11 Things I Learned Traveling Solo

I'm certain you could tell from my last four posts that I had an amazing road trip through California!  In addition, I absolutely LOVED traveling solo! I don't think I would have wanted to do this trip any other way.  I learned many things about myself, about the state of California, and about traveling alone.  I thought I'd share some of the more pertinent ones for all of you out who may have never traveled solo, but are thinking about it.  (My advice: JUST DO IT!)

1.  It's Not Lonely!
I know what you're thinking.  I'm ALONE.  It's going to be so lonely.  Au contraire my friends.  When exploring a new place there is so much to see and do, there is no time for loneliness.  And in all honesty, I feel much more lonely in my day-to-day life than I ever did on the trip!  Connect with 'strangers'.  Talk to people.  Soak it all in.  Loneliness is just a state of mind.  We are all just solo beings on this big beautiful planet anyway!

2.  It's Not Unsafe
I imagine there are countries and parts of the world that you would have to take caution if traveling  as a single female, but I honestly don't feel that is a concern with US travel.  I do everything in my day-to-day life alone, in a city with one of the highest crime rates in the country. I never feel unsafe here nor did I ever while on the road.  Be smart about not carrying or packing a lot of cash or valuables and obviously don't walk through dark alleys in the middle of the night.  If you operate on the road just as you do at home, you should be fine.  Not everyone is out to get you.  In fact, most people love to help others.

3.  Airbnb is Your Friend!
I am so glad I used Airbnb to book rooms in people's homes.  I wanted an authentic experience and did not want to stay in hotels.  Airbnb rooms were a lot cheaper and it also helps with the loneliness factor since you're meeting and staying with other people!  When searching for rooms, you can set various filters on Airbnb to find what you're looking for. I only looked for rooms that were under $85 and had lots of 5 star reviews, and these conditions led me to 2 fantastic places with wonderful hosts.  I also stayed with friends and family a couple nights which kept costs down too!

4.  You Don't Need to Spend a lot of Money
I spent money on only the necessities and kept those costs as much under control as possible.  I saved money by staying in Airbnb rooms instead of hotels.  I didn't go shopping for unnecessary or expensive trinkets (the only souvenirs I bought were refrigerator magnets).  I packed a lot of protein bars so I could eat lunch for free most days.  Some of my Airbnb hosts offered breakfast, which I took full advantage of.  I ate dinners out most days but didn't go hog wild.  And I didn't pay for big ticket attractions.  I paid for entrance to national parks and things that were low cost, but amazing experiences nonetheless.

5.  Take A LOT of Pictures!
Going along with number 4 here, taking pictures is free, and they make the best souvenirs of all. I knew many of the images and things I saw out there would stay with me, but memories do have a way of fading over time, and pictures help keep them alive.  Plus, when you get home you can get prints or do all kinds of artsy things with your photos.  Hello, redecorating with images you took!

6.  Don't Over Plan
I'm not a planner anyway but I booked everything for this trip less than 30 days out: my flight, my rooms, the car.  In terms of activities, there were things I knew I wanted to see for years while thinking about my dream trip to CA.  You want wiggle room.  Especially on a road trip, part of the adventure is seeing what's around the next bend.  Be open. Take suggestions from locals (I did that a lot, especially for places to eat).  Make random stops (I did that in Santa Barbara and MAN am I glad I stopped there).  Have some ideas but don't stress yourself out over it!

7.  Having an iPhone/Smartphone with GPS is a Good Idea
I'm not saying this is essential, but I couldn't have imagined exploring all the places I did using a paper map! I dk how people did that back in the day. I also used the internet on my phone a lot to find places to eat or local attractions.  I really couldn't imagine doing a solo/road trip without my iPhone.

8.  Don't Over Pack!
I didn't really follow this one.  This could be due to the fact that I began packing around 9pm the night before my flight, but nonetheless, I overpacked. I brought a suitcase and a carryon for 2 weeks and just 1 bag would have been better.  It was annoying to lug both of these up and down steps every time I stopped someplace new for the night and I ended up wearing the same things every day, just like I do at home.  So yeah, don't over pack.  If your hoodie unexpectedly gets soaked while bike riding through San Francisco, I'm pretty sure they have stores there that sell hoodies.  This logic goes for anything you might need.  If you legitimately forget something, just purchase it at your destination.

9.  Don't Bring a Selfie Stick.
Just don't.  I can't tell you how many selfie sticks I saw on this trip! I thought only 13 year old girls used them. I was wrong.  "Well, Jill, how do you expect me to take pictures of myself against these amazing backdrops if I don't bring along my trusty selfie stick?"  Ask someone!  I asked people everywhere I went to snap a photo of me and every single person said yes.  I always returned the favor.  It gave me an excuse to talk to people and I met lots of interesting people that way.  Also, selfie sticks are WEIRD. 

10.  It is Empowering!
Doing anything independently is empowering and builds confidence and traveling across the country and through an entire state alone is no exception.  I amazed myself sometimes at the things I was able to figure out without anyone's help and it's given me confidence that I can do even greater things!  If you are a looking for a way to feel like a rockstar, book a solo trip.  Or run a marathon!  Runners have a good sense of being able to accomplish things on their own already, so maybe this is why solo travel struck such a chord with me. 

11.  It Will Make You Want to Start Planning Your Next Solo Trip!
Yep, this was already happening before I even stepped foot back on the east coast.  I was  daydreaming about my next trip hiking national parks out west.  I'm looking at Zion or Arches National Park in Utah or the Grand Canyon and other parks in Arizona.  There's so much of this world I've yet to see!


Have you ever traveled solo?

What were some of your biggest takeaways from your trip?

If not, would you?!

Jilly Does Cali, Part 2: Los Angeles and BIG SUR!

Welcome back to Part 2 of my CA travel diary!  Where did we leave off?

Oh yes, it's Day 4.  I've hopped in my little Chevy rental and am headed north to LA from San Diego. 

As you know, one of the main goals for this trip was to drive Highway 1 all the way up the coast.  I had already done some of that while staying in San Diego when I drove through La Jolla, Pacific Beach and Mission Beach so I elected to hop on the 5 for awhile until the 1 splits off further north near Capistrano.  (I actually don't think the 1 runs continuously through that area anyway?) 

The first major stop I made on this route was in Laguna Beach.  As a nostalgic fan for the MTV show of the same name and its spinoff The Hills, it was pretty cool to SEE Laguna in person for the first time!  I pulled over on the main road and walked a few blocks down to the beach to take a look:

I obviously was hoping Heidi, Spencer, LC and Lo would make an appearance but I had no such luck.  Also, its not still 2005.  Ha

I walked back to my car and continued driving the PCH north, passing through beautiful coastal beach towns like Newport, Huntington and Long Beach.  I should note the term Pacific Coast 'Highway' should be used very loosely through this area.  This was not a highway but a 4 lane traffic-light filled road.  It was slow going but great for sightseeing, until after I passed Long Beach.  Then the area became more inner city and lined with buses and discount stores.  By this time, I was over the traffic and just wanted to get to the beach!  I passed LAX at some point and snapped this shot while singing the old school Miley Cyrus lyrics in my head.  Ok actually out loud.  Hopped off the plane at LAX, with a dream and my cardigan.... :

And then, after 3.5 hours in the car, I finally made it to the infamous Santa Monica Pier!  I changed into my swimsuit in the super grody public bathroom and onto the beach I went!

Roaming salesmen were walking the beach selling fresh sliced mango for $6.  I was hungry, thirsty and these looked amazing.  THEY WERE!

After an hour or so of people watching and laying out on the beach, I put on some clothes and decided to check out the pier, and at the suggestion of my cousin, walk down the strand to Venice Beach.

It was close to a 2 mile walk to Venice Beach and I was meeting my cousin for dinner back in SM, so I just took a quick stroll down the walkway.  Which was lined with 'trinket booths' (ie. places to buy weed!) and so many bars.  It was loud.  And a bit much.  I headed back and stopped to watch people doing acrobatics on that adult playground up there.  It was pretty cool.  There were guys climbing ropes and then balancing at the top of giant poles.  I wish they had one of these in Baltimore because I'd be ON that!

I managed to see the sun set over Santa Monica Pier on the walk back and got to the pier just as my cousin and his gf arrived. 

That night we had dinner at a really great restaurant which of course I can't remember the name of! I had a grass-fed/organic beef slider and we shared some roasted Brussels sprouts and bruschetta.  I spent the night at his house in LA and the next morning we did all the touristy things!

 

 

LA Day 5: We had brunch at a lovely restaurant in Beverly Hills called The Farm and then walked around Rodeo Drive.  NBD.  Then we drove into Hollywood so I could see the famous sign and take an obligatory pic.  It was neat to stroll around the Walk of Fame and look for stars of people I loved like Martin Scorsese and Robin Williams.  I also really loved looking through the famous handprints at Grauman's Chinese Theatre.  I love history and it was a cool feeling to walk through and touch pieces of cement that people like Frank Sinatra had once touched!  Before I knew it, it was mid afternoon and I had to get on the road.  It was so good to see my cousin, even if just for the night. 

When I pulled out of his driveway, this was the outside temp in LA:

I knew that as I continued to head north the temps would just continue to drop which kind of made me sad :(

As I headed north, I decided to stop in Santa Barbara because I had heard it was a beautiful town.  Oh I'm so glad I did!  This was probably my favorite town of the trip.  It was incredibly gorgeous and picturesque and these photos really do not do it justice. 

Why I didn't go to college at UCSB I'll never know.  Those kids have it MADE!  I would love to live in this little town for awhile someday.

After stopping in a Starbucks there out of sheer bladder necessity, I hopped back in my car and continued north.  I made one more stop at Pismo Beach, which I also heard was nice but I wasn't really impressed.

I finally reached my destination for the evening, Morro Bay, about 4 hours later (I think).  My cousin had given me a bag of grapes for the road which I nearly finished on the drive up.  They were a true blessing.

San Luis Obispo is the more common stop-over for people driving from LA to SF, but I had Googled suggestions and a few people mentioned Morro Bay as a unique and less-crowded alternative.  Something about the giant rock for which the town was named struck me and I decided that would be my place.

I checked into a little retro motor inn (seriously, it had about 15 rooms, which you park right outside the door, and looked like something from the 1950's!) and then headed 2 blocks down to the waterfront to see the Rock and grab some dinner.

All joking aside The Sundown Inn was probably one of my favorite hotels ever!  It got great reviews online and was super cheap, which was why I chose it, but it was SO clean and charming.  I loved my room there and plan to tell anyone who cares that if they're ever in Morro Bay, CA they should def stay at this little establishment.  Also, I got my first ever magic fingers massage from that bed for 25 cents.  I thought these things only existed in old movies.  Oh, I'm so glad I was wrong.

My first view of Morro Rock was striking. 

I have no idea why this giant rock sticks out of the water, but I loved it.  I should prob Google that.  I had an incredible fish sandwich and then went back to my room for a bed massage and some sleep!  Tomorrow was going to be a big day.

Day 6:  I woke up and walked a couple blocks to a coffee shop to grab an egg sandwich for breakfast and then said goodbye to the Rock.

I was a bundle of excitement knowing this was the day I'd drive through Big Sur, arguably the most picturesque and iconic strip of the Pacific Coast Highway.  I knew it was going to be great, but I had NO IDEA what I was in for as I filled my gas tank and snagged some water for the road.

I drove for an hour and a half or so until I came to the forests and state parks of Big Sur.  After passing through those, Hwy 1 became windy and treacherous as we began to scale coastal cliffs and that is when the most mind blowing views I've ever seen in my life started to appear.  I can see why people say you MUST drive Hwy 1 up the coast before you die.  For this.  The bluest waters of the Pacific Ocean crashing against the most marvelous coastal cliffs are a sight so captivating it almost doesn't feel real.  Yet somehow it is.  And I was there.  MY GOD.

There are stop off points every few hundred feet where you can pull over and see views like this, so obviously I have TONS more pictures, but I'll spare you.  Hwy 1 is super windy here and although I wasn't scared, I def would not want to be driving it at night! 

I stopped and took photos at the infamous Bixby Bridge, which you can RUN over in the Big Sur Marathon.  I'll tell you, if I ever decide to run a full marathon, this will be the one!

I was so lucky with the weather that day, and all of my pictures came out crystal clear.  The universe had my back the entire trip, I tell ya.  I'm thinking of blowing up a few of these on canvas and hanging them around my apartment so that I feel like I'm in Big Sur everyday.  Especially in the middle of winter!

I continued on to Monterey but I think I'll save that and San Fran for another post!  I'm sorry these posts have been long and rambling and I probably lost most of you.  But for those just looking through the pictures, I hope you enjoyed seeing them as much as I enjoyed taking them.

And if you've never driven Hwy 1 through Big Sur this is me telling you to DO IT.  Make it happen somehow.  There is no way you will regret it!


Part 3: Monterey and San Francisco....TO BE CONTINUED...



Ever done the Hollywood touristy things?!

After seeing these pictures, do you want to run the Big Sur Marathon?!

Jilly Does Cali, Part 1: San Diego

I'm BAAAAAAAAAACK!  And still adjusting to east coast time over here.  It's been rough.

I didn't keep up with my Bloglovin' feed or any other social media while I was gone so I apologize that I have no idea what's going on with any of your lives right now!  I'm slowly getting back into it.

I wasn't sure how to capture everything I wanted to share about my trip and it's just way too much for one post.  So I've decided to break it down into 2 or 3 posts and possibly an extra one to get out all my feelings and things I learned along the way.  Get ready for picture overload!  I had to really reign in my picture-taking over the course of the trip because I had limited storage capacity on my iPhone and it was HARD.  Everything I saw was breathtaking and picture-perfect and I wanted to capture it all so I'd have those memories forever.  But with or without the hundreds of photos I took, I know I'll remember not only the sites I saw but the feelings I had out there. 

If I could sum up my trip in one word, it would be this:  AMAZING.  I had felt for many years that when I finally got to CA, I'd fall in love with it and I was so, so right.  The landscape is so vastly different from anything in the Northeast and so stunningly breathtaking, especially along the coast.  It was like nothing I'd ever seen.

I'll start the recap with San Diego, "America's Finest City", since that's where I spent the bulk of my time (other than the wedding at the end of my trip).  I did SO many activities that I actually had to jot little reminders in my iPhone's notes at the end of each day so I wouldn't forget what I saw!  I am not a 'sit still' kind of person and especially on this vacation, I intended to see and do as much as I could.  Yet, I didn't really plan anything at all!  It's amazing how many things just worked out day-to-day out there.  I definitely felt so completely supported by the universe and absolutely LOVED traveling solo! In fact, it's something I'd love to do at least once a year to explore new places. 

SD Day 1:  After a 5.5 hour flight from Baltimore, I arrived in SD around 1:30pm PST (4:30pm EST).  I then had to grab a rental car and find my way to my first Airbnb which was in the Ocean Beach/Point Loma neighborhood.  I ended up getting there around 2:30 (I think) and the owners were working so they left a key for me to let myself in to their place.  I loved it immediately.  It was super low-key and cozy and I actually passed out on the giant bed in my room for an hour or two before I woke up to church bells chiming outside my window and took these pics (hence the rumpled bed!):

I waited until one of my hosts returned from work so I could meet her and she was wonderful!  They were a young couple (prob younger than me) who both worked in the education field and were super accommodating and sweet.  Then I headed down to Ocean Beach for my very first encounter with the Pacific Ocean.  It was MAGICAL!

I walked down the sand and dipped my toes in the water and just took it all in.  I couldn't believe I was actually in that place with my feet in an ocean I hadn't touched in all of my 36 years.  It was pretty emotional. 

By that point I was starving so I decided to eat at South Beach Bar & Grille, which was recommended to me by blogger Chelsea Dinen (whom I've been following for 4ish years and has lived in SD).  They have an outdoor balcony right on the beach that overlooks the ocean and pier.  I ordered fish tacos and watched as the sun started to set, and felt like the luckiest person on earth at that moment.

The guy next to me struck up a conversation, in which he def used the expression "west coast/best coast" when talking about his home state!

Then, I took off to walk the long fishing pier and ask strangers to take my picture:

After the sun had set I walked back to the main street where they were having an evening farmers' market!  Can you get any more CA than a farmers market at the freaking beach?!  I bought some fresh eggs for breakfast and some homemade organic coconut milk sorbet in a glass jar.  And then finally decided to head back to my house and call it a night.

SD Day 2:  I woke up to the church bells outside my window chiming "Amazing Grace".  Oh Hi Jill, the Universe DEFINITELY thinks you belong in San Diego :)

I ate those farm-fresh eggs and some fruit my hosts had given me up on their SUNNY TERRACE before setting off to see a million different sites (and walk a million miles):

Like I said, I really had no agenda or plan for any of this trip, other than to let things come to me naturally and decide each day what I wanted to do and see.  And see I did.  On Day 2, I drove downtown to explore Balboa Park.  Which was much bigger and more beautiful than I had imagined.  Here are a few pics:

After walking around the gardens for a couple hours, I started to work up an appetite so decided to head over to a neighborhood I like to frequent in any town that has one:

I should have sat down to a giant bowl of pasta, but it was midday and hot and so instead, I found a cute little juice bar and had my first acai bowl.  In Little Italy.  Hahaha

It was yummy.  Then I decided to explore the neighborhood a little and happened upon a beautiful little church with open doors so I went in and said a little prayer thanking God for allowing me to be in this place at this time.

One thing I love to do when traveling and exploring new places is to stop into churches.  I don't know why.  They just call to me and in I go. 

Then I hopped in my car and drove to La Jolla for what would be one of many mind-blowing experiences on this trip.  The directions to La Jolla Cove take you down a very narrow, very steep curved little road, from which you cannot see anything.  Until you get down to the bottom and turn the corner.  AND THEN.  I nearly cried.  Your view opens to the clearest, starkest coastline you may have ever seen.  Huge cliffs dropping into the Pacific Ocean, dotted by beaches at some points and sunbathing sea lions at others.  I had never (up until this point) seen ANYTHING like it.  I feel like I'm being redundant by saying everything is beautiful, but it was.  I am so captivated by nature in normal situations but this was just beyond.  I did lots of climbing, exploring and wandering.  And of course taking pictures next to REAL LIVE sea lions.  HELLO.

After being blown away by those views, you might think Day 2 would be over.  Oh but you'd be wrong.  More to see!  Onto Pacific Beach for some more exploring and even more walking.  There was just so much to see and my days in SD (for now!) were numbered.

I walked the length of their sidewalk (boardwalk?) until I got tired, wishing I had rented one of the bikes I saw when I first started (!) and then turned around and walked back.  And waded in the ocean for a little.

I finally headed back to OB near sunset and decided to walk to a little taco place my hosts recommended for dinner.  The tacos were good and cheap.  I got carne asada because apparently ground beef tacos are not really Mexican?! Who knew.  Not me.  I walked home with my dinner and ate on the terrace and then crashed in that giant bed like the walking dead.

SD Day 3:  I had decided I wanted to do at least one day of hiking while in SD because there were so many trails nearby.  Originally I had planned on exploring Torrey Pines but one of my hosts suggested Potato Chip Rock and somewhere in the deep recesses of my mind I remembered hearing about this infamous pinnacle and said HELL YES, I'm down for that.  So I headed about 30 mins northeast of the city to Lake Poway and began what I thought would be a fairly easy hike on a 'heat advisory' day in the park.  Suh-weet!  Great timing Bean.  There were heat advisory signs all over advising everyone not to proceed with the hike unless they had at least 2 liters of water per person.  I randomly googled this beforehand and stockpiled water. 

And then began the nearly 2,300 ft ascent to the rock.  I had no idea the total mileage for this hike was 7.5 miles roundtrip and STRAIGHT UP!  I saw several people start and then stop because of the heat.  But I kept going.  I am a pretty fast hiker and only stopped a few times to sip water or take a pic, but it still took me nearly an hour and a half each way.  Going up was rough but reaching 'the rock' was incredible.  I ended up hiking in close proximity to a group of 2 guys and also a single guy for most of the way.  Sometimes one of us would pass the other but we were always around each other.  Most times joking or urging each other on with encouragement.  When we finally reached the top we rejoiced together and we took turns taking each other's picture atop the rock. 

I'M ON TOP OF THE WORLD!

 

The way down was steep but far easier than the way up!  As I passed people going up, struggling, sweating and huffing and puffing, I offered them encouragement, fully knowing their pain.

 

I came down the mountain a sweaty mess and then drove back to SD to meet up with a high school acquaintance I had not seen in 10-15 years!  He had seen my status on FB and messaged me that he lived there and did I want to hang out?  WHY NOT?!  Except today was the only day we could make it work.  I texted him as I made my way back and he graciously offered to let me shower at his place before we went out.  Showering at someone's place you haven't seen or talked to in over a decade???  Could potentially be awkward.  Nah, Sign me up!  After I cleaned up we headed to a neighborhood called North Park for happy hour and dinner.  We did happy hour at a bar and then yelped a good sushi place for dinner. 

 

Class of '97, represent!

 

I went back to my place, ate some of that homemade coconut milk sorbet and once again crashed like a dead person in my bed. 

 

SD Day 4:  My last morning in San Diego.  I ate breakfast on the terrace, packed my bags, thanked my hosts, and then set off for LA.  On the way I stopped to buy a San Diego magnet.  My whirlwind trip to SD was over and I felt I was leaving a little piece of myself there as I drove north.  I had a feeling one day I'd be back to pick up that piece of my heart SD had captured.

 

OMG I'm sorry for the length of this post! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH  I had no intentions of it being this long and this was only the first 3 1/2 days.  I intend for this to be a travel diary that I can look back on so if you skipped all those words up there and just browsed through the pics, kudos to you.  SD was and is a beautiful, beautiful place. 

 

 

Part 2:  Los Angeles and San Francisco....TO BE CONTINUED...

 

 

 

Have you ever been to San Diego?

 

Do you find these pictures as captivatingly beautiful as I do?!

 

Would you shower at a high school classmate's house whom you have not seen in 15 years?!  HAHA