Photo Credit: The author, taken at Yaquina Point, Oregon April, 2023

I have recently started to travel solo, and I have made some big mistakes. Here’s what I’ve learned about myself from traveling solo, and what might help you too.

Plan, But Not Too Much

I’ve always been a planner, set goals and mapped out what I need to do. Whether it’s a trip, my job, or family life.  Solo travel has taught me to plan, but definitely be open to new opportunities and take risks. For example, on a recent West Coast trip it was pouring rain… literally no visibility on the highway. I continued on slowly determined to see the Oregon coastline.  It took a little longer, but I made it!  The sun came out, the roads were clear, and the views were breathtaking! If you’ve never seen Yaquina Point Lighthouse on the coast, make the trip.

I’m so grateful I trusted my navigation skills and drove the additional 2 ½ hours to see this sight. There’s nothing like the Oregon coastline on a brisk spring day!

Trust Your Gut

I used my GPS on my phone throughout the trip, and it worked beautifully until it didn’t. I entered the wrong location with a similar name into my phone.  I should have known when the forest was disappearing and the buildings were getting bigger.  I had not entered “Willamette Falls” but rather clicked on “Willamette Falls Office Center,” and these directions took me the opposite direction.

Before I figured it out, I had wasted an hour of my precious travel time.  This was also the day I was catching my flight home, so time was very important.

By the time I made it to the waterfall the lines were too long, and there was no parking. So, I should have stopped when I was driving in the opposite direction.  I “felt” like I was driving the wrong way, but kept on going anyway.  Trust your gut. It tells you what you need to know, when.  This goes for traveling, people, and life in general.

Live and Learn

Most importantly, live and learn from your mistakes. Don’t beat yourself up, and give yourself grace to move through life constantly learning. Mistakes happen, and bad things happen to good people, all the time. So, live your life with kindness not only for others but for yourself. When you live life with gratitude and curiosity, you get so much more in return.  You are much happier in life!

I learned a lot from my mishaps while traveling solo, but I’m much more confident.  In life (and traveling,) we all make slip-ups.  We need to learn from them and move on happily.