My first solo trip | NYC 2021

I'm one of those people who truly just flourishes in my alone time. I have always dreamt of taking a solo trip, and as scary as that sounds, it was one of my favorite memories ever and I'm so happy I finally did it! There's something so incredible about spending time with yourself - so freeing and invigorating. My main character moment if you will. I had one of the hardest and busiest years of my life and I wanted to treat myself - so I booked my first solo trip to my favorite place in the world, New York City!

Photos taken at Top of the Rock, NYC - would highly suggest going at sunset for obvious reasons!

I purposely booked the earliest flight possible so I could see the sunrise in the clouds and made sure to spend some time journaling on the plane to truly make the most of my main character moment. I was on cloud-9 (pun intended 😉). I also tried to do everything in my power to ensure I was sitting on the side of the plane where you'll see the NYC skyline while flying in, but I miscalculated and didn't realize that flight patterns aren't always the same. Bummer, but oh well!

I arrived in the city pretty early and dropped my bags at the hotel so I could explore before check-in. I was so excited to have a day all to myself in the city. I stayed at Arlo NoMad (the iconic hotel with the corner view window rooms that you've most definitely seen all over Pinterest, but unfortunately those were all booked - I still had an amazing view though!) It was located in a great area that was walkable to almost everything I planned to do. There's also an incredible rooftop here - there's usually a bar but since it was winter, it was closed but hotel guests still had access to take in the views. This was one of my favorite things to do everyday during sunrise & sunset.

Since it's winter and the sun sets early, I made sure to be in my hotel room by dark (which was 4:30pm lolz) so I felt safe. Gotta do what you gotta do to avoid being kidnapped (#justgirlythings 🤪). Haha, but I was so exhausted from walking around the city all day that I didn't mind being in early. I ordered some sushi, popped open some wine and spend the night watching Sex & the City - which felt even more right to watch in New York.

The next day, I wanted to conquer my social fear of going to a restaurant alone, and I'm not talking a takeout style cafe, but an actual sit down restaurant. I don't know why eating alone at a restaurant has such a weird stigma, but to align with my main character moment energy for the trip, I was actually so excited to go to a cute restaurant, take myself on a date and ask for a 'table for one'. I realized how much I actually enjoyed it and will definitely be taking myself on more dates all the time! I want to the adorable french restaurant, Boucherie in the West Village and it was just as yummy as it was aesthetically pleasing.

After my solo lunch, I walked around, did some shopping, of course made multiple coffee stops, and hung out in Washington Square Park to people watch. There's something so amazing about being alone, not being consumed in conversation with someone else or being on your phone. In our society everything is so fast paced, we forget to slow down and just take it all in. It's ironic that in the busiest place in the world, I felt the world slow down. I felt so at peace and so inspired by all of the energy around me. People always talk about how New York has an 'energy' to it, and I have felt that since the first time I visited. It's one of the main reasons I love the city so much, but in that moment I felt that energy in such a different light. It was such an enlightening experience and exactly what I needed. We're always so consumed in our own lives and rarely stop to observe what's happening around us. It reminds you of the humanity around you - it's beautiful, really.

It was also SO freeing to not worry about getting content on this trip. I don't think I've ever actually taken a trip since starting my blog where I didn't prioritize around shooting and planning the perfect location with the perfect outfit and spending so much 'vacation' time working - don't get me wrong, I also LOVE creating content, but it was kind of a relief to not even be able to shoot since I was alone. I decided to just take my film camera around with me to take photos of things that inspire me and it was so much fun! Here's a gallery of some of my favorite film photos:

I also wanted to have a 'treat yo self' moment and splurge on a little something after such a long and busy year of business! I saved up all of my tips from the season in a jar and treated myself to a new Louis bag. It's an ~investment~ 🤪

Okay - and now for the best part! After my 4 day solo trip, Josh flew in to join me for the weekend (I had to have someone there to take some insta pics 🤪 - kidding, but not really) - turns out he actually came and PROPOSED!!!! AHHH!! Won't leave ya hanging with that story, so read all about it here! 😘

I truly had the absolute best trip ever and obviously it ended even better. If you're thinking about taking a solo trip. DO IT! Just do your research, go somewhere you feel safe, make sure you're in contact with someone so they know where you are and you can check in with you. Now I can check it off my bucket list and will definitely be planning another one! Being comfortable spending time with yourself is one of the best things you can do in your life. At the end of the day, the only person you truly have is yourself and being your own best friend is such an incredible feeling. This trip also helped me to appreciate life in so many new ways. I would recommend solo traveling to anyone!

If you have any questions about solo travel or even about my favorite spots in NYC, please don't hesitate to reach out! I'm always just a DM away and would love nothing more than to chat!

Thanks so much for reading! I hope this post inspires you to do something for yourself and maybe even take your own solo trip!

Till next time -

xo