"In May 2017, I went on a cross-country road trip from San Francisco to Washington, DC, by a southern route. I traveled by myself for the entirety of the trip. When I wasn't driving (and singing horrible car karaoke to keep myself engaged), I was camping or hiking in a National Park or exploring a city with newfound friends from my hostel. There were definitely some safety precautions I had to take to make sure I was prepared for as many possible worst-case scenarios, but the most important was that I checked in with people every day to let them know I was alive and well and having the time of my life. My check-ins were phone calls to a family member (who would pass the message on to the rest of the family) and a daily Instagram post to show what I had done and where I was.
"However, I never felt like I was in danger, not once: I met wonderful people at the hostels that I now call friends; I got to see 10 National Parks, explore four new cities, and reaffirm my relationships with those I love, including myself. There were a lot of people during my trip that told me I was being brave for traveling by myself as a woman, but it wasn't because I was a woman that made it brave. I feel that a lot of people do not like being alone, particularly with their own thoughts, for so long, and choosing to embrace yourself, well, that takes true courage." — Patricia Kwon, POPSUGAR paralegal
