I sat down to write this month’s “On the Road Again” column and realized it had been 10 years since I began my solo travel journey. What started as a quick weekend trip away to Louisville, KY for a Volbeat concert alone turned into an insatiable appetite for adventure years later.
Alone, I’ve hiked in the hot desert in Utah for miles on end, fallen profusely in love with Italy, fulfilled my childhood dream of seeing the Neuschwanstein castle in Germany and listened to my fair share of reggaeton in Miami. I first learned how to use a metro system in Naples, Italy, of all places, encountered friendly and not-so-friendly people in various locations and have watched my perspective on life change along the way.
My first trip alone caused a massive argument between my parents and myself, as they didn’t understand why a 22-year-old young woman would want to attend a rock concert alone in another state. Although I almost canceled to appease them, I pushed through the stress and disappointment I was causing and attended anyway. I knew deep down how much the concert meant to me and how much I needed to assert my independence as a young adult. I rode a mechanical bull for the first (and last) time, had a blast at the concert and enjoyed navigating an airport for the first time alone.
The next year, I attended another concert in Denver, Colorado where I had a hairy encounter with a Russian Uber driver, gallivanted in Downtown Denver with new friends I made on a whim (two of which ended up getting married a couple of years later after also meeting as strangers that night) and escaped the stressors of graduate school for a few days.
After a few more solo concerts, I concluded it was time to take an international trip alone. I chose Munich, Germany for reasons I cannot recall six years later, aside from my desire to take a day trip to the nearby Neuschwanstein castle after seeing a photo of it on my sixth grade history teacher’s wall every day and not comprehending how it could be a real destination. I mingled with fellow American tourists at the Hard Rock Café in the evenings (something I’m quite ashamed of now as a tourist), met a few cute German bartenders and was fortunate enough to visit and tour Dachau Concentration Camp for a taste of sobering history amidst my trip.
Interestingly enough, I almost decided not to board the plane for Germany. I had sudden cold feet in the airport and called my dad, who encouraged me to push through. Had I listened to my fear and headed home, I would have missed out on a life-changing opportunity.
I’m not sure what exactly drew me to Italy, but the country became my next dream destination. For years, I planned, strategized, Door Dashed for hours to save up the funds and fantasized about finally touching down in Rome after the pandemic derailed my plans for an extra year-and-a-half. When domestic travel was allowed, I bravely hiked national parks in Utah in the September desert heat, getting lost after a 10-mile hike and fortunately following two hikers back to the parking lot. The beauty of Utah was unforgettable, my exercise-induced endorphins gave me the best hiker’s high and I couldn’t believe I solo-hiked for a week and lived to tell the tale.
In 2021, my two-week excursion in Italy finally happened, and it far exceeded my expectations. I was immensely proud of myself for safely returning to the United States after navigating around southern Italy alone for 14 days, but I left a piece of my heart in Puglia that I’m still trying to get back.
After deciding to return to Italy again in 2022 to stave off seasonal depression, I was far more confident and comfortable as a 30-year-old woman. My travel was slower paced this time around, but it began feeling a bit lonely. Wine, pasta and stray cats were fulfilling, but not fulfilling enough.
Travel hasn’t been my priority as I’ve gotten older. At 32, I sometimes find the urge to hit the road (or air) again, but I have enriched my social and professional life, improved my mental health through years of weekly therapy and have felt less of a need to escape my daily life through trip planning and travel as I have matured and healed as an individual. As travel remains on the back burner for the time being, I am able to contently sit and reflect fondly on the experiences I have gained, the memories I have made and encourage others to follow suit.
