I live in a pretty scary place. Yellowstone National Park rests atop the one of the world’s largest volcanic systems. The Yellowstone Caldera, or Supervolcano as it is often called, produced the largest eruption in the history of the earth about 2 million years ago. In recent months, there has been hype about a new eruption, like this past spring when people recorded some bison running down the road as if they were sensing volcanic activity. The area experiences over 1,000 earthquakes a year, and there’s a good chance there have been a few (that I haven’t felt) since I’ve been here. There are thermal pools everywhere that, if you stepped on a piece of the ground that was too thin, could swallow you up instantly. The park is home to tons of wild animals: grizzly bears, bison, elk, wolves, coyotes. Many people have been seriously injured or have died here, even just from getting too close to the edge of a cliff. I’ve seen a lot here already, but there is so much more in the 2 million acres of the park that I haven’t explored. I had the whole day off today and wanted to go on a hike. NPS (National Park Service) strongly recommends hiking in groups of 3 or more. So, of course, I decided to go hiking alone. 
I like being alone, especially now after my solo road trip. I needed some “me time” and wanted to connect and check in with myself. Still, I deliberated for an hour before I left; what if I can’t find the trail? What if I get lost? What if I slip and fall and die and no one is around and they never find me or I get eaten by a bear? What if it’s too hard and I can’t do it? Maybe I should just ask someone to go with me – it will be so much easier… but because the thought of going by myself scared me so much, I knew I had to do it. I chose to hike Mount Washburn, one of the most popular hikes in Yellowstone for its panoramic view of almost the entire park and beyond. It is about 6 miles round trip and summits at about 10,ooo feet. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever done a hike that long or that high. I was really nervous. I was convinced that my heart and lungs – and maybe my spirit – weren’t strong enough to make it. But I was determined to prove myself wrong. 
I packed up and drove an hour and a half to the trail. I thought, Oh, it’s right there at the end of the parking lot. What was I even thinking? I started along the path with bulky gear hanging off of my backpack like an blatant novice, or at least that was what I thought I looked like. The views were already amazing and I had barely even started. 
It took me about 2 hours to reach the top. I was getting pretty tired after about 30 minutes into the ascent (remember, I’m still kind of a noob to hiking). When I saw that I was close, I got a burst of energy and started walking faster with the mantra “I CAN DO ANYTHING!” playing in my head. 
It felt amazing to stand on the top. I felt like I not only accomplished a great physical task, but I also conquered my fear. And it really wasn’t nearly as scary as I thought it would be. In fact, it wasn’t scary at all. I didn’t die. I didn’t get hurt. I didn’t even get lost. (Driving back was much scarier when I almost hit a bison head on…) Most things seem much scarier in your head than they actually are, and sometimes they’re actually not scary at all. Fear is important; it helps keep us alive, but it can also carry us away to fantasies that debilitate us if we let it. We make excuses all the time; I can’t go on that trip because it’s not financially responsible. I can’t be an actor because it’s unrealistic. I can’t say what I really want to say because I might sound stupid. It could leave me just sitting in my dorm and going to work and nothing else. Imagine what we could be capable of if we did what we wanted in spite of – or because of – our fears. Fear is telling us something else; what you’re afraid of may be hard and it may change you. Our brains don’t like change. But when we do things we’re afraid of, we can discover so much about ourselves. It provides so much strength, the gift of a challenge, not something to run away from (unless it’s seriously dangerous or destructive), but something to grow from. Not only does it help you survive, but it can also give you the opportunity to really live. What are some things you are afraid of? What holds you back from doing what you really want to do? Please share your thoughts below!
The Top 6 Things I Learned as a Woman Alone on the Road
6 months ago, I had a silly dream about driving across the country. I never thought it would happen, especially not alone. I just didn’t think I had the guts.
In the past 2 weeks, I have driven over 3,000 miles through 12 states and visited 13 towns. 
I am now just outside of the North entrance of Yellowstone National Park, where I will start my new job tomorrow morning. Not only did I make it to my destination safely, I had the time of my life.
Here are the top 6 things I’ve learned through the amazing experiences I’ve had on this life-changing trip.
1) Most things are never as scary in real life as they are in your head. Before I left, I kept subconsciously imagining the worst. Not only did the things I imagined not happen, but the trip was better than I imagined. Our brains want to protect us, keep us safe within familiarity and stop us from trying new, potentially threatening things. This lesson came up more times than I can count or name, mostly right before I left. I was terrified that something horrible would happen or that I’d be debilitated by my fear (yeah, I was afraid of being afraid…) but when I got on the road, I was pleasantly surprised at how not scary it was driving in new places (even big ones with lots of traffic and the steep, narrow scenic roads), going out at night, talking to locals, and being on my own. Taking risks challenged me to grow and made me feel alive. I was surprised by my own strength. I did it!
2) Women can safely and successfully travel alone. Yes, traveling alone can be dangerous, and unfortunately, female travelers take a larger risk going solo than males. This almost held me back from going, but man, am I glad I didn’t let it. I’ve found a new sense of confidence, independence, and empowerment. I made smart decisions but still pushed myself to do things that I was afraid of, like check out a local bar in a tiny Wyoming mountain town, Buffalo, and talk to the two rugged cowboys about why they love their little town so much. Some people’s red flags might go off at a scene like that, but I also learned that most people in this world are good. Yes, you have to guard yourself to a certain extent, but being too cautious can cause you to miss out on some really great experiences.
3) When you are open to receiving, you will be received. I encountered several peculiar “coincidences” on the trip. At Snaggy Mountain, I ran into someone I knew from Sarasota. Last night in Buffalo, there was a group of young musicians hanging out at the campfire and one of them was also from Sarasota. In St. Louis, I sat down at a coffee shop and noticed that on the wall right in front of me were two license plates: Wyoming, and Florida right underneath it. And tonight I went to a saloon-type local restaurant in Gardiner and happened to sit next to a man from Miami, likely the only other Jew in this town and possibly in Montana. The odds of all of these happenings are slim, and whether or not they were some type of “signs,” they certainly felt like little gifts.
4) I am okay alone – better than okay. One of the reasons I was afraid before I left was because I was afraid of myself. I wasn’t sure that I liked myself enough to spend all this time alone. As it turns out, I’ve gotten comfortable being by myself, but not just comfortable – enjoying my own company. I would sing my guts out in the car and make up songs, talk to myself, smile and giggle to myself. I think that this also, ironically, made me more comfortable talking to other people. I was so proud to tell my story, and loved hearing others’ too.
5) It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey. Okay, I know it’s really cliche, but it’s such a good, timeless lesson. Being on the road was a really great reminder of this because every time I got into my car to get somewhere or thought I had to rush, I tried to remember to enjoy every moment. When I was bored with driving and couldn’t help but thinking, “Are we there yet?!” I paused to reframe and appreciate the trees, the open road, whatever was around. There is beauty in every moment and it’s easy to miss when we are so focused on the end goal. It’s important to have a path, but the entire path is important, especially that which leads you to where you’re going.
6) Everything is perfect exactly the way it is. Not every moment of the trip was sunshine and rainbows. There were tough moments, too, especially when things didn’t go exactly as I had hoped or expected. There was so much I wanted to do and as much as I wanted to be spontaneous and challenge myself, I also had to learn when to say no. I had very little planned before I left other than a general route, and I eased into the idea of “going with the flow,” something pretty foreign and intimidating to me. I practiced non-attachment and releasing expectations and began to learn that whatever happens is exactly what is supposed to happen, even if not what you thought. Accepting things as they are makes life much happier.
There are so many more things I learned and experienced and I would love to share more one-on-one. I’m a little sad that this part of the journey is coming to a close, but it has led me to my next step and allowed me to learn and grow in ways I never would have otherwise. I’ll never feel like I missed out or that I let fear get the best of me. I’ll never look back.
