Why Do I Want To Travel Alone?

What a strange feeling it is to be going against advice you've been given your whole life that is designed to keep you safe from strangers and potential threats. Today is the first morning of my solo road trip. I'm getting ready to cross state lines to a place I have never been before. I have been planning a trip to Yellowstone National Park for the past few weeks. I'll be bringing my sleeping bag, blanket, camera, binoculars, compass, map and phone, but it will only be me for the next few days. My emotions are doing some traveling of their own reaching checkpoints like overwhelming happiness then a sharp left turn over to heart pounding stress.

A solo road trip is something I have desired to do for years. I have skimmed multiple magazine articles and read countless blog posts of young female travelers braving the unknown foreign land of their choice, but always managing to make the best of any situation all the while experiencing the freedom of new places. After meeting a few solo travelers on my internship in the Philippines, I was inspired by how confident and fearless they were, and it has been a feeling I have been chasing month after month. I want to know what it's like to completely rely on myself and no one else. I want to know that I am smart enough and confident enough to understand where I'm going and what I'm doing. That whatever road I go down or path I decide to take that I can be there for myself, understanding that everything will be fine and knowing that I've got my back. All that's left to do is fill up the gas tank and hit the highway!