San Diego – Learning to Travel Alone

If someone had asked me where I was going for Fall Break two weeks before the trip, I probably wouldn't have had an answer.

The truth is, this trip wasn't planned months in advance. It wasn't some dream destination that had been sitting on my bucket list for years either.

One day I was looking at flights, and the next thing I knew, I had booked a ticket to San Diego.

Looking back, it was probably one of the most impulsive decisions I've made since coming to the United States.

And honestly, I'm glad I did.

This was my first time traveling completely alone.

No friends, no family, no tour group. Just me, my backpack, and whatever plan I could come up with.

At first, it felt a little strange.

When you're traveling with other people, there's always someone to talk to, someone to help decide where to eat, or someone to blame when you get lost.

When you're by yourself, every decision is yours.

Surprisingly, that was what I enjoyed the most.

If I wanted to spend an extra hour somewhere, I could. If I wanted to change my plans completely, nobody cared. If I found a coffee shop I liked, I could just sit there and do absolutely nothing for a while.

For the first time, I wasn't trying to keep up with anyone else's schedule.

I was just enjoying the trip at my own pace.

San Diego was also very different from what I had experienced in Utah.

The weather was perfect, the ocean was beautiful, and the whole city felt relaxed. Compared to the fast-paced atmosphere of places like New York, San Diego felt like a place where people actually slowed down and enjoyed life. I spent a lot of time simply walking around, exploring different neighborhoods, and taking in the views.

Nothing particularly dramatic happened during the trip. But sometimes that's what makes a trip memorable. As an international student, life often feels like it's moving very quickly. Between classes, assignments, internships, and future plans, there's always something to worry about.

For a few days, San Diego gave me a chance to step away from all of that.

No exams. No deadlines. No stress.

Just a new city and the freedom to explore it. The biggest thing I learned wasn't really about traveling. It was realizing that I don't need a perfect plan or a group of people to go somewhere I've never been before. Sometimes all it takes is deciding to go.

And two weeks before Fall Break, that's exactly what I did.