Solo Hiking & the Quiet Power of Nature

When Anna started hiking solo, she never expected it would change how she saw herself — and the world. In this episode, we explore how solo hiking became her favorite form of travel, how nature helped her reset mentally and emotionally, and the small steps that helped her build confidence on the trail.

We talk about:

How to choose safe and fulfilling solo hikes

Why time in nature helps us tune back into ourselves

Memorable moments that took her breath away — from Banff to White Sands

The balance between solo and group travel (and how both shape us)

Safety tips every solo hiker should know

Whether you’re a seasoned hiker or just curious about going it alone, this one will leave you inspired to step outside — and tune in.

Transcript

Anna (00:00)
It's this huge plane of white sand where there would be different people on ridges or in different valleys

and the sunset that I saw was so unbelievably beautiful. It was just these pinks, blues and the white sand was so otherworldly. I felt like I was barely on Earth and I just started crying because it was so beautiful. I was so touched by it and it was so quiet and serene

I don't know what it was. I was just touched Touched by the raw beauty of nature. Yeah, it was incredible.

Kelli Wall (00:38)
Welcome to Solo Travel Unpacked, where we explore the world one solo travel story at a time.

I'm your host Kelli and I believe that solo travel.

is a journey of self-discovery, empowerment, and connection.

Each episode, we'll meet a different solo and hear their insights, experiences, and lessons learned.

We'll also take a look at a key solo travel topic

to give you the tools and inspiration for your own adventure.

It's time to hear from today's guest and unpack another solo travel story.

Kelli Wall (01:07)
Today's guest is Anna, an attorney and yoga instructor with a deep love for the outdoors.

Raised by parents who embrace the freedom to explore.

Anna sees travel as an expression of personal freedom.

Her solo travel has evolved from city exploration to nature-centered adventures.

with highlights like hiking in road trips across the US.

and yoga retreats in Costa Rica and India.

nature can significantly reduce anxiety.

and improve mental clarity.

nature

decreases rumination and boost mental well-being

something Anna has experienced firsthand on her solo hikes.

In this episode, we'll explore the transformative power of solo hiking.

tips for staying safe.

And how nature helps us reconnect with ourselves.

We'll also discuss balancing travel with work.

And the unique bond of women traveling together.

Kelli Wall (02:01)
Anna, I'm so excited to have you here. Your solo travel journey is so inspiring, especially how it's evolved to focus on the outdoors and hiking. I'd love to start hearing a little bit about you outside of solo travel and hiking, and then we'll dig in more.

Anna (02:15)
Sure, being here, love getting the chance to talk about traveling and hiking, because it's something I really love to do. mean, otherwise, I'm an attorney, I live in DC with my husband, my family is also pretty close by, I've got a brother and a sister who live nearby and my parents are in Maryland. What else can I tell you? I'm a yoga teacher, I got my teacher certification last year, so I'm really excited to be teaching now, which is awesome.

And then I do love being outdoors, but I also have like a strong indoor cat side as well. So I love watching TV and movies. That's like max relaxation for me to be on the couch, vegged out, sort of curled up with a blankie, watching some prestige TV. I love that too.

Kelli Wall (03:01)
I'm gonna start using that, my inner cat. I mean, I do have a cat too, but I'm gonna say, I love that analogy. That's fantastic. Awesome, well again, thank you so much. I'm so glad we get to talk today, but let's just jump right in. So what inspired you to start hiking solo?

Anna (03:08)
Yeah.

You know, I was just thinking how 10 years ago, I was working in a law firm job. I wasn't really getting a lot of movement in my life. And I was getting to a point where I was like, I think I gotta change something up. I gotta do something differently. And I started working with one of my good friends who you also know, Naomi, who is both life coach and a personal coach, like, athletically. So she...

started training me and my whole goal was I want to be able to start hiking. I don't know why, but I was like, I just want to be able to hike. And I think I started hiking because solo in part because I didn't always have friends who wanted to. And so it was either I do it by myself or I don't do it at all. So I think starting small and sort of in local trails and state parks was really great. But then

I had the chance to go to Calgary for work and I had no idea before then about Banff National Park and I love the national parks but I never heard of Banff National Park, I couldn't believe it. And so pairing with one of those first trips, I decided to take a couple days on the front end to go to Banff and hike around.

I made the trip by myself and I just discovered this whole world and I think that's what really got me addicted to traveling specifically for the purpose of hiking. And doing it by myself, I was like, well, I can do it.

Kelli Wall (04:44)
You know, it's funny, there's a reoccurring theme that I'm picking up on recording all these episodes about people saying, I'm just going to do it. I'm not going to wait for anybody else to do it. And it's interesting to look at it from the hike perspective. So what I'm curious, how did you get into hiking? What was it that that's what you picked? Right. You could pick anything you wanted, but you picked hiking.

Anna (05:04)
You know, I grew up spending a lot of time outdoors. think because honestly it was something that was super affordable to do. So when my family immigrated from Ukraine to the States, my parents were starting their careers in a new country. They were pianists. They had to really be very flexible and very innovative when it came to activities that we could do at a family that didn't cost a lot of money.

And being outside was one of those things you can do for free. You can be in a public park. You can use those resources. So I'd grown up spending a lot of time outdoors. And we hadn't really though done a lot of hiking or camping. My family wasn't really into that. But I think I was still kind of starstruck by maybe...

maybe friends who had done a lot of hiking, maybe things I'd seen in TV or movies, just these incredible landscapes. And so it had been sort of on my mind for a while, but I was kind of nervous about whether I was physically ready to do it. And what I've discovered since then is there's so many different trails, right? You can do a one mile walk around a lake that's really easy. You can do...

Kelli Wall (06:11)
Mm-hmm.

Anna (06:16)
a 10 mile uphill, you know, in the snow if you really want, there's a whole range of stuff. So I think learning that there is an option for every kind of experience you wanna have is really comforting as well. You don't have to like max out and hike the Appalachian Trail from day one. You could just take it step by step, which is really good.

Kelli Wall (06:36)
Yes, and speaking of trails, how do you choose the trails you do? How do you choose safe trails and maybe ones that are rewarding for solo hiking? And are there any resources that you use that you could recommend?

Anna (06:47)
Definitely, so I really love the All Trails app. I think that people tend to give a lot of detail.

include separate notes and tips on like parking, where to start, which direction to go into. So I really like that. They'll include pictures. So I like personal reviews. Sometimes if I'm going to a park that I've never been to, I'll do just a quick Google and see if there's...

anything available online, if there's somebody who has written a blog post about going to a particular park and the trails that they like. But I think for sure safety is a big priority for me. So I'm always aware of, I going at a time where I'll expect other people to be on the trail? And if not, is it okay for me to be on the trail by myself or not? And actually in Banff National Park, there are certain times in the season where because of the risk of running into bears,

they'll tell you at the beginning of the trail must hike in groups of four or more. And so there have been times where I've done hikes in Banff where I've just waited at the trailhead until I see a group come up and I'll ask them if I can join them. And the first time I did it, I was really nervous about it. I thought it would be weird for people to find a stranger who's just like, can I just glom onto your group?

But people are super nice and it's never, I've never gotten a weird reaction. It's never been awkward. You get to talk to somebody new and people are, I think, aware of that rule in the park. And so they're very accommodating, which is great.

Kelli Wall (08:12)
Mm-hmm.

speaking of safety, so that's such a good point about doing your research, right? You wanna make sure you're there at the right times and obviously on all trails, you're getting a lot of good feedback. Are there any other safety tips that you might keep in mind or that you wanna share? Because I know safety obviously is paramount in travel and hiking and really anything in life, but I'm curious if there's anything that you do that you keep in mind for your safety when you do these hikes.

Anna (08:40)
Sure, you I think, you know, there's animal safety, there's people safety, there's like

medical safety, there's all different types. So sometimes from the animal perspective, you'll get advice to wear like a bear bell or carry bear spray. I've done that before. I do carry a, just a small medical kit with a couple of things for an emergency situation. I always let somebody know where I'm gonna be. So.

Kelli Wall (08:48)
Mm-hmm.

Anna (09:08)
This is the trail I plan to be at. I plan to hike between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. I'll message you when I get out in the afternoon. So I think making sure that somebody knows where you are in case something does go wrong, that, know, God forbid somebody has to come find looking, looking for you, that they know where you're gonna be. You know, in terms of people safety, I have never really hiked alone when it's dark.

I've done like a moonlit hike with a group, which is really cool in the middle of the night, but I don't really hike before sunrise or after, much after dusk. And I do prefer to hike in places where maybe there's not a crowd of people along the trail with me, but I can hear people. There's a little bit of movement. There's a little bit of commotion on the trail. So I do prefer not to be totally, totally.

isolated.

Kelli Wall (10:03)
Those are such good tips, especially the one about sharing your location or letting people know where you are. I let's be honest, we are all sharing our location with somebody likely anyway. So let's go ahead and make them aware. That's really smart in case, you know, God forbid something happens, somebody knows where you are. So we usually have our phone on us. Those are really great tips. So I'm curious, speaking of safety, these beautify hikes you've done, have you ever encountered a challenging or risky situation while hiking alone? I'm hoping you don't say a bear.

but you shouldn't have been alone if you did. And how did you handle it?

Anna (10:34)
So I do remember one situation which

honestly barely much of a hike. So was walking, was in Taos, New Mexico at the Rio Grande Gorge bridge and it's such a beautiful scene. It's a super deep gorge. It's a long bridge that stretches across it. And I wanted to go out there at sunrise and take pictures. So I...

brought my gear with me, I brought my camera with my tripod, I was like getting everything set up and not really paying attention to what else was going around me, I was so focused on getting this shot. And after I was done taking a couple of pictures, I sort of got up and turned around and all of a sudden, maybe 50 feet away from me on the other side was a bighorn sheep.

and it was just standing there looking at me. And I was like, I need to think very carefully about what I do next. So I sort of averted my eyes so not to make direct eye contact and I just stood there still and waited and eventually it turned away from me and walked away. And I wasn't sure what I was necessarily afraid was gonna happen or what might happen, but it occurred to me that I was in

its territory and I just had no idea what its reaction might be to me. And it just made me realize that when I'm out there alone, there's an increased responsibility that you really have to be aware of what's going on around you. You don't have five other people who are scanning the horizon or looking behind you. It was a blind spot for me that was, luckily everything was fine. Everything turned out just fine.

He didn't, it didn't come any closer to me, but it did make me think a little bit more, more carefully about paying attention when I'm out there alone.

Kelli Wall (12:16)
They tell you what to do, though I'm forgetting in the moment. If black bear runs after you, or brown bear, or an alligator, I don't know why these animals are coming to me. But I don't think a horned sheep has been on the list of whatever to do. it worked out totally fine.

Anna (12:22)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

I just stood still,

averted my eyes, and you know, it went its way, I went my way, and everything was all good.

Kelli Wall (12:38)
Did you get the picture that you were there for?

Anna (12:41)
I did, and also a part of me was super tempted to take pictures of the sheep as well. And I just thought, you know what, I better just mind my business and let this moment pass. And then I can tell everybody about it. They'll believe me, they'll believe it.

Kelli Wall (12:56)
We'd rather hear from you than on the news. So it's probably okay. You'll have to send me the picture and I'll drop it in while we're talking about it. Well, I know, Anna, that you are such a mindful and thoughtful person. And as you spoke about, you're also a yoga teacher. you ever had a memorable moment when a solo travel helped you reconnect deeply with nature, whether it be on a hike or another way?

Anna (12:58)
There you go. You got it. You got it.

Yeah, definitely. I find

such a mentally restful thing to do because usually when you're hiking, either you have bad cell reception or you're so interested in what's going on around you that you're not really looking at your phone. So I think getting away from the screen, getting quiet is really nice. And

This one time I remember being in White Sands National Monument and I was there at sunset, you know, to your question about tips and tricks, had googled like, well, what's the best time to go? And people said sunset was a

time. So I went at sunset and it's this huge plane of white sand where there would be different people on ridges or in different valleys and you could sort of hear kids playing or even sort of like skating down.

the sand dunes and the sunset that I saw was so unbelievably beautiful. It was just these pinks, blues and the white sand was so otherworldly. I felt like I was barely on Earth and I just started crying because it was so beautiful. I was so touched by it and it was so quiet and serene and it just reminded me that it doesn't really have to be something that is

super bombastic, you know, it doesn't have to be like the tallest redwood or being in Yosemite or, you know, something that is just like so unbelievably spectacular, even just such a beautiful, simple sunset in this environment. I don't know what it was. I was just touched by. Touched by the raw beauty of nature. Yeah, it was incredible.

Kelli Wall (14:43)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah,

those everyday things, just looking at them through a different lens, you know, is really striking. you touched on this a couple of times actually, and I'm curious, we've talked about safety, we talked about the horn sheep. how, how, to your point, a lot of times your cell phones don't out there. So I'm curious, when you're on these hikes, how do you balance being present in nature and in this moment, while also ensuring your safety and preparation, right? You spoke about

Anna (15:09)
Yeah.

Right.

Kelli Wall (15:29)
How it's

just you, so you're taking on more responsibility. So how do you balance that?

Anna (15:33)
Right, I

think that it really varies from day to day, from hike to hike, because there's all these different variables. So I think your natural environment matters a lot. There's places where there are no natural predators for humans. So I was in Iceland a couple of years ago, and one thing I really enjoyed about walking around there was,

I didn't have to worry about there being bears or mountain lions. There's nothing in there. There's like goats and sheep and that's it. Nothing's gonna pose a danger to me. But certainly if you're in Banff National Park, you're in the Smoky Mountains, you're in Shenandoah, there are animals out there that you just have to be really watchful for. And I've had a couple of, thankfully not close encounters, but especially in the Smoky Mountains, a couple of hikes where I have seen black bears. So I think for me,

for sure when there's other people on the trail and there's at least a little bit of congestion on the trail, I feel a lot better. My experience has been that when there's more people, the animals are just less interested in getting in your way. There have been times when I've been much more alone. And so that balance of being present and being alert sort of shifts where it's really my alertness that's up and running.

You know, my body is getting the experience of being in nature, but for sure, I feel like mentally up here, I'm scanning, I'm doing a lot of looking around. And so I just, I think it's different every day and every trail that you're on. It's so specific to that.

Kelli Wall (17:04)
It's such a good point, another point of research to look into when you're doing this, right? I mean, as you said, there's some places where you don't have to worry at all, and I'm sure it's other places and pending the season. another thing that you definitely want to research before you do it.

Anna (17:08)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

And I would say the other resource I did mention earlier is park rangers. So especially if you're going to a big state park or a big national park, they'll oftentimes be folks either at the entrance or at the visitor center who you could talk to. And I think that's a really great resource because sometimes they'll say, you know what, we have seen a mama bear with her cubs in the area the last couple of days. So you really want to be watchful and make sure that you stay away if you notice bears in the area.

They'll have the freshest, latest info. And so they're an amazing resource anytime you're gonna go hiking.

Kelli Wall (17:51)
Yes, another great point, So you've done these amazing trips, all these solo hikes all over the United States and the world. Do you think your time solo in nature has changed how you see yourself in the world? And if so, how?

Anna (18:05)
Definitely. I think

having to take responsibility for your day and your planning forces you to take it all on from soup to nuts. So the beautiful part about that is I think so often, especially when I think of my female friends, when we're planning trips with other people, we're very cognizant of

what the group's needs are. Who's an introvert, who's an extrovert, who is dairy free, who likes to go to bed early. You you really wanna make sure everybody's having a good experience, you're being thoughtful about the group. And when you're by yourself, I think it just completely takes everyone else out of the equation for a short period of time where you have the opportunity to really attune to what you want and need.

and you can just follow your instincts. And so I think for a lot of us who have lives that are full and rich and full of people who we love, but also full of responsibilities and schedules and obligations, it's really nice to have a moment where you can step away from all of that and just tune into what's going on inside of you. And you might find out something surprising or interesting about.

what you wanna do that day, what you're drawn to do, what you're drawn to not do. So I think that's a really beautiful part of traveling by yourself is just rediscovering your own inner voice without the influence of anybody else.

Kelli Wall (19:39)
Yeah, and those are such thoughtful things. I know I've talked to a few other people and they say the same, right? When you're booking a trip with other people, which is lovely as well. There are just so many different things that you have to keep in mind. Like you just spoke about, and when it's solo travel, you can just focus on you. You know what you wanna do, you don't wanna do, and you can have that flexibility. So perks, of course, with both. But you started to talk about friends. So I'm curious, how has solo travel influenced your perspective on relationships?

I know you said you're married, so if there's a point when you were doing this where you were single. So single, married, partner, is there any influence it's had on you?

Anna (20:15)
Sure, I think

the easiest thing to pinpoint that has changed is probably my main point of contact is gonna be my husband. So he's gonna be the one who I text, hey, this is where I'm gonna be and I'll check in with you in a couple of hours. But I also think that in every relationship there's different expectations about how you keep in touch.

And I think that is true for every single relationship in your life. And with my husband, I think it was important to, when we're traveling separately or one of us is traveling, just to be on the same page about how often we are or are not gonna connect. We tend to not be in touch like super, super a lot. We kind of just let each other do our own thing. And other people might have a...

a daily check-in or a twice daily check-in or might appreciate some photos at the end of the day as an update. So I think it's just about being on the same page and making sure that everybody's expectations are vocalized so that you just know how to handle it as best you can.

Kelli Wall (21:22)
making sure that you're on the same page of those expectations. Yeah, absolutely. And I know, Anna, that we met on a girls trip. And while we're talking about solo travel and solo hiking, I also know that trips with friends are very important to you. So if you could just touch on that and why you think it's important for women specifically to travel with their girlfriends.

Anna (21:23)
That's right.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, I think that for so many of us, and I know you're in the same boat, where we have friends who live

all over the place. So as much as I would love to have all my close friends in my apartment building together, and that would make it super easy and convenient, it's just not realistic. We live in different time zones, we live in different countries, we have different schedules, we have different family obligations and different hobbies.

Kelli Wall (21:49)
Mm-hmm.

Anna (22:07)
And I think that getting together somewhere different is a really wonderful way to, again, just zero in on that relationship in the moment and sort of be able to forget a little bit our other obligations, because there's just a lot of them, I think, for everybody. So I do think it's nice to get together at someone's home, but I also think it's really nice to get together in a different location.

And especially for some sort of special celebration, I think that your memory then cements that experience in a different way because you're already in a new location and your brain is alerted to the fact that, there's something different happening. So in some ways, I think it helps those memories stick a little bit more when you get together in a third party place that's new to everyone.

Kelli Wall (23:00)
Yeah, I agree, because it's not just about seeing your friends, right? But it's being together, your point, in a different environment, that you're all experiencing it together and making those memories. So are there any, I know you've done a lot of travel with friends, but are there any memorable trips that you've taken with your girlfriends that stand out or maybe a memorable moment?

Anna (23:06)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Sure. Well, I think the trip that we were both on is super memorable. was a milestone birthday for one of our mutual friends. just the house that we stayed in was so gorgeous. It was a city I'd never been to. We did an activity, Meow Wolf, the whole Meow Wolf experience, which was totally new for me. And then I've also done a couple of

Kelli Wall (23:22)
Mm-hmm. Yes.

Anna (23:38)
trips with individual girlfriends, which have been really fun. So my friend Christine and I both scuba dived. So we've had the opportunity to go together for a couple of scuba diving trips, which has been amazing. My friend Daphne and I did a massive road trip around Texas, seeing as much as we possibly could in nine days, which was really great. We've camped in Texas and Big Bend State Park. We've camped in Tahoe and the

agreement we've come to is that each of us is about 40 % of a pro camper. So together we make almost, you know, 80 % is pretty damn good. I'll take I also think that's a good example of where you, I'll speak for myself, I've never camped solo. I don't know that I have the confidence at this point to camp solo.

But with someone else, it can be really fun and I think you can pick up some skills from each other. And I was really impressed by the meal that Daphne made one night over a fire. was like, she just threw some steak and potatoes and seasoned it and wrapped it up in foil and it made this great meal. So I think you can learn a lot from each other doing trips like that.

Kelli Wall (24:50)
mean, 80 % of a camper I mean, that's pretty good. I would take that all day. You can just swing the other 20%. I agree with you though. I went a couple years ago to Red River Gorge on a hike with one of our guy friends who was an eagle scout. And I'm just thinking I'm watching all this stuff that he's doing at end of the night, like hanging the food bag in between the trees. And it's got, I was like, I would get eaten by a bear. I have no idea to do this. I full respect for the people that know how to do this because I am not one of them.

Anna (24:53)
That's pretty good. Mm-hmm. Yeah.

There you go.

Yeah. Yeah.

Kelli Wall (25:18)
But hey, 80 % is still pretty damn good.

Anna (25:21)
Pretty good.

That's a B, that's solid B, okay?

Kelli Wall (25:24)
You're passing. You're saying that's what matters. Yeah. So I'm curious. talked about travel with girlfriends and you just shared some beautiful stories. Are there any solo travel stories you want to share? Maybe one trip that stood out or a hike that challenged you or surprised you or really was just unforgettable.

Anna (25:28)
Totally.

Hmm.

It's a little bit hard to

but I actually will say that I had the opportunity to revisit Banff a couple times because my work kept bringing me there. And I love being able to discover new elements of the park. I think that there's so many, so many parks where there's

million different trails, a million different corners of the area that are really difficult to see in one go. And certainly there are some parks where you have the the number one, the number two, number three that everybody goes to and that's great. But there is a pleasure I think in revisiting the same trail or

discovering a new part of the park. The fact that I was able to go so many times actually really prepared me for bringing my parents to Banff a couple years ago, where I was able to do that research ahead of time

I knew hikes that would be a good fit for them and I could plan out an itinerary that would really fit their needs as well as mine.

So it's also fun, I think, at some point to become a host for that experience. We actually, because of the hiking I've done, it's prompted me to get my family into doing it a little bit more. And so now we take annual or even twice a year trips to Shenandoah National Park. So it's become part of our family reunion tradition, which I really love. But I think

One that stands out from Banff is there was a year I went where it snowed while I was there and I had planned this short little hike in Sunshine Village down to a lake. And because of the time that I was there, know, because it had just snowed the night before when I got on the trail, mean, was just the trees were covered in snow.

It was so gorgeous. the time I got down to the lake, it was just like this beautiful, still glass mirror reflecting all the trees and the mountains in the background. you know, talking about how you can get really quiet when you're hiking and let everything sort of settle, listening to the sounds of nature, when there's snow on the ground, there is something about that stillness where

Kelli Wall (27:56)
Mm-hmm.

Anna (28:06)
Everything just shuts down and there is no distraction and there is almost no sound. And I was out there all by myself and I was scanning for bears as well. But I think of that moment as just one of the most peaceful instances in my whole history of hiking on my own.

Kelli Wall (28:08)
Mm-hmm.

Anna (28:28)
was just, it was a kind of quiet that I don't know that I've experienced since then.

Kelli Wall (28:34)
It sounds absolutely magical.

Anna (28:36)
was.

Kelli Wall (28:38)
Yeah, and super mindful as well. I know that's something that I'm learning too when people talk about solo travel, whether it be hiking or trips or vacation is just having those mindful moments and that sounds like one that was perfection.

Anna (28:52)
And I think such a nice antidote to the, I don't know about you, but I've got my personal phone, I've got my work phone, I've got my work laptop, I've got my personal laptop, I've got my iPad, I've got my TV. You know, I have a million different screens that are always competing for my intention. And that's part of why I wanted to start hiking in the first place because my job as an attorney is often so...

enmeshed with the computer and I'm reading and I'm on Microsoft Teams calls and for me I think there's no better antidote to that than getting outside, letting my eyeballs see greenery or beautiful sunset colors, breathing in fresh air. It just rejuvenates me in a way that nothing else does.

Kelli Wall (29:40)
and it's not only good for your physical health. Obviously it's good for your mental and emotional health as well. So it's the trifecta. Awesome.

Anna (29:45)
Yeah, definitely. Yeah.

Kelli Wall (29:49)
Thank you so much, Anna. I have loved this conversation and learning all of the amazing places you've gone on hikes. And I think I might have to escape for a little walk down by the river after this, but we will finish up today's episode with how we finish every episode of Solo Travel Unpacked

which is asking the guests the same three final questions. So first one up, the advice I'd give to someone considering solo travel is,

Anna (30:14)
The advice I'd give to somebody considering solo travel is start small. You don't have to commit to some sort of super adventurous, independent, overnight camping experience. You really can't start with a couple of hours on your own, even a little day trip. I think that starting small is a really nice way to build your confidence. And you may find out that you

want to do more or you don't want to do more. But I think testing your limits in this slow way is a really nice path to discovering the right amount of solo travel for you.

Kelli Wall (30:55)
My favorite part about solo travel is...

Anna (30:59)
My favorite part about solo travel is being able to really hear myself and tune into my own instincts. I think that we spend a lot of time taking care of other people in our lives who we really love and that's a wonderful thing. And I think it's also really nice to get that quiet time where you can just hear your own voice and listen to your own instincts and maybe find ways that you surprise yourself in the process.

Kelli Wall (31:28)
something I learned about myself during solo travel is...

Anna (31:32)
Something I learned about myself during solo travel is that for the right view or hike or experience, I will upend my whole schedule. I will stay up late. I will drive at night through multiple states. I will get up way before sunrise, but I might do things that I would never ask somebody else, never impose on somebody else to take that on.

But for myself, I'm willing to just bend the rules and throw everything in the air to experience something awesome.

Kelli Wall (32:07)
Another beautiful perk of being able to do it solo. I love those answers. Anna, thank you so much for sharing your experiences and insights. It's been such a meaningful conversation from solo hikes through national parks to the quiet lessons nature teaches us. Your story is a beautiful reminder of how travel can reconnect us with both the world and ourselves. Thank you so much. Of course, have a good one.

Anna (32:10)
for sure.

Thanks for having me.

All right, thanks,

Kelli Wall (32:33)
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