Need a getaway?

This summer, based on some inspiration from my friend and fellow Life Coach Colleen O’Connor, I took a trip all by myself. It was an amazing experience! I asked Colleen to write a guest post today about solo travel for women in hopes she can inspire you, too. Thanks, Colleen, for sharing with us today!

Solo Travel

 I travel alone a lot. Sometimes it’s purely for the joy of it: there’s someplace I want to go/see/experience, so I go out and do it. And sometimes solo travel fulfills a deep seated need that we all have for solitude and self-reflection.

I know you’re out there giving, giving, giving of yourself. I know you’re here because you’re looking for more calm in your life. And you probably don’t get a whole lot of time just to yourself.

That’s the need that solo travel fulfills. It reminds us of who we are as women, separate from the other identities we carry with us. Yes, solo travel also allows you to do and see amazing things. You can see the world in a new way and expand your thinking.  

But even more importantly, solitude during travel (or any kind of adventuring) refills your cup in a way that just can’t happen surrounded by people. You need only look at your kids and their insistence on doing things all by themselves to know this! Accomplishing something on your own makes you stronger, more capable, more confident.

When you’re on your own, you can finally hear yourself and what you really want and need. 

Last week I took a road trip from San Diego to Breckenridge, CO. I don’t particularly like to drive. It would have been cheaper and infinitely faster to fly. But I took the road trip because I knew I needed more time on my own than just those couple of hours of flight time. I’ve encountered several bumps in the road of my life lately and I knew I needed solitude to work through what my next steps were. I needed solitude to remind me of who I am and why I put myself on this bumpy road in the first place.

So I drove. That was my solo vacation - driving for 32 hours round trip. Baths and snuggly clothes in hotel rooms. Falling asleep early. And I stopped and saw petroglyphs and dinosaur footprints in Parowan Gap, Utah! It wasn’t fancy or overly exciting. But it was mine and it gave me what I needed.

Maybe you’re reading this and scoffing - how in the ever loving world am I supposed to find time for a solo vacation? First, have you even tried? Have you looked at the paid time off you have due to you? Have you talked to your spouse/parents/best friend about them taking over kid duties? Remind them of what a wonderful woman you are when you’re refreshed, rejuvenated, and oh yeah, had a full night’s sleep. Have you even allowed yourself to daydream about what that solo vacation would look like? Start somewhere.

And remember, solo travel/adventuring doesn’t have to be huge. Would it be amazing to run away to Bali for a month? Perhaps. Probably. But most of us aren’t in a position where we even want to reenact Eat, Pray, Love right now. Maybe a whole weekend or even a whole day away just isn’t actually possible.

That’s ok. Solo travel is about new experiences and giving yourself the gift of time just for you. Look at it a little differently. Have you been to your local botanical garden? Art museum? Hiking trail? Cafe? Spa? Sit down and make a list of things you’ve been wanting to do. If you need inspiration, pretend you’re going to be visiting your city and look at tourist advice sites. Take an afternoon off from work while the kids are in school and at activities and go on an adventure just for you. Take a break from the shoulds of life and do what you want. Do something that feels good to you.

 Solo travel and adventures will make you a better woman.

 Do you have the travel bug but haven't taken the leap to go alone? Or, have you gone solo, but felt super lonely? Join Colleen for a Solo Travel class and we'll get you out in the world AND having fun. We'll talk about what's holding us back and how to break free, how to choose where to go (and what's doable on your budget), how to have fun while you're there, and what to do about loneliness, fear, and naysayers. You'll leave with an outline for your first - or next - solo trip! Go to https://thebravecouncil.lpages.co/swbb-classes/ and click on “Buy Now” next to the Solo Travel class description.

 You can also hear more from Colleen by joining her free Facebook group, Single Women Behaving Boldly.