I come from a lineage of strong, independent women.

Though my grandmother traveled often in her younger years, the rest of my family fell into the exhausting rat race of life, stripping them of their opportunities to travel. My mom, a hardworking single parent, instilled in me a deep curiosity about the world. I grew up listening to her tell stories about the immense beauty and rich culture of Germany, fueling my wanderlust.

I treasured these stories and became fascinated with seeing the world, so much so that I would sit in my room studying the globe that I got for my 9th birthday and learn about different countries, daydreaming about what it would be like to travel one day.

As I grew up, my desire to travel and love of culture seemingly get put on the back burner. The weight of life took over as I was forced at a young age to focus on work, school, and surviving. Travel was still something I thought about, but my crippling self-esteem, toxic dedication to work, and fear of the unknown kept me from ever leaving my safety bubble.

A Pandemic-Induced Awakening

Fast-Forward to the year 2020; I'm living alone and working from home in a two-bedroom townhouse in the height of the pandemic. There’s nothing to do, businesses around me were all closed by force, global travel is at a halt, and the only time I was able to leave the house was to go grocery shopping or to my doctor’s appointments. I was suffocating! A prisoner to my own thoughts, being locked up for a year triggered an emotional series of events that jump-started my not-so mid-life crisis and triggered me to just say, ‘fuck it’ and book my first solo trip.

The Day I Broke Free

I remember the day it happened like it was yesterday;

I was lying on the couch severely depressed about how stagnant my life was and how much I hated my body. I came across a YouTube video of someone talking about their solo-trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. After watching that video I let liberated! it was like the clouds above me parted ways, and a beacon of light beamed down on me from the heavens!

The answer to getting rid of my depression and self-hate was loud and clear: I NEED TO TAKE A SOLO TRIP! I went down a coffee-fueled, solo-travel rabbit hole and by the end of the day I booked reservations in Sayulita, Mexico, and I filled out all the paperwork to get my passport.

Live-Saving Adventures

To say Mexico saved my life is an understatement!

I honestly don’t know where I would be today if I hadn’t said ‘fuck it’. I’m the girl who spent her life being considered the ‘fat funny girl.’ I hid my poor self-image, gender identity issues, and lack of confidence behind the mask of laughter and pleasing others. I used to think that LITERALLY giving the coat off my back or my last dollars to my loved ones made me a good person and would get me far in life…BOY WAS I WRONG! My Solo trip jump-started a self-love journey that I never knew I needed. It truly forced me to shed my insecurities and embrace my true, authentic self.

Mexico taught me the ultimate power of self-love, the importance of living in the moment, and the thrill of solo exploration.

Embracing the Unknown

My first solo trip taught me how to let go of fear for and embrace the unknown; it truly transformed my fear and anxiety into confidence. I learned that my Spanish actually wasn’t as bad as I thought it was. I navigated the streets like a local, gained confidence speaking in Spanish 100% instead of Spanglish, and I even made some amazing lifelong friends!

For the first time in my life, I also discovered what it feels like to truly trust myself and to be completely free from self-depreciating thoughts!

Mexico taught me the power of self-love. It taught me how to see my value and how to put myself first. Mexico taught me that no matter what happens in life, I will never struggle because i’ll ALWAYS have my back. Mexico taught me that beauty ISN’T skin-deep; how you love yourself and how you show up for others matters most. It taught me that my mind and body are a temple that I’m responsible for cherishing. Mexico taught me that there’s more to life than money and slaving away at a 9-5 job; it’s about living life to the fullest and never letting fear and anxiety cause you to pass up opportunities in life!

My Journey Continues

You know, some people have the goal in life to get married, own a house, a business, and have 2.5 kids…I’ll tell you right now I am NOT one of those people! I have no desire to slow down until I've completed my bucket list. I made a promise to myself to take a solo-trip every year, and I’ve happily kept my promise! I have now been to 7 countries across 3 continents, and counting: Mexico in 2021 and 2023, Greece, France, Germany, Lichtenstein, and Italy in 2022, and Peru in 2024.

I'm committed to exploring the world, one country at a time. My life goal is to visit all 195 recognized countries, and all 7 world wonders. I won't let anything or anyone stop me!

A World of Wonders

Solo travel has both saved and ignited my life in many incredible ways. If I continued to wait for someone to go with me, I would have never left my living room. I refuse to wait and let life pass me by - I don’t want to live a life full of ‘what ifs’.

Don’t get me wrong, traveling alone is scary, especially for the first time! As long as you’re prepared, and once you get over the fear and anxiety of it all, you’ll start to trust yourself and see life in a completely different perspective.

So Why Solo Travel?

Ultimate Freedom: Solo travel gives you the ability to seize the day and do whatever you want, whenever you want.
Personal Growth: It pushes you to overcome fears, build confidence, be more open and receptive to meeting new people
Cultural Immersion: Immerses you with diverse cultures, allowing you to gain new perspectives on life'.
Lifelong Friendships: Connecting with others and forming bonds with like-minded travelers from around the world.

My Advice to Aspiring Solo Travelers:

Here’s a harsh truth: at this point in your life you’ve already missed out on hundreds of life-changing opportunities due to codependency and not having someone to do them with….

My advice: DON’T WAIT FOR ANYONE!! If you keep waiting for someone to go with you, you’ll be waiting for the rest of your life. If you keep allowing your fear and anxiety get in the way of achieving your dream life, you’ll NEVER have it.

Your life matters, don’t settle for less than what you deserve! So, what are you waiting for?

Start your own solo travel adventure today!

From Sheltered to Soaring: My Solo Travel Journey