My Solo Travel Tips
This piece and more like it can be found on Visit USA Parks website found here!
Making friends on the trails is always an option! Shoutout Kacee for joining in on the fun that night.
The travel bug - it’s a hard one to shake. A contagion like no other and one that will never be suppressed, no matter how little PTO we have! We all love that excitement of traveling with our family and friends but sometimes we’re entangled in a web of schedules and responsibilities that are conducive for the whole gang. I learned quickly, with how much I want to see, it’s okay to get out there on your own. Whether it’s business or pleasure, I’m constantly on the go and I have little complaints about it. When solo traveling, there are some tricks of the trade that I’ve learned to maximize the good times had. The outdoors provide so many cathartic opportunities to explore nature, and find yourself in turn.
A joyous moment: seeing the spring sun after a dark northwest winter.
Prepare Yourself
This is usually one of the most exciting parts of me - the prep! And starting from square one (or even zero) is part of the fun. Pull out those bucket lists and find those destinations that you’ve been eager to go to and build that excitement for yourself. Use that beautiful, all-knowing tool that we have at our disposal and search the worldwide web for all of your answers. We all travel different and as a solo traveler, you only have to tailor the experience to the most important person: you! There is so much know about every destination: where to eat, what to do, where to lay your head at night and more. However, it is important on all outdoor excursions to have essentials such as:
Nutrients: whether it’s water bladders, freeze-dried meals or glacier-fed waterfalls you should always know where and how to sustain your food and water supplies.
Communicating with your People: I always let at least 3 different people know my whereabouts and when they can expect to hear back from me. Disconnection is the best part of the outdoor experience, which is why we must do it safely.
First Aid: the further you get into nature, the further you are from emergency services. Having a First Aid kit handy is VITAL, as it is always better to have it and not need it.
Know if you’re in Bear Country - for necessary bear spray and/or food storage.
Did you know Yellowstone National Park can receive snow all 12 months of the year? This Florida boy was particularly shocked to get dumped on in June! Always pack layers, in any event. Nature is unforgiving, which is why it’s important to do your due diligence. As it important as it is to be prepared, I find it equally as important to capture these moments for yourself. With nobody else in your party, don’t be afraid to get creative! I’ve taken selfies and videos at packed locations, set up the tripod for myself and even asked others to take photos of me! The outdoor community is quite welcoming for the most part, which can strike conversations and even new friendships.
Making Connections
My friends have told me “Jayson, you can make friends with a rock!” While I have, it is equally as fun to befriend fellow humans. Nature provides the perfect endorphin boost to increase both confidence and kindness, a wonderful combination for genuine connection. Not only are they genuine but you really get to immerse yourself in the reality of difference in this world. As a man of color, it’s always reassuring to find the diversity that surrounds me in all forms and I like to think it encourages others to feel comfortable doing the same - because mother nature welcomes EVERYONE. When those authentic interactions occur, they only cultivate more. One minute you’re asking someone to take your photo or viewing wildlife at the same time and the next you are summiting a new trail together, creating an insane new memory with people you enjoy to the fullest. I have made countless lifelong friends from similar interactions and I thank them all the time for being another kind human to entrust on this experience I worked hard to create, only for it to be taken to a completely different level with them. While I could go on about the attachments we make with others in nature, I could much further about what solo travel does for the individual.
Seeking Solidarity
As I said earlier, most of my travel is alone. It’s hard for friends who are so committed to their lives to drop everything for little old me, which is understandable and also why I must keep on my own path. The year-round solo travel certainly has its advantages. I grew up in cities like New York City, Orlando and Atlanta, and work in some of busiest destinations for the warmer months. It could be why I frequently live and travel in smaller places - I’m talking like less than 2,000 people small for the most part. Less people and more space can give us time to recharge, and look inward for reflection. The health benefits I receive alone are more than worth the constant movement, whether that’s mentally, physically or spiritually.
I encourage you to solo travel simply for the sake of nourishing that love you give to yourself, if for nothing else. Through it, I’ve found attributes in myself that I only dreamt of years ago. That inner work will not only allow you to thrive but lift others around you. You can’t imagine the natural path you’ll find when you walk the one truest to who you are and traveling by your lonesome is a great way to find it. My key piece of advice: GO. And go often!
