{"id":21666,"date":"2025-05-02T16:20:44","date_gmt":"2025-05-02T20:20:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/samantha-brown.com\/?p=21666"},"modified":"2025-05-02T16:20:47","modified_gmt":"2025-05-02T20:20:47","slug":"solo-wellness-vacation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/samantha-brown.com\/tips\/solo-wellness-vacation\/","title":{"rendered":"This is Your Sign to Plan a Solo Wellness Vacation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The last few years with travel have felt like a whirlwind. First we couldn\u2019t go anywhere for the foreseeable future. Then once we could safely venture out of our homes, we felt this need to make up for lost time. If we weren\u2019t planning long-awaited reunions with friends and family, we were revenge traveling and making up for the bucket list trips we had to cancel. Now that the dust has figuratively settled, it feels like we have space in our lives for the kind of trip that\u2019s meant to restore and rejuvenate. This is why I think everyone should consider planning at least one solo wellness vacation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why We Should All Enjoy a Solo Wellness Vacation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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For Our Mental Health<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If there\u2019s one thing I\u2019ve learned over the years, it\u2019s that mental health is just as important as my physical and emotional health. One of the many ways we can improve our mental health is through travel. Everything from the act of planning a trip to immersing ourselves in a new culture has proven to help boost moods and mentally stimulate.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you plan a solo wellness vacation, you\u2019re planning something just for yourself. What\u2019s somewhere <\/span>you\u2019ve<\/span><\/i> always wanted to go? What\u2019s something <\/span>you\u2019ve<\/span><\/i> always wanted to do? This is your chance to be selfish! On your solo trip, you won\u2019t have to worry about compromising your itinerary or dragging someone along to something they don\u2019t really want to do. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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To Challenge Ourselves<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Traveling solo<\/span><\/a> can be a bit of a challenge! But I promise it\u2019s the good kind of challenge that\u2019ll leave you feeling empowered and with more self-confidence than when you started. If you\u2019re someone who\u2019s constantly surrounded by people, traveling solo is a good way to show you how to not only rely on yourself but how to enjoy your own company. If you\u2019re someone who\u2019s often alone already, traveling solo will put you in a new destination and may even give you opportunities to chat with new people and make friends.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

No matter what your life is like in the day to day, a solo trip allows you to challenge yourself and, as a result, grow.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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For Restoration<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s a key difference between rest and restoration. We can feel rested on a full night\u2019s sleep without necessarily feeling restored and rejuvenated. Feeling restored goes deeper than the physical and that\u2019s where taking a solo trip can come in. Restorative travel is when you physically, mentally, and emotionally take a break from your day to day life. This break allows you to just breathe, recharge, and break free of the daily barriers that prevent you from thinking outside of the box.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My best advice when taking a solo wellness vacation is to carve out some time to reflect on your current life and use your fresh perspective to re-assess any conflict or obstacles you\u2019re dealing with.   <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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To Spark Creativity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another reason I love a good solo wellness vacation is that it often helps spark my creativity and gets those engines running again. As I\u2019ve said many times in this post, traveling solo is all about YOU. How often do we ever get to make any decision or plan where we don\u2019t have to worry about anyone but ourselves? <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of this, we can indulge in activities or interests that might take a backseat in normal life. Let\u2019s say your day job is as an accountant or occupational therapist or lawyer but you\u2019ve always wanted to learn how to cook vegan or dance salsa. Plan your solo wellness vacation somewhere where you can fully indulge in your passion. You never know where this can lead.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Plan Your Solo Wellness Vacation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Keep it simple<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At the end of the day, a solo wellness vacation should be kept simple. The more you overcomplicate it, the less it becomes a wellness vacation and the more it becomes an oblication (or obligation vacation!)<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t try to fit in too many different destinations in one trip, and make sure to leave yourself time to just relax and enjoy your surroundings. No need to schedule activities and make reservations from sunrise to sundown.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Make sure it\u2019s at least 1-2 hours away<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For a true solo wellness vacation, make sure you\u2019re traveling at least 1-2 hours away. You want to be far enough away from home that you simply cannot stress about dishes that may need to be washed, bills that need to be paid, or basements that need to be organized. If you do a staycation down the block, it\u2019s all too easy to slip home and back into normal life.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plus, those hours of travel are important to the restoration process. They allow you to sort of veg out and listen to some great tunes or put on a podcast you\u2019ve been wanting to listen to.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Focus on activities that are there to purely spark joy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When planning what you want to do on this solo wellness vacation, make sure you focus on activities that are there to simply spark joy. Don\u2019t force yourself to do anything just because it\u2019s the \u201cthing to do\u201d in a city. Instead look for anything that delights you! Choose activities that require no mental energy other than having the time of your life. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Personally, I love seeing what locals do to find joy in their day to day and joining in. For example, in Texas, they go dancing not just for special occasions but every single week! And in China, there are kite clubs in local parks where they make everything from tiny butterflies to 100ft trains. One discovery I still think about is the fact that locals in Bern will go about their day with dry bags and swimsuits. If it\u2019s nice out, they\u2019ll change into their swimsuits, stuff their clothes in their dry bag, and cut across the Aare River to get home. Imagine if part of your commute included some swimming!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Again – make sure it\u2019s SOLO<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I keep adding these reminders to make sure your trip is solo because I know just how hard it is to do anything truly alone. I have a husband, kids, family, friends, and countless colleagues in the travel industry – I would know!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But committing to a solo wellness vacation is so important, and I really, really urge you to make sure you don\u2019t bend even a little as you plan for yours. There will always be other trips you can take with people, let this one be just for you.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Great Ideas for a Solo Wellness Vacation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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A Day or Weekend Trip in a Small Town<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Truly, all a solo wellness vacation has to entail is you hopping in your car or on the train and traveling to a cute small town. My key for finding fun small towns is to look for independent bookstores. They\u2019re usually a good indication of a vibrant community and existence of other cool small businesses and restaurants. I like to use <\/span>Bookshop.org<\/span><\/a> to search for them.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Really for a bit of self-care, you don\u2019t have to commit to getting on a plane and traveling for a week or more. It sometimes just requires a <\/span>day trip<\/span><\/a> or even a weekend getaway somewhere a few hours away. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A Road Trip Somewhere Beautiful<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you can\u2019t tell from the many road trips I\u2019ve taken on \u201cPlaces to Love,\u201d I love hitting the open road. There\u2019s something freeing about just getting into a car, putting on my favorite music, and driving with no real plans or destinations in mind. This way I can just stop where I feel like and get to know places I might never have had a chance to visit otherwise.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One great example I can think of is <\/span>Mom\u2019s Pie House<\/span><\/a> in Julian, CA. Hands down has some of the best apple pie I\u2019ve ever tasted in my life. The shop owner, Anita Nichols, has been making them from scratch since 1984. The tiny town of Julian, though, is quite a ways from any major city and I would have never had a chance to try this pie if I wasn\u2019t road tripping through Southern California.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For all our \u201cPlaces to Love\u201d road trips, watch these episodes:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n