Solo Travel Challenge. . . The First Step.

www.vivalavidatravel.com

I read all kinds of blogs about travel; blogs about family travel, the emotional benefits of travel, different ways to travel, cool places to travel and as of late, I read a blog on the benefits of solo travel. There is no question that traveling in and of itself has it's rewards. We get out of our day to day grind, we rest our weary bones, we indulge our senses in delicious food that other people cook for us, we partake in libations that  temporarily lift our spirits or relax our souls and we "get away from it all". Often times we don't get out of our comfort zones while on vacation but do the opposite and climb into a luxurious version of our comfort zones with those that we love and who we are comfortable being around. There's nothing wrong with this at all. . . AT ALL. . . but in the spirit of promoting travel that creates overall better and more fulfilled humans, I'm going to pose a challenge to you all, myself included.

Back to the topic of solo travel. Traveling by yourself is 100% different than traveling with a friend or with a group. When you're with friends or with a group, you still have others to rely on. . . you're still you with your own thoughts and actions but you have a safety net of comfort : others.

Traveling alone in a foreign country a far away city can seem awfully daunting for the first time solo traveler. We might not have any idea as to where to start or where to even go. This is where the challenge comes to play and  I'm going to make this easy on you as you embark on your first solo trip adventure.

Take a look at where you live. You know it well. You can drive the roads practically blindfolded as if on autopilot. It's comfortable, right?  I want you to grab a map or pull up Google maps and pick a place 4 hours in whichever direction you choose away from your home where you can drive to. You cannot know anyone there nor should you know much if anything at all about the town. This must be a totally new experience for you and you alone. I want you to hop in your car and go there. Bring what you think you'll need, keep it simple because all you'll need is your sense of adventure and a bit of courage if this is your first attempt at solo travel. If you're not comfortable winging it and finding a hotel when you get there, then find one before you go and book it but that's it. Do no more than find your hotel.

Set your intentions that you will be doing this for you and you alone. Take care of your business at home so that you are not worried or preoccupied on the road with unnecessary distractions, this time is for you and you alone.

Does this freak you out? Does it make you uncomfortable? Good!

When you get to your destination, I want you to pay close attention to how you're feeling and jot down some of your thoughts as you go. Stay off of your phone and keep your journey all to yourself until you come home. This will allow you to stay in the moments that you and you alone are creating for yourself. Allow yourself to be YOU. Allow yourself to go to whatever calls you. Check out that hiking trail that looks intriguing. Hit up that museum that you'd normally pass by. Spark up a conversation with a local in the town. Trust your instincts and listen to them and in doing so they'll guide you into yourself.

You may ask, "What's the point of doing this?" Let me tell you. There is power in being in tune with ourselves. We often get labeled "Mother", "Wife", "Employee" or whatever other labels are out there and with those labels, we tend to forget who we really are and what really moves us and inspires us. Stepping outside of our labels, we can become ONE again with ourselves and build a greater confidence in ourselves and in doing so, have one heck of a good time! This is just the first stage of solo travel that you will embark on but one must start somewhere, right?

When you have completed your challenge, let me know. Email me at carmen@vivalavidatravel.com and let me know how it went. I look forward to hearing all about it.

Ready, set, it's time to hit the road!