Why I encourage traveling solo

“You’re doing what?!”

Having bopped around Europe solo to the chagrin of absolutely no one, I was blown away by the utter shock people had when they found out I was doing a week-long solo trip up the coast of California, Oregon and Washington for spring break. I went to Redding, Klamath Falls, Portland and Seattle, staying in hostels, Airbnbs and with friends. Each and every time my friends or extended family found out about my journey, they expressed immense surprise and concern. Irritated, I spent long conversations venting to my expat best friends about this phenomenon I encountered. Was I not perceived as independent enough? Did I seem like that much of a homebody? 

Quickly I pivoted away from what felt like a personal attack and shifted to a critiquing American culture as a whole. It was a concern my loved ones were expressing for my well being, but it was also the manifestation of so many people’s inability to be successfully and happily alone when away from their safe space. To most people I know, it can still be daunting to assert yourself in a six-bed mixed hostel room of international travelers and create a cohesive group to spend the day with. In Europe, where different countries and cultures are much easier to get to, hostel culture is much more fluid. In the U.S., we rarely are forced to interact with other tourists as tourists ourselves. I wanted to use this disbelief to encourage other young people to explore their agency as an individual. 

My travels included Amtrak night trains, Flix buses, a 3 a.m. train out of small town Redding, days traipsing cities totally drenched with rain, humming to myself while hiking through redwoods and racing to catch a ferry to take me to one of the islands outside of Seattle. The experience of my delayed buses allowed me to bond frustratedly with other travels. I met a stripper club DJ, an up-and-coming musician in the Bay Area, someone I spent a year with in Germany and a family friend who has known me since I was a zygote. In the Berkeley bubble, it can be so hard to meet people outside of the student or alumni narrative. Traveling allows you to expand out of this bubble physically but also internally, as you learn how to carry yourself as an adult in the world and not just a student on a campus. You take on an inherently more authentic and assertive identity. 

As a woman, safety concerns are valid and must be genuinely considered. Still, you learn how to be quick on your feet and resourceful. You learn how to be bold enough to strike up a conversation in order to pass the time or bond over transportation delay trauma. I listened to music, spent my afternoons reading while sipping tea, walking around blooming cherry blossom trees and basking in the utter solitude and beauty of being alone. It was adventurous, fun and so very refreshing. As a freshman in the dorms (in a triple), being alone with my thoughts, my self-talking habits and my music playing without headphones are not simple pleasures I get to enjoy anymore. The second I stepped on the train at the Berkeley Amtrak Station, I couldn’t hide the smile blooming across my face. 

A piece of advice: Book your stays and travel accommodations in advance to relieve any stress. I want my spring break to pose as inspiration for you to jump out of your comfort zone and try a solo trip out for yourself. Meet people, learn about yourself and take the time to see all the diverse sights the U.S. and other parts of the world have to offer!