Last year, I went on my first solo trip to Sedona, Arizona. As I mentioned before, I love to travel. But surprisingly, I’ve never gone on a solo trip before. The thought of it crossed my mind once or twice, but I didn’t believe I was capable of actually accomplishing it. Soon after I started my healing journey, I began to pay close attention to the many fears I had and how they were affecting and hindering my personal development. One of those fears was “the fear of being”alone”—alone with myself, my thoughts, my emotions, my demons.
I spent the majority of my life unaware of how terrifying the thought of being alone truly was. As a result, I’ve been in relationships since I was a teenager. I had formed an unconscious belief that I needed a partner in order to be truly happy and complete. How naive of me to think that. But the decision to go on this solo trip was a conscious one. It was an opportunity to confront my main fear, connect deeper with my soul, learn how to truly be happy on my own, and liberate myself from the burdens of the past.
Embarking on a solo journey can be a scary yet transformative experience. Leaping into the unknown and having the courage to step out of my comfort zone was just what I needed to continue on my self-discovery and healing journey. It had been about 2 years since I started working on myself and gaining self-awareness. But even with all the intense shadow work I was doing, along with reading self-help books and listening to countless self-healing podcasts, I was still feeling extremely lost and depressed. I desperately needed a reminder that there was light at the end of the tunnel. And that’s when I stopped making excuses and purchased the flight without a refund to make sure I didn’t back out.
Once I arrived in Sedona, I immediately felt the vibrant and healing energy that everyone mentions when they describe it. The sense of serenity was very noticeable, and I couldn’t help but cry as I was driving around. I felt so much gratitude and happiness, and I was just freaking proud of myself for having the bravery to do something that seemed very scary. I was finally facing and conquering my fear. I had never felt more capable of accomplishing anything. That’s when I stopped allowing my mind to have full control over me. At last, I was finally free.
As the days went by, I discovered a newfound sense of empowerment. The fear of being alone transformed into a celebration of solitude. Traveling alone allowed me to develop a closer relationship with myself while falling deeply in love with the woman I was becoming. I was also making peace with everything that had happened in the past, grieving versions of myself that I had outgrown, and releasing some of the heavy pain I was still carrying in my heart.
To be completely honest, I spent the majority of the trip crying but also feeling so grateful for all the lessons I was learning and how much I was growing in such a short time. Sedona became my sanctuary, my safe haven. It gave the opportunity for my true essence to fully come out. But it also allowed me to have fun, to enjoy being on own, to tap into my adventurous side, and fully enjoy the present moment. I once heard Will Smith say, “The best things in life are on the other side of fear,” and he was absolutely right. As scared and anxious as I was to go on this solo adventure, nothing will top the feeling of bliss I experienced during the entire trip.
My first solo trip Sedona was a transformative experience. I left the city a better person with a renewed spirit. It will forever have a special place in my heart, and I can’t wait to go back one day. Sometimes, the most profound journeys are the ones we take within ourselves, and Sedona, with its magical energy and breathtaking landscapes, provided the perfect setting for my personal voyage of self-development and healing.