I spent the last seven days of 2023 in Antigua with my parents, my siblings, some extended family, and my son, Leo, who was 10 months old at the time. It was my first trip after becoming a mom, which made having the whole family in one place even more exciting. Instead of staying at a resort, we rented this huge three-story house with a view of the mountains. We brought in a local chef who cooked Antiguan food like plantains and saltfish for breakfast; massage therapists for treatments on our big outdoor balcony; and instructors who led yoga sessions by the pool. My little sister Lawrencia is big on traveling and planning, so she made the schedule. We sailed on a private catamaran to a secluded area of the island, where a chef cooked fish and veggies on a makeshift grill. After lunch we went swimming. The coral reefs were so orange, yellow, and blue. We even swam with stingrays. We went in the water almost every day, even Leo. He was so little that we all kept passing him around from person to person. Being with my family and having my son there, I thought, was very representative of what my life was now going to be like. I remember a moment when I was breastfeeding Leo and just feeling really supported by everyone around me. I had been working so much that past year. Then things started to slow down because of the baby. Having Leo allowed me to make choices for my peace and calm that I didn’t always make for myself, like taking this vacation. Actually, that’s the thing I remember most about Antigua: a sense of calmness. I’ve been to other islands in the Caribbean that can feel very different, very live and in-your-face. I mean, Antigua has some of that too: Toward the end of the trip, my parents babysat Leo while my siblings and I had a little nightclub moment. But overall Antigua felt very calm to me. Maybe that’s just how I felt. Because I got to be with the people I love.
Keke Palmer stars in the film Good Fortune, in theaters October 17. This article appeared in the November 2025 issue of Condé Nast Traveler. Subscribe to the magazine here.
