Before 2022, I’d never taken a solo trip. Solo travel was a new and intimidating concept to me, even as a travel lover. The first time I traveled solo, it was a “Go Big or Go Home” moment after I felt drawn to hike the West Highland Way. I had plenty of opportunities to talk myself out of it after initially planning the trip for 2020. Instead, it was rescheduled, and I took my solo adventure the week leading up to my wedding in Scotland in 2022.

The Decision to Go Alone

When I first had the idea to hike 96 miles in Scotland, it never even occurred to me to bring someone with me. It felt like something I needed to do on my own, and I didn’t have anyone close to me who would have been as excited about the adventure. I also knew if I invited someone else along, I’d be instantly adding in more variables to the trip – further complicating something that was a big leap for me to begin with.

On my own, I’d get a much-needed break in a beautiful landscape and get to do things at my own pace. Yes, I was scared at the prospect of crossing an ocean and navigating a new country on my own, but I knew I could do it.

There was only one way to find out.

Things Went Wrong Almost Right Away

Any time you travel, you have to be adaptable. Something is sure to go awry, and in my case, I had hiccups before I even left. The marriage visa was a fiasco (on my own country’s end – not the UK), and I hadn’t received my passport back the week of the wedding. After many emails hoping someone out in the universe would take pity and help, a kind soul finally answered the call and got my passport en route to me. My trip had to be delayed by a day.

Finally, a day late, I set out on my solo adventure. A long train ride and a long flight to Dublin led me to my second fiasco. My Dublin flight was delayed, but I had another flight to catch to Glasgow. By the time I landed, my time window was now cutting it very close.

Only problem? I was on the other side of the airport from the gate to my next flight.

So, I went as fast as I could in my brand-new wedding boots across Dublin airport. I could feel a major blister forming on one of my heels. When I arrived, the gate had already closed, and I had to arrange another flight. Since I had some newfound time on my hands, I decided to freshen up in a bathroom and check out my aching heel.

Seriously, why do flights instantly make you feel like the most disgusting person on earth? I’m sure the running helped, too. To add to my anxiety about my hike, I discovered I had a big, fat, red, and angry blister on my heel. All before I’d even stepped foot on Scottish soil.

Learning to Figure it Out

While these stressful experiences had the potential to ruin my time or make me question what the hell I was doing, they actually did the opposite. During these initial moments of things going wrong, I’d make myself pause. Then, instead of freaking out, I told myself, “Whatever, I’ll figure it out”. This became my motto anytime something unexpected happened this week, and I wasn’t sure what to do. Every time, I figured it out.

Missed the flight? Whatever, I’ll figure it out.

Got a huge fresh blister two days before starting the longest multi-day hike I’ve ever done. Whatever, I’ll figure it out.

That little phrase stuck with me and is something I still say to myself.

Somewhere between missing my flight, nursing a blister in the Dublin airport bathroom, and rebooking another plane ticket, something shifted. I realized no one else was going to solve these problems for me. Strangely, that was comforting. Every obstacle I handled became one more piece of evidence that maybe I was more capable than I’d given myself credit for.

Wandering Glasgow

Glasgow is one of those cities, much like Denver, that people will tell you is unsafe. As a female, I already feel extra cautious, so I wasn’t sure how my first solo experience in a city with this reputation would go. I rode a bus, the Glasgow subway, and walked long distances, feeling perfectly safe the entire time.

I didn’t have much of a plan. The first evening after my long flight, I wandered down cobblestone streets until I found a Thai restaurant that sounded good. I ate in peace, getting a bit of culture shock as I waited forever for my check. It didn’t take long before I learned that in Scotland you often had to ask for the bill and everything wasn’t as go-go-go as American culture.

I had one day less in the city than I’d planned before my hike, but I made the most of it. The next morning I had breakfast at a cute breakfast spot filled with artificial flowers; no one else was there for a while.

I tested out public transport and went to a museum, where I wandered for a couple of hours taking everything in. There was something freeing in being able to look at everything as long as I wanted, without worrying about holding anyone else up. I marveled at the architecture in Glasgow Cathedral and looked for interesting headstones in the Necropolis while catching a nice view of the city.

Time was limited, but I spent it exactly as I wanted.

Freedom I Didn’t Expect

Many people are daunted by the idea of doing it alone, but I encourage you to rethink that. Solo, you can wander and stop where you please without having to turn to your side and ask the other person what they think of that plan. You can wake up and go when you’re ready, get tables quickly at restaurants, and take your time.

I love traveling with a companion, but the common issues of spending time discussing where to go, what to eat, someone in the group getting hangry or tired of walking, etc, don’t come into play on a solo trip. You’re free to explore the way you want to.

One afternoon, I realized I’d been wandering for hours and hardly checked the time. I wasn’t trying to maximize an itinerary or make sure others were having a good time. I was enjoying wherever the next street led.

Arriving in Milgnavie

Once I got over the anxiety of being in a new place all alone, I started feeling antsy about the logistics of getting to Milgnavie to start my big hike. While I’d worked out everything through a walking company called Mickledore as far as lodging and stopping points along the way, getting to the right place was still on me. I’m notoriously directionally challenged. Ask my husband, whom I once made walk too far in the wrong direction in Chicago while we were both hangry.

Luckily, my hotel in Glasgow was literally attached to the train station at the Voco Grand Central. So I grabbed my giant luggage and hiking backpack, filled with wedding, honeymoon, and hiking necessities, and headed for a train. With my motto “whatever, I’ll figure it out” in mind, I made it to Milngavie, where right off the platform I’d had to walk my luggage nearly a mile to my hotel. There, I waited to check in with fellow hikers, one more step completed all by myself.

The West Highland Way

I won’t go into all the details here, since everything is detailed in my West Highland Way posts. However, this was everything my solo trip centered around and something I was more nervous about than I let on. Worries plagued me, such as: Would I get lonely? Would I be able to do it physically? Would I get lost? Should I tell people I’m alone?

In the end, I was grateful I chose to do it on my own. The experience would have been drastically different with another person, and the solitude was just what I needed at that stage in my life, where I was at a transition with work and getting ready to get married. No headphones, no distractions, just me and beautiful Scotland, only worrying about putting one foot in front of the other.

What My First Solo Travel Taught Me

My ambitious first solo trip taught me a lot about myself and about solo travel. I’m glad it was my first trip and that I followed through on what seemed like a crazy whim at the time. Here’s what I learned:

I’m Capable

Missing that connecting flight could have been the moment I decided solo travel wasn’t for me. Instead, it became the first reminder that I could solve problems on my own.

When you’re part of a team, you get used to your designated “roles” based on each of your strengths, but when you’re on your own you are forced to figure it out.

When traveling, I usually always send my husband or someone else to converse with others. I’m introverted and prefer not to, but I did just fine asking people for directions or to snap a photo. If I needed help or wanted it done, I knew I had to do it. And I did just fine.

There’s a Peace to It

It’s not very often in life that we can be truly alone without responsibilities or others to worry about. Even when I’m home alone, which is more than most with my husband’s job, very rarely am I not thinking about chores or things that need to be done. Traveling solo gives you a moment to take a breath and enjoy a new place, only worrying about the journey in front of you.

You’re Never Truly Alone

Even as an introverted, awkward individual like myself, you’ll be hard-pressed to take a solo adventure without some interactions along the way. Since my first trip was a long-distance hike, I already had something in common with the people I encountered. While there were moments of solitude along the trail and in the evenings in my accommodations, I ran into many familiar faces. I developed a bit of rapport with some groups and knew when we’d run into each other again, I’d have some human interaction in my day.

I also experience this with hosts or other workers at accommodations or fellow guests over breakfast. I’ll admit I’m often the first to want to run away during a conversation, but while traveling, I love getting to know people from other places and learning about their lives. The conversation usually feels more substantial than the small talk when running into someone while you’re busy during your day-to-day.

It’s Great to Travel With Others, But Solo has its Own Perks

I love going on my girls’ trips, friends’ trips, and trips with Chris, but there’s also something special about traveling on your own. Everything gets to be entirely at your pace, and every activity, every meal, gets to be exactly what you want. There’s no sitting around debating what to do or where to eat; you just go. There’s a freedom to it that you don’t often have, as many of us have other people in our lives to consider in our normal routines at home.

Confidence Comes From Doing

Confidence isn’t something you wait to feel before doing something scary. It’s something you earn by getting through the scary thing.

It took all the slip-ups along the way to build up my confidence that I could do it. I got through missed flights, being lost, and asking strangers for help. Each new thing I got through made me feel that much more sure I’d figure it out the next time something happened.

Take the Leap

One of the biggest things I learned about solo travel is to just take the leap. As they say, if you wait around for someone to go with you, you might be waiting forever. If there’s somewhere you really want to go, there’s nothing wrong with going on your own. I fretted about this trip in my head for a long time, but it was an incredible experience, and I’m so glad I did it.

A Solo Adventure to Remember

Looking back, I don’t remember the missed flight or the blister with frustration anymore. They’re simply part of the story. My first solo trip wasn’t perfect, but that made it better.

It taught me that confidence doesn’t come from everything going exactly to plan. It comes from knowing you can handle it when it doesn’t. And that’s a lesson I’ve carried with me long after leaving Scotland.

Whatever, I’ll figure it out.