3:10 to Amalfi

May 28

The most meaningful travel experiences often come from the moments you least expect.

It’s not seeing the Mona Lisa or visiting the Phi Phi Islands. It is the six-hour drive through rural India, the endless wandering through a Marrakech souk, the solo bike ride through Vietnam’s rice terraces — the moments where you have the availability to simply witness.

For me, most of these moments happen when I travel by myself. As I write this, I'm on a ferry ride from Capri to Amalfi, looking out to the Mediterranean, with nothing but time and space to be in awe of the world we live in.

Solo travel is one of the most beautiful gifts you can give yourself.

It pushes you out of your comfort zone and into a state of heightened awareness, where every decision and every experience is uniquely yours.

Solo travel fosters a deep sense of independence and self-reliance, as you navigate new places, cultures, and situations on your own. Yet, the true magic of solo travel lies in the beauty of the people you meet and the simplicity of moments where you experience true connection.

When I was 21, I took my first solo trip to Bali, Indonesia. I flew fourteen hours from London, never having been to Asia before, and with no idea what to expect. What I found was an experience so life-changing, so deeply tied to the person I am today, that I still struggle to put it into words to this day.

In Bali, I met some of the most genuine and inspirational people. I had deep, insightful conversations with anyone I crossed paths with: the barista, a vendor at the market, a hotel concierge. Many of these conversations very well may not have happened if I had been traveling with someone. One night, after a monsoon ended the Lombok dance show early at the Ubud Palace, I ran for a cab. On the way home, as I chatted with the taxi driver and we delved into the meaning of life (a frequent topic of conversion on the island of Bali) and he said something that has stayed with me ever since:

“You never understand how small you are and how large the world is until you are in the ocean, just you and a thousand miles of sea. Being small doesn’t mean your impact in the world has to be small though. Live fully and passionately, and the whole world will hear you.”

Too often, we find ourselves simply going through the motions. We run to work, we run home, we sometimes manage to squeeze in a yoga class here or there, but for the most part, life remains methodical and predictable.

If we’re lucky, we catch it early. We flip the autopilot off and tune inwards. We pause, reflect, and reconnect. Consciously, we turn towards community, dive into hobbies, or even book a trip to become re-inspired by the beautiful world in which we live.

Travel can bring us back home and reconnect us to our truest Self.

So travel, as often as you can—with friends, with family, and every once and awhile, on your own. Allow yourself to to feel lonely, to feel unsure. Sit with yourself and challenge your fears, your preconceptions, and your understandings.

Allow travel to change you.

Join Lexie at her upcoming retreat in Puglia, Italy | Rooted in Sisterhood Retreat, November 9th - 14th