In May 2022, I took a solo trip to Sedona and Scottsdale, AZ for my 37th Birthday. That eight-day trip reignited my desire to travel in ways that I could not imagine. I’m an island girl at heart (I bitch and moan every winter as if it were my first) and while I love me a beach vacation, I wanted to stay in the US this trip.
I figured if push came to shove, I could always find a way back to New York if I needed to hitch hike or drive. The horror stories of travelers being stuck in foreign countries due to changing covid restrictions had me a little on edge and I decided it was not worth the risk solo. Anyway, I was excited to broaden my horizons and do something different.
I’ve been to quite a few places prior to this trip with friends and for work – Barbados, Antigua, Singapore, The Dominican Republic, and Mexico are all stamped in my passport. In fact, Arizona was not my first solo trip, but I was now older, wiser (I hoped) and been through some things that encouraged me to try again.
I’m not going to lie, I’m pretty introverted and downright standoffish (my Resting Bitch Face is strong too ) so I was a bit concerned that I would be lonely, but somehow I managed to curate an eventful trip that worked really well for me. So much so, that I returned home eager to book my next adventure as well as contemplating career options in the travel industry.
Solo travel has a way of exposing you to yourself if that makes sense. In our home life, the demands of the day to day coupled with constantly being surrounded with people and their opinions can influence our own opinions to a fault. If that is also true for you, you will quickly learn if you like and trust yourself. You will also figure out who or what has had a heavy impact on your decisions and feelings when suddenly, everything is all up to you. Very clarifying shit if I must say.
But don’t get me wrong, you will also meet people along the way and exchange some really fun times if you’re receptive to it; maybe even make a great friend. The opportunities are endless. It’s just my perspective that the true reward is facing yourself and connecting with who you truly are – independent of the company around you.
So much growth happens when you are willing to challenge your comfort zone. Are you ready to eat alone in a busy restaurant or bar? You will feel shy, maybe even awkward and it’s all ok and all part of the process – remember to extend grace to yourself in all situations.
With this blog, I plan to share my reflections and experiences and hopefully inspire you to travel. If you have a great friend group you can rather travel with, I hope you will find benefit from my recommendations. On the off chance that your friends or family are not available to globe trot with you, I hope you are brave enough to go it alone. Regardless of how you like to travel, the experiences will stay with you and grow you if you let them.
Cheers to seeing more of the world!
xoxo Tandi
Sungazing Travels 