{"id":23409,"date":"2025-09-15T10:42:07","date_gmt":"2025-09-15T14:42:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nucamprv.com\/?p=23409"},"modified":"2025-09-08T10:42:29","modified_gmt":"2025-09-08T14:42:29","slug":"solo-not-lonely-the-surprising-truth-about-traveling-by-yourself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nucamprv.com\/blog\/solo-not-lonely-the-surprising-truth-about-traveling-by-yourself\/","title":{"rendered":"Solo, Not Lonely: The Surprising Truth About Traveling By Yourself"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you travel solo, you\u2019ve heard the questions. They come from a place of genuine concern from friends and family, and from curiosity from strangers at a gas station. \u201cAren\u2019t you scared?\u201d is a popular one. And the classic, \u201cDon\u2019t you get lonely?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And here’s a surprising truth I’ve learned over the years: these concerns aren’t just for women. Every year at uCamp, more and more men join the solo traveler session. The reasons people travel alone are diverse\u2014they\u2019re single, widowed, divorced, or have a partner who simply can\u2019t get away. But the fears are almost always the same: safety, loneliness, and feeling inadequate to solve problems alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For anyone feeling that hesitation, I can tell you the other surprising truth I’ve discovered: you are only as alone as you want to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That really clicked for me when one of my brothers was watching a Sunday morning news show. During a feature story on the elk rut in Yellowstone, the camera panned across a line of photographers, all with their huge lenses pointed at the wildlife. He saw the natural camaraderie between them, the shared passion, and he called me. He realized I wasn\u2019t just wandering out in the wilderness by myself all the time. I could be with people whenever I wanted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And he was right. Whether I\u2019m at a nuCamp rally, a state park campground, or even boondocking in a remote spot, community is always there if you look for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can join niche groups for hikers, paddlers, crafters, birders, or almost anything else you can think of, or you can just keep your own company. You get to decide just how much you engage. That\u2019s the real freedom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Your Greatest Tool: A Problem-Solving Mindset<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve been inspired by solo adventurers my whole life, especially my Aunt Marian, who volunteered in National Parks and took all sorts of trips on her own. She never treated it like a big deal, so I never saw it as a barrier. The only real hurdle was deciding to make it a priority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Less than a month after buying my first TAB, I hit the road for Colorado and Utah. My very first stop was near Louisville, Kentucky, to help a friend photograph a wedding. On the morning of the wedding, I walked out to find that my Jeep\u2019s battery was completely dead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, that could have sent me into a panic. But I\u2019ve learned that on any trip, challenges are going to pop up. When one does, my first thought is, \u201cWell, there it is. I wonder what else might come my way?\u201d That little mental trick allows me to skip the anxiety and put all my energy into solving the problem. (Thankfully, Louisville is a great place to get a new battery, and my friend\u2019s husband had it handled before we even finished the wedding shoot.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting Ready: Preparation is Peace of Mind<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When you\u2019re on your own, you\u2019re the captain, the navigator, and the mechanic all in one. You don\u2019t have a second person to double-check your work, so being prepared is essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n