Navigating Solo Adventures with Confidence

Hey Hey, it's summertime and the travel bug is biting hard! The passport is yearning for a new stamp, feet are craving the feel of sand, and the shoulders are ready to soak up some sun. It's time to kick back with a fruity drink, complete with a cute little umbrella, and embark on a solo travel adventure.

Solo travel, especially for women, can be a bit tricky but oh-so rewarding. This is a call to all the sisters out there, but guys, you can take note too. It's all about taking those extra precautions, whether you're traveling alone or not. So, grab a notebook and prepare for some top-notch solo travel tips.

The Links
Packing Cubes I Use
These packing cubes have made packing for trips a breeze.

Pack Up & Go Travel
Check them out for your latest adventure.

Transcript

Tracey: 0:23

What's good everybody? Welcome to The Charging Station podcast. It's your girl, Tracey Massey of Living EmPOWERed Life. Chiille. Hold on, I gotta cough. One second.(coughs) Excuse me. Early mornings because at the time of the recording of this podcast, y'all it is. It's early. It's early but I'm in the studio early because today is going to be a full day. But, baby, I hope you have been enjoying the series entitled "Branches.

Tracey: 0:54

The last episode was very special to me because it had a very special guest. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, go back. Go back and start from part one and all of it will make sense. But in "Branches," I'm talking about my DNA journey. I took an Ancestry DNA test and the saga continues. So we're going to take a little break from "branches, honestly, because at the moment there is no update. Where we left off is where we left off, so we are moving forward. And another reason is because, I don't know why I said because, like that, but it was very dainty, wasn't it? It's because I need a break. I need a break from my own story. It's been a lot and also we are coming to the close of season seven, so I wanted to leave on a high note. I didn't want to close out this season so heavy, so we're going to leave on a high note. This is not the last episode of season seven, but we probably got like two more and I just wanted to leave you guys with something good and because it's summertime, so let me just get into it.

Tracey: 2:11

If you are new here, you came in from the "branches series welcome. I hope that you stay, go back and listen to the other episodes. You got over a hundred episodes to binge listen to and that'll give you an idea of who I am, what I do, the shenanigans of my life. If you're a returning listener, hey boo, you know I love me some you. Welcome back. Everybody. Go ahead, grab your coffee, grab your tea, grab your water, grab your wine. Whatever your beverage of choice is. Sis, grab that thang and have a seat on the couchy, couchy couch.

Tracey: 2:41

And also follow me on all the socials. You can find me at Living My EmPOWERed My Life on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube. I don't do X or Twitter, whatever it is now thr. um. Am I on Threads? Yeah, I'm on Threads, but I can't remember my name. On Threads, I think it's Living My EmPOWERed Life. I think I'm Living My EmPOWERed Life everywhere. So just look me up and that's that. Make sure you follow, subscribe, rate, leave a review on whatever podcast platform you're listening to. So I think I covered everything. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, so now let's get into the content, shall we.

Tracey: 3:18

It is summertime, summer, summer, summertime, and it's um, I don't know about you all, but my passport is itching for a stamp and my feet are itching for sand betwixt my toes, and I just needed a sun on my shoulders and a little, you know, a little fruity beverage with an umbrella in it. So it's time to travel. It is time to travel, and one of my favorite things to do is solo travel, and as a woman, it can be a little, you know, not tricky, but tricky, okay. So I'm going to share with you some tips for solo traveling and this can be used for the guys as well, but I'm mainly talking to my sisters, okay, I'm mainly talking to my sisters because we have to take little extra precautions. I mean, you should really should be doing these things if you're traveling, period, but especially if you're solo traveling. All right, so grab a notebook, um, as you listen to what we doing, I'm going to share with you a few tips and I'm going to share with you, probably if we have time, if we have time some of my favorite solo trip destinations. Okay, all right, so let's get into it. So, number one, when solo traveling. If you're thinking about solo traveling, I'm going to give you this number one piece of advice. Book the trip. Book the ding dang trip. What are you afraid of? Go online, book the trip.

Tracey: 4:52

I'll tell you a couple things that, excuse me, that I use to help me kind of decide where I want to go. One thing in particular I love beaches. I love the ocean. I love water. I love lakes. So whenever I'm solo traveling, you're going to find me at a beach, you're going to find me at the lake. Every once in a while, you may find me at the mountains, because I love that too. I think I just love the beauty in nature and God's creation. The mountains make me feel like I'm tickling Jesus' feet. I want to be on the top of the mountain, basically touching clouds, and then the ocean just reminds me of how much control God is in, because every wave is different, it hits at different parts of the shoreline, they're all doing their own thing. It's all like this very orchestrated, beautiful thing. But I just love those elements and then when I'm in those elements, I feel peaceful, I feel free, I feel creative, it's restful for me.

Tracey: 5:55

So one thing that I love to watch is the travel channel. I actually subscribe to Conde Nast travel because I want to see different places and I like to go from lower end to high end and not too low end, because I'm very travel bougie. I'm very travel bougie. You can't get me in no two star, nothing, okay, it's just not going to work. I did that when I was younger. I didn't really like it then, but you know, you got to go where your money go. I ain't got to do that, no more. So, yeah, I'm very travel bougie. I have certain hotels that I will stay in and I have certain areas where I would go.

Tracey: 6:36

But I love looking at like things that will show up on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous if it was still running, because I'm a visual person, I believe in manifestation, I believe in speaking those things that are not as though they were. I want top-notch luxury, okay. So I look at everything because I have to expose my mind to those things. So I will be on the travel channel. I follow different travel influencers and bloggers because they're actually in the trenches of these places. So I really want to get the full experience.

Tracey: 7:12

Now there are some travel bloggers and travel influencers who will not give you a true review of their trip. If you find somebody on social media and every experience they have is great, I would be looking at them sideways because girl, what Girl, what? Even I have experienced travel travel, uh-ohs, as I call them. So every experience is not going to be great. I need somebody that's going to give me true and honest reviews. And if you want to know who those people are that I follow, hit me up in the DMs, because I ain't gonna put them on blast on this podcast and I you know, because they paying me and then I'll. No, no, you can just, you can just hit me up personally and I'll share with the ones that I actually follow.

Tracey: 7:57

So tip number one book the trip, just book the trip. Next thing I do is plan ahead. So whenever, before I even book the trip, I just say book the trip. Number one, because you got to get that fear out the way and I'm going backwards. But if you are afraid to solo travel, I would advise doing a small trip. Okay, I would advise being a tourist in your own city. Now, it depends on what city you're in, so like if I lived in a small town, which I did at one time, it's only but so much I'm gonna see in that small town, but I could drive to Charlotte and be a tourist in Charlotte. I know that may sound silly, but if you are afraid to take a solo trip, starting on that level is a good idea. Book a staycation, okay, just just book the ding dang trip. But when you book the trip, plan ahead, do your research, research the destination, look for local customs, um, get your emergency contacts together and what kind of transportation are you going to take. Because, especially if you're going into a foreign country you want to have, you don't want to get down there and try to figure out how you're going to get from the airport to your hotel. You want to have all of that stuff done ahead of time.

Tracey: 9:14

I personally use a travel agent for when I'm doing international travel. It's just easier for me and it's more comforting for me because the travel agent that I have, I can email her and be like, hey, girl, we having a problem, and she takes care of it. And also that I have a background in travel. Fun fact about me I used to be a travel agent. I kind of miss it, so I might be getting back into it. I don't know, but I was like that with my travel clients too. They had an issue, they could email me and I'm like, boom, boom, boom, I'm gonna take care of it. Now it wasn't 24 seven because boundaries, but they could rely on me to to go and fix whatever was happening.

Tracey: 9:53

Um, plan ahead by booking your accommodations in advance and always make sure you're looking at reviews. Um, don't just go by pictures y'all. Don't just go by pictures because pictures. Because pictures can be edited and pictures can be taken in a good light. Like I can take a picture of me right now and it looks like I'm a size eight if I edit it. I'm not doing that, but you get what I'm saying.

Tracey: 10:16

Look at the reviews. One of the things that I use a lot is Travel Advisor. I'm not Travel Advisor, Trip Advisor. It's a great site to look at because you've got real people who have traveled to this place. They're leaving real reviews. They're taking real pictures of the place. So look at Trip Advisor. Trip Advisor even makes it easy as well. You can put in a destination and it will bring up places, hotels and things and they will rank them in order and it's based off of the reviews of the people. So it's a great, great resource. Tripadvisor also has all kinds of things, so you can look up your hotel resort, you can look up spas, you can look up just about everything that you're looking for for your trip. So plan ahead.

Tracey: 11:06

For me, what takes out the fear of solo traveling is actually being prepared for the trip. When I planned ahead, I feel confident in saying, okay, I know that this place, this, this car service is going to pick me up. I don't have to worry about haggling for pricing or getting ripped off, because a lot of times I've already paid for it too, so I can just get off the plane, get in my car and go on. If you are the type of person that likes to drive, make your reservations ahead of time. Second third thing tip number three stay connected. So stay connected with your family and friends and use apps to stay in touch with and share your location. Now here's the thing. I'm going to break these two down. All right.

Tracey: 11:54

Whenever I am traveling solo, about three or four people know exactly where I'm going, when I'm going to be there. They know my whole itinerary, so I will give them my flight information. I will give them my hotel. When I get into the hotel I will text and give them my room number. They know what excursions I'm going on. A couple people we have on location. So it depends on where I'm going.

Tracey: 12:18

If it's international, you know you got to be mindful of these roaming international fees on your phone. So in order to stay in touch, I use things like WhatsApp. My phone may, if I'm international travel, doing international travel, my phone may stay on airplane mode, depending on where I'm going. But there are some plans with your cell phone provider where you can get international coverage. Or you can get a little burner phone, okay. Or you can get a SIM card and, in the country that you're visiting, get a SIM card with that local number. That SIM card would allow you to use your internet. You know, use your phone number to stay in touch with people in the States. So just research your options, okay.

Tracey: 13:05

But those are some of the things that I do, but I I create a folder in Google drive. It will have all of my itinerary information. Itinerary information If I'm traveling internationally. I have a copy of my passport photo. You know that first page of your passport. I have that in that folder because if you lose your passport, you're going to need a way to get it back. So I have a copy of my passport in there. I have all the emergency contacts. So each person that is an emergency contact is in that folder. What else? It's a couple of things that I put in there. Oh, I have my medical insurance card in there. Um, some other things. Oh, if I have like a list of my allergies, medications that I'm currently taking, things like that, because if god forbid, something happens to me and I'm incapacitated and unable to communicate, somebody has access to that information that can get it back to me. And I also have my travel insurance information in there. So it's my US insurance and it's also my travel insurance. Always get the travel insurance. Okay, always get travel insurance. I don't care if you're going to Myrtle Beach and you live in South Carolina. Get the travel insurance, because you don't know what's going to happen. I'd rather have the travel insurance and not need it than need it and not have it. Okay, let's see Some other things that I do when I'm solo traveling.

Tracey: 14:42

I definitely pack smart, and my friends are going to hear this and laugh because they know, they know how I pack and they also know it takes seven to 10 business days for me to unpack. That is the running joke now, but it's it's the God's honest truth. I hate unpacking. I digress, but I hate unpacking. It just reminds me that the trip is over and depending on how long my next trip is scheduled, it just depresses me. Okay, but pack smart.

Tracey: 15:20

So I actually create a packing list and in that packing list, I break things down by categories of what I'm going to need. So there's my medi. If I'm on medication, which I am there's certain vitamins and things. But you have to be careful with this. Caveat this isn't. This is something that you need to make sure you research your stuff, research your location, because certain medications are not allowed in different countries, even with a prescription. There's um, there's some allowances for them, but there's some countries require paperwork, they require uh notes from your doctor. So research your country, look at your medications and research your country. But I'll put like, um, there's my toiletries, and so I'll break down what I need to pack in my toiletries, there's clothing.

Tracey: 16:07

So I put my outfits together. Now this is necessarily for when I am flying, because you know those, those check bag fees. They can add up and, depending on the category in which you're flying on your plane, or if have points or if you have credit cards, you can easily pay $100 in check bag fees just for one bag. It's $50 going and $50 coming back. That's $100. So you got to make sure that your weight is right. You don't want to go over a certain pound. Depending on your airline. I think usually the one that I fly on is 50 pounds. So if my bag is 51 pounds, I'm paying an extra weight fee. So I will put my outfits together and I will coordinate outfits with my shoes.

Tracey: 16:55

So usually, like I have a trip coming up to the Caribbean in November, so I know that's a hot climate. What I'm taking with me mostly are bathing suits, because I'm planning on being in a bathing suit the entire time. But we're also going to be going to dinner. We're also going to be doing activities, so I need to make sure that I have clothing that's going to fit that situation. So things like sundresses it's going to be a hot climate Sundresses. I'm packing my workout clothes. Probably just one outfit. You know it's going to be funky when we get back, but I can't bring my whole, you know, workout wardrobe. So I will bring maybe a pair of sandals that matches each dress, that coordinates with each dress. My airplane outfit going down there is going to be the airplane outfit I'm wearing back home. So just things like that.

Tracey: 17:48

But I will put all of these items on a list, which helps me to not forget anything when I leave for my trip and not forget anything when I come back. I actually put that list, bring that list with me so you can do it two ways. You can put it on a piece of paper, be old school, write it on a piece of paper. Or you can put it in your phone. I tend to put it on a piece of paper because if this phone goes dead or if something happens where I can't access the folder, I have a paper option, okay, and that goes for my Google Drive folder too. Like, I have a copy of my passport photo with me, an actual physical copy, just in case something happens and I can't access my phone. So try to pack light if you can Use different, be versatile with your outfits. Oh, and here's a lifesaver. Here's a lifesaver. Packing cubes.

Tracey: 18:42

Baby, when I tell you them, packing cubes come in handy. It saves space in your suitcase, it makes everything compact and it just makes things neater. Because one thing that I do um with my packing cubes, since I have everything, like I have my underwear, one thing I have my bathing suits and another thing, whatever I'm packing, it's all in that one cube. So I can literally pull that cube out. And if you're like me, I don't really like to unpack, unpack I will put that cube in a dresser drawer or, like, hang up my dresses so they can, you know, get the wrinkles out or whatever. But it makes it so much easier. When it's time to leave, I can just pull that cube out of the dresser drawer and put it back in my suitcase. So packing cubes are a lifesaver. I have probably two or three sets of packing cubes.

Tracey: 19:39

I've even seen some packing cubes that are like what do you call those bags that you can put a little vacuum on and suck all the air out? I call them the freeze-dry bags. That's not what they are, but you can have those too, and that even makes even more room in your suitcase. But I will caution this it's so easy to overpack with those because everything is smaller. Remember they still weigh the same, so be mindful of the weight of your suitcase.

Tracey: 20:12

And you also want to pack differently, you, so make sure you you pack your valuables in your carry-on bag if you're flying, or leave your expensive stuff at home, depending on the location where you're going. Leave the expensive stuff at home, because what happens if you get robbed? You know, it's a reality. Take pictures of your suitcase. If your luggage gets lost, I would advise, if you have access to air tags or what's the other there's another brand out there now that I can't. It's slipping my mind right now what it is but if you have air tags, put the little air tag in your luggage. And also, if you your luggage gets lost by the airline, take pictures of what you're packing, because it's easier to file a claim that way and and it's also easier to file a claim with the airline and your your travel insurance. So take pictures of what you've packed, make sure your valuables are with you in your carry-on bag if you're flying, or leave the expensive stuff at home.

Tracey: 21:19

Whenever I travel, I don't wear my best jewelry. I'll wear, like the costume jewelry or those pieces that I know that those pieces that I know are I won't get again, because certain brands that I love to wear they only release these items one time and you may get it again. They may release it again, they may not. So those pieces that I know are special to me, I leave them at home. I leave them at home because it's too risky. So another thing with the documents. So you know how I have my Google Drive folder. I have access to that on my phone. But again, if that phone goes down or the internet goes down or whatever, there is somebody who has access to it at home. Whether I'm traveling internationally or nationally, somebody always has access to this. But guess what, I have a paper copy of it too. Yeah, I have a paper copy of it. It's probably going to be laminated. Y'all don't laugh at me, but this has been a lifesaver for me. I have a paper copy of my passport, my driver's license, my insurance cards things like that my emergency contact numbers. All of that is a paper copy and I pack that and I put that in my carry-on bag with me, or it always stays in whatever bag I'm carrying while I'm on vacation, because if anything happens, somebody has access to me.

Tracey: 22:45

When you're solo traveling, you want to make sure that you are staying safe. Always keep your head on a swivel. As a solo traveler, as a woman, nobody knows that I'm traveling by myself, except for the people that I have deemed necessary to know, like my emergency contacts, my family, friends or whomever. But when I'm solo traveling, I never tell people that I'm traveling by myself. My man is always in the room. I'm always saying, okay, yeah, I'll meet you there. I'm either with my man or my friends, my girlfriends. Somebody's waiting on me wherever we go. Okay, now the thing about solo traveling is, you will meet people who are traveling solo as well. I still don't let them know that I'm traveling by myself. Okay, people crazy. Be safe. Keep your head on a swivel. Don't be talking on your phone and not paying attention to your surroundings when you're out, especially if you're a woman, pay attention to your surroundings.

Tracey: 23:41

If I'm traveling in the United States, I keep a little thing of pepper spray with me. Well, pepper spray gel, pepper spray gel to me I prefer better over the regular pepper spray, because pepper spray gel it goes directly to whatever target you're trying to hit. Pepper spray it will spray everywhere you could get hit. So you up there coughing and hacking and you don't miss your attacker or whatever. So I get pepper spray gel. Then you can't carry this stuff on a foreign trip or on the airline. So do your research. Okay, that's enough. Disclaimer. Do your research. I'm giving you tips, but do your research. Always, always, always. Trust your instincts. If something don't feel right, get up out of there. Get up out of there, because you know what I say. It's not my gut telling me, it's not my instincts, it's Holy Spirit giving me a warning. Listen, get up out of there. Avoid risky areas, especially at night.

Tracey: 24:40

Now the thing about solo traveling. I don't do stuff at nighttime unless I'm on an excursion, and even then, I don't really do excursions at night. Um, I don't do things at night. So I may go downstairs to my hotel, like the hotel lobby or hotel restaurants or things like that, that, but I'm not roaming the streets at night by myself. I barely do that in the United States. So you know I'm not going to do it internationally.

Tracey: 25:13

Another tip embrace the local culture. One thing I love about international travel is the people. Now, there are some countries that are going to treat you a little better than others, especially my sisters, the black people. Y'all know what I'm talking. There are some countries that are going to treat you better than others.

Tracey: 25:29

My time in Thailand, y'all. I talk about Thailand all the time because it was one of the best experiences I've had in travel. Thai people are so kind, they're so sweet and kind. They don't call Thailand the land of smiles for nothing. I have never been embraced by such a wonderful culture.

Tracey: 25:51

Now, it was a little it took some getting used to, because a lot of black people don't travel. Okay, let's just be, let's be honest, a lot of black people American black people, american black people don't travel. I wish I had pulled up the stats to see how many African Americans actually have passports and travel out of the country. But in Thailand they are fascinated by us. So what we would consider as a little bit of racism here in the United States is really just curiosity for Thai people. And one thing that I noticed in Thai, with Thailand, they would. They would take pictures. Now I'm so glad that a friend of mine had prepared me for this, because it was daunting at first, but once you get used to it, you know some Thai people will ask, well, can I take your question? Like they were just trying to figure out were you real or whatever. But Thai people were just so kind.

Tracey: 26:50

It was one of the best experiences I've had to have authentic Thai food. You know what? To be honest, I haven't had Thai food since I came back from Thailand because I know it won't taste the same. It will. Yes, I have, I take that back. I have had Thai food. I had Thai food one time and it did not taste the same. So I just that was the first and last time I've had it, and that's I went to Thailand in what?

Tracey: 27:13

2019, 2018, somewhere around in there but learn basic phrases in the local language if you're traveling internationally. Like for Thai, we learned how to say hello, how to say thank you. We learned the custom of bowing. You bow to elders. You don't bow to people your age or young people unless they bow to you. You know just local customs and you also want to pick up on some of the laws, so respect the customs and the traditions. Like for when I went to Thailand, it was certain places that we could not go without having our legs covered and our shoulders covered. Thailand is a hot place, okay, it's tropical, so of course, we walk around with shorts and you know no sleeves and things like that, but when it came to certain areas, we knew to wrap up. If you're going to an Arab country, you know women, you have to cover your head in certain places, so know the local customs and traditions.

Tracey: 28:15

If you are American and listening to this, don't be that American. You know what I'm talking about. Don't be that American. I wish I was doing video right now because you could see my face. Some Americans just have that thing about them, where they feel like the whole world is supposed to bow at their feet. No, it don't work like that. When you're going to another country, respect the culture, respect the culture, respect the people, respect the traditions. And also, this is this is one that my friends are going to hear and they're going to laugh at me because I'm a very picky eater. But they're going to laugh when I say this Try local foods.

Tracey: 28:54

Try local foods. Now, I'm giving this tip to you. I don't take it. Al right, because I'm a very picky eater and also I have allergies to somethings, so I can't be eating everything, but at least try the local food. Like, I'm so glad that I tried authentic Thai food because it just, it was so good. It was so good. And even in my trip to the Caribbean this year, I'm looking forward to having authentic Jamaican food. I'm going to Jamaica. I'm looking forward to having authentic Jamaican food, with limits, okay, because, again, allergies and I'm picky.

Tracey: 29:30

Also, engage with the local people. Now, this may be difficult if you're in another country and you don't speak the language, but there are ways to even get around that. I've used Google Translate. There's so many different translators out here that can help you communicate with the local people. One thing that I loved about Thai is that they wanted to practice English with us. So when they found out, you know well, it was obvious that I wasn't Thai, but they wanted to practice English with us and they allowed us to our Thai with them and it was just an amazing bonding experience.

Tracey: 30:08

So when you're traveling solo, one thing I love about solo travel is being flexible, the flexibility of it all. If I want to just stay in my room all day, I can do that. If I want to lounge by the beach all day, I can do that. If I want to just read a book by the pool, I can do that. If I want to get on a 6 am excursion which I probably won't do because I'm on vacation, but I have done that before. When I was in Hawaii, I went on a sunrise cruise. It was beautiful. But if you have a group of people you can't, you know the flexibility may not be there. So I love the flexibility of solo travel. I can do whatever I want to do on this trip, but allow room for spontaneity spontaneity in your plan as well.

Tracey: 30:58

Do things that you won't normally do at home within reason. Okay, don't go out here and be doing illegal stuff, dumb stuff. Do it within reason, like one thing that I love to do when I go on, when I'm traveling solo, like, for instance, when I went to Hawaii after my daughter passed away. I swam with the dolphins. Y'all, I can't swim, I can't swim, but it was like a once in a lifetime thing and I'm so glad I did it. Probably won't ever do it again, but I'm so glad I did it. One thing I definitely want to do is I want to go to um is it Turkey? Turkey or Hungary? I think it's Turkey and get in a hot air balloon. Granted, I can get in a hot air balloon here in the United States because it's a whole hot air balloon festival that happens not far from me, but it's just something about Turkey. I've seen pictures of it. I'm like, oh my god, that is beautiful. I want to experience that.

Tracey: 31:52

So do plan for spontaneity on your trip and be open to new experiences and meeting new people. I love solo travel because you get to meet people from all over the world. In Thailand, I met somebody from Sweden. I have never met people from Sweden before and it was just amazing. I still keep in touch with them actually. When I was in Hawaii, I met people from Japan, which was cool. When I went to St Lucia, of course you have the St Lucia people, but then there was a couple on their honeymoon from New Zealand, you know. So it's just things like that you get to meet different people and meet, have different experiences with new people.

Tracey: 32:39

Another tip for solo traveling stay healthy. Make sure you are hydrated and make sure that you try to balance your diet as much as you can. Because if you like me, sometimes I get over there and just like, especially if it's all inclusive. Like my family and I are going on a family cruise in April and I know we're going to be surrounded by food. Baby, I'm going to have to control myself, okay, because I could eat ice cream all day long but make sure you stay hydrated, especially if you're in a warmer client climate.

Tracey: 33:07

Now you may not want to drink the local water again. Do your research, but get bottled water. Um, there are some. I have this this water bottle that has a filtration system in it. Somebody gave it to me. I don't know where they got it. I don't know how to tell you to get one, but you know, get on the internet. I'm pretty sure you can find it. If you can have a small first aid kit and necessary medications. But again, if you're traveling internationally, make sure that that medication is something that you can bring with you and know the location of nearby hospitals and clinics. Also, know what your insurance will cover. Know what your insurance will cover your regular, employee-based or marketplace-based insurance, as well as your travel insurance. Make sure you know what they will cover. Some countries I was just educated on this yesterday. There are some places in Africa where, if you don't have the cash to pay, they won't treat you. So you may want to have an emergency stash of cash to be able to pay for your treatments.

Tracey: 34:16

Some solo activities I love to do. I love going to museums whether it be art, history, those kind of things visiting local parks, visiting landmarks, but doing this at my own pace. I love places like Charleston, going and looking at the history. One day I want to take a trip to Whitney Plantation in Louisiana, not because I think that plantations are touristy things, but Whitney Plantation has done this thing right. Look them up if you can. They don't make it about, oh, this is a great place for you know enslaved people. No, they give you the straight up history. I know it's going to be very emotional for me, but I really want to visit that place. I also want to take a trip to Africa one day and, since I know my African lineage, I want to go and find the villages where my great, great, great great grandparents were brought from the United States, brought from Africa to the United States, from to be enslaved. So explore those places.

Tracey: 35:20

You can do group tours and meet fellow travelers, but again, use that, use caution, be safe with that. Research the places I like to look at, I like to. When I do group tours, I'm going off the recommendation of my travel agent because we have a history. She knows I'm bougie, she knows what I like, what I'm not going to like, and also I will follow the recommendations of the resorts because they have partnerships with these places. But again, do your research. Just because somebody recommends something doesn't mean you just get out here and do it. Do your research and if it does not feel safe to you, don't do it. And also, I like to enjoy some quiet times when I'm solo traveling. So I always bring my journal and I'm just writing about my experience, what feelings I'm feeling at that moment, what was good, you know, whether I would come back again. Just whatever thought that comes to my mind, I'm writing it down in my journal.

Tracey: 36:16

One important thing mind your budget. Okay, mind your budget. We tend to go on vacation and forget we got to come back and pay rent and mortgage. We got to keep the lights on. We gotta get food. So mind your budget. One thing I love with solo traveling give me an all-inclusive If it's possible. Give me an all-inclusive If I can't have an all-inclusive, here's my budget. Here's what I'm willing to spend on this flight, this hotel room budget for the food budget for the excursions, and also put a little little something, something aside for souvenirs.

Tracey: 36:52

I know a couple places that I I liked. Um for one, when I go to back to Thailand, because I am planning on going back, I actually wanted to live there for a little still kind of have that burning desire to do so. But one thing I learned Thailand has some of the best markets. So I'm bringing at least two empty suitcases because I'm going shopping, but I'm going to budget. And also also, if you're traveling internationally, try to go to places where you can get a good exchange rate. Like there are some places where the dollar is stronger I don't know how long that's going to last, okay, because the way this economy is set up, hello but some places the dollar is stronger, some places the dollar is not the stronger currency. So look at the exchange rate and fix your budget based off of the exchange rate of the country in which you're visiting. And if you're shopping, try to shop locally. Like I said, Thailand has some of the best night markets, open air markets. It's like flea markets here in the United States. The best. Shop locally. I love to go and get local things. Like we found this young lady who made earrings. I love earrings, y'all. She made handmade earrings and I think I bought up her whole stock that night because they were just so beautiful and so intricate. We'll try to support the local economy as well.

Tracey: 38:19

Have a mix of cash and cards and, like I said before, know the exchange rates. So if you have a credit card, you know I would suggest not swiping that card wherever you go, but it's good to have in emergencies. Also, make sure that you have enough cash to last you the entire trip and exchange your money. If you are traveling internationally, exchange your money while you're here in the United States. Your local bank should be able to do that for you. One thing you don't want to do is get to the country where you're traveling and exchange your money because the fees are going to be astronomical. Do that while you're here in the US and take it with you. And last thing I'm going to leave you with Document your journey. Document your journey. Make sure you're taking pictures. Write in a travel journal or create a travel journal. Reflect on your experiences and enjoy the freedom of solo travel.

Tracey: 39:15

I absolutely keep a camera on me. I have my phone and I have a camera just for the pictures. I have beautiful pictures from Thailand that I can look back at. If you could, if it's within your budget, hire a photographer or videographer to go out with you for the day. That's one of my dreams. There are some places that do these flying dresses. I'm planning on doing a flying dress photo shoot, because I love good photo shoot, but I'm planning on doing a flying dress photo shoot when I hit Jamaica. These are memories that nobody can take away from me. But being able to look back at pictures of me in Thailand feeding elephants something that was on my travel vision board when I get to, when I went to Hawaii I have. I've been to Hawaii twice. I have two photo albums full of pictures from Hawaii. I have pictures from St Lucia, so all of my travels have been documented by these pictures that I get to take, and I love architecture and nature. So these are things that pictures of things that I love. So whenever I pass on, somebody can look at these like wow, she really went these places by herself.

Tracey: 40:29

Like yeah, absolutely, and just make sure that you are also in the moment. Because one thing that I realized about being a content creator is we tend to forget that we are on vacation and so it starts to feel like work. Put that camera, put that camera down, put the phone down, take in what you are in. Take in what you are in. These trips can be expensive. These trips can be things that you don't know if you're going to get back to that place, so enjoy the moment. Enjoy the moment. So go ahead, book the trip, do your research, find someplace that you love. I'll also leave you with one last tip, and then we're going to close out.

Tracey: 41:19

There is an organization that I saw on Instagram, and what they do is they plan your next vacation, but there's a catch. The catch is the destination is a surprise to you. So they plan plane trips, road trips, you pick trips, outdoor trips, whatever, but you don't get to pick your destination. They surprise you with it. So what they do is you have to fill out a questionnaire, you give them your budget and then they plan this trip and you don't know where you're going until the day of your trip. You open up a little envelope and it tells you where you're going. It's called Pack Up and Go Travel. I'm going to link them on in the show description. This is not a sponsored ad, but Pack Up and Go if you want to. You know, hook your sister, hook your girl up, let me know. But I want to try them one day, just because, just because. I have followed them on Instagram for a while and some of these trips have been like super amazing and I just want to see what they would come up with for me. So it's called Pack Up and Go Travel. I will again link the description in the show notes, link their Instagram in the show notes, check them out, check them out.

Tracey: 42:47

And if you are concerned about your budget for travel or if you want to do, um, like a dream trip, you know, I have a what I call a travel vision board. This vision board is dedicated to passport stamps only. Because one of my goals is to step foot on every continent on this earth except Antarctica, because I don't do cold like that, but I would love to just travel the world. So I have places that I want to visit, activities that I want to do. I have the country's flags on it. It's just a great way and a reminder for me to just see the vision ahead.

Tracey: 43:31

So start there, create a travel vision board and go crazy with it. Go crazy with it. If you love hiking, put these hiking spots on there. There's some great places to hike in Arizona and Colorado. One day I want to go skiing, so there's a whole resort in Colorado that I want to visit. There's a spa in Sedona, Arizona that I want to visit.

Tracey: 43:52

And please don't think you have to go internationally to travel solo. There are a lot of places here in the United States that I have yet to see. So there are places in Texas that I want to go. You know California. I really want to get on a train and go down the Pacific Coast Highway on a train because I hear it's beautiful. So put all these places on your travel vision board and then, as you go on through life, you'll see that you've actually touched down in these places. And when I tell you that is a most amazing experience to see your vision come to life, I can't even explain it. I can't even explain it. So I hope that you have enjoyed this episode. If you have any other tips for travel solo travel or otherwise I'm probably going to do an episode about group traveling next, so stay tuned.

Tracey: 44:46

It is summertime, honey. We are outside. We are about to enjoy this life and live empowered. We're getting passport stamps and airline miles, all right, but until next time, the next episode. Thank you for joining me, but remember God loves you. I love you. It ain't nothing you can do about it. Boo, bye.