Are you feeling a little out of place lately? Do you question if you are “living your best life”? With all the social media out showing us the “perfect” versions of just about anything you can think of, it makes sense if you are in doubt. You can take comfort in knowing you are not alone. Finding your path in life is something we can all struggle with at times.
Being bombarded with the “look at me and my flawless Instagram feed” can be very distracting. This distraction can also manifest into something evil, creating a lot of self-doubts. It can also cloud your way down the road you are on, making you question everything.
If you are like me, then you grew up wanting to travel to exotic places and see the world. You would also be like me if you envisioned your adventures to be alongside someone special.
I would daydream about taking trips to Paris. I could see “us” strolling the cobblestones streets hand and hand and maybe sharing a bottle of wine in the park while gazing at the Eiffel Tower. Do you have similar daydreams?
Do you also feel like you are tying up your self-worth in the idea that having a partner is everything? Maybe feeling like your life can’t start until you finally meet that partner you have been longing for?
My Story Rewritten
I found this was my song and dance for so many years. All of my 20’s and 30’s actually. This need for a partner was so strong in my 20’s that I couldn’t see anything else but that. I stopped thinking of myself and only thought of being attractive to whomever I was interested in at the time.
Now fresh into my 40’s and years of soul searching, I felt strong enough to step into a new space. And write this article to encourage other women to see themselves first. Putting yourself in the #1 spot makes the path for you to move forward in life towards possible.
Finding your path in life stops short when you make it ALL about finding someone else to go with you.
-A Solo Woman Traveling
Looking For My Path In Life
It’s important for all of us to recognize we are ever-evolving. What we wanted to do 5 years, or 5 minutes ago may not be true of this minute. This can be both exciting and scary.
I take my career very seriously and put it in front of most everything. If you are curious about what I do and how I was able to make my position remote, stay tuned. I will be creating a dedicated post with how-to recommendations for you.
In this post, I will go more into detail on how solo traveling shaped myself. I would not be the person I am today without having been a solo traveler. And for that, I will be forever grateful.
Your Path Should Evolve
I am not a professional writer. As much as I do try, you may be able to tell that my skills are not of someone who writes professionally. As I get older and evolve, I’ve decided this is something I want to work on.
I would be lying if I said that I didn’t fantasize about being a real-life Carrie Bradshaw. I would just replace the content of men with content about travel. Maybe someday, as I am a believer in anything is possible.
It’s also important to mention that I am not a trained life coach or therapist. My content in this article is coming from my straight-up experience of being a single lady who has traveled solo for ten years. Yes, ten years.
Not being a “professional” in both these categories had been a massive factor in why it took me so long to start putting “pen to paper.” But look at me now, I am doing something that I enjoy for me, no idea where this path will take me.
Breakthroughs To Finding A Path
When I started to travel alone, I hated it. I felt pity for myself that I didn’t have someone to share my experiences with. Also, I didn’t feel like I had the expertise to write a blog. What the hell do I know about making a blog, I would think.
Then it began to dawn on me that the definition of professional or expert is someone with a lot of experience. And I have experience for days, years actually. That is when the wheels started turning.
I may not have all the answers. What I do have to offer you are my humility and truths. Let my unfiltered and honest stories about my struggles help you in your journey to finding your life path!
Traveling Solo To Finding Your Path In Life
Why should you travel alone if you are searching for your path in life?
Traveling alone can bring out who you are inside. I believe getting to know who you are within opens the doors to get everything else you want in your life. It can really be that simple.
Putting yourself in situations where you may feel a bit awkward or uncomfortable allows you the opportunity to grow. Honestly, there is no better way to get out of your comfort zone than traveling alone.
I realize traveling alone could sound downright dull and unappealing. But, think about how exciting it could be to try it just to see what happens. The saying “you won’t know until you try” is a saying I use often.
Traveling Alone Can Change You
Over the years, I have had to look deep into myself to find confidence. It may surprise a lot of people close to me, as I am a naturally driven and ambitious person. Those that do know me well might say I give no F’s. I just do want I want and appear the most courageous woman out there.
When it comes to taking chances, I take them, I go for it, I stick my neck out, and I try. And honestly, I have no regrets. Then why is there a need for me to find confidence in myself? What inner work do I need?
I am talking about self-worth and self-recognition. I do have the natural confidence to do things required to make changes to my life. However, I don’t have enough inner strength to hold my own in a self-worth contest.
Always feeling like if I could be a little skinner, prettier, smarter, I would have it ALL. Does this sound like you? It goes back to my original question of are you waiting for someone before you can start your life?
In the past, there were specific places that were off-limits for me to travel alone. An example would be going solo to the south of France. I was saving that destination for when I had a man to go with me.
The ah-ha moment
Then one day, I just realized that I was depriving myself of things I wanted in life because I thought they wouldn’t be special alone. It was like I was telling myself I wasn’t enough, and I couldn’t enjoy time with being me.
The sorrier I was feeling for myself, the more I was feeding that self-doubt, and ultimately killing my inner confidence.
When it comes to attracting a partner, you need to have REAL confidence. That strong confidence that gives you enough strength to stand alone. Being too accommodating isn’t sexy, and it doesn’t work. Standing tall in who you are is hot, and does work.
(Disclaimer: Some links in this post may be affiliate links, meaning if you click on the link and make a purchase, I receive a small commission. This is at no extra cost to you and you may even receive a small discount. See disclosure for more information.)
Doing Inner Work To Grow
Wouldn’t it be great if we just spent time doing all the work we needed on ourselves once, and then it was done? I sort of thought it worked that way. I would have a breakthrough in getting to my core and think, great! I’m healed! Let the fantastic benefits of my self inner work begin!
But, this is an ongoing practice. A continuous healing process that I have to remind myself of daily. It’s not a once and done; it’s an everyday conscious mindset. The sooner that becomes something you accept, the less frustrating this all is.
READ MORE: The Best Questions About Solo Travel Answered
Traveling Alone To Find Yourself
Now getting back on track about the benefits of traveling solo. Traveling alone is something that can sound scary, sound impossible, and be something you absolutely don’t want to do.
For all you first-timers, know that YOU can do this. And it’s a good idea to start small. Don’t attempt a 3-week trip abroad your first time out the gate. Go somewhere within 3 hours of home for two nights.
Leave all your life’s disappointments at home. Take time for yourself. Think long and hard on what YOU want for the future. It can be incredible what can develop.
When you start on this incredible journey there are a few things to know:
- When traveling solo, don’t expect to fall in love with anyone else but yourself.
- Remember that the first time is always the hardest, so don’t be discouraged by travel mishaps.
- This journey is about you getting to know you, not what a city can do for you.
- It may take more than one try to get it right, so don’t give up.
- Feeling sad, stupid, and lonely is normal. Don’t worry; the feeling does pass.
- Your friends and family may not be as supportive as you think they would be.
- People are often afraid of things they don’t know or would do themselves. Expect that some people will discourage your brave journey.
Prepare To Find Your Life Path
Preparing to go on a journey abroad is a lot of work. When you feel ready to take this step, I have some advice for you.
If you are traveling a great distance to visit somewhere like Europe or Asia, you may want to see muli-cities. In Europe specifically, it is really feasible to visit a couple different countries in just two weeks.
For your first solo journey abroad, you might want to take it easy, and not plan too ambitious of a trip. But, for those of you ready to go and see multiple destinations I have some great tips!
First, you should check out my guide for How to Plan a Multi-City Trip to Europe. This guide not only has some very helpful tips but has a video on how to find cheap flights and a FREE PDF worksheet planner!
When you are choosing destinations to travel, have a look at all the places I recommend. I visited all of these places solo over my ten years of traveling! The guides will help you choose the accommodations, dining options, and daily activities.
More Help Finding Your Path in Life
If you are searching for something new for yourself, such as a new job, new relationship, and or maybe a unique perceptive altogether, try traveling alone.
All I can really promise you is that if you start to put yourself first, you will get what you need. As you know from this post, I have been traveling for ten years. It wasn’t an overnight transformation, but a slow substantial change for the better.
Don’t rush yourself, but start now by just writing down your goals. I have included some affiliate links for some journals that I really like. You will be surprised to see how powerful the written word can be.
If you are not 100% convinced on solo traveling, read more on the 5 Benefits of Traveling Alone.
Safety is always a major concern for all travelers. As a solo traveling woman, finding the safest cities are my highest priority. To address some of your questions concerns, I have created a special safety guide.
To get your own copy of the Safety Guide, click here.
I hope you enjoyed reading my story, and are ready to start prioritizing yourself! No matter what you decide to do in the future with solo travel, the first step is saying yes to YOU! It will bring you that much closer to finding your life path!
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Kelley says
Love this post! All your posts are so inspiring and relatable!
Thank you for sharing your journey it has helped guide me to make better decisions for my own path… keep posting and I will keep reading ???
Melissa Byron says
I am so happy to hear you are enjoying my posts! It can be hard to be so open and honest, but it’s worth it when I hear someone has benefited from it! More posts on the way!