Entry 4: Why you should take the solo trip
Hello!
I hope you had a great week and are ready for June! I know I personally am not. I just landed back in Charlotte after spending a week in London on a solo trip. It was incredible—I had the best time. Because I just got done with this solo trip, I want this blog post to be about solo traveling. It sounds scary and daunting, but I promise it’s one of the most empowering experiences you can have.
This trip felt easy because I’m familiar with London and even saw some friends. I didn’t have a strict itinerary, just a list of ideas for how to spend my eight days. But the only reason I’m this comfortable traveling alone is because of the mega solo trip I took last year.
Photo from my trip this week! I took this while doing a river cruise on the Thames
The Six-Month Leap That Changed Everything
In the summer of 2024, I made a huge decision: leave Charlotte, move back home to Indiana for a couple of months, and then travel Europe for six months. When my lease ended that October, I moved home and worked at a local restaurant and Old Navy for four months before heading to Europe in March 2025.
I ended up staying for six and a half months—and honestly, if money and visas weren’t a thing, I would’ve stayed forever.
During the first three months alone, I visited 15 countries. I stayed in hostels, trained my way across Europe (plus a few flights), and had the time of my damn life. I met incredible people, saw some of the most beautiful cities in the world, and grew in ways I didn’t expect. You learn a lot about yourself when you’re stuck on a train in rural Poland or your baggage gets lost in Luxembourg while you’re in Nice, France.
My favorite part of every place I visited was simply walking. I’d open Apple Maps, pick something interesting, and wander my way there—getting lost on purpose. My second favorite thing? Finding a park and reading. I read 41 books last year, and probably 25 of them were in parks across Europe.
I stayed in Kensington this week and it is one of my favorite areas in London.
Hostels Aren’t Scary, I Promise
Another highlight was meeting fellow travelers in hostels. Ignore the horror stories (for the most part). I had a great experience in every single one, even the ones with snorers.
The first day of my trip was the first time I had ever stayed in a hostel and I felt SO AWKWARD. I had never been in an environment like that and didn’t know what to do with myself. I was sharing a room with six women I had never met. On my first night, I forced myself to go down to the hostel bar, started talking to people, and ended up playing trivia with the staff. Shoutout to Ella, Kyah, and Anton—you made me feel so welcomed on my first night of solo travel.
In every hostel room, I introduced myself and chatted with my roommates. Hearing their stories and learning about their lives was fascinating. I met people from all over the world and still keep in touch with several of them.
The Hard Parts No One Talks About
Solo travel is amazing, but it’s not always easy.
Sometimes you feel lonelyes, pecially when eating alone.
When travel complications happen, you’re the only one who can fix them.
Managing relationships at home is tough with time differences. Luckily, the people in my life are wonderful, and we always found time to catch up—even if it took two months to coordinate.
Pictures from my solo dinner to Da Mario in Kensington. This place is a must!!
Why You Should Take a Solo Trip
If I could recommend one thing to everyone, it would be to take a solo trip of some kind. Even a weekend trip somewhere familiar counts. Nothing will test you, or grow you, more.
Solo travel builds a level of independence that’s so important, especially for women. I met more solo female travelers than male ones, and it was incredibly empowering.
Take this as your sign not to let fear stop you. The thing that scared me more than going was the idea of regretting not going. I didn’t want to wake up at 65 angry at my 25‑year‑old self for not trying.
You owe yourself these experiences. You’ll always regret the “what ifs.” And if you try it and hate it? That’s okay, you still did it.
Last year, a few people reached out asking how I did it, and I encouraged every single one of them to take the leap.
I hope this inspires you to consider taking a solo trip. You deserve an adventure that’s just for you.
Sincerely,
Courtney