Solo Travel Planning and Mindset Guide

Location

I think everyone chooses a destination as a solo traveler because of an inner calling. It’s a soul exploration and opportunity to expand and nurture your relationship with self. Solo traveling is a journey of your own being and an opportunity to strengthen self trust and love. It can be both exhilarating, blissful, joyful, heavy, transformative, and dark. There’s a way to dance in the polarity of shadow and light in a sustainable and healthy way.

The location is just the catalyst for a journey that is both inward as much as outward.

Energetic preparation

Usually from the inception of the idea this part flows in and out of your present experience. There comes an emotional and energetic inner alchemy and evolution to be an energetic match with the reality you are creating. You can be in the place you dreamt, but if your nervous system isn’t regulated to be centered and grounded within the environment, the experience could crumble around you. You may even self sabotage just before take-off. Or right after arriving, panic could ensue.

The inner preparation for me looked like, taking a deep slow breath any time I started to mentally spiral and over obsess about details I had no control over. Also, some details are not meant to be figured out until the timing is in alignment. It’ll be decided and confirmed as easily as blinking, when the timing is right. You’ll know the timing is right when you feel decisive, and have inner clarity of what you want.

If you feel indecisive it’s a sign the best step forward is to come back to presence. Return to the decision later. Be in this moment and enjoy it!

On that note, let’s take a breath. Inhale, exhale. Where is your body?

 

Navigating pre-travel anxiety to avoid self sabotage

You are not alone. Listen to your inner knowing and intuitive feeling. It comes from a calm and quiet sensation or voice.

Again, solo traveling is different than going on vacation with a group. It’s like a soul journey. It’s much more intuitive and in co-creation with Spirit than any other type of journey. There is space for your own magic to thrive.

Set intentions, and trust. Linger in the feelings of what you’re excited for.

For my recent trip to Mexico that looked like feeling into the heart warmth visualizing myself surrounded by Spanish speakers. Or feeling the heart radiance while imagining that first taco bite.

When I felt myself sinking into a spiral of anxiety or doubt, I’d hold loving space and listen to the fears. After listening to my fears communicate, I’d say, “Thank you, I hear you”. Then I’d repeat an affirmation and a new potential future that is grounded in what I desire to experience and what I’m excited about. Some ways I go through this process is with journaling, integrating daily wellness routines like yoga, and dancing. I also highly recommend grounding yourself with affirmations. Remember you choose your reality.

Even a few days before my trip, I questioned if I should cancel it. A week prior, I asked if I should just put the investment towards moving out of Vermont. A few weeks prior to that, I was questioning if I had picked the right location. There was so much doubt that I navigated and still proceeded forward. Sometimes when there’s so many options. Just go with it. Just go with what you got and what feels right in the moment. Nothing is going to be perfect and there is an abundance of time to experience it all.

While traveling solo, indecision can be my downfall. I manage to get back up and am doing it more and more with grace and ease. Practice baby!

 

Clarify Your Why

This will help focus the thousands of decisions you make before even arriving such as where you’ll stay, how you’ll travel, and for how long.

I tossed between a few intentions for this trip.

• Rejuvenate and vacation
• Simply enjoy and explore a new country and culture
• Connect with opportunities to expand artistically
• Be a digital nomad

What I ultimately decided on, was what my body desired most and how it wanted to be cared for.

I knew my mind, body and soul were calling for an obligation free time enjoying Mexico with myself. I wanted to travel in a way that felt abundant.

I felt a quiet and seductive desire to simply enjoy myself without pressure of figuring out my next step.

For context, I had a few thousand dollars saved up and no plans for a source of income after. I had been living with my parents for 6 months prior and working at a local jewelry store. This trip to Mexico was going to be the start of a big vision I had laid out to travel through Central and South America. But in reality I had only enough saved up to be in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for about 2 weeks. Instead of survival mode letting my ego run wild, forcing myself to panic about how I’d make the rest of the trip happen, I chose to slow down and remind myself, there is more than enough time for it all. I reminded myself what felt right and was flowing in this moment now. I decided to surrender the full vision for now, and focus instead on nourishing myself and be in Mexico.

Forcing a vision to manifest when our ego wants it, is a way to move away from love and gratitude, and into pain and suffering. The timing of our manifestations unfold in divine timing. Sometimes our manifestations will come about in a way that is better than we can imagine. Sometimes what we think we want, isn’t actually Soul aligned. Ask yourself, is this what I desire from my heart, or from my ego? What is the bigger picture desire and is this desire created from ego to micro-manage the how of the bigger manifestation?

Relax, and trust you are always taken care of. Universal love and your Higher Self is taking care of you.

It’s already yours.