I’ve never been the type of person to do things alone.
Whether it was a movie night, a Target run, or even just grabbing lunch, I’ve always had someone by my side: my sister, my best friends, my boyfriend. I’m lucky to have such a strong support system, but I realized recently that I’ve rarely, if ever, done anything completely on my own. Independence was something I admired in other people, not something I had much experience with myself.
Then I studied abroad.
Living in Ireland for the semester already pushed me out of my comfort zone, but nothing changed me quite like my spontaneous three-day solo trip to Edinburgh. It wasn’t a carefully planned journey. I just decided I wanted to go, and this time, I didn’t ask anyone to come with me.
I booked a cheap flight, reserved a spot in a hostel, and made a list of everything I wanted to do. I planned to visit the Edinburgh Castle, hike Arthur’s Seat (an extinct volcano), wander through the streets that inspired Harry Potter, and explore a beautiful new place.
When I first got there, it felt weird. The city was unfamiliar, the hostel felt quiet, and I kept wondering what I was doing. But after a few hours, something shifted. I started to get used to the silence. I started to love it.
I figured out public transportation on my own. I asked strangers to take pictures of me at the Vennel Viewpoint and at the top of Arthur’s Seat. I wandered through bookstores without watching the clock. I sat in restaurants alone and didn’t pretend to be busy or distracted. I stood at the top of a volcano, looking out over the city with the wind in my hair, realizing I had made it here completely on my own.
For the first time in my life, I wasn’t waiting for someone else to feel brave. I wasn’t compromising or coordinating. I was just living. And it was enough. I was enough.
That solo trip gave me more than beautiful memories and scenic views. It gave me a version of myself I had never met before. Someone confident, capable, and completely okay with being alone. It didn’t mean I stopped loving the people in my life. It just meant I started loving my own company too.
If you’ve ever thought about taking a solo trip, let this be your sign. You don’t have to go far. You just have to go. And give yourself the chance to meet the version of you that only solitude can introduce.