—a journey 20 years in the making—my home has become a sanctuary, offering me comfort as I navigate pre-launch nerves.
I believe that no matter where we are in the world, no matter how far we travel, we all need spaces where we can feel at home. Spaces where we can slow down, nourish ourselves, and reconnect with who we truly are. Food is a powerful part of that. It’s more than sustenance—it’s ritual, it’s tradition, it’s the taste of belonging. In these diaries, I hope to share the ways I’ve come to understand this, and how we can all tap into the power of home and food to create balance and harmony in our busy lives.
I invite you to join me on this journey, as we explore what it means to create a home wherever we are, and how food can become a tool for grounding and healing. Together, we’ll find ways to honor our roots, even as we grow, and learn how to cultivate comfort and connection—both with ourselves and with those around us.
Because, as I’ve learned from my grandmother and my travels, home is never just a place. It’s something we carry within us. And food? It’s the thread that ties it all together.
—Traciana
An Invitation
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