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If you know anything about me, then you know I’m big on solo travel. At my big age (we won’t say what that age actually is), I’ve learned that you can’t sit around and wait for when other people are “ready” because you’ll miss out on all of life’s sweet moments that may be waiting for you.

As a result of this philosophy, I’ve seen parts of the world that one could only dream about. I’ve roadtripped the Pacific Coast Highway in California, I’ve been swimming with the sharks in Belize, and I’ve spent a wellness themed week at Civana Resort and Wellness in Arizona. All insanely different experiences, but yet and still, all equallysrc=”https://media.essence.com/vxcjywbwpa/uploads/2026/03/JWL25US4_STLA_016_expanded-1.jpg” alt=”Solo Travel Taught Me More About Myself Than Any Therapy Session Ever Could” width=”400″ height=”400″ />

Belize Put Me Face to Face With My Fears (Literally)

Belize happened years later, and under completely different circumstances. I’d been invited on a press trip, and it was an instant yes. Who is going to pass up a free trip to Belize? And then well, I saw the itinerary… and it involved swimming with sharks.

Belize has the second largest barrier reef in the world, and the marine life there is extraordinary. The excursion took us to Shark Ray Alley and Hol Chan Marine Reserve, and I remember sitting on the boat thinking I might actually back out when I looked down and saw the nurse sharks already swimming below us in water so clear it felt like looking through glass. But I’d come all that way, and I knew I’d spend the rest of my life regretting it if I let fear make the decision for me.

That trip wasn’t about conquering fear or proving anything. It was about saying yes to an experience that scared me a little and trusting that I could handle whatever came next.

Civana Taught Me That Rest Is Revolutionary

The Arizona trip came at a different time entirely. I needed rest, real rest, not just a long weekend (because we all know how quickly those can fly by!). Civana Wellness Resort sits in the desert outside Scottsdale, about 30 minutes from the airport but feels completely removed once you’re there.

My week there had a rhythm I never allow myself at home. I spent my morning doing aerial yoga and meditation before breakfast, and then afternoons hiking the desert trails or at the spa or reading by the pool. They offer everything from fitness classes to sound healing to aqua therapy in their mineral pools. I took cooking classes, sat in on wellness workshops, and spent a lot of time in spa treatments because that’s what I was there for.

I ended up having real conversations with other guests who were also there solo, which probably wouldn’t have happened if I’d brought a friend along. When you’re alone, you’re more open to meeting new people because you don’t have that built-in companion to fall back on. I journaled on my casita’s terrace in the evenings and gave myself permission to do nothing without feeling like I should be doing something else.

By the end of that week, I actually felt rested. Not just physically, but mentally. And that’s really all anyone could ever want (or need).

ESSENCE Insight:

These three trips happened at different points in my life, each for different reasons. But they share something fundamental, that I had to learn, and that’s that I had to choose myself first. I had to book the trip, show up alone, and trust that the experience would be worth it.

If you’ve been waiting for the right person or the right time, I’ll tell you what I wish someone had told me earlier: The time is now. Book the trip.

The post Solo Travel Taught Me More About Myself Than Any Therapy Session Ever Could appeared first on Essence.

Author: Kimberly Wilson

Read the original article on Essence.