WHY TRAVELING IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL

Of all the places in the world to visit, traveling to Sedona Arizona had been a dream of mine for years. It started when a friend told me, “If there’s one thing you should do before you die, you HAVE TO see Sedona!” Wow, I thought. That’s pretty powerful.

But I could never find anyone to go with because either our schedules conflicted, there were budget constraints, or some other obstacle blocked my progress. And then one day - out of nowhere - I decided to fly solo.

When it comes to traveling, you have to think: it’s now or never. Literally. Because if you prevent yourself from going somewhere based on other people’s time clocks, then it may never happen.

Here’s why I recommend every woman should travel at least once in their lifetime by themselves.

1. PEACE OF MIND NEVER FELT SO GOOD!

When you travel alone, everything runs smoothly. You don’t have to wait for a group of people to get dressed in the hotel room before you decide to take off, or constantly get held up because someone has to run back and grab the wallet they left behind. When you travel alone, you get to be fully present without distractions.

Sure, there were several red rock mountain trails to hike, but there were also spas, psychic shops, pools, yoga studios, and village boutiques. When I felt like shopping for crystals in the village, I shopped. When I felt like taking a dip into the salt water jacuzzi, I did that too. And when I felt like visiting Chapel of The Holy Cross (a mini church carved inside of a mountain), I peacefully did that in solitude. My trip alone was the ultimate stress detox because everything flowed gracefully.

2. YOU’RE BRAVER THAN YOU GIVE YOURSELF CREDIT FOR!

Having courage doesn’t mean you don’t get scared, it just means you walk through the fear until there’s none left. I remember hiking an easy trail in Bell Rock and hearing (what seemed like) cricket sounds. It wasn’t until I passed a couple alongside the trail who told me those were actually rattle snakes but that I had nothing to fear because they don’t approach the trails. Well, this Brooklyn girls heart dropped! And yet, they reassured me with this comment, “For tourists visiting NYC for the first time, they might be scared to death of riding the subway after midnight, but you do it all the time because it’s your natural habitat. It doesn’t mean you can’t get mugged, but the chances are slimmer than most people realize.”

When I looked at it that way, the fear subsided. Can bad things happen? Absolutely! But they can happen anywhere, even in your hometown. So why not give yourself the opportunity of visiting a new place, even if that means you go alone!

3. YOU EXPAND YOUR HORIZONS & MAKE NEW CONNECTIONS!

Maintaining healthy relationships over time is one of life’s greatest gifts. After all, no man is an island. But when we don’t explore new cities and countries, we risk creating codependent relationships by not giving ourselves the permission to take space and possibly even create a new life somewhere else! Think about it. If all you know is the place where you’ve lived for the past 10 or 20 years, then how do you know you wouldn’t flourish even more somewhere else?

As I cruised Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village on my first night in Sedona, I heard a familiar chord strumming from the guitarist outside of The Secret Garden café. It was one of my favorite jams, “Hotel California!” Whenever I hear that song, I instantly get into a ‘feel good’ zone. After his set, we introduced ourselves and it turned out that he was from Brooklyn like myself and had ended up relocating to Sedona, Arizona because he couldn’t resist the magic of that place – and he’s never looked back since!

4. YOU RESET & RECHARGE YOUR SPIRITUAL BATTERY!

When you travel alone, the new sightings will stimulate your brain and inspire your spirit. It’s not healthy to stay stuck in a predictable routine for too long. Of course we all need stability to build a steady foundation upon. But too much of anything is no good and we need to see different things to feed our spirit. Getting inspired by another culture, another land, or the great outdoors can awaken a part of ourselves that’s been dormant.

Remember that you have to love yourself before you can love others, and the prerequisite for that is to be your own best friend! So travel alone for once, and who knows? You might find yourself moving to a whole new world.