Before Covid hit, I had made a promise to myself in 2019 to travel more. I finally had a job where I could take vacation days more easily, without feeling like I was behind on everything, I had friends who lived out of state, the Jonas Brothers were on tour, and so it was the perfect time to hit the road. I only got three trips in before everything shut down and I had to cancel all of my plans for 2020. But during those three trips, the love I had for travel was reignited and through all of the lockdowns I had been patiently (or not so patiently) waiting to get back on the road.
Now, my family didn't travel much when I was a child. We did a Disney trip when I was 6, two Hawaii trips (one for a wedding and one to visit a family friend), trips across the state to Lake Chelan most summers, and a few road trips to my uncle's triathlons. I did get the chance to travel twice in High School once for an FCCLA conference in Chicago the summer before my Sophomore year, and then to Spain with my Spanish class Junior year. But that was about it. Before I left for college I had been on only 5 trips that required a plane, and two of them I don't remember much about. In fact, my Boston trip in April with my mom and sisters was first time in 15 years my mom and I had been on a plane together. FIFTEEN YEARS. It just wasn't our thing. We went to concerts and plays and did a lot of shopping and that was the way we liked to spend our time and money as a family. Travel just wasn't a priority when I was a kid. But I always wanted to be on the go.
My Grandma LOVED to travel. She was always jetting off to another country with her friends when I was young. Spain, Russia, Vietnam - all over the place! She set the example that I have aimed to follow in many areas of my life, but definitely travel. She passed away at the end of 2021, just two days after I returned from my last trip and I never got to talk to her about it like we talked about all of my other trips over the years. But I know she was proud of me for making my travel dreams happen no matter what. I can't wait until I can make some of the bigger trips that she used to take happen for myself.
In the late summer/fall of 2021 I took 5 trips - Portland, Denver, Boston, Houston and LA. These were some of the trips I learned the most about myself, and about travel. They reinforced my love of travel and got me excited about all of the place I can go in the future. These trips also taught me a lot about myself as a traveler and a person. Below are my top five tips for traveling as a solo young person! I promise it is not as scary as it sounds!
1. Find national/international companies you love and be loyal to them.
Something that makes traveling alone so much less stressful for me is consistency. I've found the airline and hotel chain that I like best and I try to stick with them whenever possible. If you are traveling mainly in the US, this is super easy! I tend to fly Delta and stay at Courtyard Marriotts when I can, because I have had great experiences with them over the years.
Having brands you like traveling with also can help you with your budget! Open rewards accounts or even a rewards credit cards with your brand of choice and enjoy the perks! I've gotten free upgrades on almost all of my flights this past year all by using miles and earning higher reward levels. I try and use my Delta Amex when traveling too so that all of my purchases on my trip help me toward my next trip.
2. Don't be afraid to introduce yourself to new people.
This has been a lot easier on my last five trips because I'm not the only person who has been traveling around the country to go to Jonas Brothers shows. We all talk online and know who is going to what shows, so it's often easier to meet up! Having these online friends who are just as excited about the trip as you can make for great excursions and awesome roommates! It also makes the concerts so much more fun when you get to know the people around you and just have a good time, instead of keeping to yourself. The concert in Houston was the MOST fun because there were so many of us sitting together who just enjoyed being around each other!
I also got to meet people outside of the Jonas concert crew too! One of my favorite experience in LA was meeting Sarah outside a restaurant at CityWalk and we ended up having dinner together and talking about our travels and driving back into the city together. All because she saw my Jonas Brothers bag and asked if I had been to the concert and if I was a solo traveler too! It was one of the most fun nights of the trip! If you are out and about doing something you enjoy on your trip, don't be afraid to introduce yourself to new people who are doing the same thing! You never know what experiences you could be missing!
3. Budget well.
I know this seems like a no brainer, but it is so important that you don't overextend your finances every trip. There were days that I was eating lunchables in my hotel room or granola bars I brought from home instead of going out to an expensive meal. I made sure I packed everything I could need so I wouldn't have to go out and purchase essentials while traveling, eating into my fun budget. You don't have to be wealthy to have fun on a trip, trust me, I'm far from it. You just have to prioritize. Bills paid, basic needs, save save save for fun things. If I couldn't afford to do something, I didn't do it.
4. Invest in these three things: walking shoes, a sturdy carry-on, a bluetooth photo remote.
There are lots of essentials I could say you need for travel, and maybe I'll do a bigger list one day, but these three are the ones I think make solo travel easiest!
Good walking shoes seems like a no brainer, but I often forget how much walking I do when I travel alone. Make sure you bring sneakers with you. I know it is tempting to only bring cute shoes that go with your outfits, but you will hate yourself at the end of a long day. I live in my Nike Metcons and my Adidas and Vans while traveling. I have a few different colors of each so it isn't just the same basic sneaker every time, but I always wear comfy shoes over cute shoes.
Again, luggage also seems obvious, but for awhile I didn't really care and just grabbed whatever old suitcase or duffel my family had lying around. Investing in luggage I love has been a game changer. I tend to prefer hardshell luggage and TJ
Maxx/HomeGoods/Marshalls/Ross have amazing selections! They are my go to for relatively inexpensive, but super cute and sturdy luggage. I often end up having to go middle of a trip to pick up a new one when I shop too much, so it's nice to know I can always find one of those four stores in any city. I have quite a growing collection because of this...
I also am a sucker for a good matching set though and LOVE Vera Bradley luggage. I bought a super cute set before my Boston trip in the spring when I first because a Vera Bradley Ambassador and it is one of my favorite travel accessories. I got the carry on and large sized bags in a matching print and they are super well made and hold a lot, which is good because I am a MEGA over-packer! You can pick up a set (or lots of other cute bags) for 10% off using the code "SBKAYLA20" at Vera Bradley's website (affiliate link).
The last thing, and probably the most silly to see on this list, is a selfie tripod that comes with a bluetooth camera remote, or just a remote! When you travel alone you often miss out on taking pictures that aren't selfies unless you ask someone else to take them for you. Having a bluetooth remote makes it easy to set your phone up somewhere and take a picture of yourself from afar. I got mine with a tripod on Amazon and it is a life saver both at home and while traveling! 90% of the pictures you see on my Instagram were taken with this thing!
5. Do the things that make you excited.
My final tip is to make sure that wherever you go and whatever you do, you do the things that YOU want to do. It's easy to fall into the tourist traps of this is what you "must see" when you are in a city, but if it doesn't interest you it isn't worth it. Your vacation time is for you to do what YOU WANT. Don't let anyone shame you because you didn't do the activities they would've done. There are so many different things to do in every city, find the ones you love!
Travel is so incredibly fun and can be some of the best experiences of your life! Get out there and explore the world!
xo,
Kayla
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