My Greatest Act Of Self-Care (So Far)

Last year, I performed one of my greatest acts of self-care in my life. I touched on this briefly on a couple of my blog posts last year, but I want to use this post to talk about this in detail and discuss why it is important for me to continue doing this.

Last year, I went on a solo trip to Nova Scotia, and this was my greatest act of self-care. This was not the first time I went on a solo trip somewhere, but I think this was the first time I went on a solo trip where I felt so aware of my feelings and my personal growth. Honestly, that trip to Nova Scotia was the best vacation I ever been on, because I had complete control of everything I wanted to do and did not have to worry about anyone else. The number of posts on my time out in the east coast of Canada was proof of that.

My decision to solo travel last year was not an easy one. I had some anxiety booking my flights and hotel, but I had even more anxiety telling my parents that I was going away by myself for a bit. The thought of myself going on trips by myself mortified my parents, even after giving them my itinerary and where I am staying. I understand the concerns with safety and everything (normal parent stuff), but I am an adult, and I need to make decisions for myself. My parents begged me to take someone with me, and when I was not going to do that, they wanted me to check-in at numerous times throughout the day, which was unreasonable. 

The other thing I worried about was what my extended family thought about my decision. I was not going to tell them anything, but I knew my parents were going to tell other members of my extended family about my solo trip. My extended family were the type of people who were adamant that we were going to do something, we were going to do it together. Going on a vacation by myself is a sacrilege and an offence to my extended family. Some of them called me weird for going somewhere by myself.

That trip was the realization for me that I need to do the things that I want to do and I cannot worry about what other people think of me. I only have one life to live, and I am in a position where I can financially afford to go on these vacations, so why not do more of it? I was so happy to be in a new environment and explore my new surroundings with no attachments. Not having to worry about other people and their opinions was the greatest liberator, and I felt the stress and tension from myself melt away. 

We need to normalize doing things by ourselves, whether it is to solo travel for some time, or something simple like going to dinner by ourselves. It is not weird to do these things, and I wish that I can destroy that stigma. In fact, I think doing things by yourself is one of the greatest forms of self-therapy. While I was in Nova Scotia, I was able to self-reflect, and I felt like I was better able to understand myself and what I want to do in my life. I want to continue to solo-travel, because there are so many places that I want to see, and I am not going to wait around for anyone else.