As a young and carefree 18-year-old, I felt terrified at the idea of traveling on my own. Thankfully, I decided to start traveling anyway and went on my first trip to Tanzania. I caught the travel bug and continued traveling solo over the years, including trips to Thailand, Singapore, and Australia. It took a few years to truly overcome my fear, but an overland trip to South America at 22 taught me to be brave when I visited five countries alone after my friend left. Solo travel makes me feel