Take That Solo Trip
It can be pretty intimidating to travel to a new place all by yourself, so let me share with you some advice from my extremely successful and my not-so-successful experiences.
I can remember the first time I ever went on a trip by myself. I had never felt more free and adventurous in my whole life. Well, it was only a 5 hour drive from Baton Rouge to Birmingham to visit a camp friend. So technically, it wasn't even a true solo trip. But 10 hours round-trip in a car alone made me feel like I could validate it as my first.
Now, my first real solo trip was all the way to Seattle, Washington. I boarded a flight in New Orleans around five in the morning and flew to Dallas, then to Los Angeles and then finally all the way to the Tacoma-Seattle airport. It was a long day to sit and listen to music, journal and meditate on all the nerves I had about arriving alone in a new city for the first time in my life. Well, I lucked out because my first solo trip was a piece of cake!
A picturesque snapshot from Seattle’s Chihuly Garden and Glass art museum. Photo by Emma Scott Singletary
The only reason everything went so smoothly was because I did so much research before arriving in the city. I was just 19 years old, so I knew a rental car wouldn't work out. Luckily, my research helped me discover that Seattle has a form of public transportation called the Light Rail. All I had to do was buy a ticket and get off at my designated stop. An old friend of mine was actually in graduate school at the University of Washington at the time, so I got to meet up with her for dinner every night. Doing some research before arriving and making the time to see others makes all the alone time slightly better!
Seattle had so much to offer. I got to walk around the city and visit all the popular tourist spots, plus secret little coffee shops and restaurants my local friend had suggested I visit. I was fortunate enough to really enjoy my first solo travel trip.
Now, onto my not-so-successful experience. Barcelona, Spain. Sounds like a dream place to visit, right? Well, when I was studying abroad in Berlin, I made the last-minute decision to book a weekend in Barcelona. Emphasis on the words last-minute. It takes time to plan and organize a trip anywhere in Europe. However, I saw this short weekend trip as a quick way to check off the big things and then head back to Berlin.
La Sagrada Familia, admired from afar. Photo by Emma Scott Singletary
When you think of Barcelona, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? For me, it was La Sagrada Familia. I had been dreaming for years about visiting this historical piece of architecture in one of the dreamiest cities. It just so happens the day that I set aside for visiting La Sagrada Familia, it was closed to visitors. I was devastated when I arrived and walked circles around the large structure trying to figure out how to buy a ticket and make my way in. Finally, a kind stranger let me know that I wouldn't be getting in at all that day.
A lot of other unfortunate things happened while I was in Barcelona. Personally my favorite was my most dramatic, movie-like moment: standing in the pouring rain at 1 in the morning trying to find my hostel, only to discover that it was on the opposite side of town. While I may be sharing the lowlights of my 48 hours in Barcelona, I really did enjoy the experience. It was thrilling to be in a new country all by myself, trying to pull out my old Spanish knowledge, while also taking in all that the beautiful country and culture had to offer.
So, with all this said, my biggest piece of advice is to do research before you travel to a new place by yourself. It is totally doable and totally worth it. You will be able to reflect on the good times and the bad times and see how solo travel really stretches, excites and inspires you. So, whether you have a location in mind, or are just looking for a new challenge, take that solo trip!
Featured image found here.