First solo road trip was a complete BLAST!!!

Hello all
I wrote in months ago to this site, looking for support and encouragement regarding the undertaking of my first solo road trip. And, of course, I received much support and encouragement and because of that, I went ahead with the planning. And......IT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS!
I flew to Denver with my husband on a thursday, toodled around Denver for 3 days, then he flew back sunday and I took off west, across colorado, up through Utah and into Idaho, where I ended my 3 day solo sojourn at my sisters house in Boise.
I cannot even begin to tell you how amazing a journey it was. The sights, the scenery, the people....but most of all, the pride I have, the sense of accomplishement I now have. Before this trip, I had never driven longer then 2 hours by myself....I went from that to 6-7 hours alone on the road for 3 solid days. I had never gone ANYWHERE without family or husband present and, there I was, a 43 year old mother of 2, visiting the awesome Colorado National Monument park in Grand Junction, Colorado- standing at the edge of the most amazing, beautiful canyon, all alone, not a soul in sight- listening to the wind howl, watching the hawks soaring....it was amazing, spiritual, inspiring....And I was not the least bit anxious or scared, that's the most amazing part. I anticipated so much anxiety and loneliness that NEVER materialized...not once, the whole trip. AS a matter of fact, driving into Boise, I felt a sense of sadness, knowing that my solo sojourn was coming to a close.
So, for anybody out there who is pondering a solo road trip.....my advice is DO IT!!! DO IT!! DO IT!! It was a life changing event for me and I now plan on doing it every summer. Having a sister in Boise is convenient because it is a landing place and there are 50 different locations I could start from.
So, THANK YOU THANK YOU Road Trip America Forum folks for helping me to see that I could do this trip....and do it well!!!
Birdy

Thanks for sharing your story, and for encouraging others to also get out on the road!

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Originally Posted by birdybird

So, for anybody out there who is pondering a solo road trip.....my advice is DO IT!!! DO IT!! DO IT!! It was a life changing event for me and I now plan on doing it every summer.

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Birdy, thanks for coming back and sharing this adventure with us!

Mark

Glad to hear that you had such a wonderful time! We look forward to hearing about your adventures in the future as well.

I remember your post. I'm so glad that you had a good time. I don't know if you remember, but I was feeling a little scared about my trip too, but it also turned out wonderfully. Here's a link to my trip.


Laura

Well done to you both... look forward to hearing about your next trip, birdybird!

Hi Laura! Yes, I do remember you from my earlier posts and it sounds like your road trip was fabulous!!! Makes my dinky 830 miles seem miniscule in comparison!!! It was so exciting and inspiring to hear about your road trip. I have friends who will be moving to San Antonio, Texas next spring and I am already considering making them the starting point to my summer road trip 2008. Thinking I"ll drive through NM, Arizona, up into Cali, up to Oregon and then across to Boise again. Boy, it's nice to have a family member located out west- there are 50 different places to start from that would make a fun road trip ending in Boise!
So glad to hear your trip went so well-
OH, and by the by...next time you do Colorado, take I-70 west, across the Rockies and into W. Colorado and Utah...We stayed in Denver for 3 days and it was fun, lots to see...but the best part of colorado was I-70 west for sure. Glenwood Canyon was so beautiful, it about brought tears to my eyes at one point. I stopped at EVERY SINGLE scenic pull off that I could. Also, Frisco Colorado was a very cool little town up in the Rockies- I stopped there for lunch and almost considered staying there overnight, it was so quaint and friendly- but I'd only driven about 120 miles at that point so......haha! kind of defeats the purpose of "road trip"...Anyway, give I-70 west a shot next time, you won't be sorry...
Red Rocks Amphitheatre was also amazing, wondrous...my hubbie and I already plan on keeping up with the concert schedule and definitely making a trip out there to see a show sometime if it's a "worthy" band....
Anyway, thanks for your support and I really enjoyed reading about your trip!!!!

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Originally Posted by birdybird

I have friends who will be moving to San Antonio, Texas next spring and I am already considering making them the starting point to my summer road trip 2008.

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Great news that you're looking forward to the next time! Be sure to keep visiting this site and seeking any help that you need. Also, now you're no longer a roadtrip novice, be sure to share any tips that you picked up with other visitors who themselves are asking for help!

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it about brought tears to my eyes at one point. I stopped at EVERY SINGLE scenic pull off that I could.

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Yep, that's what it's all about! I was just the same on my trip 'out west' last summer :)

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almost considered staying there overnight, it was so quaint and friendly- but I'd only driven about 120 miles at that point so......haha! kind of defeats the purpose of "road trip"

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Well that depends entirely on how you define a 'roadtrip', of course! It's precisely that freedom to make it up on the ground that I love about it.

I remember my first trip out west. I was in such awe that I kept pulling over and taking pictures. I felt that way much of this past trip as well.

I'm definitely trying to get my courage up to do a Colorado trip and figure out what all I missed. I really think that being in very sparsely populated areas on 2 lane highways made me freak when I actually hit a city again. I was also very stressed driving through Dallas, but that's fairly normal for me.

I just had to sign up so I could respond to this. I found this website b/c I am searching for advice on solo travel. I really want to take a long road trip this summer and am considering going solo.

Thank you so much for your inpsiration. Your posts have really been helpful for me to read.

Did you read the first Birdybird discussion before she did her road trip? If not, there's a link in the first post in this discussion thread. It's a good read, too.

Now that you're inspired, how can we help you plan a fantastic trip? Feel free to come back for any tips on locations, routes, etc. We aim to please and to do whatever it takes to create another road-trip devotee. :)

Yes I actually read it and it linked to here. It was exactly what I needed to read. I have been wanting to do this for years and thinking, "Am I crazy??" I have finally decided that I don't care if it is crazy or not...but reading that other people are doing it too does make me feel better.

Hi SCgirl!
Wow...it's been months and months since I logged on to this forum and I am just in awe that my post still has threads!!! And, i'm so glad that my postings back last year helped to inspire you to plan YOUR first solo trip! As I wrote after my trip, it's one of the best things i've ever done, truly. There have been very few experiences in my life where I've felt such a sense of freedom and pride in myself. It seems silly that a relatively "short" 840 mile sojourn could provide me that, but given my background ( always considered flaky, needy, incompetent, etc) it was a HUGE feat for me. Truly one that caused a shift in my life. It's as if I released a burden that I'd been carrying for years- the burden of chronic fear and uncertainty, caused by a longstanding deficit in confidence in MYSELF- in my abilities to stand on my own two feet and face those fears....which, of course, turned out to be completely NOT based in reality! I discovered that, by gosh, I AM a grown-ass woman who can take care of herself! I can be alone and feel completely free, complete and fulfilled.
I'm bringing tears to my own eyes just thinking about the trip!!! LOL!!
So, again, I repeat...DO IT! You won't regret it, this I can say with certainty. You may have some glitches, you may have negative reactions from others ( yeah, that whole "are you crazy?" thing that you may hear) you may even have some moments during the trip where you think "what the hell was I thinking???" I had all of those....but they didn't stop me and I don't regret a second of it.
I actually logged on to begin thinking about THIS summer and the road trip I want to take! It "awoke" something in me that just won't become dormant again, I tell ya!
Keep checking out this sight for all the great tips, but mostly for the support and encouragement. It made the difference for me in my trip growing from just a "crazy idea", to a wonderful memory.
Birdy

That's beautiful - thanks for that post - I will refer back to it when I doubt my abilities to pull off my upcoming trip. Well written!!

thanks for responding to my post... you have really inspired me. I am scared and nervous but I am really excited. I am trying not to let myself focus on the scared and nervous part! I want to learn new things and see new places all on my own. I can't wait to be on my trip and to report back about how great it was.

Where are you thinking about going this summer??

Happy tears! Birdy, I'm so glad we helped you have such a life-changing experience. That's exciting. I sure can't wait to help you plan your next trip and to hear about how it went when you get back.

Let me put a bug in your ear....or eyes, I guess, since you'll be reading this...would you consider checking in here more often to give people advice and encouragement. You could answer travel questions about the routes you've travelled. And if I recall where you live correctly, you live in an area where we don't have a regular who lives there. Many questions about your general home area are ones that you might be able to help answer. No pressure. :) I just think you might enjoy helping others out.

To Judy- Thanks for that feedback- and yes, I will definitely try to log on more often. I live in NC and I hopefully can be helpful to those who would like to sojourn to this part of the country! As well as those who are scared first timers, like myself

To SCgirl- I understand completely about those fears- as did everyone who responded to my initial post back in May of '07. That is what is so wonderful about this forum- so much support and encouragement, as well as honest feedback about the pro's and con's of roadtrips, including solo roadtrips- which definitely have their pro's and con's too..
But, as I said in my post above, finally facing that fear truly released a burden and for that, I am so thankful. Truly, the most effective way to deal with fears is to face them head on. Now....as you'll see from my first trip, I did "face my fears" in a way that didn't completely overwhelm me for my first attempt. There are those that really just CHARGE right into their fears, and those ( like me) who decided to slowly immerse myself. Either way has the same results, though, in my opinion. It's the FACING it that is really what matters in the end.
So, with that said- plan your first solo trip with YOU- all the unique qualities about YOU- in mind....you will feel fear, that is practically a given. I"ll bet that even seasoned solo road trippers get a tinge of anxiety beforehand. Once I realized that the fear was normal and that it wasn't an indication of actual danger from the trip, but an emotional manifestation of all my old insecurities, it made it easier to manage.
So yeah, definitely keep us posted on your plans for your trip this summer! As far as mine, I"m not really sure where I"ll go this summer. I had initially planned on flying into San Antonia Texas and trekking into Arizona, NM, Nevada, over to Cali, then up into Oregon and then west into Boise Idaho, where my sister lives. But.....my friends that were going to move to San Antonio have now decided to stay put in NC, so I have to reconfigure. I'm thinking that maybe my hubbie and I will fly out to Phoenix, ARizona- he'll drive with me up to the GrandCanyon and then we'll end up in Las VEgas, where he'll fly home. I will then drive west in CA, up into OR and over to Boise. I have some relatives in CA that I could visit with too, so that's further impetus to go that way this time....
Anywho.....i will definitely try to log on more often.
TAke care everyone!
Birdy

I look forward to reading more of your posts here! Jump in wherever you think you can be of help.