In 2021 I went on a solo trip to Hawaii. It was the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic and everything sucked. I had been laid off from my job, been rehired, and laid off again. I was living at home with my parents while my boyfriend was finishing medical school across the country, the whole world was shut down, I hadn’t seen my friends or my Chicago apartment in months, and of course I hadn’t traveled in over a year. Needless to say, I wasn’t feeling like myself – everything was completely out of balance in my life, to the point that I had forgotten who I was. And then, travel saved me.
I decided I had nothing to lose, I would dip into my savings and head to Hawaii for a couple weeks by myself. It had been so long since I had traveled, or done anything even remotely adventurous on my own, and I was completely petrified. I was second guessing myself from the second I booked the trip through the moment I set foot on the plane. But the minute we touched down in Honolulu, all those fears and doubts melted away and I was me again. I was free. I let the smell of the tropical evening wash over me while I hopped in an Uber to my hostel – my driver threw up a Shaka with his hand, gave me a hearty “mahalo” and we rode into the city listening to the unique blend of Hawaiian-style reggae on the radio.
Over the course of that trip, I came back to myself. Each day a little more, as I regained my power and remembered how good it felt to just be alive. Not everything went to plan, and there were times when I was frustrated and feeling alone. But when those moments inevitably subsided, I was met by interesting people and embraced once-in-a-lifetime experiences in one of the most beautiful places on earth. On the last day of my trip, I even got hired at an amazing new job that ended up kickstarting my dream career. All this to say, no matter where you’re at in your life, don’t forget to do the thing that grounds you – that makes you who you are. When you come back to yourself, the rest all falls into place.
There’s so much more to say, and for those of you curious about what to do and where to go in Hawaii, I’ll save that for another post. But for now, here is a snapshot of the trip that brought me home to myself.
April 14, 2021
“Feeling grateful for a trip that has brought me back to life.
Backpacking solo through Hawaii has been a wild experience. I hiked through bamboo forests, swam in waterfalls, snuck into a luau, and had to remember how to socialize and make new friends after a year of social isolation.
Though much of the trip has actually been as fun and amazing as it seems on social media, at times I also faced bizarre and seemingly insurmountable challenges that’ve made me question what the f*ck I am doing here.
But to those challenges (arriving in Maui with the wrong COVID test and getting sent straight back to Oahu, for one), I say bring it on. This trip has made me remember that I can do it. I’ve realized how strong, capable, and brave I am. After over a year of challenges and disappointments both COVID related and not, a reinvigorated sense of self love and empowerment was just what I needed to get me back on track.
If you’re vaccinated and considering a solo trip, GO for it! Take back your sense of adventure, maybe practice a social interaction or two, and get out there. If I can do it, so can you 
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