I love hiking and camping, but I hadn’t been since I was in middle school. Surely there was a good enough reason, like I was always too busy, or I couldn’t afford it, or I suffered an injury where I couldn’t go on long hikes. But no, none of those were true. I spent my summer weekends wishing I was outside, hiking for miles every day, surviving off of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The real reason why I hadn’t been in years was because I had no one to go with me. This sounds sad, like I have no friends, but it’s just so difficult to line up a time that works for everyone. As busy college students on summer break, most of our days are filled with work and seeing family. I had a week off work and asked everyone I knew if they were free for a few days. Spoiler alert: no one was free.
Instead of letting this stop me, I booked an Airbnb and told my family I’d be “off-the-grid” for a few days. I researched safest hikes for solo-female travelers. I spent the four-hour car ride blasting my favorite songs with no one in the passenger seat telling me to skip. I stopped on the side of the road and looked at the scenery whenever I wanted. I was in no rush and had no schedule.
I chose to stay in an Airbnb to be safer than tent or car camping, since I had never travelled solo before. The host was an older woman who offered me pizza for dinner and told me she would “look out for me” during my stay. I met a couple from Russia who was also staying there, and I talked with the host and her daughter about their Airbnb business. I woke up each morning around 5 a.m. to drive myself to the trailhead. I completed three high peaks in the Adirondack area. I spent hours a day in the woods with no Wi-Fi, and at one point a completely dead phone. I was alone with my thoughts.
Before leaving, I was worried I would be bored or lonely or sad, but I felt quite the opposite. I felt free and alive and proud of myself for doing a difficult thing. I found so much joy in talking to the other hikers on the trails, even if it was just in passing. I felt the connection went deeper than a simple hello because those were my only interactions.
I spent a day in Lake Placid, shopping, eating ice cream, and getting lunch. No one looked at me differently because I was alone. I don’t think anyone noticed. I believe we all have these worries of how others will perceive us and feel anxiety about doing things alone. When I got back and told people about my trip, many people said to me, “I could never do that alone.” My advice to them and you, is to do it anyways. It was such an amazing experience for me. It is always better to do something alone than not do it at all.