Facing Fear at 30,000 Feet: How Solo Travel Builds Real Bravery

Fear of flying. Anxiety about dining alone. Worrying what others might think.
 For many, these fears stop them from ever taking a solo trip. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

In this honest and empowering episode, you’ll hear how solo travel can help you move through fear, build resilience, and redefine bravery — even if you're scared every step of the way. From paragliding in Slovenia to finding comfort in Tokyo ramen shops, this story will inspire you to stop waiting and just go.

🎧 We talk about:
 • Traveling solo with anxiety and fear of flying
 • Tips for fearful flyers (yes, you can talk to the pilot!)
 • Reframing what it means to be brave
 • The role of self-care on solo adventures
 • Finding unexpected community when you go it alone

If fear has ever held you back, this episode is your nudge.

Transcript

Rachel (00:00)
a piece of advice that I want to give to everybody is even if you feel scared, just do it. You may surprise yourself. And the regret of not doing something is a lot more painful to swallow than trying something and not liking it.

Kelli Wall (00:12)
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 (00:41)
Welcome back to Solo Travel Unpacked.

the podcast that dives deep into the transformative power of solo travel.

your host Kelly and today's episode is one that so many of us will relate to.

Nearly 60 % of solo travelers cite fear or anxiety.

as a major barrier to getting started.

whether it's fear of flying, dining alone.

or just feeling unsafe. The concerns are real.

many solo travelers push through them to discover something life-changing on the other side.

One of those travelers is today's guest.

a solo traveler teacher, Bon Voyage Besties podcast.

Rachel has been traveling solo since across Europe, the US, Canada, and Japan.

all while managing a fear of flying.

and nerves that can come with solo adventures.

We're talking about what it really takes to face those fears.

how solo travel can build resilience.

and why self-care plays such a powerful role, especially in your 30s and 40s.

Kelli Wall (01:48)
Rachel, I'm so excited to have you here. Before we dive into the travel talk, I'd love for you to introduce yourself a bit. Who you are outside of the suitcase, so to speak. What does life look like for you when you're not out exploring?

Rachel (01:48)
you

So life is very busy for me when I'm not out exploring. I am a high school teacher full time. I teach high school English and I'm also a coach at school. I coach boy soccer and cheerleading. So it is a very hectic lifestyle when I'm not traveling the world. And in addition to all of that, I also foster rescue cats because I'm so busy I can't adopt a pet full time.

So I foster temporarily to help out animal shelters. So it's a very busy, hectic lifestyle for me.

Kelli Wall (02:30)
my

gosh, and so rewarding. I am a former cheerleader, but I won't become like an Instagram meme and try to do like a backflip and land on my head. But I love that. And I've got a little kitty. So much in common.

Rachel (02:43)
Believe it or not, I've never cheered in my life. I've never played a sport, but the kids really wanted me to be a coach. So I had to read all the different stunts and I had to watch cheer on Netflix because I didn't know what I was doing.

Kelli Wall (02:55)
That just goes right to the top. Like, let's just go from zero to 100.

Rachel (02:59)
Totally, Deep learning curve, steep learning curve, but it's fun. I like learning new things.

Kelli Wall (03:06)
Yeah, that's awesome. They're lucky to have you.

Rachel (03:08)
thank you. I appreciate that.

Kelli Wall (03:10)
Yeah, so in your intro, I spoke about that you've done solo travel for quite a while. What first drew you to taking a solo trip?

Rachel (03:19)
my gosh, so I always was intrigued by travel, always loved travel. I wanted to do study abroad when I was this student at Rutgers, but believe it or not, I did not have the grades to study abroad. I had a really rough freshman year and I always had that regret that I never did that. So when I graduated, I always would daydream about what it would be like to travel the world. And the problem was none of my friends could go with me, whether it was their job that was causing the issue.

finances of course because travel can be pretty expensive and I just never had any role model for traveling solo until I discovered travel blogs online. This was like when travel blogging was just starting to take off at 2012, 2013 period and I realized like wow people can go by themselves and they meet people and they're not lonely and it was like a whole new world opened up to me.

So I found this travel blog, I'll give her a shout out, Amanda at A Dangerous Business, she still blogs. And she had this post all about traveling solo to Scotland on a tour called Haggis Adventures. So I saw that and was like, I think my parents would be okay with this, I'm in a tour group, I had been to the UK before. So I pitched them the trip and they were totally on board with it.

And it was that first solo trip to Scotland that really opened my eyes and I was like, wow, I don't have to wait for anyone. I could just book a ticket and go. I don't have to ask for permission. And at the time too, I was kind of in between jobs. The teaching market at the time was really, really tough. There had been a lot of budget cuts. So I was doing a lot of maternity leave subbing, daily subbing. So I had the flexibility to go and travel. So I would just do these leaves.

stuff my bank account and then go and take off on another trip. So my late 20s, it was one solo trip after another.

Kelli Wall (05:05)
Well, shout out to you for being brave enough to do that and your parents for being supportive and encouraging you to do that. Do you remember when you were headed to Scotland, what you were feeling on that first solo trip?

Rachel (05:18)
I was absolutely terrified. When I finally got to Newark Airport, it like hit me and I had had a fear of flying anyway and all I could think was, my God, I'm flying to Scotland by myself. This is a narrow body plane. There's not a ton of room. There's going to be turbulence. So I was absolutely terrified of that and I remember I sat next to a gentleman who could have been my dad. I guess he was in his 50s and he was flying from Columbia to Newark to Scotland.

and he was distracting me by telling me all the amazing things I could see and do to kind of keep myself occupied. But then I made the mistake of watching Game of Thrones and the pilot made an announcement and it was on a racy scene and I got embarrassed. So I was like, oh my God, I'm nervous. I'm picking the wrong things to watch. I was terrified. But once I got there and landed and started like walking around and doing things that anxiety sort of went away. It was really just that flight over.

that got to me, but once I was there, I was just super excited. I remember taking the bus ride in and hearing bagpipes on the radio and I was so super pumped to just go and explore.

Kelli Wall (06:19)
You're

like, I've made it. That is the sound that lets you know that.

Rachel (06:23)
Yeah, so it's like you did it. You made the flight. No turbulence. I remember it being a smooth flight, actually.

Kelli Wall (06:28)
So actually, let's talk more about that flight. Again,

you've said you're a fearful flyer, yet you've taken so many solo trips and some really long flights. What helps you still get on that plane, even when it feels hard?

Rachel (06:35)
Hmm.

Oh God. So it's been like a really long journey. So to backtrack a little bit, my fear of flying started when I was in my early twenties. I had just finished my master's degree in English and it was a really a stressful year because I had to write an honors thesis. I had to do a comprehensive exam. So I had all the stress of that. And then that summer we took a family trip to Italy and on the flight over, we hit really severe turbulence, like the sort of turbulence where the overhead bins are opening up. I remember

my mom's wine glass flying and hitting the ceiling. And it went on for like a good 10 minutes, flight attendants were seated it and it just really struck a chord with me. So I decided, well, maybe I'll like research and I'll feel a little better. And I went down the rabbit hole of reading about plane crashes, which you should not do that. So I developed this like crippling fear of flying and turbulence in particular. So it was hard. It was really hard because

I love traveling, I love seeing new places, but that anxiety is always a huge challenge to get over. So I have gone to therapy for it, which has helped. I'm also a member of a lot of fear of flying groups. I think it was two years ago, I was on a podcast called Love Fly, which is all about a fear of flying and I got to talk with them. They have a very supportive Facebook group.

there's a subreddit called fear of flying and you can talk to pilots, flight attendants, meteorologists, air traffic control. So having that online support is really important for me because it's just like so many other people in my position. And I've just, you know, I just go for it. I always just book the ticket and tell myself, you know, it's too late now, you know, Uniteds not going to refund your money. So it's either you get on the plane or you lose over a thousand dollars. So I just like.

book the ticket and then ask questions later and regret it when I'm at the airport. But yeah, a lot of therapy, a lot of support groups. And for the longer flights, full disclosure, I do take medication to get through them because 13 and a half hours on a plane, that would just be so uncomfortable for me if I didn't have something to take the edge off. Like that is a long time to be in an uncomfortable situation like that.

Kelli Wall (08:51)
Yeah, absolutely. And a couple of things you said there to do your research and try not to go down the scary end of the extreme, because really when you dig into it, it is safe per se in terms of comparing to other things that you do in your everyday life. And I want to say too, I think so often people have this preconceived notion that solo travelers maybe don't have a fear and they're just, you know, they don't have this anxiety. It's real. It's definitely real, but it is that courage.

Rachel (08:56)
Okay.

Kelli Wall (09:20)
that you gotta find to push past it. I don't have the fear of flying per se exactly how you do, but I'm very claustrophobic. So I'm the same way. Like I have to just kind of coach myself up. The worst is when the flight lands, we get to the gate and everybody stands up and there's nowhere to go. Like I think about that before I even take my trip, like of how to coach myself to be like, it's okay, like the door is gonna open. So it's a very...

real thing. You're not alone in this. I'm not alone in this. But I think it's working through that and finding those resources like you found to help calm you and to help give you tools when you're in those situations. So you talk about that 13 hour flight, taking some medicine before that helped you. Were there any other tips or tricks that you did to help with that flight to Japan?

Rachel (10:03)
Yeah,

So I'm very lucky that I have a great support system. I did call my mom, I think four times before that flight. And I also talked to my brother the night before as well. And they were really encouraging. So having that support went a long way. And then at the time I was fortunate enough to have a little bit of money where I could upgrade from economy to premium economy. And it's just a bit more of a comfortable cabin. There's more legroom, there's more space.

And I just didn't feel quite as trapped in upgrading to that cabin. Now on the flight back, I told myself, you know, you're not made of money. You're just going to have to deal with what you can afford. But going to, I did spend a little extra money to sit closer to the front. And then I do want to give a shout out to flight attendants. Flight attendants are my heroes with these flights. United, I've always had phenomenal experiences where I tell the flight attendants ahead of time.

that I'm a nervous flyer and they do make it a point to check in on me, to talk to me, to reassure me. And I've actually had, wasn't the flight to Japan, but two other flights to Europe where the flight attendants let me talk to the pilots ahead of time. And just like putting a face with someone who's driving the plane was really reassuring because for me, it's also a control issue. I'm not driving the plane. I can't control when turbulence pops up, but just having a chance to speak to the pilots ahead of time really went a long way on those flights. So.

making those connections with the cabin crew is great. And honestly, I think the flight attendants enjoy it. They're like, okay, this woman thinks we're a hero. She's not yelling at us. She's not complaining. She just wants reassurance. And they seem to really enjoy checking in and talking about the plane and whatnot. So a piece of advice I would give to someone who's a nervous flyer is not to suffer in silence. It's a very, very, very common fear, especially I think recently with everything that's been going on in the media.

So definitely make your feelings known, talk to the flight attendants. I promise they're not gonna laugh. They're going to be very reassuring. They will check in. And I've always had great experiences. I've had flight attendants give me the little wings after seeing the pilots. I have a couple wings in my apartment and I take them with me for good luck. I've had them write me sweet notes, bring me extra snacks. So it's just great having that reassurance.

Kelli Wall (12:17)
That's something I would have never thought to do. That's such a great tip. So you've taken your long flight or your short flight, but you've arrived safely. And something that comes up a lot on the podcast and you read about it in comments about solo travel is dining alone. People get really intimidated at first. So what helped you get more comfortable with dining alone?

Rachel (12:32)
Hmm.

gosh, so I still struggle with this a little bit, but it's gotten to the point where I do it so frequently that I just sort of deal with it. So something that I would recommend doing is starting with bar seating. I found sitting at a bar, nobody really notices what you're doing. You could talk to the bartender, you could bring a book, and it's just a lot more comfortable than that table for one, because sometimes the table for one, it still kind of freaks me out, to be honest, I get a little nervous.

But at the end of the day, I try to tell myself that nobody's really focusing on you. Nobody cares. People are too focused on themselves 99 % of the time. And I do think dining alone in big cities help because big cities, people really don't care. I go to New York all the time just for day trips. I live really close by and that city is notorious for not caring. You could do whatever you want. You could dine alone as much as you want. Nobody cares. No one gives you a second glance.

So if you're new to dining alone, what I suggest doing is try bar seating first. See too of the restaurants have a communal table. I actually did that in Charleston and it was Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day is a solo traveler and the bar was fully taken, but they were like, we have a communal table. And it turned out to be great. I talked with a couple and they were detectives from Maryland and I just had like the greatest time chatting with them. It was a lot of fun.

So communal tables are also a thing. And then something else I recommend the solo travelers is perhaps trying a food tour first, because at least in that environment, you are dining with other people and you're not dining alone and you learn a little bit about the culinary scene in the city or the country. And that could be a really good way to dip your toes in as well.

Kelli Wall (14:17)
Yeah, and maybe you can go back to one of the places that you already stopped by so you feel a little more comfortable because you're aware of it. So you've navigated these flights, you've navigated eating out alone and I know that's a big one. What have you learned about yourself through traveling solo, especially as you're navigating this fear?

Rachel (14:23)
Yeah.

it's so hard.

Well,

I want to reiterate, I have learned that nobody cares. People care more about their own problems. For example, I have done afternoon tea solo in London, and that is like dining alone on hard mode because you're sitting there for like two hours. But the waitress is really super cool. The afternoon tea I picked, it was kind of touristy. So literally nobody noticed. I don't think anybody looked at me a single time.

But something interesting actually that comes up when I talk about solo dining, I have a lot of friends and family who say how much they would love to do that and just bring a book and to just have that time for themselves. And it made me realize that a lot of people may even look up to you for dining alone because it is a scary thing and not many people have the courage to go and do it because of that barrier. So if someone is looking at you, just think they may be looking at you with envy rather than judging you.

And then if worse comes to worst, bring a journal and pretend to be a food critic.

Kelli Wall (15:32)
There you go,

Or just get on your phone, like we all do anyway. And as much as that makes me crazy, hey, if that's your comfort, use your phone.

Rachel (15:40)
absolutely.

I will sit there and scroll Reddit for hours at the bar. I don't care. I'll just sit there on my phone. No one notices. They're all on their phones anyway, so.

Kelli Wall (15:48)
There you go,

yes. So during all these solo travel trips that you've taken, Rachel, have you ever had a moment that surprised yourself and you thought, wow, I really just did that?

Rachel (15:59)
gosh, so it would have to be paragliding in Slovenia. And this is like a wild situation. So I was doing a seven week backpacking tour solo around Europe and one of our stops was Lake Bled. And at the time I had been laid off from my teaching job. So I didn't really have a lot of money in the bank that I was going anyway, cause I had booked it. And I was getting set up with being such a nervous flyer. So I'm on the bus and one of the other backpackers tells me,

hey, we should all go paragliding when we get to the Julian Alps. And I'm not someone who will say no to things. Like if I see something as a dare, I'll say yes, even though the rational side of me is like, please do not do this. So I pay the, I think it was 90 euros at the time, something like that, pay the fee to go and do the paragliding. Well, to do this paragliding, you had to take a van for 40 minutes up the side of the mountain. And then it was another 25 minute hike to the launching point.

And all I see are these people running towards this cliff and getting sucked up into the sky and screaming. And I'm thinking in my head, what did I just sign up for? I'm scared of flying anyway. And this is like a parachute. This is no plane. You're just like up in the clouds. And the guy who originally suggested doing the paragliding even said to me like, wow, this is really high. Maybe we shouldn't have done this. I'm like, yeah, well, it's too late now. I'm up here. So.

The pilot comes over, he puts the helmet on my head, straps me in, and he tells me, he's like, yeah, you have to make sure that you run at full speed because if you stop and sit too early, it can really like damage your kneecaps and your body's going to try to resist running towards the cliff because it's like not a natural thing to do, obviously. So I was just terrified, but I eventually did it. And I think my body just went into shock because you're just like sitting in the clouds.

and looking around you and there's like nothing beneath you. And I don't think my body could comprehend what was going on. It was beautiful. It was absolutely stunning. But then there was a lot of wind going down and we actually hit turbulence. So I got to experience turbulence without the joy of a plane around me. And we ended up having to land in a field because we couldn't get to the landing point because it was too windy. So we landed and I remember just walking through the field being scratched up by like the plants and whatnot, thinking, I just did that. Am I crazy?

So I call my mom when I get back to the hostel, tell her I jumped off a mountain and all she said was, I don't want to hear it. talk when you're home.

Kelli Wall (18:24)
God, she's like, thank God you didn't tell me before. And listen, I would have taken the scratches on my legs all day as long as I landed safely. ⁓ my gosh.

Rachel (18:27)
Yeah, right?

my gosh, was crazy.

I really don't know what I was thinking. I guess I was hoping it would help with my purifying. It didn't, but I was really proud I was able to do it. I haven't done it again, but...

Kelli Wall (18:45)
I mean, I'm proud of you. That's really impressive. As you're telling it, I was like, there's absolutely no way I would do that. So that's a hell of a story to have.

Rachel (18:53)
I know. I just remember standing on that cliff and the girl in front of me, she goes and all I hear is this piercing scream as she's like jumping over the side and I'm like, what am I thinking? What am I even doing here by myself standing on this cliff? I paid 90 euros for the pleasure of this.

Kelli Wall (19:10)
I'm

literally like looking at my heart rate. It's like racing.

Rachel (19:14)
right?

Right? And I still have pictures from it and I look back at those pictures and I'm like, is that a different person? I just, I can't imagine myself doing that now, but then again, I'll never say never. Cause I, when you're traveling, it's just like a different mindset. The mindset of yes, I'll say yes to everything and end up in some interesting situations.

Kelli Wall (19:29)
Mm-hmm.

so a little bit of a hard turn because I'm not necessarily saying they should go paragliding, but there is some hesitance, as you know, among female travelers that don't want to travel solo. So if we just start small, maybe not jumping off the side of cliff, but what would you say to someone who wants to go solo but fear is really holding them back?

Rachel (19:48)
you

something that I always suggest and my friends actually suggest the same thing is to start small locally. Try taking yourself out on a solo trip for a day in your own backyard. For me, I'm lucky enough where New York City is an hour away. So say if it was someone in New Jersey, I would recommend, okay, maybe take the train and just spend a day in New York City and see how you like it. You're not boarding a plane, you're not flying to a different country, you're somewhere really local.

So if you decide halfway through, know, I feel uncomfortable, I'm not ready for this, you can just go home. You're not then stuck in another country or another continent for over a week or more. So I would definitely suggest doing that starting small. And then if you feel like you like that, something that I did for my first solo trip, it was a group tour. So I did have a couple of days solo in Edinburgh, but when it came to going to the highlands and going to the islands,

I was on this backpacker tour with other young people and it was really easy to make friends that way because a lot of them were also traveling solo and a lot of the logistics were already taken care of for me. Like I don't want to be driving in the highlands especially like without self-service because you get to Western Scotland, your phone like dies pretty like quickly. So it was nice having somebody else take care of all that and still feeling adventurous. And I also did that with a camping trip to Canada. This was also when I was in my twenties.

for two weeks where we went to all the national parks. I stayed in a tent, had a camp meet, and I wouldn't want to plan that by myself logistically. I think I would do a terrible job. So group tours are always an awesome way to go. I really love G-Aventures. They do a lot of really great tours. I've traveled with them. So yeah, I would suggest starting locally first, see how you like it. And then from there, if you feel like you want to travel abroad, try a group tour if you still feel a little hesitant.

And then after that, maybe plan something completely solo. That's what I would recommend.

Kelli Wall (21:46)
Yeah, all such great tips. And again, I hear a theme a lot of times when I ask a similar question is start small, doesn't have to be a big international trip, just go to the next town over and then the group solo trips. That's how I do it. You've got a little bit of a built in group, but Rachel, you also started a podcast. Can you talk about, yeah, can you share with us where that came from and what the podcast entails?

Rachel (22:03)
You

So I've always been intrigued by starting a podcast, but I've always been nervous about doing a podcast completely solo. So one day on the way to work, I was driving in the school and I thought of my friend Rosa, who's also a content creator, and we had done some local trips together. And I was like, you know what? I think a friendship podcast would be really cool. So I texted her after my commute. It had to be like 730 in the morning before my first period class.

just asking her, hey, do you want to start a podcast? And she was totally on board, decided to do the podcast with me. And it's great because we both have traveled solo, but we also have styles that are different enough where we can talk about a wide variety of topics. We have a really good rapport. We tell really good stories and it's just a lot of fun. So we decided to give it a try. And this week we launched our 22nd episode. So we're doing pretty good.

with the podcast and if you want to check it out it's called Bon Voyage Besties. We talk a lot about friendship and travel and other travel related topics. We're sort of all over the place with our guests but they've all been amazing. We do talk about a fear of flying on there as well if a fear of flying is something you're concerned with and I also had a chance to interview a pilot on the podcast so if you're more interested in the logistics of flying and why you shouldn't be scared of it that's a good episode to check out but

Yeah, it actually also stemmed from the fact that I used to be a travel blogger and I still like to blog, but Google did a lot of things with their algorithm, so I wanted to expand, so to speak, and podcast just seemed like a fun logical.

Kelli Wall (23:35)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah, well, congratulations. And we will definitely link your podcast on the Solo Travel Unpacked website when your episode goes live. And something you also mentioned is that you talk about self-care a little bit on your podcast too. So what's one way that you build self-care and do your solo trips?

Rachel (23:57)
I give myself grace if I don't always want to do everything. So travel, it seems super romantic, right? You're in this beautiful place, a new city. There's a lot of excitement going on. But travel can also be exhausting. You're changing time zones. In my case, like taking the medication that first day, it can like make me even more tired than I normally would be. And as a teacher, I'm limited to travel in the summer. So depending on where you're going, it can be hot and that can require like a lot of energy as well.

So I do give myself some grace if I have an itinerary that I put together for myself, but then don't want to do everything or can't do everything. I tell myself, look, you can always come back. This destination is not going anywhere. It's okay if you need to take an afternoon or an evening, go back to your accommodation and read a book or listen to a podcast. I know sometimes it can be hard to do that because you've spent so much money on a trip. You feel like you need to see every little thing.

But if you're feeling exhausted, especially on a longer trip, say it's like a three week trip, it is perfectly okay to take the afternoon off and rest. Because if you don't, you could burn out even more and then get sick on your trip. So taking that time for yourself is important. And it's something that I've had to do in my professional life as well as a teacher, be like, look, you you might want to take this afternoon off, maybe not grade this night. I just apply that same mindset to my travels and tell myself, you know, it's okay.

to go back to the accommodation early if you're feeling a little burnout. There's nothing wrong with that. And then of course, me shopping is self care as well, but I won't advocate for credit card debt on the show.

Kelli Wall (25:31)
I love what you said, give yourself grace. That is one of my favorite mantras to live by, travel or no travel. So it's so beautiful in so many different situations. So you've done all of this travel, you've got your podcast, teaching. When we talk about, again, these solo trips that you're taking, has travel helped you redefine what adventure or bravery looks like at this stage in your life?

Rachel (25:55)
absolutely. So before I started traveling and even while I started traveling early on, I had this idea that bravery just meant that you were never scared at all. You would just do the thing and you would never have any fear and you would never hesitate. And then I would feel bad because in the airport, especially leading up to a big flight, I get extremely nervous. I can't eat. I have knots in my stomach. I have the sweaty palms. And I would originally feel bad about that. Like, wow, like, you know, I'm really not brave at all. I'm like shaking.

in my boots and I'm going on this amazing adventure, but travel has taught me that it's okay to be scared and just because you're scared doesn't mean you're not brave. And I do think with social media, like it makes it look so easy and seamless and that these people are just so courageous and they're never scared ever. I do want to say that's not true and it's perfectly normal to be scared and that also means you're brave too. Those two things are not separate from each other.

Kelli Wall (26:49)
Yeah, and keeping with my bumper sticker phrases, that is one of my favorites to parlay on that. Be brave, even if you're not, pretend to be, because nobody can tell the difference. And I think, Rachel, that's exactly what you're saying, is that the social media can look so curated and how these people are just doing all these amazing things and they must not have any fear. I'm guessing they very likely do, but they're doing it anyway. So hopefully you can pull some inspiration from that.

So you've done all these amazing locations. What's next on your travel list? Anything you're dreaming about?

Rachel (27:22)
in August, I'm going back to France. I absolutely love France. I speak a little bit of French. I won't do it on this podcast because my French is terrible, but I am learning French. I'm going to Paris and Toulouse. So I'm super excited to do those two cities. I've been to Paris a couple of times and I'm seeing friends there. So I'm excited to go back. And then Toulouse will be a new destination for me.

And then after that, I don't know, I have to see what 2026 brings. I'm already thinking about where I would like to go and I have all these ideas running around in my head. So I'm sure as soon as August wraps up, I'll have something on the books because that's how it always happens. I always tell people I need to have at least three flights booked in my United app.

Kelli Wall (28:03)
yes. So all of these incredible solo trips that you've already done, trips with friends and more to come, a podcast. What do you think your younger self would say if she could see you now?

Rachel (28:15)
gosh. I think my younger self would be very impressed because when I first started solo traveling, it was hard being in between jobs and like the rough economy and being at home. I think my younger self would just be super shocked. Like, well, not only are you in a tenure track position, but you've done all these solo trips and you have a podcast. I never would have guessed it. I think she would be totally flabbergasted. Actually, I don't think she would believe it.

at all because I like wouldn't have believed it. Like even with the podcast, I never thought I could do it because I had this idea like, well, nobody's going to want to talk with me for an hour. Why would they want to do that? They have to be crazy, but it's been going so

And a piece of advice that I want to give to everybody is even if you feel scared, just do it. You may surprise yourself. And the regret of not doing something is a lot more painful to swallow than trying something and not liking it.

Kelli Wall (29:10)
Absolutely, I totally agree with that.

Rachel, thank you so much for all of your insights, your tips and sharing your stories. We are nearing the very end of the episode, but before we do, you've done so many trips and I know we talked about the paragliding.

But is there any other solo travel story that you wanna share, maybe something that challenged you, surprised you, or gave you an unforgettable experience?

Rachel (29:32)
Hmm

favorite solo travel story probably my first day in Tokyo because I had dreamed about going to Tokyo for years and years and years but I honestly thought I could not get through the flight and That first day. I just couldn't believe it. I was there. I did it I was incredibly jet-lagged so I woke up at 3 in the morning But I had read that there was a chain in Tokyo that did 24-hour ramen So I waited till the very first train in Tokyo woke up got on the train

got my ramen at five in the morning and I was just bespotted. I was so happy to be there. I could not believe that I had done it. And it was just that feeling of total accomplishment and peace sitting there and having my ramen. And it'll be something I'll remember for the rest of my life. I love Japan. It was totally worth the flight. And I would do that flight again if it meant I could go to Japan.

Kelli Wall (30:24)
a real moment just soaking it all in.

Rachel (30:26)
Mm-hmm, yeah, absolutely. Tokyo is one of my favorite cities in the world and awesome for solo travelers. It's so super safe, easy to navigate, so much to do. I loved it and very solo diner friendly too. So many like bar seating to sit at and nobody like pays attention, so it's great.

Kelli Wall (30:43)
There you go,

now you've got all the tips on the long flight to get there and a good place to go. Rachel, we will end today's episode with me asking you the same three questions that I ask all of the guests. So first one up, the advice I'd give to someone considering solo travel is,

Rachel (30:47)
Absolutely.

The advice I'd give to someone considering solo travel is to just do it. Just book the ticket because then you can't get out of it, otherwise you will lose money. So just do it. Don't think too hard about it. With my trip to Tokyo, I actually woke up to go to school. It was like six in the morning and I told myself I'm tired of being scared and went and booked the ticket and then I was stuck. I couldn't get out of it unless I wanted to pay for a ticket I wasn't gonna use. So just do it.

Kelli Wall (31:27)
My favorite part about solo travel is...

Rachel (31:30)
My favorite part about solo travel is it's all about you. I feel like in your daily life, especially like with me, with teaching, fostering cats, coaching, you have to consider so many other people. And when you're traveling alone, you can be a little selfish and it's great. You could do what you want to do. Eat where you want to eat. Go to the museums you want to go to, the activities that you want to enjoy. It's a time just for you and it's very special. And take advantage of that because it's

Kelli Wall (31:58)
Something I learned about myself during solo travel is...

Rachel (32:02)
Something I learned about myself during solo travel is that I can talk to a wall and make friends. It's crazy. Like with solo travel, we think we're totally alone, but you meet people a lot more when it's just you. And I have made so many friends around the world. My trip to Greece this summer, I met a friend who I'd met solo traveling in Iceland back in 2015. This trip to Paris, I'm meeting somebody who I'd met on a food tour in Japan.

And I've made so many amazing friends. I can't believe what a community opened up to me by traveling alone because you would think it's isolating and it's totally not. You make so many friends. I actually have to try to find time for solo travel now because it's all friends trips now.

Kelli Wall (32:45)
Yes, and people that you would have otherwise never met. Yeah.

Rachel (32:48)
Yeah,

it's amazing.

Kelli Wall (32:51)
Rachel, thank you so much for sharing your heart and your honesty today. Your story is such a powerful reminder that courage doesn't mean fear disappears. It means you go anyway. Whether it's boarding a long haul flight, sitting alone at a cafe, or simply choosing yourself, your perspective gives hope to so many that are thinking, can I really do this? If you want to follow Rachel's travels and insights,

You can find her on Instagram and she's got a podcast and we will tag all of this on our Instagram page with Rachel's episode goes live as well as on our website, SoloTravelUnpacked.com As always, thank you for listening and if this episode resonated with you, consider maybe sharing it with a friend who needs the extra nudge to take the leap. Until next time, together let's explore the world one solo travel story at a time. Rachel, I cannot wait to see more of your adventures.

Rachel (33:39)
Thank you so much. So there will be a lot of them. Like I said, already thinking for 2026 and I'm sure my credit cards will regret it, but I won't. So it's fine. It's fine.

Kelli Wall (33:48)
There you

go. Well, thank you so much again, Rachel. Take care.

Rachel (33:52)
Take care, thank you.

Kelli Wall (33:53)
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