There was a version of me in my late 20s who didn’t think twice about going somewhere alone. She packed a bag, figured it out as she went, and trusted it would all work out.
Somewhere along the way, that ease got quieter. Not because anything went wrong—just because life got full. And underneath it all, something else crept in:
“It’s probably too expensive.”
“Maybe I can’t do it like I used to.”
“Maybe someday.”
And someday has a way of not showing up.
So I started smaller than ever
When I decided to travel solo again in my 50s, I didn’t plan a big trip. Instead, I went an hour from home. Booked a campsite and that was it.
No fancy gear. Not even close. I bought a $12 inflatable mattress from Walmart.
A couple of blankets I already had.
(My sleeping bag? Still buried in storage somewhere – which is a whole other story.)
Food was simple—sandwiches and hot dogs.
Grill sticks from the dollar store. Coffee? Brewed at home and poured into a glass jar. and stuck in the cooler.
That was my setup. And it was enough.
You probably need less than you think
One of the biggest things that stops people is the idea that you have to be fully ready before you begin. All the gear. All the money. All the confidence.
You don’t.. You can build into it.
Since that first trip, I’ve added things slowly—a camp stove for under $30, a collapsible pour-over coffee maker I picked up for $5. Little upgrades that made things easier, but none of them were required to start.
If you love it, you’ll add what you need later.
Let’s talk about what actually holds people back
For me, it wasn’t fear of being alone. I’ve always been comfortable doing things on my own—dinners out, sitting at a bar, making conversation if I feel like it (years of bartending will do that).
What almost stopped me was simpler than that:
Money.
And a quiet doubt… could I still do this? Could I actually rough it the way I used to?
So I made it easy on myself
I didn’t try to prove anything. I kept it close.
I kept it cheap. I kept the expectations low.
Because you don’t need to go from zero to fearless overnight. You just need to remove what’s stopping you right now.
If it’s money—start simple. Use what you already have. Go for one night.
If it’s uncertainty—stay close to home. Give yourself an easy exit.
If it’s being alone—ease into it in whatever way feels natural to you.
There’s no one right way to do this.
Confidence doesn’t come first – it follows
That first trip wasn’t about being confident, it was about being willing. And once I did it, the doubt subsided. Not gone- but quieter. And that’s enough.
Because as you gain confidence, you go again. And then again. And somewhere along the way, it stops feeling like something you wish you could do…
When people ask how I travel so much-
Thay expect a complicated answer. It’s not that complicated.
I started with my days off. I stayed close to home. I kept it affordable. And I didn’t wait until. everything felt perfect.
You don’t have to go far to begin, you just have to go!!