Here’s something I’ve noticed: So many people, especially women, behave as if they can’t do something if they aren’t doing it with someone. While desiring companionship is wonderful, it also creates a sense of fear when it comes to traveling alone.
Hitch Hiking, but not alone.
Solo traveling does NOT mean you’re alone.
Solo traveling, or independent traveling, just means that you’re in control of your time. Here is what I propose:
Reframe How You Think About Being Alone
In our culture, loneliness seems to have ties to self-worth. When we feel really isolated, we seem to think that we’re less-than. We get all wrapped up inside of our heads thinking that because we’re alone, nobody wants to be with us. Loneliness makes us feel undesirable.
I’m writing this during Corona, and I can see loneliness changing people. We are being left to feel our grief and anxiety and confusion alone in our living rooms. We feel alone in the world, so we reach out to technology to connect us. We Zoom to talk about our feelings, and we feel validated by group messages.
When I say ‘our culture’ I mean you. I mean the folks who turn to the internet for conversation. It’s not a bad thing. It just means that we’re all out here, feeling connected all of the time. It helps us to combat our loneliness.
Then the question becomes, even if we’re alone, are we really, you know, alone?
I traveled solo to Sweden, but met super cool people on a Couchsurfing tour. I wasn’t lonely OR alone.
There is a difference between solitude, loneliness, and being alone.
It can be super difficult to be alone. Heck, even I’m guilty of taking my phone into the bathroom with me. Why do I need to be connected in the bathroom?
I don’t, but I am.
I encourage you to play with solitude.
Get to know yourself by being alone. Even sit in loneliness for a while. It might not be hard during Corona, but it might also be super hard since we’re now more attached to our phones than ever before.
You can become stronger through loneliness.
And, here’s the thing. When it comes to traveling solo, I rarely feel lonely. In fact, I’m rarely alone.
Not only that but the more that I’m alone, the more I come into myself; I find my center. I become friends with my solitude. We’re tight. We challenge each other. Together, my solitude, my independence, my fears, my travels, and I become stronger. We move each other forward.
Last week, I visited the Big Easy for the second time this year. My first impression of the city was cheap and unfair. I indulged in beignets and ‘world famous’ coffee, and chased my days with $12 drinks. After 4 days I’d seen races and racism; I’d seen smiles wider than the river. I saw confidence, I saw contentment, and I saw comfort. I left thinking I’d found the Sorbonne of southern culture.
I. Love. New Orleans.
I left knowing I’d missed something, though.
So, five months passed and I gave myself two days to try again. Hereare my impressions from a 6:30 AM walk through the city.
I came back to drink down my impressions. They went down as easy as smooth jazz and tin can art. Precarious beads dangle from a carnival of ambiguously supported balconies. In a pinch, the thread holding the structure in place might in fact be beads, tossed up innocently parades ago.
Every city is most itself after a nightly reset. 6am, and New Orleans scoffs at ‘reset’. Open containers of daiquiri wave hello to a warm cup of chickory. Both empty cups know that this is the city that never sleeps.
This particular morning glows with Bourbon, spilling over with sugar and mint. New Orleans is most comfortably itself under the watchful eye of St. Louis. The people are grits and honey, homemade car washes, and decaffeinated inhibitions.
A city leveled several times over, NOLA’s flag elaborates on its soul. As timeless as the fleur de lis itself, the real coat of arms is a symphony of colors with vibrations to match. C’est vrai, several lands meet here. Love, adventure, and enchantment alone fix broken bones of homes.
6am, laughing in New Orleans. Here, cacophony meets peace. Here, the first cigarette of the day counts down to a life lived at the speed of a bayou.
Recently, the idea of ‘female solo travel’, has come across my radar quite a bit. I’ve read countless blogs and been so impressed by these women who take off on trips lasting from a week to several years on their own.
The blogs have a pretty predictable script: I wanted to do something bold, this is how I stay safe, look at all these awesome things I’ve done.
Now I’ve been compelled to take off on a solo journey of my own, but have no idea where to start. Where would I go? How will I pay for it? Where will I stay? When will I leave, and for how long? The possibilities are endless, and overwhelming.
As a self-proclaimed introverted Extrovert (ENTP), I love to flex my mental muscles. I have planned hundreds of trips in my mind, seldom planning on who they will be with. I’ve never minded the idea of traveling alone, nor have I ever entertained the idea that I might have already accomplished solo travel.
Skip this part if you want the CliffsNotes version:
Let’s take a step back.
Travel experience as an adult #1- I was 19 and moved to France to work in a language-focused summer camp. I didn’t know anyone there, had met my boss once on Skype and had about 5 emails with him before I left.
#2- Road trip around IL, IN, OH, KY, TN to Bonnaroo, Mammoth Caves, and Dayton. Met a friend in Dayton and couch surfed and camped for 6 days.
#3- Midwest roadtrip with Shane. Camped and stayed with his parents for 2 weeks, went to Electric Forest, Cedar Point, several breweries, Cleveland, museums, etc.
#4- Study abroad trip to Cyprus. I didn’t know a single soul before I went, had an apartment, and traveled quite a bit while I was there.
#5- Simply for notability, I booked plane tickets from Cyprus to Tel Aviv and spent my two week spring break traveling through Israel and Palestine, couch surfing, taking buses, and stayed a night in a hostel.
#6- Went to Chicago for 5 days to spend time at a conference with several entrepreneurs that I had never met before.
NOT ONCE did I ever consider that I was traveling alone.
Seriously. Since graduating High School I’ve been to 17 countries and 18 states.
I just did it; I have already done several trips that qualify as ‘female solo travel’. I didn’t necessarily need any one person by my side, I just fulfilled my need to GO. I moved to Texas knowing one person there. I moved to Iowa State knowing two people there.
Not once during these travels or big moves did I feel alone. With almost every one of these experiences, I came out of it with a new best friend.
Between couch surfing, bus rides, hostels, work and volunteerism friends, classmates, and hitch hiking, I was never alone.
The concept of never being alone kills my inner introvert. But what made me nervous and excited about traveling is what fuels my inner extravert- I get to meet new people and experiences everywhere I went, without the premise of making anyone but myself happy.
I travel with no intent on arriving, and I love with fervor. It’s a wonderful combination to take into the wide world.
Take that a step further: When was the last time you were happy alone? Do you know how to be happy alone?
These musings are the number one reason why people tell me they don’t want to travel solo: They’re afraid of being lonely.
As we settle into different levels of self-isolation, this question might be easier to answer than ever before. However, that’s not what I’m asking.
I want you to identify when you were not just without people, but not reachable. A time when you’ve stopped any sort of one or two-way communication with the outside world: no scrolling on facebook, no ability for someone to reach into your mental space.
Maybe your phone was off in another room and you were reading. Perhaps all you did was leave your phone in the living room while you went to the bathroom.
Was it in the last week? Longer? Were you happy?
Why People Don’t Travel Solo
When people tell me that they couldn’t travel alone, they typically give me one of three objections: They don’t know where to start the solo travel process, they don’t know how to plan a trip, and they think that they don’t want to be lonely.
If you’ve been reading my other writing for a while, you’ve probably learned that I don’t spend a lot of time alone despite traveling solo. To combat being alone, I :
Stay in hostels so I can be social with other guests
Take group tours or join classes to meet people
When solo in northern Israel, I met this girl. She and a friend were out taking photos, and they kind of borrowed me and decided I was their friend for the hour.
You Don’t Have to Learn Before You Go
Solo travel is something that I don’t think I learned to do intentionally. I did it a lot before I realized I’d done it.
I remember telling a friend a couple of years ago that I was planning my first solo travel experience. She looked at me baffled. In fact, she told me I’d been doing it for years. “Sure,” I said, “But I mean like really going somewhere on my own”.
A Couple of Quick Stories
Let me tell you about the times I didn’t realize I’d solo traveled.
After freshman year of college, I had the opportunity to teach English in France for the summer. I went not knowing anyone, but knew that I’d be with a bunch of like-minded English speakers all summer.
I went on study abroad to Cyprus as the only person from my university. I didn’t know anyone on the program, but I knew there were 70 other people who would only be in Cyprus for a semester, so we’d probably become friends.
I went to Israel and Palestine for two weeks knowing that some friends’ families would help me out when I was there. I had people to lean on, so I didn’t see it as going solo.
In Hong Kong, I traveled solo but Couch Surfed. A stranger became my saving grace while there. Story here
How to be happy alone:
As in non-traveling life, making friends is weird. However, it’s typically easier when traveling if you play your cards right.
In this video, I outline how to make friends while traveling. The internet is riddled with blogs and tips, but here’s the thing: when you’re traveling, you have more in common with the person next to you than not.
Think about it. The person next to you has likely come from a similar place, and something similar drew them there. They’re also away from home and likely looking for someone to share the joy of traveling with. A simple comment on their travel gear can kick off a day of camaraderie or at least some interesting stories.
I know I’m oversimplifying it. I’m basically saying, “Well, then just don’t be alone!”. It’s not that easy. However, if you go out of your way to meet people, you will. Here are a few ideas:
Stay in group housing such as hostels. Many have single rooms but common areas full of people looking to meet others, and some even host events for guests to do things together.
Go on group tours. This can be 7-day tours or activities for a few hours in the afternoon at your destination.
Hang out in tourist areas. It’s ok to read a book in the park or stay at a restaurant a little longer.
Use technology. Apps like meetup.com and Couchsurfing have meetups of all kinds all around the globe.
“Alone” On a beach in Morocco
How Alone Do You Want To Be?
This is a real question. I have friends who go off on ‘think weeks’. They lock themselves up somewhere far from society and turn their phones and TV’s off and are intentional about their thoughts and actions.
Other friends go on cruises for singles in hopes of spending lots of time with other people. This is their idea of being alone.
Other friends show up to motorcycle rides alone in hopes of making future biking friends.
Here’s the truth nugget: If you want to meet lots of people but go lock yourself in a cabin in the woods, you’re going to have an awful solo trip. If you want to meet lots of people but stay at a hostel near the woods or a campground with lots of community activities, you might have the best ever solo trip. It’s up to you.
It really comes down to effort and mindset. So, let’s talk about mindset.
If you’ve ever wondered to yourself, ‘Should I travel solo?’ then I have news for you. It’s going to change you, in ways you might not be ready for. Here’s a bunch of reasons that you should NOT travel solo.
It’s addicting
My first hit of solo travel was going to work abroad with a bunch of people that I didn’t know. I was hooked right away and started taking day and weekend trips away from my colleagues. My addiction escalated and a few years later I studied abroad with a group of people from around the world that I didn’t know. After graduation, I joined the workforce and I started taking weeklong trips to countries that I didn’t know the language. It got so bad that I started going on extravagant road trips to national parks and even went camping alone.
Antigua, Guatemala on Thanksgiving 2017
Now, I am so far down the rabbit hole of solo travel that I book travel before finding anyone to go with. The addiction is real, and if the first step is to admit that I have a problem, then group travel is simply not a rehab program that I’m interested in.
You’ll experience too much
I hear people say that they don’t want to solo travel because they’ll get lonely. While I understand that it’s easy to confuse being alone with being lonely, I have to object. Loneliness means that you’re seeking conversation, and conversation means a new experience with a new person.
Because I stay in hostels and take tours in English, it’s pretty rare that I go longer than I want to without having a great conversation with someone. Once you learn to start conversations with other travelers and locals, the whole travel experience changes!
When it comes to other travelers, I find it super easy to strike up conversations! Most of the time, when you meet another solo traveler, they welcome the conversation. I was traveling on my own and stayed in a hostel on Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. The hostel had community breakfast and I sat at a table with people from 5 countries and mentioned that I’d like to hike to the next town over that day. One guy asked if he could join me, and we have traveled to 3 countries together since then!
2 of the breakfast crew. I traveled with Omri (right) for several days, then again in the US a few months later.
Locals will appreciate you speaking with them as well, and are typically super helpful. I remember asking for directions one time in Cyprus and it turned in to a dinner invite with the person’s entire family. If I’d been traveling with a friend and not been dependent on asking other people questions, I would never have experienced a traditional Cypriot family meal.
Do NOT solo travel if you’re not looking for new, unique experiences.
It will affect your mental health
Do you struggle to find confidence in yourself? Do you lack gratitude for what the rest of the world has to offer? Then definitely DON’T travel solo.
Traveling solo puts you in situations that will challenge you. I was once left without a flight home from Hong Kong and had no idea what to do. The same thing happened to me in Lebanon another time. I once thought I had a broken foot in Croatia and had an infected ear in Thailand. I’ve had to figure my way out of situations many times and it is exhausting. It left me more confident in my abilities and more mentally resilient than I could have imagined.
Me figuring things out in Hong Kong when the airport was shut down due to protests
Not only that, but being outside of my comfort zone brought me a deep appreciation for both where I’ve visited and where I am from. Before visiting the Middle East, I only knew what I had seen on the news. I still chose to visit, but only because I had friends of friends that were going to hold my hand the whole time. While there, I camped and ate the most amazing food of my life. I saw what was behind the news-created curtain, and I developed keen gratitude for the freedoms that my passport allows.
You’ll be forced into doing things you aren’t ready for
Oh, so you’re not looking to grow as a person? Great, then don’t travel solo. Because let me tell ya, I have had to do some things that I was not ready for.
Did I want to have to figure out the Paris metro system without cell service? Nope, but I did because I didn’t know I could buy a SIM card. Was I comfortable asking strangers for help with my Duolingo level Arabic? Nope, but it was my only option. Did I want to jump off a cliff? No, but I did because I was in the Mediterranean and felt silly saying no. Was I ready to say goodbye to the amazing people that I learned to surf with? No, but life moves on and so did I.
Pulled over to watch the sunset at a park in Croatia.. except it turned out to be these fellas’ farm! They served us snacks and drinks and showed us around, plus taught us about the Yugoslavian war.
Traveling, especially solo traveling, will put you into situations that you can’t plan for. Which leads me to my final point…
It will leave you changed
If you like who you are right now, then definitely don’t take off on a solo adventure. You will come back with stories that people might not relate with, and you won’t have a person by your side to reminisce with. In fact, the people that you share the memories with might be a Facebook message and a world away.
You will not come back from solo travel as the same person. Things that felt intimidating before you left will seem trivial now. You might find yourself going to dinner alone or striking up conversations with strangers.
Hitchhiking in Cyprus with a box of cookies in my hand
The bottom line
If you’re not looking for a new addiction that makes you a more interesting person, then don’t solo travel. It will only leave you worse for the wear – you’ll become a more resilient, educated, outgoing version of yourself. And really, who wants that?
I’ve hitchhiked in the Middle East, slept in a hammock in Central America, and now camped solo in the US. Part of what I do is meet people and share their stories to help my friends, family, and readers see that for the most part, people are better than good. Even with these experiences, people still ask me how I stay safe while traveling solo.
I can think of exactly two close calls I’ve had in regards to my safety in all my years traveling. Here’s a couple of good stories, and a couple that will make my parents nervous to hear:
Hitchhiking in Cyprus
Hitchhiking:
A good friend and I hitched all the time when we studied abroad in Cyprus. We would hitchhike downtown, the beach, and more. To stay safe, we never did it alone, and always had a safe word. If one of us noticed that there was something off about the driver or other passengers, we’d say ‘watermelon’. Or maybe it was ‘blueberries’. We liked our fruit, I guess.
If the person had kids in the car, they were typically so fun! Multiple people were usually great too. We had folks invite us to their parent’s homes for dinner and a couple of drivers tried to teach us how the buses worked.
A story: There was one time that we were coming back from the beach and my friend went around to get in the back seat and I reached for the passenger seat door. I noticed a stack of nudie mags on the front seat and yelled, “WATERMELON!”. My friend immediately came back to my side of the car and we flipped the guy off and walked against the grain of traffic when he tried to stay there.
If we needed to say no or jump out, we didn’t care about hurting their feelings – our safety was more important.
Camping Solo:
My family camped often when I was a kid, and I’ve gone with my friends several times as an adult. my first solo camping trip I noticed my neighbor noticing me set up my tent. I waved and finished setting up before walking over to introduce myself. Within 30 seconds I had a dinner invite for the following evening, and we chatted the night away. Until 9, because time works differently when you’re camping.
The next afternoon I was getting back from my hike and his wife waved me over. “We have these seltzer drinks that our daughter likes. She’s about your age. Don’t bring any snacks or beer over, ya hear?” Loud and clear! We ate amazing homemade food, conversed, watched the sunset, and played with their dogs. The next morning when I went to leave, she gave me her extra hand cream (the mountain air was drying me out!) and made me a fresh cup of coffee.
Campfire with my neighbor pals!
Couch Surfing: Stay safe while traveling solo
I have couch surfed over 80 times since 2011. Couchsurfing.org is a website that connects travelers with locals, typically offering a night to stay in their home as a self-guided cultural exchange. One of my first experiences was in Paris, and reached out to a couple of people to host me. One person had a full bed instead of a couch as well as a weekday off work to show me around his favorite spots in the city.
When I arrived, the bed was a shared bed, and he gave me weird vibes even before arriving at his apartment. While he was in the bathroom, I grabbed my things and left. I never heard from him after that.
Sleeping Outside:
One of my favorite hostels in the world is in Nicaragua. To get there, you have to meet a pickup truck ‘taxi’ in the city square in Granada, then ride out to a mountain about 10km outside of the city. Then, you have to carry your bags up a mountain. There is no service out there, and the only establishment on the mountain is the hostel. The rooms are all open air, and the hostel is just hammocks in a treehouse. To get from room to room, you have to walk across rope bridges.
The meals there were all family-style, and the howler monkeys screamed all night. However, I slept like an angel, and am taking a group of girls there at the end of this year if all works out.
Sleeping in Hammocks in Nicaragua
So, travel smart, and expect people to love you as much as you love them. But also, don’t ever be afraid to walk away when your gut tells you to go.
Just saying the words, “Road trip” conjures up images of people piled into a car, cruising Highway 66, and blasting sing-along music with the windows down.
But, what if the record scratches and the image of a road trip becomes just one person in the car?
As solo travel gains popularity, especially among women, the idea of the perfect road trip is changing. But, if it’s your first time taking a road trip alone, you probably have some questions, and perhaps a few fears to get over first.
I’m happiest on the road <3
So, You’re Interested in Road Tripping Alone?
First of all, THAT’S AWESOME!
I’m so glad that you’re here, and considering hitting the open road with you, yourself, and you. You’re going to find so much freedom in the journey, and will come back a more independent and interesting person. So cool.
If you aren’t sure where to begin, THAT’S FINE. Keep reading, because that’s what you’re going to learn!
Here are the four areas that we’re going to cover to ensure that YOU have a successful road trip alone:
Mindset – Your mindset is the foundation of doing anything well. We’ll talk about moving through your fears and getting EXCITED about this growth opportunity.
Logistics – What you need to do BEFORE hitting the road to ensure smooth sailing.
What to Bring – Ah, yes, packing lists galore. PLUS all the apps and other things that you shouldn’t leave home without
On The Road – Doing the darn thing, and doing it well.
*Side note before we get started:
I do teach this in a course. In this article, I’m going to tell you what to do. If you want to get some 1:1 advice on how to do it, then join the course here.
A 6-week solo road trip – this was in Teton National Park
1. Mindset: The Core of A Solo Road Trip
What is the reason that you have not yet taken a solo road trip?
1.1: Eliminate What’s Holding you back
For some, it’s the lack of opportunity: you’re young and haven’t been on your own long enough to hit the road without your parents. For others, it’s fear: you’d rather have someone alongside you in case anything goes wrong.
When you’re preparing to take a solo road trip, it is important to identify what has held you back from taking one in the past.
Once you’ve identified what is holding you back, think about what you can do to eliminate that risk.
For example, I was not looking forward to spending hours upon hours staring at the windshield. On top of that, I don’t know much about cars, so I was worried that if something happened to my car, I would be stuck in the middle of nowhere, plus have the expense of towing and getting my car fixed.
To decrease those reservations, I took my car in for a check-up, got the oil changed, and subscribed to AAA. To combat all the boring time behind the wheel, I downloaded e-books and podcasts to keep my mind busy.
On last year’s 6-week road trip
1.2: Decide what will move you forward
Once you’ve figured out what’s holding you back and how to decrease or eliminate your fears, you can fuel that energy into excitement.
This means that you get to start planning your trip and creating ideas of what you’d like to do, and what you want to get out of your trip.
For example, do you want to hike a mountain alone? Do you want to spend hours driving Highway 1? Maybe you want to tour a bunch of breweries across the state of Montana (and then not drive afterwards, of course!).
When you think about what will move you forward, don’t just think of bucket list items. Instead, think about what will help you achieve your goals. For example, many people want to become more independent, so they decide to road trip alone.
Will you feel more independent when you’ve stayed in an AirBnb solo?
Will you accomplish that feeling after learning to paddleboard in Florida?
Will you succeed in feeling more independent after finally figuring out how to use the self-timer feature on your camera to showcase your solo travels to the world?
It’s up to you!
Planning: the fun part!
2. Logistics: What to do before hitting the road
Besides moving through your mindset, the logistics can feel like the most daunting part of the road trip.
Want to know a secret? I rarely plan more than one activity per day when I’m traveling solo.
This lack of planning means that I only focus on the important things: What will be fun, and where will I sleep?
However, I know that there are lots of things that I need to do to have a successful road trip. Let’s break it down in to three less cumbersome categories:
Where you’ll stay
Preparing your car
What to do along the way
2.1 What You’ll do
It might seem counter-intuitive to plan your activities before you plan your destination, but trust me here.
Think about this: If you decide that you want to road trip to Minneapolis from where you live in Chicago, that’s great. But, what if you find something super cool that you want to do, but it’s a couple of hours out of your way. If you went ahead and booked a hotel in Minneapolis, you might end up doing something completely different, just because you locked yourself into accommodation first.
Instead, take the time to plot out all the fun things that you want to do. You can find quirky roadside stops by searching RoadsideAmerica or SillyAmerica. You can ask your friends, locals, and blogs about cool spots in and around the places you’ll be visiting.
Once you have an idea of where you want to go, you’ll be able to decide where you want to stay.
I always caution people, though: Plan one big thing to do per day. This way, you don’t get bogged down trying to rush from activity to activity, rather than just enjoying the big-ticket items on your list.
Plan one thing per day on your road trip: This day’s destination was a Buddha museum!
2.2: Where you’ll stay
I’ll start by saying this: nobody can plan your dream trip for you.
Therefore, you need to stop and think about what you want this trip to look like. If your idea of fun is a 5-star hotel that you never have to leave that has a great view, then do that. If camping off the grid in a national park for a week is more your style, then do that.
Here’s how I recommend booking your accommodation:
Figure out where you plan to enjoy yourself. This is important because if you want to climb mountains in Rocky Mountain National Park all day, staying in downtown Denver probably isn’t your best bet. Therefore, when you know where you want to spend your time, you can better plan your accommodations
Use the map feature on sites like booking.com and airbnb.com to find accommodation close to where you want to be
If you plan to camp, use reserveamerica.com, bookyoursite.com, pitchup, or hipcamp
While you don’t have to book your entire trip’s accommodation before you go, it’s a good idea to get a feel for what it will cost, and if the places you want to visit are booked out in advance.
Not a bad morning view from my cabin in Teton National Park!
2.3: The Drive
Now that you know where you’ll go during the day and where you’ll lay your head at night, you can plan the trip itself.
When it comes to driving, here are a few things to keep in mind:
Know the laws about talking on the phone while driving, and adhere to them. Nothing bums out a solo trip like getting a ticket
Download audiobooks, playlists, and podcasts in advance to avoid using a bunch of data
Save your destinations in offline Google maps to make sure that if you lose signal, you can still get where you’re going
You can save all your attractions as pins in your Google maps to make them easily accessible
Before you go, make sure to take care of your car:
Get the oil changed
Have an expert make sure it’s safe to road trip with
Fix any headlights, etc.
Know where your spare tire is and how to use it
Make sure your AAA membership is up to date in case you need it
3. What to Bring: Technology & Packing to road trip alone
If you take one thing from this portion of the article it’s this: If you forget something, it’s okay. You can probably buy it or download it where you’re going, because other people who travel there need the same things that you do.
So, before you start creating your packing list and downloading these apps, take a deep breath. These are guidelines, and if you forget something, it’s okay.
That being said, there are a few things that I recommend every traveler do.
What apps are on your phone?
3.1: Download the right apps
First, you’ll need to make sure you have the right technology in your phone. The first thing I want you to do is download Google Maps, then do the following:
Use Google Maps to plot the locations that you’ll be visiting
Share that map with someone as an extra layer of safety
Download offline maps of where you’ll be going in case you lose signal (here’s a how-to video)
Additionally, here is a list of the apps that I think every traveler should have.
For listening – Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Audible, Libby
3.2: Now, let’s talk packing.
The best thing about road trips is that you don’t have to fit your world into a carry on. If you want to, you can fill your backseat with every piece of clothing that you own!
However, overpacking is still a thing, and I don’t recommend it.
The thing is, I can’t tell you what to pack, because a camper will need very different things than a city-based sightseer. And maybe, you’re going to be both of those things on this trip!
This is everything I packed for a 10-day winter road trip!
Here’s what I recommend:
Write down the places that you’re going to visit, and what you’ll need at each
See which activities need the same items. For example, you might need a sundress for sightseeing and also for lunch with friends. You might need a flashlight for camping and also if you visit a cave attraction.
Then, make your list and see where you can use the same item for multiple activities.
If you need someone to check over your list or give you additional help, reach out to me, or ask a friend that has taken a similar trip.
Again, if you forget something – you can probably pick one up along the way!
Don’t forget to stop along the way and smell the flowers 😉
4. Hit the Road!
This is the fun part!
You’ve done what you can to prepare yourself. Your car is set, your plans are made… now get out there!
Part of the growth experience of solo traveling and taking a road trip alone is the ability to maneuver when something goes wrong. Not everything will go according to plan. You might forget to buy a ticket for something and not be able to do it. You might sprain your ankle on a hike. Who knows, you might get tired and decide to skip activities altogether.
However, you’ll also be able to do something different than you originally planned. You’ll kayak instead of hike. You’ll drink a cup of coffee and do something different.
That’s the beauty of taking a road trip alone: you get to decide what you want. It’s all about what makes you happy, comfortable, and independent.
I’m going to start by being really honest with y’all: being a woman is hard. We typically work more than men, get paid less, and take on more responsibilities. In my mind, these things all mean that as women, we deserve a whole bunch of self-care. As a solo travel expert, let me tell you why a solo road trip is self-care.
Road tripping in Germany
I’ve taken TONS of solo trips and could talk forever about how much fun I’ve had. If you want to check out a few of my favorite experiences, take a look at:
I want to be clear: I LOVE being a woman. I also LOVE traveling solo. AND I know that taking a solo road trip as a woman can be especially daunting.
Self-care isn’t about chocolate and baths – at least not always. Self-care is about the result of what you do. Want to feel more relaxed? a bath might be a great idea. Want to be more independent and confident? Traveling solo might be your jam.
So let me tell you why I think solo road trips are the best form of self care:
Solo Road Trips are Meditative
I have traveled to several countries solo but didn’t take my first solo road trip until last year. Before that, I’d have claimed that I ‘hated driving’ or that it was boring. I even planned my road trip so that my dad would do the last 10 hours of driving with me.
When I set off from Dallas to Amarillo, I made a point to have several audiobooks downloaded, planned to call a few friends to catch up, and brought plenty of snacks. Then, a weird thing happened.
I was enjoying my audiobook, and lost service somewhere in West Texas. I stopped to see a ghost town attraction and took a few selfies with my tripod (classic solo traveler move). Before I knew it, I was in Amarillo. What I thought would be the longest six hours of my life FLEW by.
Just because I was in the zone doesn’t mean I couldn’t pause for a selfie 🙂
The next day, I drove to Denver. I made a couple of fun stops on the way, but found that I really enjoyed the solitude. Not only was I proud of how long I’d spent on my own, but I also learned things on my audio books and found that the open road gave me space to think.
And so it went. On that trip, I camped solo for my first time, went hiking for several hours without seeing another soul, attended conferences on my own, and more. My longest driving day was 12 hours from Billings to Minneapolis. The shortest was three hours from Denver to Cheyenne.
All in all, those long driving days became something I looked forward to. I could absorb what I’d learned and felt confident about where I was going.
Solo Road Trips Teach You To Be Resilient
Ok confession: I went 3-4 days without showering on that big road trip last summer.
Why? Because I was camping and the campground’s plumbing was off for the season. Gross? Maybe. Worth it? Definitely. Did it reinforce why I always travel with baby wipes? 100%.
Solo traveling and solo road trips teach you how to pivot when needed, and to employ problem-solving skills. In many cases, it also teaches you to be resilient.
You run out of water and find ways to get it. You get lost while hiking and find a new trail. Solo experiences, especially the mishaps, are empowering. They cause you to be strong, self-reliant, and resilient as a result.
And let me tell ya – once I finally showered, I was ready to take on the world!
Tripod: check. Weird roadside stop: check.
Solo Road Trips Are the Ultimate Form of Independence
Oh, man. Just imagine – nobody messing with the Aux cord. Nobody saying when they want to stop. Nobody complaining about the AC, or how the open window hurts their ears.
Solo road trips mean doing what you want, when you want. You get to make all the decisions.
If it starts raining and you want to quit and go find a hotel, then you get to do that. If you don’t want to stay in a hotel and camp instead, then you get to do that, too.
Look how proud I was of my tent setup on my first solo campout
On a solo trip, you have the freedom to explore. You can hike, bike, and chase waterfalls to your heart’s content. Nobody will get on you for sleeping in, and you can interact with strangers at your will. You can stop every five minutes or not at all. You can eat and sleep wherever you’re comfortable, and you get to own the decision whether it goes right or wrong.
Solo Road Trips Will Boost Your Self Esteem
There’s no better way to boost your self confidence and self esteem than to realize that you’ve navigated something challenging all on your own. In this case, it’s driving to a random place and figuring everything out.
We have cell phones, data plans, and the power of simply asking others to help us figure things out, but even so – if you can rock it without someone constantly by your side, you’ll feel so powerful.
Here’s an example: Last summer, I was on a solo road trip from Texas to Florida and back. One of my final stops was in Jefferson, Texas. I went for a run, but was feeling burnt out on having my phone on me, so I went without it.
This is the part where I tell you I’m not all that great with directions. I noticed that the city was divided into two grid patterns. I figured I’d head up the hill in one direction, go over a block, and head back in the opposite direction. Who knows how I did it, but I got SO turned around.
I realized I had two options: run and walk aimlessly, or find someone to ask for directions.
Fortunately, I was running in the opposite direction of a couple taking an evening walk. I asked them for the direction toward downtown, they pointed it out to me, and I was on my way. Once there, I figured out how to get to my B&B. Not so bad.
The point is – I was super proud. I asked for help. By relying on the kindness of strangers, I was able to find new strength in myself (and it’s always good to keep faith in humanity, too!).
SO self-assured!
A Solo Road Trip is Self-Care in Its Purist Form
So, there you have it, folks. Solo road trips really are a great form of self-care.
Self-care gets a reputation for being all bath bombs and gossip sessions. However, the end goal is what we use self-care for. Self-care isn’t bath bombs, it’s the relaxation we feel as a result. In that same vein, we don’t solo travel because we love the open road, we love the freedom it gives us.
Is there anything more American than a good old fashioned road trip? When someone says ‘road trip’ it conjures up images of passing snacks and the aux cord, and someone in the backseat guiltily saying, “I have to pee again”. I think of open windows, quirky gas station finds, and two-lane highways.
However, what if you don’t have anyone to go with? Most of my friends have different work schedules than I do, or don’t want to drive as far.
Pro solo road trip tip: Bring a tripod and use a self timer to get better selfies!
Should You Road Trip Solo?
In short, yes.
If your friends aren’t coming, and you have somewhere you want to go, then go!
Many people, women especially, are worried about hitting the open road solo. They’ve got cars, people, and Coronavirus to worry about – and all are legitimate concerns.
However, take the time to take proper precautions, and do what feels right to you. If personal safety is an issue, make a point to only be in public areas, share your location with someone, and don’t go to campgrounds, parks, gas stations, etc after dark.
If you’re worried about Coronavirus, pick a place with less people. Bring your own disinfectant towelettes and sprays. Camp instead of staying in a busy hotel.
Afraid your car will have issues on your solo road trip? Invest in AAA and go places that have a modest amount of traffic so you can be ‘rescued’ quickly if you need to be.
As someone who has road tripped solo for weeks at a time, don’t let anything hold you back from the growth experience that is solo traveling.
My first solo camping night in Wyoming
How to Choose A Solo Road Trip Destination
To be honest, choosing a solo road trip destination is typically the easiest part of the trip! You’ve probably decided you want to go somewhere, invited some pals (or not), then decided to hoof it alone.
If you’re struggling to decide where to go, ask yourself these questions:
What is my comfort zone? Are you super comfortable driving in the mountains but not in the big city? Do you feel safer around groups of people than out in nature? Solo road tripping is a personal growth experience on its own, so you might want to choose an environment that you’re comfortable in.
What do I have time for? If you have a 3-day weekend and want to get from Dallas to Nashville, you might spend more time in the car than enjoying your destination. This is especially true if you don’t have someone to share the driving time with.
Where is open/safe? This is a question not only for many women but is amplified by current events. For example, last summer I drove solo to Minneapolis to visit friends. Right now might not be an opportune time to visit the city. Also, if you’re planning to visit a specific attraction, call ahead to ensure that it’s open and understand if you need to preorder tickets, wear a mask, etc.
What do I want to do? Perhaps the best part about traveling solo is that you get to do what you want, when you want. If you’ve always wanted to hike Pike’s Peak, then get yourself to Colorado. If you want to drive endlessly on the open road, find a road trip like the ones listed below.
Raise your hand if you love road trips!
Where to Go
Want some suggestions for some of the best solo road trips? Here are some of my favorites:
The Classic: Highway 1/Big Sur
Want a ‘choose your own adventure’ style road trip? Highway 1 is definitely one of the most iconic road trips in America. People fly in to California from all over, rent convertibles, and enjoy the scenic coastline.
If your idea of adventure is hiking through the redwoods, then Big Sur has you covered.
More interested in a picnic on the beach, whale watching, and catching the sunset? Also Big Sur.
Or perhaps you fancy a nice hotel (or camping spot!), a glass of wine, and watching the surf from above. Also an option here.
It’s important to note that this is a destination as well as a through point. Highway 1 is the epitome of the cliche, “It’s about the journey, not the destination”. Big Sur itself is about 70 miles of Highway 1. It twists, turns, and gives drivers some of the most breathtaking views in the country.
So, take the time to enjoy Big Sur and the California coast – slow and steady wins this race.
For the City Girl: New Orleans, Louisiana
If the idea of camping, hiking, and all things ‘outdoorsy’ makes you cringe, then turn your sights toward The Big Easy.
New Orleans is home to the Saints and the Pelicans, but also hosts the annual Zurich Classic (PGA) and horse racing.
Not a fan of sports? Try going to some of the most famous bars in the world. From the famous Spotted Cat Music Club to the daquiri-dealing Bourbon Street scene, the nightlife in NOLA never seems to end.
Prefer history, tours, and more? Check out the St. Louis Cemetery #1 with a free walking tour, or take one of the popular ghost tours. Taking group tours is a great way to meet other travelers as well!
And, since this is a road trip, my #1 most recommended thing to do in New Orleans is to drive to the Whitney Plantation. The Whitney Plantation is the only museum devoted to slavery in the United States. Take a guided tour and learn about the lives of enslaved people while touring slave quarters, vast plantation land, and the massive home in the center of it all.
Cheese & Trees: Door County, Wisconsin
If you’re in the Midwest, you might get discouraged that there are so many amazing road trip destinations on the coast. However, don’t look over the popular Door Peninsula in Wisconsin.
Surrounded by Green Bay and Lake Michigan, this picturesque piece of land has a 90-mile scenic loop that includes stops for hikes, ferry tours, fishing, camping, local restaurants, and more.
Door County is especially popular in the fall as a ‘leaf peeping’ destination, so if your trip is happening as the leaves change, you might want to make reservations at hotels, campgrounds, and restaurants ahead of time.
Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin acts as the unofficial gateway to Door Peninsula, so gas up there and you’ll be good to go.
Need itinerary ideas? Check out this post, or just ask a local. Wisconsinites are known to be incredibly friendly. Who knows, they just might invite you to their favorite pub for some cheese curds and a brew.
New England’s Escape: Vermont
Whether you’re in it for the beer, hiking, and quirky towns, or simply want to get out of the crowded cities like Boston & Providence, Vermont has a little something for everyone.
In the winter, Killington, Stowe, and other ski resorts attract thousands of tourists a week. In the summer, head north to Burlington to enjoy Lake Champlain views and crisp apple-based brews.
Skiing at Killington in Vermont
Year round, Vermont takes pride in its breweries, and you can find a brew tour in almost every city, and day of the year. They even have a beer passport that tourists & locals alike use to track their Vermont patriotism.
Vermont is also popular for leaf peepers, so in the fall, be sure to make reservations ahead of time.
Wild West: Jackson, Wyoming
Jackson, Wyoming is home to some of the most idyllic skiing, hiking, and driving in the country. It is home to the main entrance to Grand Teton National Park, which is one of the easiest mountain drives I’ve done on a solo road trip.
One of the best parts of Jackson for solo travelers is The Hostel in Teton Village. Teton Village has hotel rooms that reach in to the four-figures per night, but The Hostel has beds for $50 a night. Plus, it has a kitchen, lawn games, and more. It’s the perfect place to meet people as a solo road tripper.
Frank the Fit in Teton National Park
From The Hostel, you can hike or take the Bridger Gondola up the mountain (it’s free after 5pm!) to the restaurant or to enjoy the views, ski, or take day trips in to the national park.
If you’re on a longer trip, you can go up through Teton National Park to Yellowstone National Park, and on to Montana. Billings, Bozeman, and Big Sky are all popular road trip destinations and would make a perfect set of road trip destinations.
More Solo Road Trip Information
Road tripping solo might sound daunting at first, but let me tell you – after you’ve done it, you’ll be hooked! I’ve taken solo road trips in:
A lot of people come to me and ask how I quit my job to travel. Even more come to me asking how they can travel as much as I do. Here’s what I have to say to the ‘quit your job, see the world’ types: Just because I did, doesn’t mean I want you to quit your job to travel. In fact, don’t.
You may daydream about walking out of your office for the last time or spending countless leisurely days on beaches in places you can’t pronounce. We all do, it’s called retirement.
However, retirement on its own is completely unfulfilling, and you don’t have to quit your job to achieve your travel goals.
If I don’t want you to quit your job to travel, what DO I want? I want a world full of inspired, educated people. People like you, who can find a balance between and experiencing the world firsthand.
My first ‘I just quit my job’ beer!
I’m going to cover a few things in this post:
Why I Quit My Job to Travel Full-Time
Why You Shouldn’t Quit Your Job
What You SHOULD Do Instead
Why I Quit My Job to Travel Full-Time
I’ve known since college that I didn’t want to spend time in corporate America. In fact, I even knew that I wanted to visit every country and slow travel long-term. I just didn’t know how to avoid the corporate world while being responsible about my finances.
With that in mind, I finished school and got a job. I put myself on a weird, intense budget so that I could pay off my debt and start saving as quickly as possible. In fact, I paid off $55k+ of debt in 3 years – and visited 20 countries in that time (read about the budget/debt/travel here)!
After some time in the traditional workforce, I began to create my exit strategy. Well, I tried to be strategic. However, quitting came as more of an entrepreneurial seizure than a tactical move, but that’s a different story.
My point is – I always knew I’d be an entrepreneur and long-term traveler. I knew my travel goals and knew that I had to quit working for others to truly be myself. If your travel goals aren’t the same as mine, that’s ok. You may not have to quit your job to travel the way that you want to.
Working from a national park via a 4G Hotspot
Why You Shouldn’t Quit Your Job
Honestly, I can’t think of a single reason.
That’s because YOU have to.
If you want to travel long-term
If you want to take some extended time to travel while keeping your job (or a job), I have a few ideas for you:
Take a sabbatical
Take a leave of absence
Get a new job and push out your start date so you have time to travel in-between (I did this between my first and second job and it was great!)
Take a job in education abroad so you can spend your summers & breaks seeing a new part of the world
See if your current job will let you go remote
If you do feel that you should quit your job to travel, let me be the first to tell you: it isn’t all rainbows and beaches.
Traveling, especially as an entrepreneur, is stressful. Your next paycheck might be iffy. You might learn that you hate working outdoors. Perhaps you learn that moving around is exhausting for you.
The bottom line is, don’t quit your job to travel if you don’t have a fallback. Being broke and stuck halfway around the world isn’t glamorous, it’s gross.
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What You Should Do Instead
Okay, so maybe I haven’t painted a beautiful picture of traveling. But I want you to be serious about WHY you’re traveling. Not only that, but if you want to quit your job, you probably have some stuff to work out. It’s ok, we all do.
I just want to be crystal clear that just because I quit my job to travel, and just because I teach people how to travel well,does not mean that I only want people to travel exactly how I do.
So, consider the following:
Think about what you want to do, not where you want to go. Can you accomplish that in your allotted PTO?
What is your purpose for traveling?
Do you have a purpose in life beyond your job? A surprising amount of people quit and then just start drinking around the world until they run out of money
Consider your values. Do you need to quit your job to live a life better aligned with who you are?
If you simply want to travel more – do it. There’s an avenue for you. If you hate your job – figure out a different place to work. If you want to quit your job and travel the world – figure out a way to do that, too! But don’t do it because everyone else is.
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Don’t Quit Your Job To Travel
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