Why You Should Take a Solo Weekend Getaway

Meggan: [00:00:00] Hey everyone, and welcome back to Travel Tip Tuesday with the Travel Mug Podcast. Jenn, I don't know about you, although I guess we will learn later on in the, in the tip episode, um, I am super passionate about alone time. I'm a firm believer, for me personally, that it's important to be comfortable being by yourself.

Obviously, just my opinion and how I feel, and it might not be the case for everyone, which is also cool. I did turn 50 this year, and a few of my friends got together and got me an Airbnb gift certificate, and right away I knew I was going to use it to book myself a weekend getaway. Now, of course, you don't need to go to an Airbnb if that's not your thing.

You could do a hotel, a motel, an inn, a bed and breakfast, heck, even a tent at a campsite. That part of it's up for you to choose.

Jenn: Uhum.

Meggan: but the gift certificate gave me the chance to book my first solo weekend away alone. I've been alone, of course, a lot on the weekends. It's not, it's not that big of a deal, but this would be my first official stay elsewhere alone.

I [00:01:00] have to say I was a little bit nervous to book somewhere completely secluded, just going by myself, so I did choose a place that was on its own but not far from the owners. So I just dipped my, my toe in being out there in the world at nighttime alone. It was a great spot near the ocean, really quiet.

I never saw the owners once, and it was small, but it was plenty for me, and I was really happy with my choice. But it did get me pondering, like, the true benefits that you could experience if you chose to do this, um, and wanted to do this, and I wanted to share some of those with you. And the first one is, like, mental reset and stress reduction.

So stepping away from your daily responsibilities, social obligations, and constant digital connectivity. Now, of course, I did have my phone with me, but I barely used it, and more just sort of kept in touch with my husband and to check once in a while on the world. I don't know why I would choose to do that, but I did. Um, but I did stay offline, most of the time.

[00:02:00] Secondly, uninterrupted self-reflection. So solitude does provide the quiet space needed to process emotions, not feel compelled to speak with anyone, and sort of be in your own silence to think. I mean, I just kind of like read and, like, watched, uh, a show.

Whatever you need to do for self-reflection though can be good for the soul. I also sat outside in the sunshine, so that was really nice.

Another is complete autonomy. So a solo weekend away allows you to set your own schedule entirely. So sleeping in, eating what you want, spending hours on your hobbies without needing to compromise.

Like I said, reading, sunshine. I did go to the beach. Um, I also, uh, went to bed and got up in my own time, although I normally do that anyway, but no one was there looking at me in the face either way. Overall, I did what I wanted every second of the day, which was highly enjoyable.

Another thing that could be a benefit is enhanced creativity and [00:03:00] focus. So without distractions, the brain can wander. It can lead to deeper creative insights, problem-solving, and engagement if you have hobbies or projects that you like to do. Like I said, I mostly read and sort of relaxed, but this could be a great way to re-engage with whatever helps you pass your time.

And then finally, building independence and confidence. So navigating a weekend away on your own, really strengthens self-reliance and fosters a deep and more comfortable relationship with yourself. And this one really came into play for me because I am used to relying on Peter for directions, how to get into Airbnbs, and whatnot like that. So I sort of for this trip was a bit nervous about the logistics.

I think this also comes with age. I worry more about stupid shit now. So I was a bit nervous leading up to going, but once I got on the road, I was fine. I had the GPS. Getting in was fine, so unlocking the door. It was a really good experience for me to have, and it did build [00:04:00] confidence for me to wanna do this again.

So all this to say, uh, yeah, I'm gonna do it again. I loved my experience. I stayed right until checkout on the last day because why not get your money's worth? Um, Jenn, is this something you've done before or something you feel you would want to do?

Jenn: Yeah. Uh, I'm really glad that you loved it. I know we talked earlier in the year about you getting to do this. I'm really happy that you had a great experience. So, um, this is not something I've ever done. The only time I've stayed in a hotel by myself was the hotel at the airport, because I was flying out really early the next morning, and I didn't want my husband to have to drive me to the airport at, like, 2:00 AM.

So more for him than for me. I'm a really extroverted person, and I actually don't really enjoy alone time. Um, but now that you've mentioned all the benefits, I can maybe see myself trying it out, like maybe for one night. I think it would be really hard for me to have the discipline to be, like, [00:05:00] offline. I know I'd be tempted to just be, like, on my phone the whole time to, like, make it more comfortable, so that's something to consider. But I think, uh, thinking of using it for, like, creative time, like writing or something, could be super amazing. Yeah, I love the idea. I just, I don't know if it's for me, but maybe it should be something that I, like, push myself to do.

Meggan: Yeah, I mean, it, it definitely isn't for everyone. It could be a challenge for you if you're sort of up for that type of thing, but yeah, it's definitely not for everybody, and personality types really, I think, drive that for sure. Well, that's it for this week's Travel Tip Tuesday. May you venture off for some alone time if that's something you think you would enjoy, and if not, do your own thing.

, If you like what we're doing here, feel free to leave us a review on Apple or Spotify. You can buy us a coffee through the link in our show notes to support us financially, and as always, uh, you can find us on social media at Travel Mug Podcast and our website travelmugpodcast.com. And until next time, bye everyone.

Jenn: Don't forget your travel mug.

Meggan: Oh yes, of course. Don't forget that [00:06:00] travel mug