Important Things I Have Learned from Solo Traveling: Irreplaceable Community

When I first started to travel, I didn’t know there was a community of travelers. I only traveled once a year if I was really lucky, and I made shit up as I went. All I knew was I wanted to travel and find somewhere I belonged. Fast forward to years later, and I finally found a place I belonged: my yoga and aerial community. I never had that level of support from a group of people before that.

Until I started to travel more.

I found my second community: the travel community. This group of people supports you like no other. They will provide advice, secrets, and a good laugh or open you up to new ways to travel—or even to a new lifestyle.

I’ll share some of my experiences with this community.

Moab and My Heartbreak Road Trip 

The first time I was in Moab (lovingly referred to as “My Heartbreak Road Trip”),  I was driving around Goose Island, a section of BLM Campground along the Colorado River, looking for a campsite. Mind you; this was 3 or 4 pm on a random Tuesday in October. And all the sites were filled already. I drove back to the first campsite again, hoping my luck would change.

This older guy in his 80s waved me down, asking if I needed a place for the night. I said yes, and that I was planning to go to Arches, which was 10 minutes away. He told me to pull over, and I could pitch my tent next to theirs for the night. I was stunned that he invited me to share the site! His son came out and asked if he could help me set up my tent. 

The dad told me they were having dinner at five and asked what I wanted. I tried to turn it down because I had my own. But he would not take no for an answer. They took me in. 

My mind was blown. He saved me that night by allowing me to camp and helped put a piece back into my broken heart too. That was the night I found my second community.

Salt Lake 

Another time, when I was checking out Salt Lake at a state park, I was walking back to the parking lot, and in the distance, I saw this lady watching me. At first, I didn’t think anything about it, but she stayed and kept watching me. Then I thought, Oh shit, did I do something wrong?

When I finally reached the parking lot, she started to chat with me. Finally, she said that she and her husband waited to make sure I got back to the parking lot okay since it was a hot day out, and they were not sure I had water.

 Headstands, Wandering Bel, and Colorado

I was in Colorado a few years ago, and I was not in a good spot; I had a lot of self-doubt about my website and other things. I went on a random date with this guy who was just in town to board. He was wandering around to different resorts, chasing powder. We had a great time.

He could see I was a little down, so I explained what was going on and told him about my daily headstands. Instead of telling me I was crazy or dumb or just walking out on the date, he encouraged me to do my daily headstand, even while it was snowing like crazy. He gave me a great pep talk, and we had one of the best drunken nights I can remember. It was a pure joyful night.

And I have many more stories like these!

Your Community

You will meet a lot of people like this on your travels. They will watch out for you and cheer you on, they will listen to your crazy moth story, and they will give you advice about life, travel, or anything you can imagine.

They are a community that can never be replaced. A community that gets you and supports you. One that helps you be a better person in the world. The travel community will save you in more ways than you ever realized. 

Every time I travel, I always try to give back to others like people did for me. For example, the last time I was in Moab, I was on a UTV tour through Hell’s Revenge. There was a girl in my UTV, and we got to chatting, and she said she was looking for a place to camp for the night since she was going to Arches the following day. I told her to come to camp with me. I felt like it was a full-circle moment from my last trip.

If I am done camping and have leftover supplies that I don’t want to bring back, I ask other campers nearby if they want them. It’s always fun to see their reactions when they get free food.

Remember, always give back on your travels. It can be as simple as talking to another person or giving away extra things you won’t use again. Always pay it forward.

Aside from experiencing such unique places, this may be my favorite thing about traveling. It amazes me how traveling can bring us so close together, even with our extreme differences. No one cares if you are a Republican or Democrat, and no one cares if you are a waiter or a CEO. When traveling, hiking, camping, etc., you are just a human part of the greater good.

My friend, it’s time to go hang out with our community!